Nathan Hecht Gilbert

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Nathan Gilbert at the age of 73 on Monday, September 1. Nathan leaves behind his wife of 33 years, Myrna Brown, and his sisters, Marcia (Shalom) and Roz (Pat). Nathan was a dedicated parent to seven children. He also fostered many additional children through Jewish Family and Child Service. He was predeceased by baby boy (1976), Rachel (1984), and Alyssa (2023). He is survived by his children, Amy, Annie, Joshua (Erica), and Jonathan (Saima); and his grandchildren, Devin, Grace, and Mirah.

Nathan was born in Montreal to Arnold Gilbert and Esther Hecht Gilbert. Growing up, he mastered the unlikely combination of being Canada's representative at the International Bible Contest and a linebacker on his school's football team. Nathan moved to Toronto in 1974, earned an MSW in Community Development from the University of Toronto, and immersed himself in an ever-growing network of friends and colleagues active in politics, policy, philanthropy, and the arts. For more than 30 years (1982-2013), Nathan was the Executive Director of the Laidlaw Foundation, overseeing its transformation from a small private family foundation to a major presence championing environmental justice, community arts, and youth advocacy.

Nathan was a prolific board member, serving on the boards of Inter Pares, the Toronto Community Foundation, the Toronto Board of Health, the Tamarack Institute, and Jewish Family & Child Services, among many others. He was a committed patron of the arts and dedicated countless hours volunteering with Out of the Cold and other community organizations. He was also a chocolate cake-eating legend and an incredible dancer, pioneering innovations to the chicken dance.

Nathan was a longtime member of Congregation Darchei Noam.

For Nathan, Jewishness was synonymous with a fierce commitment to social justice and the liberation of all peoples. An annual highlight was hosting big Passover Seders using his own custom Haggadah, interspersed with freedom songs and handwritten discussion prompts such as, "How are strikes and boycotts used like plagues to apply pressure and bring about change?"

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Nathan's memory to Inter Pares http://bit.ly/41Vdq6r 1-866-563-4801, Inter Pares works in solidarity with activists and organizations throughout the world to build peace, advance justice, and globalize equality. https://www.interpares.ca/content/about-us