A new voice for Canadian Jews

[King_David]

This week, the National Post ran a front-page story about a major restructuring within the organized Jewish community. Unfortunately, the story failed to convey the rationale behind this change. We strongly believe that it's in the public interest that we provide the rationale for this reorganization.

Jewish Canadians face a unique set of circumstances in 2011. On the one hand, our community participates fully in Canadian society and is accepted in all corners of our great country, while freely maintaining our faith and heritage.

On the other hand, we also face many challenges. Anti-Semitism is increasingly expressed through anti-Zionism – the denial of the Jewish people, alone among all the world's peoples, to a democratic national homeland. Virulent campaigns to delegitimize Israel's very existence, extending well beyond legitimate criticism of specific Israeli policies, have erupted on campuses and created a hostile environment for Jewish students. Our country as a whole has begun to examine the foundations of Canadian values through the lens of reasonable accommodation for immigrants – a policy conversation in which the Jewish historic experience will play a key role. And there is always more work to be done to inspire government and civil institutions to build a society where freedom, security and protections for Canada's most vulnerable are even stronger.

Today's opportunities and challenges are not the same as they were 10 years ago – and they are likely to see further change in the next 10 years. Ours is a community that has made historic contributions to Canada's development, but we must be vigilant to do even more in the years ahead. And this is why Canada's Jewish community needs a unified voice, with a singular mandate and a central portal for the grassroots to be engaged and empowered.


http://www.cicweb.ca/scene/2011/09/a-new-voice-for-canadian-jews/

[hayrow]

1. First, dozens of nationalities do not have a national homeland.....

Where is Kurdistan, Biafra, Chechnia,etc., etc., etc., not to mention Palestine?

The Jews will never, and should never, speak with a "unified voice". That is not the tradition. As far as I know, the only time a Jewish Community spoke with a unified voice, was when the Jews in Nazi Germany proclaimed they were Germans first and then Jews. Didn't really work out so well. Attempting to stifle controversy within the community is not a laudable goal.

[King_David]

2. The Jews do have a National Homeland

It is called Israel ;)

[snagglepuss]

3. Well they are going down the wrong path when they conflate anti-zionism

with-semitism. They might think this is a genius plan but fewer and fewer people are buying into it.

[King_David]

4. Umm no, you have been reading too many internet forums

But not in the real world.

[Ken Burch]

5. And it legally exists solely within the pre-1967 lines

Any areas outside those lines that it occupies are truly and solely Palestine.

Nothing in the West Bank is legitimately part of Israel.