Murray Kushner

Murray Kushner is an American real estate developer.

**Early Life and Family Background**

Kushner was born to Joseph Kushner and Rae Kushner, who were Jews born in eastern Poland and survivors of the Holocaust. The family immigrated to the United States from the USSR via Italy in 1949. His father worked as a construction worker and an independent builder, simultaneously investing in real estate. Over time, Joseph Kushner built a real estate portfolio comprising approximately 4,000 apartments in New Jersey. The Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, both located in Livingston, New Jersey, are named after his parents.

Murray Kushner has two sisters, Esther and Linda, and a younger brother named Charles Kushner.

**Education**

Kushner graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973. He continued his education at the same university, earning a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1976.

**Career**

Following his graduation, Kushner worked within his family’s real estate business. After the death of his father, the ownership of the company was divided equally among him and his siblings. Over time, differences in investment strategies led to a deterioration in his relationship with his brother Charles Kushner, notably over a proposed acquisition of Berkshire Realty, which owned 24,000 apartments. This disagreement resulted in the brothers deciding in 2000 to cease working together as business partners.

In 1979, Kushner founded a real estate firm with Eugene Schenkman called Schenkman/Kushner, later known as The KRE Group. The firm has expanded to employ over 100 full-time staff and manages a portfolio that includes approximately 9,000 apartments and 6 million square feet of office and industrial space. The company's development projects are primarily located throughout the Northeast Corridor, with several situated in Downtown Jersey City.

In July 2014, The KRE Group commenced construction on the first phase of Journal Squared, a residential development near the Journal Square Transportation Center. The project is planned in three phases and has approval for a total of 1,838 residential units, including a 70-story building that will be one of the tallest structures in Jersey City upon completion.

**Personal Life**

Kushner is married to Lee Kushner, and together they have raised their children in Modern Orthodox Judaism. They have two sons, Jon and Marc. Following the death of his first wife, Kushner remarried. His second wife entered the marriage with a son and a daughter. His son Jonathan Kushner has taken over management of The KRE Group. His other son, Marc Kushner, is an architect who married Christopher Barley in a Jewish ceremony in 2012.

Kushner is known to be a supporter of Governor Chris Christie. His wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the mid-1990s, leading the couple to engage in philanthropic activities aimed at finding a cure.

He remains estranged from his brother Charles Kushner.