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On Sunday, November 3, TAU Canada and 550 guests celebrated the remarkable life and legacy of The Honourable Irwin Cotler.
Family and friends from Canada and beyond gathered in Montreal, in what became an unforgettable and powerful event. We paid tribute to a very special person, who has dedicated his life and career to making the world a better place. As former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Rosie Abella said in her special address, “we are all better people today because of Irwin”.
In 2022, Tel Aviv University, in partnership with the Cotler family and TAU Canada, launched “The Irwin Cotler Institute – Democracy, Human Rights and Justice” to honour the Honourable Irwin Cotler, 2018 TAU Honorary Doctor and TAU Governor. The Institute is devoted to preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism; protecting democracy, promoting human rights and pursuing justice; and advancing the understanding of Jewish people-hood, Israel, and the pursuit of peace in the international arena.
These topics are at the centre of Prof. Cotler’s life work and are especially important today, following October 7th, as an unprecedented global explosion of antisemitism and hatred is metastasizing in Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the international community. Prof. Cotler has remained steadfast in battling this tsunami of hatred, which is a standing threat to our human security.
Indeed, at the Honorary Degrees Conferment Ceremony at Tel Aviv University in 2018, Prof. Cotler was cited for “his influential role as an international attorney, parliamentarian, legal scholar and champion of justice; his inspiring track record both in pioneering human rights legislation in Canada and in stewarding landmark cases concerning free speech, freedom of religion, minority rights and war crimes justice; his stellar academic achievements, including sixteen years as director of McGill University’s Human Rights Program; and his steadfast, profound and indelible commitment to Israel and the Jewish people over decades.” Tel Aviv University is proud to be affiliated with Prof. Cotler, TAU Canada National President Mrs. Ariela Cotler, and the family.
The Cotler Institute: Seven Pillars
The activities of the Institute are organized around seven pillars, which are supported through annual donations as well as the Cotler Institute Endowment Fund:
- Cotler International Graduate Fellowship Program in Human Rights
- Annual Global Report on Antisemitism
- Annual Forum on Democracy, Human Rights and Justice
- Ethiopian Jewry – History and Heritage; Rescue and Renewal; Antidiscrimination and Equality
- Forgotten Exodus: Justice for Jews from Arab Lands and Iran
- Equal Voices: Women Rights are Human Rights
- Justice and Injustice in the Shadow of October 7th
The Institute operates the annual Irwin Cotler Fellowship Program, which
- brings together 20 international students for weekly lectures and projects on human rights and democracy,
- engages them in discussions about Israeli society, its history, diversity and challenges,
- organizes field trips to historical sites and communities across the country,
- and trains participants how to advocate for righteous causes in their home countries in the face of shifting social landscapes.
The Institute also organizes instructional workshops for
- policymakers,
- law enforcement officials,
- media professionals,
- and educators around the world
These workshops address the contemporary challenges to democracy, democratization and human rights, and the means to fight racism at large and antisemitism specifically. The Institute convenes research seminars, and supports original policy-oriented research in diverse disciplines.
Irwin Cotler has dedicated his life’s work to championing human rights, advocating for justice on a global scale. Through his unwavering commitment and tireless efforts, he has significantly impacted the lives of countless individuals and has become a mentor and an inspiration to many.
Funds from this campaign will support the continued work of the Irwin Cotler Institute and the Cotler International Graduate Fellowship Program, at Tel Aviv University, in its fight of the global surge of antisemitism and hate, with a focus on protecting Democracy, Human Rights and Justice.
As one of Irwin’s close friends, Stephen Lipper, said, “the evening celebrating Irwin Cotler was a never to be forgotten event. Everyone joined together in an evening of love and appreciation for the person who did so much for human rights throughout the world. The speeches were outstanding, given by very special people, who were very important in Irwin’s life, as Irwin was in theirs”.
We thank our esteemed guests, volunteers, donors and sponsors for making this special event deeply moving, motivating and memorable.