Mendel Kaplan (philanthropist)
Mendel Kaplan (1936–2009) was a South African Jewish industrialist, philanthropist and community activist.[1]
Mendel Kaplan was born in South Africa. After graduating from Wynberg Boys' High, he received a degree in law from the University of Cape Town in 1958 and an MBA from Columbia University in 1960.[2]
Kaplan was the honorary president of Keren Hayesod and a former chairman of the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors. He financed numerous philanthropic projects in South Africa, Israel and Jewish communities around the world.[3] In 1980, he founded the Isaac and Jessie Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Cape Town. In 2000, he established the South African Jewish Museum.[1]
Kaplan was an Israeli citizen and owned two homes in Israel.[2]
He was a keen rugby union fan, and helped set up the South African Jewish Museum.[1]
Kaplan died of a stroke on 19 November 2009.
References
- Use dmy dates from October 2012
- Use South African English from October 2012
- All Wikipedia articles written in South African English
- Israeli Jews
- Jewish philanthropists
- South African Jews
- South African Zionists
- White South African people
- South African emigrants to Israel
- 2009 deaths
- 1936 births
- Alumni of Wynberg Boys' High School
- University of Cape Town alumni
