Charles R. Bronfman, formerly co-chairman of the Seagram Company Ltd. and principal owner of the Montreal Expos baseball club from 1968 until 1990, traveled from Canada to the Newport Coast representing Taglit-Birthright Israel, an international program that he co-founded and launched in 2000.
Nicole Laderberg traveled to Israel as part of the birthright Israel program. She joined a young man, Ryan Chase, at the Hyman reception, to share the impact of the trip with guests.
“I am a reformed Jew by birth, and I was not particularly religious,” said Chase, a recent USC graduate working in real estate. “The trip was an eye-opener. I could not have possibly imagined how being in Israel would change my life. It is an amazing place. I met incredible people. I am a very different person today because of being there.”
Bronfman, attired in a traditional blue blazer, shirt, tie and gray slacks could not have been more unassuming for a man whose mission is to change the world, strengthen the bonds of the Jewish people, preserve Jewish identity for future generations, and send a message of hope to all concerning the progress and possibility of peace in the Middle East.
To this end, Bronfman, working with the State of Israel and other philanthropists and business leaders, created Taglit-Birthright Israel to send young Jewish adults, ages 18 to 26, on a free educational 10-day journey to Israel.
Since its inception, some 165,000 youth have participated internationally, with some 1,000 representing Orange County.
Bronfman had come to meet participants, parents and local leaders in order to expand the program and raise local support including additional funding from like-minded philanthropists in the O.C. community.
