![]() I think it’s fair to say that that’s not reflective of every post-secondary institution, and that philosophy was really inspirational. How we can support and partner on that journey, inspire and provide guidance on the way, really excites us. Also, students are coming to discover themselves, and that means a multitude of different things to different folks - academically and social-emotionally … identity, however you define it. It’s not just about the big function that brings 100 people, but sometimes the meaning and significance comes from a coffee date or having lunch with four students. I think something really special about Hamilton was and is the ability to connect with people individually. ![]() We’re coming from campuses of over 50,000 students, where at times it felt impersonal. Michael: Hamilton is a really special place, as we’ve come to appreciate and learn, and the size of the school the opportunity to intimately get to know people. What made you take the role of Jewish Chaplains at Hamilton? The Fermans will be playing significant roles in students’ lives as they facilitate Jewish experiences that will enrich their minds and bring diverse Jewish voices to speak on campus. Chaplaincy focuses on encouraging students’ sense of identity through religious, spiritual, cultural, and moral engagement, on a community level and individually. Michael passed away from lung cancer on Jat the Good Shepherd’s Emmanuel House hospice in Hamilton which used to be a housing residence for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.Communications and Marketing office student writer Melissa Kaleka ’24 spoke with Jenn and Michael Ferman, Hamilton’s new Jewish chaplains. In addition to Michael’s activist work, he was a part of the Social Justice and World Outreach committees of the Hamilton Presbytery of the United Church of Canada and was an active member of the Hamilton Group of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. He was also involved in the AIDS Prevention Task Force Implementation Subcommittee of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, the AIDS Working Group on Anonymous HIV Testing, and Regional Palliative Care Program Hospice Services Group.Īt the Hamilton GALA Honour Roll Dinner in 1991, Michael Johnstone and Anne Cassel were presented with the Honour Roll Award plaque to recognize their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in Hamilton throughout the years. Since its founding in 1986, Michael was a member of the Hamilton AIDS Network for Dialogue and Support (HANDS) Board of Directors, was the president from 1991 to 1993, and a member of the Steering Committee. Michael was the self-appointed archivist of the Hamilton-Wentworth Gay Archives which was founded in 1982 and was also involved in the Gay Phoenix (then The Phoenix/Hamilton Phoenix) newsletter, Lesbian/Gayline and Speakers’ Bureau. Michael was one of the founding members of HUGS and served in different executive committee roles such as secretary, treasurer and president from 1980 to 1982 and again from 1988 to 1991 when HUGS changed its name to Hamilton Gay and Lesbian Alliance (HGALA). To expand outside of McMaster University and into the broader Hamilton community, core members of the McMaster Homophile Association formed Hamilton United Gay Societies (HUGS) in 1980. At this time, the Hamilton-McMaster Gay Liberation Movement group had been established. Michael also served as a secretary of the Coordinating Office of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Rights Coalition that dealt with specific issues of federal jurisdiction. Prior to moving back to Hamilton in 1979, he was a member of Gays of Ottawa from 1976 to 1979. Michael was involved in the founding of many gay and lesbian organizations in the Hamilton area. Michael returned to school at Mohawk College for nursing in the 1980’s and worked at the Hamilton General Hospital as a registered nurse in the post-operative care unit for more than 25 years until his retirement. He was also involved with The Silhouette, McMaster University’s student-run newspaper as a writer from 1962 to 1963 and with the McMaster’s Film Board. He graduated from McMaster University in 1969 where he served as the Student Cultural Affairs Commissioner and President of the McMaster Students Union. Michael Roderick Johnstone was born in Hamilton, Ontario at the Salvation Army Hospital.
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