Harris KhanThe name of Lev Leviev is associated by many with his unofficial title in the past, “the king of diamonds”. The entrepreneur began his way into big business from the workshop for processing precious stones. Still, after that, he had other, more ambitious, and interesting projects, not only commercial ones.
As part of charitable assistance, Leviev recently purchased computer equipment for several classes of Uzbek schools. It is not the first case of Mr. Leviev’s assistance to the country’s citizens in which he was born and raised.
Now Lev Leviev is a well-known businessman and a philanthropist charitable foundations formed with; his direct participation conducts their activities in Israel and around the world. Leviev opens schools; kindergartens supports educational institutions of Jewish communities in the United States, Russia and in the countries of the post-Soviet space.
Lev Leviev – family man, philanthropist, businessman
According to Lev Leviev, family is the main thing in his life. In one of the interviews, when asked by a journalist about his “diamond” past, the businessman replied that he considers his wife, children, and grandchildren real diamonds.
Lev Leviev’s family really deserves admiration. The businessman has lived with his first and only wife for about 40 years, who gave him nine children. The older children already have grandchildren now; Leviev and his wife have 30 of them.
As an exemplary family man raising children in Jewish cultural traditions, Leviev understands the importance of education in the modern world. For people of different peoples and religions to understand each other better, they must fully develop as individuals, and personal development is impossible without obtaining knowledge from various spheres of human activity.
The businessman’s charitable projects are not reduced to single actions such as the purchase of computers for schools: the main activity of his foundations is systemic assistance to people, and first of all, to Jewish communities around the world. Jews living outside of Israel must maintain their national and cultural identity.
Assistance to Uzbek schools
Equipping the classrooms of Uzbek schools with modern laptops, the philanthropist gives children the opportunity to organize deeper learning under challenging conditions associated with the material base and the epidemiological situation. Not all children forced to study remotely can organize a full-fledged connection with the teacher. Laptops will make learning more accessible and effective.
Mr. Leviev chose Uzbek schools, not by chance – it was in Uzbekistan that he was born and lived until the age of 15 until he moved with his family to Israel. After the move, Lev Leviev’s family did not immediately get back on their feet. Still, perseverance, adherence to traditions, the help of relatives and compatriots helped establish a life in their historical homeland.
Lev Leviev has not forgotten his first home Uzbekistan. Having already become a wealthy man, the head of the international holding AFI Development, the businessman maintains contacts with the republic, which he left almost half a century ago. As president of international charitable foundations, Mr. Leviev invests heavily in developing Jewish communities in the former Soviet territories and Uzbekistan.
Lev Leviev gave Uzbek schools and his daughter and son-in-law through the Global Jewish Aid Network. Global Jewish Assistance is a partner of the World Congress of Bukharan Jews, created on Leviev’s initiative. Recently, this organization made another gift to the Uzbek government a batch of medical masks worth $ 400,000 as part of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Laptops to equip Uzbek schools were delivered to the consulate of Uzbekistan. In the presence of the Consul General of the Republic, Mr. Leviev and members of his family (Hagita Sofiyeva-Levayeva’s daughter and her husband Gavriil Sofiyev) handed over 60 modern laptops for Uzbek schoolchildren.
Other charitable projects of Lev Leviev
The charitable activities of Lev Leviev should serve as an example for other businessmen. His well-being does not prevent the entrepreneur from helping people around the world. Charitable projects of businessman Lev Leviev have gained international fame and are an example of effective non-profit structures that provide real assistance to those who need it.
The Or Avner Charitable Foundation, established almost immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992, was named Leviev after his father, Rabbi Avner. The Foundation has opened more than 70 educational institutions of secular and religious orientation in the post-Soviet territory during its existence. Among them are schools, kindergartens, universities and summer camps, in which thousands of children are engaged. Every year, Lev Leviev donates tens of millions of dollars to the organization’s needs. This is the largest Jewish charitable organization in the CIS today.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS (JFC), founded in 1998 under the patronage of “Or Avner”, provides comprehensive support to individuals, educational and cultural institutions located in the territory of the former USSR. The organization’s activities are extensive; it provides humanitarian assistance, organizes educational programs, and establishes religious education among the Jewish population.
Lev Leviev began his career in business with diamonds and continued as the head of the largest Israeli company Africa Israel Investments. Today his main project is AFI Development, a company engaged in construction, infrastructure development, investments in real estate worldwide. The holding has built shopping centers, modern residential complexes and other facilities in Europe, Russia, the United States. The residence of Lev Leviev AFI Development is located in London.
The businessman is convinced that peace of mind and life satisfaction depends not only on a bank account; the principal capital of a person is his good deeds, and the principal value is children and family.
