Rambam Health Care Campus is proud andhonored to bestow the 2022 Rambam Award upon Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Edna Sohnis in recognition of their achievements in the field of advanced electronic components and systems, their business acumen, and their extraordinary philanthropic impact on the Jewish community, particularly in Israel, affecting the fields of education, biotechnology, and medical research at Rambam Health Care Campus.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jonathan grew up in a Zionist family. As a teenager, he was already devoted to Israel, was passionate about science, and decidedto study at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Jonathan began his studies in a Technion preparatory program, where he focused on math, physics, and Hebrew. Within only three months,he had passed qualifying exams—in Hebrew—and completed his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1979.
While in Israel, he met the woman who would standby his side throughout life with steadfast love and support, Edna. Together they raised three daughters,Talya, Odellya, and Nuriya, with the love of Israel afocus in their lives, and speaking only Hebrew in their home. In fact, one of Jonathan’s top priorities for life and all his business accomplishments has centered on answering one defining question: how can I bring benefit to Israel?
To that end, after leaving his mark on major companiessuch as Compaq Computers and LG Electronics,he set out on his own. In 1984, he co-founded the Altronix corporation – a high-tech development andmanufacturing company of electronic products for international industrial and commercial infrastructure markets with his “brother from another mother,” Alan Forman. Today, Altronix is an industry leader with hundreds of employees and contracts worldwide. Jonathan and Edna’s love for Israel and their commitment to Tikun Olam permeates all they do.
Edna partners with Jonathan in all their philanthropic efforts. Jonathan generously shares his knowledge and expertise, serves on the board of directors of several Israeli-focused organizations, provides pro-bono business consultations, and has helped numerous Israeli start-ups secure venture capital and address financial, business and technology issues. Together, Jonathan and Edna have generously supported some of Israel’s most widely admired institutions, including Jonathan’s alma mater, The Technion, The Weizmann Institute, The Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel, and D-Cure, an Israeli organization dedicated to fighting diabetes.
Jonathan has received numerous awards for his philanthropy, service, and contributions to Israel, including an Honorary Fellowship and an Honorary Doctorate from the Technion. Jonathan and Edna have generously supported clinical research initiatives at Rambam, ranging from stem cell therapy and cancer to cardiovascular diseases. Their support of Rambam is deeply rootedin a shared vision that all sectors of Israeli society are entitled to the best possible health care.
To that end,they are partners in Rambam’s mission to eliminatethe diseases afflicting humanity by their support of groundbreaking basic and translational research.
In acknowledgment of all the aforesaid, the Honorary Awards Committee has found Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Edna Sohnis deserving of the 2022 Rambam Award.
