TORONTO, November 26, 2008 -- York University’s Centre for Jewish Studies is being renamed the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies following a generous gift from the Koschitzky family.
The donation is in honour of the 100th birthday of Golda Koschitzky and the 50th anniversary of York University in 2009.
The gift is the latest instance of the Koschitzky family’s extraordinary commitment to Jewish Studies, to York University, and to the community. Other initiatives at York enabled by the family include a Chair in Jewish Teacher Education that is helping to meet the growing demand for interdisciplinary teachers of Hebrew and Jewish Studies.
“York University offers the largest university level program in Jewish Studies in Canada, and one of the largest outside of Israel,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “The Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre is unique — from its beginnings in 1989, the Centre’s mission has encompassed research, while also actively engaging the community through teaching and service,” he said.
“The Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies will extend our strengths and broaden the wealth of opportunities at York to explore everything from Hebrew Language and Literature to Jewish history to Jewish Film to Jewish Women’s Studies,” said Sara Horowitz, the centre’s director. “I can’t think of more suitable and deserving new names to give to our centre than those of Israel and Golda Koschitzky.”
The investment from the family will create an endowment providing ongoing funding to enhance student and faculty research and training. The funds will also go toward dissemination and application of research to academic and community settings; enable conferences and symposia; and facilitate exchanges between Jewish Studies scholars in North America, Europe and Israel.
Israel and Golda Koschitzky immigrated to Canada from Poland after the Second World War. In 1951, Israel, now deceased, created IKO, a successful roofing products company headquartered in Calgary. Koschitzky family members still run IKO, which has operations spanning North America and Europe. The family is also prominent in Canadian philanthropy.
Julia Koschitzky, a daughter-in-law of Israel and Golda, is the former chair of the advisory committee of the Centre for Jewish Studies, as well as a member of the York University Foundation Board of Directors. She said the gift grew out of the family’s deepening relationship and respect for York University. “We have been deeply impressed by the passion of the faculty, staff and researchers at York and particularly in the area with which we’re most familiar: Jewish Studies,” said Koschitzky. “We’re delighted to help York University grow its leadership in this field of study.”
The gift from the Koschitzky family is part of York University Foundation’s current York to the Power of 50 campaign achievement, now at more than $167 million toward its $200 million goal.
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as more than 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 26 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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Media contact:
Keith Marnoch, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22091 / marnoch@yorku.ca
