C8 HAMODIA 8 CHESHVAN 5773 OCTOBER 24, 2012 Community

Feature / By Yosef Rapaport The Man Behind the (New York) Wheel Changing New York’s Iconic Skyline

ur community has seen many developments in the advancement O of Orthodox Jews’ involvement in commerce and politics since the bulk of our communities’ arrival to our shores. Some have achieved great success in retail, real estate or traditional manufacturing. It is not unusual to see an Orthodox Jew as a prominent developer of a skyscraper or as mayor of a nice-sized village or district, sometimes in full Chassidic garb, doing his chosen work. Yes, we have arrived. Still even those who pay close attention to the growth of committed Chassidic Jews’ involvement in all spheres of American enterprise are in disbelief that a young Satmar chassid from Boro Park is the founder and chairman of the New York Wheel, a planned giant Ferris Wheel being built on the northeastern shore of Staten Island. The New York Wheel will be the world’s tallest “observation wheel” in the world and the only attraction of its kind in New York City. The 625-foot (roughly 60-story) Wheel will feature 36 capsules, each carry- ing up to 40 passengers, and will offer incomparable views of lower and midtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, and beyond, for the duration of each 38-minute revolution. In terms of size, scope, and spectacular sights, the completed attraction promises to rival the London Eye, the Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Harbor Opera House. The attraction will accommodate as many as 1,440 people per trip, and will welcome as many as 30,000 visitors each day and an The New York Wheel anticipated 4.5 million visitors per year. A rendered drawing of the planned futuristic 60-story high observation wheel. The statue of Liberty (seen behind wheel) will be dwarfed when The man behind the entire idea of a proj- observed from atop the breathtaking wheel. ect that is destined to become one of the decent livelihood — nothing more than City’s — and the world’s — great landmark being able to put bread on the table and live attractions is none other than a product of modestly. Did they ever dream that one of the Satmar Yeshivah in Kiryas Joel and their own unassimilated offspring — with Yeshiva Bais Meir. Reb Meir Yosef Laufer is beard and peyos — would attain this degree convinced that the Wheel, when built, will of acceptance? change the New York City skyline and I put the question to Meir, but being a bit become an iconic fixture. shy and not of a philosophical bent, he Since he attended the much-publicized demurred. He would rather have others press conference announcing the planned ponder the question. “We have come a long new attraction for New York City, Mr. way since Ellis Island,” Meir says. “New Laufer has preferred to stay in the back- York — especially Manhattan — was always ground. Even during the press conference, seen as a place of opportunity. So here we he chose to let the professional members of are!” the team explain to the media all aspects of “I have not encountered any prejudice at the project. all. People looked at the proposal and the “Baruch Hashem, we have brought reputation of the person proposing it, and together a first-class team of professionals recognized that we did our homework and and major investors capable of satisfying put together a solid team, so nobody minds the stringent demands of the City, on whose my background.” land this will be built,” Mr. Laufer related. Mr. Meir Laufer, 37, is the son of Reb But as a member of our community, Mr. Chaim Dovid Laufer — a real estate Laufer feels that his endeavor could serve as investor, prominent mispallel and one of an inspiration for other “dreamers” in our Meir Laufer behind a rendering of the New York Wheel on an easel next to a proud Mayor Michael the roshei kehillah of the Satmar shul in midst. “Even if you look and dress like a Bloomberg at a press conference announcing plans for the world’s largest observation wheel. Boro Park. As CEO of Plaza Capital Chassidishe person, that should not pre- Management LLC, Mr. Meir Laufer’s group vent you from dreaming big. Nothing been mentally far removed from his mod- upon Lady Liberty, standing in the harbor has successfully formed investments to should be beyond your perceived capabili- ernistic, iconic project that is about to near Ellis Island, where many of our fore- develop real estate, mainly in Manhattan ty,” he told Hamodia. “That is why I agreed change the face and image of New York. But bears passed through to begin setting up and in private equity ventures. to speak to Hamodia; I should at least talk to when meeting with city fathers and their new lives on these same shores that “You might wonder — I only had a solid the frum media, so that others like me investors, Mr. Laufer is not detached from Mr. Laufer is about to change. Gemara education in United Talmudical should be inspired to think ‘out of the box.’” his background. I express wonderment as I consider the Academy of Satmar. But I applied myself to In the course of preparing this article I The view out of the offices of the New advances of our community — mainly com- thoroughly study every aspect of investing,” met with Meir on a few occasions. One such York Wheel, located at the southern tip of prised of immigrants — just one or two gen- says Mr. Laufer. “And with the help of encounter was during hakafos on Simchas Manhattan overlooking upper New York erations in this country. Surely those Hashem, we succeed.” Torah night. There was Meir, wearing his Bay, is stunning. Ships small and large, Jewish “huddled masses,” who had their Mr. Laufer is also a board member of shtreimel, dancing fervently with his dear including the New York City ferries with modest dreams of finding a safe harbor in Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services. son Menashe with the sefer Torah. While their mile-long wakes, move like playthings America after the Holocaust, hoped to be “I serve as a kind of ambassador to the rejoicing with the Torah, Meir must have in a pond. To the far right we look down able set up a life committed to Torah with a Chassidishe community. Sometimes mem- Community 8 CHESHVAN 5773 OCTOBER 24, 2012 HAMODIA C9 bers of our community are in able for most frum visitors. need of family and mental servic- “There will be many shops but es, they need a heimishe person to also some quiet areas and open [help] in the process of getting aid, space for relaxing.” This true and I am proud to serve that need family experience includes plans in conjunction with Ohel,” Meir for a kosher restaurant. says. The entire project is expected He and his wife, the daughter to run on clean and alternative of Reb Yankel Horowitz, z”l, who energy, and will include an edu- was a well-known askan from cational exhibit explaining the Monsey, are the proud parents of projects’ energy sources. six children. School classes will be able to reserve an entire cabin for them- What Got Him Thinking of a selves. Each cabin will be Ferris Wheel in New York? equipped with the technology to About four years ago, Meir explain the stunning, 360-degree read about the London Eye. The views. popular 12-year-old tourist The Wheel will have the attraction on the South Bank of capacity to carry 1,440 passen- the Thames River, near gers at once, moving at a slow Parliament, is 443 feet tall (in Credit Yosef Rapaport pace of 10 inches per second, and comparison, Deno’s Wonder Mr. Laufer in the office of the New York Wheel (planned area seen in distant far right) with a view overlooking upper will operate day and night. Wheel at Coney Island stands 150 New York Bay and Lady Liberty. I tried to plead with Mr. feet tall). Each year the London Laufer for a reservation on the site attracts about 3.5 million visi- off during the winter months. But Seaport, but quickly realized that Islanders complained that they night of July 4, during the tors who ride in large, glass- the air in New York during much the local residential community were New York City’s “forgotten famous Macy’s fireworks show, enclosed “pods” and enjoy of the winter is cold, crisp, and would be overwhelmed. In addi- borough.” This project has the but he just smiled. (I am sure the panoramic views of London. clean, with stunning views far into tion, it would have created traffic potential to change that percep- New York Wheel will accept “I thought: Why not New York, the distance,” Meir explained. problems on the FDR Drive and tion forever. The Mayor, on his reservations for July 4 as soon as and why not me?” Meir puts it “New York City attracted over 50 the Brooklyn Bridge. last term and keenly interested operations begin. But we can be simply, without giving much million visitors last year. In win- The team also considered in a lasting legacy, has shown sure that we folks stand little thought to the audacity of a ter and the new year season, New Governors Island, but that was unusual enthusiasm for the New chance against the Trumps of the Chassidic person pulling off a York is already a major destina- not feasible. Then they York Wheel. world, or even the president of grand, “game-changing” develop- tion. Tapping into that market approached the city and Staten “Most New Yorkers can’t even the United States, in securing a ment feat. “I got to work right will make the New York Wheel a Island’s Borough President, who locate Staten Island on a map of view.) away.” year-round must-see destina- became extremely excited at the New York City,” Meir quips. “The At any time of the year, night- Mr. Laufer intensively studied tion.” prospect of having the wheel in Bloomberg administration time views will be stunning. “The the London Eye, and made The city, Meir thinks, is the hub numerous visits in order to expe- of many industries including Wall rience the ride. He even shlepped Street, which generates a good his father to ride the London chunk of city revenues through Ferris wheel. (Most of Mr. taxes and fees. But increasingly Laufer’s acquaintances and col- the city is depending on the mas- leagues passed on that opportuni- sive increase in the numbers of ty, since most of them just could tourists coming to see the major not fathom that this could come attractions. to fruition.) “I knew that one day New York Audacity, Meir says, comes City would have such a wheel. I from working many years in New was utterly convinced that this York City’s financial district. “I was going to happen.” regularly observe tourists — you Meir put together some seed can recognize them; they always money. “What you need even look up, trying to capture the more is a lot of patience and per- height of skyscrapers. Native New severance,” he told Hamodia. “We Yorkers look straight ahead to later found out that other very avoid bumping into them,” Mr. successful people tried to bring Laufer quips. this project to the city, but some- how they did not have persever- ance to pull it through.” Yosef Rapaport “You might wonder — I He arranged to have experts in Meir Laufer standing outside the New York Wheel offices in downtown Manhattan all fields related to the project only had a solid Gemara study the proposal and share their the long-forgotten Borough. immediately recognized the average London resident has vis- education in United know-how. But the most impor- “At that point we realized that merit of this project. This Mayor ited the Eye four times. I am sure tant coup in getting the project the project was destined to hap- is a true businessman; this proj- the same will happen in New Talmudical Academy of moving was getting the same pen on Staten Island. We enlisted ect will have a major impact on York as well. People will love to team that built the London Eye — Mr. Rich Marin to serve as CEO of the local economy, with the addi- see the sunset, nighttime, and Satmar. But I applied Starneth B.V. — to sign an exclu- the project,” Meir says. “Mr. tion of hundreds of jobs to the daytime. It will be a different myself to thoroughly sive deal with Plaza Capital. Marin was formerly the president local Staten Island economy.” experience each time.” Having Starneth B.V. firmly on of Africa-Israel USA. Prior to that The project will include a study every aspect of board, Mr. Laufer had the requi- he served as CEO of Bear Stearns 100,000-square-foot retail build- Do the People Who Rejected investing,” says Mr. site cache to attract capital and Asset Management and as CEO of ing that will be home to a number Your Proposal Regret Their well-known investors with past Deutche Bank Asset of restaurants, souvenir shops, Original Skepticism? Laufer. “And with the experience in major project Management.” event space, and an exhibit on “Some do. Many of them are help of Hashem, we development, particularly in New “When we made our proposal clean energy, all additional rea- my close friends, but they could- York City. The $250-million proj- to the city we had to answer every sons for visitors to spend time on n’t imagine me pulling this off. I succeed.” ect needed to draw in those types possible question regarding engi- Staten Island. The project group can’t blame them. One such per- of partners. neering, environmental, geo-tech figures that most people will son asked me if he can join the The Wheel project was fortu- issues, traffic and so on. The city arrive at the wheel on the Staten partnership even just by a tiny Persistence Pays Off nate to be joined by three well- was extremely impressed with Island Ferry from Manhattan, sliver, just for the prestige of The enormous popularity of known real estate developers: the our team’s presentation and used by more than two million being part of it. the London Eye convinced Mr. Feil Organization, a private com- responses to every question posed tourists yearly. But there will be “But for now our capital Laufer that New York could outdo mercial real estate firm and a — and they were tough to please,” car and bus parking as well, for requirements are in place. We London in both scale and effect. powerful force in real estate; Mr. Mr. Laufer relates. “We had a top- people arriving from other areas. are moving forward with the Even though London itself is a Lloyd Goldman, known for his notch professional team from day Bloomberg administration to major international tourist investment with Larry Silverstein one, because a project that will A Clean, Kosher Chol Hamoed have all the approvals in place by attraction, London’s winter cli- in the World Trade Center; and change the skyline view of the city Destination the end of 2013 and finish con- mate does not lend itself to view- Joe Nakash, founder of Jordache needs the most professional team Meir thinks that the New York struction of the project by the ing the panorama. Enterprises, Inc. and head of possible, and this is what we did.” Wheel will be a perfect outing for end of 2015, b’ezras Hashem,” Mr. “Visibility in London tends to Nakash Holdings. the family during Chol Hamoed. Laufer told Hamodia. “I just be decreased by rain and fog, so At first the group thought of A Legacy for the Mayor Mr. Laufer expects the entire hope that this will widen the attendance at the Eye tends to fall placing the Wheel at South Street For many years Staten experience to be perfectly suit- horizons of my friends as well.”