When I think about my life, I begin with my parents.
They were both Holocaust survivors, and everything I am is rooted in their strength. My mother survived Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. My father survived Mauthausen. After the war, they found each other in Belgium—two people who had lost almost everything, yet still chose to build a future together. My father gave my mother a necklace that belonged to his late sister after knowing her for just three days. That was the beginning of their 60 years together and our story.
My parents came to Canada with very little and built a life through resilience and determination. Growing up, I didn’t fully understand what they had endured. But I felt it—in our home, in our traditions, in the way being Jewish was something we lived every day.
Over time, that understanding deepened into gratitude—and into responsibility.
Jeff’s journey began differently, but with similar values. He grew up in Toronto in a family where community, Zionism, and giving were simply part of life. Israel became a shared love early on, and over time, it became central to our family’s identity. We have returned to Israel many times, each visit strengthening that connection.
We built our life around those shared values. Our children grew up in Jewish day schools, and now our grandchildren do as well. Watching that continuity unfold fills us with a quiet joy—it feels like something sacred being carried forward.
Philanthropy, for us, has never been just about giving—it has been about doing. It’s about showing up and being part of something larger than us. Our focus has been in health, education, Holocaust remembrance, Israel, and our Jewish community. Over time, that has also meant a deep commitment to several initiatives—mobilizing community and turning care into action. Most recently supporting stem cell drives as part of the Help Daphne team has been a powerful reminder of how our Jewish community is ready to come together and help save lives.
Jeff has also given deeply of his time and heart through UJA and his work in healthcare.
We don’t see this as extraordinary. We see it as a privilege. We have been blessed with family, meaningful work, friendships, and the ability to help others. And we’ve always believed that when you are given that kind of blessing, you share it.
Because in the end, what matters most is not what we build for ourselves, but what we pass on.
If our children and grandchildren grow up understanding where they come from, feeling proud of who they are, and knowing that giving back is simply part of living a meaningful life—then that is our greatest legacy.