Michael Lee presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal to Grace Hahn at the Jewish Seniors Alliance peer support volunteer recognition celebration. (photo from JSA)
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was created to mark the coronation of King Charles III, which took place on May 6, 2023. It is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation, and its recipients represent a diverse group of individuals who have made significant contributions to British Columbia or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to the province.
Nominating partners included provincial lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners, provincial and territorial governments, members of Parliament, senators, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and several other organizations. Across Canada, the medal will be awarded to 30,000 individuals. In British Columbia, 551 are being presented, and the honourees include several members of the Jewish community, some of whom were brought to the attention of the Jewish Independent.
Rabbi Harry Brechner, spiritual leader of Victoria’s Congregation Emanu-El, was nominated by former MLA Rob Fleming for championing community dialogue, interfaith connections and community service.
Rabbi Philip Bregman, rabbi emeritus of Temple Sholom and founder of the Other People, an intercultural group of individuals committed to breaking down the stereotypes that form the foundation of personal and societal bias, was nominated by BC Premier David Eby. Bregman was honoured for path-breaking interfaith work and his passionate fight against antisemitism and bigotry of all kinds throughout British Columbia.
Gordon Diamond, who was also nominated by Eby, received the medal for unparallelled philanthropic work, making an indelible impact toward health and mental services in the province. Leslie Diamond, nominated by Eby, was recognized for exemplary philanthropic work, especially in the field of women’s health.
Eby nominated Karen James for leadership, philanthropy and dedication to the Jewish community at home and abroad, and Bernard Pinsky for a lifetime of dedication to the justice system and for strengthening and securing the stories and memories of the Jewish community.
Grace Hahn, senior peer support trainer and supervisor at Jewish Seniors Alliance, was nominated by former MLA Michael Lee. On Sept. 23, at the JSA peer support volunteer recognition celebration, Lee presented the medal to Hahn for her leadership, dedication and commitment to advancing the support for seniors living at home. Hahn has trained countless volunteers in JSA’s Peer Support and Friendly Visitor programs, and also provides additional training in support of reducing isolation and loneliness in the vulnerable seniors sector.
To view a full list of nominating partner organizations, visit gg.ca/en/honours/list-nominating-partner-organizations. To view a backgrounder about the recipients, visit news.gov.bc.ca/files/bkgr_premiers_recipients_coronation_medal_2024.pdf.