Rabbi Ezra Unger, a 36 year old Hasidic real estate entrepreneur from Boro Park, Brooklyn, is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire Arkia, one of Israel's veteran airlines, according to an exclusive report from Kikar HaShabbat. The outlet said the story first surfaced in Haredi business forums in the United States before becoming a major topic of conversation in Hasidic circles due to Unger's prominent lineage and the story behind his rise.
According to the report, Unger is a Vizhnitz and Bobov Hasid who grew up in Monsey, New York, where he studied at the Vizhnitz Kiryat Yishmiya yeshiva. He later married the daughter of the Rebbe of Rimanov and settled first in Jerusalem.
The outlet reported that Unger's path to real estate success began modestly, while learning in kollel he began selling baked goods to fellow kollel members to support his family, and from there discovered a talent for business. He eventually moved into brokering deals, raised capital from early investors who trusted him, and transitioned into the New York City real estate market, where his rise to major deals reportedly followed quickly.
A relative of Unger's, speaking to Kikar HaShabbat, said the driving motivation behind the potential acquisition is a desire to prevent Chillul Shabbat. According to the relative, Unger could no longer tolerate the widespread and painful Shabbat violations he saw taking place across Israel's aviation industry, in full view of Jewish children, and the wish to create a fully kosher, Shabbat observant alternative is what pushed him toward the massive undertaking.
Should the acquisition go through, Arkia would become the second largest Haredi owned airline in the world, after Challenge Airlines, owned by Belgian businessman Rabbi Itzik Falk.
At this stage, details surrounding the purchase price and the terms under which the airline would operate under full Shabbat observance remain confidential, according to the report.
Arkia declined to comment on the sale when contacted.
