During the sessions, I’ve gotten to know you very well. I thought it would be interesting for you to know something about where my inspiration comes from. My Father lived a lifetime before he had his children. Here is only the tip of the iceberg. Hope you enjoy it.
Edward Kahn: Survivor and Entrepreneur
Written by Shani McManus, Published on April 20, 2010
When Edward Kahn arrived in New York in 1951, after losing most of his family in the Holocaust, he had less than $100 in his pocket.
The Romanian Shoah survivor soon found work as a jeweler, buying and selling one-of -a-kind jewelry, diamonds, and unique objects of art throughout the United States.
After marrying Toronto resident Adele Himelfarb in 1957, the couple moved to Chicago where they opened their first estate jewelry establishment on Michigan Avenue. With its success, Kahn moved to Palm Beach in 1971, at his wife’s prodding, and opened a second store on Peruvian Avenue, the House of Kahn Estate Jewelers.
At the time, there was a very small Jewish population in Palm Beach and Kahn was hesitant to live and work there.
“He said I was taking him to a place where there were no Jews,” Adele Kahn noted. “Now, he needs tennis shoes to run to all the shuls here.”
Shortly after the move to Palm Beach, Kahn became very involved with Temple Emanu-El, the first established temple in Palm Beach. He helped the temple maintain a kosher kitchen and soon began holding daily Orthodox minyans in the basement of Temple Emanu-El.
“Religion has been one of the most important things in his life,” Adele Kahn said.
During the 1980s, the Kahn’s came into possession of one of the 1,500 rescued Torah scrolls from synagogues in Bohemia and Moravia during the Holocaust. They donated the priceless Torah scroll to Temple Emanu-El in memory of Edward Kahn’s sister, Freide Kahn, who perished in the Holocaust.
A few years ago, Kahn became actively involved with the New Synagogue of Palm Beach. Balancing his participation as an Orthodox Jew and his career as a successful businessman has posed its challenges, but the Kahn home has always been open to any Jewish function.
“We had a hard time 25 years ago. The temple only had about 40 families,” Edward Kahn said. “It has grown over the years. There’s no doubt about it, Palm Beach is more Jewish than ever.”
A moving story Kahn recounts is how he met his wife through a good friend he made when both were imprisoned in a Nazi labor camp in Romania.
“In the camp, I would sing songs for the Germans, who would throw me crumbs to eat,” Kahn said. “I’d share the food with a friend in the camp. My friend went to Toronto after the war, and when I went up to visit him after coming to New York, he introduced me to my future wife.”
The union produced three children, son Todd and twin daughters, Tobina and Tyger.
“Our father is an inspiration and example of the Jewish soul. As a Holocaust survivor, he has retained his strength and courage to believe in a loving God,” Tyger Kahn said. “His sense of humor, charm and ability to listen and provide sound advice to anyone regarding any matter is legendary.”
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Please click here to read other notable biographies in the Jewish Journal’s Top 33 Philanthropists.
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Congratulations to my Dear Friend Dr. Kunchok Gyaltsen for being the first Tibetan Monk to achieve a doctorate in public health at UCLA. As an Advisor to Tibetan Healing Fund for over 8 1/2 years, I can tell you this is a valid and wonderful organization to get involved with.
