Eleven veterans of Israel’s War of Independence were honoured recently at a ceremony at Beth Tzedec Congregation marking the launch of Rekindling the Torch (Key Porter), a new book on the history of Canadian Zionism by Montreal-based businessman-philanthropist David J. Azrieli.
Azrieli, 86, himself a veteran of the Israeli war, called up each of the 11 former members of Machal, the organization for foreign volunteers in the Israeli armed forces. An audience of several hundred people showed its exuberant appreciation as each came on stage to accept a book.
The Machalniks, some of whom had also served in Canada’s armed forces during World War II, were Jack Berger, Howard Cossman, Murray Ginsberg, Jerry Gross, Harold Kates, Abe Levine, Irving Matlow, Ben Ocopnick, Gerry Rosenberg, Joseph Warner and Sam Wasser. Many were wearing the thin strip of medals they had earned fighting for Israel’s survival some 60 years ago.
“It’s an honour to be in the presence this evening of a number of these heroes of human freedom,” said keynote speaker Jason Kenney, the secretary of state for multiculturalism and Canadian identity.
Kenney described Rekindling the Torch as “a handsomely produced labour of love.” He had just been with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he said, and Harper had asked him to convey to Azrieli and his co-author, Joe King, “his admiration and gratitude for bringing to life this central part, this key part of Canada’s shared history with Israel and the Jewish people.”
Kenney voiced the strong support for Israel that has been a trademark of the Harper government. He described Zionism as “one of the most positive, hopeful and constructive forces in a century of destructive hateful and inhuman ideologies… The founding of the State of Israel in 1948 was one of the few bright shining lights in that century of darkness.”
Co-author Joe King recounted several episodes in the history of Canadian Zionism, as told in the book. For example: Shimon Peres, then a 25-year-old emissary for Israel, visited businessman Sam Bronfman in Montreal to enlist his help in persuading the Canadian government to lower the price on a shipment of cannons. After the price was reduced from $2.5 million to $2 million, Bronfman asked Peres, ‘Where you gonna get the $2 million?’ and Peres responded, ‘From you.’”
A student at Technion when war broke out, Azrieli recalled the moment when Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion’s voice came over the radio in a crowded mess hall and proclaimed the Jewish nation into existence, soon followed by the news that Arab armies had begun to attack. He started researching the book 12 years ago, he said, because “I wanted Jews and non-Jews to know about the history of the Zionist movement in Canada.”
Other participants in the book launch were Ralph Benmergui, master of ceremonies; Cantor Simon Spiro, who sang two songs; and Moshe Ronen, national chair of the Canada-Israel Committee, who introduced the guest speaker.