Ed Sonshine Opens Yad Vashem Lecture Series

Ed Sonshine (far right) speaking to young community leaders

On Thursday, November 3, participants made their way to the boardroom of Toronto’s RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust for the launch of a series of lectures, called Our Future, Our Responsibility, organized by The Canadian Society for Yad Vashem Young Leadership Division.

The speaker for the inaugural event was Ed Sonshine, President and CEO of RioCan REIT, and a generous supporter of Yad Vashem.

Sonshine, born in Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons’ Camp in Germany, and the son of Holocaust survivors, entertained and enlightened those in attendance as he shared his captivating stories of his family’s history has helped to shape his success as the founder and leader of RioCan and as a philanthropist. He also spoke about the interconnection between business and philanthropy.

He was introduced by his wife Fran, the National Chair, Canadian Society for Yad Vashem.

“The purpose of this speaker-series is to bring the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance to you community’s up and coming leaders,” said Fran. “Our aim is to introduce you all to the most successful and interesting leaders in our community from the fields of business, law, entertainment and sports. These are all people whose lives have been impacted and shaped by the Holocaust.”

A lawyer by trade, Sonshine, whose family made its way to Toronto in 1949, also spoke about the early years of his law career, and the connection between business and philanthropy.

“When I graduated from law school in 1970, the big white shoe firms did not hire Jews. It’s hard to believe that it was like that just forty years ago in Toronto, where Jews are everywhere today.

“One of the most interesting years to me in my life and career was the year I chaired the UJA Annual Campaign,” said Sonshine. “It was interesting because through philanthropy and being involved in helping our community, I got to meet some of the most interesting and important people in Toronto; people I would otherwise have no relationship with. And, I got to meet them in an interesting way, where I was asking them for money – not for me – but for the community. So, through philanthropy I made a number of interesting relationships, I helped the community and, at the end of the day, I felt good about myself because I was doing good. I discovered that when you are involved philanthropically and as a volunteer, there are many, many people who respect that. Nobody will ever take umbrage with you for trying to help others, they will only respect you for it.”

And, it’s clear that Ed Sonshine’s commitment to tikun olam across the community, did little to hurt the growth of RioCan REIT which today owns almost 300 retail properties in Canada and the United States with a total market capitalization of approximately $11.5 billion.

The Canadian Society for Yad Vashem is one of the largest and most prominent societies among Yad Vashem’s 28 representative bodies worldwide. Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem, is the universal guardian and imparter of the Holocaust’s legacy and the protector of human values.

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