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March 26, 2004/Nisan 4 5764, Vol. 56, No. 27
Retirement community visionary
IRA MORTON
Special to Jewish News
Just west of Sun City is Youngtown. Founded in 1954 by Ben Schleifer, a visionary land developer, this tiny hamlet of 3,000 residents is historically significant as the first adult retirement community in the nation.
Schleifer moved to Phoenix from Rochester, N.Y., six years earlier in the hope of finding relief from his asthma. Soon after his arrival he got into the real estate business and set out to build an exclusive community for senior citizens that provided affordable housing and a stimulating, active lifestyle year-round.
Schleifer's revolutionary concept was slow to take off. To succeed on a grand scale, it needed to attract the attention of the national media. In the fall of 1957, NBC's "Wide, Wide, World" with Dave Garrowaydid a live telecast from the town square and almost overnight Youngtown was transformed into a boomtown.
The explosive growth of Schleifer's development came to an abrupt end in 1960, when Del Webb launched Sun City and acquired giant parcels of land that blocked Youngtown's expansion beyond its 560 acres.
Like most pioneers, Schleifer never achieved the enduring success and financial rewards he deserved, but his place in history as one of America's great innovators is assured. He died in 1981 at age 80.
Preserving the memories and recording the accomplishments of those who have come before us and those now in our midst, is the sacred mission of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society and the Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center. For information about membership and activities, call 602-241-7870 or visit www.azjhs.org.
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