David Horovitz
Journalist & Author

Andy Bronfman loved Israel, sought to bring Israel and the Diaspora closer together and had a particular expertise in crafts and artistry where she was uniquely able to further that wider goal.

Hers was anything but a distant brand of philanthropy. She was hands-on – no-nonsense, no fluff, directly involved in every last detail of the projects she was championing. Indeed, she seemed driven by an inner compulsion to make the best use, for others, of the advantages and opportunities she had. And she was formidable in her determination to see her projects done right.

One of her prime passions, in which she was deeply involved when her life was so shockingly cut short, was in the field of decorative art. Her efforts to enable international exposure for Israeli artists in this field were initially stymied by intifada violence, but she sustained the ambition over the past five years and was set to bring it to fruition this summer.

The determination to use the opportunities she had to make life better for those most deserving was underlined, too, in her New York-based work providing cultural benefits – including free tickets to movies and sports events – to children whose parents were killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

She was absolutely integral to the extraordinary range of philanthropic ventures involving her husband, Charles Bronfman, and most especially birthright israel – an initiative so central and essential that, today, it is impossible to conceive of an Israeli-Diaspora partnership without it.

Andy Bronfman was straight and straight-talking, energetic, highly motivated and a fine human being. Israel and the Jewish world are deeply impoverished by her so premature passing.

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