HARBORD COLLEGIATE- and THE BRAINS ONCE THERE

On February 28th 2022 The last of the great brains in my graduation year at Harbord Collegiate was laid to rest. I speak of Dr. Bernie Langer. When Bernie graduated in 1950 and went on to the faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto he was first in his class in the first year of medicine. He ended up as president of  the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and was a leader in surgical research .But that is not the only reason I am writing this blog. Not by a long shot. In my graduating year from HCI Melvyn Finkelstein also graduated and went into Commerce and Finance. He also was our valedictorian I am not making this up. He became president of CHAT, the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto. It is the honest truth. He ended up first in Commerce and Finance So you think I have said it all. No, I haven’t. Henry “Red” Petroff was first in Architecture and started one of the best Architecture and biggest firms in Canada . Saul Sidlofsky who eventually graduated in  medicine as well was first in Honour Science. If I remember correctly one of the toughest courses at U of T. I waited patiently to write this blog and I am not a patient person by nature, but I loved my high school and when I found out how well my class-mates did I wanted to tell the world about these achievements. I would bet my life savings there is no other class and no other high school that achieved what my friends did. I feel honored that I was at Harbord with them even though I was not on their level, not even close. Imagine, four Harbord graduates at the top of four tough courses at U of T. A miracle made by four people never to be duplicated.

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