Efraim Margolin is an Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist, founder of Margolin Consultants Inc, an employment and Merger and Acquisitions Company in New York City. He is a native of
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
, who immigrated to Palestine when he was a small child. Growing up with a father who was a local leader of the
Haganah
Haganah ( he, הַהֲגָנָה, lit. ''The Defence'') was the main Zionist paramilitary organization of the Jewish population ("Yishuv") in Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and its disestablishment in 1948, when it became the core of the Is ...
Jewish Underground Militia, he became one of the young engineers during World War II working for the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) was a British company founded in 1909 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Persia (Iran). The British government purchased 51% of the company in 1914, gaining a controlling number ...
in Iran and later, as Manager in Bahrain Island constructing an airport for the British Air Force. Later he came to America for advanced engineering studies at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...
marrying his American sweetheart and ended up serving as a secret agent for the
Mossad
Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
, the Israeli Undercover Agency, outfitting torpedo boats for the Israeli Navy. After
the 1948 War, he was in charge of building the New City of
Beer Sheva
Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...
in the Negev Desert.
Returning to New York, and starting from scratch, he became active in many organizations promoting trade and cultural exchanges with Israel. He and Florence are founders of the City of Tel Aviv Foundation, City of Eilat, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, American Israeli Opera,
The Boston Opera and founding benefactors of 40,000 trees in the Jewish National Fund “Margolin Peace Forest” in
Kiryat Gat
Kiryat Gat, also spelled Qiryat Gat ( he, קִרְיַת גַּת), is a city in the Southern District of Israel. It lies south of Tel Aviv, north of Beersheba, and from Jerusalem. In it had a population of . The city hosts one of the most a ...
between Jerusalem and Beer Sheva. They live in Manhattan but return to Israel frequently.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Margolin, Efraim
Living people
Anglo-Persian Oil Company
BP people
American energy industry businesspeople
Year of birth missing (living people)