last word
David Adelman
D ANDY GOTLIEB | EDITOR
avid Adelman’s name might
already be familiar to you.

Maybe you know it from
his role as co-chair of the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

Perhaps you heard it in 2020 when
then-Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
DeSean Jackson shared antisemitic
comments on social media. Adelman,
the chair of the Philadelphia Holocaust
Remembrance Foundation, spoke
with Jackson and took him on a tour
of the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust
Memorial Plaza as a learning experience.

Or maybe you heard it earlier this
year when the Philadelphia 76ers
announced a much-publicized devel-
opment plan for a new arena in Center
City. Adelman, an entrepreneur and
private investor in the real estate mar-
ket, is tasked with overseeing the proj-
ect, which is expected to last a decade.

Whatever the case, Adelman, 50, has
emerged as a leader in both the Jewish
and general community in Greater
Philadelphia. “I’m fortunate that I have a unique
mix of OCD and ADHD, so I’m good at
doing a lot of things for a short period
of time,” he joked.

Like it does for many Jews, the
Holocaust helped shape Adelman.

His grandfather, Sam Wasserman,
was a Holocaust survivor, captured
in 1942 by the Nazis and taken to the
Sobibor concentration camp in Poland.

Th ere his wife and two small chil-
dren were immediately executed, while
Wasserman became a daily laborer.

During an organized revolt,
Wasserman escaped, then joined the
resistance movement. Wounded during
a battle, he was cared for by a woman,
Sophie, who became his second wife.

Th ey lived for a time in a displaced
persons camp before moving to Israel
and, later, the United States.

“I feel a deep connection to him and
what he went through,” Adelman said. “It’s
more like a sense of duty to honor him.”
Part of that duty comes via his service
as vice chair (and former chair) of the
Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance
32 David and Hallee Adelman
Foundation, which oversees the
Holocaust plaza named aft er his grandfa-
ther. Another part comes from sitting on
the board of the USC Shoah Foundation.

But while Adelman honors the past,
he’s also involved with the present-day
and future Jewish community.

“I probably spend 15-20% of my time
on Jewish philanthropy,” he said.

He helped found the Jewish
Federation Real Estate, or JFRE, group
a decade ago and has served as its chair
and as an executive committee mem-
ber. And in 2020, he was elected to a
three-year term as co-chair, along with
Gail Norry, of Jewish Federation itself.

“I enjoy it,” he said. ”It’s engaging,
but it’s defi nitely a bit challenging.”
Th ose challenges have included
hiring a new CEO, dealing with a
pandemic that literally changed every-
thing and even Hurricane Ida in 2021,
which fl ooded the Jewish Community
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Services Building in Center City.

Challenges aside, Adelman’s opti-
mistic about Jewish Federation’s future.

“I was pleasantly surprised with the
engaged lay leadership,” he said. “It’s a
very volunteer-led place. We’re fortu-
nate that so many care about it.”
One of Adelman’s goals is to have
the community recognize that Jewish
Federation serves as a central fi nancial
depository for the Philadelphia area’s
Jewish organizations, rather than hav-
ing donors contribute to individual
outlets. He said transparency is crucial
to achieving that goal.

“Everything we do now is with trans-
parency in mind,” he said, adding that he
hopes to educate people on the organiza-
tion’s role. “You have to do that by telling
your story and getting your message out.

Sharing your wins is important.”
Spreading that message can be tricky
at times, especially when Adelman’s
approached by people with other chari-
table causes, both inside and outside the
Jewish world.

“I do believe that charities should be
run like a business and, when I am act-
ing as a donor, I want to make sure my
money is being spent wisely,” Adelman
said. “I’ve also gotten better at saying
‘no’ to a lot of well-intended charities
to remain focused on my core causes."
When Adelman’s Jewish Federation
co-chair term expires next year, he’s likely
to take a step back from leadership, while
remaining engaged with the organization.

“I will always be connected to the
Federation, but it’s good to have new
leadership from time to time,” he said.

Th ere’s still plenty left on the plate for
Adelman, who lives with author wife
Hallee Adelman and two daughters in
Haverford. He attends Har Zion Temple.

Along with leading 76 DevCorp, the
organization pursuing 76 Place, a pri-
vately funded sports and entertainment
arena in Center City, Adelman remains
the CEO of Campus Apartments, a
housing company catering to students.

Campus Apartments was founded
by fellow 76ers fanatic Alan Horwitz
— the animated guy oft en seen sitting
in the front row at 76ers games. Th eir
relationship dates to the 1980s, when
Adelman gave his mentor $2,000 in bar
mitzvah money to invest in real estate.

Th en there are, among other things,
his titles as vice chairman at FS
Investments, lead director of aviation
company Wheels Up and founder of
Darco Capital, a venture capital fi rm.

Th row in roles with organizations as
diverse as the University City District
and the Penn Medicine Board of
Trustees, and Adelman said he some-
times wishes each day had 30 hours.

“I have a really great team around
me,” he said. ”I’m highly scheduled.”
Expect the high-profi le role to
continue. “I’m not shy about the fact that I
want to make a diff erence in my com-
munity and the Jewish community,”
Adelman said, “I hope my legacy is that
I helped the community.” JE
agotlieb@midatlanticmedia.com Courtesy of David Adelman
LEADS BOTH JEWISH, PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITIES