Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, is one of five Jews named in the Christmas list of those receiving Order of Canada Awards, the highest award given by the Canadian government. Plaut, 66, is the retired spiritual leader of the Holy Blossom Temple here.
The other Jews, who were among 64 Canadians honored, are Joseph Cohen, a 57-year-old Vancouver businessman; Albert Hochbaum, a 68-year-old Delta, Manitoba naturalist, and Monroe Abbey, 74, a Montreal lawyer and former president of the CJC and the Montreal Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. Plaut was named a Companion of the Order and the others were named members.
Another recipient of the Order of Canada Award is Hans Blumenfeld of Toronto, an 86-year-old town planner and architect. Born in Germany, he became a member of the Soviet Communist Party but was expelled from it in 1935. Blumenfeld was rejected for Canadian citizenship in 1960 but was accepted in 1964.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.