The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its first word, Bereshit. Genesis is an account of the creation of the world, the early history of humanity, and the origins of the Jewish people.
Jacob, later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, and Islam. Jacob first appears in the Book of Genesis, originating from the Hebrew tradition in the Torah. Described as the son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandson of Abraham, Sarah, and Bethuel, Jacob is presented as the second-born among Isaac's children. His fraternal twin brother is the elder, named Esau, according to the biblical account. Jacob is said to have bought Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, deceived his aging father to bless him instead of Esau. Later in the narrative, following a severe drought in his homeland of Canaan, Jacob and his descendants, with the help of his son Joseph, moved to Egypt where Jacob died at the age of 147. He is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah.
The Jewish Agency for Israel, formerly known as the Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. It was established in 1929 as the operative branch of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).
Charles Bronfman, is a Canadian-American businessman and philanthropist and is a member of the Canadian Jewish Bronfman family. With an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion in 2023, Bronfman was ranked by Forbes as the 1,217th wealthiest person in the world.
Taglit-Birthright Israel, also known as Birthright Israel or simply Birthright, is a free ten-day heritage trip to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights for young adults of Jewish heritage between the ages of 18 and 26. The program is sponsored by the Birthright Israel Foundation, whose donors subsidize participation.
Saidye Rosner Bronfman was a Canadian-Jewish philanthropist. Her husband, Samuel Bronfman (1891–1971), purchased Joseph E. Seagram and Sons Limited, that became the Seagram Company. The family took a leading role in the Canadian-Jewish community.
Federation CJA is a Canadian Jewish organization that raises and distributes funds by facilitating and overseeing the delivery of services and programs.
The firstborn or firstborn son is an important concept in Judaism. The role of firstborn son carries significance in the redemption of the first-born son, in the allocation of a double portion of the inheritance, and in the prophetic application of "firstborn" to the nation of Israel.
Geneviève Zubrzycki is Professor of Sociology (2003–present) and Director of the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, the Copernicus Center for Polish Studies, and the Center for European Studies at the University of Michigan. She is also affiliated with the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan.
Sharon Azrieli is a soprano singer and Cantor from Montreal, Quebec. She moved to New York City after attending Vassar College, from which she graduated with a degree in Art History. She also holds degrees from Juilliard School and the University of Montreal.
Wayne L. Firestone is an American playwright and veteran non-profit leader. He co-produces and hosts The America-Israel Friendship League’s (AIFL) live webinars created during the COVID Pandemic— over two hundred episodes since March 2020. He served as Executive Director of AIFL 2019-2021. In March 2022, he was named the Jewish Plays Project inaugural 21st Century Playwright Fellow. An alumnus of three Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive cohorts, his plays have appeared in festivals in New York, Washington, DC, Israel and the United Kingdom. A member of the Dramatists Guild of America, in 2018 he founded Plays2Gather to perform diverse stories in homes and non-traditional venues.
Daniel S. Brenner is an American rabbi. Brenner is chief of Education and Program at Moving Traditions. Brenner was the founding executive director of Birthright Israel NEXT and he directed graduate-level training programs at Auburn Theological Seminary and at CLAL- the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, both in New York City. In 2009, he was named by Newsweek Magazine as one of the fifty most influential rabbis in America.
The Genesis Prize is a $1 million annual prize awarded to Jewish people who have achieved significant professional success, in recognition of their accomplishments, contributions to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values.
The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre is a biomedical research institution affiliated with McGill University's Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was established in 1978. They maintain close relationships with the many hospitals and departments in the area. Their 5 core themes of research include:
Stan Polovets is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is known for his work in the international energy sector and for his innovative philanthropic initiatives.
Adam Milstein is an Israeli-American real estate investor, lobbyist and philanthropist. He is a managing partner of Hager Pacific Properties.
Vietnamese refugees in Israel are a community of overseas Vietnamese who arrived in Israel from 1977 to 1979. The State of Israel permitted approximately 366 Vietnamese boat people fleeing the 1975 Communist takeover of Vietnam to enter the country during that time period.
Sylvan Adams is an Israeli-Canadian billionaire businessman.
Stephen Rosner Bronfman is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist, environmental activist and scion of the Bronfman family. He is the Chief Revenue Officer of the Liberal Party of Canada and a senior advisor to Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. He is also the last male Bronfman to have stayed in the family's ancestral city of Montreal.
The Holocaust Museum of Oporto is a Holocaust museum founded in 2021.
