Longtime Chicago Jewish leader, JUF supporter, lover of Israel, and humanitarian Lester Crown was honored in advance of his 90th birthday at the JUF Board of Directors Meeting on May 21. The community paid tribute to Crown, as well as his wife and partner, Renee, “as a perpetual source of strength and support during the most difficult and most joyous times in modern Jewish history.”

At the meeting, Crown sat down for a conversation about his remarkable life to date with Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, JUF President, and Bill Silverstein, Chairman of the JUF Board.

Crown spoke about his family’s origins in Eastern Europe, who journeyed to this country to achieve the “American Dream” like so many other Jews. “They were as patriotic as anyone could be,” he said. “I always felt that if you pricked dad’s arm, the blood would come out red, white, and blue.”

He spoke with adoration about his father, the late Henry Crown, a great philanthropist and industrialist. When the state of Israel was established, Henry’s building materials business was booming. “If Israel is every threatened to the point of…extinction,” Henry said, “you send them everything we have. Everything! We can start over; they can’t.”

When asked what advice Crown has for the next generation, he quipped, “make more money and contribute more…You give back to those who are less fortunate because that’s what you owe, because you have the good fortune to be here.”