Alice, Joel and Bernard Leyden
Bernard Leyden was born in New York in 1927. The son of Isidore Levy, a Russian immigrant who came to New York from Minsk.
As a boy, Bernie excelled in school. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War 2.
After the war, Bernie set up Leyden Shipping and Leyden Customs - international freight forwarding and custom house brokerage. His business partner on the import side was Harold Dichter.
Leyden Shipping was first established with offices on Pearl Street in New York. As the business expanded, offices were moved into One World Trade Center where the Leyden Group rented a half floor and established offices at JFK Airport.
Bernard Leyden was a Jewish community leader, both with his Temple and with the United Jewish Appeal where he raised millions of dollars for poor Jews in the US and for the State of Israel. Bernie was a respected philanthropist with several Jewish organizations in both the US and in Israel - including being an avid supporter of AIPAC.
Bernard Leyden has also worked with the Israel Ministry of Defense as a transportation logistics consultant.
Bernard Leyden was married to Helen Katzman who passed away from heart disease. They had two children, Brian and Joel Leyden. Bernie and Helen first lived in Mineola, New York, moving to Westbury and then Old Westbury, New York.
Brian, who lives in Great Neck, New York took over Leyden Shipping and created Odyssey Chartering upon Bernie's retirement. His son Joel, a journalist, international media consultant and Internet marketing pioneer, moved to Israel in 1987.
Today, Bernie is married to his wife Alice. They reside in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida.
