Our sympathies go out to the family of Donald Goldberg, who passed away on November 12 at the age of 92,

Donald was the younger brother of former City Councillor Isadore Goldberg. He passed away almost three years ago and I remember sharing memories with the family at the shiva at Donald and Jeannie's condo.

Donald and Jeannie.

I was proud to serve as Donald’s councillor the past 17 years.  His  loving daughter Joy is also my constituent.  A few months ago I bumped into Donald and his wife of 65 years  Jeannie at a restaurant

Donald was the first of his family to go to university. He graduated from Sir George Williams in 1952, where he was the captain of the basketball team. His university education was the foundation for his financial career. He started his own business and served his clients with integrity.

In his obituary, Donald was described as  “a multifaceted person who appreciated everything life had to offer. While he loved the outdoors, sports, time spent at the YMHA, being the MC, planning an event, and connecting with his large community of friends, his family was always the most important part of his life. His love, generosity, dedication to continuous learning, Jewish traditions, and love of nature have been passed down to the next generations.”

“He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family with a beautiful send-off,” Jeannie shared with friends. “ We are all so grateful for the many meaningful years spent together, and from the joy he brought to all of our lives.  Most of you know his famous joke of living until 100, ‘as medical research shows that very few people die over the age of 100.’ Last night he stated  ‘well, I'm not going to live to be 100, but I was pretty darn close.’ He lived an amazing life, and his memories will be carried forward through our children and grand-children. “

Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean Talon St. W., on Monday, November 14, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. Burial at the Hebrew Sick Benefit Association Cemetery, de la Savane. Shiva at his home from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 7:00-9:00 p.m. ending Wednesday. Donations in his memory may be made to Mount Sinai Auxiliary/Foundation (514) 369-2222 ext. 1337/1299 where he received dedicated care. 

I knew Joe Presser for most of my life, so when I learned that he had passed away suddenly on January 30 I took the news quite badly.

I first met Joe when I was a young child. His daughter Shari was in my class at school and his nephews the Marons were close friends. My late father Larry revered Joe, always promoting the fact he was the man behind Cooper Clothing. He pegged Joe as the “Suit Man” and it was a nickname that stuck.

Joe and I at a Men's Club Gala Dinner.

In the summer of 2018.  we honoured Joe at the Côte Saint-Luc Golf Classic. Extreme heat postponed our day at the links, but the luncheon banquet to pay tribute to him carried on. Despite the fact I was dealing with an intolerably painful case of kidney stones, I made sure to be there for Joe’s sake. I am so glad the city did something to recognize his remarkable community work.

 I considered Joe a good friend and a true supporter of mine in District 2 from day one of my time on council. Since the start of the pandemic we spoke but regrettably saw each other less than usual and I feel badly for that.

Joe had been active at programming in Côte Saint-Luc for most of his life, notably at Beth Zion Congregation, the Parks and Recreation Department, the Cummings Centre Sports Celebrity Breakfast and the Côte Saint-Luc Men’s Club. But he was often the man behind the scenes, not getting his deserving day in the sun.

As told by Joe’s close friend Irving Leiner, at our luncheon, the late Rabbi Sydney Shoham was a close as well to Joe and would often and affectionately refer to him as “Pressure.”

 At the age of eight and living on City Hall Avenue, Joe and his six siblings sadly lost their father and survival skills at a very young age were untimely thrust upon him. As a young boy and as a means of recreation, Joe spent all his free time at Neighbourhood House where the cost was free unlike the nearby Y that charged a yearly unaffordable fee of $50. He quickly honed his leadership and athletic skills there and became a dear friend to many. However, there was a time for play and more importantly a time to help support the family. So, at the tender age of 16, he left school and did what most Jewish boys at that time did for a living. He went to work in the schmattah business for a men’s clothing firm called Cooper Clothing.

Recognizing Joe at the Golf Classic Luncheon.

As Leiner shared, Joe started off as a shipper and then was given a sample bag and a territory and told by his boss to go out and sell and return home only with a bag full of orders. Back in those days, not only were you selling the line but you were given the task of collecting past due receivables, so when Joe went calling on his customers and asked to be paid for last season’s merchandise the retailer sensing the innocence and vulnerability of this young salesman doubled down on their placing orders. So, Joe quickly sensing victory forgot about the past due receivables and triumphantly began to write the orders. “Wow!” Leiner mused, “was the boss ever going to be impressed. Needless to say, the homecoming displayed by his boss could have been a little more receptive. And Joe quickly learned that writing orders was easy but getting paid is a whole different ball game. After a few seasons of abuse and schlepping samples on the road, Joe and a colleague soon took over ownership of the firm and quickly grew it to a prominent and leading mens and boys clothing firm.

Joe and his family.

Joe had a wonderful marriage with Isabel, his wife of 61 years. He was a loving father to his three children and an equally amazing grandfather and great grandfather.

To say Joe was a fabulous individual is an understatement.  In 1988 I was hired as the national director of communications for Canadian Jewish Congress. I called Joe and went to see him as I needed some nice suits to wear for work. He took care of me like I was his own son. When I first ran for office in 2005, he took me door to door to every resident in his building. He did so for every subsequent election, and had it not been for COVID, he was ready to do so again last fall.

Years ago, when he was the president of Beth Zion, Joe called and asked me to help him organize a Sports Celebrity Breakfast. We did so successfully for several years. In 2004 the late Harold Greenspon called and asked me to do the same thing for the Cummings Centre. The first call I made was to Joe to ask him to join the committee. He agreed immediately and played a crucial role for an event that has since raised well over $2 million for seniors in crisis. We called Joe our “general manager.” Not only did he personally recruit some of our honourees, but the day of the event he’d help us police the VIP Room – no easy task.

Joe was so proud of Beth Zion, notably the annual Cantorial Concert. I remember seeing him at the funeral for Rabbi Shoham. He was pacing back and forth, repeatedly saying “I can’t believe he is gone!”

Joe with PK Subban at the Sports Breakfast.

That is the way I feel right now.  Eighty-six years on this earth was not enough. I miss you already Joe. To your family and legion of friends, my deepest sympathies.

A private funeral will take place by invitation only. Donations in his memory may be made to the “Joe Presser Memorial Fund” c/o Beth Zion Congregation, (514) 489-8411

The community is mourning the passing of Miriam Lang, the longtime first lady of Côte Saint-Luc. Her late husband, Bernard Lang, served Côte Saint-Luc as mayor and a member of city council for 35 years. He passed away in 2014. The couple were married for 65 years.

In her own right, Miriam Lang was an active figure in our community. I first met her when I was a toddler. My parents sent me to the Davis YM-YWHA Nursery School on Kellert Avenue, where Hebrew Academy is presently located. Miriam Lang was the director and de facto Principal. Growing up I was a frequent visitor to that locale. She also ran the Laval branch for many years. 

Miriam Lang

My late dad preceded me as a writer for The Suburban and he was regularly called upon to emcee city events so he interacted with the Lang’s regularly. In 1985 I was hired as a news reporter for The Suburban and my beat was Côte Saint-Luc City Hall. At that time I got to know the Langs very well.

Miriam was a true first lady, just as Elaine Brownstein is to Mayor Mitchell Brownstein today. Miriam attended all events and got involved in many dossiers and projects. She was instrumental in the establishment of our most lauded  CSL Public Library.

Sixteen years ago, at the age of 80, Mayor Lang attempted a comeback and challenged Anthony Housefather for the top job. He was defeated and while Miriam told me privately she was not thrilled with her husband’s decision she backed him nonetheless.

Miriam and Bernard became grandparents for the first and only time late in life when Dylan came into their lives, the son of Harvey. They forged an extraordinarily close relationship with this young man. Miriam was also the mother and mother-in-law of David Lang and Molly Hilsenrath and the late Barbara Asselin.

“Miriam was a great community activist and mentor for me when I was a very young city Councillor,” commented Mayor Brownstein. “ She had a great love for the City of Côte Saint Luc with a special place in her heart for the Library. She was a wonderful first lady, always there to support Mayor Lang in everything he did. She will be dearly missed.”

“Miriam was a powerful advocate for all aspects of community life in Cote Saint-Luc over many, many years,” added former Councillor Glenn J Nashen. “She was a stalwart supporter of Mayor Lang helping to move plans forward.”

Susan Puritz of Canadian Magen David Adom for Israel had this to say: “I first met her in 1984 when she was Director of the Laval branch of the YM-YWHA and I was secretary to the Executive Director. Miriam may have been short in stature, but she was a fierce advocate for all things relating to the Y. I re-connected with Miriam in 2010 when I accepted a position at CMDA. Although many years had intervened, Miriam was still a force to be reckoned with. As a past president and member of the board, Miriam had very strong ideas and did not hesitate to let her views be known. I had great respect for her and I will miss her and our many conversations. I am glad that I did get to speak with her this past Friday."

My City Council colleague Sidney Benizri is the national executive director of CMDA. Miriam first joined the organization in 1991 and became the first woman on their board of directors. She served two terms as president and was a co-editor of the 40th anniversary tribute book which just came out last year. “Researching the 40th Anniversary book, she had great appreciation of those who were instrumental in establishing CMDA – their visions, courage and dedication to make CMDA a reality and an important part of Magen David Adom Israel,” a passage in the book itself states. “She was very involved in all aspects of CMDA – fundraising events, chapters, presentations and more. Her primary goal was to make CMDA a truly national charity represented across Canada by promoting the creation of new chapters in every major city. Her efforts also included expanding the organization’s marketing, membership and fundraising.”


Should you wish to attend contact the family directly please do so at [email protected] or (514) 484-3252. Contributions in Miriam’s memory may be made to the Canadian Magen David Adom for Israel, (514) 731-4400.

In my 16 years as a city councillor, I have met few constituents like Steve Acre. He was that special kind of human being who would call and e-mail me so often with concerns and suggestions, that when that communication stopped most recently I started to worry.

Steve Acre

Today I learned that Steve passed away and my heart is broken. He was an unequivocal supporter of mine, providing unsolicited donations to my election campaigns. Almost four years ago, right after sitting shiva for his dear wife, he withstood a long lineup at advanced polls to vote for me. In recent conversations he was excited to hear that Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and I were pushing for a vote by mail procedure this November. The Quebec government will indeed allow this for those 70 and over. Steve would have qualified.

Steve had a tremendous backstory, which I wrote about on my blog in 2011. The Rembrandt Avenue resident was  a successful insurance executive.  

Steve and Leila at their wedding.

Steve loved surfing the internet and he would regularly sound out mass e-mails to all of his friends on a wide variety of topics. He served on my District Advisory Council and attended meetings with great enthusiasm, always voicing his opinion. I credit Steve for pushing me on traffic measures we took with the lights at Cavendish and Kildare and the new stop sign we installed at Rembrandt and Kildare just less than three years ago

I checked my account and the last e-mail from Steve came at the end of December after he read my Year in Review blog. “What a year that was,” he stated. “Lots of things happened and you were in the thick of it. Happy New Year!”

I am attaching  this fascinating article which appeared  in AMI Magazine about Steve and his memories of hardship growing up as a Jew in Iraq. He was just nine years old when he witnessed the horrible massacre of Jews, known as the Farhud.There are photos of Steve in different attire. The one in Arab clothing was taken just before he escaped in 1949.  This is an important story to tell about how minorities were treated in Arab lands.

After leaving Iraq Steve wound up as a  refugee to Israel and in 1949 he graduated in the first class of Air Traffic Control in the Israeli Airforce, then became secretary to the foreign attaché in Burma. A world traveller in his early twenties, his obituary reads, it was a whirlwind romance in 1957  that saw him making a life in Montreal. Always proud of his heritage as a Babylonian Jew, a founding member of Beth Tikvah synagogue in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a former president of the West Island Lodge of B’nai Brith, a long-time member of the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue and lately Congregation Dorshei Emet, he was always up for a song or a dance and delighted in the company of all people, where he could inevitably start an interesting conversation.

Always curious about the world, magic and the paranormal, Steve could find a subject to talk about in any situation. He loved new inventions and held inventors and creators in high regard. Predeceased by his wife of sixty years, Leila Azoulay, he will be laid to rest by her side in Dollard-des-Ormeaux where they resided for over forty years. Described by a close colleague as a “Prince” among men, he was generous, courageous, and principled and we are a lesser world for having lost him.  

 A private graveside service will take place.  I extend my deepest condolences to Steve’s family and I  dedicate my next election campaign in his memory.

Longtime Côte Saint-Luc resident Carlo Palucci passed away last week after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was an active member in our Seniors Community Garden. His son Frank is one of my most reliable constituents.

Carlo Palucci

Mr Palucci, as we all called him, was a wonderful member of our community garden for many years, and he always had a beautiful and productive garden,” commented Mandie Aaron, who oversees the group. “ Mr Palucci was always willing to help, always willing to teach, and always ready with a smile and a chat. I was always happy to see him and talk with him. I’ll not forget how proud he was of the new truck he bought a few years back. He did live a wonderful life. There is a lot of solace and joy in that.”

Carlo Palucci was predeceased by his sister Bruna and his brothers Antonio and Sisto.  He was the devoted husband of Elisabetta Tedeschi for 61 years and the adored and loving father and father-in-law of Angelo and Jeanine and Francesco and Sandra; the grandfather of Christopher (Bettina), Andrew (Kayla) and Jonathan; Alessia and Sara; and great-grandfather to Thomas.

As his obituary states: “Carlo will be remembered by his family and friends for his kindness and generosity. He was a gentle soul who loved to be around people and always had a smile and a twinkle in his eye. His passion for landscaping led him to run a successful and thriving business for over 50 years.”

Visitations will take place on Sunday, August 30, 2020 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Collins Clarke MacGillivray White funeral home (5610 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal). The funeral service will take place on Monday, August 31, 2020 at 9.30 a.m. at the Paroisse Sainte-Catherine de Sienne (7070 Avenue Somerled, Montreal). Carlo Palucci's final resting place will be at the Notre Dame des Neiges cemetery (4601 Chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal).

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Cedars Cancer Foundation.

Two days ago I sent my friend and colleague Ruth Kovac an e-mail

"I want you to know how much you are in my thoughts and I pray for a New Year Miracle," I wrote. "You are the toughest lady I know.. Enjoy your family and I hope we can speak this week!"

"Thanks Mike," she wrote right back. "We can try tomorrow. Rather complicated, Shana tova."

On Monday Ruth was admitted into Palliative Care at the Mount Sinai Hospital, ironically an institution where she served as a volunteer for many years. Today she passed away, after valiantly (and very privately), battling cancer for several years.

Ruth was first elected to council 29 years ago. Like others she sat out the four years of the forced mergers with Montreal, but returned when Côte Saint-Luc was reconstituted in 2005. That was when I was first elected. I had first met many years earlier, even prior to her assuming council duties. She was a member of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and a volunteer in the figure skating program. I helped her in that first election and when she won (alongside the man she would call her council husband -Glenn Nashen) she and her husband Peter took us both out for a steak dinner.

Ruth was a devoted councillor and cared deeply for our community. It was interesting to see the fire in her belly at council meetings and this something she kept going until her final days. Just a few years ago, Ruth convened the mayor and council to share some dark news. "I have been diagnosed with cancer," she said. "Only my family knows.But you are my council family. Please do not share this news outside this room. I will fight this."

And "fight" she did. We were all in awe of Ruth. Despite her treatment and side effects I cannot recall her missing one meeting or private event. She was stoic indeed and for a time it looked as if she had defeated the dreaded disease. When it returned she still kept it to herself and her loved ones. Most of us were not even aware. But a few months ago her condition worsened. She shared with us that at this point there was no cure.

Most people in her position would have stepped down, gone into a dark room and get angry about their fate. But not Ruth. I will forever admire how she comported herself. Some nights she was not well enough to join us, so instead we got a detailed group e mail with her comments on every single agenda items. She was at our last public meeting on September 9. You can see the video here. I knew things were not good when she asked me to carry a small file folder into the council chamber for her. She was too weak to lift it. That night Ruth was as active as ever in our discussions.

What a brave lady! It was extraordinary to see how emotional she was on decisions we were taking on issues that would only come into play a year from now.

Last Friday she e-mailed me again, wishing to know how things were progressing on a certain dossier we were both interested in.

Ruth was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. My sympathies go out to her entire family.

Funeral services for Ruth will take place on Thursday, October 3 at 11 am at Paperman and Sons.I am still in shock over this sudden news. We all feared we would lose Ruth soon. But it came too quickly for us to accept it.

The community has lost a legendary  queen of the kitchen. Marianna Roth passed away peacefully, in her sleep, on Sunday, May 5, 2019, after a courageous battle. She was 82.

It was about 10 years ago when I first met   "Mrs Roth."

Mrs. Roth and her son-in-law Avi.

I stopped my car in the strip shopping centre that housed the legendary Delly Boys Restaurant and  I saw the sign that said Côte St. Luc Kosher. My mother-in—law had been raving to me about Mrs. Roth and her son-in-law Avi  Brook the butcher for years, so I ventured in to take a look. There was Mrs. Roth, standing besides some delicious looking prepared food. She did not know me, but asked if there was  something she could help me with.

“How is the chicken schnitzel?” I asked.

“You tell me,” she smiled, cutting a nice slice and handing it to me on a plate.

“Wow!” I responded. “This is the best chicken schnitzel I have ever taste”

I ordered three pieces and brought them home, much to the delight of my wife and daughter.

A few days later I returned and I met Avi. In the  back of the store was  the butcher shop. Mrs. Roth and her crew were busy preparing all kinds of fabulous ready to eat home cooked meals. I tried the chicken burgers this time. They were extraordinary. There were other chicken dishes and an entire array of Chinese food. Meals were also prepared en masse for schools. I was hooked and became a regular and over time I became friends with the family.

I told a writer from The Gazette about Mrs. Roth and Avi and she wrote a feature story on them. We learned how Mrs. Roth had been through more hardships in her lifetime than most of us can even imagine. But the Holocaust survivor was  not interested in garnering sympathy. Rather, her priority was maintaining Glatt Kosher Self Service Ltd., the deli that she had owned for nearly 50 years.

"My life is like a Hollywood story. I had a chance to succeed and earn a living in this amazing country, and to me that is the dream -that's what everyone wants," she told The Gazette.

As  the story goes  the native of Hungary lost both her father at the age of seven and was sent to a concentration camp near Vienna during the Holocaust. After being freed, she spent seven years in an orphanage. When she was 16, she married her husband just before the Hungarian Revolution happened. The couple and their infant daughter escaped through the mountains and waited two years in a refugee camp for a country to accept them.

Paola Samuel from Global TV visits with Mrs. Roth,

Roth's husband was a butcher by trade, and Canada welcomed them in 1958.

After working as a dishwasher in synagogues, Roth took a job at Glatt, a butcher shop on Laurier Ave., doing odd jobs.

"They paid me in shares of the business instead of wages," Mrs. Roth explained to The Gazette.  I was happy with that; it was a job that allowed me to be home for my two kids at night."

After years of working at Glatt, the owners gave Mrs. Roth her own store in St. Laurent.  "When I came here I spoke no English and had no experience, so to be given my own store was just incredible," she said. "The owners of Glatt were great people, and they knew I was hard-working and wouldn't let them down."

The store quickly became known for its eastern European and Sephardic food. The shop was a staple in St. Laurent, and she worked there six days every week for about 14 hours each day.

In 1985, Mrs. Roth's husband bought a Kosher butcher shop in Côte St. Luc and trained their son-in-law to be a butcher there.  "I was an airline mechanic, but there were no jobs in my field," said Avi. "So I went to work with the family."

Later I arranged interviews with CJAD,  CTV,  Global TV, CHAI Montreal and Breakfast TV.   Mrs. Roth always insisted that her daughters Judy and Esther be by her side. I got to know the  two of them as well. When Avi invited  me  to the family home, Judy would always make me something to eat. Like her mom, she was a fantastic cook. One day I asked Avi and Mrs.Roth if they could make an order of salmon patties for me. They do so in style. One week Avi said he could not have them made in the store. Judy found out and she made a batch for me herself. Tragically, she died on October 25, 2015 from a mysterious bacteria. She was  only 55. It broke the family. Mrs. Roth had been living with Avi, Judy and their kids for many years and this did not change, even when they sold the home recently.

I wrote often about Mrs. Roth and Avi in other publications. It was a joy to be their de facto press agent. While she had never really done any interviews before she met me, Mrs.  Roth was a natural.

“Age is just a number,” she told CHAI Montreal’s Lisa Winston in 2014. “I never want to retire. Never ever and it shows!”

Click here to see the CTV report.

Click here to see the CHAI Montreal broadcast

Mrs. Roth was an extraordinary individual, the likes of which we may never see again.

Our sympathies to the family.

When I was very young and growing up at our Wentworth Avenue home the name "Arnie Smith" enjoyed legendary status.

Arnie was my dad's pharmacist. Originally, he worked out of a small storefront on Côte Saint-Luc Road near Randall and later took over the Pharmaprix at Cavendish Mall (now Quartier Cavendish). To my dad, Arnie was like a doctor. No matter what ailment hit a member of our family, dad would say, "We better go see Arnie Smith."

Arnie Smith

I can remember dad walking down the aisle at the Pharmaprix and asking Arnie to examine his eye. And he did.

Last year Arnie and his wife Frances became constituents of mine when they moved into a condo on Marc Chagall Avenue. Arnie was so happy with his new home. Sadly, he did not get to enjoy it for very long. He passed away on  Saturday, March 9.

Even well after Arnie sold the pharmacy, he was still very active behind the counter and up and down the aisles. My dad passed away just over six years ago and until his final days he always put his faith in the Smith team.  David Banon and his wife Sarah Ettedgui are the present-day owners of the  Pharmaprix at Cavendish (as well as Caldwell) and they indeed carry on the same special relationship with clients Arnie did.

Arnie sat near me at Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc during the  high holidays and he was always eager to know what was new in our community.

"I go back with Arnie 62 years. ago when we were both working at Phillips Drug Store in Park Ex.," said his former colleague Simon Shatzky. "Arnie was just not a pharmacist, but he was a human being in every respect.He did not have a bad bone in his body.He was a kind, generous, understanding, sympathetic and patient person." 

Added Hampstead Town Councillor Harvey Shaffer: "He was a gentleman and mensch in regards very sense of those words. He was kind and considerate, always willing to do whatever he could to help his numerous customers.Arnold was the pharmacist of pharmacists. He always went the extra mile."  

Rhona Elias said she and her husband George go back with Smith for more than 40 years.  "He was always available to answer any question and  never too busy to stop what he was doing to give you his attention. A true mensch; always so warm and  kind." 

Educator Dr. Shimshon Hamerman commented: "What a sad day to learn that a sweet, gentle and kind man has left us. Arnold was an institution in Côte Saint-Luc and Hampstead. He was the go to person at Randall Pharmacy when someone could not get to see a doctor. He helped and healed hundreds of people. Always a kind word; always a smile; always polite--that was Arnie."

CSL Men's Club president and retired pharmacist Mannie Young remarked: "I have lost my mentor, my teacher, my friend. Arnie was the pharmacist who taught me the art of listening to the customer's needs above all else. We go back to Randall Pharmacy. He was a true mensch, always ready to go above and beyond to satisfy. I will truly miss him. " 

Fred Goltz, who runs the excellent toy store at Quartier Cavendish, said Smith was his first employer when he was just a kid at Pharmaprix. "Over the years we built up a relationship and even became neighbours up in St Agathe," he noted. " I will so miss my friendly talks with him, be it up north or as he did his walking through the Mall."

Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean Talon St. W., Montreal, will be on Tuesday, March 12 at 1 p.m. Burial at the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Congregation Cemetery, Tifereth Jerusalem Section, de la Savane. Shiva at his home from 2 to 4 and  7  to 9 p.m. daily. Donations in Arnie’s memory may be made to the Scleroderma Research Fund c/o the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, (514) 340-8251.

Last Saturday’s senseless murder of 11 innocent victims at a Pittsburgh synagogue has resonated with people all over the world. Soon after this horrible news hit, we learned that a community-wide vigil  coordinated by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) would be held at Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in Cote Saint-Luc on Monday, October 29.

City Council delayed the start of our meeting so we could attend this event. What we experienced was something beyond anything I could have imagined. When we arrived, cars were already parked blocks away. There was an endless array of police vehicles, not to mention police officers on horseback. Security to get inside was knee deep.

Genevieve Guilbault

There was standing room only and a highly impressive list of senior political leaders: from the new provincial CAQ government, Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Security Genevieve Guilbault; Minister Responsible for Montreal Chantal Rouleau; and Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Responsible for the Anglo Secretariat file Christopher Skeet; Provincial Liberal Interim leader Pierre Arcand, local D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA  and a large number of his MNAs; PQ Interim leader Pascal Berubé; Federal Liberal Minister for the Francophonie and Tourism Melanie Joly; former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre; and City of Montreal Executive Committee Vice-Chair Magda Popeanu and a number of city councillors; several municipal mayors and members of their council. There were also many representatives from cultural communities present.

Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko, the spiritual leader of Beth Israel Beth Aaron, co-chair of CIJA Quebec and a constituent of mine in District 2, spoke with deep emotion as he opened up the evening. Not only is he from Pittsburgh, but his  late father served as a rabbi there for more than 60 years. The Poupkos lived only blocks away from Squirrel Hill and the Tree of Life Congregation, where the carnage took place.

Melanie Joly

Joly, reading a message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stated that an attack on one is an attack on all.

When Gail Adelson, first vice-president of Federation CJA, began to recite the names of the victims and candles were lit, many people started to weep. These people were gunned down by a lunatic terrorist only because they are Jewish. Could this really have happened in 2018 North America? How did a 97 year old victim survive the Holocaust, only to lose her life in a place that everyone should feel so safe.

Only a few weeks in office, it was impressive to see the CAQ government send three senior MNAs to show solidarity with the community. Guilbault, representing a government that wants to strip the rights of  public employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols, drew warm applause for stating how there is no place in society for such acts of hatred. “I am proud to see Quebecers united,” she said.

Israel Consul General David Levy brought a message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When he thanked American President Donald Trump for his condemnation of the murders, some in the audience booed. Only yesterday Trump seemed to be blaming the synagogue for not having an armed guard on duty.

Rabbi Poupko speaks.

Rabbi Poupko, his voice cracking, noted that a synagogue is a place of peace, prayer and faith. He said it best, emphasizing how we all know the people of Squirrel Hill. “All of us can relate to what happened," he said  "We go to synagogues that look just like [Tree of Life] synagogue. Our ties and bonds of history and of solidarity and our values are very strong."

The underlying message by Rabbi Poupko was to thank everyone for stepping inside a synagogue and not being afraid to do so. "The best way is to continue to do what we do with greater intensity," he said, "which is to lead lives of tolerance, to lead lives where we understand that ultimately the power of good is more powerful than evil, where we continue to strengthen the bonds between individuals and communities and hope the light will block out the darkness."

A look at the crowd.

Rabbi Lisa Grushcow from Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom, said she called a friend in Pittsburgh who is also a rabbi. He was performing a baby naming at another congregation when the shooting took place. His synagogue went into lock down. The couple named the baby Israela.

This coming Saturday synagogues across North America will urge all Jews to come to services – a week after the tragedy occurred in Pittsburgh. It will send a true message to all of the anti-Semites out there. I spoke to Cantor Danny Benlolo at Shaare Zedek Congregation in NDG and Yechezkel Freundlich from my own Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem.