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IndependentsFeb 20, 2020
Edward Kahn, Patriarch of the House of Kahn, Dies at 103
The Holocaust survivor came to the United States more than 60 years ago and built a well-known and well-respected estate jewelry business.
Edward Kahn is pictured here in a shot from the 1970s.
Chicago—Edward Kahn, one of the oldest living Holocaust survivors and founder of storied estate jewelry dealer House of Kahn, died Feb. 14.
He was 103 years old.
Both of Kahn’s parents and his sister died in the Holocaust.
He survived and made it the United States from Romania with just $100 to his name.
Over the years, Kahn built a jewelry business that became well-known and well-respected.
He started in the industry as a traveling salesman, according to his daughter Tobina Kahn, before he and his wife, Adele, started dealing in estate jewelry in the early 1950s.
The two were ahead of their time, getting into the estate jewelry business well before it was popular category, and Kahn was a natural, Tobina said—he had an eye for craftsmanship and was always able to spot the finest gems.
House of Kahn Estate Jewelers has acquired pieces from the estates of many prominent people, including royalty, like the heirs of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and Hollywood legends like Gloria Swanson and Greer Garson.
The business has been family-owned and -operated since its opening.
Kahn retired just six weeks before his death, with Tobina, a licensed gemologist and auctioneer, taking the helm and stepping into the role of president.
In addition to its location on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, The House of Kahn has a location in Palm Beach, Florida.
Kahn is survived by his wife, Adele; three children, Tobina Kahn, Todd Kahn and Helena Tyger Kahn; and two granddaughters, Zoe Kahn and Allegra Kahn.
A ceremony was held Feb. 16 at IJ Morris Star of David Cemetery of the Palm Beaches, officiated by Rabbi Barak Bar-Chaim from the New Synagogue of Palm Beach.
The family is asking that any contributions made in Kahn’s honor go to the New Synagogue of Palm Beach at 235 Sunrise Ave., Palm Beach, FL 33480.
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