Severyn Ashkenazy
| Severyn Ashkenazy | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1936 (age 79–80) Ternopil, Poland |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
University of Paris UCLA (did not graduate) |
| Occupation | Hotelier, philanthropist |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Children |
Sev Aszkenazy Stefan Ashkenazy Adrian Ashkenazy Keighley Ashkenazy |
| Parent(s) | Izador Ashkenazy |
| Relatives |
Arnold Ashkenazy (brother) Goga Ashkenazi (former daughter-in-law) |
Severyn Ashkenazy (born 1936) is a Polish-born American hotelier and philanthropist.
Early life
Severyn Ashkenazy was born in 1936[1] in Ternopil, then part of Poland, now in Western Ukraine.[2] He has a brother, Arnold.[2] Their father, Izador Ashkenazy, was an art collector who owned paintings by Matisse, Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, and Manet.[2]
During World War II, he hid in the cellar of a mansion in the countryside.[3]
After the war, he moved to France, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature from the University of Paris.[4] He then attended graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for four years, but did not complete his degree.[4]
Career
He developed L'Ermitage Beverly Hills with his brother Arnold, which opened in 1976.[4] As of 1989, he co-owned it with him brother, as well as the Bel Age and Mondrian hotels.[2]
Meanwhile, his brother Arnold Ashkenazy purchased paintings by "Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Raoul Dufy, Maurice de Vlaminck, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, John Altoon, Saul Steinberg, and California impressionist William Wendt, and lithographs by Joan Miro, Marc Chagall and Alexander Calder."[2] The brothers hung many of their paintings on the walls of their hotels.[2]
He is the founder and chairman emeritus of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.[3]
Philanthropy
He is the founder of the Beit Warszawa Association, Heritage and Rebirth, Beit Polska and Beit Warszawa foundations, and Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland.[3]
He gave the commencement speech to UCLA humanities graduates in 2014.
Personal life
He has a son, Sev Aszkenazy, who is a real estate developer in San Fernando, California. Whilst a UCLA student in 1960, Ashkenazy had an affair with a Mexican American woman and left before the baby was born. His mother slightly changed the surname and brought him up as a Catholic. He finally met his father when he was in his 20s, and worked for him for six years, before starting Pueblo Contracting and Aszkenazy Development in San Fernando.[5]
His son, Stefan Ashkenazy, was married to the Kazakh-Russian businesswoman and socialite Goga Ashkenazi from 2003-2007, and they have a son, Adam.[6]
References
- ↑ "Severyn Ashkenazy". theeuropean-magazine. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Prince of Barter : For hotel magnate and art collector Arnold Ashkenazy, every day's a high-stakes swap meet, The Los Angeles Times, July 16, 1989
- 1 2 3 Poland is the safest place in Europe for Jews today, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, September 23, 2014
- 1 2 3 Californians boast 'world's best hotel', The Montreal Gazette, October 20, 1979
- ↑ Loiederman, Roberto (April 17, 2008). "Anti-Semitism charge colors liquor license fight in City of San Fernando". jewishjournal. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ↑ Ella, Sima (1 February 2013). "Goga Ashkenazi Makes Her Mark on Society". jewishbusinessnews. Retrieved 13 December 2015.