By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

Israel Consul-General Paul Hirschson and Deputy Consul-General Shulamit Chouraki Nadiv lay a wreath at Sunday’s annual Montreal Yom Hazikaron commemoration, to remember the 30,134, as of May 12, Israeli soldiers and civilians killed since Israel’s independence in 1948. Steve Sebag, board chair of Federation CJA, on behalf of the Montreal Jewish community, and Colonel Alain Cohen on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces, also laid wreaths. On hand, amongst many at the standing-room only event at the Gelber Centre, were Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, D’Arcy McGee MNA Elisabeth Prass, CSL Mayor Mitchell Brownstein and Rabbi Reuben Poupko. Montrealers killed in Israel were remembered, including Alexandre Look, who was murdered by Hamas terrorists Oct. 7 while defending others. His mother, Raquel Look, in an emotional speech, told the gathering that the sacrifices of those who fell “have and will pave the way for the vibrant, resilient nation we know today, a beacon of hope and perseverance in a tumultuous world.” Also remembered was Montrealer Yisroel Suissa, who died this past March in a motorcycle accident after serving in Gaza for 150 days since the Israel-Hamas war began. n