Even though he makes his home in Peru, “there’s always a warm corner of my heart for Israel,” and for Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai whom he called “a giant in his generation.”
By HELEN KAYEBEIT LESSIN(photo credit: Courtesy)
Baruch Ivcher, an Israeli-born millionaire businessman whose home is Lima, Peru, has gifted the Beit Lessin Theater and the Tel Aviv Foundation with 25 million shekels, or a tad over $7 million, that may help to pay for the grand newly refurbished Beit Lessin Theater at the corner of Dizengoff and Frishman streets in Tel Aviv.Even though he makes his home in Peru, “there’s always a warm corner of my heart for Israel,” and for Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai whom he called “a giant in his generation.”Lessin general director Tzipi Pines announced that the theater would now be known as the Baruch Ivcher Beit Lessin Theater in recognition of Ivcher’s generosity, and that “we shall remain committed to excellence and the furtherance of Israeli playwriting.”The donation was made public through Hila Rahav, the chairperson of the Beit Lessin Friendship Association, and the wife of PR giant Rani Rahav, who said that “Baruch has been a true friend, and one of the family for many years,” adding that his life story epitomized what is best about Israelis.”And indeed, Baruch Ivcher’s bio reads like a best-selling thriller.Born in 1940, Ivcher did his IDF service in the Signal Corps. In 1967 he graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a law degree and set up an office in his native Hadera. Opportunity beckoned, and in 1970 Ivcher took off for Peru where he set up a mattress factory with his brother. His businesses prospering, Ivcher sought and obtained Peruvian citizenship in 1984 so that he could diversify into media.He and his Canal 2 TV station quickly achieved fame and notoriety as a ruthless crusader against the then-regime’s rampant corruption. Said regime (naturally) promptly divested Ivcher of his citizenship in 1997, and he was forced to flee the country. He returned many years later after winning his suit against the Peruvian government, which was then forced to return both his citizenship and his media license.Meanwhile, in 1994, on one of his many home visits, he had helped set up the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center for its founding president, Prof. Uriel Reichman, a close friend since 1963. Today, the IDC has more than 7,000 students and will soon attain the status of a university.
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