A generation ago it would have been unthinkable: a young anglophone Ashkenazi heading a program rooted in the Sephardi community.

But this is what will happen when Michael Goodman takes over as chair of Hessed, a charitable endeavour of the Communauté Sépharade Unifiée du Québec (CSUQ). Created five years ago, Hessed provides financial aid to Jews who need emergency relief or assistance with housing or other basic necessities, and are not being assisted by other community agencies. 

Goodman, a CSUQ board member, officially takes over the reins of Hessed on March 15 at a gala benefit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ 460-seat Bourgie Hall.

Goodman is a principal with the event’s corporate sponsor, Levine Goodman Family Wealth Counsel, a division of the National Bank, serving its highest net-worth clients.

The program features a concert by the Montreal-based Musicians of the World Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Joseph Milo. From Bach to Broadway showcases solos by soprano Brigitte O’Halloran and baritone Charles Prevost. Founded in 2006 by Milo, the orchestra is composed of 55 musicians, about 80 per cent of whom are immigrants from some 15 countries.

Goodman is not sure what all the fuss is about. For him, there is really no distinction between Sephardi and Ashkenazi. His two children, Ari, 7, and Ben, 3, can claim both heritages. He traces his own family’s history in Montreal back more than a century, and has been married to Maytal Cohen for 10 years. Their marriage is typical of the blending of the two communities among their younger members.

The lines are getting blurred, and that’s good, he believes. “Four of the seven 2014 Combined Jewish Appeal chairs were Sephardi,” he points out. (One of them, Daniel Assouline, who chaired the Campagne Sépharade, is the honoree of the evening.)

“The community has grown up. When the Sephardim first came to Canada, there was a tremendous clash of cultures. That’s changed a lot, and it’s beautiful to see,” he said. “We need to be together, to be united, to help each other. That’s what has allowed us to survive over 3,000 years.”

Goodman is co-chair of the black-tie gala with Yossi Suissa, tax partner with PSB Boisjoli accounting firm, whom he is succeeding as chair of Hessed. Suissa agrees that the old divisions are crumbling, and this gala evening is symbolic of that.

“I think Michael represents the future of the community,” Suissa said. “Sephardi or Ashkenazi, we are Jews and have to be there for each other.

“Personally, I make no differentiation. Maybe there were problems for the older generation, but today there are no cultural or language barriers. We can work together for… the whole Jewish community.”

While Hessed began by assisting members of the Sephardi community, today it serves any Jew in need in Montreal, and to a lesser extent in Israel, he said.

Hessed (Hebrew for lovingkindness) works with Federation CJA’s Agence Ometz to identify local people who have fallen through the cracks of the welfare system.

There is no typical client, Goodman and Suissa say, but they are often people who have lost jobs, suffered a financial reversal or are single parents.

“I’m proud to say that we have allocated over $1 million in five years,” said Goodman, who noted that this is a volunteer group, and all of the money it raises goes directly to the cause.

“The objective of the gala is not only to raise money but to bring the entire Jewish community together,” he added. The performance is followed by a sweet table, where Goodman hopes everyone will mingle.

For those wishing to become patrons of the event, there is a pre-concert reception and private tour of the MMFA’s main exhibition, Marvels and Mirages of Orientalism: From Spain to Morocco, Benjamin-Constant in his Time, of which the CSUQ is a sponsor. 

All guests of the event should enter by the museum’s Michael and Renata Hornstein Pavilion.

Goodman also sits on the executive of the National Bank CSUQ Youth Foundation’s board of directors. About six months ago, the bank contributed $500,000 toward launching this effort to reinforce Jewish identity among Sephardi young people. 

With matching donations, that foundation has grown to $1.3 million, he said, and is administered by the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal.

For gala tickets, contact Agnès Castiel, [email protected] or 514-733-4998, ext. 3135.