The Bronfman family is a Canadian family, known for its extensive business holdings. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman (1889–1971), the most influential Canadian Jew of the mid-20th century, who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during American prohibition through founding the Seagram Company, and who later became president of the Canadian Jewish Congress (1939–62). The family is of Russian-Jewish and Romanian-Jewish ancestry; the patriarch, Yechiel (Ekiel) Bronfman, was originally a tobacco farmer from Bessarabia. According to The New York Times staff reporter Nathaniel Popper, the Bronfman family is "perhaps the single largest force in the Jewish charitable world." Family tree Some of the family members include: Abraham Bronfman Yechiel (Ekiel) Bronfman (16 Nov 1855, Russia – 24 Dec 1919), 1880 to Mindel Elman (25 May 1863 – 11 Nov 1918) Abe Bronfman (15 Nov 1882, Russia – 1968), m. 1905 to Sophie Rasminsky ( 1967.) Zelia Bronfman Rona Bronfman Mildred Bronfman Beatrice Bronfman Ruth Bronfman Harry Bronfman (20 Mar 1885, Russia – 1963), m. 1905 to Ann Gallaman (d. 1970) Allan Bronfman (1906 – 1944), m. 1931 to Freda Besner Mitchell Bronfman Marion Bronfman Beverly Bronfman Gerald Bronfman Rona Retta Bronfman Laura Bronfman (1 Jan 1887, Russia – 1976), m. 1911 to Barnett Aaron Samuel Miles Bronfman Sr. (1 Mar 1889, onboard ship in Soroki, Bessarabia – 10 Jul 1971, Montreal, QC), m. 20 Jun 1922, Winnipeg, MB, to Saidye Rosner Bronfman (20 Dec 1896, Plum Coulee, MB – 6 Jul 1995, Montreal, QC) Aileen Mindel (Minda) Bronfman (1925 – 1985), m. 1953, Paris, France, to Alain Francois De Gunzburg Phyllis Barbara Bronfman Lambert (1927 – ), m. Jean Lambert Edgar Miles Bronfman, Sr. (1929 – 2013), m. 1953–1973 to Ann Margaret Loeb; m. 1973–1974 to Carolyn Townshend; m. Rita "Georgianna" Eileen Webb (dates unknown); m. 1994 to Jan Aronson. Samuel Bronfman II Edgar Miles Bronfman, Jr. (b. 1955), m. 1979–1991 to Sherry Brewer; m. 1993 to Clarisa Alcock San Román Benjamin Zachary Bronfman (b. 1982) Vanessa Sherry Bronfman Hannah Marcina Bronfman (b. 1987) Holly Bronfman Matthew Bronfman Jeremy Bronfman Eli Bronfman Adam Rodgers Bronfman Sara Rosner Bronfman (b. 1976), m. Basit Igtet (b. 1970) Clare Bronfman (b. 1979) Charles Rosner Bronfman, m. Barbara Baerwald; m. 1982–2006 Andrea Brett Morrison (1945 – 2006); m. 2008–2011 to Bonita Roche; m. 2012 to Rita Mayo. Stephen Bronfman Coby Bronfman (b. 2005), the fifth son of Matthew