A special memorial event commemorating the life of Edgar M. Bronfman, z”l, former President of the World Jewish Congress, and a philanthropist, who passed away last December, took place on Thursday, March 6 at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
The event took place in the presence of MK Yuli Edelstein, Speaker of the Knesset, MK Isaak Herzog, Leader of the Opposition, and members of the Bronfman family.
“I want to thank to all of you for this great evening. It's a little bit difficult for me to talk about Edgar. On the one hand we are celebrating the life of the public Edgar, and on the other hand - it is the life of my father,” said Matthew Bronfman, Edgar’s son. “There was an Edgar that loved such events and has been always into it, and there was another Edgar, home Edgar with a huge family. At the last days of his life it was really important for him that we will stand together. My Father was far from being perfect. But he was, he is and he always will be my hero.”
Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein, a Prisoner of Zion from 1984-1987 who made Aliyah immediately upon his release from Soviet prison, also spoke at the event and said, “For me it was not only about Edgar Bronfman and his contribution to the Soviet Jewry, it was Edgar Bronfman and many ‘yuli edelshtein's’ all over the world; Personal stories that connected to his work and his devotion.”
The evening was organized by Limmud FSU (Matthew Bronfman, Edgar’s son, serves as its Chairman), Hillel Israel, and the Bronfman Fellowship. These three organizations are recognized as major recipients of the Bronfman family philanthropic efforts. The event was sponsored by the Samuel Bronfman Foundation in New York, Discount Bank, and Ikea Israel.