David Azrieli
David J. Azrieli (1922–2014) was a Polish-born Canadian-Israeli architect, real estate developer, and philanthropist renowned for transforming urban landscapes through innovative commercial projects in Canada and Israel.[1] Born in Maków-Maz, Poland, he escaped the Nazi invasion in 1939 by fleeing to Soviet-occupied territory, endured nearly three years in the USSR, and reached pre-state Israel in late 1942, where he studied architecture at the Technion and fought in the 1948 War of Independence.[1] Immigrating to Montreal in 1954, Azrieli launched his real estate career by constructing duplexes in 1957 and founding Canpro Investments Ltd. in the early 1960s, eventually pioneering enclosed shopping centers, including Israel's first in Ramat Gan in 1985 and the landmark Azrieli Center towers in Tel Aviv from 1992 to 2008, which reshaped the city's skyline and introduced the Hebrew term kanion for "mall."[1][2] Azrieli's professional ascent culminated in the Azrieli Group's 2010 initial public offering on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, one of the largest in its history, reflecting his dual-national business acumen.[2] A committed Zionist and educator at heart, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Université de Montréal in 1954 and a Master of Architecture from Carleton University in 1997 at age 75, while endowing academic chairs and programs at institutions like the Technion, Tel Aviv University, and Weizmann Institute.[1] In philanthropy, Azrieli established the Azrieli Foundation in 1989, bequeathing it the bulk of his estate upon his death on July 9, 2014, in Ivry-sur-le-Lac, Quebec; the foundation advances education, scientific and medical research, Holocaust survivor memoirs, and cultural initiatives across Canada and Israel.[2] His contributions earned him the Order of Canada in 1984, l’Ordre national du Québec in 1999, and multiple honorary doctorates, cementing his legacy as a self-made survivor who bridged continents through enterprise and generosity.[1]
Early Life and Holocaust Experience
Childhood in Poland
David Azrieli was born David Azrylewicz on May 10, 1922, in Maków Mazowiecki, a town in northeastern Poland with a substantial Jewish population that approached half its residents by 1939.[3] [2] He was the second of four children born to Rafael Hirsch Azrylewicz, a tailor who operated a prosperous sewing workshop serving clients that included affluent Germans from Prussia and Germany, and Sara-Chaya (also recorded as Haia Sarah) née Gerwer.[4] [2] His siblings included an older brother, Ephraim (born 1920); a younger brother, Pinchas (born 1924); and a much younger sister, Tzirele (born 1936).[4] Azrieli's early years unfolded in a household influenced by Zionist ideals amid interwar Poland's growing antisemitic pressures.[5] He attended the local elementary school before, at age 14 around 1936, enrolling in a Teachers’ Seminar in Warsaw; he later returned to Maków when a gymnasium opened there.[4] Unlike Ephraim, who helped in their father's workshop, Azrieli evinced no aptitude for tailoring, instead favoring reading about politics and sports.[4] His recreations included biking, attending theater performances with peers, playing football with Pinchas, and seasonal pursuits along the local river, such as swimming in summer and skating in winter.[4] As geopolitical tensions mounted in the 1930s, the family weighed emigration to Palestine, reflecting broader Jewish anxieties over impending conflict; Rafael remained cautiously optimistic, while Sara-Chaya voiced deeper fears.[4] These discussions underscored the precarious position of Polish Jews, though Azrieli's immediate childhood remained rooted in the rhythms of small-town life until the outbreak of war in 1939.[4]Escape and Survival During World War II
In September 1939, shortly after the German invasion of Poland and the bombing of Warsaw, 17-year-old Dawid Azrylewicz (later David Azrieli) fled his hometown of Maków Mazowiecki on foot, heading eastward into Soviet-occupied territory to evade Nazi forces.[6][7][8] Captured by Soviet authorities amid the mass deportations of Polish citizens deemed unreliable, Azrieli was transported to a forced labor camp in Siberia, where he endured harsh conditions including manual labor, starvation rations, and extreme cold as part of Stalin's policy to suppress potential resistance in annexed territories.[9][10] The German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 prompted an amnesty for Polish deportees under the Sikorski-Mayski agreement, enabling Azrieli to enlist in General Władysław Anders' Polish Army in exile; this force, composed largely of former Gulag prisoners and exiles, provided an escape route from Soviet labor camps, with Azrieli traveling southward through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before the army's evacuation to Persia (modern Iran) and eventual relocation toward Allied bases in the Middle East.[11][7][12]Post-War Displacement and Arrival in Mandatory Palestine
Following his escape from Nazi-occupied Poland in September 1939, Azrieli traversed Soviet territories, enduring forced labor and perilous conditions before joining routes associated with Polish exiles under General Władysław Anders. This path led him through Central Asia to Baghdad in Iraq, from where he continued onward, ultimately reaching British Mandate Palestine in late 1942 after a grueling five-day bus journey over rough terrain. His entry was clandestine, concealed within a shipment of arms hidden in coffins destined for the Yishuv, the Jewish community in Palestine, evading British restrictions on Jewish immigration.[13][2] Upon arrival, Azrieli, then 20 years old, navigated the challenges of wartime Palestine as an undocumented immigrant amid ongoing British Mandate policies limiting Jewish entry and the intensifying conflict with Arab populations. He began studies in architecture at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa in 1943, completing his coursework by 1946 despite interruptions from regional instability and resource shortages. This period marked his integration into the Yishuv's defensive structures, including preparatory involvement with paramilitary groups, as he sought stability after years of displacement.[2][14] In the immediate post-World War II years, following the Allied victory in Europe in May 1945, Azrieli learned in 1946 that of his immediate family—parents Rafael Hirsch Azrylewicz and Sara-Chaya, along with siblings—only one brother had survived the Holocaust, underscoring the personal toll of his earlier flight. With Europe's Jewish communities decimated and displaced persons camps overflowing, Azrieli's prior arrival positioned him among the fortunate early refugees who avoided the massive post-war migrations, though he faced economic hardship and contributed to the Yishuv's self-defense efforts amid rising tensions leading to the 1947 UN Partition Plan. His experiences during this transitional phase, detailed in his memoirs covering 1939–1950, highlighted resilience amid uncertainty, as Mandatory Palestine grappled with civil strife and the impending end of British rule in 1948.[11][14]Education and Early Adulthood
Military Service and Involvement in Israeli Independence
Upon arriving in Mandatory Palestine in 1942, Azrieli was recruited into the Haganah, the principal underground Jewish defense organization operating under British Mandate rule to protect Jewish settlements and prepare for potential conflict.[15] He established early contacts with Haganah representatives during his initial travels in the region, aligning his efforts with the Zionist paramilitary's activities amid rising Arab-Jewish tensions.[2] Following studies at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology from 1943 to 1946, Azrieli enlisted in the Haganah's Seventh Brigade around 1946.[2] With Israel's declaration of independence on May 14, 1948, and the subsequent invasion by Arab armies, the Haganah transitioned into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Azrieli continued serving in the newly formalized Seventh Armored Brigade, a mechanized unit critical to early IDF operations despite severe shortages of equipment and trained personnel.[2] [16] The brigade played a pivotal role in defending Jerusalem and attempting to break Arab blockades on supply convoys, contributing to the survival of isolated Jewish enclaves during the war's opening phases. Azrieli sustained wounds during the Battle of Latrun in late May and early June 1948, a series of assaults on a fortified Arab Legion position controlling the main road to Jerusalem, where IDF forces sought to relieve the besieged city but faced heavy losses from superior enemy armor and artillery.[16] His participation exemplified the volunteer-driven mobilization that bolstered Israel's defenses, with the Seventh Brigade's engagements helping to secure territorial gains essential to the state's consolidation by the armistice agreements of 1949. Service records indicate his involvement extended through the conflict's duration, ending around 1949.[2]Immigration to Canada
David Azrieli immigrated to Canada in 1954 from Israel, where he had participated in the 1948 War of Independence, settling in Montreal.[17] [16] Prior to this move, Azrieli had traveled and resided in locations including South Africa, where he worked as a Hebrew teacher, following his post-war experiences.[18] [16] The decision aligned with Canada's postwar economic expansion, particularly in construction, which presented opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures.[19] Upon arrival in Montreal, Azrieli pursued further education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Université de Montréal through the Thomas More Institute.[2] [1] This period marked his transition from military and survival experiences in Europe and the Middle East to establishing a foundation in North America, where he later expressed gratitude for the opportunities that enabled his professional success.[20] By the late 1950s, he had begun small-scale real estate projects, such as constructing four duplexes in suburban Montreal in 1958, leveraging the ongoing building surge.[19] Azrieli maintained strong ties to Israel throughout his life, viewing Canada and Israel as dual homelands, but the 1954 relocation positioned him to capitalize on Montreal's growing urban development needs.[21] His immigration reflected a pragmatic pursuit of stability and prosperity in a stable democratic society with robust economic prospects, distinct from the nascent challenges of the newly independent State of Israel.[22]Business Career
Initial Ventures in Construction and Real Estate
Upon immigrating to Canada in 1954 and settling in Montreal, David Azrieli completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Université de Montréal before entering the real estate sector.[15] In 1957, he launched his initial construction efforts by building four duplexes in a Montreal suburb, marking his entry into residential development on a modest scale.[2] [3] These early projects leveraged his prior architectural training from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, enabling self-designed, cost-efficient structures that generated profits for reinvestment.[23] Azrieli's subsequent ventures involved scaling up residential construction, progressing from single-family homes to multi-unit apartments using accumulated earnings from the initial duplexes.[23] By the early 1960s, he established Canpro Investments Ltd. in Montreal, a firm dedicated primarily to high-rise residential buildings, which formalized his operations and facilitated larger-scale financing and project management.[1] [2] This transition reflected a strategic focus on urban density in growing Canadian cities, capitalizing on post-war housing demand without reliance on extensive external capital initially.[22] In 1967, Canpro diversified into commercial real estate, including the development of shopping centers and hotels, building on the stability of its residential portfolio to pursue mixed-use opportunities.[1] These expansions remained rooted in Azrieli's hands-on approach to design and construction, emphasizing prefabricated elements for efficiency, though they introduced complexities like zoning approvals and market timing risks inherent to early commercial ventures.[18] By the late 1960s, Canpro's portfolio had grown to encompass several high-profile residential towers in Montreal, establishing Azrieli's reputation for innovative, vertically integrated development.[16]Expansion of Canpro Investments and Major Developments
David Azrieli founded Canpro Investments Ltd. in Montreal in the early 1960s, building on his initial real estate entry with the construction of four duplexes in a Montreal suburb in 1957.[2] The company initially concentrated on developing high-rise residential buildings amid Canada's postwar construction boom.[19] Expansion beyond residential projects began in 1967 with the development of the 250-room Hotel des Artistes in Montreal, constructed specifically for Expo '67.[2] [1] By 1969, Canpro entered the retail sector with Azrieli's design of his first shopping center, diversifying into commercial properties including office towers, hotels, and malls.[2] In the 1970s, the firm developed multiple commercial centers in southern Ontario and constructed Les Promenades de l'Outaouais in Gatineau, Quebec, establishing it as the largest shopping mall in Canada's National Capital Region at the time.[2] Canpro further solidified its portfolio by acquiring and managing key downtown Montreal assets, such as the Dominion Square building and the Sofitel Hotel.[2] Over subsequent decades, Canpro extended its holdings to office buildings across Canada and the United States, evolving into a major development entity with commercial properties throughout North America.[24] [19] This growth reflected Azrieli's strategic shift from residential to diversified commercial real estate, leveraging design expertise to prioritize functional, high-density urban projects.[1]Architectural Contributions and Design Philosophy
David Azrieli's architectural contributions centered on pioneering mixed-use developments, particularly enclosed shopping malls and high-rise complexes that integrated retail, office, and residential functions. In Canada, he designed and developed the Hotel Des Artistes in Montreal, a 250-room facility completed in 1967 to house artists during Expo '67, marking an early foray into hospitality architecture tailored for cultural events.[1] He followed this with Montreal's first shopping center in 1969, establishing a model for urban retail spaces that combined accessibility with commercial efficiency.[1] In Israel, Azrieli imported advanced construction and design techniques from his Canadian operations during the 1980s, revolutionizing the retail sector by introducing the enclosed shopping mall format.[22] His Canion Ayalon in Ramat Gan, opened in 1985, was the country's first such complex, merging shopping areas with integrated parking and coining the Hebrew term "canion" to describe this hybrid structure.[1] This innovation spurred the development of over a dozen similar malls across Israel, transforming consumer habits and urban commerce through climate-controlled, multi-level environments that prioritized functionality and foot traffic flow.[22] The Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv stands as his most iconic project, initiated in 1992 and featuring three towers of varying geometries—a 49-story circular tower (187 meters), a 46-story triangular tower (169 meters), and a 42-story square tower (154 meters)—completed between 1999 and 2007, which redefined the city's skyline and created the Middle East's largest mixed-use commercial hub at the time.[18][1] Azrieli's firm oversaw the project's execution, emphasizing durable, high-density construction suited to seismic conditions and rapid urbanization.[22] Azrieli's design philosophy prioritized pragmatic innovation over ornamental excess, favoring bold geometric forms and efficient spatial organization to maximize utility in high-rise and retail contexts.[1] He advocated for developments that addressed real-world needs, such as weather-resistant enclosures in Israel's Mediterranean climate and symbolic simplicity in tower shapes to evoke fundamental architectural principles, as seen in the Azrieli Center's basic planar and curvilinear silhouettes.[18] This approach stemmed from his self-taught and experiential background in design, honed through decades of hands-on building in North America before applying it to Israel's post-independence infrastructure demands, always grounding projects in economic viability and long-term adaptability rather than purely aesthetic experimentation.[22]Philanthropy and Civic Engagement
Founding of the Azrieli Foundation
David J. Azrieli established the Azrieli Foundation in 1989 in Canada to formalize and extend his philanthropic vision.[25] Drawing from his experiences as a Holocaust survivor and successful entrepreneur, Azrieli aimed to give back to society through structured giving, emphasizing personal involvement alongside financial support.[2] The foundation was rooted in Jewish values of compassion, justice, and responsibility, with an initial focus on strategic initiatives in Canada.[25] The organization's mission centered on investing in people, advancing knowledge in education and science, and strengthening communities, reflecting Azrieli's belief that philanthropy should empower individuals and address societal needs.[25] Early activities implemented this vision through targeted grants, though specific 1989 programs are not detailed in historical overviews; the foundation's work built on Azrieli's prior informal donations in areas like education and community welfare.[25] By institutionalizing his giving, Azrieli ensured a lasting mechanism for supporting causes aligned with his priorities, including those benefiting Canada and, later, Israel.[25][2]