IDI Mourns the Passing of Bernie Marcus

The Israel Democracy Institute mourns the loss of its founder and International Chair, Bernard (Bernie) Marcus of blessed memory.

Bernie Marcus was a giant of American business and philanthropy. His extraordinary dedication to the future of the Jewish people and the State of Israel was motivated by a concern that both were increasingly in jeopardy. The “Who Is a Jew” crisis of the 1980s convinced him that the primary threat to Israel’s survival and prosperity was internal. It was this insight that drove Mr. Marcus, while still CEO of The Home Depot, to join Secretary George Shultz (OBM) and Dr. Arye Carmon and establish an organization devoted to strengthening the institutions of Israeli democracy.   

Bernie Marcus was a Jewish-American success story. The child of poor immigrants from Russia, he was a self-made man who put himself through school and built one of America’s most successful businesses. Bernie never forgot his humble upbringing, and never stopped giving back—to the City of Atlanta, to vulnerable groups ranging from veterans to Autistic children, to the Jewish People, and to Israel. His style of giving flowed from The Home Depot philosophy as much as the teachings of Maimonides: rather than showering people with charity, he gave them the tools to build a better future for themselves and for their children.  

While still the busy CEO of a young and rapidly growing corporation, Bernie devoted an increasing share of his time and wealth to addressing the major challenges facing the Jewish People. In the early years of IDI, Bernie was the engine behind the constitutional project, the electoral reform campaign, the founding of the Caesaria Forum (now the Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society), and the creation of the Knesset’s Research and Information Center. He was an early devotee of civics education in Israel, and some of his most memorable trips entailed emotional visits to Jewish and Arab classrooms around the country. A man of strong political views in the US context, he maintained a disciplined non-partisan bearing born of ’Ahavat Israel’ when it came to Israel. Behind closed doors he always spoke his mind and was known for his candid exchanges with prime ministers, rabbis and businessmen.   

Bernie was much more than IDI’s most generous benefactor. A firm believer in the potential of research and sensible advocacy to improve policy, he played an enormously influential role as mentor to IDI’s leadership. Drawing on his experience in the business world, he shaped IDI’s organizational culture, transformed its marketing, and inculcated a relentless focus on results.

“The State of Israel lost one of its greatest friends, and I have lost my wisest mentor. No one had a more intuitive grasp of the fundamental challenges facing Israel than Bernie did, and no one did more to face these issues head-on,” said IDI President Yohanan Plesner.  “From the imperative of electoral and constitutional reform to the importance of integrating the Arab and Haredi communities, Bernie ‘got it.’ He translated into action the foundational insight articulated by his beloved friend George Shultz, which motivated both of them to found IDI: that Israel’s ability to survive and prosper in a hostile region depended ultimately on good government and internal cohesion.

Israelis from all walks of life owe a debt of gratitude to Bernie for all that he has done to make Israel a stronger, freer, and more hopeful place. We are at a moment of grave, existential peril, and in our last conversation Bernie expressed to me his profound concern for the future of Israel and the Jewish People. We will do our utmost to honor his memory by redoubling our efforts to ensure Israel’s future as a strong and vital democracy and a safe home for the Jewish People.”

IDI Board Chair Amir Elstein noted that “Bernie was a giant in the worlds of business and philanthropy. A man of extraordinary vision and generosity who created immense wealth by building one of the most successful companies in the world and then turned around and invested it all in ambitious philanthropic efforts to solve the great challenges facing America and the Jewish People— from ensuring Jewish continuity to protecting Israeli democracy and bolstering its governance. Every cause he touched was transformed by his leadership. I am in awe of what he has accomplished and eternally grateful for everything he has done for IDI and the people of Israel.” 

“I feel immensely privileged to have known Bernie in the last ten years of his life, in which he accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime” Plesner added. “Bernie was an unfailing source of good counsel, especially when it came to organizational culture. I will never forget how in one of our first conversations he quickly distilled the essence of our manpower problems and helped me design an entirely new human resources model, which is the core of IDI’s structure ten years later. He was the consummate problem solver, ever-practical, always ready with a common-sense solution to every challenge, from how to handle a difficult board member to how to get the ultra-Orthodox to work.

On behalf of the entire IDI family, I extend our condolences, our love and our deepest sympathies to Billi, Fred, Michael, Hannah and Shira and to the staff and board members of the Marcus Foundation. May Bernie’s memory be a blessing.”