‘You’re not put on this Earth to do nothing. You’re put here for a reason.”
Quoting the late Rosalind Goodman, Maxyne Finkelstein – president of the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, based in Montreal – distills one of the essential messages of the foundation: People should have the opportunity and responsibility to fulfill their potential to the utmost of their abilities.
The above quote, explains Finkelstein, was just one of the many ‘Ros-isms’ for which she was known. Rosalind Goodman was the driving force behind the philanthropic organization, and she and her husband, Morris, raised their children to be connected to the values of philanthropy.
The Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation actively contributes to enriching civil society in North America and Israel. Finkelstein adds, “It was founded very much based on the basic values of an interest in doing good, which is reflected in the Goodman name. Paying forward has been and remains the Goodman family philosophy. The founders of the foundation felt very strongly that they had a responsibility to give back to where they prospered and to give back as Jews, to be part of improving the community and strengthening Israel.”
Over the years, explains Finkelstein, the foundation has focused on scientific research to improve health, education – both Jewish and general – and enhance the quality of life for disadvantaged members of society. Unlike some family foundations whose goals often fracture by the second generation, the members of the Goodman family have committed to working together. They are now gradually bringing in the third generation of the family to help achieve the foundation’s goals.
The foundation’s second generation consists of two men and two women – the children of Morris and Rosalind Goodman. “They’re all very involved in philanthropy with their respective families,” Finkelstein says. “They grew up with it at their dinner table, and there were always community meetings held in their house. Now we are talking about the third generation, which includes teens through early 30s.”
One of the foundation’s most meaningful activities is its partnership with Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which offers financial assistance to Israelis of Ethiopian descent pursuing graduate and undergraduate degrees. The project Walk in Their Shoes – spearheaded by Jonathan Goodman, one of the four second-generation siblings – has resulted in raising $5 million at each of the two universities for this program.
Additionally, a smaller, similar initiative was recently launched at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba, which is the Israeli municipality that is twinned with Montreal.
“When we embarked on this journey,” says Finkelstein, “we did quite a bit of research to learn where we could make an impact and find a niche that no one was paying a lot of attention to. We began to examine higher education, exploring the differences between a college and university degree, as well as the impact of studying in the center of the country – surrounded by influential people – versus studying in the periphery. This is where we landed. We said, ‘Let’s focus on these two top-quality universities because we can’t do it everywhere and need to begin somewhere.’”
Finkelstein says that Jonathan Goodman wanted to ensure that there was sufficient funding to enable Israeli students of Ethiopian descent to obtain the tools they needed to gain admission to school, receive social and academic support, attend university without worrying about supporting their families, and find suitable employment after graduation.
“We focused on working with the universities,” she says, “and encouraged them not to wait for the students to show up but to go out into the community, talk to potential students, talk to their families, and help them see that they could go to Hebrew University or Tel Aviv University. There’s a path to help them get there.”
In analyzing the issues, they found that one of the obstacles to increasing the number of students of Ethiopian descent in university had to do with self-perception. “Members of the community we spoke to initially, as well as those who responded to a research study conducted last year, said they hadn’t seen themselves as having the resources be accepted to these universities, to get through school successfully, and to take on all the responsibilities to their families at the same time,” she recounts.
Finkelstein Fast-Forwards her report of the program several years and notes that the students who have participated have achieved significant milestones in their studies.
“At Hebrew University, what struck me was seeing the program they’ve built with two experts from the community who are working with the students, going out into the community, talking to people, and really making a difference in terms of building success. The numbers have increased, and there is greater awareness of opportunities for various forms of support beyond the financial.”
She notes that since the program began, Ethiopians have expanded their areas of study from being mostly focused on helping professions to choosing a more diverse range of subjects, such as engineering, medicine, basic sciences, and business. Finkelstein notes that students participating in the program often encounter unusual challenges.
“Hearing the incredible achievements and stories of the students, we understand that they had overcome not only typical barriers of any first-generation students coming into university but also all the other things that came with it. In many cases, their parents had low literacy levels and lacked formal education themselves.”
Several years ago, Finkelstein accompanied a number of Ethiopian Israelis who now work for the Jewish Agency for Israel on a trip to Ethiopia. She was inspired by hearing their stories while standing on a hill in Ethiopia, and their descriptions of how they had traveled through Sudan. “These are people who have university degrees. They’re very successful professionals at a high level, and God willing, their children will be even more successful. It’s amazing to see what education can do.
“As Jonathan Goodman often says, education is the key to our people’s success, and it remains so. We see the role it plays in Israel and bringing the country to such a high level of achievement.”
Another initiative the foundation supports through the Ethiopian National Project takes Israeli Ethiopian teens to Jewish summer camps in Canada. “The idea is to bring [to Canada] small groups of campers from the community to give them a fun and memorable experience,” says Finkelstein. “It helps them with their English, which is really important. But it also gives them a few weeks of leisure and the opportunity to meet [other] Jewish kids. It strengthens their connection to global Jewry by seeing themselves as part of something bigger.”
Finkelstein has spent her career in Jewish communal life, beginning with working at the Montreal Jewish Federation as CEO of Jewish Federations Canada UIA, and in senior executive positions at the Jewish Agency for Israel’s North American office, the Birthright Israel Foundation, and the Genesis Prize. Eight years ago, she returned to her hometown of Montreal to assume her current position at the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation.
Reflecting on her long and varied career in Jewish communal life, Finkelstein notes that she has been blessed with numerous experiences locally, nationally, and internationally. “In my career, I have connected with so many people of various cultures and interests in Canada, the United States, Israel, and elsewhere. I have truly had the opportunity to learn the essence and reality of Jewish peoplehood.”
Finkelstein concludes our interview with another pithy aphorism expressed by Rosalind Goodman, which can apply not only to family foundations but to just about anyone who wants to make a mark on his society and community: “Leave your values as your legacy – not just your valuables.”
“We’re privileged to be able to do that with respect and trust,” Finkelstein says. “It’s how we can be a partner with organizations and people, to offer support in the way it is requested and needed by recipients.
“That’s how we repair the world.”
This article was written in cooperation with Canadian Friends of Hebrew University.