The story of 6 families who built the country, and continue to build it today
Mizrahi family.
Family cohesion is the secret to success
Photography:
PR
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements
The story of the Mizrahi & Sons Group, one of the largest and leading construction companies in Israel, with 39 projects, more than 3,500 housing units from Safed and Haifa in the north to Ashdod in the south and worth over NIS 6 billion, is much more than a construction company.
This is a wonderful historical apopia that is hundreds of years old, when Yehoshua (Gocha) Mizrahi arrived somewhere during the 17th century, directly west of Bukhara, in the Bukharan neighborhood of Jerusalem.
Six generations later, ahead of the outbreak of the War of Independence, the late Yaakov Mizrahi took his sons Eliyahu (Eli) and Meir and the rest of the family and together they went down to the new Ganim neighborhood of Bat Yam, then Beit Vagan, which was established in those years somewhere south of Jaffa.
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The story of the establishment of a construction company was created through a small stair factory built by Yaakov Mizrahi, his son Eli and his brother Meir.
They engaged in another long line of small projects and also in the construction industry.
Eli later met Julia, a new immigrant from Baghdad.
The two married, lived in Holon and raised their three children: Avraham (my father), Roni and Yaffa.
The founder of the Mizrahi Group and his sons, Roni Mizrahi, the middle son of Eli and the grandson of Yaakov, currently serves as president of the Chamber of Contractors and chairman of the group. The late Mizrahi and his younger sister Yaffa, Tavdala.
From the age of 9, Roni used to collect copper and lead, which he sold to Mr. Toledano in Holon.
His father bought him a pair of simple bicycles for 50 pounds, including the boy who rode from Holon back and forth to the factory in Bat Yam, for half a pound a day.
Before reaching the mitzvah he had already learned the craft of building and all its secrets.
From his grandfather Yaakov learned the performance side and from the uncle illuminates the reading of the plans and the engineering part.
After the Yom Kippur War, Roni enlisted in the Shaked Reconnaissance Squadron, and later joined the Special Unit for the War on Terror and the patrol companies of the Jerusalem Brigade and the Arava Regional Brigade in Ein Yahav.
At the age of 23, he was certified as the youngest registered contractor in the history of the State of Israel.
In 1981, he graduated as a project manager and foreman at a branch of the Technion and the Institute for Productivity in Tel Aviv, after two years of evening studies at the end of a day of work in the building.
As early as 1979, when he was discharged from regular service, he initiated his first project at 38 Herzog Street in Bat Yam.
The rest is history.
The Mizrahi and Sons group was formed in 1982, when the sons Avi and Roni joined Avi.
The offices are located in a small 2-room apartment at 28 Jerusalem Street in Bat Yam.
The company soon stood out for its growth momentum, professionalism and scope of projects.
The company was characterized by the ability to build a wide range of buildings - from villas and low-rise construction, through saturated construction, huge towers, shopping centers, hotels, offices and businesses, including a number of skyscrapers in Bat Yam, including Avraham Tower, Mizrahi Business Center, Artists' Garden and more.
Apart from Eli Mizrahi Sr., who retired several years ago, and Roni Mizrahi Jr., who head the group, it serves a respectable line of family members in senior key positions, including: Advocate Adam Mizrahi, Roni's son, who serves as VP; Avi's daughter Mizrahi (late) Efrat, VP of Engineering; Eli, son of Avi Mizrahi, serves as VP of Project Development.
Roni's son, (Eli) Lee, is the VP of execution.
The younger sister Yaffa, now Yaffa Bida, runs a marble factory with her husband Moti Bida HaCohen and their sons Gal and Tal.
Daughter Orr, an expert in biochemistry and genetics, also recently joined the group.
Yuli, the youngest daughter of Roni, who currently serves as IDF Spokesman, graduated with honors in communication studies at the university and will soon join a significant group role in the Communications and Public Relations Division.
The Mizrahi family experienced a severe tragedy last year when the late brother Avraham (Avi) Mizrahi passed away at the age of 62. For many years, my father was a key figure in the Mizrahi group and was responsible for the complex issue of project execution. Soon in the heart of Bat Yam next to the mall in Timon, which was also established at the time by the Mizrahi and Sons group.
Did Julia pass away a decade ago.
Father Eli Yavdalah continues at his extreme age to be a consultant to the group and to be proud of the empire he created together with his sons.
Roni Mizrahi explains the secret behind the group's success as a combination of determination, professionalism, perseverance, reliability and family cohesion.
For decades he worked alongside his late brother Avi.
The brave partnership began when the two were partners at the age of 3 in the marble collection and then set up a business selling sabers.
Roni Mizrahi: "We were always partners in everything. We never had any financial interest, and the trust between us was absolute. My late brother, my father, was a true angel and the salt of the earth."
Roni Mizrahi is the father of 4 children, the grandfather of 6 grandchildren and the 7th on the way.
He is known as a bad guy with a sense of humor, but also a professional and profound person.
About three years ago, he established the Chamber of Contractors, with the aim of improving the professional status of contractors in particular and of the construction industry in general, to which he devotes the best of his time.
"Precisely the corona era," says Mizrahi, "is a golden opportunity for all of us to recalculate a route and examine the goals of the State of Israel and the housing market. In the next 30 years we will have to build the same amount we built in the 72 years since the establishment of the state. And immigration from the Diaspora. "
Soprano: the power of a group
The Sofrin Group is a long-standing family company.
Alongside Kalman Sofrin, the group's chairman, are his three sons: Kobi, Leon and Tzachi, who specialize in engineering planning, finance, marketing and business development. The group currently manages projects in the demand areas of Gush Dan: Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva , Holon, as well as the Sharon area and the city of Jerusalem.
In the last three years, the Soprin Group has entered into extensive activity in the field of logistics centers, an industry whose growth has jumped meteorically.
Today it can be said that the Sofrin Group is one of the leading companies in the field of logistics centers in Israel and has brought the purchasing groups to this profitable industry as well.
Among the main projects that the Sofrin Group is currently building and marketing in the field of logistics: the Technopark in Holon and the Technopark in Even Yehuda, which provide a solution for many end users who need storage or an office with high accessibility for shipping, unloading and loading.
The Sofrin real estate group is one of the most prominent real estate companies in the economy.
The group is engaged in the initiation and management of projects in the fields of income-producing real estate, most of them within purchasing groups, in the promotion of residential projects, some of them in urban renewal, and is also engaged in the management and improvement of real estate properties.
In recent years, the Sofrin Group has entered into collaborations with other large real estate companies, such as Blue Square Real Estate, Big Shopping Centers, Clal Insurance and the Phoenix Insurance Company, in favor of establishing mega-projects in areas of demand.
Since its establishment about a decade ago, the group has been managing projects worth about NIS 9 billion.
12 projects that have been implemented and populated and 6 projects that are currently in the planning, construction and marketing processes.
The group was founded in 2009 by Kalman Sofrin, who recently won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Engineers.
Sofrin, a civil engineer by profession and a graduate of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Technion, is considered one of the top executives in the field in Israel behind many significant projects.
At the beginning of his professional career, Soprin designed project constructions in Israel and abroad. Later, he took part in planning and management teams in large public projects in Israel and around the world, and as part of his work he experienced aspects of innovative construction technologies.
In the late 1960s he was one of the three founders of BSR, which engaged in the design and engineering management of projects in the public and private sectors.
In the early 1980s, Sofrin was appointed director of the planning and construction team for the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood of Jerusalem on behalf of the Ministry of Housing.
In 1987, he received the prestigious Kaplan Prize from the late President Ezer Weizmann for his role in managing the establishment of the Jerusalem neighborhood.
In the 1980s, Kalman Sofrin took part in the management and planning teams for the establishment of IDF bases in the Negev, which were relocated from Sinai after the signing of the peace agreement with Egypt. And the buyer of the land, orders the construction services and enjoys the entrepreneurial profit savings in the project.
At the time, a close friend of Al Soprin was friends, who owned a plot of land for the construction of 22 housing units in western Rishon Lezion.
Instead of offering a friend to sell the land, Sofrin will price the construction costs for him and offer to bring in more acquaintances who will jointly acquire the rights to the land and be partners in the project.
The same conversation was basically the infrastructure for the first purchasing group in Israel.
The Sofrin Group has since organized and implemented dozens of projects using the purchasing groups method in the residential, office and commercial areas.
Among the prominent projects carried out by the company and Kalman himself: BSR Towers 1 + 2 in Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak, Gibor Sport Tower in Ramat Gan, Manhattan Tower in Tzameret Park in Tel Aviv, Toyota Towers in Tel Aviv, We Tower in the northern Ma'ar complex in Tel Aviv Aviv, the doctors' house in Ramat Hachayal in Tel Aviv, the Dawn Tower in Givatayim, the Yishuv Training Tower and the Phoenix Tower in Bnei Brak and more.
Today, a number of large and prominent projects of the group are in the process of marketing and execution.
Projects such as TechnoPark in Holon, the East & Tel Aviv project and the ONYX project, which were marketed very recently in Kiryat Ono - Savyon Junction.
"In the we project, which is located in the northern district of Tel Aviv, we were able to produce a sought-after product at an affordable price - a 2-room apartment in a sought-after area in Tel Aviv for only NIS 1.3 million," says Tzachi Sofrin. In a complex that combines residential-commercial-offices.
Such an achievement can only be achieved through a purchasing group, thanks to the low entry price. "
Tzachi Sofrin, the owner of the group, 39 years old, married and a father of two and lives in Tel Aviv.
Along with a bachelor's degree in business administration, Tzachi Sofrin grew up in various managerial positions in the group.
He also serves as a board member of the Assistants Association for the Elderly and as a hobby engages in endurance sports - long distance triathlon.
Tzachi Sofrin: "As a family company, we recognize the magnitude of the responsibility placed on our shoulders and are committed to creating projects that contribute to the existence of a quality urban environment for our partners and children. Developing long-term relationships based on mutual trust with people. "
According to him, "in real estate and business, the wisdom is to maintain optimism and composure and understand that this is a long-distance run and not a sprint.
Decisions should be made based on reliable data and predictions, and of course the gut feeling should also be relied upon.
The Corona will not be here forever, people will continue to go out in the morning to work in the office and will continue to look for a place to live.
These are reasons for optimism. "
Praszkowski: Everyone and their skills
The Praszkowski family has been involved in initiation and construction for three generations.
This is a public company that has been traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 2006, but it is first and foremost a family company, and the fourth generation is already standing at its gates to enter the activity as well.
About 25 years ago, Arnon Praszkowski founded the company and recruited his wife Edna to work with him in the business.
With the development of the company also joined his three children, Yossi, Sharon and Maya and his son-in-law Haim Karadi, who constitute the third generation of the family and help, each in his field of expertise, to lead the company forward.
Family officials: Arnon Praszkowski (80) - President of the company, Yossi Praszkowski (57) - Chairman, Sharon Praszkowski (52) - CEO of the execution company ASI Praszkowski, Haim Karadi (50) - CEO Praszkowski, Adv. Maya Praszkowski (41) - Director of the Legal Department, Susie Praszkowski (47) - VP of Marketing.
So how did it all start?
Arnon's father was a large land trader in the Rishon Lezion area in the 1940s.
Arnon Praszkowski says: "When I was 35, I felt that I was not making enough money in agriculture. I am talking about the 1970s, when the Israeli orange was at its peak, but I felt that we were heading for difficult times in the industry. I decided to enter another industry - real estate.
"My first deal was a tender from the Dimona municipality to build a commercial center in the city. Later I went to a tender in Be'er Sheva to build 2 small shopping centers and I won again. When the eldest son, Yossi, graduated from law school, he joined the construction company, as did Sharon. In a family decision, we will thaw the agricultural land that was owned by the family in Rishon Lezion in favor of residential projects. "
What is the resilience of a family company compared to any other company?
"In a family company, everyone's main interest is the success of the company, without personal interests. There is synergy during and outside the work."
Tell about the events around the Shabbat table.
"At Saturday night's dinner, we usually talk about experiences that everyone went through during the week. Later we surf to talk about work, about new projects, until one of the family members changes a topic, and come back again to talk about personal issues."
How do you combine family and business?
"Our secret is that each family member is responsible for the area in which he feels most comfortable and can benefit and contribute the most. Each one and his skills. We make sure to cooperate and make decisions together. The relationships outside of work in our family are excellent. We spend a lot together, even at home meetings. And also in joint vacations of the whole extended family. "
Are there future plans for continuing children?
"Every family member who wants to contribute to society will get the opportunity and progress according to his personal abilities and skills. We have no shortcuts."
What will society look like in a decade?
"It will continue to be one of the leading real estate companies in the field of residential construction, while maintaining its good name."
Spring: A new generation, a new building
In 1972, the Aviv company, in those days a young and dynamic company, headed by the late Moshe Aviv, built a building at 41 Netzach Street in Ramat Hasharon, which is growing today. 48 years later, his grandson, Erez Aviv, closes a nostalgic circle, returns to the same complex and builds A new and prestigious project, this time in the coveted and central Ramat Hasharon.
We are all familiar with urban renewal projects scattered throughout cities.
The same buildings that were built in the 50's and 60s, in the heart of the cities at that time, only 3-4 storey buildings, with small balconies and an enclosed kitchen, a shared shelter and an arid garden.
Over the years these buildings have become obsolete, and are no longer suitable for the growing urban environment around us, which requires an elevator, close and underground parking, security and earthquake-resistant construction. All this leads many developers to promote and carry out projects in sought-after areas.
In the heart of Ramat Hasharon, on the seam between the urban and the green, near Ussishkin and Bialik streets, the Eternal Spring 41 project is located.
Erez Aviv, 36, the owner of Aviv Urban, a company that initiates impressive and unique urban renewal projects, land acquisitions and large-scale combination transactions, talks about life alongside his mythological grandfather, the late Moshe Aviv, who founded the Aviv Group.
"My grandfather was a source of inspiration for me. I used to play chess with him. Through playing with him I learned the importance of planning, seeing how to move forward, the faith and the courage to face challenges."
Erez works alongside his father Doron, the group's chairman. “My father instilled in me the courage to take calculated risks, thinking ahead about possible scenarios and preparing accordingly.
Do not be afraid of complex problems, as in many cases the significant potential lies in unexpected places.
I bring all this and more to the company I founded, Aviv Urban, and to this project in particular. "
Aviv Group, one of the oldest, largest and leading construction companies in Israel, has been initiating and building icons that have shaped Israel's landscape line for more than 57 years, including Moshe Aviv Tower, Assuta Hospital in Ramat Hachayal, the C & Sun luxury residential project, Aviv Tzameret, Rothschild 22 , Lieber Tower, Levontin, Ahimair 1, Elifelet and more.
Gabay: Keep leading
"We started our journey at home, in Ashkelon, and today we are building all over the country," says Samson Gabay, 71, the father of the family. "We believe that building several projects in the same city is the key to success. "
The Gabay Group was founded by Shimshon Gabay in the late 1980s, and is now one of the oldest and leading construction companies in the real estate industry in Israel. Samson Gabay, a former drilling contractor in the south, recognized the economic potential of residential real estate entrepreneurship and entered the field.
"My mother begged my father to take us to every meeting, to every negotiation so that we could learn the secrets of the field, and so it was," says Eli Gabay.
"In our youth, each of us joined the company in one position or another. I would come to our construction site in Ashdod every day, I lived and breathed the area, I was close to the workers, I felt the tools, I learned about my flesh how an apartment is built from A to T, and today This knowledge serves me faithfully. "
In recent years, Gabay Sr. has transferred management to four of his children (the fifth daughter works in high-tech).
The group, which has built thousands of housing units to date throughout the country, has about 1,400 housing units under construction in 11 projects in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Hod Hasharon, Modi'in, Ashkelon, Rosh HaAyin, Sderot and more.
The company owns the listed Gabay Manivim (100%) company, which has income-producing real estate.
List of functionaries in the family: Mia Gabay-Tobol (47) - CEO of the company, Orit Gabay-Trier (43) - VP of Marketing and Sales, Eli Gabay (38) - one of the owners of the Gabay Group, Tamar Gabay (31) - Purchasing Manager , Eric Tobol - VP of Planning and Execution. We asked the family a number of questions.
What is the strength of a family company compared to a regular company?
"The uniqueness of a family company lies in reciprocity and brotherhood. At every crossroads there is a key figure who is part of you, someone whose business flows through the veins. The sense of family is an essential part of society, and it is felt between us and all employees. .
How do businesses fit into family reunions?
"Because the family is the group and the group is the family, there is really no separation - neither on Fridays nor on holidays. Our projects are always on the table and it is very difficult to put them aside. We all live close to each other in Tel Aviv, and that only strengthens us. That we do not know any other reality. "
Are there already plans for the future for the younger generation?
"We brothers grew up together, and accordingly we run a business. Our children did not grow up in the same house, and time will tell if and how they will integrate into the company. "With her and he will preserve her legacy. There are no discounts in this matter for us."
What will the company look like in ten years?
"We started in Ashkelon, broke into the market in Tel Aviv, and we want to continue to develop and grow and lead the construction industry in the field of income-producing real estate, urban renewal, housing and more."
Levinstein: Lifetime Achievement
For more than 70 years, the Meshulam Levinstein Group has been involved in the initiation and execution of real estate projects in Israel and abroad, along with the initiation and construction of income-producing properties, office towers, shopping centers, hotels and more.
The company has many residential projects throughout the country that appeal to various target audiences - from Afula and Yokneam in the north, through Netanya, Kfar Yona, Shoham and Tel Aviv, to Rishon Lezion and Gan Yavne.
The Meshulam Levinstein Group is one of the leading and oldest companies in the real estate industry in Israel. It began its activities even before the establishment of the state, in 1945, by its founder, the late Meshulam Levinstein.
how it all began?
Meshulam Levinstein, a pioneer of civil engineers in Israel, founded the company in 1964. In 1970, his son, Shauli Lotan, also a civil engineer, joined the management staff.
In 1982, Levinstein became a public company on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
In those years, Shaul Jr. was appointed CEO of the company, and Meshulam the Elder took over as chairman of the group.
Currently, the group is considered a corporation of large-scale public companies, which includes development, engineering, execution and real estate companies.
The real estate bacterium also infected Shauli's children, who from an early age would come to the offices to meet Dad and Grandpa. The first to enter the company was Yael Lotan, the eldest sister, a lawyer by profession. Amir Lotan, director of urban renewal, and Chen Gur Lotan, director of income-producing properties.
Yael Lotan says: "I have been working for the company since I was a little girl. At first I answered the phones, when I was growing up I worked as an assistant engineer. I formally started working for the company in 2005 as a replacement for workers who went on maternity leave. I joined the legal department and coordinated the company's projects abroad.
Tell about a special moment at work.
Yael Lotan: "I come to work every day with a lot of satisfaction and happiness. It's not just a place that pays my salary, it's a life and family heritage enterprise that I continue with diligence, perseverance and hard work. Obviously it's hard to get into Grandpa and Dad's huge shoes. For many more years. "
Chen Lotan: "Every working day is different from its predecessor. The highlight of the year was the master plan approval of the old Central Station complex, a project I have been working on for years.
There is a lot of satisfaction, because I love what I do. "
Amir Lotan: "The highlights are when you finally get a building permit and you can start building and see the result of the work a lot."
There are also moments of crisis?
Amir Lotan: "My moments of crisis are mainly as a result of the Israeli bureaucracy. In the field of urban renewal, a process begins in which only after two or three years at best or 10-15 years at worst do I get a building permit."
Chen Gur Lotan: "Dealing with the tenants in the midst of the Corona crisis is not easy. We understand the situation of the tenants. This period is challenging for all of us. We hope to return to routine soon."
Yael Lotan: "The biggest crisis moment was before I joined the company, during the attempted takeover of the company in 1999. I saw my grandfather and father fighting against someone trying to take over their life enterprise, the company they built with their own hands. They stopped the takeover, and it only strengthened my father ".
How do you combine work and family?
Chen Gur Lotan: "Each of the brothers has his own niche that he loves. Together with a father who navigates and CEOs the company, an excellent combination is created.
I really enjoy working with the family.
The combination brought us closer also on the personal side, in light of the fact that we meet every day, beyond the family reunions.
As long as there is disagreement, everyone says their opinion and then decides together. "
Yael Lotan: "With my father, perhaps, it is very difficult to quarrel on personal or professional issues. There are no arguments between the brothers either. If disagreements arise, they are resolved in a matter-of-fact way for the benefit of society."
Yael, Amir and Chen all three agree that they will be able to take on the main challenge, which is to maintain the strength and success of the team, for the sake of future generations.
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements