Ariel Melachy, shown here holding the Torah, has become a fixture at the Montreal Jewish Center. He announces page numbers for certain prayers during services, informs congregants of minyan times and makes other special announcements.
A Special Man Brings Life and Spirit to Montreal Congregation
It’s Rosh Hashanah. The main sanctuary of the MTC (Montreal Torah Center) is packed with more than 1,500 men, women and children. Suddenly, a voice rings out: It’s Ariel Mechaly calling out the page numbers. An adult with Down syndrome, Mechaly has been a beloved and valued member of the shul—in an upscale suburb of Montreal—since a year after his bar mitzvah.
1
