'It’s amazing to see what education can do'

“You’re not put on this earth to do nothing. You’re put here for a reason,” says Maxyne Finkelstein, President of the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, quoting the late Rosalind Goodman.

The Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation actively contributes to enriching civil society in North America and Israel. “Paying forward was Morris and Rosalind Goodman’s philosophy,” she says. “They felt very strongly that they had a responsibility to give back, to give back because of their business and to give back because as Jews, it was very important to contribute and to be part of improving the community.”

One of the foundation’s most meaningful activities is its partnership with Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University, which offers financial assistance to Israelis of Ethiopian descent pursuing graduate and undergraduate degrees.

Finkelstein notes that the Ethiopian 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 gone up.”