Lili Bosse
Lili Bosse is an American politician and philanthropist. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, she has supported many Jewish causes in the United States and Israel. She served as the Mayor of Beverly Hills, California in its centennial year, from March 2014 to March 2015, as well as from March 2017 to March 2018. In her first term, she spearheaded the weekly "Walk With the Mayor" for residents, supported the boycott of the Beverly Hills Hotel owned by the Sultan of Brunei, and promoted trade with China for the luxury industry. In her second term, she spearheaded Beverly Hills Open Late to allow stores on Rodeo Drive to stay open late in the evening.
Early life
Lili Bosse grew up in Rego Park, Queens, New York City until she moved into a house on South Maple Drive in Beverly Hills, California at the age of nine. She is the only child of Holocaust survivors. Her father, Jack Toren, died in 1993. Her mother, Rosalia Toren, born in Poland, escaped from the Auschwitz concentration camp and wrote two books about her experiences: Destiny in 1991 and A New Beginning in 1997; she died in February 2015. Her parents met in Israel shortly after the Second World War and decided to immigrate to the United States.Bosse was educated at the Beverly Vista School and the Beverly Hills High School. She went on to graduate from the University of Southern California.
Political career
Bosse served on the Beverly Hills Traffic and Parking Commission from 1997 to 2002, and on the Beverly Hills Planning Commission from 2007 to 2011. She was elected to a four-year term on the five-member Beverly Hills City Council in 2011. She was appointed by the City Council to serve a one-year term as Vice Mayor in 2013, and then for a succeeding one-year term as Mayor in 2014.Bosse was sworn in as Mayor on March 25, 2014, by actor Sidney Poitier in a ceremony at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Poitier had also sworn her in as Vice Mayor in 2013. One of her first actions as Mayor was to announce a "Healthy City Initiative", which aimed to make Beverly Hills "the healthiest city in the world".
During her first term as mayor, Bosse initiated a "Walk With the Mayor" program: every Monday at 8:30AM, Beverly Hills residents are invited to meet on Crescent Drive and walk with her for ninety minutes to hear more about the history of local businesses and talk to her directly about issues regarding the city. Walkers are encouraged to wear an orange T-shirt with the "Healthy City" slogan on it. In August 2014, Bosse celebrated her birthday during the walk, stopping at Beverly Cañon Gardens, alongside 400 walkers. The last walk was on March 23, 2015.
Bosse also announced her plan to create a dog park in Beverly Hills, on the corner of Foothill Road and Alden Drive. With her husband, she donated US$100,000 for the construction of the Beverly Hills Dog Park while serving on the city council in February 2016.
In early May 2014, Bosse welcomed a resolution passed by the Beverly Hills City Council to urge the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, to sell the Beverly Hills Hotel after he had passed legislation in Brunei to impose Islamic Sharia law there, including the death penalty for adultery and gay sex. She added that she had made a "personal decision" not to return to the hotel until the situation had been solved. The decision was lauded by Rabbi Laura Geller of the Temple Emanuel, where Bosse is a congregant.
From May 25 to June 3, 2014, Bosse visited China as part of a mayoral delegation trip. She met officials in Beijing, Wuhan, Hongan, Guangzhou, and Jieyang to promote trade between China and Beverly Hills, especially its luxury industry.
In March 2017, Bosse began her second term as the mayor of Beverly Hills. She announced the renewal of her weekly "Walk With The Mayor" program and a new partnership between the City of Beverly Hills and author Deepak Chopra. Moreover, "Bosse introduced Bold—Beverly Hills Open Later Days—encouraging local businesses to stay open later into the evening," especially on Rodeo Drive.
Philanthropy
Bosse served as President of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation, from which she received the Spirit of Philanthropy Award. During her tenure, she organized the first Apple Ball and Walk for Schools. Together with her husband, she endowed the Bosse Leadership Academy for public school employees and provided funding to upgrade the facilities of KBEV, the student television station in Beverly Hills. They also made the largest donation to the Beverly Hills school system in 2011 in an effort to prevent staff layoffs. Additionally, they have donated to the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills.Additionally, Bosse has been a member of the Friends of the Beverly Hills Public Library and the Rotary Club of Beverly Hills. Together with her husband, she is one of the largest donors to the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden. She is also a founding member of the Police And Community Together organisation.
Bosse formerly served on the Board of Trustees of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Additionally, she has served on the Leadership Program of the Wexner Foundation, a charitable organization designed to enhance Jewish leadership. She has also served as Chair of the Women's Venture Fund and the Lion of Judah Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Moreover, she has served on the Board of Directors of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She has received the Edgar F. Magnin Community Service Award from the Hillcrest Country Club, a Jewish country club in Los Angeles. Additionally, she has received the Women of Achievement Award from the Sheba Medical Center, a hospital in Ramat Gan, East of Tel Aviv in Israel.
Together with her husband Jon, she donated US$100,000 to the Moriah Films division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in honor of her mother's 90th birthday in 2013—the name "Rose Orenstein Toren" will appear in the film credits of all documentaries subsequently produced by the center. In 2013, the two also served on the Southern California Regional Council of Birthright Israel.
Bosse serves on the Executive Board of Visionary Women, a non-profit organization which promotes women in leadership positions.