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On a visit to the U.S. that included a White House summit with President Joe Biden, Israeli President Isaac Herzog sent a letter offering the country’s condolences to the wife of late Home Depot Inc. co-founder Bernie Marcus.
Mr. Marcus, a legendary businessman and philanthropist who left an indelible mark on Atlanta with his donations to medical and Jewish causes, died Nov. 4 at 95 years old in Boca Raton, Fla.
He was among the first billionaires to sign The Giving Pledge, committing to donating at least half his net worth, and The Marcus Foundation doled out some $2.7 billion in grants during his lifetime.
Members of the team at the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast, which shared the letter sent by Mr. Herzog in its recent newsletter, attended his memorial service Nov. 7 at The Temple in Atlanta.
“By virtue of hard work, talent, and a seemingly unending supply of grit and determination, Bernie created a business empire. However, beyond his world-class industriousness and business acumen, Bernie demonstrated an unbridled commitment to living a life of values and meaning,” Mr. Herzog wrote to Billi Marcus.
The president also praised Mr. Marcus’s “staunch support of Israel and the Jewish people,” as shown through his foundation’s grants focused on bolstering the Jewish community and fostering discourse on Israeli democracy.
On Thursday, the foundation announced that before his passing, Mr. Marcus personally directed a $60 million gift to RootOne, which helps American Jewish teenagers undertake immersive travel experiences in Israel with the goal of combating antisemitism. The funding brings to $140 million the foundation’s total support of the nonprofit, which was founded in 2020.
Mr. Marcus’s support also helped create the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA), the Georgia Aquarium and various other projects and initiatives. Health care centers bearing his name and influence include:
- Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center
- Marcus Autism Center — he also supported Autism Speaks
- Marcus Heart and Vascular Center
- Shepherd Center
- Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center
- Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he also supported:
- Avalon Action Alliance
- Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
- Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the University of Colorado
- Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank in Israel
- Marcus National Blood Center in Israel
Mr. Herzog, the Israeli president, also commented on Mr. Marcus’s intellectual generosity.
“On a personal level. I will always remember his warmth, kindness, and intelligence. It was a privilege to converse with Bernie, and I always left our discussions both better informed and inspired.”
Read Mr. Marcus’s full obituary here, which includes the story of his upbringing as the youngest of four children in a family of working-class Russian immigrants in New Jersey, the denial of his dream to become a medical doctor, and his firing from the retailer Handy Dan, which became one of the turning points leading to the founding of The Home Depot.
Mr. Herzog is no stranger to Georgia leaders; the president met with Gov. Brian Kemp during the latter’s trade mission to Israel in 2023.
Mr. Marcus was also a significant donor to the Republican Party.
Full text of the letter from Mr. Herzog circulated by the Israeli consulate:
