Glorya N. Kaufman

January 23, 1930 - August 5, 2025 In Loving Memory of Glorya Kaufman
Philanthropist and Champion of Dance

Glorya Kaufman was a visionary philanthropist and tireless advocate for dance. During the course of her life, she transformed cultural institutions, uplifted underserved communities and opened doors for generations of dancers and students.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, during the depths of the Great Depression, Glorya grew up in modest circumstances alongside her sister Edythe. Their father, Samual Pinkis, was a production manager at Automotive News, and their mother, Eva Pinkis, was a homemaker with a talent for sewing, who also directed seven charities. A childhood diagnosis of strabismus would inspire Glorya's lifelong commitment to pediatric eye care, particularly for underserved children across Southern California.
In the early 1950s, Glorya married Donald Bruce Kaufman, cofounder of Kaufman & Broad Building Company (now KB Home). A brilliant entrepreneur and builder, Donald believed deeply in the importance of reading, learning and building communities where families could thrive. His success in the home-building industry was driven not only by innovation, but also by a commitment to equity and access - principles that profoundly influenced Glorya's philanthropic path. After Donald and their son-in-law Eyal Horwitz's tragic deaths in a 1983 plane crash, Glorya established the Glorya Kaufman Foundation. Her first major gift honored Donald's passion for reading and community development: the Donald Bruce Kaufman Branch Library in Brentwood, which quickly became one of the busiest and most beloved public libraries in Los Angeles.
Glorya soon committed herself to advancing education and dance. She funded scholarships, outreach programs and pediatric eye clinics that restored both vision and confidence to countless children.
Her name became synonymous with the elevation of dance on both coasts. In 1999, a donation to UCLA transformed the women's gym into Glorya Kaufman Hall, a dedicated space with six rehearsal studios and a black-box theater. A decade later, her gift to the Los Angeles Music Center launched Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance, bringing world-class performances to broad and diverse audiences. She endowed perpetual scholarships for The Ailey School and funded Ailey Camp, enabling Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater free dance instruction to underserved youth across the country. She also created a glass-walled studio for Juilliard overlooking Broadway, nurturing young artists in the heart of New York City.
In 2011, her transformative gift to the University of Southern California established the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. The 54,000-square-foot International Dance Center welcomed its first Bachelor of Fine Arts class in 2015 and quickly earned national acclaim for its innovative, cross-disciplinary curriculum. Glorya joined the USC Board of Trustees in 2012 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2013, cementing her legacy as a pioneer in dance education and patronage.
Yet her philanthropy extended beyond dance. She supported the expansion of the Mar Vista Family Center, providing arts programming and critical services for low-income mothers and children. In 2019, she transformed the historic synagogue at Vista Del Mar into a state-of-the-art, 300-seat theater with dedicated dance and movement classrooms for children with developmental disabilities. In Culver City, she established the Glorya Kaufman Community Center - a 7,500-square-foot hub offering free access to the arts, educational programs and nonprofit collaboration.
Glorya is survived by her four children: Laura, Gayl, Curtis and Zuade; her 10 grandchildren; and her 13 great-grandchildren.
She is also remembered by the many students and dancers she enriched through her philanthropy, by the institutions and communities that continue to flourish thanks to her generosity and vision, and by a devoted circle of friends who loved her like family.
Glorya Kaufman lived by the conviction that dance can reshape society. Every hall she built, every scholarship she endowed and every performance she championed stands as a testament to her belief in the transformative power of education, movement and human connection. Her legacy will continue to shine in the lives she touched and the communities she helped to build.