UM Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies Receives $1 Million Gift

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--George Feldenkreis, member of the University of Miami Board of Trustees and prominent businessman, has given $1 million to the UM Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. This significant contribution builds on his previous $2 million of support, which established the George Feldenkreis Judaic Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

“We are, as always, very grateful to George Feldenkreis for his generosity and personal support of the Judaic Studies Program”

The Feldenkreis Judaic Studies Program is a broad, flexible, interdisciplinary program designed for undergraduates to gain an understanding of Jewish civilization and its diverse cultural experiences. The program, which is non-theological in orientation, is an academic exploration of the multi-faceted, socio-historical, 4,000-year record of the Jewish people. Courses highlight the variety of cultural, political, social, and religious experiences of Jews in different times and places, providing a strong foundation for advanced academic study, professional careers in a variety of fields, and a more complex and rich understanding of the world.

"My hope is that this additional gift will allow the Miller Center and the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies to continue to impart the wisdom and richness of Jewish culture and history and Jewish experiences through the ages,” Mr. Feldenkreis said.

Mr. Feldenkreis, chairman and CEO of Perry Ellis International, arrived in Miami from Havana, Cuba, in 1961, with his family and only $700. He and his late brother founded Supreme International clothing company in 1967, the company which was to become Perry Ellis International in 1999. Mr. Feldenkreis strongly believes in philanthropy and feels that individuals who are financially successful have the obligation to support their community. The Feldenkreis family supports various organizations and groups, including the United Way, where Mr. Feldenkreis is a Million Dollar Roundtable member of United Way of Miami-Dade’s Tocqueville Society.

"We are, as always, very grateful to George Feldenkreis for his generosity and personal support of the Judaic Studies Program,” said Dr. Haim Shaked, director of the Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. “Thanks to his ongoing personal commitment and keen interest in our academic work, we have been able to enrich the lives and academic experiences of more students and members of the UM and general communities than we ever thought possible.”

Mr. Feldenkreis joined the UM Board of Trustees in 1997 and has served on the master planning committee and the executive committee, and also supports the College of Engineering, the Miller School of Medicine and the Student-Athlete Scholarship Fund at UM.

Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami seeks to advance learning, elevate scholarship, and make bold strides in health care in the community, across the country, and around the world. Momentum2 comes on the heels of the institution’s record-breaking Momentum: The Campaign for the University of Miami, which concluded at the end of 2007 and raised more than $1.4 billion for endowed chairs and professorships, scholarships, facilities, academic and medical programs, and other initiatives. www.miami.edu/momentum2.