• Deceased
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Order of Canada

• Officer of the Order of Canada

  • Awarded on: December 18, 1978
  • Invested on: April 25, 1979

  President of the Canadian Jewish Congress and Senior Scholar at Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto. He has served in world-wide Jewish organizations and written and lectured extensively on Judaism. His recent appointment as Vice-President of the Ontario Human Rights Commission underlines his commitment to improving the quality of life.

• Companion of the Order of Canada

  • Awarded on: October 21, 1999
  • Invested on: February 09, 2000

  He is an internationally-known scholar, activist and commentator on social issues, who continues to promote human rights and reconciliation between peoples. Rabbi Emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, he played a key role in the revision of Canada's legislation on refugees. In addition, he founded the North York Committee on Community Race and Ethnic Relations and is Senior Fellow at the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University. This is a promotion within the Order.