Yousuf was a proud citizen of Canada and also part of the global community. One of the responsibilities of a Canadian citizen is to help those in their community. Through his actions, he generously gave back to Canada and the world and added to the great achievements of his life.
Yousuf never forgot being a newcomer in Canada, and he helped immigrants in different ways. Many people who hoped to come to North America contacted the famous Mr. Karsh. Sometimes Yousuf gave money or advice. But he could not save the world one person at a time. He always found a way to use his talents to aid many people. For example, when the Canadian Armenian Congress was founded in 1948 to help Armenian immigrants, Yousuf became its honourary chairperson. Above all, he believed that rather than remembering old hatred, people should work towards the future.
Yousuf wanted to help students as he had been helped. He taught university courses in Ohio, and gave workshops for his friend the famous landscape photographer Ansel Adams in California. He also went to the Brooks Institute in California to offer students there the chance to assist the best in the business.
One student he chose, Jerry Fielder, arrived in Ottawa from California without even a winter coat. But Fielder wasn’t planning on staying. He had come to tell Yousuf in person that he could not accept the offer to be his assistant. However, Jerry was “just charmed” by the warm, friendly Karshes and could not leave. He stayed and eventually became the curator of the Karsh photographs.
Yousuf’s photo of his friend Ansel Adams