From The Peopling of New York City

Mark Nourieli

Mark Nourieli was born in Bat-Yam, a beachfront city located in Israel in 1955. He grew up in a small community where everyone was familiar with one another and where all of the family lived nearby. He clearly remembers that there was a lot of open space with playgrounds and parks. When he was eleven years old, his father decided to move the family to America. Conditions in Israel were not ideal for making money and his father believed that America provided new opportunities.

As Mark boarded a ship for America, he visited ports in Europe for the first time and was excited to stop and see other countries. When he arrived in America, he was amazed to see the entire infrastructure – bridges and buildings, which did not yet exist to the same extent in Israel. It was difficult in the beginning, as it took my father and his family a long time to adjust to the language. He faced problems in school, specifically in Midwood High School where he faced little help and had little time to study since he was busy working with his father. He regrets not applying himself more to his studies and not receiving a better education. However, he excelled in music as a tenor and with the guitar, in archery, and with the school's track team.

Mark registered for college but then followed his father's advice to study cooling and refrigeration at a technical school in New York, a last minute decision that shaped his future. He found himself on the Bowery servicing machines and eventually went on to open a restaurant equipment business with his father, which he operates to this day. After dating for 11 years, he eventually married his wife and had two children. He feels that he has been successful with his work and feels happy in America.