Murray Kushner
Murray Kushner | |
---|---|
Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA, JD) |
Known for | Founder of The KRE Group |
Spouse | Lee Kushner |
Children | 2, including Marc Kushner |
Father | Joseph Berkowitz |
Relatives |
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Murray Kushner is an American real estate developer.
Early life
Kushner's parents, Joseph Kushner and Rae Kushner were Jews born in eastern Poland and Holocaust survivors, who came to America from the USSR[1] by way of Italy in 1949.[2] His father worked as a construction worker and concurrently as an independent builder, while investing in real estate, eventually building a portfolio totaling 4,000 New Jersey apartments.[3][4] The Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, in Livingston, New Jersey, built by Charles Kushner, are named after them.[3][5] Murray Kushner has two sisters, Esther and Linda, and a younger brother, Charles.[1] Murray graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and then went on to obtain a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.[1]
Career
After school, he worked for the family real estate business, and after his father's death, he and his siblings equally divided ownership of the company.[1] His relationship with his brother eventually deteriorated over investment decisions, especially Murray's veto on the purchase of Berkshire Realty, a firm that owned 24,000 apartments, which would have made Kushner Properties the largest privately held real-estate firm in the region.[1] In 2000, the brothers decided to no longer work together as business partners.[1] His firm The KRE Group, has since grown to more than 100 full-time employees, with a portfolio of 9,000 apartments and 6 million square feet of office and industrial property.[6]
KRE has developed projects throughout the Northeast Corridor, with several located in Downtown Jersey City.[7][8][9] In July, 2014, the company began construction on the first phase of Journal Squared, a residential development adjacent to the Journal Square Transportation Center. The project will be constructed in three phases, and is approved for a total of 1,838 units, including a 70-story building, which will be one of the tallest buildings in Jersey City when completed.[10][11][12][13][14]
Personal life
Kushner married Lee Kushner,[1] and they raised their children in Modern Orthodox Judaism.[15] He has two sons, Jon and Ari. His first wife died and he remarried. His wife came into the marriage with a son and daughter. His son Jonathan Kushner has taken over The KRE Group. [16][17] He has a son Ari Kushner that passed away on September 16, 2020. His son Marc is an architect and married Christopher Barley in a Jewish ceremony in 2012. [15] Kushner is a prominent supporter of governor Chris Christie.[16] His wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the mid-1990s, and they dedicate much of their philanthropic activities to finding a cure.[18] He remains estranged from his brother Charles Kushner.[16]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Sherman, Gabriel (July 12, 2009). "The Legacy". New York. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ Heyman, Marshall (May 15, 2014). "City Real-Estate Royalty Gives to Israeli Hospital". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ^ a b Elkies, Lauren (November 1, 2007). "The Closing: Charles Kushner" Archived 2010-05-31 at the Wayback Machine. The Real Deal. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ "Charles Kushner" Archived 2012-01-10 at the Wayback Machine Cityfile. Gawker Media. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ "Mini Bio: Rae Kushner", Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ My Central Jersey: "Murray Kushner, James Hughes honored by real estate institute" June 13, 2015
- ^ "Luxury rental building '18 Park' opens in Jersey City". NJ.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ "The New Urban Bedroom Community". HLW. 2013-10-03. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
- ^ "Jersey City Development Breaks Ground | 18 Park". Therealdeal.com. 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
- ^ "Featured News » New Development Planned for Journal Square Would Include the City's Tallest Tower, Fundamentally Change the Neighborhood". The Jersey City Independent. 2012-08-07. Archived from the original on 2014-02-07. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
- ^ "Three residential towers to change the landscape of Journal Square, officials say". NJ.com. 2012-08-15. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
- ^ "Featured News » City Settles Lawsuit with Robinhood Plaza, Permits 42-Story Zoning for Property Along Summit Ave". The Jersey City Independent. 2012-11-29. Archived from the original on 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
- ^ "KRE President Jonathan Kushner to Join All-Star Panel at Third Annual New Jersey Multifamily Summit | NJ.com". Blog.nj.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ Ayers, Joshua. "Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Jersey City Development". Multihousingnews.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ a b "Weddings: Chris Barley and Marc Kushner". The New York Times. April 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c Yossi Melman (2016-03-01). "Meet the Kushners: The feuding real estate dynasty that links Donald Trump and Chris Christie - U.S. Election 2016". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ Kreinin, Miriam (2015-06-01). "Jonathan Kushner | Kushner Real Estate Group". Therealdeal.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
- ^ "Original 'Jersey Boys' anchor MS fund-raiser | NJJN". Njjewishnews.com. 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2017-01-09.