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AIDA would like to thank our supporters for their outpouring of sympathy and tremendous generosity in memory of Andy Bronfman. Andy’s Emerging Artist Fund will provide scholarships to contemporary decorative artists from Israel, helping them achieve their dreams and ensuring Andy’s legacy as an inspiration to rising new artists. Click here for a list of our supporters.
Andrea M. Bronfman, 1945-2006
It is with extreme sadness that the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA) mourns the loss of Andrea (Andy) Bronfman. AIDA was founded in 2003 with the goal of nurturing the careers of emerging decorative artists from Israel and was built on three key elements: a passion for the arts, working together as a team, and caring about one another...these were all Andy’s great talents.
Andy formed a particularly strong bond with AIDA’s artists. Each artist became a part of an extended family and like family, Andy celebrated each artist's achievements with the pride of a mother.
Andy, we love you. We miss you.
The AIDA Family
Dale and Doug Anderson, Co-Chairs
Andrea (Andy) M. Bronfman, co-chair of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP), passed away January 23, 2006, as the result of injuries sustained in a traffic accident. Through her leadership at ACBP and numerous other philanthropic endeavors, she was a shaping force in initiatives aimed at strengthening Jewish identity worldwide, with a focus on Jewish youth, the arts and education. In 2003, she and her husband, Charles, were named honorary citizens of Jerusalem, the first North American Jews and the first couple to receive this historic honor. Andrea Bronfman was 60 years old.
Known to friends and colleagues as Andy, Mrs. Bronfman also served as Founder and Deputy Chairman of The Gift of New York, a non-profit initiative which provided admission to New York City’s cultural, arts, entertainment and sports venues, without charge, to the bereaved families of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The program, intended to give solace to the grieving families, ran through the spring of 2003 and served 12,000 families.
In 2003, she founded AIDA: The Association for Israel’s Decorative Arts, a vehicle designed to expose Israeli artists to North American galleries and collectors, as well as to educate North Americans about decorative arts in Israel. Charles Bronfman established The Andrea M. Bronfman Prize for the Arts (“The Andy”) to honor his wife’s life-long passion for and support of the arts, and to create a showcase for Israeli decorative artists.
Andrea M. Bronfman inherited her love of Israel from her parents and her love of art from her mother. Her father, Hyam, was, for many years, a leader of the United Joint Israel Appeal of Great Britain. Her mother, Doris, was the founder of the British Friends of the Museums of Israel. Andrea Bronfman devoted much of her energies to fostering their interest in Jewish identity, community and meaning, both in North America and in Israel.
She and Charles Bronfman were co-founders of birthright israel, a program offering 18-26 year-olds their first Jewish living and learning experience in Israel. In just 6 years, almost 100,000 participants have benefited from this program.
“There was an undeniable force that seemed to emanate from Andy and make good things happen for many, many people,” said Jeffrey Solomon, President of ACBP. “She derived much of that energy from the young people whom she made it her purpose to serve.”
Mrs. Bronfman was on the Board of Directors of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc., New York; The Jewish Museum, New York. In her capacity as National Co-Chair of the Canadian Friends of Beth Hatefutsoth, Andy Bronfman created and directed a national cultural project, “A Coat of Many Colours: Two Centuries of Jewish Life in Canada,” a major traveling exhibition with a companion book and film. Her commitment to human rights and fundamental freedom led her to found the “Group of 35” – Montreal Women’s Campaign for Soviet Jewry. The “35s” played an active role in alerting both the Canadian government and the public at large to the plight of Soviet Jewry.
Born in London in 1945, Andy Bronfman moved to Canada as a young bride where she lived until 1998, when she and her husband, Charles, moved to New York City. In May of 2000, she was awarded Doctorate of Philosophy, Honoris Causa, from Tel Aviv University.
Andrea Bronfman is survived by her husband, Charles; her son Jeremy Cohen and his wife Marci Ann; her daughter Pippa Cohen; her son Tony Cohen and his wife Moira; her beloved stepchildren Stephen Bronfman and his wife Claudine; and Ellen Hauptman and her husband Andrew, and her sister Marcia (Kappy) Flanders. Mrs. Bronfman is also survived by her 6 grandchildren: Danielle Maya Cohen, Scott Morrison Cohen, Talia Cohen, Alexandra Bronfman, Lila Hauptman and Zack Hauptman.
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