// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did James Shasha go to the doctor? He had a shasha-ting headache.
James J. Shasha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jamil "Jim" Shasha September 15, 1929 |
| Died | October 21, 2019 |
| Education | Wesleyan University |
| Occupations | Businessman, industrialist and philanthropist |
| Years active | 1955–2019 |
| Organization(s) | International Wool Textile Organisation (director and treasurer at various times) |
| Spouse | Eliana Serafina Teubal |
| Children | Leslie Shasha Arlene Fern Shasha de Bialobroda |
| Parent(s) | Yamen Shasha Massouda Aboudi Heskel-Haim |
| Awards | Scopus Award (2013) Honorary doctorate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2000) |
| Honors | Honorary Member of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1992) |
James J. Shasha (Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq, September 15, 1929 – Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 21, 2019) was an American businessman and philanthropist of Sephardic Jewish origin. He conducted most of his business activities in Argentina, initially in the wool industry and later in the hotel sector. At the same time, he supported philanthropic initiatives related to higher education, scientific research, and the strengthening of academic and community institutions in Argentina, Israel and the United States.[1][2]
Biography
[edit]Early life and education
[edit]James Shasha was born in Baghdad, then part of the Kingdom of Iraq, into a Sephardic Jewish family.[1] At the age of 15, he emigrated alone to the United States, where he completed his secondary education and subsequently earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University in the state of Connecticut, graduating in 1950.[1][3]
In 1955, he settled in Argentina, where he conducted most of his business career.[1]
Business career
[edit]After settling in Argentina in 1955, Shasha began working in the wool trade, an activity in which his father and grandparents had already been involved.[4][1]
As his businesses grew, he expanded into industrial activities related to the processing of natural fibers. He established a wool washing facility and later a wool combing plant.[4]
He later moved part of his operations to Trelew, in Chubut Province, where he developed Unilan Trelew S.A., a company engaged in wool washing, combing, and spinning. He also founded Merito S.A., a carpet company whose products were intended both for the Argentine market and for export, eventually becoming one of the country's leading producers of carpets for hotels and casinos.[4]
He also played an active institutional role within the wool industry. He served on the board of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), where he held the position of treasurer at various times and represented Argentina in international delegations of the Federación Lanera Argentina devoted to promoting and defending the domestic industry.[4]
He later diversified his activities into the hotel sector and acquired four hotels, three in Argentina and one in Uruguay.[1]
Philanthropy
[edit]Beginning in the 1980s, he developed philanthropic activities focused on funding educational, scientific and community projects in Argentina, Israel and the United States.[2][5]
In 1992, he supported the creation of the Shasha Institute for Strategic Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which was intended to conduct interdisciplinary seminars for individuals involved in decision-making.[2][6]
Subsequently, the university developed the institute under the name James J. Shasha Center for Strategic Studies, which continues to bear his name and conducts research and educational activities in strategic studies and public policy.[7][8]
In 2018, he supported the inauguration of the James J. Shasha Complex for Psychological Sciences, a building intended for the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and for research and academic training programs.[2]
He also made a donation to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem for the acquisition of works for the institution's collections.[9]
His relationship with Wesleyan University continued for decades after his graduation. In 2002, he funded the creation of the Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns, an annual seminar devoted to the interdisciplinary analysis of issues of international interest for students, graduates, and faculty of the university.[1][10][11]
Personal life
[edit]Shasha was married to Eliana Serafina Teubal.[12] The couple had two daughters: Leslie Shasha, who is a psychologist, and Arlene Fern Shasha de Bialobroda, who died in 1992.[12][1]
Following the 1994 AMIA bombing, the Arlene Fern Community School was established and opened in 1995 as an initiative of Rabbi Sergio Bergman, Lea Vainer, and a group of families from the Jewish community.[13] In 1997, following a contribution from the Shasha Teubal family, the institution adopted the name Arlene Fern Community School in honor of Arlene Fern Shasha de Bialobroda. The same contribution enabled the project to be expanded through the acquisition of properties for the subsequent development of the Belgrano Jewish Community Center.[14][15]
Awards and honors
[edit]The Hebrew University of Jerusalem appointed him an honorary member in 1992. In 2000, it awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contribution to the development of the institution and his support for higher education and scientific research.[2][16]
In 2013, he received the Scopus Award from the Argentine Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for his support of the university and his community activities.[2]
Legacy
[edit]Various academic initiatives and institutions bear his name. These include the Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns at Wesleyan University, established in 2002 through a donation from Shasha himself and devoted to the interdisciplinary analysis of matters of global interest.[10][1]
At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the James J. Shasha Center for Strategic Studies operates as the continuation of the institute established with his support in 1992, as well as the James J. Shasha Complex for Psychological Sciences, inaugurated in 2018 to house the Department of Psychology and research and academic training programs.[2][8][7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Shasha '50, P'82, Founder of Human Concerns Seminar, Is Remembered". Wesleyan University. December 17, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Universidad Hebrea de Jerusalem: James Shasha ZL". Itón Gadol. October 28, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "James Shasha" (in Spanish). June 30, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Con profundo dolor comunicamos el fallecimiento de James Shasha" (PDF). Federación Lanera Argentina. 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "James Shasha and strategic philanthropy as an intervention model". RelevantPerson.com (in European Spanish). June 29, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ "El Complejo James J. Shasha en la Universidad Hebrea". HUJI (in Spanish). June 14, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "James J. Shasha Center for Strategic Studies". The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 "Conferencia Anual del Centro James J. Shasha de Estudios Estratégicos". Amigos Argentinos de la Universidad Hebrea de Jerusalén. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Purchased through gift of James Shasha, Buenos Aires". Israel Museum. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- 1 2 "Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns". Wesleyan University. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "James Shasha: Wesleyan University and the Creation of the Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns". Techbiotrends (in Spanish). June 29, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- 1 2 "James "Jim" Shasha". Farhi.org. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ Tuchin, Florencia (March 13, 2017). "Empatía: lo que se aprende al tener un amigo o compañero con discapacidad". LA NACION (in Spanish). Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Escuela Comunitaria Arlene Fern: memoria, educación e integración comunitaria". Argentina Ciencia. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "James Shasha". TOPceos (in European Spanish). June 28, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Leslie Shasha: Miembro Honorario de la Universidad Hebrea". HUJI (in Spanish). June 14, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2026.