Saul Hayes, (May 28, 1906 – January 12, 1980) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

lawyer and public servant in the Canadian Jewish community. Born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Hayes studied at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1927, a Master of Arts degree in 1928, and a Bachelor of Civil Law degree in 1932. He was called to the

Quebec Bar The Bar of Quebec (french: Barreau du Québec) is the regulatory body for the practice of advocates in the Canadian province of Quebec and one of two legal regulatory bodies in the province. It was founded on May 30, 1849, as the Bar of Lower Ca ...

in 1932 and was created a

King's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in 1940. He was a lecturer at the School of Social Work at McGill University. Hayes practiced law until being appointed national Executive Director of the

Canadian Jewish Congress The Canadian Jewish Congress (, , ) was, for more than ninety years, the main advocacy group for the Jewish community in Canada. Regarded by many as the "Parliament of Canadian Jewry," the Congress was at the forefront of the struggle for human r ...

in 1940, a post he would hold until 1959. From 1959 to 1974, he was national executive vice-president. He was also executive director of the United Jewish Relief Agencies of Canada from 1938 to 1942. He had spearheaded the community's effort to have immigration restrictions relaxed during and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and served on a myriad of committees, especially those devoted to human rights. Hayes was a representative to the United Jewry Delegations, Second Conference of UNRRA in 1944, the San Francisco Conference on International Security in 1945, and the Paris Conference on Peace Treaties in 1946. Hayes was one of the leading voices of the Canadian Jewish community in Canada and the world. He played an important a role in explaining the needs of the Jewish community. He remained active with CJC until his death in Sainte-Adèle, Quebec in 1980.

Honours

Hayes was a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

. He was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded a ...

in 1953 and the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967. In 1973, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

"for his dedicated work in the betterment of human relations". He received honorary degrees from

Sir George Williams University Sir George Williams University was a university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It merged with Loyola College to create Concordia University on August 24, 1974. History In 1851, the first YMCA in North America was established on Sainte-Hélène S ...

, which later became

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

, in 1970 and from McGill University in 1974.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Saul 1906 births 1980 deaths Jewish Canadian activists McGill University alumni Academic staff of McGill University Officers of the Order of Canada Activists from Montreal Canadian King's Counsel McGill University Faculty of Law alumni Jews from Quebec