Jack Harounian was born in Teheran, Iran, in 1928, and at age 18 became the youngest staff member of the Imperial Bank of Iran office in Teheran. At age 20, he volunteered to attend the War Faculty and became a Battalion Officer of the Shah of Iran. Jack graduated in the top of his class and served for 18 months. He then returned to the bank to a higher position until Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mosadegh nationalized the banking and oil industry in Iran. Jack met Violet in Tehran and in 1957 they were married. They moved to the United States in 1970 where Jack ultimately became an importer of handmade oriental rugs. Shortly afterwards, he became one of ten biggest rug importers in the United States. In addition, Jack started a real estate company with many properties in New York City.
Friends of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. In that position, he began to aid the effort in support of Shaare Zedek, not just in New York, but across the entire United States and around the world where he met with representatives of the Persian and general Jewish communities. Throughout the years Jack attended the dedication of major projects at the Hospital and dozens of Shaare Zedek International Board of Governors meetings in Israel and the U.S. Thanks to Jack’s never-ending hard work over 34 years, with Violet right by his side, a large percentage of the Persian community is now familiar with Shaare Zedek. Jack’s personal support and that of many hundreds of members of the Persian community have raised over five million dollars that have helped to build the Hospital’s internationally acclaimed, state-of-the-art centers of excellence. Just in the last two and a half years from his home office, Jack worked tirelessly to raise money for the Hospital’s efforts in treating Covid patients and in doubling the size of the Hospital’s Emergency Department on the Fanya Gottesfeld Heller Floor. Jack and Violet’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are privileged to be part of their lives and are deeply proud of all that they have accomplished. It is truly an honor and a privilege to present our dear friends Jack and Violet Harounian with the Keter Yerushalayim Award in recognition of their incredible devotion and efforts on behalf of the Medical Center.