AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MUSEUMS IN ISRAEL INAUGURAL GALA April 27, 2015 The Plaza Hotel New York American Friends of Museums in Israel Inaugural Gala 2015 Honorees The Honorable Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem Nathan A. Bernstein Chaim Katzman Adam D. Tihany Artist of the Year Massimo Vitali Special Guest Ido Aharoni Consul General of Israel in New York Monday, April 27, 2015 6:30pm Cocktails and Silent Auction 7:30pm Dinner Dance and Live Auction The Plaza Hotel, New York American Friends of Museums in Israel Inaugural Gala 2015 Welcome David Genser Executive Committee American Friends of Museums in Israel Motzi Rabbi Barton Shallat Guest Speaker Ido Aharoni Consul General of Israel in New York Address Eilat Lieber General Director and Chief Curator Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem Address Raphie Etgar Artistic Director and Curator Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem – A Socio Political Contemporary Art Museum Message from Honoree The Honorable Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem Live Auction Address Ed Blank Executive Committee American Friends of Museums in Israel Address Galit Gaon Chief Curator Design Museum Holon Presentation of Awards to Honorees Chaim Katzman and Adam D. Tihany by Alon Sapan Moshe (Peter) Peterburg Director General and Chairman of the Board Design Museum Holon Design Museum Holon Address Nissim Tal Director General Haifa Museums Presentation of Award to Honoree Nathan A. Bernstein Presentation of Award to Artist of the Year Massimo Vitali by Jane Shallat Board of Trustees American Friends of Museums in Israel Accepted by Rachel Smith Partner Benrubi Gallery Emcee for the evening DawnMarie Kotsonis Gala Honorary Committee Moti Sasson, Mayor of Holon Yonah Yahav, Mayor of Haifa Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York Aviad Ivri, Consul for Cultural Affairs in North America U.S. Senator Charles Schumer Tsipi Ben­Haim Benrubi Gallery Preston Scott Cohen De Buck Gallery Arne and Milly Glimcher Paul Kasmin Gallery Dominique Lévy Philip Pearlstein Tal R Janet K. Rodgers Donald Sultan American Friends of Museums in Israel The American Friends of Museums in Israel recognizes, promotes, and honors its outstanding partner museums in Israel by providing exhibition, program, project and financial support through the generosity of its donors. In addition, American Friends of Museums in Israel offers heightened visibility for its partner museums at special events, including annual galas in New York and Chicago, and in promotional materials. Our partner museums in Israel are: Design Museum Holon Haifa City Museum Haifa Museum of Art Hermann Struck Museum Mané­Katz Museum National Maritime Museum Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem — A Socio Political Contemporary Art Museum Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem Board of Trustees Executive Committee Stanley I. Batkin James Rosenquist David Genser, Treasurer Isabelle Black Tamar Rudich Ed Blank, Secretary Scott Black Jane Shallat Laura Kruger Carol Penn Executive Director Amy Roland Enid Shapiro 36 W 44 Street, Suite 1209, New York, NY 10036 212 319­0555 • museumsinisrael.org The Honorable Nir Barkat Mayor of Jerusalem Honoree Mayor Nir Barkat was re­elected to his second term as Mayor of Jerusalem on October 22, 2013. Mayor Barkat became the ninth Mayor of Jerusalem when he was inaugurated into office on December 2, 2008 at the age of 49. Mayor Barkat has inspired Jerusalemites with his vision to turn Israel's capital city into one rich in culture, youth, education, lasting economic development, and tourism, as well as his message of respect and pluralism for all residents of Jerusalem. In both his first and second term, members of Jerusalem's city council have formed a wide coalition to support Mayor Barkat and his vision. A testament to Mayor Barkat's leadership and uniting vision: he has joined together the left and the right, the secular and religious, in order to move Jerusalem forward, allowing him to spend the entirety of his time working on the needs of Jerusalem, rather than the politics. Support for Mayor Barkat's vision continues to spread throughout Jerusalem, Israel, and communities throughout the world. Prior to becoming Mayor, Nir Barkat served as the opposition leader of the city council for 5 years learning the details of Jerusalem's difficult challenges and tremendous opportunities. Based on his deep understanding of the issues that face Jerusalem, Mayor Barkat set out on a path of active civic engagement and reform beyond the city council to address education, negative migration of Jerusalem's young adults, and the need for lasting economic development. His early successes as Mayor are rooted in his business methods and entrepreneurial approach to City Hall. In 1988, Mayor Barkat co­founded BRM Technologies, a pioneering software house and later venture capital firm that developed and marketed ground­breaking anti­virus software now standard on personal computers throughout the world. His leadership and business acumen brought him to the position of global chairman of one of BRMs largest venture projects. Mayor Barkat received the rank of Major during his six years of service in the Israel Defense Forces. As a paratrooper, he led soldiers inside enemy territory during the First Lebanon War, where he was wounded by gun shot. Once he recovered, Mayor Barkat returned as a company commander of the paratroopers. Mayor Barkat has been a Jerusalemite his entire life. Following his army service, Mayor Barkat returned to Jerusalem where he attended Hebrew University and earned a degree in computer science. He is married to artist Beverly Barkat, with whom he has three daughters. Every day, Mayor Barkat works to continue this dream for his family and the future generations of Jerusalem. Nathan A. Bernstein Honoree Nathan Bernstein was born and raised in Haifa, Israel. Nathan’s family in Israel is seven generations old starting in Jerusalem and the Galilee in the early 19th century. He came to the United States as a student at Berkeley University and Boston University. Nathan opened his first gallery in New York in 1974 specializing in Impressionist and Modern Masters. Over the past thirty years the gallery has garnered its reputation as a leading figure in the international art market, with a strong focus on building and maintaining comprehensive collections. The gallery is known for its imaginative thematic exhibitions that create a unique fusion of the classic with the contemporary. Offering artworks of exceedingly high quality, the gallery works closely with both established and new collectors, aiding in the acquisition of exclusive works of art. Past exhibitions have showcased artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre­Auguste Renoir, Robert Delaunay, Pablo Picasso, George Braque, Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Tom Wesselmann, Jeff Koons, and Jean­Michel Basquiat. The gallery has also been a pioneer in the contemporary Asian market, exhibiting works by Mr. Yoshitomo Nara, Wang Guangyi, Li Shan, Zhang Xiaoming, and Wang Ziwei. Professional memberships include such esteemed organizations as the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), the Private Art Dealers Association (PADA) and the International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers (CINOA). In addition, Nathan Bernstein is on the Acquisitions Committee and a Board member for the American Friends of the Israel Museum, and is the Chairman of the Hermann Struck Foundation. Hermann Struck (Nathan’s great uncle) moved to then Palestine in 1922 and established his home in Haifa and is considered one of the most important prints artists in the first half of the 20th Century. Nathan has become a main benefactor of his estate part of which went to establish the Struck Museum in Haifa in 2013. Nathan Bernstein is married to Katharina Otto, an award winning filmmaker, they have two teenage sons together Nicholas Otto­Bernstein and Jonathan Otto­Bernstein. Nathan has another daughter, Sasha Bernstein, and son, Martin Bernstein from previous marriages. Chaim Katzman Honoree Chaim Katzman is the founder, controlling shareholder and chairman of international real estate giant Gazit­Globe Ltd. He directs its global operations, managing more than $20 billion in assets in over 20 countries throughout the world. Gazit­Globe and its global subsidiaries (including Equity One Inc. in the United States) currently own and/or operate more than 540 shopping centers on three continents. Chaim is recognized as a pioneer in the retail investment and development industry, primarily as a visionary builder of value in existing properties by enhancing, upgrading and expanding what was already there. Keenly aware of the needs and desires of the local community, he has consistently ensured that his retail centers are both environmentally friendly (using green building practices and waste­recycling processes), and people friendly (offering much­appreciated community services such as libraries and health centers). He has applied this same approach to his myriad philanthropic activities, adding value to nonprofit organizations and strengthening community ties both in Israel, where he was born and raised, and in the United States, where he has lived since 1989 and many of his business operations are headquartered. He is a major annual donor to American Friends of Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, of which he also serves as a trustee; American Friends of Tel Aviv University; the Jackson Memorial Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Jackson Health System in South Florida, and its International Kids Wonderfund; the Israel Healthcare Foundation; Larger than Life; New World Symphony, a Miami­ based program that nurtures gifted young musicians from all over the world; American Friends of the Israel Museum (AFIM); Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF); Birthright Israel Foundation; and Friends of Design Museum Holon­Israel, where he named the main gallery in honor of his late wife, Dr. Shulamit Katzman. Chaim also established the Dr. Shulamit Katzman Endowed Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to honor her memory.