This past week I visited the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, as part of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Courageous Leaders Canada program, along with seven leaders selected from our own community. (More about this initiative in a future message.) If you have been to this monument, yo…
The role of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton as convenor, connector, and bridge builder was never clearer to me than at our commemoration on October 7. With close to 700 people in attendance at a heartfelt ceremony with performances from local talented volunteers, we were an engaged and con…
Meytal Novidomsky, the Coast to Coast Partnership Director, and our lay leaders from Canada and Israel joined me in a Zoom meeting yesterday morning. During our preparations for the upcoming virtual and in-person meetings, our Israeli colleagues would often pause because of the sound of 80 r…
Director General Sarah Mali’s speech at the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaign launch emphasized the strong connection between Canadian Jewry and Israel. This week, I received a serendipitous reminder from Edmonton—and even Vegreville—of just how deep those ties are, while demonstrati…
For many months, I have been encouraging you to show up—come out to synagogue and community events where you will greet old friends and embrace newcomers and find strength in being together. Coming out of the shadows will make us more resilient in the face of rising antisemitism. This past…
