Kazakh tycoon visits West Bank city
City of Betar prepares royal welcome, complete with red carpet stretching all the way from main highway to city hall, for Kazakh tycoon Alexander Mashkevitz
What triggered this festive atmosphere? “No, the Messiah has not yet arrived, he is still on his way,” municipal worker Yehuda Deitsch assured a local resident who marveled at the sight of the children’s choir while still dressed in his floral pajamas.
Many other curious residents soon also arrived at the scene, causing a massive traffic jam that even the heavy snow in the area could not produce
The celebrations, as it turns out, were in honor of a slightly more secular figure, namely Kazakh tycoon Alexander Mashkevitz who came to visit the town Sunday.
Festive Reception (Photo: Yisrael Bardugo)
Mashkevitz is a Kazakhstan-based philanthropist and business tycoon, who employees roughly 60,000 Kazak workers in the coal mining and aluminum production industry. His net worth is estimated at roughly $3 billion - which is respectable even considering the current state of the American currency.
The Kazakh tycoon is also a staunch financial backer of the burgeoning Jewish community in Kazakhstan. He came to visit Beitar Illit in order to consider investing in the town, though he had never previously made any investments in Israel.
Beitar Illit, as it turns out, is actively lobbying for these much needed funds. The city, which as of late has been referred to as the “city of children”, has a rapidly rising young population with 63% of its residents aged 17 and under.
Schoolchildren and hasidic dances
The town, thus, was busy preparing for the philanthropist’s arrival. Town Hall was a beehive of activity. Speakers frantically reviewed their speeches, and Mayor Rabbi Meir Rubinstein personally examined the impending festivities.
With Mashkevitz’ arrival, the celebration went into high gear. The choir began to sing, cheers, hugs and applause were abundant, and the mayor enthusiastically introduced the various municipal workers to the Kazakh tycoon.
Out of the mouth of babes (Photo: Yisrael Bardugo)
After breakfast and an in-depth tour of the city , Mashkevitz went to visit a local Chabad school, which has been relegated to caravan classroom and is in dire need of financial assistance.
Mashkevitz met the school children, and was even treated to a monologue in fluent Russian by one of the youngsters.
When the Kazakh broke into a rousing Hasidic dance, it became abundantly clear that he had fallen in love with the city, and was sure to invest in burgeoning Beitar Illit.
Mayor Rubenstein told Ynet that Mashkevitz had already inquired as to purchasing real-estate in the town, and that “this will likely be his first investment in Israel.”
