JHV Spotlights “Who Are The Marcuses?” in Houston
JHV Spotlights “Who Are The Marcuses?” in Houston
August 22, 2024
Ellen Marcus with Warren Buffett at a screening of “Who are the Marcuses?”
JHV Online – The Houston Chapter of Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) will host a special screening of “Who Are The Marcuses?” on Thursday, September 19, at Congregation Emanu El. The award-winning documentary reveals the mystery behind a couple who has made the largest-ever charitable donation to an institution based in Israel.
The film reconstructs the lives of Holocaust survivors Lottie and Dr. Howard Marcus, an unassuming couple from Great Neck, N.Y., with a passion for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), the southern Israeli academic institution whose innovation inspires peace and climate action through water technology. The film explores the development of Israel’s vital water technology from pre-state to the present, how the Marcuses’ $500 million gift to BGU in 2016 has ensured continued leading-edge development in water science not only for the Israeli people, but the world as a whole; the geopolitical context of the family’s gift; and the donation’s impact and implications for regional peace through technology exchange.
“The Marcuses were humble visionaries who saw the importance of water research not only as vital to Israel’s self-sufficiency but as a strategy to achieve peace through shared natural resources. Their transformative generosity will be felt for generations to come,” said Doug Seserman, A4BGU CEO.
The screening also will be a homecoming for Ellen Marcus, an Emanu El congregant when she lived in Houston. Now living in Austin, Ellen is featured in the film. During her parents’ estate-planning process, it was Ellen who suggested they leave the bulk of their wealth to a cause they believed in.
“When I moved from Houston to Austin in 2007, the thing that I knew I would miss most was my synagogue, Congregation Emanu El,” Ellen Marcus said. “I was a regular attendee at Shabbat services and Torah study, and it truly was my second home.”
Warren Buffett, who also appears in the documentary, has described it as “a wonderful film recounting the remarkable tale of Israel, water and philanthropy.”
To join us for a free screening of “Who are the Marcuses?” at Congregation Emanu El in Houston, register here.
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