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Josh Harris is married to Marjorie Rubin Harris, a New York native. Rubin Harris is a University of Michigan graduate who now does a lot of philanthropic work alongside her husband, the managing partner and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers. The couple mostly lives in Miami with their five children.
Here’s what you need to know about Josh Harris’ wife, Marjorie Rubin Harris:
1. Marjorie Rubin Harris Was Raised in New York With a Brother & Her Family Were Big Sports Fans
Rubin Harris was born to Lillian and Albert Rubin, who were married for 54 years until Albert Rubin’s death in 2012, his obituary states. It indicates that Rubin Harris has a brother named Philip Rubin, who is married to Mardi Schecter, and they have three children together: Jesse, Lucy and Ella Rubin.
“[Albert Rubin] was well regarded by business associates and respected for the contributions he made during forty-five years in the Packaging Industry,” it also states.
Rubin Harris grew up in New York and her family was all interested in sports, she shared with eJewishPhilanthropy. “I grew up in New York, so basketball and the Knicks was always sort of a thing,” she said.
“You know, in my house, my father and my brother were big Giants fans, they would live and die on a Sunday by whether the Giants won or not,” she added. “And more times than not, they were disappointed. So sports was around me.” As for Rubin Harris, she played tennis when she was growing up.
Her parents were both first-generation Americans and their families had come to the U.S. from Europe. She said they’d often learn about Israel at the dinner table. “We were definitely the type that would have dinner together every night,” she told the publication. “My dad would get home late, and we would either wait for him or sit with him. And I just remember… during the wars, it was a conversation that we had — we would talk about Israeli bonds, we would talk about the country.”
Rubin Harris visited Israel in the summer before her senior year of college and volunteered on a kibbutz, she revealed. “We don’t live here but we support it, and we feel very strongly that we get to live where we live, because there is the state of Israel,” she explained. “So it’s sort of our responsibility to make sure that we do what we can to support the country, and help keep it in the best way that it can be.”
2. Marjorie Rubin Harris Studied Political Science at the University of Michigan & Then Worked in Finance
Rubin Harris attended the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science, her LinkedIn states. She worked for 10 years at Citibank “trading syndicated bank loans, originating high yield bonds and lending to investment grade companies,” her profile at Harris Philanthropies indicates.
Rubin Harris then took time off work to raise her children. She now works as the Chair of the Sixers Youth Foundation, a position she obtained in 2020 after serving on the Board membership. “Passionate about creating opportunities for youth in Philadelphia, Marjorie is thrilled to broaden the organization’s mission and aid to its future success in her capacity as Chair,” her Harris Philanthropies profile adds.
The Sixers Youth Foundation is a non-profit affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers and was founded in 2015 to “Empower youth and strengthen communities to build brighter futures,” as per its website.
Rubin Harris is also on a number of other boards, including the Harvard Business School, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School and After-School All-Stars, according to her LinkedIn.
3. Marjorie Rubin Harris & Josh Harris Founded Harris Philanthropies for Their Charitable Work
#ICYMI: Josh (W’86) & Marjorie Harris’ generous $1M gift to @PennMedicine will accelerate equity in graduate medical education & biomedical research🎉🩺🔬 ft. @bradylabupenn (@Penn_CBIO/ @IDEAL_Research) & Larry Jameson t.co/qEvq5TMJXT
In addition to her work with the Sixers Youth Foundation, Rubin Harris also co-founded Harris Philanthropies with her husband, Sixers co-owner Harris. It is a charitable foundation with the goal of making “make a lasting impact on our communities by creating opportunities, uplifting those in need and advocating for youth,” its website shows.
Her bio with the foundation says that they have worked with the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia, After-School All-Stars and the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative to help children with academic, athletic and wellness goals.
Rubin Harris and her husband also invested $1 million into the Penn Medicine – Wharton Fund for Health, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal, which “invests in early-stage businesses working to improve the social determinants of health for economically disadvantaged Philadelphians.”
The couple also committed to investing $10 million over 5 years to a social justice initiative in Philadelphia aimed at supporting Black communities, the Athletic reported.
4. Marjorie Rubin Harris & Josh Harris Have Five Children Together, 3 Sons & 2 Daughters
Co-Managing Partners Josh and Marjorie Harris joined @PhilaYouthSport yesterday to officially launch the #GameOnPhilly initiative!
Together, we can expand access to youth sports, giving kids the chance to transform their lives through sport.
The Harrises have been married for over 25 years and have five children together, three boys and two girls, according to Harris Philanthropies. There isn’t much public information about their kids but their names are listed in Albert Rubin’s obituary as Hannah, Stuart, Thomas, Pierce and Bridget Harris.
Stuart Harris was a varsity swimmer in high school and was on the sprint football roster for the University of Pennsylvania, his athletics profile shows. It says he was enrolled in the Wharton School of Business and is set to graduate in 2023. He also worked as an EMT for Senior Care Emergency Medical Services in New York City during the height of the pandemic, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported.
Thomas Harris is studying integrated biology at Harvard University and is working as a research assistant at the school’s Holbrook lab, his LinkedIn shows. He’s also a writer for the Harvard Crimson, the school’s student newspaper.
Hannah Harris works as an associate marketing analyst for PepsiCo, her LinkedIn shows. She also attended Harvard University and graduated with a psychology degree in 2020.
5. Marjorie Rubin Harris & Josh Harris Founded a Basketball League in Israel
Josh and Marjorie Harris have a made a donation to three local homeless shelters including @ProjectHOME, Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission (@PhillyHomeless), and @YSIPHILLY as part of their ongoing commitment to serving the Philadelphia community.
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Rubin Harris is passionate about making sports accessible to everyone, regardless of background, and said her husband’s purchase of the Sixers created a lot of philanthropic possibilities for the couple. “It was a really interesting moment when we bought the team because we realized very quickly that it wasn’t just owning a basketball team,” she told eJewishPhilanthropy.
“It was about making sure that you were giving back to the community, and that people really enjoyed and got behind their team,” she continued. “And so it became, in our minds, a responsibility, because it’s a community asset.”
Rubin Harris explained that both she and her husband have backgrounds in finance and have approached their charitable efforts the same way they would a startup. “How do you measure success?” she explained. “And I think in philanthropy, people tend to get nervous about that. ‘If I don’t prove I’m doing well, they’re going to pull the money,’ which isn’t necessarily the case.” She said it was about exploring how they can improve and make each organization grow and become more self-sufficient.
Rubin Harris and her husband created a youth basketball league for boys in Israel called the 48ers, back in 2015. The name is in reference to the year that Israel was founded, similar to the name of the Philadelphia 76ers. “We decided we wanted to do something to help the Ethiopian community in Jerusalem and the whole country,” Rubin Harris told the publication, “and we thought using the power of basketball would be a great tool and a great avenue.”
The demand was there to add in a girls’ basketball program and they did so as well, with Rubin Harris explaining, “For me, as the mother of two girls, and being involved in sports, there are a lot of sports for girls, but not enough.” She said it was a no-brainer and felt it was a really good way to empower girls in the community.