WHEN BHL SPEAKS, PEOPLE LISTEN

Roots supports Toronto lecture by noted French intellectual

Last week, prominent Paris-based philosopher and author Bernard-Herni Levy traveled to Toronto as the guest speaker in the latest installment of the 2006-2007 Grano Lecture Series. The acclaimed series features leading thinkers from around the world who expound on topical issues. For each session, the audience is limited to 130 people, many of them invariably heavyweights from the fields of business, the arts, entertainment and politics.

Levy, (better known in France by his initials BHL), is an old friend of Roots. The friendship began in 1983 when he appeared on the cover of Paris Passion, a city magazine published by Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green and Roots Director of Communication and Public Affairs Robert Sarner. The cover piece was on the French intelligentsia and BHL fit the bill perfectly. Outspoken, controversial, highly articulate, the author of many bestselling books, a widely published journalist, a progressive social activist, and handsome no less, he is a true superstar in Europe.

As such, his appearance at the Grano event was much anticipated and attracted considerable press coverage. Roots provided guests with leather-bound journals, made at the Roots factory in Toronto. Inscribed On the inside cover page, they contained the following inscription: “In appreciation of Bernard-Henri Levy, a master of well-chosen words and original ideas, spoken and written.”

BHL showed his prowess with words and ideas when he addressed the future of Europe in a spellbinding 45-minute speech (without notes) and then in his answers to questions from the audience. Although his assessment of the current state of affairs in Europe was rather bleak, he said that ultimately France and the rest of the continent would see better days.

Minutes before his speech, to help celebrate the occasion, Michael, his wife Diane Bald, and Robert presented BHL with a custom-made Roots Ultimate Gym Bag in tribe leather that sported his well-known initials.