Barav Group

Barav, the sister company of SCG Management Corporation is a family-owned real estate development and construction group with nearly four decades of experience developing residential communities and commercial properties in the United States and Israel. Its work ranges from individual buildings to entire neighborhoods, including the infrastructure needed to bring them to life. The company also develops and constructs urban renewal projects, including evacuation-reconstruction and TAMA 38/2 projects, as well as business complexes combining office and commercial space. The group traces its roots to 1987 in Massachusetts, where the family established SCG Management Corporation. Over the decades that followed, the company developed and built residential communities throughout New England, establishing a reputation based on quality, responsibility and long-term vision.

For Barav founder Elie Gertel, success in Massachusetts was never the entire vision. Raised in a third-generation real estate family and already part of a thriving family business, he increasingly felt that if he was going to spend his life building communities, he wanted to build them in his homeland, Israel. That conviction would ultimately shape the next chapter of the family business and the creation of Barav.

Building in Israel, with American Standards

The company brought to Israel the same standards of quality, professionalism and disciplined execution that had defined its work in the United States.

SCG’s Israeli operations were established under the name Barav in 2007. Since then, Barav has grown from smaller projects to developing large-scale residential complexes, urban renewal projects, and commercial buildings, combining decades of American development experience with a deep understanding of the Israeli market.

Financial Strength and Trusted Partnerships

The Barav Group’s strong financial position, together with longstanding relationships with investors, lenders and business partners, gives the company the flexibility to move quickly and pursue large-scale opportunities. Over the years, Barav has worked with leading banks and financial institutions, including Mizrahi-Tefahot, Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Yesodot, Ruby Capital and Ampa Capital, among others strengthening its ability to structure and finance projects at scale.

Built on Values

Since its establishment, Barav has been guided by a clear set of values, beginning with integrity and transparency. Its relationships with clients, partners and investors are built on fairness, responsibility and open communication. Professionalism, attention to detail and creative problem-solving are central to the way the company operates, not only to deliver successful projects, but to build relationships that last. Another core value is its commitment to Israel. For Barav, development is a tangible way to participate in the growth of the country, building homes, renewing neighborhoods and helping shape communities for the next generation.

Elie Gertel: Choosing to Build Israel

Elie Gertel, Barav’s Founder, is a third-generation real estate entrepreneur whose family has been active in real estate, investment and business for decades. Born and raised in Boston, Elie built a successful career in the high-tech industry, working for several major American companies. At the same time, he was surrounded by a thriving family real estate business in New England. Yet the more the family built in Massachusetts, the stronger a question became for him: Why build New England when he could be building his homeland? For Elie, moving to Israel with his wife and young family and establish Barav was not simply a personal decision. It was a Zionist one. A decision to take the experience and foundation built by previous generations and bring it home.

Before Elie made aliyah, his grandfather, Abe (Abraham) Levovitz, gave him his blessing. Abe encouraged him to follow in the footsteps of Abraham, his forefather, and to have the courage to leave behind the world he knew and begin a new chapter in the Land of Israel. His blessing echoed the biblical call to Abraham: “Go forth from your land, your birthplace and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

That blessing became the inspiration for the name Barav. Bar means “son” in Aramaic, an ancient Semitic language closely related to Hebrew, while av means “father” in Hebrew, subtly reflecting the connection between generations at the heart of the company. These meanings speak to Barav’s story of family, legacy and the choice to carry one generation’s values forward while building the next in Israel.

Selected Projects

Boston Business Center, Rishon LeZion: A new prestigious business complex in Rishon LeZion’s western commercial district, near Cinema City, G-City, Kenyon Hazahav mall, and major retail destinations. The approximately 40,000-square-meter mixed-use project includes office and retail space, as well as a logistics center, across roughly 12 floors, with convenient access to Moshe Dayan railway station, the future light rail, and Highways 20 and 4.
Park Tower, Netanya: A 16-story residential tower featuring three-, four-, five- and six-room apartments, penthouses. Each residence includes parking and storage, with high-end specifications throughout. The tower overlooks Netanya’s Winter Pond Nature Reserve and Park, is within walking distance of the sea and is located near green parks and community services.
Neve Ganim, Haifa: A large-scale residential complex developed in partnership with Dantho. The complex comprises seven buildings with 225 homes ranging from three- to five-room apartments, garden apartments and penthouses. Landscaped green spaces, public buildings, a synagogue and a commercial center, complete the community, which overlooks the sea, Haifa Bay, Rosh Hanikra and the Galilee Mountains.
Radin Yeshiva, Northen Netanya: Built by Barav at the request of the Netanya Municipality, the Radin Yeshiva commemorates the original yeshiva founded in 1869 by the Chofetz Chaim in Radin, Poland, and destroyed during World War II. Completed in 2017, the building is distinguished by its architecture and high-quality construction.
Ben Zakai, Jerusalem: In Jerusalem’s Katamonim neighborhood, Barav, in partnership with Itzik Teshuva Group, is developing. Ben Zakai 31, a major urban renewal project replacing an aging four-story building with two new residential towers. The development is planned to include approximately 200 homes, a synagogue, commercial and retail space, and extensive underground parking. Each residence is planned with a balcony, dedicated parking and storage. Work to connect Ben Zakai Street to Jerusalem’s light rail network has already begun, a major infrastructure upgrade expected to significantly improve accessibility for both residents and businesses.
Nili, Jerusalem: A TAMA 38/2 urban renewal project in Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood, near the President’s Residence and Jerusalem Theatre. The project will replace 13 existing homes with a boutique residential building of 26 new units.
5 Avital, Jerusalem: A 40-unit residential project in historic Mekor Haim, an established Jerusalem neighborhood known for its greenery and garden-like character, currently undergoing significant urban renewal. The project is tucked away in a quiet residential enclave, yet remains within walking distance of Talpiot’s major commercial and retail center.