11/18/2014
Lubavitcher only second ever elected to English Montreal School Board | The Canadian Jewish News
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Lubavitcher only second ever elected to English Montreal School Board
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Janice Arnold, Staff Reporter, Monday, November 17, 2014
Tags: Canada EMSB English Montreal School Board Lubavitch Mordechai Antal
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MONTREAL — Mordechai Antal has become only the
second Orthodox Jewish commissioner of the English
Montreal School Board (EMSB) and probably of any
school board in Quebec.
He was elected in Ward 1 (Côte des
Neiges/Snowdon/Outremont/Town of Mount
Royal/Park Extension) in the school board elections
held on Nov. 2 on the team of incumbent EMSB chair
Angela Mancini.
Antal, 49, a member of the Lubavitch community, is a
teacher in the Jewish day school system and head of
its major union. His six children attend or graduated
from Orthodox Jewish schools.
Mordechai Antal
But Antal is grateful to the public school system
because he believes it helped him get where he is today, and says his concern for education – whether public
or private—is the reason he accepted when approached to run.
“I saw this as an opportunity, a natural extension of my professional life,” said Antal as he embarked on his
three­year term. “A strong education system is the foundation of society.”
His visible religious affiliation, he said, was not an issue, either among Jewish or non­Jewish electors, during
his campaign, which included a lot of door­knocking.
He got 887 of the almost 2,300 votes cast, defeating three challengers, including runner­up Lesley
Chesterman, who was on chairmanship hopeful Anne Lagacé Dowson’s slate. The turnout was over 20 per
cent – good for school board elections.
“I never got the question directly, but if someone did ask me why a religious Jew was running, my answer
would be the eligibility [requires you to be] a Canadian citizen, over 18, living in the ward and in good standing
with the law. We are in a democracy, thank goodness.”
Although he was wooed by the Mancini team, which includes veteran commissioner Syd Wise, Antal said he
does not believe it was because the EMSB hopes he can bring more Jewish students into its schools, whose
enrolment is in sharp decline.
Certainly, it is not one of his goals, nor does he see himself as representing the interests of Orthodox Jews,
very few of whom send their kids to public schools, or of the Jewish community in general. The only other Orthodox Jew on the EMSB, the largest English board in the province, was Zev Neuwirth, also
a Lubavitcher, elected in 2003.
“I think all parents should send their children to the school that they feel is best for them,” Antal said.
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He does think his talent for conciliation, honed as a labour leader, is one strength he brings to the fractious
EMSB table.
Antal, who “became religious” when he was 24, went to public schools, the first three grades in St. Laurent,
and then from grades 4 to 10 in St. Jérôme and Lachute. The family moved to Ste. Sophie in the lower
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11/18/2014
Lubavitcher only second ever elected to English Montreal School Board | The Canadian Jewish News
Laurentians, which had been a Jewish farming settlement – his mother, a Zaritsky, was one of the pioneering
families in the early 20th century.
He finished high school back in St. Laurent at Sir Winston Churchill High School, now LaurenHill Academy.
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After graduating from McGill University, Antal taught in the public system, as well as at Yeshiva Gedola,
before settling at Bialik High School where he taught mostly economics for eight years.
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For the past five years, he has been on a leave of absence, serving as president of the Federation of
Teachers of Jewish Schools, the union representing about 350 teachers at 10 anglophone elementary and
high schools.
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Antal comes to the EMSB when its very existence is in question, as is the case with all school boards in
Quebec. Education Minister Yves Bolduc has said “significant changes” to the way public schools are
governed will be proposed by the government soon, including the possible merger of some boards.
“I can’t speak directly to these changes, which have not been announced yet,” Antal said. “But generally,
boards play an important consultative role, hearing all parties, trying to find common ground and setting policy
that is in the interest of everyone.” Ward 1 has five EMSB schools.
“Sometimes, the centralizing of systems, whether it be educational or health, as an economic argument has
unforeseen consequences… Yes, money can be saved, by avoiding duplication and so forth, but what about
the cost in terms of teachers’ morale, or the sense of connection or community, or students’ success? These
things are very hard to measure.” 17
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