LEON CHARNEY

CHARNEY--Leon H.

78, resident of New York City, passed quietly in his sleep on March 21, 2016. He is survived by his loving wife Tzilia and their two beloved sons, Nati and Mickey, his sister Bryna and her husband Lenny Dreyer, niece Sheri and her husband Yigal Kimmelman, nephew Jay and his wife Nehama Blumenrich and niece Eleana and husband Lior Sharon. He was preceded in death by his brother Herbert. Leon was born on July 23, 1938 in Bayonne, New Jersey to Morris and Sara Charney. Renowned as a lawyer, author, broadcaster, real estate mogul, political advisor and philanthropist - but the self- made billionaire's rise to international prominence is truly a tale of a man living out the "American Dream." With just $200 in the bank and an entrepreneurial spirit, Charney started his own law firm representing sports and show business personalities. That same spirit, combined with good judgment and creativity, led Charney to success in New York City's highly competitive world of finance and investment. Ranked by "Forbes" as among the wealthiest Americans and named by "Bloomberg Business Week" as one of twenty billionaires who started with nothing, Charney was not your ordinary billionaire. Considered to be among the foremost authorities on Middle East affairs, Charney first entered the realm of politics as a Special Counsel to Sen. Vance Hartke of Indiana. In the decades that followed, Charney developed a reputation as an expert in the complex realm of domestic and foreign politics. "Leon Charney is one of the unsung heroes of the Middle East peace process... Very few people have played as significant a role. Leon Charney understands the complexities of foreign politics," said President Jimmy Carter. In response to requests from President Carter and Israeli Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, Charney served as a backdoor channel to assist Israel and Egypt in putting together a workable document that ultimately led to the 1978 Camp David Peace Accords and thereafter the historic Camp David Peace Agreement. An accomplished author, Charney has written four books: "Battle of the Two Talmuds," "The Charney Report: Confronting the Arab-Israeli Conflict," "The Mystery of the Kaddish" and "Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace" - which formed the basis for the critically acclaimed documentary film of the same name. For more than 20 years, Charney has moderated "The Leon Charney Report," an award-winning, nationally televised program featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the best and brightest from around the world. Charney was the recipient of many awards, including four honorary doctorate degrees. A noted philanthropist, Charney was the major benefactor of the University of Haifa's Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences and he donated millions to New York University Medical Center for a new cardiac wing of the hospital. Above all, Leon took great pride in his well-known cantorial skills that he shared upon request of those participants of the Garment Center Congregation. The funeral will take place in Israel on Friday 15th od Adar Bet, March 25, 2016 at 12:00pm at the Raanar Kfar Naham Cemetery. Sitting Shiva at the Charney Family Apartment Room 1545, Hilton Hotel, 205 Hayaryon Street, Tel Aviv.