Manny Batshaw – Allied Jewish Community Services of Montreal

Manuel Gilman Batshaw (nicknamed Manny) is often referred to as the “architect of Montreal’s Jewish community”. From 1968 to 1980, he served as executive director of the Allied Jewish Community Services (AJCS) of Montreal. In this capacity, he reinforced the structure of the Jewish community while striving to maintain its unique heritage. A distinguished researcher in the field of Quebec social work, Batshaw also had a significant influence on the quality of the province’s child welfare services.

Born in Montreal in 1915 to a family of Russian immigrants of modest means, Batshaw obtained a degree in social work from McGill University in 1938. After beginning his career as a social services officer in the army, he moved to the United States in 1948, where he worked for various Jewish community centers over the following two decades. In 1968, he accepted an invitation to return to Montreal as executive director of the AJCS.

Under his management, AJCS funding increased substantially. Batshaw oversaw the planning and construction of several buildings belonging to the Jewish community, including the Cummings House in Snowdon built in 1973. He was also a staunch advocate for the development of community and social services. It was through his efforts that the AJCS, originally a group of individual agencies, became the central organization for the entire Montreal Jewish community. To achieve this goal, he merged several institutions under his jurisdiction, including the Jewish schools and the Communauté Sépharade du Québec. Moreover, Batshaw helped to strengthen ties between the Montreal Jewish community and Israel through various exchange initiatives.

In the field of social work, Batshaw was the first Jew to obtain an honorary doctorate from McGill University, a distinction that earned him considerable renown. In 1975, he published the Batshaw Committee report on child mistreatment, which inspired the province-wide application of a social services approach focussed on the specific needs of children within the system. As well, the Batshaw Committee report led to the enactment of the Youth Protection Act (1979). Following Batshaw’s recommendations, Batshaw Youth and Family Centres was created as a non-profit establishment offering services to young people and their families on the island of Montreal.

Following his retirement in 1980, Manny Batshaw became a consultant on Jewish affairs to Charles Bronfman, a position he held until 1997. Batshaw’s brother, Harry Batshaw, was the first Jew named to the Quebec Superior Court, becoming the first Jew to be appointed to a high court in Canada.

By Valérie Beauchemin, translated by Helge Dascher.