Malka Green, a long-time friend, supporter and alumna of the University of Toronto, passed away on June 21, 2015.
Malka was one of the truly great community leaders. Visionary, selfless and energetic, she, along with her husband Abraham (Al), supported many charities in the GTA dedicated to health, social services, arts, culture and of course education. A staunch believer in active participation, she was recognized with an Arbor Award in 1998 for her outstanding personal service to the University of Toronto, notably on the board of the University of Toronto Art Centre. At the Department of Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, she and her husband established the Al and Malka Green Professorship of Yiddish Studies, the inaugural holder of which is Professor Anna Shternshis. Her vision has ensured that Yiddish language and literature courses will be a permanent part of our curriculum and that a vanishing heritage will be preserved for future generations. The academy is richer and wiser for its inclusion — as are all of us who had the privilege to know Malka. May her memory be a blessing.