Founding partner Jona Goldrich embodied the American dream. An immigrant to the United States, he started his real estate empire with the simple idea of keeping construction sites clean. What began with a single apartment building in 1957 has grown into one of the most successful housing development and management firms in all of California. Today, Goldrich Kest manages more than 200 properties and employs close to 600 people.
Born in Lvov, Poland in 1927, Mr. Goldrich fled Europe in 1942 to escape the Holocaust. He landed first in Palestine, where he participated in military action that helped assure the creation of Israel in 1948, before immigrating again to Los Angeles. While working as a window installer, he started a business to clean up construction sites. A chance meeting with construction foreman, Sol Kest, led to a partnership lasting more than 50 years.
Mr. Goldrich passed away in June 2016 at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife of 50 years Doretta, their two grown daughters, a son in-law, two grandsons and a granddaughter. During his lifetime, Mr. Goldrich received countless awards and recognition from both civic and private organizations. His legacy lives on in his family foundation, which focuses on Holocaust awareness and education.