Renata Witelson Hornstein, LLD 14
“We are deeply saddened to lose Renata only months after mourning the passing of her husband Michal,” notes Concordia President Alan Shepard. “She was a brilliant woman who leaves a permanent legacy at Concordia and on so many other public institutions in Montreal. She pursued a vision of a world made better, stronger and more just by supporting higher education and especially the fine arts. She will be deeply missed by those of us who admired her quick mind, her resilience, her compassion for other people.”
Renata’s beloved husband Michal Hornstein passed away on April 25, 2016. He was 95. In 2014 Concordia had honoured them both with honorary doctorates to recognize the significance of their support for the university and especially its students.
Born in Poland in 1920, Renata was forced into hiding following the outbreak of the Second World War. To avoid persecution during the Holocaust, she travelled from Poland to Hungary and Slovakia with her younger brother, cousin and uncles.
She met her future husband in hiding at the end of the war. They moved to Rome, where they were married in 1947. In Rome, Renata Hornstein’s passion for art grew — particularly for Old Masters of the Dutch Golden Age. There, she began visiting museums regularly and studying art history, which led her to a lifetime of art collection.
In 1951 she moved to Montreal, where she began her long and generous relationship as a proponent of art and education in the city.
“Renata Hornstein and her husband established a legacy that will endure for generations. Their philanthropy underpins several of our city’s most prominent institutions. A common factor among the universities, hospitals and museums they supported is public service,” says Bram Freedman, vice-president of Advancement and External Relations.
The Hornstein’s first gift to Concordia in 1998 established the Renata Hornstein Graduate Fellowship in Art History, allowing two new students to undertake postgraduate work at Concordia each year.
The couple pledged $1 million to the university to establish the Renata Hornstein Doctoral Scholarships in 2014. The awards encourage those impassioned by art education, history, film studies or interdisciplinary fine arts to pursue their academic goals in the Faculty of Fine Arts.
A master of language — she was fluent in seven — Renata Hornstein published two memoirs in verse of her wartime experiences: A Tumultuous Journey: Horror, Hope and Happiness (2008) and From Precipice to Paradise — And Candid Thoughts (2012).
Throughout her life, she and her husband expressed their deep commitment to giving back to the community. Their philanthropic causes included the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal World Film Festival, the Ballet Eddy Toussaint de Montréal, the Segal Centre, Agence Ometz, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Jewish General Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Université de Montreal and Concordia.
The city of Montreal honoured the Hornsteins by naming them Great Montrealers in 2012. They are the first couple to jointly receive the honour.
The Hornstein’s donated more than 100 pieces of art to the MMFA in 2012, valued at over $100 million. Their gift was the largest private modern history donation to a Quebec museum.
Their relationship with the MMFA began in the 1970s and led to the renaming of a pavilion the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion. Their 2012 donation will be housed in the newly constructed Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, which will open as part of the Montreal’s upcoming 375th anniversary celebrations.
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