Honourable senators, 70 years ago, the Quebec Bar Association decided to hold their annual convention at Mont Tremblant Lodge. Most lawyers were very happy, because this was a lovely place to hold a meeting. But there was a problem, at least for the Jewish members of the bar. You see, as was common at the time, the lodge had a strict “no Jews and no dogs” policy. No big deal, conveyed the owner of the lodge in response to representations to change the venue. It was off season, so no need to worry; there won’t be too many gentile guests to be offended by the presence of the Jews.

Outraged by this discriminatory rule, several Jewish members of the bar called for a boycott of the meeting and founded an association with a mandate of lobbying for fair representation of Jews at the bar and on the bench. The guests in the gallery who were just recognized by Your Honour are the past president, current president and incoming president of the society, the group that calls itself the Lord Reading Law Society. It was named after Rufus Daniel Isaacs, the first Marquess of Reading and the first Jewish Lord Chief Justice of England.

The Lord Reading Law Society quickly became a fixture in Montreal’s legal community. It made connections with the law faculties at McGill University and the University of Montreal and played a key role in increasing the number of Jews at the bar and on the bench locally and provincially.

Since it was founded, the society has offered top-quality programs to accommodate its members’ professional development needs. The society hosts several annual lecture series, including one named for my late father that has featured a long list of leading figures from the legal community.

Over time, as anti-Semitism and restrictions on Jews became less prevalent, the society turned its attention to fighting for the rights of the greater Jewish community and other minority groups in Quebec. The society was engaged in many of the high profile issues of the day, intervening in support of minority rights when confronted with discriminatory legislation such as the ill-conceived Bill 60, otherwise known as the Quebec charter of values.

In fighting for the interests of its members and in defending the rights of all minorities, the Lord Reading Law Society is true to the highest ideals of the Jewish tradition, for as the famous sage asked more than 20 centuries ago:

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?

Honourable colleagues, as we approach the holidays of both Passover and Easter, please join me in congratulating the Lord Reading Law Society on 70 years of effective and constructive leadership. May it continue to go from strength to strength.