In the 1890s, Chaim and Esther, my paternal grandparents, lived in Russian-occupied Poland. Like many people in Eastern Europe, they decided to find a new life in the new world - a land of opportunity, free of old - world prejudices. They settled in Toronto starting a family grocery store on Walton Street. It was hard work, rolled-up-sleeves work - and the family succeeded. My father went to cheder on Edward Street and it was the rabbi who introduced him to the readings of the Mishnah and to the verse that was to become his philosophy of life - ".... teach us that whoever saves a life redeems the whole world."
Al graduated from medical school in 1930 and interned at the Toronto General Hospital. In 1931, he was the first Jewish intern to be asked to stay for a second year. During that year, he became interested in pediatric urology, but was told by the program head at the Hospital for Sick Children that they would not accept Jewish doctors.
A similar experience was to follow later that summer when he learned that Jewish doctors could not practice medicine in the Medical Arts Building, St. George Street. Undaunted, he secured a surgical training position at the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. His parents had come to Canada believing it to be a land of opportunity, free of old-world prejudices, and now, ironically, their son had to leave Canada and return to the old country to pursue his surgical training. In 1934, he was among the 8% of candidates who passed his Edinburgh fellowship on the first sitting.
Returning to Toronto, his first years of general surgery practice were difficult because, training in Britain for two years, he had no connections in Toronto. With the gradual realisation in Toronto among his peers that "Track had respect for tissue", his practice grew. In 1935, he joined the staff of Mount Sinai Hospital, on Yorkville Avenue.
One day his old rabbi from Edward Street came to see him as a patient. Unfortunately, this was a life he could not save. For all his many years of training, diagnostic skills, surgical expertise, all he could do for the rabbi, who suffered from an inoperable cancer, was what the rabbi had long ago taught him to do - to pray.
Years later, Rabbi Chaim Meyer Zimmerman, a prominent orthodox rabbi in Toronto, came to be treated. Al treated the rabbi, his wife, and entire family. For all this work he received a hand-written note in Yiddish from Rabbi Zimmerman:
I send you our blessing with this modest gift,
That you should bring healing to all of your patients.
Whatever you may do may it be with the help of God.
This note, in lieu of payment, while not negotiable in the Bank of Canada, was a blessing certainly negotiable in the Bank of Humanity. This currency never devalues - it can only augment with time.
Throughout my life, I have always marvelled at the wonderful skill of my father's hands. I am sure had he not become a surgeon, he would have become an artist. Whether it was removing a sliver from my finger, gardening, making jewellery, woodworking, doing electrical work, doing intricate bowel surgery - it was all done with the same skilled, loving, caring hands.
In February 1977, my father decided to retire after 43 years of active surgical practice. However, for the rest of his life he remained a medicine man with the gift of nurturing others.
On his 90th birthday, there was a wonderful energy in the house as we gathered around the table. Friends spoke of him lovingly as a teacher, as a caring surgeon, as a man of integrity, as a man known for his special sense of humor. He responded by paying tribute to the partnership of his wife Dora, without whose love and support throughout the years he could not have achieved what he did.
On Saturday, April 17th, in the early afternoon, Al died. Sitting with him in his room was a privileged moment. Mary Lynn, a nurse, entered the room to bring us a drink. She paused for a moment, walked to the window, opened it, and then returned and stopped at the foot of his bed. As if we were not there, she looked at him and exclaimed spontaneously,
God bless Dr. Track for all the people he helped.