What's the best advice you've ever received? Why was it so impactful and who was the source?

Thinking back to my Haverford days, over 50 years ago, it's difficult to put my hands on any one source or specific advice. I think back in Don Brownlow's class and how he made learning fun. The School allowed me to excel in the things I cared about. I was continually challenged—academically and athletically—which enabled me to thrive. Excellence in all pursuits was important. At Haverford, being well-rounded is more important than excelling in only one thing. It's not enough to be the best on the athletic field if you can't handle the academics. My involvement in School activities included soccer, lacrosse, The Glee Club and editing the photography for the yearbook and paper.

What friend or mentor relationship from the Haverford School has influenced your life or career?

For me, my time at the Haverford School from 3rd grade on created a network of friends I have maintained incredible relationships with to this day. I have doctors, legal, and business professionals to call whenever I have a need. Other than going to my second home in Costa Rica, being in Philadelphia my entire life has given me connections to my past that help me in my endeavours.

Neil Buckley and Joe Tatta, my wrestling coaches, mentored me in my wrestling career. Wrestling remains one of my passions to this day. After a successful college and post graduate wrestling competition, I got as much pleasure coaching. For the years at Penn and ten years after, I had great success taking the best at Haverford and making them better. Charlie Ball, Andy Nippon, and Chase McDaniels, all became National Champions while I was in their corners. From there I have been involved with multiple local programs at Radnor, Penn Charter, and Overbrook High School. Internationally, I led the Maccabiah Wrestling as its coach and sports chairman.

What do you understand are the benefits of wrestling?

Just last summer I helped organize the first athletic contest where an Arab country, Morocco, participated in an athletic contest in Israel. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Munich tragedy, the "Peace Tournament" was a resounding success. It will lead to more exchanges with more Arab countries in the future. Truly, I believe athletic contests can help bridge the divide and show that divergent cultures can get along.

What do you hope your legacy will be? 

"How terribly strange to be 70" sang Simon and Garfunkel in their song "Old Friends." Although I plan to be around for many more years, my legacy will be the people and places I have impacted, whether it's making a community in North Philadelphia better or bringing adversaries in the Middle East together in friendly competition.

My professional career reflects my curiosity of many things. I am most proud of my real estate development work in Philadelphia's urban core. My projects have transformed neighborhoods. My latest project, Plaza Allegheny, in North Philadelphia includes a grocery store that is in the top 10 in sales in a 600-store chain.

My other passions include collecting, buying, and selling antiques, which I have done for 50 years. I still keep a store and find time to go treasure hunting. But, not all my ventures were successful. The dumbest thing I ever did was open a restaurant in Fairmount Park. After three years, I decided the sacrifices to make it successful weren't worth it. In the unlikely event I ever open a restaurant again, it would be a McDonald's.

Beyond these endeavors, my greatest passions are my family—three children, two grandchildren and Linda, my wife of 48 years.

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.