Annual Report
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1 2011 - 2012 Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA ANNUAL REPORT Contents 4 - Letter from Leadership 6 - Regional Activities 8 - Leaders in Israel 10 - Engaging Leadership 12 - Jewish Identity 14 - Partnership2Gether 20 - Advocacy 22 - Partners in Israel 24- By the numbers 25- Social Welfare Programs 26- Leadership 28- Financials 6 blind Israelis and their guide dogs joined the March of the Living. 4 Letter from Marc Gold, Linda Yossi Tanuri, President Kislowicz, Director CEO General, Leadership Israel Office Like so many of our partners and initiatives that contribute in to leverage collective resources and stakeholders in the Jewish a meaningful way to the Jew- and find creative solutions to world, Jewish Federations of ish world at home, in Israel and shared challenges. Canada-UIA is facing complex beyond. Finally, the development of a challenges. Our steady ap- In particular, we have taken some new strategic plan continues to proach has been to embrace the bold steps in our organizational be a focal point for discussion environment and to tackle the development. We have adopted and debate. It is this process challenges before us by seeking a new operating name that and the plan that will ultimately and seizing opportunities to find clarifies our brand and better be approved that will guide and new and creative solutions and signifies the relationship to our focus our attention and resources convert them into meaningful Federation stakeholders. over the next 3 years. social capital. We have implemented a new We would like to take this op- We have many accomplish- approach to Israel and overseas portunity to thank the volunteer ments to be proud of in Israel allocations and have modernized leadership that has participated and Canada. Even in these times our governance structures and in these projects and processes. of economic restraint, we are processes. We would not have been able to proud of the fact that Canadian Difficult internal and external move forward on any of these campaigns are stable, that we re- matters without the valuable main loyal partners in supporting budget reductions have required us to become more efficient and input of dedicated community developments in Israel and that members, some who have spent we continue to have the capac- also more persistent with each of our partners and agents in order many years involved with Jewish ity to undertake special projects Federations of Canada – UIA. We extend special thanks to those community leaders whose terms of office are ending by virtue of the new governance structure. We also gratefully recognize the efforts of our professional staff in Canada and Israel, who are succeeding in supporting the complex and never ending challenges and changes while ensuring that daily operations continue to run smoothly, ef- ficiently and creatively. Toda Raba, l’hatzlacha and kol hakavod to all. 6 Regional Activities 15 regional Jewish communi- “Joining was an awesome deci- overdue breath of connectivity ties in Ontario and Saskatch- sion! I made really good friends to the larger active Canadian ewan were enriched by over 50 who I have a lot in common Jewish community. Our heartfelt community programs, shab- with being from a small Jewish thanks for this outreach. We batons and educational events community. I got to travel to new hope to leverage this momentum organized and facilitated by the cities, including Washington DC! to affirm our standing as a proud I learned a lot and reinforced my community amongst others in RJCO division. Jewish identity. The program has Canada.“ Jeff Schecter, Kelowna, 100 members of the community a great balance of social, recre- BC attended six events hosted by ational and educational aspects. In June 2012, leaders from nine the Waterloo Regional Jewish It’s a long schlep from Sault Ste. Community Council (WRJCC). Marie to southern Ontario, but western regional communities it’s always worth it!’ Rebecca Co- will meet in Vancouver at the 25 teenagers from regional Jew- hen, Sault Ste. Marie, ON first Pacific Community confer- ish communities across Ontario ence that will focus on media completed the final year of the New ties with regional Jewish training, advocacy and commu- three year Aviva Barth High communities in inland British nity engagement. School Outreach program with Columbia are being established stronger Jewish identities and by providing community pro- 18 children from regional com- a deeper connection to Jewish grams and leadership develop- munities enjoyed extended culture and community. A new ment. immersive Jewish experiences cohort begins in September. at overnight summer camps be- “Having Meir Javedanfar speak cause of scholarships provided. in our community was a long Left: Kingston Jewish Community Council event Bottom: Alexa Faith and Lauren Jade Bierstock at a WRJCC Chanukah event “The WRJCC is an important ini- tiative not just for me but for the community as a whole because it fills a critical need no other orga- nization in the area can. It brings families and friends together to celebrate our common Jewish culture in a social and fun set- ting! “ Jake Sivak, Waterloo, ON 8 Community Leaders in Israel Jewish Federations of Can- The Montreal Chair’s Mission In January, UJA Toronto’s Annu- ada - UIA organized a total was present at the opening of al Campaign Chairs participated of 75 community and family The Saryl and Stephen Gross in a fact-finding mission, where missions. Ma’of School for Excellence, they attended JAFI meetings, for gifted and high-achieving visited project sites and met with Federation CJA Montreal students. Minister of Education Gideon 50 disadvantaged Israeli teens UJA Federation of Greater Saar. celebrated their Bar Mitzvah Toronto Winnipeg Jewish Federation ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem during the 10th In October, 21 Torontonians Nine Ethiopian Tel Hai students annual Communauté Sépharade on the UJA Toronto’s Doctors, received educational grants from Unifiée du Québec (CSUQ) Dentists & Friends 11th Annual Winnipeg at a ceremony during solidarity mission. Mission and 16 participants on a November mission. the UJA Toronto’s Challenges of Members of the Executive of Calgary Jewish Federation Peace mission met with Member Federation CJA were present of Knesset Yochanan Plesner Eight Calgarians toured Coast at the dedication of Montreal and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. to Coast Partnership2Gether Square in Beer Sheva, named in project sites. recognition of contributions to 23 participants met Miri Eisen the city. and Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on the UJA Toronto’s Leadership mission in November. Toronto Campaign Chairs with Minister of Education Gideon Saar. From left: Alison Himel; Sarena Koschitzky; Elizabeth Wolfe; Lori Sheff; Gideon Saar; Ted Sokolsky; Bruce Leboff Victor Goldberg, past-president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, with Shimon Peres in Israel Bar Mitzvah boys from the Montreal CSUQ mission 10 Engaging Leadership and Building Jewish Connections Academic Programs 20 young leaders forged ties with Hillel Canada federal politicians while learning 15 young Jewish professionals Jewish Student Associations firsthand about electoral proce- were the inaugural recipients of at McMaster University and dures and the political relation- a Masters of Arts in Jewish Pro- Brock University have officially ship between Canada and Israel fessional Studies from Spertus rebranded as Hillel. at the NYLIA Conference in Institute of Jewish Studies. 11 Ottawa. “From ‘Brews and Jews’ to students are currently enrolled ‘Thursdeli’, I know that I have in the second session, slated to 16 young Canadians toured made friends and memories that graduate in June 2014. Israel in September, with high will last a lifetime. Most impor- level politicians on the NYLIA tantly, I found a community that 11 professionals will be certi- Israel Advocacy Mission where I could immediately belong to, fied in June as Israel Educators they met with influential Israeli a home away from home.” Syd from Melton School at Hebrew professionals and politicians at Tyber, 2012 Brock Student University. educational sessions. Guelph University students are National Young Leadership Vancouver and Toronto each exploring cultural and spiritual Young leadership from coast-to- hosted two Israeli-Ethiopian topics, starting meaningful con- coast represented Canada at in- students as volunteers in their versations and building stronger ternational conferences, missions businesses and visitors in their community ties at ‘Ask Big and events in Israel, Canada, homes and communities as part Questions’, an interfaith seminar Europe and the United States. of the IPO program. series. Regular Shabbat dinners at Queens’ Hillel enables students “During my visit I saw the deep will of to gather with friends far from the Jewish community of Canada to home within a comfortable and get to know the Ethiopian Israeli com- traditional atmosphere. munity, how we lived in Ethiopia, how Dalhousie University students we became adjusted to Israel and about now take ownership of their our culture and tradition. I learned that Jewish experience because of the community contributes to Jews in the Festive Meal Fund which Israel and around the world and among supports efforts to celebrate other things, provides scholarships for us Shabbat and Jewish holidays with to acquire higher education.” Beletech friends at home. Chanialow, 2011 Toronto IPO Intern Six student leaders at Western University learned about team building, group dynamics, public speaking,