Batia Ofer

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Batia Ofer
Born1974
Kfar Saba, Israel
NationalityIsraeli
Canadian
Alma materUniversity of Toronto
Occupation(s)Art collector, patron, and philanthropist
SpouseIdan Ofer

Batia Ofer (born 1974) is an Israeli-Canadian art collector, patron, and philanthropist.[1] She is the founder of Art of Wishes and the co-founder of the Idan and Batia Ofer Family Foundation.[2] Ofer is the Chair of the Royal Academy of Arts Trust.[3]

Ofer is also known for her work for Make-A-Wish Foundation in Israel and the United Kingdom.[4]

Early life and education[edit]

Ofer was born in 1974 in Kfar Saba, Israel.[5] On the paternal side, her ancestors are Holocaust survivors from Ukraine.[6]

At the age of 12, Ofer relocated to South Africa due to her father's professional commitment.[5] Ofer told she was bullied in the school because of her Israeli origins.[1] After finishing high school in South Africa, she returned to Israel to complete her two years of national service.[7][5] She later moved to Toronto, where she earned a degree in business administration from the University of Toronto.[5] She got married and has a daughter named Daniel.[5] Following a separation, Ofer returned to Israel.[5]

While serving as an assistant to the CEO at SAP, Ofer met senior executive Shay Agassi and later joined his electric car venture, Better Place, where she worked as an international relations manager.[5] In this context, she met investor Idan Ofer.[5] They married in 2009.[5] The couple welcomed their son Sammy in 2011.[5]

To develop her interest in the arts, Ofer completed a one-year course at Christie's and received private lessons from an art historian.[8]

Ofer currently lives in the UK with her husband, Idan, and their children.[5][8]

Career[edit]

During her career, Ofer served as an assistant to the CEO at SAP and later worked for Shay Agassi's electric car venture, Better Place.[9]

Ofer is a board member of the Peres Center for Peace and the Dean's Executive Board at Harvard Kennedy School.[10] She and Idan Ofer established the HKS Sammy Ofer Graduate Fellowship Fund for Israeli and Palestinian students at the Harvard Kennedy School.[8] Ofer has expressed her support for a two-state solution for the Israeli - Palestinian conflict.[11] She also holds board, trustee, and advisory level positions at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Sotheby's.[8][1]

In mid-October 2023, Batia and Idan Ofer resigned from the Dean’s executive board of Harvard Kennedy school, in response to the University’s leader response to Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel. Batia Ofer told in her statement that her “faith in the University’s leadership has been broken” and that she “cannot in good faith continue to support Harvard and its committees".[12]

In March 2024, Batia Ofer was among the awardees of the Peres Center for Peace Medal of Distinction for Israeli women distinguished in the fields peace and innovation.[13]

Philanthropy[edit]

Ofer became first involved with the Friends of Make-A-Wish in Israel as a philanthropist after the death of her sister.[14] A few years later, she became an honorary president of the organization.[14][15][16] During her tenure, she raised around $4.5 million for the organization.[14] In 2013, she moved to the United Kingdom and became involved with Make-A-Wish Foundation UK.[14] Since then, she supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation and started the "Art of Wishes" initiative in 2017, which has raised over £9 million since 2017.[8][17][18]

With her husband, Ofer founded the Idan and Batia Ofer Family Foundation which focuses on health, technology, education, leadership, and cultural projects in the U.S., U.K., and Israel.[8][14]

In 2012, Ofer and gallery owner Alon Segev hosted an art auction in Arsof, with all proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Israel.[19]

In 2017, Ofer raised 13 million NIS for children with critical illnesses in London.[19]

In 2023, she and her husband donated for the "25 & Under" program at the Royal Academy of Arts, subsidizing the entry tickets for young visitors to the temporary exhibitions.[20] In March 2023, the Royal Academy of Arts held an evening to honour Batia's contribution to the arts.[21]

Art collection[edit]

Ofer is recognized in London's art community.[5] In December 2023, Ofer was appointed as the new chair of the Royal Academy Trust. She is also a trustee of the International Council for Sotheby's and has contributed to the V&A Museum.[8]

Ofer has an interest in post-war and contemporary art, especially German art.[22] Over the years, she has collected art works from various artists, including Thomas Struth,[22] Rudolf Stingel,[5] Sigmar Polke, and Mandy El-Sayegh.[22] She has also collaborated with other art collectors such as Larry Gagosian and Damian Hirst.[5]

In 2018, Ofer accused the artist Banksy of creating antisemitic artwork.[23]

In 2022, the couple was listed by ARTnews magazine among the Top 200 art collectors in the world.[8] In the same year, Ofer and her husband acquired Philip Guston's "Remorse (1969)" for $7.8 million.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Kellett, Francisca (September 15, 2023). "The billionaire who channelled her grief into fundraising" – via The Times.
  2. ^ ולצר, יעל (October 8, 2017). "אמנות המשאלות של בתיה עופר" – via Yedioth Ahronoth.
  3. ^ "The Royal Academy Trust | Royal Academy of Arts". www.royalacademy.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  4. ^ "הלאונג: בתיה עופר עם שירה וישי דוידי בדרך להגשמת משאלות". Maariv.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n לונדון, נורית רובין-ווילסון (December 7, 2017). ""אשקר אם אומר שהביקורת על עידן עופר לא פוגעת בי"" – via Globes.
  6. ^ "Collector Batia Ofer".
  7. ^ Kellett, Francisca (2024-01-11). "The billionaire who channelled her grief into fundraising". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Durón, Maximilíano (October 6, 2020). "Batia and Idan Ofer".
  9. ^ לונדון, נורית רובין-ווילסון (2017-12-07). ""אשקר אם אומר שהביקורת על עידן עופר לא פוגעת בי"". Globes. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
  10. ^ "Dean's Executive Board". www.hks.harvard.edu.
  11. ^ "Banksy's Latest pro-Palestine Stunt Sparks Spat With Top Israeli Art Collector". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
  12. ^ Egan, Matt (2023-10-13). "Israeli billionaire blasts Harvard leadership and quits board in protest | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  13. ^ "2024 awardees of the Peres Center Medal of Distinction". Peres Center for Peace & Innovation. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  14. ^ a b c d e Staff, J. I. (March 1, 2022). "Batia Ofer combines art with heart". Jewish Insider.
  15. ^ דובר, שירי (June 2, 2019). "לפני גמר ליגת האלופות: בתיה עופר מבקשת להגשים משאלות" – via Globes.
  16. ^ דובר, שירי (October 3, 2018). "היכן פגשה בתיה עופר את סמנתה קמרון?" – via Globes.
  17. ^ Neel, Julia (October 3, 2019). "Batia Ofer Kicks Off Frieze Festivities With Art of Wishes Gala".
  18. ^ Beresford, Jessica (August 11, 2022). "The Cause: the jeweller using his legacy to make a wish come true". Financial Times.
  19. ^ a b גלנטי, מיכל (June 27, 2012). "השיחה: בתיה עופר פותחת את ביתה בארסוף" – via Globes.
  20. ^ "London's Royal Academy of Arts offers young visitors half price entry". The Art Newspaper. March 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Schrader, Emily (July 12, 2023). "UK-based Israeli philanthropist says she is building bridges through art" – via Yedioth Ahronoth.
  22. ^ a b c "Collector's eye: Batia Ofer". The Art Newspaper. October 13, 2021.
  23. ^ Harman, Dana (November 11, 2018). "Banksy's Latest pro-Palestine Stunt Sparks Spat With Top Israeli Art Collector". Haaretz. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
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