Sylvan Adams

Sylvan Adams
Born (1958-11-01) November 1, 1958 (age 66)
Quebec City, Canada
NationalityIsraeli - Canadian
Occupationbusinessman
Known forBringing 2018 Giro d'Italia to Israel
Parent(s)Marcel Adams, Annie Adams
FamilyGil Troy (brother-in-law)

Sylvan Adams (Hebrew: סילבן אדמס; born November 1, 1958) is an Israeli-Canadian billionaire businessman.

Background and career

Adams was born and raised in Quebec City, Canada. He served for close to 25 years as president and CEO of Iberville Developments, one of Canada's largest real-estate development companies, founded by his father Marcel.[1] At the end of 2015, he immigrated to Israel and settled in Tel Aviv.[citation needed]

Philanthropy

He donates money for many sports and educational activities. He established the Margaret and Sylvan Adams Family Foundation to support educational and medical projects in Israel and Canada.[1] The foundation offers doctoral scholarships at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The "Bonei Zion Prize" is given every year with his name by Nefesh b'Nefesh. The award recognizes immigrants to Israel from English-speaking countries who have impacted Israel[2] in the fields of science and medicine, education and nonprofit work, national service, business, technology and culture, and arts and sports. It was established in 2013 with Adams assistance and offers each recipient with a $10,000 prize.[3]

In 2018, he donated $5 million to SpaceIL, the non-profit organization that is working to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the Moon.[4] In 2019, Adams was reported to be funding the cost of a performance by Madonna at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.[5]

In 2019 he donated 100 million NIS for a new emergency medicine wing at the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv. He also donated money for a new children's hospital at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.[6]

In 2023 he was chosen to light a torch at the beacon lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl on the occasion of the 75th year of the State of Israel.[7]

In 2024 he donated $100 million to Ben Gurion University to help rebuild the Southern Cities of Israel after the Oct 7th Hamas-led attack of Israel by Hamas.[8]

Cycling

Adams has a passion for cycling, taking it up in his 40s. In November 2017, he won the World Masters Championship in Manchester, England[1] and has been a world time-trial champion many times.[9] He is co-owner of the Israel Cycling Academy (ICA). The team was founded in 2015 as a UCI Pro Continental team and made the jump up to UCI World Tour level in 2020. The team was relegated from the World Tour at the end of the 2022 season. [10] The team is now known as Israel–Premier Tech. In 2017 the first institute for sport's excellency in Israel was established in Tel Aviv University and is called the Sylvan Adams Cycling Network.[11][12] He also donated money along with KKL-JNF Canada and others for the Sylvan Adams Commuter Path, a biking path which connects Tel Aviv with surrounding areas to allow people to commute to work by bicycle more quickly and safely.[13]

In May 2018, he established the first indoor velodrome in Israel and the Middle East.[14] He also donated $2m for the redevelopment of the Bromont Velodrome in Quebec.[15]

He was the first to suggest the 2018 Giro d'Italia started in Israel[16][17] and donated 80 million NIS for this purpose.[18] This was the first time that any stage of the Giro tour[19] took place outside of Europe.[1] He was named the Honorary President of the 2018 Giro d'Italia as a result.[20]

Family

His father is Marcel Adams, a Canadian real estate investor, philanthropist and Holocaust survivor.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "35. Sylvan Adams - 50 Most Influential Jews - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  2. ^ "Nefesh B'Nefesh presents outstanding Anglo 'olim' with 2018 Bonei Zion Prize". JNS.org. 2018-10-31. Archived from the original on 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  3. ^ "Winners of Sylvan Adams Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion award announced - Israel News - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  4. ^ Solomon, Shoshanna (February 6, 2019). "Canadian mogul Adams gives $5 million to Israel moon bid project". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019.
  5. ^ "Madonna expected to accept 2019 Eurovision Song Contest deal". Archived from the original on 2019-02-04.
  6. ^ ברטוב, אביעד (2019-10-23). "ביה"ח לילדים בוולפסון ייקרא על שמו של הנדבן הציוני סילבן אדמס". מדינט - בריאות ורפואה (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  7. ^ "אסייג, קהלני, בלאט, מפקד דובדבן ונערה שנאבקת בשיימינג: אלו משיאי המשואות". Ynet (in Hebrew). 2023-04-16. Archived from the original on 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  8. ^ "WATCH: Philanthropist to Fund Rebuilding of Southern Israeli Communities". United With Israel. 2024-02-18. Archived from the original on 2024-02-26.
  9. ^ Wallack, Roy (February 6, 2019). "The Man Who Brought the Giro to Israel". Archived from the original on February 7, 2019.
  10. ^ Stephen Farrand (2022-12-12). "Israel-Premier Tech, Lotto-Soudal relegated from WorldTour, UCI confirms". cyclingnews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  11. ^ Gilad Adin - Sylvan Adams Sports Institute Archived 2020-06-03 at the Wayback Machine June 1, 2017
  12. ^ Rogers, Neal (February 6, 2019). "Q&A with Sylvan Adams, the billionaire behind Giro d'Italia start in Israel". Archived from the original on September 2, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Sylvan Adams Commuter Path Network is inaugurated". Tel Aviv-Yafo Foundation. 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  14. ^ Tel Aviv building 1st Olympic velodrome in the Middle East Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine May 2, 2018
  15. ^ Hansen, Matt (2021-11-19). "The Bromont Velodrome is going to be seriously impressive". Canadian Cycling Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-12-31. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  16. ^ Lidman, Melanie. "Legendary cyclist Gino Bartali gets honorary citizenship ahead of Giro Israel". www.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  17. ^ The JC Sylvan Adams - the man behind Israel's biggest sports spectacular Archived 2024-09-02 at the Wayback Machine January 4, 2018
  18. ^ Gurvis, Jacob (2023-08-07). "Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams wins cycling world championship in Scotland". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
  19. ^ "The Montreal billionaire bringing cycling to the Mid East". finance.yahoo.com. 25 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  20. ^ Spokoinyon, Andrés (May 2, 2018). "JFN Member Sylvan Adams Brings Giro D'Italia to Israel". Jewish Funders Network. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  21. ^ "Marcel Adams & family". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2018-11-18. Retrieved 2019-02-06.