The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50840
CROSS EXAMINED Israel increased) are referrals from other lawyers who have been unable to reach resolution on disputes. He fills out any documents online and e-mails them to the law firm for which he contracts and the in-firm lawyers handle the processing. This streamlined practice method made it possible to close his shared downtown office and moved it into his home. When he's in Israel, an answering machine — which he checks daily — picks up calls. "Lots of motor vehicle accidents, medical negligence, estates and wills, and commercial disputes," he says, describing the cases he takes into court. He schedules trials for his time in Vancouver, usually April through October. During win- ters, he's in Tel Aviv where, he says, the weather is not unlike moderate Vancouver "but with less rain." "Most of these cases take two or three years to go to court," he says, adding he hasn't run into schedul- ing difficulties because of his passion for volunteering. Lawyers usually agree upon the time and length of the trial and then place it into a court registry for that date. "Not once in 20 years, have I run into a problem with a date," he says. Soronow's love for Israel stems from deep Jewish roots — four grandparents immigrated in 1904-05 and arrived in Winnipeg founding a large family of law- yers. Soronow, his late father (a Queen's Counsel), a brother, three uncles, and four first cousins have all been called to the bar. Soronow was also raised within a Holocaust-conscious family and the Zionist movement. Aſter graduating uni- versity in Winnipeg with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966, he decided to spend a year in Israel, joining thousands of hippie-era young people drawn to the allure of the kibbutzim, large communal farms. Kib- butzim meaning "bringing together" fitted the social ideology of the era's youth. It was an adventure. "At the time, you had a sense of pioneer- ing a country. The country's population was less than two million — surrounded by more than 40 million Arabs who wanted to drive you into the sea," he recalls. "I picked apples, oranges, and grapefruit as during the day you worked in the fields." The eve- nings exercised the mind. They were filled with interesting discussions and learning. "The people who ran these kibbutzim where Golan Heights settlers, serving in the army, were unable to harvest ripened crops. A call for volunteers brought hun- dreds from the U.S. A year later, Sar-El was born with volunteers from 30 different countries handling projects ranging from army support activities, tourism, working in army warehouses and nursing homes, and aiding disabled veterans. Since his family was grown, Soronow and his wife opted to join this Israeli vol- unteer support organization about 20 years ago. Soronow helped in army sup- port. "You don't do any military work," he says, adding it was mainly cleaning tanks, "It gives you a whole new perspective when you are dropped from a 20-year senior litigator to a lowly private." — MORRIS SORONOW, VANCOUVER LITIGATOR were oſten called 'farmers with books' as so many of them were so well educated, but they were also dedicated to rebuilding the land," he says. It was an exciting era of new liberal ideas, new challenges, and intel- lectual debate and discovery. There was also an international flavour as inductees met youth from other countries. This kind of right-of-passage experi- enced in the '60s is something that youth today have missed, says Soronow. "For the young lawyer, the competitive envi- ronment today doesn't allow that kind of freedom for exploration that we had 43 years ago," he concedes. Soronow returned to Canada aſter the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours began in June 1967 and entered law school, graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in 1970. He decided against joining the family firm as he no longer wanted to live in a climate which every year seemed to toss up yet another "worst" winter ever. He headed for Vancouver and was called to the B.C. bar in 1971. But, Israel always drew him back. He became involved with Sar-El, a national volunteer organization that grew out of the 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee 16 SEPTEMBER 2009 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com mechanics, or working in the office. But, the experience kept him grounded. "It gives you a whole new perspective when you are dropped from a 20-year senior litigator to a lowly private," he says. Over the years, the months spent volunteering grew from three to just under six. About 12 years ago, the couple decided to purchase a home in Tel Aviv. Long-distance commut- ing became a lifestyle. Soronow, though, doesn't see his life- style as remarkable. He has met several other Toronto lawyers who commute to Israel, but there are many more from the U.S. who work as he does. Instead, Soronow sees his 39-year legal career as one that has led to rich, rewarding experi- ences contributing to his legal, Canadian, and Jewish communities. The richness comes not from monetary gains — a senior litigator's paycheque does take a hit doing what Soronow does. "I'm making about half of what I did 20 years ago," he says, but it's made up for through the sat- isfaction of working for the betterment of one's community. Leaving a "bigger estate to my children" has not been a goal, whereas "setting an example of professionalism and volunteer- ism has," says Soronow.