Shalom, Isaac I.

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SHALOM, ISAAC I.

SHALOM, ISAAC I. (1886–1968), U.S. businessman and philanthropist. Born in *Aleppo, *Syria, Shalom immigrated in 1910 to the United States, where he settled in New York City. There he started a small textile business, and in 1921 he established the handkerchief firm of I. Shalom & Co., which developed into one of the leading manufacturers in its field in the U.S. A lifelong supporter of Orthodox Jewish educational institutions, Shalom was instrumental in 1945 in founding *Oẓar Hatorah, an organization that provided Hebrew education for tens of thousands of Jewish children in the Arab countries of North Africa and the Middle East. Shalom was also an active Zionist who established many enterprises in Israel and was one of the leaders of the Sephardi and Syrian communities in New York City.

[Hillel Halkin]