Remembering Mark Mendelson Z"L - CEO, BGU Canada
On November 30, BGU held the 2022 Ben-Gurion Awards. Seven recipients were honoured for their contributions to the university and to Israel.
Dear Friend,
As a subscriber to BGU Canada's eConnect newsletter, you have probably grown accustomed to seeing the friendly face and hearing the familiar voice of CEO Mark Mendelson, Z"L during one of his monthly videos to the BGU Canada community.
On November 14, 2022, Ben-Gurion University Canada learned of the passing of one of the greatest leaders the organization has ever known. Mark Mendelson, Z"L was CEO for over 12 years.
His funeral was held in Montreal on November 17. Mark was 73 years old.
BGU Canada dedicates the November edition of its eConnect in loving memory of Mark Mendelson, Z"L who was committed to building bridges between Ben-Gurion University, the Negev and Israel, and the Canadian diaspora.
We thank you Mark for your unwavering dedication and leadership.
You will be missed.
Tributes in Memory of Mark Mendelson z"l
Jack Altman
President, BGU Canada
"Even on vacation in Israel, on his own time, he drove from Tel Aviv to Be’er Sheva, at least 1.5 hours each way, five times with donors to escort them on a visit to the BGU campus. Why I asked him? “Because I love it”, he replied. "
Sam Cordes
COO, BGU Canada
"Mark and I have been friends since we were 6 years old. We met in grade 1 at Jewish People’s School in Montreal. He told everyone we met that I was his oldest friend. I cannot imagine him not being in my life and am grateful for the many years we shared."
Zach Ostrove, Executive Director
BGU Canada - Winnipeg
"Mark was so much more than just my boss for the last 7 years. He was the CEO who gave me a chance at 33, the mentor who taught me about fundraising, and the man and friend who loved my family like it was his own."
November 30 is Ben-Gurion Day in Israel; a day dedicated to the memory of the country's first prime minister. This year, we will release a special video recorded at the Sde Boker and Be'er Sheva campuses of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, hosted by our National Director of Marketing and Communications, Galit Solomon.
Galit will bring you special interviews featuring BGU President Professor Daniel Chamovitz and Vice President of Advancement Jeff Kaye. The video will include a 15 minute guided tour of the new archives building in Sde Boker.
BGU Canada dedicates this production to the memory of Mark Mendelson z"l.
The video will be distributed via eblast at 9 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. C.T. and 6 a.m. P.T. It will also be posted at www.bengurion.ca and distributed through our social media channels.
Read more about one of Mark's most recent projects:
The David Ben-Gurion Archive
When David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, passed away in 1973, an archive was established in a small underground space on the Sde Boker campus of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The archive was primarily for research purposes, and all of Ben-Gurion's papers were transferred to the IDF and State Archives.
Now, recognizing the importance of preserving those documents in Sde Boker and creating the first "American style" presidential library in Israel, Ben-Gurion University has constructed a new archives building.
