Toronto Liberal MP resigns to helm Jewish human rights organization

Toronto MP Michael Levitt is resigning his seat as a Liberal backbencher to take a job with a prominent Jewish human rights organization.

As first reported in iPolitics, Levitt will become the president and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies after representing the riding of York Centre since 2015.

"For those of us serving in elected office, political life can be incredibly intense, and it often becomes all-encompassing," Levitt said in a note to his constituents.

"It hasn't been without consequence to those I love most, and while it is an incredible privilege to serve the people of York Centre, I know deep down that now is the time for me to put family first and come back home, both physically and mentally."

Levitt, who is Jewish, is currently chair of the foreign affairs and international development committee. He co-sponsored legislation in 2018 that designated May as Canadian Jewish Heritage Month.

He defeated Conservative Mark Adler in 2015 when the Trudeau Liberals rode a wave of support to a majority government and was re-elected in 2019.

Levitt said he has informed the Speaker of the House that his last day will be on Sept. 1.

His resignation will trigger a byelection that will be the first to take place since the COVID-19 pandemic began.