Richard Maize To Aid Elderly, Disabled During Jewish Holidays

Richard Maize To Aid Elderly, Disabled During Jewish Holidays

Rochelle and Richard Maize have announced that they will take an active role in helping both the elderly and disabled during the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur. Richard Maize says that he will be aiding three seniors between the ages of 83 and 90, picking them up at their homes, taking them for Jewish prayer services and then taking them home.

All of the seniors and disabled live in the Los Angeles area, including an amputee who does not have the ability to drive. Richard and Rochelle Maize will use their own car to transport the seniors and disabled.

"Many seniors don't want to disturb friends and or relatives," says Maize. "What they don't realize that it is a pleasure for many to take them to Temple on the holiest day of the Jewish year. It is part of the process of giving and I will help them as much as I can. It is just what Rochelle and I do." Rochelle and Richard Maize have opted to help the elderly on their own, not in association with any other charity beyond the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to causes locally in the community and worldwide by supporting meaningful programs focusing on art, culture, family services and health care that work to help people live more fulfilling lives.

Richard Maize has generously supported organizations and causes including the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Police Foundation, the Israel Maccabiah Sports Games and Cedars Sinai Board of Governors.

Richard Maize and his wife, Rochelle Maize, are longtime benefactors of the American Cancer Society, among many other organizations, and Richard Maize has been recognized for his efforts on behalf of more than a dozen charitable groups and community projects.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supports an extraordinary number of foundations, organizations, and non-profit groups. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to community and global causes by supporting programs focusing on art, culture, family services, and health care.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation’s efforts also help people with cancer and those who care for them lead live more fulfilling lives.

Richard Maize on Frank Sinatra and Israel

Living in Beverly Hills among many celebs brings about much discussion and gossip.

Sinatra starred in the pro-Israel movie "Cast A Giant Shadow"

But one man who lived here really stands tall.

IF YOU LIKED FRANK SINATRA BEFORE, NOW YOU'RE GONNA LOVE HIM NOW!

Francis Albert Sinatra (1915-1998) may have been one of A me rica 's most
famous Italian Catholics, but he kept the Jewish people and the State of
Israel close to his heart, manifesting life-long commitments to fighting anti-Semitism and to activism on behalf of Israel.

Sinatra stepped forward in the early 1940s, when big names were needed to rouse America into saving Europe's remaining Jews, and he sang at an "Action for Palestine " rally (1947). He sat on the board of trustees of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; and he donated over $1 million to Jerusalem's Hebrew University , which honored him by dedicating the Frank Sinatra International Student Center.

(The Center made heartbreaking headlines when terrorists bombed it in 2002,
killing nine people.) As the result of his support for the Jewish State, his
movies and records were banned in many Arab countries

Sinatra helped Teddy Kollek, later the long-serving mayor of Jerusalem but
then a member of the Hagannah, by serving as a $1 million money-runner that
helped Israel win the war.

The Copacabana Club, which was very much run and controlled by the same
Luciano-related New York mafia crowd with whom Sinatra had become

enmeshed, happened to be next door to the hotel out of which Hagannah members were operating. In his autobiography, Kollek relates how, trying in March 1948 to circumvent an arms boycott imposed by President Harry Truman on the Jewish fighters in Eretz Yisroel, he needed to smuggle about $1 million in

cash to an Irish ship captain docked in the Port of New York .

The young Kollek spotted Sinatra at the bar and, afraid of being intercepted by
federal agents, asked for help. In the early hours of the morning, the
singer went out the back door with the money in a paper bag and successfully
delivered it to the pier.

The origins of Sinatra's love affair with the Jewish people are not clear
but, for years, the Hollywood icon wore a small mezuzah around his neck, a
gift from Mrs. Golden, an elderly Jewish neighbor who cared for him during
his boyhood in Hoboken, N.J. (years later, he honored her by purchasing a
quarter million dollars' worth of Israel bonds). He protected his Jewish
friends, once responding to an anti-Semitic remark at a party by simply
punching the offender.

Time Magazine reported that Sinatra walked out on
the christening of his own son when the priest refused to allow a Jewish
friend to be the godfather. As late as 1979, he raged over the fact that a
Palm Springs cemetery official in California declared that he could not
arrange the burial of a deceased Jewish friend over the Thanksgiving
holiday; Sinatra threatened to punch him in the nose.

Sinatra famously played the role of a Jewish pilot in Cast a Giant Shadow,
the 1966 film filmed in Israel and starring friend Kirk Douglas as Mickey
Marcus, the Jewish-American colonel who fought and died in Israel's war
for independence (Sinatra dive-bombs Egyptian tanks with seltzer bottles!)
He donated his salary for the part to the Arab-Israeli Youth Center in
Nazareth , and he also made a significant contribution to the making of
Genocide, a film about the Holocaust, and helped raise funds for the film.

Less known is Sinatra in Israel (1962), a short 45-minute featurette he made
in which he sang In the Still of the Night and Without a Song.

He also starred in The House I Live In (1945), a ten-minute short film made to
oppose anti-Semitism at the end of World War II, which received an Honorary
Academy Award and a special Golden Globe award in 1946.

Richard Maize Foundation Develops Maccabiah, Aids Terror Victims

Richard Maize Foundation Develops Maccabiah, Aids Terror Victims

Richard Maize, his family and members of the
Committee of 18 visit an IDF Air Force base. Photo: IDF

By Herb Brandon
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem, Israel ---- July 26, 2009 ..... Richard Maize, one of North America's most respected real estate investors, has just returned home to Los Angeles from the 18th Maccabiah Israel Jewish Olympics.

Richard Maize is a member of the Committee of 18 Supporting the 18th Maccabiah World Games in Israel. Committee of 18 members are among Los Angeles business, entertainment and community leaders who committed themselves to raising over 1.5 million USD to elevate the Maccabiah globally and enable 350 qualifying athletes who otherwise would not be able participate, a chance to compete in Israel at the 18th Maccabiah Games.

"It is truly an honor and privilege for me to become an active working member of this dedicated group of renowned leaders who have come together as a small, but powerful force, to highlight the importance of the 18th Maccabiah Games," said Richard Maize, co-founder of the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation.

"I am firmly committed to do everything I can, personally and through my Foundation, to support the committee in its mission to raise awareness for the Maccabiah games and ensure that deserving athletes are afforded the opportunity to compete in Israel."

The World Maccabiah Games are a quadrennial sports, cultural and educational event that takes place in Israel. The 18th World Maccabiah Games, which took place July 12 – 23, 2009 are the world’s third largest international athletic competition.

As the world’s third largest sports event after the Olympics, the 18th Maccabiah Games in Israel plays host to 3,000 junior Maccabiah athletes, aged 15 -18; 5,000 open athletes, 2,000 masters and Paralympics. In addition to the visitors, Israel hosted a team of more than 2,000 athletes.

Sports for which competitors went for Gold include: artistic gymnastics, badminton, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, bridge, cricket, chess, fencing, golf, gymnastics, handball, half-marathon, field hockey, judo, karate, netball, lawn bowls, rowing, rugby, squash, soccer, softball, swimming, table-tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, track and field, ten-pin bowling, volleyball, water polo, wrestling and windsurfing.

Maccabi is active in Jewish communities throughout the world.
More than 400,000 Jews in 400 institutions in 60 countries over five continents are part of the Maccabi family.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to causes locally in the community and worldwide by supporting meaningful programs focusing on art, culture, family services and healthcare that work to help people live more fulfilling lives. Richard Maize has generously supported organizations and causes including the American Cancer Society, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Police Foundation, and Cedars Sinai Board of Governors.

Richard Maize hosted many members of the Committee of 18 meeting at their Beverly Hills home before departing for the 18th Maccabiah. Members include David Kotler, Steve Soboroff, Los Angeles Dodgers President Jamie McCourt and entertainment industry leader, philanthropist and Los Angeles resident Kirk Douglas.

"I am very excited about these games," Douglas said. "Because sport is an international language that brings people together, not tears them apart."

"We are very fortunate to have Kirk Douglas supporting the Maccabiah," says Maize. "Kirk played the role of David Marcus in the 1966 film Cast A Giant Shadow. He knows all too well how Israel was established and the past and present challenges that Israel faces."

Richard Maize and The Maccabiah Committee of 18, joined IDF pilots and soldiers from the Israel Air Force at the Tel-Nof Air Force base.

“For us, it is important to work for the Maccabiah games in order to raise the level of awareness and bring people to Israel to see what they are fighting for and to understand the importance of the cause,” said Steve Soboroff, the head of the Committee and a businessman from Los Angeles. “People have to know that without the IDF, Israel would not exist and that it is important to support the existence of the Defense Forces.”

"The $4,500 direct cost for each team member is an impossible financial reach for some athletes, and thanks to the commitment of the Committee of 18 members in Los Angeles, people from throughout the world will see their dreams come true," said Eyal Tiberger, Director-General of the Maccabi World Union. One team that will compete thanks to the support from the Los Angeles leaders is the cricket team from Mumbai, India. Members of that team were colleagues of the Jewish leaders slain in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

"This was my first visit to Israel," said Richard Maize. "I was amazed by the warmth and strength of these Jews who built a Jewish state and turned a barren desert into a green paradise. But what struck me more than anything was how tiny and resilient this democratic state is. That the people of Israel have suffered and bled from hundreds of barbaric Islamic terror attacks. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is now exploring how we can provide assistance to the victims of Islamic terrorism both in the US and in Israel."

Maize, is a secular Jew but still prays and wraps tefillin daily. Tefillin serves as a "sign" and "remembrance" that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and serves in the fulfillment of the scriptural commandments prescribing them to be worn by Jews.

"I was very moved by the Yad Veshem Holocaust Memorial, the Western Wall in Jerusalem and Masada by the Dead Sea," said Maize. "Tears came to my eyes at Yad Veshem. I think it is very difficult for many Jews and non-Jews to actually comprehend the genocide that took place in Europe. And for this reason we should all be very proud of this Jewish state and the Israel Defense Forces and other Israel security forces which were established to protect Israel."

Maize was also very proud to watch US Jews take on the Israel Maccabiah basketball team.

"This was one of the most exciting events at the 18th Maccabiah," says Maize. "The game was fought hard by both sides and went into overtime. The fact the US won was overshadowed by the warm smiles and embraces displayed by both the players of Israel and Team USA."

Maize, who operated the largest the mortgage banking company in the US, continues: "The US and Israel have so many good, solid democratic and family values in common. It was great to see this friendly match between the Jews of Israel and the US. I can only imagine how well the Israel Defense Forces and the US military cooperate when they get together in fighting terrorism in this region."

Richard Maize and his wife, Rochelle Maize, are longtime benefactors of the American Cancer Society, among many other organizations, and Richard Maize has been recognized for its efforts on behalf of more than a dozen charitable groups and community projects.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supports an extraordinary number of foundations, organizations, and non-profit groups. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation is a philanthropic organization that supports and contributes volunteer and financial resources to community and global causes by supporting programs focusing on art, culture, family services, and healthcare. The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation’s efforts also help people with cancer and those who care for them lead live more fulfilling lives.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supports the Friends of Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. For three days in 2008, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation helped sponsor the California Spirit XXIV for the Vital Work of the American Cancer Society.

The Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation also supported the “Accessories for Success Lunch and Fashion Show Benefit” for the Big Brothers / Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. In this capacity, the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation supported the luncheon and fashion show to benefit the organization’s founding mission of helping children reach their potential through one-on-one mentoring relationships.

As a young and ambitious graduate from California State University, Northridge, Richard Maize began his business career investing in Southern California real estate. In 1988, he co-founded a mortgage banking company that has grown into one of the largest and most well-regarded mortgage brokerage firms in the country. With an entrepreneurial spirit and tireless effort, Richard Maize expanded his business and became known as an industry expert, regularly appearing as a commentator for KCAL-TV news sharing his insights about real estate trends, marketing and finance.

Richard Maize was also a frequent guest on KWHY-TV’s Mortgage Update segments, articulately discussing the volatilities of the real estate industry. An innovator always intent on finding solutions, Richard developed the "Power Pak" loan processing software which today is rated as one of the best technologies in the industry.

An engaged and involved member of his local community in the US, Richard Maize continues to be involved professionally and personally in relevant causes. Through the foundation, Richard Maize contributions focus on working with various non-profit organizations, charitable endeavors and finding ways that will have the greatest ability to positively impact the lives of others.

A leader, mentor and dedicated mortgage professional, Richard Maize resides in Beverly Hills along with his wife and foundation co-founder, Rochelle Atlas Maize and their two daughters, Amanda and Ally.

Richard, Rochelle and Amanda Maize have proved philanthropy isn't far from flipping burgers: the Maize family served In-N-Out's famous "double-double" burgers to the students at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services to kick off the new year in January.

Rochelle Maize was among those honored at the Los Angeles Business Journal’s seventeenth annual Women Making a Difference Awards. More than 200 women community leaders in philanthropy gathered at a gala reception and luncheon at the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to honor those who have made the greatest contributions business and in the communities they serve over the last year.

Together with her husband, Richard, the Maize Foundation has been reaching out to help those in need from LA to Jerusalem. In addition to her work with the Foundation, Maize works to partner with her clients to contribute part of each transaction to the clients’ charity of choice, or to one of Maize’s preferred charities.

"I was always focused in how I could contribute and give back to my community in LA," says Richard Maize. "I believe my wife and I have inspired both our children. My daughter Alexandra founded the Green Youth Movement while Amanda took a Birthright trip to Israel and came back very excited."

Maize concludes: "This trip to Israel has opened my eyes to several other causes. Helping the innocent victims of Islamic terrorism, from 9/11 in the US to the blown out buses and restaurants of Israel, we will find the means to help many of these families recover and get back on their feet."