The Gandel Family

The Gandels established their wealth through the retail and real estate industries. Sam and Fay Gandel, Polish immigrants who arrived in Melbourne in the 1920s, established the clothing store Sussan. In the 1960s, their son John Gandel then transformed Sussan into a major empire with his brother-in-law, Marc Besen (who also became a billionaire). John sold his stake in Sussan to Marc Besen in 1985 before shifting his focus from retail to property investment, acquiring the Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne. The Chadstone Shopping Centre underwent extensive redevelopment and expansion and became one of the largest shopping centres in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Gandels are devoted supporters of Israel. In 2022, they donated large sums for the construction of the Gandel Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem, a USD $132,600,000 facility allegedly being used chiefly for treating Israeli soldiers. The Gandel Foundation has also provided significant funding to the Taglit Birthright Israel program, often referred to as “Birthright”, which provides free trips to Israel for young Jewish adults worldwide, encouraging them to settle there. Recently, John Gandel spoke to the Australian Financial Review and referred to Israel’s attacks on civilians, reportedly stating that Israel has “no choice” but to “go all out” in Gaza. The Gandels have made substantial donations to Australian political parties, especially the Liberal Party, and fund pro-Israel lobby groups such as the Zionist Federation of Australia.

The Gandels are active philanthropists in Victoria’s arts scene, supporting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the State Library of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum. They have also made large donations to the National Museum of Australia.