Irving & Ruth Levine
I was raised in a Jewish household in a small town (Grimsby, Ontario) where we were the only Jewish family. Every week my father would drive to Hamilton to secure the necessary meats at a kosher butcher in order that my mother could keep a kosher home. We celebrated the Shabbat at home and the high holidays in Hamilton where my father was a member of The Beth Jacob Synagogue.
Philanthropy was impressed upon me at a young age. After the war, several Jewish families moved to the Grimsby Mountains and started a chicken farm. My father, who owned a junior department store on the main street, would pack up his car every weekend and deliver clothes and other items to them. What has stuck with me most was how my father went about his giving –proud but very low key.
My wife Ruth and I use a similar approach with our philanthropy. We give to the community and are proud of what we are able to give. We raised our three children to recognize the importance of giving back to the community. Today, they and our six grandchildren are actively involved in numerous charitable organizations, as well as Israel and Jewish life.
The future of the Jewish Community and leaving a legacy for our children, grandchildren and future generations is very important to us.
Most recently we made a capital gift to the Lebovic campus; The Levine/Robins Community Services Offices, Community Services Pavilion. Ruth and I are very excited about our contribution towards helping to maintain Jewish continuity. We hope that this gift and our endowment at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto will help sustain Jewish living for generations to come.
