WILLIAM A. MEYER MAKES $8.5 MILLION GIFT TO FEDERATION

Transformative gift establishes the William A. Meyer Jewish Community Foundation

Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County President and CEO, Michael Hoffman, announced that William “Bill” A. Meyer has made a landmark gift of $8.5 million, making him among the largest donors in Jewish Federation’s history.

In his honor, Federation has renamed the Palm Beaches’ Jewish community’s foundation – the entity focused on securing permanent financial support for the local community – to the William A. Meyer Jewish Community Foundation (Meyer JCF). Meyer’s commitment coincides with the Palm Beaches’ emergence as one of the largest and fastest growing Jewish communities in North America.

Meyer’s $8.5 million gift focuses on long-term support for Meyer JCF’s operations to ensure Federation, its partner organizations and local synagogues have the financial resources to confidently maintain and expand vital programs and services for the community for years to come. His gift also includes a multi-year commitment to Federation’s Annual Campaign, as well as bequests supporting Palm Beach Gardens’ Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Preparatory School and Temple Judea.

Meyer’s total contribution serves as one of the lead gifts to Campaign for the Future, the largest fundraising campaign in Jewish Palm Beach’s history. This comprehensive fundraising campaign, of which Meyer serves as Chair, seeks to grow annual fundraising for today, increase the number of multi-year pledges for tomorrow, and create new endowments to support our community forever. 

To discuss your involvement in this bold effort, contact your Federation representative or Matt Kernkraut, Chief Development Officer, at 561.242.6640 or matthew.kernkraut@jewishpalmbeach.org.

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About Bill Meyer

A resident of Palm Beach County for nearly 44 years, Bill Meyer’s hotel company, Meyer Jabara Hotels, owns and operates 30 hotels in a dozen US states. Meyer serves as its Chairman.  He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the London School of Economics and Georgetown Law School.  He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School.

Within Palm Beach County, Meyer has developed a number of real estate projects. These include Interstate Plaza, a 76,000 square foot office building in Boca Raton; 1601 Belvedere, a 100,000 square foot office building and Embassy Suites hotel in West Palm Beach; The Dunes of Ocean Ridge, an oceanfront condominium in Ocean Ridge; Jupiter Square, a 105,000 square foot shopping center in Jupiter; The Residences of Windsor Court in Palm Beach; the 1,600 acre Fox Property in West Palm Beach and the 500 acre Crestwood Lakes residential development in Royal Palm Beach, now known as Madison Green and Devonshire at PGA National, a seniors Life Care Community.

In 2018, Meyer became Chair of the Jewish Community Foundation, serving in that role for two years. Today, Meyer JCF continues to invest back into the community, locally, in Israel and around the world, including distributing more than $13 million in 2021 to organizations in the Jewish and broader communities.

With a vast dedication to our community, Meyer was recognized in 2019 with Federation’s highest honor: the Jeanne Levy Community Leadership Award, which annually recognizes community leaders in the Palm Beaches who exemplify a spirit of a giving, inspire Jewish values and demonstrate outstanding leadership.

Meyer also has a longstanding connection to several prominent non-profit organizations in the greater community, including serving six years as Chair of Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, where, as head of its Operating Committee, he led its recent $40 million renovation, three years as Chair of The Quantum Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in Florida, and Vice Chair of JFK Medical Center.  Meyer was one of the founding members of Temple Judea in Palm Beach Gardens. He was also the original Philanthropist-Investor for Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank, which mentors high school students. He served over 20 years on the board of the Arthur I. Meyer Preparatory School, named after his father, Arthur Meyer. He is a board member of the Palm Beach United Way, the Palm Beach Civic Association, the West Palm Beach Police Fund and serves on the Investment Committees of the Palm Beach Community Foundation, the United Way, the Quantum Foundation, the Kravis Center and Jewish Federation.