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It will be defined by the manner of his life You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Michel MizrahiMONTREAL — I last saw Michel (Moshe) Mizrahi last Saturday, when he came to synagogue to celebrate the birthday of a mutual friend. Who could have imagined that this would be the last time I would see him, some 30 years after we first met?Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorYet so it was. Michel was the innocent civilian victim of a shootout that occurred on Monday in Montreal. How searingly we can now all understand the eternal title of Ernest Hemingway’s novel, “For Whom The Bell Tolls.”The title was taken from the opening meditation by the English poet John Donne in his Meditation XVII: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls.”This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe meaning is profound in this tragedy. Every human death touches every other human being because we are all connected. The bell tolls, in a sense, for each of us. I have received hundreds of calls. One of his oldest friends called Monday night and Tuesday morning crying uncontrollably throughout both conversations.So did many others. All cried for him but all also considered our own fates and the serendipitous and fragile nature of our lives. The absurdity of life — as Albert Camus called it — which can hit anyone at every hour, at every corner every day.And indeed, as Michel literally turned a corner and met his fate, this thought carries particular poignancy. Yet to honour his memory and make sense of his tragic end we must rouse faith over fear and hope over despair.Many bells rang in Michel’s life. The elegant businessman knew much senseless and painful loss. In January 1991, his father died in Israel in a missile attack during the Gulf War. And on Oct. 7, 2023, the child of one of his siblings was slaughtered at the Nova music festival in the barbaric Hamas attack.Just last year, during Montreal’s Yom HaZikaron ceremony — held annually to honour Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror — Michel was asked by the Israeli consul general to recite the Kaddish, the Jewish memorial prayer over the dead. It was the last time I saw him until this past Saturday.Few people have been touched so personally by the scourge of war and terrorism. Yet those who knew Michel never saw bitterness. They saw resilience. They saw faith. They saw a man who refused to surrender hope despite suffering that would have overwhelmed many others.Born in Lebanon, Michel eventually made his home in Israel before settling in Montreal. He remained deeply devoted to Israel throughout his life, maintaining close ties to his children and family there. Almost every year on the anniversary of his father’s death he travelled to Israel.It is therefore especially heartbreaking that violence would ultimately claim Michel’s own life here in Montreal. Having already borne the pain of losing loved ones to conflict overseas, he himself became the victim of senseless violence in the city he called home. His passing is a reminder that hatred, wherever it appears, knows no borders and spares no innocent.There are some people whose lives are measured not by the years they are given, but by the goodness and joy they leave behind. Michel Mizrahi was such a man. His death has left an immeasurable void in his family, among his many friends and throughout Montreal’s Jewish community.Those who knew him speak with one voice: he was a man of kindness and generosity who greeted everyone with warmth, never failed to offer a helping hand and carried himself with elegant dignity. He was a familiar face in synagogue, devoted to his family, committed to his community and respected for his integrity as much as for his success.Michel’s legacy will not be defined by the cruel irony of the manner of his death. It will be defined by the manner of his life. He did not choose the circumstances of his death. But he did choose the manner of his life.He chose family over self, faith over cynicism, generosity over indifference and hope over despair. Those choices are the measure of the man, and they are the legacy he leaves behind. His death reminds us that behind every headline is a human being who touched countless lives.As Montrealers mourn Michel, they also stand with his family in Israel and Canada, whose grief is shared by people everywhere. And the city prays as one for the family of the fallen Montreal police officer and the one battling for her life, whose courage reminds us of the sacrifices made each day to protect our communities.National PostBeryl P. Wajsman is president of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.