Industry mourns loss of Jack Weiler.

The real estate industry mourned the loss of Jack D. Weiler last week, who passed away at his home in New Rochelle on Friday, October 13 at the age of 91 after a long illness.

A rabbi's son who has left a lasting mark on the New York real estate scene through various development projects, Jack Weiler will perhaps be best remembered for his relentless devotion to philanthropic ventures.

Weiler was born on May 30, 1904 in the tiny Russian village of Svitskoy, in a one-and-a-half room house shared with his parents, Faivel and Chana Weiler, and nine brothers and sisters. His father was a teacher and scholar who taught children in his home.

The family originally came to the United States in 1910. The Weilers first settled on 112th Street, where they earned extra money doing "housework," sewing ribbons into corsets. Later, they moved to The Bronx. Rabbi Weiler taught yeshiva students for 23 years at Yeshivah Tifereth Yerushalaim on the Lower East Side and later at Torah Vo 'Daath in Brooklyn.

Weiler started his career as a real estate broker. In 1936 he joined forces with Benjamin H. Swig of Boston. Founded on a handshake, they developed a nationwide business that was known for its integrity, professionalism and philanthropic commitment. The partnerships own approximately 5 million square feet of commercial buildings in New York City, including the Grace Building, and over 1.5 million square feet in California, as well as other properties throughout the country.

Operating through family-owned management and development companies, the Swig and Weiler-Arnow families have been involved in the acquisition, construction and management of a wide variety of commercial ventures. The portfolio now includes prestigious properties that attract some of the most prominent corporate and retail tenants in the country.

In New York City, the buildings include the distinctive sloping tower of the Grace Building at 1114 Avenue of the Americas and the flagship building of the women's sportswear industry, 1411 Broadway. Together, these two distinguished properties total over 2.4 million square feet.

Other properties in Manhattan are 1065 Avenue of the Americas (also known as 111 West 40th Street), a 537,000 square foot office building overlooking the newly renovated Bryant Park; 711 Third Avenue, a 515,000 square foot building that was the first modern skyscraper on the avenue; 1460 Broadway, a 165,000 square-foot office building; and 7 Hanover Square, an 800,000 square-foot building in the heart of the financial district, constructed together with the Milstein family.

One of the earliest and most significant ventures of Swig and Weiler was the acquisition of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, which served as the centerpiece for a network of Fairmont Hotels in the United States. In 1982, the Weiler-Arnow Investment Company sold its interest in the Fairmont Hotels to the Swigs, but the two families have continued to own and manage their other real estate interests together through three generations.

The Swig and Weiler-Arnow families are renowned for their outstanding philanthropic support of a wide range of educational institutions, cultural programs and social service agencies in the United States and abroad. In New York, their leadership in the formation of business improvement districts has played an important role in the transformation of Bryant Park, the development of Grand Central Partnership and other civic endeavors.

Weiler was always a leader of philanthropy. As national United Jewish Appeal Chairman for more than 20 years, he traveled throughout the country raising funds. "Philanthropy comes first, ahead of my business," he said in a 1984 interview. His dedication to Israels economic development was demonstrated through his long career of leadership at Israel Bonds. He had an important influence on the development of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, founded the Lay Advisory Council of the New York Board of Rabbis and organized the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. As Chairman of the Board of Overseers of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, he guided the university through its period of most dynamic growth. In 1985, the Albert Einstein hospital was renamed the Jack D. Weiler hospital in his honor. As Chairman of the Housing Committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel, he brought together people and institutions to build 12,000 units of housing in Israel to house 50,000 immigrants. He was a founder of the Realty Foundation of New York and was considered a mentor in philanthropy by the leading figures in the real estate industry.

Jack Weiler is survived by his wife Doris, his daughter Joan Arnow, his son Alan Weiler, their spouses Robert Arnow and Elaine Weiler, his sister, Pauline Shenkman and his brother, Aaron Weiler. He is also survived by seven grandchildren and II great-grandchildren.