TORONTO – “In the world we live in, B’nai Brith is necessary,” declared David Kassie, chairman and CEO of Genuity Capital Markets and the honouree at this year’s B’nai Brith Canada’s Award of Merit Dinner last week at the Sheraton Centre.

Kassie was introduced by his wife Susan Harris, who described him as a star basketball player, gifted musician and singer, quiet philanthropist and a great husband and father.

“He can truly walk with kings and not lose the common touch,” she said.

In accepting the award from Joe Bogoroch, national president, and Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, Kassie said B’nai Brith Canada is “an organization that is prepared to stand up and be counted…a strong voice against racism.” The fact that the organization is at times seen as “controversial” is an “inevitable consequence of standing up” for important issues, he said.

“Notwithstanding my good personal fortune, I am acutely aware of what is going on in the world,” he added, citing the anti-Israel attitude at the United Nations and Human Rights Watch, which is “stunning, perverse and darkly tragic.”

Not quite 65 years after the end of WWI, “Israel and the Jewish people face an existential threat from Iran…. Here in Canada we have a labour union that decided to make condemning Israel a priority.” Kassie also mentioned the challenges faced by Jewish and pro-Israel students on campus.

Kassie reminded the audience that out of approximately 6.8 billion people in the world, only 13.5 million – less than one per cent – are Jewish.

“Thinking of all the problems in the world, I wonder: How did Israel and the Jewish people become the focus? I don’t know why, but I do know that B’nai Brith is always there to stand up, defend and respond,” Kassie concluded.

Also present was a special delegation from Poland that included Holocaust survivor Joanna Sobolewska and three Righteous Among the Nations – Marianna Krasnodebska, Janina Rozecka and Marian Golebiowski – who “represent the true spirit of B’nai Brith Canada’s motto, ‘People Helping People,’” according to emcee Paul Godfrey, former top executive with The Sun, Toronto Blue Jays and former Metro Chairman.

Dimant praised Polish Ambassador to Canada Piotr Ogrodzinski for his important role in “building bridges” between the Jewish and Polish communities.

The ambassador responded that he was proud to represent “the new Poland, a Poland that has changed.

“The new, free Poland wants to regain its history that was denied…. We want to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust, but there were those who stood up for the standards we cherish.”

Ewa Wierzynska, deputy director of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, said it will be a reminder of 1,000 years of Jewish life in Poland.

Robert Lantos, producer, Serendipity Point Films, honorary dinner co-chair and last year’s Award of Merit recipient, expressed personal gratitude because his mother had been sheltered by a Christian during the Holocaust.
He described Kassie as a person with “integrity,” who “gives quietly, generously and anonymously.”

Luna Roth, a national vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, delivered remarks prepared by Thornhill MP Peter Kent, minister of foreign affairs (Americas), who was unable to attend at the last minute due to an emergency vote in Ottawa.

“Our government changed the offensive tradition of abstention in the UN votes against Israel,” Roth read. “Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper understands that Canada can and must play an active role in the world…getting off the fence.”

Kent credited “great organizations like B’nai Brith” for being “dedicated to keeping government accountable at home and abroad.”

Leslie Dan, honorary chair of the B’nai Brith Foundation, upon reciting the Hamotzi (blessing over the bread), reminded the crowd that many people in the world are not as fortunate as we are with food and basic necessities.

“We live in the greatest country in the world,” Dan stated. B’nai Brith is among the institutions that are “fighting racism and antisemitism to keep our citizens living in harmony, freedom and democracy.”

Dr. Aubrey Zidenberg, a national vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, recognized from the podium only elected MPs and the diplomatic corps; the names of the other VIPs were featured on screens around the room throughout the evening.

Those recognized included: Piotr Ogrodzinski, embassy of Poland; Evgueni Stoytchev, embassy of Bulgaria; Tomaz Kunstelj, embassy of the Republic of Slovenia’ Chris Bentley, attorney-general, Ontario; Levent Bilgen, consul general, consulate general of the Republic of Turkey; Preeti Saran, consul general, consulate general of India; Senator Jerry Grafstein; Tim Hudak, MPP, Leader of the Opposition, Progressive Conservative Party; Dr. Eric Hoskins, MPP, St. Paul’s; Monte Kwinter, MPP, York Centre; David Zimmer, MPP, Willowdale; Councillor Michael Feldman, Toronto City Council, Ward 10, York Centre, and Councillor Norm Kelly, Toronto City.