Philanthropist Larry Goodman Pledges $3 Million for BGU’s Open Apartments Program
Philanthropist Larry Goodman Pledges $3 Million for BGU’s Open Apartments Program
February 27, 2012
Negev Development & Community Programs, Press Releases
CHICAGO, February 27, 2012 – Thirty years ago, real estate businessman Larry Goodman had a chance encounter with an official from Israel’s Ministry of Housing. That meeting led to the allocation of 65 apartments in Beer-Sheva to begin an innovative new initiative through Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) called the Open Apartments Program.
The program bridges the university and its surrounding communities. In lieu of paying rent, selected students live in underprivileged neighborhoods and dedicate at least eight hours of service per week. Students provide local children and adults with a range of activities and services from teaching, planning holiday gatherings and counseling, to assisting with house painting or repairs. They often become role models for young children whose aspirations otherwise would be limited.
Through the years, the Lillian and Larry Goodman Foundation has supported the Open Apartments Program and recently pledged an additional $3 million to ensure the program’s sustainability and growth. Currently, 104 students reside in 63 apartments. The Foundation’s contribution will enable the acquisition of 10 more apartments to house 30 additional students by October 2012.
“We must instill the concept of giving back to the community in our young people. This program encourages communal engagement that is of benefit to both the students and the families they mentor,” said Larry Goodman.
BGU recently held a dedication ceremony on its Beer-Sheva campus where they renamed the program to reflect its benefactors; it is now known as the Lillian and Larry Goodman Open Apartments Program.
“Larry and his family share with BGU a deep and longstanding commitment to the future of Beer-Sheva and of the Negev. We are proud to have joined hands with him once more,” said Doron Krakow, executive vice president, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Goodman is currently a member of the Board of Governors of Ben-Gurion University, where he also received an honorary doctoral degree.
For more information contact Steven Franklin, Great Lakes regional director.
The Lillian and Larry Goodman Foundations are dedicated to strengthening Jewish life in Chicago, the United States and Israel, as well as improving the quality of life within the Chicago metropolitan area by supporting secular organizations that address hunger issues and promote the prevention of drug abuse. For more information visit www.llgoodmanfdn.org.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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