The Friends of JNF TuBishevat Telethon will take place on Sunday, February 1. The organization is still seeking student volunteers in Grades 10, 11 and first year CEGEP who can gain community service hours. I spoke with two such youngsters, Bialik High School in Côte Saint-Luc Secondary V students Noa Windish and David Tchinov.

The campaign will raise money for two important projects.

Rebuilding the Heart of Kibbutz Holit

On October 7, Kibbutz Holit was devastated, losing beloved members of its community, including Canadian-born mother Adi Vital-Kaploun, who was killed while protecting her children. The survivors were forced to disperse, and now they are determined to return home in 2026.

At the heart of this renewal, Friends of JNF Canada is committed to building a central landscape with gardens, shaded playgrounds and outdoor fitness areas where children, parents and seniors can heal, reconnect, and rebuild community. Supporters can help restore the Heart of Holit and turn resilience into renewal.

Restoring Amnun Forest in the Galilee

Overlooking the Sea of Galilee, Amnun Forest is a young, biodiverse forest. Over 190 hectares were destroyed by rocket fire from Lebanon, damaging wildlife habitats, the landscape’s resilience, and shaded spaces for residents and visitors. The surrounding area is popular for hiking, fishing, boating, and birdwatching, especially with the nearby Hula Valley Nature Reserve, a world-renowned bird migration hotspot.

Your support can restore this vital forest by replanting native species and providing long-term care. Supporters can help protect and revitalize the Amnun Forest.

To volunteer go to https://www.friendsofjnfca.org/ or call 1-800-806-8237 (dial 3)

Jamie Fabian is the youngest person to be elected to Côte Saint-Luc City Council in more than 40 years. Yet, at the age of 25 he is already an accomplished politician. He was only 20 in 2020 when he was electd as a commissioner for the English Montreal School Board, serving Côte Saint-Luc and Hampstead. In November he won the race to succeed veteran Dida Berku in DIstrict 3. He is presently on the path to become a lawyer. Listen to my discussion with him.

David Tordjman is the newly elected mayor of Côte Saint-Luc. He was declared the winner in the last election following a dramatic recount. What are his goals for this mandate? Listen please to our enlightening conversation.

Max Blauer is a nine year old constituent of mine in Côte Saint-Luc District 2. He’s been playing goalie for two and a half years in CSL. Last year he played for the CSL Canucks in Novice 1 . The highlight of his short career was being selected for team Quebec Brick this summer. He’s been battling for over a year to make this team. There were more than 16 goalies who tried out and he was selected as the number one goalie for all of Quebec.

For this year's winter season he will be playing Atom AA for the Northstars. Max is in Grade 4 at JPPS and also plays basketball and flag football. I spoke to Max and his dad, Dr. Evan Blauer, an emergency room physician at the Jewish General Hospital.

Allied Voices for Israel (AVI) unites students of all backgrounds against anti-Jewish hatred. AVI offers a multi-faceted approach to Israel advocacy and education by empowering a new and diverse cohort of Israel advocates at high school and university campuses across Canada. Noa Peretz Benchaya is a constituent of mine in Côte Saint-Luc District 2. She serves as the director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada. I sat down with her and Founder/Executive Director Daniel Koren over a bite at Pizza Pita.

Through allyship programs to Israel, educational workshops, media fellowships, and other advocacy programs, AVI is inspiring a new generation of students to change the narrative around Israel. By embracing our peers, we will establish a movement of students working together to achieve strength in numbers and create a more just society.

AVI offers a variety of flagship programs as well as resources, access to high-profile speakers, and a suite of educational workshops that give students the tools to build meaningful coalitions, an understanding of regional conflicts in the Middle East, how to refute misinformation from anti-Israel students and professors, and serve as vocal and proactive Ambassadors for peace, coexistence, and human rights. We also offer interactive campaigns for our students to meaningfully engage in dialogue with their peers on campus.

AVI strongly believes that coalition-building is essential to combating anti-Jewish hatred and all forms of bigotry on campus. We believe in real allyship – meaning that no student should ever need to renounce an integral part of their identity (such as Jewish students being forced to denounce their support for Israel) to be considered an “ally.”

Log on to https://www.alliedvoicesforisrael.org

At 100 years young, Danny Dankoff lives independently, drives a car and plays golf regularly at Pinegrove on Montreal's South Shore. I went to visit him and his 98 year old brother Sam at the beautiful condo they share in Côte Saint-Luc.

Fin Gourmet sur l’Avenue is marking its first anniversary this week. They are located at 6730 The Avenue, in my District 2. facing the Scotiabank at Quartier Cavendish.

The husband-and-wife team of Edmond and Veronique Abecassis are the owners. This culinary masterpiece has a wide variety of prepared foods, packaged grab and go meals, cold cuts, frozen packaged food, baked goods, spices and nuts, fresh challahs, lamb, chicken, minced meat and more. They have weekly Shabbat meal packages and of course special orders available for Rosh Hashana, Passover and other Jewish holidays For more information call 514-369-2522 or e-mail [email protected]. I recently dropped by with two of my Bialik High School Local Commerce student interns Avery Hannon and Noah Galambos. They enjoyed one of the house specialties, the chicken schnitzel sandwich; I went for the hamburger steak with rice and Asian noodles on the size. Everything was delicioius. They do have limited table seating available.

Eli Lallouz is a resident of Cote Saint-Luc and operates a growing Eyewear group of stores under the Vision 770 banner. They are present in locations across the city, as well as St. Remi and inside pharmacies, hospitals and Walmart spots. I went to visit Eli and his executive assistant Ingrid Azeroual, an constituent of mine, at their location at the MUHC Glen Campus. Please listen to our conversation.

The Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra (MWSO) was founded in 2006 by conductor Joseph Milo and his wife Lucy Ravinsky. This one of a kind orchestra is composed of 55 musicians: about 80 percent of its members are from 15 countries around the world, while the remaining 20 percent are natives of Montreal, who successfully facilitated the integration of the newcomers.

On Sunday, August 10, 2025 (3 pm) Maestro Milo and his orchestra will perform at a much anticipated free concert in the Ashkelon Gardens behind City Hall. It is part of our Library and Culture Department’s Summer in the City Program. Bring your lawn chairs. In the event of rain, it will be moved inside and and a limited number of passes will be available (two passes per person) maximum. “Jazz and Symphony” will be theme, with Olga Murysina as a violin soloist, Olivia Hacinsky-Charette as the soprano performer and Mike Melino the tenor.

Listen in as he talks about how this unique group was formed.

DeLaMie is a social enterprise creating vocational opportunities and empowering young people with special needs to bake, craft chocolate, package, and sell just about the best goods ever under the auspices of the Friendship Circle. Fin Gourmet sur l'Avenue, located at 6730 L'Avenue across from Quartier Cavendish, has been serving up gourmet kosher food since September 2024. Now they will begin carrying the products of DeLaMie. Veronique Abecassis, who owns the business along with her husband Edmond, joined me when I visited the Friendship Circle with Assistant Director Refael Paris and President David Tordjman. The Friendship Circle of Montreal was founded in 2001 as a vehicle to help children with special needs meet other children, overcome loneliness, develop skills and improve their confidence. The Friendship Circle pairs up teenage volunteers from dozens of high schools and universities across Greater Montreal, providing assistance and support, and most of all friendship, through a variety of social programs and activities. The teen volunteers learn the priceless value of giving, the curative power of friendship, and the vital importance of integrating children with special needs into our communities.