Yeshiva, Widow and Other Jewish Organizations Quarrel Over $44 Million Estate

Yeshiva University and several Jewish organizations are fighting a legal battle with Tova Leidesdorf-Herling, the widow of multimillionaire Erwin Herling, over the division of Herling's estate.

The Holocaust Museum in Washington, Jerusalem hospital Shaar Zedek are among the others claiming that they were promised more than $40 million in charitable contributions from the estate of Erwin Herling, an international businessman and Holocaust survivor.

Herling's widow, Tova Leidesdorf Herling, 64, asserts that her husband's Florida estate is worth far less than any amount the organizations claim. His estate now faces eight lawsuits filed during the last month in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

Herling, 78, revised his will and named his wife as his sole beneficiary three days before he died last year in Miami Beach. The revised will, which states Herling was a resident of London and a citizen of Brazil, was filed in July in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

Herling acquired his wealth through textile, real estate and financial investments in New York, England, Brazil and Israel, according to court papers. But exactly what is left of Herling's assets in Florida is in dispute. Mrs. Herling, who received a $4.5 million sapphire ring from her husband before they married in 1997, claims the only assets left in his name are a car and a penthouse condo worth about $100,000.

But attorneys for Jewish institutions that were promised charitable contributions from Herling and his deceased first wife, Madeleine, said they will fight aggressively for the pledged millions, starting in Miami. "There's evidence he was a wealthy man who lived a very affluent lifestyle," said New York attorney Melvyn Weiss, representing the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. "It's very suspicious she is not listing any assets in the estate. She may have surreptitiously put them elsewhere."

Among the assets Herling was believed to have real estate worldwide, several original "Old Master" and 19th Century Impressionist paintings, millions of dollars in jewelry and antiques, and ownership interests in various businesses.

"It's our job to find out what happened to those assets," said Weiss. "We're going to conduct investigations all over the world." Yeshiva General Council Bockstein and Director of Development Dan Forman were unable to comment on this issue.