Donor Stories—Naymark

Fulfilling a Vow to Help Others

If you ask Abraham Naymark what inspired him to be the philanthropist he is today, he might simply say, “the kindness of a stranger.”

When Abe was nine years old and living in Yugoslavia, he went from door to door trying to sell toiletries to Jewish merchants in an attempt to cover living expenses for himself, his seven siblings, and his parents. One merchant paid for all of Abe’s toiletries, refused to take them, and soon after secured visas for Abe’s family, enabling them to gain access to what was then Palestine. Abe made a solemn vow at that time to help others when he was in a position to do so.

Abe was born in Germany, and spent time in several European and Middle Eastern countries before moving to Palestine in 1934. While there, Abe attended school, then served in the Palmach (Israel’s underground military organization), and later joined the Israeli Army in 1948, where he served until he and his family immigrated to the United States in 1954. Abe has known both poverty and prosperity, and his entrepreneurial spirit carried him through his life, enabling him to find jobs in hotels, restaurants, nursing homes, and eventually in real estate.

In 2000 Abe experienced a life-altering event: he lost his voice to cancer. He made a decision to move forward with his life, and he credits otolaryngologists Mark Shikowitz and Allan Abramson with giving him back his life by giving him a voice. In their honor, he made a generous gift which led to the naming of the Abraham & Ruth Naymark Pavillion at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. He believes that since he and his late wife, Ruth, did not have any children, the area of cochlear implants could become “like a child” and benefit from his largesse.

Abe’s preferred type of gift is a charitable gift annuity, which provides him with a fixed income for his life, a charitable deduction, and tax-free income, as well as the knowledge that he is also helping a good cause. He chose this option because he did not feel comfortable making large gifts of cash. He uses the income to support himself, and he donates the leftover income to support the area of cochlear implants.

In addition to his gifts to the Northwell Health Foundation, Abe endowed a scholarship fund at Yeshiva University, also by funding a charitable gift annuity. Abe moved into his present home 25 years ago, and now he enjoys managing his investment portfolio and reminiscing about his interesting past.