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Haron Dahan Foundation
The Haron Dahan Foundation took shape in 1986 as the philanthropic vehicle for Aharon and Rachel Dahan, with wealth generated through residential construction...
Haron Dahan Foundation
The Haron Dahan Foundation took shape in 1986 as the philanthropic vehicle for Aharon and Rachel Dahan, with wealth generated through residential construction in the Baltimore region. The founder, who died leaving a legacy of community institutions, passed operational control to a tight circle anchored at Beth Tfiloh Congregation — Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg acts as president, education director Zipora Schorr serves as VP and treasurer, and DLA Piper's Shale Stiller provides legal oversight as secretary. The foundation concentrates its grantmaking on Jewish agencies, temples, and educational programming — the Dahan Youth program is its most visible initiative, providing STEM education scholarships to young Israeli students in partnership with Bar-Ilan University (Altss research). Incidental investment activity includes venture capital allocations, recorded across multiple General Venture Capital strategy tags. The family retains direct residential real estate holdings through operating entities Dahan Homes and Caddie Homes Developments, with properties documented in Baltimore, Bel Air, Sparks Glencoe, and Cockeysville, Maryland. Governance sits with a board sourced from Beth Tfiloh's senior lay and rabbinic leadership, a structure that blurs the line between family foundation and congregational endowment. The Dahan family also maintains the Dahan Family Foundation and a dedicated Bar-Ilan University fund, alongside recognition-level donor societies at Beth Tfiloh (Chamsa Society) and Technion (Guardians). Nick Dahan, the founder's son, leads the family's ongoing homebuilding operations. Structurally, this foundation is a congregationally governed grantmaker with a concentrated geographic and programmatic mandate — it is not a broad institutional allocator. Its influence flows less through endowment scale than through the Bar-Ilan partnership and the physical Dahan landmarks in Ramat Gan, including the Aharon and Rachel Dahan Gate and Dahan Unity Park. Investment activity, while noted, is secondary to the scholarship pipeline.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1986
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Baltimore
Corporate office
Baltimore, MD, United States
Principals
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg
President
Zipora Schorr
VP/Treasurer
Shale D. Stiller
VP/Secretary, Legal Advisor
Nick Dahan
Family Member, President of Dahan Homes Inc.
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs grantmaking and investment decisions at the Haron Dahan Foundation?
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg serves as president, with Zipora Schorr as VP and treasurer and Shale Stiller of DLA Piper as secretary and legal advisor. All three are connected to Beth Tfiloh Congregation in Baltimore. The Dahan family's operational wealth — through Dahan Homes, run by Nick Dahan — remains separate from foundation governance.
How is the foundation related to Beth Tfiloh Congregation?
The foundation's president, Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg, is the rabbi-in-residence at Beth Tfiloh, and VP Zipora Schorr serves as the congregation's director of education. The Dahan family holds membership in the Beth Tfiloh Chamsa Society, a high-level donor circle. The relationship is structural — the foundation's board draws from the congregation's senior leadership.
What is the Dahan Youth program?
The Dahan Youth program is a STEM education scholarship initiative for young Israeli students, operated in partnership with Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. It is the foundation's most visible and consistently funded program. The family's Israel ties are further evidenced by named landmarks on the Bar-Ilan campus: the Aharon and Rachel Dahan Gate and Dahan Unity Park.
Does the Haron Dahan Foundation invest in venture capital?
Altss strategy tags indicate the foundation allocates to venture capital across multiple General Venture Capital classifications. However, no specific fund commitments, direct startup investments, or co-investor relationships are publicly documented. The venture activity appears incidental to the core grantmaking mandate.
What is the foundation's wealth origin, and are there related entities?
Wealth originated with Aharon 'Hal' Dahan, a self-made homebuilder in the Baltimore area. The family's active operating companies — Dahan Homes Inc., led by Nick Dahan, and Caddie Homes Developments — continue to hold residential properties across Maryland. Related philanthropic vehicles include the Dahan Family Foundation and a dedicated Bar-Ilan University fund.
Does the foundation accept external donations or co-funding requests?
There is no public indication that the Haron Dahan Foundation accepts unsolicited donations or grant proposals. As a family foundation governed by congregational insiders, its giving appears directed toward pre-existing relationships, primarily Beth Tfiloh, Bar-Ilan University, and Jewish educational agencies. No open application process is documented.
What is the foundation's posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
No co-investment activity is documented. The venture capital allocations tracked by Altss do not reference any named GP relationships, fund commitments, or direct startup co-investments. The foundation's investment activity appears to be managed internally or through undisclosed channels.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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