Irving Abella

Who is Irving Abella?

Irving Martin Abella, CM FRSC is a Canadian writer, historian and academic. He specializes in the history of the Jews in Canada and the Canadian labour movement

Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, Master of Arts degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.

His books have included Coat of Many Colours: Two Centuries of Jewish Life in Canada and None is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948. He is a professor at York University and is a former president of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

In 1993, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

He is married to Canadian jurist Rosalie Silberman Abella, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in August, 2004. They have two sons, Jacob and Zachary. Irving Abella is the cousin of Isaac Abella.