You must hand it to Mount Royal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather. He knows how to  work his riding.

The past year has by no means been easy for Anthony, whom I served under on city council during his 10 years as mayor of Côte Saint-Luc. He has spoken out against his party’s language policy and threatened to  leave the Liberals over their position on the Israeli war in Gaza. The Federal Conservative Party already has lawyer Neil Oberman lined up to challenge him in the fall 2025 election. But Anthony is the consummate campaigner and one of the things I learned from him is that you don’t wait until just prior to a vote to reach out to the electorate; do it non-stop.

On August  29 I was among those in attendance at Ashkelon Gardens behind our library where Anthony hosted a ceremony for 20 outstanding volunteers in the riding of Mount Royal,  awarding them all with a King Charles Medal. It was a brilliant political move and also one well appreciated by the very large gathering, which included many community leaders. Let me also applaud him for using a beautiful outdoor venue as our summer starts to slip away.

With Jacob Kincler (Dida's husband), Anthony Housefather and Dida Berku.

The recipients were all from all across the riding, and one councillor in each city was also recognized. In Côte Saint-Luc it was our Deputy Mayor Dida Berku, a tireless worker whom I have been proud to sit with for 19 years.

Anthony Housefather at the ceremony.

Here is a closer look at the eight CSL recipients.

Dida Berku has been a city councillor in CSL for over 30 years.  She is indeed the dean of our council and showcases so many leadership qualities.  For many years she worked as a tenants rights lawyer. On our council, Dida leads on some of the most important files and works non-stop for our citizens and her constituents. Said Anthony: “I served on Council with Dida for 14 years. It is rare to find someone who combines the precision of an attorney, the political smarts of an elected representative, and the passion of an environmentalist but Dida does so.  When I was Mayor she was my back up at the regional level of government and I relied on her advice and counsel when it came to many of the most important issues facing the city such as the protection of Meadowbrook and the Cavendish extension. Even today as an MP, I work closely with her on projects like the Smart City initiative. Her presence on Council is not only in the interest of District 3 but in the interest of the entire City of Côte Saint-Luc.”

Anthony with the recipients.

 Yair Szlak has served as  the President and CEO of Federation CJA since May 2019.  Prior to this he held the role of Chief Development officer at Federation CJA from 2013 to 2019. He was also the Campaign Director  (2007-2013), and the Director of Campaign Operations (2005-2007). A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, with a Bachelor’s degree from York University, he is a lawyer by training. He moved here to pursue a career in the Jewish community. Since Oct. 7 he has been front and centre on reacting to and dealing with the fallout from the war in Israel and the increase in antisemitism. I can tell you from personal experience how approachable he is and proactive in responding to any ideas on how to combat the hate we have been experiencing.

My first connection with Eta Yudin came in  1999 when I left my job as head of communications for the Canadian Jewish Congress to join the English Montreal School Board. She was chosen as my successor in Quebec, rising to the rank as vice-president of  CIJA (The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), the successor organization to the CJC. She and Szlak have formed a formidable one, two combination in leading our community against the intolerance we are facing. Eta  built her expertise in communications, advocacy, and community and government relations starting as a grassroots student advocate. At CIJA, she  originally served as Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Community Relations before being appointed Vice-President (Quebec) in 2016. She was instrumental in facilitating the first official visits to Israel of a sitting Quebec Premier,  a Montreal Mayor and the recent historic opening of a Quebec Bureau in Israel, a significant milestone in the Quebec-Israel relationship. She has appeared as an expert witness before Quebec National Assembly commissions and serves as a media spokesperson. She is a recipient of the Medal of the National Assembly and the Tel Aviv University Friendship Award honouring her leadership in representing the interests of her community.

Andrew Toeman  was born  in London England. He immigrated to Canada 1954 and attended Northmount High, McGill and then Dental School. He later taught at McGill and the Jewish General Hospital. He was the president of American Academy of Dental Practice, and retired after 46 years. For 35 years, he worked with the Y Wolf Pack, served as VP of the Y, ran a few marathons and climbed Kilimanjaro. He also worked with his wife raising money for Israeli wounded Veterans. Beit Halochem. Now, Andrew spends his time biking three times a week and raising money for Cancer Research,  all while becoming the newly installed president of the CSLL Men’s Club.

Brian Blumer is best known as the first person you see when entering the CSL Aquatic and Community Centre. He learned the meaning of community service from his late father Leon. These days he is devoted to be a member of the fraternal order  Syracuse Lodge #9, a subordinate lodge of the Knights of Pythias. He served as a Knight in Syracuse Lodge before joining the executive of this subordinate lodge in 2019.   In 2019 he was elected to an executive position of the Grand Lodge, Domain of Quebec as a Grand Outer Guard.  He was in charge of special programming, and he was indeed very busy during the  pandemic.  He organized a project bringing speakers to   members and guests via Zoom.  He coordinated at least 10 speaker evenings over the next three years, bringing exciting and interesting speakers into the homes of guests.   His latest project will be a live comedy show featuring well known comic Mike Paterson for a live and in person performance on Sept. 19 at the ACC.

Jamie Fabian is the outgoing commissioner in CSL/Hampstead for the English Montreal School Board. He is not seeking another term in order to devote more time to his studies at McGill Law School. Jamie has a Bachelor's of Arts with Distinction on Scholarship from Concordia University in Public Affairs and Policy, and is a third year law student. He is vice-president of Finance for the Jewish Law Students' Association and is an editor for the McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution.   Since October 7 he has taken a lead role in advocacy in combating antisemitism, including organizing multiple events and being a lead spokesperson for students against the Encampment.

Nicole “Nikki” Nashen is a McGill law student and Jewish student advocate. Nikki's upbringing instilled in her a passion for tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedek (justice). During her Bachelors of Arts in Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies at Concordia University, she realized the pervasiveness of antisemitism within the Concordia campus community. Nikki therefore decided to serve on the Concordia Student Union, and as the President of Hillel Concordia, where she advocated for the interests of Jewish students within the CSU and to the Concordia Administration.  Over the past two years, Nikki has taken her advocacy a few blocks east down Sherbrooke to McGill, where she has been a prominent student leader on campus, especially since October 7. Most recently, Nikki testified in Parliament about the Antisemitism on campus, and the vital need for university administrations to implement concrete steps to protect their students from violent extremism and anti-Jewish discrimination. Nikki is eager to spend this upcoming school year as the Vice President of the Jewish Law Students Association, where she will continue to fight for the inclusion and safety of Jewish students on campus.

Joe Panunto was born in Italy in 1941 and came to Canada with his family in 1956.   He went on to earn a B.A. in French Literature from Loyola College, and an M.A. in French from McGill University.  He taught high school French for many years before becoming part of the Service des Communications at the Commission des Écoles Catholiques de Montréal.  He retired in 2000. Ever since he moved to CSL in 1979 he has been actively involved in the community in various social, educational, religious, cultural, political, and sports related activities. He sat as  a city councillor from 1994 to 1998 and served on the planning and financial committees. As a parishioner of St. Richard’s Catholic Church, he has served as Warden, sat on the Parish Council, was the president the Men’s Club, has overseen renovations in the church, and organized many fundraising events over the past 45 years.  He is currently a Eucharistic minister, usher, and reader in the parish, and acts as liaison between the City Council, provincial and federal associations and the Parish.  As an involved member of the community he served as a member of the Côte Saint-Luc Winemaking Contest ( at   which he won prizes in 2008 and 2009), and has often won the Maison Fleuries contest in District 7.   On the political scene, he has been very active in the D’Arcy McGee Quebec Liberal Party Riding as well as the federal riding of Mount Roya. A fervent believer in volunteerism and the altruism of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “where there is a will there is a way,”  he continues to be involved and encourage others to become involved in the very vibrant community that is CSL.

Bravo Anthony and to the other recipients from Hampstead, Snowdon, Côte des Neiges and TMR.