For Roy and Ronny Birnboim, giving is in their DNA. Raised in Winnipeg, both grew up in loving families that instilled strong community values. Roy’s parents, particularly his father—deeply knowledgeable in Torah and Talmud—emphasized derech eretz, treating others with humbleness and respect. As an only child, Ronny learned from her parents that “when you are given, you should give back.” These values have guided their lives.
Married in 1966, they built a life rooted in these principles. Ronny earned her BA and MSW and worked at the Jewish Child and Family Service in Winnipeg. Roy became a CA and MBA, co-founding a public accounting firm with a close friend. Due to family circumstances, Roy assumed greater management of his parents’ business, and in 1978, he sold his accounting partnership interest. The family, now with two young children, moved to Toronto.
Roy saw an opportunity in Toronto’s real estate market, slowly acquiring and managing multi-residential properties for long-term growth. Meanwhile, Ronny used her social work skills to establish Courtleigh Place Child Care Centre in North York, a subsidized daycare supporting children in need.
Over 25 years, it became a thriving institution—a lasting legacy for Ronny, her staff, and the community. Their greatest legacy, of course, is their children and four grandchildren. Their daughter Debbie (Steven) works at Courtleigh Place, while their son Jason (Ashley) has become president of the family business, Beaux Properties International Inc., a multi-generational real estate investment and development company.
As longtime Torontonians and Beth Tikvah Synagogue members since 1978, Roy and Ronny are grateful for the synagogue’s support, especially the spiritual leadership of Rabbi Grover. They remain committed to Beth Tikvah, offering ongoing support.
Ronny has always been an active volunteer, first with Hadassah in Winnipeg and later with the National Council of Jewish Women in Toronto. Roy was involved with B’nai Brith. They feel blessed to have witnessed the creation of the State of Israel. Deeply concerned by rising antisemitism, they believe volunteering and financial support are more important than ever. To that end, they established the Roy and Ronna Birnboim Family Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, aiding the disadvantaged and supporting Am Yisrael Chai.
Honouring their past is integral to their present. Roy and his brother Chaim created an endowed lecture series at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in memory of their late brother Meir, a research physicist, and another at the Manitoba Jewish Foundation to honour their late parents Menashe and Shifra Birnboim, supporting various Jewish causes. Ronny initiated the family’s tradition of giving by honouring her late parents Morris and Ada Silverberg through the Manitoba Jewish Foundation, benefitting Jewish Child and Family Service in Winnipeg.
By honouring the past and living their values, they hope to embed these ideals in future generations. Whether it is derech eretz or, as Ronny’s father’s tombstone reads: “Even a long life ends too soon, but a good name endures forever.”