Leon Charney (July 23, 1938 – March 21, 2016) was an American real estate tycoon, attorney, author, philanthropist,
political pundit, media personality and
Jewish cantor
A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' ( he, חַזָּן , plural ; Yiddish ''khazn''; Ladino ''Hasan'') is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.
In English, this p ...
. He lived in Manhattan in New York City, dividing his time between his residences in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
and
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...
. In March 2012, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' listed Charney as No. 353 among the wealthiest Americans. He was a graduate of
Yeshiva University where he participated in demonstrations to free Soviet Jewry, and
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and a number of adjunct faculty.
Brookly ...
.
Charney was best known as a New York real estate baron, but his role as one of the backdoor players integral to sealing the Camp David Peace Treaty between the
State of Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
later emerged. In 1979, Charney played an important role as the unofficial adviser to former
U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, most well known for his behind-the-scenes role in the
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retrea ...
which created the first comprehensive peace between Israel and Egypt in 1978 and 1979.
In 2008, some thirty years later, Charney, a major real estate owner in New York's
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
, appeared for the first time on the ''
Forbes 400'' list of the wealthiest Americans, debuting at No. 321. The 2009 list – the first to reflect the world financial crisis, indicated Charney's
net worth
Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...
had fallen in the previous year, although his rank had jumped to No. 296, up 35 notches, indicating that while he lost wealth, he lost less than other fellow billionaires. For 2010, Charney ranked No. 308 on the ''Forbes 400''.
Early life
Leon Harris Charney was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne ( ) is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is situated on a peninsula located between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east. As of ...
, to Morris, a sewing supplies salesman who died at a young age when his son was young, and Sara Charney.
He grew up poor.
He attended Jewish day schools, worked as a counselor at Camp Winsokee, graduated from
Yeshiva University in 1960, and from
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and a number of adjunct faculty.
Brookly ...
in 1964.
He paid for his education in part by singing in synagogues, and by selling sewing machines door-to-door.
Career
He became a member of the bar in 1965, and with $200 in the bank started his own law firm representing sports and show-business personalities, including
Jackie Mason
Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza; yi, יעקב משה מזא; June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021) was an American stand-up comedian and actor.
His 1986 one-man show ''The World According to Me!'' won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Cir ...
and
Sammy Davis Jr.
Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director.
At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...
As a young attorney, he was also a fierce advocate for the passage of the
Good Samaritan Law after witnessing a man die in public when doctors refused to intervene out of fear of being sued.
Charney became counsel and adviser at age 36 to U.S. Senator
Vance Hartke
Rupert Vance Hartke (May 31, 1919July 27, 2003) was an American politician who served as a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana from 1959 until 1977. Hartke won election to the Senate after serving as the mayor of Evansville, Indiana. I ...
of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, and was his special counsel for six years.
Through Hartke, Charney became more involved in international politics and diplomacy. He became close to
Golda Meir
Golda Meir, ; ar, جولدا مائير, Jūldā Māʾīr., group=nb (born Golda Mabovitch; 3 May 1898 – 8 December 1978) was an Israeli politician, teacher, and ''kibbutznikit'' who served as the fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1 ...
, Prime Minister of Israel, with whom Charney worked on Israel's initiative to free
Soviet Jews and help them emigrate to Israel.
That effort saw the emigration of 1,000 Jews from
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
in the Soviet Union to Israel.
Later, United States President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
asked Charney to help advise him during the
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retrea ...
. Charney refers to his efforts as using "back door channels", and he advised President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
from 1977-81. In a forward for one of Charney's books, Carter referred to Charney as "the unsung hero of the Camp David Peace Treaty."
In 1986 Charney went to
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
to meet with
Yasser Arafat in the hope of a possible peaceful resolution of the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...
.
The Back Door Channel
In 2009, Charney was a featured interviewee in a
Harry Hunkele
Harry Hunkele is an American Film and Television Director, Producer and Editor. He is a ten-time Emmy Award winning television director and producer and is the director of the feature documentary '' Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace'' (Channe ...
documentary film starring former U.S. President Jimmy Carter entitled ''
Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace'' which opened in the heart of the Arab world in Abu Dhabi in October 2010 at the
Abu Dhabi Film Festival, also known as the
Middle East International Film Festival
The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF; ar, مهرجان أبو ظبي السينمائي), formerly the Middle East International Film Festival, was an international film festival held in the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 2007 to 2 ...
. The film was produced by CNN's
Arick Wierson and two financial backers,
Matthew Tollin and
Don Tanselle. Upon its debut, the film was the source of much buzz in the diplomatic sphere, as it is rumored that many never before revealed aspects of the original peace process were unveiled, some of which painted a less than rosy picture of American diplomatic efforts at the time. Although the film was slated for theatrical release, it was also featured at the 2009
Monte-Carlo Television Festival
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The opening ceremony ...
, after a special request made by
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005.
Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...
, the President of the Festival, to
Arick Wierson, the film's executive producer.
The film itself was a source of some controversy in New York political circles. The film deals with the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt and the real-life behind-the scenes drama that led to the historic peace treaty. The film's title is actually an opaque reference to Charney himself, considered by many to be the "back door channel" that enabled the Camp David peace to materialize. The landmark agreement was the first between the Jewish State and any
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
country. In addition to Carter and Charney, the film features former Secretary-General of the U.N.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Dr.
Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...
, the former U.S. Secretary of State, CNN's
Wolf Blitzer, and Senior Adviser to King
Mohammed VI of Morocco,
André Azoulay
André Azoulay ( ar, أندري أزولاي, Berber: ⴰⵏⴷⵔⵉ ⴰⵣⵓⵍⴰⵢ, born 17 April 1941) is a Moroccan Jewish senior adviser to king Mohammed VI of Morocco. and many other international dignitaries who played roles both major and minor in the Israeli-Egyptian peace.
The film was also screened at the 2012
Jerusalem Film Festival, the 2012
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. and scores of other film festivals across the US and Europe.
In 2014, Charney received an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for the television version of the documentary after it aired on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
.
The Leon Charney Report
Charney hosted a national weekly TV talk show ''
Leon Charney Report'' which dealt with local New York politics, foreign affairs and the Middle East, social issues and popular culture. Over its 25 years of broadcasting, the show featured numerous prominent guests including
Ed Koch,
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
,
David Dinkins,
Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...
,
Yitzhak Rabin, and
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak ( he-a, אֵהוּד בָּרָק, Ehud_barak.ogg, link=yes, born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli general and politician who served as the tenth prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until Jan ...
.
Although his show was seen weekly on
WNYE-TV for years, in later years it gained ground after Arnie Mazer became the Senior Producer and when the station became
NYC Media in 2005, after
New York City Mayor
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
enabled his top media executive,
Arick Wierson, to merge the stations with the existing nyctv cable channels. Via nyctv, The Charney Report began podcasting its audio version on NPR and the audio component began to be nationally syndicated as radio programming.
As an Author
Charney was the author of five books, two on topics in Judaism, ''The Mystery of the
Kaddish: Its Profound Influence on Judaism'', and ''Battle of the Two Talmuds: Judaism's Struggle with Power, Glory, & Guilt''; and three about the peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbors, ''The Charney Report: Confronting the Israeli-Arab Conflict'', ''Special Counsel'', and
''Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace''.
Personal life
Charney held an honorary title as the Chairman of the
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa ( he, אוניברסיטת חיפה Arabic: جامعة حيفا) is a university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming Is ...
in Israel. Although not considered to be overtly religious, Charney was a
Jewish cantor
A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' ( he, חַזָּן , plural ; Yiddish ''khazn''; Ladino ''Hasan'') is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.
In English, this p ...
, singing on Sabbaths and Holy Jewish Holidays at places of worship across the United States. He married Israeli-born Tzili Doron and with her he had two twin boys, Mickey and Nati. Doron is a first cousin of Israeli supermodel
Bar Refaeli. Charney had close ties to Israel through his sister Bryna Blumenreich Dryer, who lives in
Raanana, Israel along with her children.
Charney died on March 21, 2016.
Philanthropy
In 2003, Charney donated $10 million to
NYU Langone Medical Center
NYU Langone Health is an academic medical center located in New York City, New York, United States. The health system consists of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Long Island School of Medicine, both part of New York University (NYU), and m ...
for a new cardiac wing of the hospital. He is also the major benefactor of the
University of Haifa
The University of Haifa ( he, אוניברסיטת חיפה Arabic: جامعة حيفا) is a university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming Is ...
's Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences,
[http://marsci.haifa.ac.il/] for which he reportedly donated more than $10 million in 2007.
Honors
Charney received honorary doctorates for his work in peacemaking including those from
the University of Haifa,
Yeshiva University,
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...
, and the
University of Indianapolis. Charney also received awards from a number of institutions and city governments including the City of
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, City of
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...
, and the
Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) is a not-for-profit organization based in New York that focuses on improving Muslim–Jewish relations and Black–Jewish relations. FFEU was founded in 1989 by Rabbi Marc Schneier and theatrical p ...
. In 2016, the Diplomacy Program at Florida Atlantic University was named in honor of Mr. Charney. The Leon Charney Diplomacy Program, which trains undergraduate students in the art of negotiation, debate and conflict resolution, placed first overall in the National Model United Nations competition in Washington, D.C. three times (2018, 2020, 2021).
References
External links
L. H. Charney Associates Inc.The Leon H. Charney Digital Center The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charney, Leon
1938 births
2016 deaths
Writers from New York City
Writers from Bayonne, New Jersey
Jewish American philanthropists
American billionaires
Television personalities from New York City
Brooklyn Law School alumni
Yeshiva University alumni
Lawyers from New York City
Philanthropists from New York (state)
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American philanthropists
21st-century American Jews