Bring Jewish History to Life
in the Place Where it all Began

Bring Jewish History to Life in the Place Where it all Began

The Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem

The Jewish Quarter
of the Old City of Jerusalem

The Eternal Capital of The Jewish People

Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue

Dedicated in 1872, Tiferet Yisrael was the highest viewpoint over Jerusalem and the last stronghold destroyed in the 1948 War of Independence

The Byron and Dorothy Gerson Center

The Byron and Dorothy Gerson Center

Creating an accessible passage between the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter

Dedicated in 1872, Tiferet Yisrael was the highest viewpoint over Jerusalem and the last stronghold destroyed in the 1948 War of Independence

Western Wall Elevator

The Byron and Dorothy Gerson Center

Creating an accessible passage between the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter

AFOC

The American Friends

of the Old City, Inc.,

is a 501(c)(3) U.S., nonprofit organization dedicated to making history by reconnecting Americans with the glorious past and promising future of  the Old City of Jerusalem. AFOC supports The Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, established in 1968 following the Six Day War, to restore the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem and develop it to become a national, religious, historical, and cultural site.

Projects of The Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of
Jerusalem include:

Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue
(in development)

Byron and Dorothy Gerson Center Western Wall Elevator
(in development)

Plugat HaKotel Museum

The Hurva Synagogue

The Burnt House

The Davidson Center Archaeological Park

The Herodian Quarter Archaeological Museum

The Cardo

Board of Directors

Advisory Board Members

Brian Sherr, Chairman

Brian served as President of Jewish Family Services of Broward County Florida, President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale, a board member of Jewish Federation of Broward County, founder, and board member of the Daniel Cantor Senior Center, founding board member of the nation’s first Hebrew English Charter School, Ben Gamla; former board member of the American Friends of Ariel and of the Aish Hatorah Jerusalem Advisory Board. 

Brian is the Managing Shareholder Emeritus and a Shareholder of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida office of the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions.

Richard Finkelstein

Richard was deeply
Committed to the Florida community. He served as Chairman’s Council for the Make A Wish South Florida Foundation, a trustee of the University of Maryland, the past president of the Daniel D. Cantor Senior Center, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and a Board Member of the American Friends of Ariel and the Jewish Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale. Richard received the Tree of Life Award by the Jewish National Fund, and was honored by the Anti-Defamation League.

Kenneth Bierman

Kenneth is active in AIPAC, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute, the United Way, and the Memorial Hospital/DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation Board. Kenneth served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale, was a Market Leader at BNY Mellon Wealth Management, and is now a Strategic Advisor for Grove Bank & Trust.

Dr. Rose Lynn Sherr

Dr. Sherr
served as a Vice President of the Jewish Center and chaired and sat on many committees. She is a Keter Torah award recipient and a 25-year active member of the Jewish Center on the upper West Side of New York City. She is a clinical neuropsychologist.

Judah H. Ever

Judah served as a founder and President
of the largest temple in east Fort Lauderdale, and on the Board of
the Jewish Federation of Fort Lauderdale Foundation. He is the founder and Managing Partner of C.P.A. firm Ever and Company

Norman H. Lipoff

Norman is a trustee of Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), sits on the Board and Executive Committee of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University, and the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the University of Florida Hillel.

Rabbi Ephraim Shore

Rabbi Shore served as CEO of Aish Ha Torah in Miami, Toronto, and New York, and was one of the founders of Honest Reporting. He is now a fundraising consultant and a licensed Israel Tour Guide.

Fred Zeidman

Fred is Chairman Emeritus of the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum in D.C., Vice Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the American Friends of Yad Vashem, Chairman Emeritus of the University of Texas Health Science System Houston. Fred is an investment banker.

Herzl Ben Ari

Herzl formerly served as a two term mayor of Karnei Shomron 

Daniel Shukrun

Daniel has worked for “The Company” for 17 years, and has held numerous positions – deputy director, corporate treasurer, and project manager. He managed preservation and reconstruction of the “Hurva” synagogue that was dedicated in 2010, and he is now the lead manager on the “Tiferet Yisrael” project

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