UMNEWS – Donation funds program for Contemporary Judaic Studies

The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies announced the dedication of the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies at the University of Miami. The formal celebration took place early last week.

The George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree program that operates within the University of Miami’s College of Arts and Sciences. The Judaic Studies program, established in 1972, will be named in recognition of George Feldenkreis’ commitment of $2 million to the Miller Center. The program is made up of a variety of courses that explore all aspects of Jewish civilization, from its origins in Biblical times to its expressions of culture, society, politics and religion in the new millennium.

George Feldenkreis is Chairman and CEO of Perry Ellis International and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. Mr. Feldenkreis was born in Cuba to parents who fled from the Ukraine just before the Nazi invasion. As a teenager, he was very active in Jewish organizations and began raising funds for a summer camp for Zionist children in Havana. Mr. Feldenkreis was also active in the United Jewish Appeal, the Israel Bonds Organization and headed Betar, a Jewish youth organization.