MikeCohen.ca

Mourning the passing of Holocaust survivor Mayer Schondorf

I was shocked and very saddened to learn of the sudden passing of one my most distinguished constituents in District 2,  Mayer Schondorf at the age of 81. Born in Slovakia,  Mayer was a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald and he dedicated most of his life after escaping death at he hands of the Nazis to educating youngsters about his experience and those of others.  He was a frequent visitor to schools and worked closely with the Montreal Holocaust Memorial  Centre.

Municipally, Mayer was in touch with me on a regular basis – by telephone, email and in person. He and his wife Rena took long walks in the neighbourhood, keeping up a pace those half their age would envy.   After many of these walks Mayer would contact me to report a problem he spotted, He and Rena regularly attended my District meetings, which focus on very local issues. Mayer is pictured at te very left with other residents in discussion with me at one of the meetings.  

The Schondorf condo on Rembrandt Avenue faces Rembrandt Park. We have made many improvements there the last few years, but a major  project is planned beginning next summer which will see us add new tennis courts and remove the basketball courts. Mayer was very eager to be consulted on this. When we last spoke just a few weeks ago I promised him that there would be a meeting in the spring.

Mayer’s death is a tremendous loss to the Jewish community and society in general. He affected so many lives, notably the thousands upon thousands of non-Jewish students he spoke to over the years. For this is the best vehicle for combating anti-Semitism. Get to the kids who have never seen or met a Jew. Provide them with first-hand history. It leaves a tremendous impression upon them. I had the privilege of watching Mayer work his magic. He was just so good at it because what he said came from the heart.

Rest in peace Mayer. And to your family, my most sincere condolences.

Saluting a future mayor, a hero and our Public Works Department

There was a lot to celebrate at the Dec. 14, 2009 Côte Saint-Luc Council meeting.

The winner of the 2009 Mayor For a Day essay-writing contest, Rina Dayan, read her winning entry at the meeting. Rina received a book, a copy of which will be placed in the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library. In addition, her school, Yeshiva Yavné received a $100 gift card to buy books for its school library.

During this evening, for the second consecutive year, the association representing public works professionals in Canada awarded Côte Saint-Luc the top prize in its annual National Public Works Week Awards.The Canadian Public Works Association (CPWA) awarded the top prize to Côte Saint-Luc among cities with a population of 75,000 or fewer. The results will be announced formally at the CPWA Luncheon at the American Public Works Association Congress in Columbus, Ohio on September 14.　

Public Works Week in Côte Saint-Luc raised $4,000 for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation over the course of several days, from May 19 to 24. Staff helped raise money  in different ways, such   as a pie-throwing event. Grade 3 classes from Hebrew Academy toured the Public Works Department facilities and our waste education staff visited École Maimonides to promote waste-free lunches and recycling. The Public Works Carnival closed on Sunday, May 24 with a barbecue, inflatable games for children, wagon rides, household hazardous waste collection and more.

Meanwhile, we also recognized a true hero. 　 On the afternoon of Oct. 18, an elderly driver of a vehicle suffered a medical problem and lost control of his car. The car barreled through two fences and plunged into a half-filled private swimming pool. The man was pulled from the car at the bottom of the pool and successfully resuscitated. At the time he left for the hospital by ambulance, he had regained a pulse and was　 conscious. This miraculous story of survival would not have been possible if not for the rapid intervention of Martin Benko, a 17 year old Côte Saint-Luc resident who was walking his dog when he witnessed the accident.

Martin quickly tied up his dog and jumped into the pool. He broke the rear window of the car which, along with the trunk, was the only part of the car not submerged, and pulled the man out. He dragged the man to the stairs of the pool where, as a trained lifeguard, he assessed that the man had no pulse. Mr. Benko suffered lacerations to his arms during the rescue.　 We publicly saluted him at the meeting as well , with a special plaque.

Honouring Our Volunteers

The mayor and city council hosted our Volunteer Recognition Evening October 18 at the Gelber Conference Centre. With the ballroom beautifully decorated to resemble a cruise ship, Mayor Anthony Housefather served as captain for what we dubbed the HMS CSL whic he rightly pointed out "has been sailing in calm seas over the last four years."

A number of awards were handed out:

The William E. Kesler Memorial Trophy, named after the late William E. Kesler, who served on city council, goes to an individual in recognition of their contribution to recreation special events. This year’s winner was Bernard Pont. He is the quintessential (ideal) person compatible with his volunteering for the Senior’s Golf Outing. Quiet, unpretentious, unassuming, he visits each donor weeks before the outing. Sometimes he hits the jackpot by receiving something on his first try, but many times he visits once, twice and even more times, always with his modest smile. He is not heard from until the day before the golf event. At this time he places his booty on the table with and quietly walks away with that modest smile.

The Community Special Events Award is presented to the "couple’’ who have made a significant contribution to community special events. Mindy and Irving Schok were this year’s winners. They proved once again why marriage makes good bedfellows….or is that volunteers!! This delightful couple turned several of our community special events into ‘highlights’ of the year. Who will forget the Carnival Dance whereby they played such a large role in supporting the event with determining the theme, DJ Music, decorations, etc. They followed up on this event by volunteering at the annual blood donor clinic, and then at the annual Garage Sale. When it comes to special events, you’re sure to see them always supporting the community of which they are so proud.

The Royal Canadian Legion Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch 97 Award is presented to the Youth Volunteer of the Year, in recognition of an outstanding effort in making a difference in Côte Saint-Luc through volunteer service. Kevin Barnes was this year’s winner. He began working for the city in 2007 as a pool filter operator. Since then, he has occupied several positions such as outdoor ice rink maintenance attendant and baseball field maintenance attendant. During his employment with the city, he has been completing a Leisure Studies bachelor's degree. In 2008, he selected the Legion for a community recreation programming class. He led his group to organize and host a bingo night for the veteran's and the event was well appreciated and enjoyed by the members and their guests. This spring, he volunteered to assist the Parks and Recreation Department to coordinate various events, while he was awaiting the beginning of his baseball field maintenance contract to start. He contributed to the success of the 2009 VE Day, the 30^{th Annual Senior’s Golf Outing and also worked on sponsorship efforts for the Parks and Recreation Department .The department appreciated his positive attitude, determination and work ethic during the time he spent volunteering for the city.}

The Socio Cultural Award is presented for exceptional contribution to the parks and recreation socio-cultural programs. We were  fortunate to have two award recipients: Roz Agulnick and former City Councillor Harold Greenspon. Roz is one of the founding members of the local Quilter’s Guild. For the first two years or so, she served as recording secretary and liaison with the city and quilting community.  She has served as a co-president for a two year term and now shares the co-president’s duties with two other members. Last year, she was a co-chairperson for International Quilting Day and will be doing this again for 2010. She was instrumental in planning the first "open house" last year.    Harold served as a city Ccouncillor for 25 years. As a chartered accountant by profession, he has gained everyone’s respect and admiration serving as the head of the finance and audit committee during his tenure. He also served as Chairman of the City’s Parks committee. Very soon after the 2005 election he was in fact the first citizen officially invited to join a committee – the audit committee. Through the years, he also maintained a strong presence on the Maisons Fleuries committee, first as Chairman, and more recently as a judge. Whether he judges a few properties, or several, it is always done with a smile as bright as a sunflower. We recognize him tonight for his continuing support and contribution to the Maisons Fleuries competition.

The Special Recognition Award went to Rhonda Schechtman.She has been assisting the Côte Saint-Luc Tennis Club for many years with her "communications" expertise. Each year, she volunteers to assist with the design of the annual newsletter and membership applications. If she already wasn’t doing enough, this year she added another duty by typing the entire new rules and regulations manual, a 28 page document.

The Hazel Lipes Award, named after the former Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor, recognizes an individual’s significant contribution to Community Services. Beverley Rath was this year’s winner.  She has been volunteering at the library since 2007. During that time she has taken the 'Your Opinion' program and really made it her own. Each week, she visits one of the four local seniors' residences that we currently partner with, to present current events in the news in discussion groups, which have grown to up 50 people each time. She has really become part of the family, both in the physical library and in the residences; she frequently gets invited to birthday and holiday festivities by ''her ladies'', as she warmly refers to those who frequent her program. She is a mother, a wife, and a long-time resident of CSL, and says that she does all her wonderful work as a library volunteer, ''for the love of it'', and because it does her just as much good as it does her ladies (and gentlemen too). We love her here at the library, and cannot express to her enough, the huge impact that she is making in people's lives and just how proud of her we, and the City of Côte Saint-Luc are.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the remarkable Mollie Udashkin. She has been a volunteer fitness instructor at the Senior Centre for 30 years and teaches classes three times weekly and for many years taught the three classes twice, the men and women separately. Despite being active at the Centre, she has always been interested in the health and well-being of the elder adult. She demonstrated this concern for the seniors in the MacDonald Avenue area and was one of the founding members and is still a member of the Creative Social Centre. In earlier times and despite a growing family, she and her husband successfully ran a business and she was well-known in the fur industry for her business savvy. Despite the passing years, she keeps up with the times and is interested in learning new and innovative ways of keeping fit. She is always seeking knowledge in her field and attends classes in universities all over the world. When visiting a son in California, she takes the time to take courses at a well-known university to keep up with the latest in exercises and health issues.  Her nomenclature of "guru" is well-deserved. Not only is she interested in the well-being if the adult population, she has been a devoted volunteer and fund-raiser for the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. Deeply committed to her own fund, she proudly collects the many gifts she receives and recently funded well-needed medical equipment for the natal unit. She is a woman whose efforts in the fight of childhood disease match her efforts in the fight of keeping the health of the adult. She has received many honours by different organizations for giving what she knows best, her knowledge of the merits of exercise and nutrition – and the City of Côte Saint-Luc has recognized her efforts many times. Over the past 20 years that she has served in her role of fitness instructor at the Centre, one can count on one hand the times that she has cancelled her class due to inclement weather. Like the postman, she delivers, rain or shine. Accepting the award for her was her grandson, Côte Saint-Luc’s Director of Legal Affairs and City Clerk Jonathan Shecter.

The EMS Awards are presented for exceptional contribution to the Côte Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services, and this year we had three recipients to honour. The first EMS award, presented for excellence in operations went to Rafael Aroutunian

He is always ready to help, volunteering hundreds of hours, including many overnight shifts. As head of the equipment team, he is an innovator and helps EMS stay on the cutting edge of new equipment and technologies. He keeps an open mind and an attentive ear to the needs of the other volunteers and continuously leads by example. The second EMS Award, presented for excellence in education, went to Jarred Knecht. Since taking over the driver training portfolio, he has brought a breath of fresh air to the training of new EMS drivers. He works to ensure that new drivers have the knowledge and skills to manoeuver the vehicles quickly and safely through the streets of Cote Saint-Luc. Also an active team leader, he is a great resource person for members new and old. The third EMS Award, presented to the Rookie of the Year, went to Phil Vourtzoumis.

Since becoming a medic in spring 2009, he continuously seeks to get involved in new projects and tasks. He is a member of the quality assurance team and equipment team. Even as a rookie, defined as less than one year of service, he is a model member and a great part of the EMS team.

The vCOP (Volunteer Citizens On Patrol) Award is presented for outstanding contribution as a leader in the promotion of community safety. Susan Schwartz was thus year’s recipient. As a vCOP supervisor, she is responsible for coordinating the numerous special events around the City, including sporting, cultural and educational events. She volunteers countless hours at events and on regular patrols. You'll always find her at our monthly City Council meetings, helping maintain order and assisting residents. She is always smiling and a great asset not only to vCOP, but to the whole city.

The ECO Award is presented to a volunteer in recognition of leadership in the promotion of environmental advocacy and action within the community and tonight we have two recipients to honour. Two co-winners were Alison Levine and John Sciascia

Alison started as an Eco Action volunteer back in 2008 and got so involved with her community that she became a summer 2009 Green Patroller for the City.  Her job was to ride her bike and promote environmental awareness through courtesy notes, games, kiosks, pamphlets, etc.  Her mandate is over and is still helping the city. John began attending EcoAction meetings in 2008 and since then has helped numerous times during events such as Canada Day, EcoAction Day, and Gigi Cohen's Cooking Class.   Despite his busy student and now professional life, he is always willing to help raise environmental awareness in the community.

The Ambassador of the Year Award, is presented to the citizen best portraying charitable qualities and serving the community at large. Al Grosser, a member of the Côte Saint-Luc Senior Men’s Club almost 15 years, was this year’s winner. In those 15 years and until the today, he has been involved in every project, from the annual dinner and dance to the mundane of tasks that other members shun. He brings a positive, enthusiastic and energetic attitude to any situation in which he is involved and this enthusiasm is transmitted to other members. As big as he is, his heart is even bigger. He has refused presidency many times, claiming that he can do more for the club being an all-round member who will tke on any job, then sit in the president’s seat. So, he carries the title of honourary vice-president.

The Sports Award, presented for exceptional contribution to community sports, went to Jack Rosenfield. He has been a tireless volunteer for the Côte Saint-Luc Tennis Club during the past several years, but his true contributions to the Tennis Club blossomed over the last three years. During that period, he donated his time and professional expertise as a computer consultant in bringing the club into the 21st Century.He initiated a customer communication programme so that members could be informed about club activities on a regular basis. He drafted checklists for staff, developed data entry programs for membership statistics, assisted club managers in preparing project timelines, and prepared and presented a ‘’virtual’’ tour of the club to parents of new tennis campers this summer. As well, he drafted a rules and regulations manual which each member received this year, the first such manual distributed in more than 10 years. Finally, one of his greatest achievements was negotiating a new working agreement initiative between a private Tennis Camp organization and the City’s Tennis Club.He regularly devoted anywhere from forty to fifty hours a week over a period of more than six months during each of the past three years, to the club and is a true example of volunteerism at its best.

The Stewart Mankofsky Memorial Trophy, presented in memory of Stewart Mankofsky, a young Côte Saint-Luc athlete who passed away at a far too early age, was presented by Mark Rothpan. He spoke about his dear friend Stewart, who was only 21 when he passed away. Mark and Stewart’s parents presented the award to Matthew Zeitz as an individual who best exemplifies the qualities of dedication, sportsmanship, and love of competition. He is both a Côte Saint Luc athlete and volunteer. Growing up in the community he played house-league hockey, graduated into the inter-city hockey ranks with the Westluc Saints organization, and participated in high school hockey with Centennial Academy..When he wasn’t playing, he moved on to his next love…which was volunteering his time with young athletes. He supervised the Camp B’Nai Brith Hockey program, followed by a coaching stint in house-league baseball. He then started coaching inter-city hockey and has been doing so for the past seven years. He served as co-chair of the popular Bar-Mitzvah Hockey tournament and raised much needed funds for ORT and United Talmud Torah. He volunteered his time to sit on the Board of the Starlight Foundation and participated in the March to Jerusalem and the Walk to Cure breast cancer.

The Edward J. Kirwan Trophy, presented to the Volunteer of the Year for exceptional contribution to the Parks and Recreation programs, went to Cynthia Segal-Friedman. It is truly fitting that the person nominated for the "Côte Saint-Luc Volunteer of the Year Award" has lived in Côte Saint-Luc her whole life. She grew up in CSL as a child and as a mother chose to bring up her own family in CSL. She has been actively working in the Côte Saint-Luc Figure Skating Club since 2000 for the early part on the front lines responsible for the group sessions. She worked at this position for several years before serving on the board of directors. She became a director on the FSC board in 2002-03 seasons and for the past five years, has been the First Vice President responsible for the Intermediate & Senior skaters. She has repeatedly undertaken to organize the Club skaters for the Cities Winter Carnival skating show.  To describe her in just a few words is almost impossible. Her strong sense of fairness is her dominating character trait. It goes without saying that she has a strong commitment to both her family & community. Her level of diplomacy carries her through many situations with great kindness and caring. Her organizational skills allow her to always be at the "top of the game."

Life without my Guiding Light

Thirty years ago, in a Midget hockey game at the Samuel Moskovitch Arena in Cote Saint-Luc, I was skating down the ice for the hometown Cougars trying to get by Hampstead Hornets defenceman Mark Alper. I was knocked off balance against the boards, fell hard and crushed two vertebrae on the spine. For several weeks I lay motionless on a hospital bed at the Montreal Neurological Institute, received physiotherapy and luckily walked out of the hospital in one piece.

Within six months I was virtually back to normal, but there were a number of repercussions from this injury. Because I had to give up my post as a counsellor at a children’s day camp, I filled my time doing two things that summer: launching my career in journalism at The Suburban by writing about a local softball league; and becoming addicted to a daytime soap opera. Yes, it is true. In 1979 I began watching the Guiding Light on CBS. It even became a bonding exercise between myself and my grandmother, she of blessed memory. Grandma Mary filled me on the previous 40 years of episodes and when I missed a show she even took notes for me on the plotlines.

 

 

 

 

This Friday the Guiding Light will officially go off the air. Over the years I have become aware of several Montrealers who shared my passion for the show. When I posted a note about the show on Facebook last month, several of my "friends" offered some of their memories.

 

Honestly, I do not know how to describe my feelings as the show winds down. This is an addiction I tried to kick on more than one occasion. I was in high school, Grade 11, when it all started. The bell would ring at 3 p.m. and I would race for the bus, usually getting home in time to see the final 45 minutes. We had one VCR in the house, the earliest versions, and my brother would often cruelly switch the channel to ABC. I would arrive home, horrified to see an episode of General Hospital taped instead of Guiding Light. I went to CEGEP at Dawson College and the old Viger campus near Old Montreal. Two blocks away was the Berri bus station, where for 25 cents per 20 minutes you could actually watch a small television attached to a chair. I took that route on more than one occasion.

In 1994 I realized a lifelong dream. While in New York City for a conference I reached the publicist for Guiding Light and talked my way on to the set, which at the time was in an office building not far from Broadway. While I have had the good fortune to meet many celebrities in life, this experience virtually left me speechless as I sat down to talk with the likes of Kim Zimmer (Reva) and Frank Dicopooulos (Frank), pictured above. From high school, to CEGEP, university, marriage and parenthood, Guiding Light has remained a constant in my life. No matter what time I got home, I knew I could forget my own problems by focusing on the unrealistic lives of the people from the fictitious town of Springfield. On days where I simply did not have time to see the entire show, I fast forwarded and pretty much read lips or reviewed the summaries online.

On Friday my addiction will be kicked. It’s a day I never saw coming. Tune it to CJAD  (www.cjad.com) at noon Friday when I will talk about Guiding Light on the Kim Fraser Show.

In Memoriam: Bob Feldstein and Rose Itman

Two outstanding citizens of Côte Saint-Luc passed away very recently. One, Bob Feldstein, had a fairly high profile in the community as a war veteran; the other, Rose Itman, was the wife of one of our city's most devoted civic activists - Irving Itman.

I knew Bob Feldstein (pictured on the right with members of council)  for many years. On more than one occasion he kept me enthralled with his amazing war stories. Here in Cöte Saint-Luc Bob devoted his life to the Brigadier Kisch Branch # 97 of the Canadian Legion. The annual VE Day Commemoration in May was a magic date on Bob's calendar. He would plan for it most of the year and proudly serve as master of ceremonies. Soon after this year's event Bob found out he had a brain tumour. It was one battle he could not win. We salute you Bob!

I did not know Rose Itman well. But her husband Irving is no stranger to any one of us on city council. The turnouts at our public meetings are not very significant unless there is a hot button issue. Nonetheless, year after year, Irving Itman is regularly in attendance, so much so in fact that if we have a change in the schedule we call him. When I was elected I even invited Irving to be part of one of my committees.

You cannot devote the time Irving does to community affairs without support at home. Rose was Irving's devoted partner for 43 years and the adoring mother of Arie, a young lawyer. The last time I saw  Irving and Rose together was at the 2007 Volunteer Recognition Evening. They looked like they were still on their honeymoon as they lit up the dance floor. This was a true love story.

Last year Irving called me with the bad news that Rose had been diagnosed with cancer. He wanted me to know that he would be by her side every step of the way and this might mean he'd be missing some meetings.

Our hearts and thoughts are with the Itman and Feldstein families. May they be spared further sorrow.

A sad farewell to Jim Butler

The City of Côte Saint-Luc is in mourning following the passing September 8 of our former long-time city manager James G. Butler. He was 74 years old. As Mayor Anthony Housefather stated: "Jim was involved in the development of Côte Saint-Luc for more than 30 years and he worked closely with former Mayor Bernard Lang and the city council on many major projects that transformed Côte Saint-Luc from a small town into the municipality we know today. He left his mark on Côte Saint-Luc." Jim joined Côte Saint-Luc in 1965 as city treasurer. He became the city manager in 1969 and served for 32 years. He retired in 2001 at the time of the forced municipal mergers. Following his retirement, the city's Parks and Recreation Department offices were named for afer him. During his time as city manager, Butler helped oversee the building of the municipal garage, the Samuel Moskovitch Arena and the city hall/library complex. He was particularly proud of having helped create the city’s public library with former Mayor Lang and librarian Eleanor London. The library is widely-considered the best on the island of Montreal. When our city demerged from Montreal, Jim wanted to get involved as a volunteer. He sat on our all-important Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) for two years. When his term was up I was happy to add him to my Toponmy and Sponsorship Committee. I had the good fortune of working with Jim for many years, particularly during my time as a municipal reporter for The Suburban, The Monitor and The Weekly Herald. He and former Mayor Bernard Lang had an extremely close relationship. Jim ran the city like a business. He knew absolutely everything that was going on. Jim was born in the Saguenay region of Quebec. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier University. At age 25, he moved to Montreal and worked at the accounting firm of Clarkson Gorden (now Ernst and Young). He took night classes and earned his Chartered Accountancy designation. Before joining the City of Côte Saint-Luc, Butler was the city treasurer for the City of Dollard des Ormeaux. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family.

Congratulations Steven

Councillor Steven Erdelyi is not only a colleague of mine in the city, but our day jobs are both at the English Montreal School Board. Until recently Steven was the head of the math and science department at Marymount Academy in N.D.G. Last night he was officially appointed as the new vice-principal of Westmount High School. Good luck Steven. I know you will do a great job! Check out his website at www.stevenerdelyi.com. In addition to library, culture and special events, another of his portfolios includes the environment. Steven, along with Dida Berku, are our recycling, composting and organic waste mavens.

CSL Council Honours Ronald Levy

On Monday, August 11, 2008 the mayor and councillors presented resident Ronald Levy  (pictured with his wife, the mayor and members of council) with a new book that will be added to the collection of Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library. The book includes a bookplate with the following inscription: “Donated by the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Côte Saint-Luc to honour Me Levy on his appointment as President of the Lord Reading Law Society.” This year, the Lord Reading Law Society will be celebrating its sixtieth anniversary as the collective voice of Jewish jurists in Quebec. The society is known for its work in the area for social justice, its tradition of legal excellence and its contribution to the judiciary. Me Levy is a senior partner at the law firm De Grandpré Chait and was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1978 after having attended law school at McGill University in 1976 (B.C.L.) and 1977 (LL B.). He specializes in commercial litigation and also maintains a practice in business and corporate law in addition to insurance and international trade.

Isadore "Kek" Rosenblatt

On Sunday, May 13 I attended VE Day Ceremonies at the new Veteran's Park next to Côte Saint-Luc City Hall. Veteran's Park is situated in District 2. It is a wonderful tribute to the many war veterans who reside in our city. The weather was beautiful and we attracted our biggest attendance in many years. One of the first people to greet me was Isadore "Kek" Rosenblatt, a veteran in his 80s who for years lobbied tirelessy for this park to become a reality. "Isn't it beautiful!" he beamed. As a resident of District 2, he was among the first individuals to contact me when I announced I would run for city council. In addition to Veteran's Park, he was also very much concerned with traffic on Kildare Road and Marc Chagall Avenue, where Bialik High School is. After stopping me on the street to talk about Veteran's Park he called me a few days later, asking if I could meet with him and Sam Rapaport, a resident of a neighbouring condo on Rembrandt Avenue. We sat for an hour discussing ideas of how to resolve the problem. When it came time for me to do my door to door campaigning I called Kek and asked if he would help me out. He was not in the best of health so I suggested he just let me in the building, knock on a few doors and then go home and rest. Not Kek. He spent three consecutive hours with me. When I was elected, I formed a District 2 Council. A few times a year, I began inviting residents to meetings to discuss their concerns. Kek was front and centre each session, making his point on traffic and other matters. The local media ate it up. On May 13, Kek waved his hand lovingly at me. "I will be at your June 4 District meeting and I want an update on the Bialik traffic," he stated. That was the last time I saw Kek. A week and a half later he died of a heart attack. At his funeral, members of the Brigadier Frederick Kisch Branch #97 saluted Kek like a war hero. I will miss my dear friend Kek. He was a very good man. I am thankful that Kek did live to see the day that Veteran's Park came to be.

A Tribute to Rabbi Sidney Shoham

The following appeared as a column of mine in The Jewish Tribune (www.jewishtribune.ca) about Rabbi Sidney Shoham's retirement. Rabbi Shoham will go down in history as a legendary figure in Côte Saint-Luc.

How to Replace a Legendary Rabbi?

As he sat in his office overlooking Yitzhak Rabin Park in the Montreal suburb of Côte Saint-Luc a few years ago, Rabbi Sidney Shoham’s eyes grew a little misty as he discussed how much Beth Zion Congregation meant to him.

“There are a lot of memories here,” he told me. “We pioneered the concept of the suburban synagogue in Montreal. Others, I believe, followed our example.”

Rabbi Shoham is a living legend in the Montreal Jewish community. For decades he was front and centre with B’nai Brith Canada, holding top positions locally and nationally. He also has the distinction of being the only rabbi to ever chair the Combined Jewish Appeal campaign, primarily because of talents as a superb orator.

I met Rabbi Shoham as a toddler. As a lifelong member of Beth Zion, I would see him when I attended Hebrew school at the synagogue and I had the honour of him being at the pulpit at my bar mitzvah. I’ve sat at my seat during the High Holy Days each year mesmerized by every word he uttered. He was often very controversial. And that is what h is audience expected.

Eventhough he is now 77 years old, I was still surprised and a bit saddened to hear his announcement on Kol Nidre that he was retiring after 50 incredible years at the bima and to become rabbi emeritus. A synagogue executive member told me the search is now on for Rabbi Shoham’s successor. “But how do you replace a legend?” he asked rhetorically. “He has been the only rabbi this synagogue ever had. I expect we will have to look to the United States. It won’t be a quick or easy process.”

The rabbi had expressed a desire to retire for some time. Born in Baltimore, Maryland the son of Rabbi Yechiel and Rebbetzen Ethel Shoham, he attended the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore grade school and then went to Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin Rabbinical, Brooklyn, New York. While studying in the Yeshiva, Rabbi Shoham attended Brooklyn College at night and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in psychology. Later, he attended graduate school at New York University, School of Psychology and continued his studies in Montreal at the Allen Memorial Hospital – McGill University where he furthered his courses in Pastoral Psychiatry.

Rabbi Shoham arrived in Montreal in 1955 to visit his brother Gilbert, who was Rabbi of the Beit Hamidrash Hagadol Synagogue on McKenzie. While here, he met with an enthusiastic group of individuals anxiously waiting to build a new community in the western suburb of Montreal. After discussions with the committee, several weeks later he was hired as the Rabbi of Beth Zion in the winter of 1956. Over the years he has been active with nearly every Jewish organization in the city, notably Combined Jewish Appeal, B’nai Brith and State of Israel Bonds. Many Jewish organizations have held testimonial dinners in his honour. He has hosted radio and television shows.

The synagogue itself began in a congregant’s home in 1952, four years before they hired Rabbi Shoham and moved into their present quarters on Hudson Avenue.

“There are a lot of memories here,” Rabbi Shoham, said. “We pioneered the concept of the suburban synagogue in Montreal. Others, I believe, followed our example. I have overseen five decades of torah studies, services, counselling, weddings, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs. It’s like home to me.”

Rabbi Shoham recalled the early days of the synagogue. “At the time,” said the rabbi, “the park across the street from us had a baseball field. There were times when we did not have enough people for a minyan (10 men are required for prayer in the Jewish religion) so I’d go out to the baseball field and ask for a few volunteers. I was a pretty fair player myself and they wanted me to be part of their club. My message was simple. I’d join their team if they’d join mine. It worked.”

From the 100 members it had when Rabbi Shoham arrived, that number now stands at more than 1,000.

“To quote Hillary Clinton," said past president Eli Cohen, “it takes a village to build a community. And it's taken Beth Zion to help build the community. It is Rabbi Shoham who was innovative and who brought Beth Zion to the attention of the greater Montreal Jewish community.”