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Morris Kahn
President
Founder of Amdocs, one of Israel’s largest, and most established high-tech companies in the world. Foresight and business acumen were key to achieving his first large-scale success in the business world with the establishment of Israel’s Golden (Yellow) Pages, Morris also founded the first World underwater observatory in Eilat – a revolutionary concept that his company Coral World International also ‘exported’ to other countries. Morris co-founded the Aurum Group, and proceeded to establish companies in diverse fields, including, among others, Golden Lines and Golden Channels, and was instrumental in the entry of global corporations AT&T and AIG into the Israeli market.
Yellow Pages developed an advanced software system was the springboard for the birth of AMDOCS which today provides services around the entire world. Morris understood the importance of databases for business and economic development, and transformed Amdocs into a global leader in its field. The technological developments, high standards and corporate culture promoted by Amdocs laid the groundwork for the high-tech industry in Israel, also known as the Start-Up Nation.
Striving to make the world a better place for present and future generations, His business success has made it possible for Morris to dedicate most of his time and fortune to his true passion: philanthropy. Here too, he has broken barriers. His philanthropic work is diverse and original:
LEAD – leadership development program providing tools for our next generation of leaders.
Jinka eye camp –Ethiopia- Due too many reasons – such as certain cultural traditions, poor nutrition, the lack of proper sanitation, and the absence of any ophthalmological services – many of the region’s inhabitants suffer from eye problems, primarily cataracts and trachoma. The incidence of blindness due to cataracts in this region is among the highest in the world. In view of this situation, Morris chose to focus on Jinka for the eye surgery project with the clear goal of establishing an independent ophthalmology unit but most important – providing people with the ability to see.
The Therapeutic Riding Center in Tel Mond; Jordan River Village, for children with terminal disease; Save a Child’s Heart, an NPO for life-saving cardiac surgery for children in developing countries, which has provided surgery for 4,000 children and trained local teams in a variety of countries – a project that has shown the beautiful face of Israel to the world;
Morris has shown a strong interest in medical research for the development of cures for serious diseases. This passion has led to numerous partnerships,
He supports, among others, cutting-edge cancer stem cell research, including the establishment of a laboratory for fertility preservation among cancer patients in Tel Hashomer.; a bio-medical research laboratory focusing on genetics and genetic mapping; the establishment of Israel’s National Institute for Biotechnology, and the establishment of a Center for Systems Biology of the Human Cell at the world-renowned Weizmann Institute. The most recent collaboration was establishing the Morris Kahn & Maccabi health data institute to enhance human health by providing technological platform that will support medical breakthroughs in the fields of predictive analysis and precision medicine and significantly increase the amount of research being performed at any given moment.
Morris Kahn, met SpaceIL’s founders shortly after they established the non-profit in 2011. In their daring self-declared mission to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon, he recognized his own adventurous spirit and donated the first $100,000 to help them pursue their dream. Morris identified with the desire of Yariv Bash, Kfir Damari and Yonatan Winetraub to accomplish an extraordinary feat, which would advance the Israeli civilian space industry and put Israel on the map as the fourth country to land on the moon – an achievement previously accomplished only by three superpowers. But even more importantly, he recognized the importance of the broader mission – to inspire Israel’s young generation to seek a future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; to lay down the infrastructure that would secure Israel’s future as the startup nation for generations to come.
Since his initial meeting with SpaceIL’s three founders, Morris has been the non-profit’s strongest, most dedicated and committed supporter and backer. He has not only generously donated $40 million, but importantly, has been closely involved with the project’s development every step of the way. As SpaceIL’s President, he has been instrumental in forming collaborations with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Israeli Space Agency, has recruited a highly qualified management team, and has enlisted the support of leading members of the scientific community, the academia and fellow philanthropists. He has been with the team through thick and thin, as they achieved one milestone after the other, helping them overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable at times and celebrating victories with them. As the driving force behind SpaceIL, his role has been invaluable; without him, SpaceIL would not be where it is today – with its spacecraft Beresheet on its way to a successful landing on the moon.
Today, at the age of 89, with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren by his side, Morris continues his far-reaching philanthropic activity modestly, and with the same sparkle in his eye as the young Zionist entrepreneur. His exemplary leadership has inspired generations of entrepreneurs and young dreamers. His desire to do good for humanity and to ensure the prosperity of the world continues to be his guiding principles.
