Anna Brojde

Anna Brojde’s vision and generosity have fostered significant worldwide research activities, particularly in the fields of applied physics and cancer care. She is a devoted friend and supporter of the Hebrew University and is dedicated to honoring her late husband, Peter Brojde’s professional and personal values through her commitment to philanthropy and support for his chosen disciplines of engineering and computer science. Born in Poland, Mrs. Brojde graduated from the University of Warsaw with a Master’s degree in economics. She and Peter were married in 1967 after meeting at the Babel Club, a vibrant Jewish student organization in Warsaw. Two short years later, the Brojdes fled the escalating anti-Semitism in Poland to start life anew in Canada. Peter Brojde, who earned his Master’s degree at the University of Warsaw in solidstate physics, pursued a highly successful entrepreneurial career. In 1984 he co-founded the Eicon Technology Corporation which grew to become one of the leading innovative connectivity companies in the world, with worldwide product distribution. Following Peter Brojde’s untimely death in 2005, Mrs. Brojde and their two children, Ari and Karen, committed to preserving Peter’s legacy by establishing the Peter Brojde Scholarships in Engineering and Computer Science at the Hebrew University.

Anna lived a remarkable life during which the importance of creating impact by helping others acted as an overarching and guiding principle. Her vision and generosity helped to foster significant discoveries in the fields of science and medicine, establishing the Peter Brojde Center for Excellence in Computer Science and Engineering at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Peter Brojde Lung Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. Anna was appointed a Governor and received an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew University for her contributions.

Peter Brojde


Peter Brojde was bfalseorn on February 12, 1945 in Moscow, the youngest of three sons of WWII Jewish resistance heroes Leopold Trepper and Luba Brojde. The Trepper-Brojde family moved to Poland after the war, where Peter eventually enrolled at the Warsaw Polytechnical Institute. There, he became a leading member of Club Babel, a Jewish student organization, where he met Anna, whom he married in 1967. He graduated from the Institute with a Masters degree in solid-state physics in 1969.

With the worsening political and economic climate in Poland, especially for Jews, Peter was denied a job working for the university. Furthermore, the government accused members of Club Babel of instigating unrest among Polish students.

Thus Peter and Anna Brojde fled Poland to start a new life in Canada. In 1974, Peter co-founded Micom Data Systems, which was acquired by Philips N.V. in 1979. As vice-president of R&D at Philips until 1984, Peter managed the product development area, generating over $1 billion dollars in revenues.

In 1984, Peter, together with his brother-in-law Maks Wulkan and another colleague at Philips, co-founded Eicon Technology Corporation, a pioneer in innovative computer and network connectivity. The company grew under Peter's leadership as President and CEO from 3 employees to 700 employees in 70 countries around the world, and ranked fourth largest among Canadian software manufacturers.

Peter received numerous awards for his contributions to the high-tech industry sector. In 1995, he received the Canadian Advanced Technology Association award for Leadership in the Private Sector, and Eicon Technology received the Canada Export Award for Lifetime Achievement, recognizing outstanding success in the international market. Peter was honoured at the Gala du Commerce, an event that highlights the merit and professional success of major personalities in the Quebec business world. In 2001, he received a fellowship from the Canadian Academy of Engineers.

Peter was a generous donor to many noble causes, particularly those that helped to support the Jewish community in Montreal.

Peter died in 2005 after a courageous battle with cancer. Anna Brojde and their children, Ari and Karen, established the Peter Brojde Award for Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science at the Hebrew University in his memory as a symbol of his ethic of personal and business success through hard work, perseverance and community involvement. Peter Brojde's guiding principles have now found further expression in the establishment of the Peter Brojde Center for Innovative Engineering and Computer Science at the Selim and Rachel Benin School of Engineering and Computer Science of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.