Dr. David Bensoussan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University. Since 1980, he has served as a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the École de technologie supérieure of the Université du Québec.
Deeply engaged in community life, Dr. Bensoussan has served as Vice-President of the Canadian Jewish Congress (Quebec Region) and as President of the Communauté sépharade unifiée du Québec. He remains actively involved in various philanthropic and civic organizations.
Dr. Bensoussan is also an accomplished author whose works include biblical commentaries (La Bible au berceau, Le livre d’Isaïe, Le Cantique des cantiques), an autobiographical narrative (Le Fils de Mogador), a historical novel (L’Énigme du roi Salomon), historical essays (L’Espagne des trois religions, Il était une fois au Maroc), and an art book (Un mariage juif à Mogador), created in collaboration with artist Asher Knafo.
Elected president of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Montreal at the General Assembly held on June 10, Dr. Bensoussan expressed his conviction that dialogue between Jews and Christians “is a moral, spiritual, and human imperative. It answers a deep need for truth, for mutual recognition, and for committed responsibility towards society.”
“At a time when our communities are facing cultural, spiritual, and even existential challenges, to revive this dialogue is to breathe new life into a mission that transcends us. It is not simply a matter of better understanding one another — but of learning to better welcome each other. It is not about silencing our di??erences, but about placing them within a patient, exacting, and fruitful conversation.”
The new president also expressed the hope that the Christian-Jewish Dialogue could “inspire a broader interreligious approach, attuned to the plural realities of today’s world,” that can play a healing role: “rekindling meaning, repairing the fabric of human connection, and restoring ethics to the heart of our shared humanity.”
Founded in 1971, the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Montreal brings together about forty representatives from various supporting organizations. Its members meet regularly to build and strengthen understanding and mutual support between the Christian and Jewish communities.
In addition to meetings among its members, the Dialogue organizes several public events each year, including a “Christian Commemoration of the Shoah”, held in collaboration with the Montreal Holocaust Museum. It also partners with others to o??er, each May, an Interfaith Eco-Action, during which members from around ten di??erent faith communities take concrete action to protect the environment.
In addition to consolidating these hallmark activities of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Montreal, Dr. Bensoussan intends to strengthen relationships and develop collaborations with institutions and individuals who share its vision and goals.
He plans to relaunch a youth-oriented project, “Building Bridges,” created to honor the memory and continue the work of Dr. Victor Goldbloom, a pioneer of interreligious and intercultural dialogue in Quebec.
He also hopes that the Dialogue will identify and make available resource persons capable of leading conferences, debates, or roundtables that foster knowledge, respect, and appreciation of religious and cultural diversity within Quebec society.
In his inaugural address, the new president called on all members and partners of the Dialogue for their support, relying on their experience and commitment to help realize this promising program. The warm applause that followed clearly reflected a shared desire to contribute actively to this mission.