As our community entered the discussions about a new Jewish Community Centre (JCC), I often quipped that it took 40 years to get to the promised land, and in that context, 12 years without a home did not seem too bad! Our Jewish Federation and the Jewish Archives & Historical Society Of Edmonton recently undertook our own exodus journey, as we moved our office this week to a temporary home on the path to our new JCC. You can now find us at 15604 Stony Plain Road, where we will remain until our new home is ready.
It has been a tumultuous week in the news. During our move, we learned that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had resigned, and that Parliament had been prorogued. As the leadership candidate race is underway, I encourage you to enroll to vote for the new Liberal party leader. Canadians and permanent residents can register to vote at no cost until January 27. If you want to vote in this process, register now.
As stated by the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC), “history is made by those who show up. …It’s extremely rare that Canadians get an opportunity to directly choose the next Prime Minister. And each riding across Canada will carry equal weight in the voting—which means participation in smaller communities will have an outsized impact. Now more than ever, Jewish Canadians and our allies need to be engaged in elections at every level. The risks of being on the sidelines are just too high.”
We are also watching the fires unfold in California with great concern for Los Angeles and our Jewish brethren and communities affected there.
In the meantime, our office is back up and running. While the Canada Revenue Agency announced donations made prior to the end of February will be eligible for your 2024 tax return, this has yet to be passed as legislation. That said, we can still accept donations to finalize the current United Jewish Appeal campaign and ensure that our community remains strong and supported as we continue to move forward, As One. You can contact Chloe to discuss a gift chloes@edjfed.org or make a donation online.
A central role of the Jewish Federation is to be a convenor. This morning, our Jewish Community Liaison Committee, composed of security representatives from each institution, met with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). We had a debrief of the active shooter training pilot project that took place at Beth Israel in November. This training pilot resulted from the robust relationships we maintain as a community with EPS, and the first of its kind to take place in Alberta. The lessons learned from this apply to all organizations in how we prepare for and handle active crisis events. We will discuss these further and then holding information sessions into the community in the coming months.
News in Israel this week included an announcement about how the government will work towards encouraging a return of residents to the north in early March. We’ve collaborated with our Coast to Coast Partnership, discussing regional challenges and how our communities can help with recovery.
We look forward to hosting and convening with the community at the Temple Beth Ora tomorrow night. They are welcoming guest Rabbi Rozenblit for an entire weekend, and The P2G committee will host havdalah and dessert. Please come out and hear a ‘fireside chat’, where the P2G partnership Chair, Erin Wright, and the rabbi will shed light on the situation for the evacuated residents throughout the north.
It is Day 462 Since October 7, and it was heartbreaking to see the pictures of Liri Albag that were released this past week, as well as the retrieval of the bodies of Hamza and Youssef Ziyadne from the tunnels under Rafah. Please join me in lighting an additional candle at Shabbat and keeping the remaining hostages in your prayers.
Shabbat Shalom,
Stacey