Prominent figure in Montreal’s Jewish community passes away at 92

Former Quebec judge, politician, and respected figure in Montreal’s Jewish and English-speaking communities, Maximilien Polak died at the age of 92 on December 27th.

Polak is remembered by many for serving over 15 years on the bench as well as for his role in Quebec politics- having been elected a Quebec Liberal MNA for the Montreal riding of Ste. Anne in 1981 and in 1985.

Born in the Dutch city of Leiden, Polak made a lasting impact on Quebec’s Jewish community. He first arrived in Canada from the Netherlands in 1952 after the Holocaust and obtained his law degree from Université de Montréal, in French, in 1958, “at a time when few Jewish students completed their degrees there,” said Marvin Rotrand, national director for B’nai B’rith’s League of Human Rights.

A strong voice for minority rights

Rotrand also noted that Max’s presence as a member of the National Assembly made him “a strong voice for minority rights.”

“We worked together on several files when I was a City Councillor including work accomplished together with the late Herbert Marx that led to landmark legislation that created civilian oversight of law enforcement in the province,” added Marvin Rotrand.

Chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada, Michael Mostyn, recognized Polak’s accomplishments in a press release issued late Wednesday praising the former Quebec court judge for how “he overcame many obstacles to earn a law degree, be named as a municipal court judge, complete two terms in the Quebec National Assembly and serve for a decade as a Superior Court judge.”

As for the Polak children, his son Michael serves as the Honorary Counsel of the Netherlands in Quebec. His daughter Monique is a renowned author and freelance writer while his other daughter Caroline followed in her father’s footsteps working as a lawyer.

Rotrand describes Max Polak as somebody who embodies a “mensch”- citing him as “compassionate, inquisitive, witty and welcoming; a family man well loved by all who knew him.”