NEWSLETTER: October 2024

Editors – Allen Mendelsohn, Larry Markowitz and Stephanie Perlis

President’s Message

Erin Lesser, President

(cliquez ici pour lire le mot du président en français)

Dear Colleagues, Honourable Judges, and Friends of the Society,

As we move into the autumn portion of our 76th season, I am thrilled to announce that our speaker and honoured guest for the upcoming Annual Human Rights Lecture will be Cree indigenous activist Na’kuset.

In keeping with the Human Rights theme of this event, I believe it is worthwhile to take a moment to reflect on the founding principles of the Lord Reading Law Society. As many of you are aware, the Society was founded at a time where Jews faced significant challenges within the legal community of Montreal and beyond. The Society’s mission was not only to advocate for Jewish human rights, but also to defend the rights of minorities across Canada.

Canada’s Indigenous peoples have suffered profound intergenerational trauma and injustice for over a century. As a Jewish organization, we can regrettably empathize with the experience of both intergenerational trauma and injustice. Throughout my involvement with the Society, a recurring theme as been our commitment to representing not only Jewish interests but also the broader interests of all minority groups. During my presidency, I have made it my personal goal to strengthen our connection with other minority communities. Having Na’kuset speak at our Annual Human Rights Lecture marks a significant and meaningful first step in this endeavour.

In Na’kuset’s words, “Indigenous people can no longer wait for Canada to act. Indigenous families are demanding justice, not more empty words”. Her advocacy work with the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal is absolutely fascinating and truly ground-breaking, and her roles as co-founder of Resilience Montreal and executive director of the Montreal Native Women’s shelter are truly inspiring. Na’kuset’s personal journey as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, adopted and raised by a Jewish family in Montreal before reclaiming her Indigenous identity and status as a young adult, only adds to her incredible story.

On a personal note, Na’kuset has been one of my heroes for many years. Living in an area where many Indigenous people reside, I have witnessed firsthand the visible suffering of many in the community and the impact of her work. I have long admired her dedication and resilience, and believe we can all learn a great deal from her experience and insights. I am incredibly grateful that she will be speaking with us, and cannot wait to hear what she has to say.

Don’t Forget to Register!

The Human Rights Lecture is next Thursday, November 7th. Na’kuset’s talk is entitled Advocacy in Action: A Journey of Indigenous Resistance, and you can register for the dinner-meeting online.

Thank you to our generous sponsor for the evening, BLG, for continuing to support the Society.

Our Human Rights Essay Contest

In the same spirit of our support for Human Rights, I would like to extend a special thank you to Neil Hazan and all those involved in organizing our Lord Reading 75th Anniversary Human Rights Essay Contest. I am delighted to congratulate all the winners (read the next story in this newsletter to find out who they are!) and look forward to recognizing them at the Human Rights Lecture next week.

To return to my earlier point, when you see the titles of the winning entries, you’ll see how human rights issues extend far beyond the Jewish community. It is crucial for us to recognize this commonality, especially in light of our own history.

Your Membership for the 2024-2025 Season

I encourage you to sign up for membership for the season. Without your membership, the Society cannot continue to fulfill its very important mission, which I know we all believe in. Membership provides you with incredible discounts on our traditional dinner-meetings (a great deal!) and grants you access to our members-only events, which I hope will be particularly worthwhile this year, as we will be hosting several extremely interesting members-only CLE lunches. You can sign up for membership online here.

Annual Student Dinner – Save the Date!

I am also thrilled to announce that the Annual Student Dinner will take place January 16, 2025, and will feature Professor Adam Dodek of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, who has written a new book Heenan Blaikie: The Making and Unmaking of a Great Canadian Law Firm. I recently read the book and wholeheartedly gave it a five-star review! (Seriously, check my Goodreads page!).

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I look forward to seeing you in-person on November 7th for what is sure to be an inspiring and informative evening.

Sincerely,

Erin Lesser, President 2024-25
The Lord Reading Law Society
president@lordreading.org

The 75th Anniversary Human Rights Essay Contest Winners

Neal Hazan, Chair, Human Rights Essay Contest Committee

The Lord Reading Law Society is thrilled to announce the winners of our 75th Anniversary Human Rights Essay Contest! Thank you to all participants for their insightful and thought-provoking essays contributing to human rights discourse.

Student Winners

First Place: Aliya Behar, Addressing the Wrongs in Ward: Towards a Harm Reduction Approach to Discriminatory Speech in Canada
Second Place: Jenna Fairey, Overrepresentation of Indigenous Women in the Canadian Justice System: The Duality of Victimhood and Criminalization

Professional Winners

First Place: Emmanuelle Bernheim, Le problème des droits en santé mentale : comment la loi et les droits empêchent de mettre fin à la coercition psychiatrique
Second Place: Bradley Wiseman, Human dignity as a Foundation for Aboriginal Rights in Canada
Third Place: Dwight Newman, Recognizing Freedom of Association Beyond Labour Contexts and Transcending Individualistic Readings of the Charter

We will be featuring the winning essays on our website as well as in a curated PDF to be distributed to various outlets focused on promoting and advancing human rights. You can read the first essay by clicking on the link above!

A special thank you to the rest of our jury of Lord Reading members (Gregory Azancot, Karen Eltis, Mara Greenstone, Erin Lesser, Manny Shacter and Ian Solloway) for their time and expertise in evaluating the essays.

We look forward to hosting and honoring our winners and their work at our upcoming Annual Human Rights Dinner on November 7th 2024. Don’t forget to register!

The Alan B. Gold Advocacy Lecture 2024

To kick off our 2024-2025 season, on September 11th the Society was delighted to welcome the Hon. John Baird P.C. Mr. Baird served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Transport, Minister of Environment and President of the Treasury Board, among other senior positions, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Mr Baird was interviewed on stage by the Society’s Immediate Past President, Robert Steinman, in a talk entitled Navigating Political, Legal, and Diplomatic Storms: A fireside chat with Canada’s Former Top Diplomat.

Mr. Baird was introduced by Senator Marc Gold, son of the lecture’s namesake, who commented on how Mr. Baird reflected his father’s values. Mr. Baird began with remarks about pluralism and its role in Canada, and the need to support it here and abroad. He expressed his desire for more leaders to stand up and support Israel and speak out against antisemitism in this incredibly difficult time. A wide-ranging interview followed, covering topics from Mr. Baird’s entry into politics, his role as Treasury Secretary and the inside story of the Canadian embassy in Tehran in 1979. The evening finished with a lively question period.

For a full set of pictures from the event, please click here.

Save the Date – the First Ever Lord Reading Hockey Game and Skating Day!

Jacob Faluz, Young Bar Committee

The Lord Reading Law Society is delighted to announce that on February 16, 2025, we will be hosting our first ever hockey game and skating day! The event will take place at the Chamandy Arena at Lower Canada College, located at 4025 Royal Avenue, Montréal. The ice has been rented from 1:00-2:30pm, with lounge access above the rink for snacks and drinks between 1:00-3:00pm. A formal 5 on 5 hockey game will be played, followed by a period of free skating for members, friends and family. Participants for either the hockey game or free skating portions can include members of the Lord Reading Law Society or their friends and family, of all ages.

Participants are encouraged to make financial contributions to raise funds to support our many great initiatives. All players in the hockey game will be expected to make such a financial contribution, and to help cover costs. We would also welcome any sponsorships for the event. Further details to follow.

Please save the date of February 16, 2025! A formal sign up will follow in the weeks ahead, but if you would like to already commit towards the hockey game or free skating, or to discuss sponsorship, please e-mail me at jacob.ray@videotron.ca. We look forward to seeing you in February, for a great afternoon of hockey, skating, and fun!

Society Humour

News from the Mishpocha

Mazel Tov

To Society Board member Mason Brenhouse on his recent wedding to Alexa Schafer!

Sincere Condolences

To Society Board members Donald Michelin and Heather Michelin, and Justice Janet Michelin, on the loss of their brother and uncle Paul