Elie Hirschfeld: Philanthropy, Art, and A Painting Reminiscent of His Childhood

Elie Hirschfeld started the Hirschfeld Foundation to better support the causes that matter to him, such as children’s education, healthcare, athletics, and the arts. His philanthropy, though, does not end with the foundation. Elie Hirschfeld serves as a trustee of several New York City hospitals (Beth Israel and St. Luke’s, among others) and is the director of the United States board of the Weizmann Institute of Science. He holds active roles on the boards of directors of many prestigious organizations. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center President’s Council, The Central Park Conservancy, The Jewish National Fund, and the Rockefeller University Council are a few of the institutions where he’s involved.  

In 2016, Hirschfeld and his wife Sarah J. Schlesinger were honored with the Patrons of Education Award from New York’s Park East Synagogue.

Education has been a significant ongoing theme of Elie Hirschfeld’s philanthropy. Brown University, his alma mater, had received a total of $1 million from Mr. Hirschfeld by 2011. Then he donated again in 2016 (along with his wife Sarah J. Schlesinger), with a $3.5 million gift towards renovations and maintenance of the Judaic Studies building. In honor of these numerous contributions, Brown University renamed the 100 year old historic treasure the "Hirschfeld House." The long-term viability of the Judaic Studies program has been greatly impacted through these generous gifts.

In February 2017, Sarah and Elie Hirschfeld were recognized by Israel Bonds with the Israel69 Award for their support of Israel and the Jewish Community.

Art philanthropy is another highlight of Elie Hirschfeld’s legacy. His art collection is legendary, with significant acquisitions by Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Keith Haring, Frank Stella, and most recently, a new acquisition from the renowned Francoise Gilot. The collection focuses on pieces that depict Hirschfeld’s beloved New York City. The Gilot acquisition, for example, depicts trees in Central Park that Hirschfeld said remind him of his childhood.

Of the 2017 Keith Haring street art piece he bought, Hirschfeld called it a meaningful symbol of the NYC street art scene, stating: "Keith Haring unifies many layers of New York City's culture -- both the refined and gritty, the cultivated, edified and self-taught. The energy carried through his artwork is unmatched. Sarah and I will always treasure the work of Keith Haring that we recently added to our collection.”