In November 2017, Weizmann Canada lost Murray Koffler, the first Chair of Weizmann Canada and a driving force in building the organization. Murray was a natural community leader and a devoted supporter of many philanthropic causes for the betterment of humanity, as well as for the promotion of the arts and sciences. He had a special connection to Israel and to the Weizmann Institute in particular. He shared his leadership skills and business acumen through his service on Weizmann’s Board of Governors, as Deputy Chair and Chairman of the Board of Governors, as a member of the Executive Board and then a Life Member of the Board.

Murray’s memory will live on at the Weizmann Institute through the family’s many gifts, and the leadership role he played in establishing the Koffler Accelerator of the Canada Centre of Nuclear Physics, which is not only an iconic landmark of the Weizmann Institute but of Israeli science. Murray’s wisdom, compassion, and ability to ignite his own spirit of philanthropy in others was truly commendable and a legacy for future generations.