Gathering Also Included Call to Action to Support Israel in Its War with Hamas
Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business hosted its inaugural Real Estate Day on Oct. 26, bringing together many of the leading “Titans of Real Estate” for wide-ranging discussions about the state of the market. Panels focused on multi-family dwellings, industrial real estate, the hospitality industry, capital markets, business office space and retail, providing over 200 attendees with a comprehensive snapshot of the state of the real estate market in New York City and beyond.
Panelists included Jeff Levine, Chairman and CEO of Douglaston Development; Rachel Hunter-Goldman, director of KKR Real Estate Credit; Ralph Herzka, Chairman and CEO of Meridian Capital Group; James Kuhn, President of Newmark; Eric Gural, Co-CEO of GFP; Dov Hertz, President of DH Property Holdings; and eighteen other real estate leaders. The planning committee was chaired by Bruce Schanzer, Chairman of Erez Asset Management, and the conference was hosted by YU trustee and Sy Syms professor Phil Rosen, partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in Manhattan.
The executives engaged in lively panel discussions on key industry areas and shared their wealth of experience and insights in real estate. The key takeaway for many executives was that despite the current challenges faced by several sectors, the real estate market is strong and a vital element of the economy in the U.S.A.
Planning committee chair Bruce Schanzer said: “Our first conference was a success as we managed to bring together a large number of real estate professionals to learn from many industry experts. At the same time, we showed our support for Israel, with everyone being inspired by business leaders who are leading activists.”
The event infused Israel advocacy throughout the day, starting with a prayer for the Israel Defense Forces from Sy Syms IDF veterans Lior Morgenshtern and Yuval Nitzan, followed by the singing of “Hatikva.” The event also featured a video message from David M. Friedman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, who emphasized the role each business leader could play in supporting Israel at this time, and from three CEOs who are role models when it comes to Israel activism.
A highlight of the day was a lunchtime discussion featuring Bruce Pearl, head coach of the University of Auburn basketball team, and Daniel Posner, chief investment officer of Rensop Investment Group and founder of Athletes for Israel. The two talked about their experiences bringing leading American professional athletes on tours of Israel to learn about the country and share their positive insights with fans. Providing accurate information about the vibrant democracy that is Israel is especially important given the Hamas terrorist organization’s brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, and the recent rise in antisemitism here in the U.S.A.
Sy Syms’ dean, Dr. Noam Wasserman, reflected on the day: “The energy and sold-out attendance were amazing. Today embodied the Sy Syms mission to develop Torah-grounded professionals who excel in the workplace and in the community. With the six hard-hitting real estate panels, we strengthened everyone’s ability to excel in their workplaces. With the Israel Advocacy calls to action, we strengthened everyone’s motivation to contribute to the community and the knowledge of how best to do so.”
Attended by many YU alumni and others working in real estate, the event showed the power of the Sy Syms School of Business to connect real-estate professionals and students to top real estate executives for networking and market insights, helping to launch careers and train the economic leaders of tomorrow.
The Sy Syms School of Business will continue to host events on key economic themes as part of its 36th year (“Double Chai”) anniversary celebrations throughout the 2023-24 school year.
For more information, visit: www.yu.edu/syms36
For videos and other materials from the event, visit the official YU Real Estate Day and Israel Advocacy 2023 webpage at yu.edu/syms/stand-with-israel
