‘Life is really a dance between passion and love and fear because we have all of it,” says Monette Malewski, “but we can’t allow the fear to lead the dance. It has to be the passion and the love. “That’s how I relate so much to Israel because I find the same thing when I go there with my friends.”
Malewski is the national chair of Canadian Friends of Hebrew University (CFHU). A vivacious, energetic woman, she works full time in the family-operated insurance agency she heads, as well as devoting much of her time and energy to the activities of Hebrew University in Canada, with which she has been associated in various capacities since 2008.
She began her tenure as national chair in 2017, becoming the first woman to hold this position.Malewski attributes much of her positive and indefatigable spirit to her parents. Their wedding took place in 1943 in Liege, Belgium, with members of the Gestapo threatening outside the door.
The Nazis were rounding up the Jews in the cities, and her parents realized that they would be doomed if they remained. Two weeks after their wedding, together with her uncle, they climbed the Alps, making their way to neutral Switzerland.
The Swiss put them to work, and they lived in a labor camp, where Monette was born. Several years later, despite not having any immigration papers, the family went to Canada, where Monette’s father persuaded the authorities to let them stay.
“The impact that my parents had on me because of the war was probably responsible for who I am today,” Monette says. “My father and my mother always believed that when the war was over, you could go either way. People went either sadly and kept everything inside, or they opened up. My parents were the type of people who said that life is for the living, and we have to live every day to the maximum – pretty much like Israelis today because we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. It creates inside you this resilience, this ability to have courage, and the ability to move forward. I think people look at me and say, ‘Monette, you always have a glass that is three-quarters full.”
Malewski says she carries that spirit of positive thinking into her work for the university as well. “At this stage of my life, when I look back, everything I’ve ever done, including for Hebrew University, is always to help advance progress and to move forward.”
Among the Hebrew University’s significant accomplishments over the past 100 years since its founding in 1925 are the partnerships it has established with universities in Canada and with IMRIC. The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada at the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University conducts basic and translational research in all fields of biomedicine.
Malewski speaks about Hebrew University with great pride, pointing out that it is ranked 81st among the top 100 universities worldwide, according to the prestigious 2024 Shanghai Ranking. She notes that the university was founded by some of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century, such as Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Chaim Weizmann, and Martin Buber.
“They knew that Germany was not going to be long for them, and so when we [Jews] couldn’t get what we wanted out of the Balfour agreement, which is a country, the next best thing that Albert Einstein thought was, ‘You create a university because without a university, you won’t go far – because education is the key to life.’”
Continuing on the theme of Albert Einstein, Malewski says, “His vision was that the university would become a global leader in research, in innovation, in education, and it’s a knowledge-based society. Einstein always believed that it would transform humanity.”
It is not surprising, therefore, that Hebrew University is currently building the Einstein House on its Edmond J. Safra Campus, an interactive museum about Einstein’s life and accomplishments that is being designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University acted as the catalyst for the project through the generosity of prominent art collector Jose Mugrabi.
Discussing the importance of associating Albert Einstein, who left his literary estate – which included some 85,000 documents – to the Hebrew University upon his death, Malewski explains, “Einstein is a brand. Israel today could use a lot of good publicity and branding, and Einstein’s name is inspirational, not only on a scientific level but also on a humanitarian level.” The museum is slated for completion in 2026.
While the events of World War II played a significant role in Malewski’s life through the experiences of her parents, the current in Israel has greatly influenced her as well. “We raised money, not so much for the school’s buildings but so that we could give the students financial help because they couldn’t work anymore in terms of their time. We gave them academic help, we gave them psychological help, and so for us it was very important to be able to give them the help so they could move forward.”
Malewski visited Hebrew University in June and was struck by the cooperation between Jews and Arabs on campus, as well as the focus of students serving in the IDF reserves, who managed to complete their studies despite the difficulties involved.
“We feel what’s going on every day, and I’m just amazed at how they can continue to move forward,” she says. “You go on campus, and you see all the diversity, and they’re working together. I believe the rest of the world could learn a good lesson.”
Hebrew University is observing its 100th anniversary in 2025. While Malewski acknowledges that it is difficult to fully celebrate the university’s centennial in the midst of a war, she says that the key is to continue to ensure that its students receive the best education possible.
She attributes her engagement with Hebrew University to her commitment to combating antisemitism, supporting philanthropy, multiculturalism, Jewish education, and advancing women’s roles in business and education. “I was motivated by values of inclusion, innovation, and excellence, and I was inspired by Albert Einstein’s legacy, which aligns with CFHU’s mission to enrich lives through academic and research excellence,” Malewski explains.
Hebrew University, she says, is unique not only because of the people but also because of its mission. Whether it’s education, agriculture, food sustainability, food security, or cyber, she says the university is “always ahead of the game.”
What is Malewski’s philosophy of philanthropy? “When I look at my career and my philanthropy,” she says, “it’s about helping people and making people feel good and knowledgeable. For me, it’s always a matter of imparting knowledge to people so that they can make good decisions. “Philanthropy means humanity to a certain degree. So for me, it’s tikkun olam – it’s to help repair the world.”
This article was written in cooperation with Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University.