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Obituary: Dr. Abe Fuks, 78, transformed medical education in Montreal—with a dedication to friendship and Yiddishkeit
As a professor who insisted on placing the notion of personhood at the centre of the clinician-patient relationship in the medical school curriculum, Dr. Abraham “Abe” Fuks made an impact on generations of health professionals in his hometown and beyond.
More than half a century after earning his own degree from McGill University—where he ultimately served as Faculty of Medicine dean from 1995 to 2006—Fuks died in Montreal on Dec. 1, at age 78.
A leading researcher in immunology, Fuks also made great and enduring contributions to the understanding of tumour biology, type 1 diabetes, and clinical trial ethics. His work shaped the evolution of medical education in Canada, beginning with McGill’s medical curriculum, notably introducing the Physicianship component, whose courses and modules emphasized humanism in medical training.
Teaching, he argued, should not just look at fixing and curing, but also true healing and empathy.
After conducting biochemistry and molecular biology research at Harvard University, where he also taught courses, Fuks returned to McGill to serve as a professor in Medicine, Oncology and Pathology.
Subsequently, he was instrumental in reshaping the school’s medical infrastructure by organizing the 1997 merger of the Montreal General, Royal Victoria and Montreal Children’s hospitals—along with the Chest and Neurological institutes—to create the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
Despite this era of austerity and repeated punishing budgetary constraints during his tenure, Fuks still managed to endow chairs and boost faculty numbers while expanding the biomedical research facilities at McGill.
Lending his talent to numerous committees and initiatives, he was affectionately dubbed the “philosopher dean” for his renowned humanistic approach to patient care and generous demeanour.
Fuks prescribed of listening as an obligatory skill set for doctors-in-training amid a modern teaching-hospital environment that is increasingly a place of short-term admissions and gauged and rewarded for even shorter stays.
The slew of professional and personal kudos he received from peers were capped with being awarded the Order of Canada in 2018. But according to one friend of 50 years, Fuks still kept the important things in life sacred.
“Yiddishkeit and friendship, friendship, friendship,” were his priorities according to former city councillor Abe Gushonor. “With all the people he knew, all that he was involved in, he believed in the importance of staying close.”
The two met through the Yiddish Theatre when “we were much, much younger,” laughed Gonshor, “back when Dora Wasserman first set out to create this theatre that created unchanged friendships that lasted forever.”
Fuks was one of the pillars of the group, performing with his sister Sylvia in many productions.
During the 18 years after ending his stint as dean, Fuks remained a committed mentor, seen regularly on campus, ready to chat with students or faculty, lend an ear or a dose of wisdom when needed—always with a smile, sharply dressed, sporting his signature bowties.
Those who had “the privilege of his collegiality or friendship were fortunate to share time and experience with a special human being,” wrote Myer Bick, president emeritus of the Jewish General Hospital Foundation.
“His character encompassed the rare combination of qualities of a brilliant mind, understanding of the human condition, humility and of course a sharp wit.”
A few years after he helped launch the White Coat Ceremony for medical students, Fuks was honoured by the Douglas Research Centre, telling an audience a highlight of his leadership was working with successful young people, which he likened to “academic parenthood.”
“He was the most incredible listener and had the unbelievable power of information retention,” Gonshor recalled. “He would remember things I told him 40 years ago in great detail, and because he listened so well, he gave the best advice. Any person that ever interacted with him, notice that he was focused on that person, and very humble and compassionate.
“He never boasted about his achievements and with all the things he did and all the things he’s accomplished, it was never about him. It was always about the people around him.”
Fuks also had a keen understanding and passion for relations between institutions, donors, and wider communities, and helped sound the alarm about Quebec City’s recent large-scale Bill 15 health reform, which would dramatically alter institutional governance imposing a new level of remote bureaucracy over local leadership.
A year before his death, in his poignant but folksy critique, Fuks told a Montreal audience of healthcare professionals, advocates and politicians that hospitals and other establishments are not bureaucratic agencies but rather “social-cultural entities of communities.”
Rather than talk about organizational charts, he helped direct Quebecers’ attention to the perils of losing local voices on boards, whom he called the “glue between institution and professionals, between hospitals and communities they serve.” That’s where he said, change happened, where spikes in conditions amid local populations are discussed, bold initiatives conceived, and member are dispatched to seek donor support, not by far-away life-tenured bureaucrats.
“Giving ultimate authority over healthcare to someone with zero frontline knowledge,” he famously warned, “is like asking me to run the Bank of Canada.”
Expressing his own admiration for his peers, in 2023 he created an Academy of Exemplary Physicians along with a video interview series with each to honour their contributions.
Born in Germany in the shadow of the Holocaust and brought to Canada as a baby, he grew up in a Parc Avenue triplex above his parents’ store.
Edna Mendelson, an extended cousin—and also a child of a survivor—recalls him as a “legend” for providing support to her family when they arrived in Montreal in the late 1960s.
“The family bond and the deep Holocaust survivors’ bond was thick and unshakeable,” she said.
Abe Gonshor lost his 24-year-old daughter Sarah to a very rare form of cancer, and his friend Abe was very moved by her experience and suffering through pain during diagnostic tests.
“For years afterward he carried a letter Sarah wrote about what she felt doctors should know, something that inspired Abe to stress that importance to medical students before they became doctors, learning how to listen, how to speak.”
But mostly Gonshor remembers simple times together, as they met for Friday night dinners and Saturday morning coffee, along with regular Sunday brunches in the west end of Montreal.
“With all the things he was doing—teaching, schools, hospitals, foundations, committees and philanthropy—he found time to be with his friends. He always was with us. How much we’ll miss him, and how much the world will.
“There’s such an impact. I don’t know if words can explain it.”
The post Obituary: Dr. Abe Fuks, 78, transformed medical education in Montreal—with a dedication to friendship and Yiddishkeit appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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Trump Administration Reaffirms Opposition to Turkey Rejoining F-35 Program
A Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft is seen at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, Germany, April 25, 2018. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt
The Trump administration has reaffirmed its opposition to Turkey’s rejoining the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, citing Ankara’s possession of Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
In a letter sent on Wednesday to US Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), a senior State Department official reiterated that Washington remains committed to enforcing the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which penalizes countries with financial ties to Russia’s defense sector.
“The Trump administration is fully committed to protecting US defense and intelligence assets and complying with US law, including CAATSA,” the letter read
The message, signed by Paul Guaglianone of the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, stated that Washington’s position “has not changed” and that Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian-supplied S-400 remains incompatible with US law and defense requirements. The official stressed that the Trump administration was fully committed to protecting American defense and intelligence assets while maintaining its obligations under the National Defense Authorization Act.
Despite the strained relationship, the letter emphasized that Turkey remains a longstanding NATO ally. US officials framed the relationship as critical to the security interests of both countries and signaled a willingness to maintain dialogue with Ankara.
In 2017, despite several US warnings, Ankara purchased the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system, leading to Turkey’s expulsion from the multibillion-dollar fighter jet program in 2019.
“The United States seeks to cooperate with Turkey on common priorities and to engage in dialogue to resolve disagreements,” Guaglianone wrote, while maintaining that Washington has “expressed our disapproval of Ankara’s acquisition of the S-400 and clearly conveyed steps that would need to be taken” in the sanctions review process.
The letter came after a bipartisan coalition of more than 40 US lawmakers pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this month to prevent Turkey from rejoining the F-35 program, citing ongoing national security concerns and violations of US law. Members of Congress warned that lifting existing sanctions or readmitting Turkey to the US F-35 fifth-generation fighter program would “jeopardize the integrity of F-35 systems” and risk exposing sensitive US military technology to Russia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed during a NATO summit in June that Ankara and Washington had begun discussing Turkey’s readmission into the program.
Under Section 1245 of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon is prohibited from transferring F-35 jets or related technology to Turkey unless Ankara no longer possesses the Russian-made S-400 system and provides assurances it will not acquire such equipment in the future. Because Turkey continues to retain the S-400, US officials are legally barred from approving its participation in the F-35 program.
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Israel Responds to Norway Donating Profits From World Cup Qualifying Matchup to Aid Gaza
Alexander Sørloth of Norway scores the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier football match between Israel and Norway on March 25, 2025, in Debrecen. Photo: VEGARD GRØTT/Bildbyran/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The Israel Football Association has issued a statement in response to a decision by its Norwegian counterpart to give profits from their mutual World Cup qualifiying match to support humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip.
Norway will host Israel on Oct. 11 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, in the next round of the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Association said it “cannot remain indifferent” to humanitarian suffering in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, and announced that it will donate profits from the Oct. 11 game to aid humanitarian causes supporting Gaza.
“Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been exposed to for a long time,” said Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness. “Israel is part of FIFA’s and UEFA’s competitions and we have to deal with that. But we want to give the profit to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and that contributes with active emergency aid on the ground.”
The Norwegian Football Association said it will reveal at a later date which humanitarian organization it will donate to. The association added that it is working with local police and UEFA to ensure the safety of players and fans at the Oct. 11 match in Oslo and will be taking “some extra security measures,” such as limiting capacity at the game. Tickets go on sale next week.
The Israeli Football Association responded on Wednesday in a statement to Telegraph Sport. It urged the Norwegian association to “make sure the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting,” for which Norway has been criticized internationally. Israel also said it “would be nice” if the Norwegian Football Association would condemn the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
“We do not usually advise associations regarding the use of match revenue, even if it is obtained thanks to a match against our proud national team, but we will deviate from our custom this time: it would be nice if some of the amount were directed to try to finding a condemnation by the Norwegian FA of the Oct. 7 massacre that claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli citizens and children, or action in favor of the release of 50 hostages – and please, make sure that the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting,” the Israeli Football Association said in a statement. It also said it aims to gain 3 points at the October match.
Israel has been unable to host matches on its home soil for international competitions because of security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war. It competed in a qualifying match against Norway in Hungary in March, which Norway won 4-2.
The Italian Soccer Coaches’ Association (AIAC) is demanding that Israel be suspended from international competitions ahead of Italy’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against the Jewish state that are set for September and October. Italy is set to play Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sept. 8, before hosting Israel in Udine on Oct. 14.
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Toronto Film Festival CEO Apologizes Again for Canceling, Then Rescheduling Screening of Oct. 7 Documentary
Skyline of Toronto, Canada. Photo Credit: Aaron Davis, Wikimedia Commons, June 2020.
The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has apologized again for the festival’s decision to cancel and then reschedule the screening of a documentary about the Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“I want to apologize for any hurt, frustration, or disappointment that our communication about the film has caused, and for any mischaracterizations that have taken root,” Cameron Bailey said at a pre-festival event on Wednesday, according to The Canadian Press. “We’re working now — and we will be for a while — to clarify things and to repair relationships.”
Bailey made the comments during his first public appearance since the festival stirred controversy last week when it removed the documentary “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” from its official lineup of films. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, the documentary recounts how retired Israeli Army general Noam Tibon traveled from his home in Tel Aviv to the Nahal Oz kibbutz to rescue his son and his family from Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack. The film combines news interviews with footage from the deadly massacre.
Bailey said on Wednesday that TIFF originally wanted to showcase the film out of “a desire to share a painful but important story with audiences who choose to witness it,” as reported by The Canadian Press. “That commitment to challenging, relevant screen storytelling remains strong,” he added.
Festival organizers pulled the film last week because of issues with “legal clearance of all footage.” The move sparked widespread outrage from Jewish groups, entertainment industry leaders, and politicians. In response, Bailey apologized on Aug. 13 for disinviting the film and said TIFF was committed to working with the filmmakers to meet the festival’s screening requirements.
The next day, Bailey and Avrich announced in a joint statement that the film has officially rejoined the festival. They reached a resolution that clears up “important safety, legal, and programming concerns” regarding the film after hearing “pain and frustration” from the public, according to their statement.
“TIFF’s communication around [the film’s] requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,” Bailet and Avrich said. “Both TIFF and the filmmakers have always been committed to presenting diverse perspectives and a belief in the power of storytelling to spark and encourage dialogue and understanding. We thank our audiences and community for their passion, honesty and belief in the importance of film.”
“The Road Between Us” is now slated to make its world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10 at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. Tickets go on sale for the public on Monday. TIFF will run from Sept. 4-14.