JPPS- Bialik

JPPS shines in math and Bialik in robotics

It has been quite a busy couple of months at JPPS and Bialik.  
 
The Van Horne-based JPPS  Grade 6 competitors were very successful during the Canadian National Math League Competition.  As a school, they ranked second in Quebec.
 
JPPSElementary
Three students placed in the top 10 (they are located in the bottom row of the photo wearing white shirts): Jonathan Gotteiner, ranked first place overall in Quebec (center of the photo); Harley Eiley, ranked fifth in all of Quebec (left); and District 2 resident  Nathalie Nashen, ranked eighth (right). Maria Dimitropoulos is their teacher (right)
 
JPPS has always done very well in the competition, placing in the top three for almost 20 years.
The Grade 6 math classes focused on advanced materials to prepare for the competition, including many modules from the Secondary I text book. 
Bialikobocup2015
Meanwhile,  for the second time the District 2 located Bialik High School Secondary I Junior Robotics Team competed in the city-wide East Robotics Competition. The competition was held at John Rennie High School  in Pointe Claire and required building and programming a robot to achieve a "Search and Rescue" challenge.  Pictured are: Rona Katz, volunteer manager of the Bialik Advanced Technology Program along with  Liam Murad, Max Laxer, Zachary Groszman, Harry Marshall, science teacher Andrea Mendell and  Josh Schacter. Missing is Jonathan Zlotnik,  a volunteer instructor 
 
With these two great achievements, JPPS-Bialik will be organizing an Advanced Technology Course for students come fall 2016.

  

 

Premier Couillard attends Yom Hashoah commemoration in Côte Saint-Luc

The annual Yom Hashoah commemoration took  place on Wednesday, April 15 in the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation on Baily Road in Côte-Saint-Luc, with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard on hand to deliver greetings. He was on hand two years ago as well, shortly after becoming leader of the Liberal Party.

Couillard
The Premier, with David Birnbaum, is welcomed to CSL.

Couillard expressed his sympathy to the survivors of the Holocaust on hand for their loss. "Today their memories are very much alive," he stated. "This is why we have a duty to remember. We must remember that human beings are capable of the best and the worst."

The Premier was accompanied by D'Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum. Just a few seats away was Birnbaum's predecessor, Lawrence Bergman. I was on hand along with Mayor Anthony Housefather and Councillors Sam Goldbloom, Ruth Kovac, Dida Berku, Mitchell Brownstein, Glenn J. Nashen and political representatives from the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Israel Consul General Ziv Nevo Kulman, the child of a Holocaust survivor, spoke eloquently and reminded everyone that having a Jewish State will ensure that a Holocaust never happens again.

This community-wide commemoration is extremely well organized by the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. The ceremony perpetuates the memory of all those who were murdered during the Holocaust and honours those who survived. It reminds us of our collective responsibility to remember the Holocaust and to protect individuals and communities from oppression, antisemitism, hate, racism and discriminatory policies.

JudithJoyceRivka
Co-Chairs Judith Nemes Black and Joyce Rappaport with Rivka Augenfeld.

This year’s theme, Remembering 1945 – Liberation: Hope and Anguish, reflected on a year characterized by both hope and despair as the end of the war drew near and liberation was in sight. Here in Montreal we are fortunate to still have Holocaust survivors in our midst 70 years after the end of the war, survivors who have contributed so much to our dynamic Jewish and Montreal communities. They were able to rebuild their lives despite the destruction and the losses they had suffered. Judith Nemes Black and Joyce Rappaport served as co-chairs.

Six Holocaust survivors lit memorial candles and shared their memories of liberation through short video testimonies. No matter how many times I hear these stories, I still find it hard to believe that such cruelty existed  in this world.

Hermann Gruenwald explained that he was the only Jewish cook in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He survived a death march where almost 18,000 people died, as well as several weeks of starvation before the liberation thanks to the food he could get because of his job in the kitchen. Elie Dawang was 10 years old at the liberation of France. He recalled the days when the Germans left the little village where he had been living in hiding, and the emotions he felt when he was reunited with his father. Sara Hersco-Hollander described how the Germans left her and other women in a cattle car without water and food for days on their way to Dachau. She was liberated by the Americans on May 1, 1945 and taken to a DP camp in Feldafing. Ursula Feist recalled the feeling of sadness having lost many family members in Berlin as the British celebrated the Liberation. Olga Sher spoke about the fear that haunted her for long years even after the liberation. Not only was she afraid that the Germans might return, but she, as many other Jews, was also not welcomed back by their fellow Polish countrymen. Ernestina Neumann Brauner related how hopeful she felt at liberation, but at the same time her dread of the Russian soldiers who had a reputation for being rough and raping women.

Spodek
Ernestina Brauner Najman lights a candle with her daughter Ruth and granddaughter Aliza.

Each survivor was accompanied by second and third generation survivors, who will ensure that these stories remain very much alive for years to come.

Congratulations go out to JPPS choirmaster and music teacher Elena Khitrin, who chose her Grade 6 students to perform at this very special event as it is in keeping with their curriculum unit - the Holocaust. JPPS Yiddish teacher Sheila Witt, has always believed that students learn best when they interact with the subject matter and learn about it from different perspectives. For Yom Hashoah, Ms. Witt created an innovative project that will help every student understand, think about and honour the victims of the Holocaust. Each student was matched with a child victim of the Holocaust who had the same date of birth (day and month) or Hebrew name. Using the Yad Vashem website , each student created a portrait of their assigned child victim, which included information about their child’s family, where they lived and ultimately, where they perished. Alongside photographs of each child victim, the student wrote a text about the child, in both English and Yiddish. These pages were put together to create an album, which leaves a profound mark on every single student, as it creates a connection between the student and their assigned child victim. “This connection,” says Sheila, “is never lost.”

Students
Some of the JPPS students. 

 

Ms. Witt later invites Holocaust survivors to visit with the Grade 6 students, where they view and discuss the album. which is then donated to the JPPS library; a place where the child victims will always be remembered.

Below is MNA Birnbaum speaking about Yom Hashoah in the National Assembly, showing his impeccable bilingualism.

 

 


Narvey, Gotlieb and Solloway: Three outstanding CSL residents

BO KNOWS VOLUNTEERISM

On the eve of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we tip our cap to noted family

Bo
Bo Narvey

 lawyer Irving “Bo” Narvey. For 43 years he has volunteered his time at the Head & Hands Legal Clinic in NDG, which promotes the physical and mental health of young people. The organization offers a variety of medical, social and legal services.  As he moves towards semi-retirement in his private  practice, Bo is stepping aside at Head & Hands as well. He originally signed up fresh out of law school. 

 THE BOOK OF BERNARD

In 1977, 19-year- Bernard Gotlieb was living a happy middle class existence. He had a passion for the word game scrabble and life was good until he was diagnosed with leukemia. Bernard became one of the first leukemia patients to undergo – and survive -- a bone marrow transplant in Canada, a treatment that is so common these days. While he beat that disease, he has endured   infections, numerous extended hospital stays, injuries, accidents, operations, medical procedures, financial strains, a brain tumour, and a worsening skin condition that led to the amputation of both his legs.Yet somehow, through the love and support of friends and family and his continuous connection to scrabble he always has a smile on his face. 

GotliebCelzibook
Bernard Gotlieb at a recent speech at Royal Vale School.

Today he  runs games classes  at a variety of schools and  also tutors students in math, French, English and Spanish at his Côte Saint-Luc home. You can learn more via his  privately-published memoir “Hey What Happened To You?” in which he chronicles his struggles with a lot of with a lot of humanity and humour.  It is available at www.amazon.com,  Bonder`s Book Store (52 Westminster) in Montreal West or via the author at [email protected].  He will be speaking at Beth Zion Congregation in CSL on May 6.

SOLLOWAY TO BE  HONOURED 

The Bâtonnier of Montreal, Gregory Moore, has announced that noted family lawyer Ian M. Solloway of Cöte Saint-Luc will be the recipient of the 2015 prestigious Mérite du Barreau de Montréal  in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the Montreal Bar and its activities.  Solloway is the chair of the English-Speaking Section of the Bar of Montreal, having occupied this position for an unprecedented six years since 2009.

Solloway
Ian Solloway

In 2014,   Solloway was awarded “The Past-Presidents Medal ”of the Lord Reading Law Society for having achieved excellence in the profession ; having made a significant contribution to the community and being of the highest integrity.  The “Mérite du Barreau” will be presented to  Solloway at the Annual General Meeting of the Montreal Bar to be held on Wednesday, May 6.

 


Wishing Bialik's new Principal Avi Satov good luck

During the nine plus years I have served as the city councillor for District 2 in Côte Saint-Luc, and even before that as a resident of the area, I have always stayed in close touch with the administration of Bialik High School at the corner of Kildare Road and Marc Chagall.

In January, there will be a new man at the helm in Avi Satov. He will succeed Ken Scott as principal. It is interesting to note that Avi's childhood friend growing up in Chomedey was Councillor Steven Erdelyi, who by day is the Head of School at Solomon Schechter Academy - a feeder school for Bialik.

I recently sat down with Avi and JPPS Bialik Head of School Maureen Baron to  discuss a variety of issues. The subject of traffic violations by Bialik parents was big problem early on in my mandate. But I must credit past administrations for not turning a blind eye to this. Avi, of course, is by no means a newcomer here. He has been part of the Bialik furniture since coming aboard as a teacher in 2002. Most recently he was the Senior Vice-Principal. I know I can count on him and Maureen to be attentive to parents not blocking driveways or stopping in no parking zones.

BialikMaureenAvi2
Here I am with Maureen Baron and Avi Satov.

 

Enrolment at the school is presently at the 360 mark, nearly half of what it was about a decade ago. Maureen, whom I worked with at the English Montreal School Board for more than a decade, attributes much of the drop to simple demographics. Nevertheless, she believes with Satov at the helm numbers will start to climb again.

“I am excited,” said Avi. “The fact that people know me and I have been here for a long time should help. My goal is to make this a true Jewish school; not a school for Jews. I want to see kids graduate from here and stay in Quebec and that means continuing our good work in French instruction. We also need to improve the numbers in our French sector.

Avi, 39 and his wife Sheri are the parents of four young children aged five, four, two and six months. They reside in Dollard des Ormeaux on the West Island.  “My wife is awesome,” he says, crediting her support for enabling him to accepting the charged and time consuming position.

Avi began his climb up the administrative ladder in 2009 when he was named  Dean of Students. That was followed two years later by the job of Assistant Principal and then Senior Vice-Principal in 2012. He was the Director of Camp B’nai Brith of Montreal and  Pripstein’s Camp Mishmar. Over the years, he has also been involved with other causes such as Habitat for Humanity, March of the Living, ORT, the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation and Agence Ometz. He also has sat on the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre’s Board of Directors.  A graduate of Herzliah High School, Vanier College and McGill, he actually aimed for a Commerce Degree before switching gears to the Jewish Teacher Training Program

Bialik has launched an International Baccalaureate Program, now in place at the Secondary I, II and III levels. It is well known for an outstanding performing arts program. “The students absolutely love being here,” he says. “It is not uncommon to see kids here as late as 10 p.m. due to all of the extra-curricular options we offer.”

Avi was recently in attendance at a 10-year reunion party for grads at the downtown Biermarkt. Comedian Robby Hoffman, a 2004 grad and now a full-time TV writer in Toronto, performed in front of 75 attendees. They also held a brunch at Bialik the following morning with former teachers, raising more than $1,200 for a memorial fund through donations  in honour of classmate Jamie Abrams, who passed away earlier  this year. The fund, which will go toward improving the Student Lounge at Bialik, is still open for donations through Amy Finkelstein @ 514-731-3841, ext. 263


How did a rooster finds his way into Côte Saint-Luc?

When I spotted Côte Saint-Luc Public Security agents Erwin Luden and Tony Labattaglia in their patrol cars on Merrimac Road in District 2 Sunday morning looking like they were on a stakeout I asked what all of the commotion was about.

"Which jusy helped capture a rooster on the loose," said Luden.

"We had to isolate the rooster until the SPCA arrived," added Labattaglia.

Rooster
Reuben the Rooster on the Bialik grounds.

It turns out that the rooster was about to become a de facto mascot for Bialik High School when classes resumed this week. Communications and Marketing offical Brittany Witt had even named him Reuben the Rooster. But the SPCA was able to capture him safely and according to our Public Security team bring him somewhere safe to live.

I reached Maureen Baron, the head of school for Bialik and JPPS. "Reuben  was there for about three weeks," she explained. "Our Buildings and Grounds man found two kids about 10 years old poking around the bushes of the Bialik soccer field. When asked what they were doing they replied that they were looking for their chicken. Our employee thought they were kidding and told them to go look for their chicken elsewhere. And then a few days later Reuben was spotted."

Reuben reportedly dining daily on apples that fell from a tree on the Bialik property.

Aubrey Zelman, out walking his dog Teddy, told me that it was his niece who spotted Reuben running around near the homes on Merrimac. She called Public Security. Roosters love to crow of course. But as the city councillor for District 2, I did not receive any complaints of "cock-a-doodle-doo."  Zelman heard the news via his son Michael, who direct messaged him from London, England.

RoosterLabattaglia
Public Security Officer Labattaglia approaches the rooster.

 

I hope Reuben will enjoy a leisurely life.

This is not Reuben, but possibly his relative.

 

 


Bialik Physics Team Heads To Israel

A team of Secondary V physics students from Bialik High School in Côte Saint-Luc's District 2 are going to Israel to represent Montreal at the prestigious international Shalheveth Freier Physics Competition. The team, consisting of Matthew Creme, Bailey Cohen-Krichevsky, Michelle Miller, Ariel Sterlin and Sean Sukster and their coach, Bialik graduate Shawn Bramson ’08, bested competitors from other Montreal private high schools.Bialik winning physics team

For months the students worked on building a safe using physics principles. This past February 23rd, Bialik’s squad, along with teams from St. Georges, The Study, Hebrew Academy and Herzliah High Schools, had to try to "crack" each others’ safes within ten minutes.  Students were judged for their design and their knowledge of physics by representatives from McGill University and the Université de Montréal.

Under the stewardship of the school’s Director of Academics Judy Stein and their coach Shawn Bramson,  Bialik students won the competition in 2009 and travelled to the Weizmann Institute in Israel for a short but intense visit made possible largely with support from the Weizmann Science Canada and LEARN Quebec.

Winning this competition in two of the last three years further evidences the high standing of the sciences at Bialik. This was keenly observed also last fall when Professor Mark Talesnick from Israel’s Technion University repeatedly remarked on how impressed he was with Bialik students and specifically their demonstration of scientific knowledge and curiosity. And, this he noted, after visiting many high schools in Montreal.

These wins also further validates what Arnold Cohen, President of JPPS-Bialik, recently wrote: “…when you choose our Jewish school you are choosing a school that measures up to any other private school in every respect, academically, socially, facilities, etc. with the added benefit of being Jewish-defining.”


Major merger of JPPS/Bialik and Herzliah/UTT Planned

JPPS/Bialik President Arnold Cohen and Head of School Laurence Fhima have sent a letter to parents, confirming steady rumours in the community about what can only be described as the biggest merger in local Jewish day school history.

The letter comes at the same time that the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) has announced that it will be accepting applications beween February 7 to 18 for a potential new high school (initially for Secondary I only) in the former Wagar High School building. If there is sufficient interest, the school could begin operating next year.

Below are the extraordinary details of the planned mega-merger. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is from present-day and future parents who have chosen between the two schools for a reason.

 

The priority of your Board of Directors is ensuring that JPPS-Bialik remains a centre of
excellence, providing students with a pathway to Jewish life and with the foundation to
thrive bilingually in Quebec and modern society. 
 
At our meeting on Wednesday evening we will be sharing our proposal with you for the
strengthening of our school system through a merger with UTT/Herzliah while ensuring
that the next generation of Jewish Montrealers continues to benefit from dynamic Jewish
Day Schools.
 
Informal conversations between the volunteer leaders of our two school systems led to an
understanding that we are facing common challenges and a decision to work together
towards a bold new future. We envision drawing from the best of both systems in order to
create a new, unified school that offers Jewish students of Montreal an enriched
educational opportunity designed for engaged learners who will face the challenges of an
ever changing 21st Century. 
 
The bringing together of JPPS-Bialik and UTT/Herzliah will take a few years. We are
planning for a new middle school (Sec I and Sec II) to be built over the ‘Y’ and for the senior
grades (Sec III – Sec V) to be housed on the Bialik site, all effective August 2013.  We are
also proposing to combine the JPPS and UTT elementary schools on a fully renovated (UTT)
St. Kevin site and to create a brand new Sec I through V high school on the West Island. We
should point out that the search for an appropriate site on the West Island is underway.

We appreciate that rumours have led to speculation and concern within our school
community.  I am sure that you will appreciate that we could not be more forthcoming
until we had some certainty that our proposal is achievable. We are pleased to report that
Federation has now assured us that we will have access to the significant funds required to
invest in our staff and our facilities. Furthermore, we believed that it was essential and
appropriate for faculty and staff to learn of the proposal from us first, which occurred
today.
 
The JPPS-Bialik Board has established a recommended path, but our ultimate success
depends on your support and active involvement. With that in mind, we are now launching
a consultation process. If we are to build a true centre of excellence, we need to benefit
from the wisdom and input of faculty, parents, students and the entire JPPS-Bialik family. 
 
The meeting on Wednesday evening is the first step in what we hope will be an ongoing
and productive dialogue. We look forward to seeing you there.

Signed by Arnold Cohen and Laurence Fhima


Bialik students build a succa

A very passionate group of Secondary V students at Bialik High School in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2  completed another mitzvah – a good deed – for all students at Bialik! They spent last week hammering nails, transporting lumber, removing scrap all so that Bialik would be equipped with a succa (a structure that has since been decorated and can now be  used by all students during Succot on a year-to-year basis).BialikSucca2010_small

 Many Jewish families have been busy building their own succot, in preparation for the seven-day long Festival of Sukkot which began on the evening of September 22. It is in honour of the holiday’s historical significance, remembering the children of Israel wandering in the desert, living in temporary shelters over forty years. Bialik’s succa was built to Judaic law specifications under the direction of Rabbi Mark Fishman, Bialik’s Judaic Life Coordinator. Now Bialik will have one to call its own, and be able to focus on the yearly ritual of its decoration and eating in it.

The students who participated in this project were more than happy to volunteer to make this happen. As Hanna Eliashiv, Bialik’s Judaic Studies Curriculum Coordinator, explained, they see it as their “legacy” to the school, as a lasting testimonial of special Judaic significance. The mitzvah of “Kol Israel arevim ze laze”, all Jews are responsible for one another, has been demonstrated by the volunteers.

None of this would have been possible had JPPS-Bialik parents not donated their time, expertise and materials. This includes architectural design services, foundation work, general contracting and carpentry services, from Georges Elbaz, architect, Steven Miller, John Mendelson JPPS ’77, Richard Stern ‘87, and Ron Mashaal. Hanna Eliashiv and Rabbi   Fishman encouraged this project as being mission-appropriate and a tangible way in which to engage the students, not just in its building, but also in its use throughout the Succot holiday.

 Large enough to fit a class of 25 students, it is not a small undertaking, and involved some heavy lifting and getting dirty. This did not bother any of the students, probably because they are following in the footsteps of students who have come before them who had participated in Habitat for Humanity projects in New Orleans and San Diego. And, as Principal Butman said, why not start at home!

In the photo at the top  we have,  from left to right, Shireen Butman, Principal, Bialik High School;  Secondary V students Sydney Wajcman, Max Segal, Adam Amar, Zachary Neuman, Samuel Sheiner, Kyle Miller, and kneeling Michael Landsman and Dylan Halickman.


Bialik Student Traffic Committee Comes To City Hall

Here is a press release that was issued after my meeting with Bialik students:

A reconstituted Student Traffic Committee from Bialik High School  will soon begin formulating recommendations to their own administration and Côte Saint-Luc City Hall to make the area around their facility safer and to ensure that motorists abide by existing traffic regulations.

Bialik traffic committee visit to city hall Darryl1

The committee of 10 students, accompanied by Principal Andrew Trager, Head of Building Facilities Maintenance and Security Florian Gaudreault,  Communications Officer David Smajovits and crossing guard Larry B. Rosario, came to Côte Saint-Luc City Hall recently for a meeting which touched upon a number of traffic issues. They were hosted by City Councillor Mike Cohen, whose District 2 encompasses Bialik City. Traffic Engineer Charles Senekal and Director of Public Safety Jordy Reichson joined Councillor Cohen in providing students with some background about the traffic dossier.

After Councillor Cohen was elected to office in November 2005 one of the first issues he tackled was the traffic situation at Bialik. “I have received nothing but cooperation from the Bialik administration,” he remarked. “I believe we have seen a lot of improvements. At the same time we recognize the fact that with more than 700 students in this building and most of them being dropped off and picked up at the same time, it is not an easy situation to manage.”

Local Police Station 9 and Côte Saint-Luc Public Security have  been paying closer attention to the area, enforcing existing traffic regulations.  Previous Bialik Student Traffic Committees have conducted studies and submitted recommendations to Mr Senekal, which have been implemented. This includes using traffic plates to monitor speeding, adding new signage and street  lines where merited and introducing a drop zone on Marc Chagall Avenue. Attention has also been given to student pedestrians and whether they are abiding by the laws correctly, especially when crossing the street. The Bialik administration, meanwhile, enacted some new rules as well this year. Prior to the start of classes, the license plate  numbers of each parent had been recorded.  Special  “Bialik traffic tickets”  have been issued to any family member associated with the school recorded as  breaking a traffic rule.

Mike talks to students

 

Councillor Cohen  told the students that major construction work  to replace the underground piping is expected  to commence on Kildare Road, between Cavendish and Merrimac leading to the school, soon after  classes conclude at the event of June. In recent years there have been several   breaks of the aqueduct. Plans call for the  replacement of 200 meters of eight inch pipe at a substantial cost.  “We have planned this specifically to coincide with the Bialik summer holiday,” said Councillor Cohen. 

Mr. Senekal explained to the students how decisions are made to repair streets and sidewalks. He even brought some corroded pipes to show them. In addition,  he provided background on other matters such as the annual repair program for fire hydrants, the Cavendish pump station , the use of traffic calming measures like  bollards and speed humps and the change of  speed limits from 50 to 40 km per hour. He took questions from students on a number of traffic issues which affect them. One dealt with the synchronization of lights on Cavendish Boulevard and the  long lineup of cars trying to turn right in the morning.  In order to avoid that turn, some  parents are going straight on Cavendish, turning on to Mackle and then Marc Chagall. Mr. Senekal said adjustments will be made to the system, especially for the key drop off and pickup times.

Mr. Reichson, who oversees Public Security, Emergency Medical Services, Volunteer Citizens on Patrol, the city’s dispatch centre and disaster planning, agreed that traffic problems emanate from Bialik mainly because of its location at the end of a dead end street (Kildare Road) and situated within a residential area. Soon, he warned, the Beth Chabad Community Centre and Synagogue, will be operating across the street. This will, at times, exacerbate the situation. He said that his Public Security Department will continue to keep a close eye on the Bialik area.

Members of the Student Traffic Committee are Grade 10 students Joshua Laxer, Tyler Gerstein, Kaylee Novack, Jennifer Silver, Ariel Sterlin, Kyle Tanzer, Jesse Kligman, Rebecca Lasry-Legault, Noam Brem and Raquel Herscovici.


Justin Trudeau visits Bialik High School

Liberal Member of Parliament Justin Trudeau stepped out of his own East End Montreal Papineau constituency  recently  for a speaking engagement  in Cöte Saint-Luc’s District 2, more specifically Bialik High School. This also happens to be the federal riding his legendary late father, former  Canadian Prime Minister  Pierre Elliott Trudeau, held for nearly 20 years.JustinTrudeauM'ke2010  


I have had the good fortune to spend time with Justin over the past couple of years, mostly when he speaks to students. To say he has a gift for the spoken word is an understatement. I have always seen him as a future Liberal Party leader and prime minister.

Becoming an MP was not easy for Justin. He should have been handed the safe riding of Outremont by former leader Stéphane Dion in a by-election nearly three years ago.  Instead Dion opted in favour of a journalist named Jocelyn Coulon . Seeing that the Grits had chosen a weak candidate, the New Democratic Party entered star candidate Thomas Mulcair in the race and  he won. Justin was forced to battle for a nomination in Papineau against two adversaries and then face an incumbent Bloc Québecois MP. 

At the  Bialik talk Justin said he recognized there were a lot of cynics out there when he announced his decision to run: “I know that a lot of people were saying things like ‘What has he done? He is running on his last name.’ So I picked the toughest riding  to get nominated in and then to win an election. I did both.”

Before Justin gave one of two one hour talks at Bialik , Principal Andrew Trager told the students how fortunate they were to have a speaker of this calibre find the time in his schedule to come be with them. “This is an opportunity for you,” he advised. “I suggest you use it!”

And that they did, sitting attentively as he spoke about subjects ranging from the environment,  world poverty, social media and youth empowerment and his role as the Liberal Party’s official critic on multiculturalism and youth.  

What motivated him to become a Member of Parliament? “The fact that my father was a politician and represented this area was something that actually served as a deterrent to me,” Trudeau responded. “If your dad is a lawyer or there is a family business, you  might  say that I want to find my own path. I decided not to go into law, which is what my father did before politics, but become a teacher. For me, becoming a teacher was important to help make a difference in this world.

“I wanted to make a difference  not because I was a Trudeau, but because I am a Canadian..As a teacher I was touching a lot of people, but I looked for the next step where I could have the most impact. That is where politics became a natural extension.”

While Justin has been considered a future prime minister since the day he made such an emotional eulogy at his father’s funeral, he was politically correct when responding to a question as to whether he covets the big job.  “Getting into politics is a way of impacting upon others,” he said. “If you are focusing on what your next step is then you are not paying attention to what you can do right now. Is it possible I will seek to become prime minister one day? Yes. Is it something I am planning for now? No. I want to think about what I need to do right now.”

Many students were eager to hear what it was like growing up as the son of a prime minister. “It was pretty neat,” he admitted. “Our home at 24 Sussex Drive had 13 bathrooms. At the same time we knew this was not our real house. We were given the opportunity to live there and travel around the world because it was contingent upon the job my father was doing.”

Check out  www.justin.ca for more on this great young man.