For more than 20 years, the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto has been honouring donors who leave a charitable legacy to help build a stronger future for our Jewish community through our Book of Life program. One of the 20 stories we recognized this year was that of the generous contribution of Roy and Ronna Birnboim and family.

Roy and Ronna Birnboim have been longtime supporters of UJA, both in Toronto and in their native home of Winnipeg. As a child, Ronna learned from her parents that “what you are given, you should give back,” a value which has guided her and Roy as they built their life together.

Married in 1966, the family moved to Toronto in 1978. Roy built a thriving real estate investment and development business, while Ronna used her social work skills to establish Courtleigh Place Child Care Centre, a subsidized daycare that supports children in need. Following the practice of their parents, they volunteered their time with various community organizations: Ronna at Hadassah and the National Council of Jewish Women, and Roy with B’nai Brith. Their greatest legacies are their children, Debbie (Steven) and Jason (Ashley), and their four grandchildren.

Deeply concerned by the rising antisemitism the community has experienced in the aftermath of October 7th, Roy and Ronna believe it is more important than ever to give back to the community, both as volunteers and financially. To this end, they established the Roy and Ronna Birnboim Family Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto to help support programs that aid the disadvantaged and strengthen our community. This fund joins their funds at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, which honour their late parents.

To Roy and Ronna, honouring the past is a powerful way of ensuring the values they were taught endure for the future. Their fund is one way they are recognizing those who came before them and modelling those ideals for future generations.

Click here to read the 400+ stories of donors like the Birnboim family who left a charitable legacy for our community through the Jewish Foundation. For more information about how you can leave your own legacy—and to include your story in the Book of Life—please contact Jennifer Apple at japple@ujafed.org or 416-635-2883 x 5212.