Background
Cafritz was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania that immigrated to Washington, District of Columbia He bought produce for his father"s grocery store.
Cafritz was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania that immigrated to Washington, District of Columbia He bought produce for his father"s grocery store.
He studied at the Corcoran School. He studied at the National Law University.
Real estate developer, and philanthropist. They lived at 2706 North Street, in Georgetown. He bought the Star Coal and Coke Company, at 315 Q Street.
In 1911, he owned a saloon, the Old-Timer"s Bar, at 8th Street and K Street, Southwest, Washington, District of Columbia He operated bowling alleys.
In 1922, he started the development of Petworth, where he sold houses for $8,950, or financed for $1 down and $75 a month. He developed the Greenwich Forest neighborhood.
He built the Ambassador Hotel, at 14th and K Street. The Westchester Apartments in 1932.
And the Majestic Apartments.
He built a home at 2301 Foxhall Road, North.W. In 1949, he built the Cafritz Building, at 1625 Eye Street. He developed along K Street, building office buildings at 1725 K, 1725 I, and 1735 I Streets. He raised $250,000 to build the Washington, District of Columbia Jewish Community Center.
He was president of the Jewish Community Center.
In 1964, he offered to donate the Keith theater as a performing arts center. He founded the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, in 1948, funding it with half his estate, $11 1/2 million.
The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is now Washington, District of Columbia"s largest private foundation with assets of $735,000,000. Foundation gives annual charitable grants of $20,000,000 to various non profits in the Washington, District of Columbia area.
The Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts is named for him.
Their home was located on Foxhall Road and is now the home of the Field School.
He was a charter member of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, in Washington, District of Columbia