Doris and Mori Arkin
Doris and Mori Arkin have been involved in diverse social and cultural philanthropic ventures in Israel via their family foundation, through which they have also founded the Ziama Arkin Parent and Infant Relations (PAIR) Institute at IDC Herzliya.
Moshe (Mori) Arkin was born in Ramat Gan in 1952. He holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University, and has studied for several years at the university’s Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas. When Mr. Arkin was 19 his father, Ziama, passed away. He assumed management of the family business, Agis Commercial Agencies, and turned it into a leading manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals. In the 1980’s, Mr. Arkin founded the Agis Industries facility in the Negev town of Yeruham, which has had a profound contribution to the local community’s education and advancement. In the 1990’s, he established the ChemAgis facility, which produces active pharmaceutical ingredients, at the Ramat Hovav Industrial Park. Soon after, Agis acquired the U.S.-based Clay Park Laboratories, which became the company’s export arm.
In 2005, Agis was acquired by American pharmaceuticals company Perrigo, and Mr. Arkin served on the company’s Board of Directors for several years. The deal with Perrigo stipulated that the company had to keep the Agis facility in Yeruham operational. In 2005, Mr. Arkin joined the Apax-Saban-Arkin consortium, which purchased the controlling interest in Bezeq Telecommunications from the state, after which he served as Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors for several years.
In 2007, Mr. Arkin partnered with the Sphera Funds Management and Mr. Ori Hershkovitz to form the Sphera Global Healthcare Fund, a hedge fund that specializes in marketable pharmaceutical and biotech investments. Arkin Holdings currently invests in some 20 Israeli companies, both private and public, which are developing pharmaceutical drugs and equipment. An art aficionado, Mr. Arkin is an independent researcher of the work of one of the great masters of High Renaissance – Michelangelo. He has published an article about Michelangelo’s The Deposition in the prestigious Art Bulletin magazine, and has recently completed another article about the artist.
Doris and Mori Arkin married in 1980, and have three children – Nir (29), Itay (26), and Keren (18).Born in Uruguay, Mrs. Arkin immigrated to Israel in 1973. She graduated with honors from Tel Aviv University, has a master’s degree in clinical child and adolescent psychology, and worked as a child psychologist.
In 2002, Mrs. Arkin graduated from Sculpture Program at the Basis School of Art. She still serves as chairwoman of the school’s nonprofit organization, and champions its development and standing in the Israeli art community. Since 2005, Mrs. Arkin has been focusing on her sculpting, and has held her debut solo showing in November 2013. She also serves on the Board of the Association of the Israeli Friends of the Israel Museum, and on the Board of the Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts’ Cinema Project.
In 2011, Mr. and Mrs. Arkin formed the Arkin Family Foundation, which supports organizations and projects in the fields of education, arts and culture, welfare, healthcare, civil rights, and Jewish-Arab coexistence.
Mr. and Mrs. Arkin have a longtime relationship with Reichman University. Their children, Nir and Itay, are Reichman University alumni: Nir holds an undergraduate degree in Law and Business, and Itay has an undergraduate degree from Arison School of Business. In 2012, Mr. and Mrs. Arkin founded the Ziama Arkin Parent and Infant Relations (PAIR) Institute at Reichman University’s Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, which studies parent-infant relationships from pregnancy to the infant’s first birthday.
The Institute seeks to study the initial parent-infant bond, develop early intervention methods in order to prevent distress and promote the development of empathy, as well as to use the accumulated knowledge to guide professionals in the field, and influence policy-makers in matters regarding infancy. Mrs. Arkin serves as a full partner in the PAIR Institute’s development and advancement.