I have known Tobie Saragosti for many years, but only when I sat down to speak with him at his Rembrandt Avenue condominium in Côte Saint-Luc’s District 2 did I find out what an interesting path he took to become a professional translator (English to French and French to English).
“Learning languages has always been my forte” he says.
Tobie was born and raised in Tunisia, where his mother tongue was French. His father was in the clothing industry making uniforms for the police and the army. At the age of 25 Tobie moved to France and then to New York to learn the trade. But in 1974, being a Zionist, he made Aliya after the Six Day War and remained in Israel for six years while operating a stationery store. Life took him to Iran, where he quickly learned the language, and then to Canada where he opened a bakery. Six years later he switched vocation again and dabbled in kitchenware, arts and crafts supplies and ceramics.
In Montreal, he met Fran Gutman and the two married in 1989. This is where my connection came in for I worked with Fran at the Canadian Jewish Congress for a decade. She just retired as an administrative assistant to D’Arcy McGee Liberal MNA David Birnbaum.
At the age of 60, Tobie decided to go back to school and get his formal degree in translation. He enrolled in the program at the Université de Montréal, attending classes five nights a week and successfully became a certified translator.
For more than a decade, Tobie has established a highly respected reputation among his loyal clientele for his translation business. He is known for providing highly accurate translation services. Reliability, Integrity, Efficiency is his motto.
Tobie also works as an interpreter at the different municipal courts of Montreal and its surroundings, and is often called to work in cases involving Hebrew, French and English.
If you require an excellent translator, you can reach Tobie at 514 733-0715 or 514 817-4194, or by email at saragostitobie@gmail.com.
It’s great to learn about Tobie’s trajectory. He’s my colleague at the Montreal Municipal Court, where he also works as legal interpreter. He’s very professional and always brings a great attitude at work.