Photo: vtele.ca

Update 2 (February 2, 2012): HonestReporting Canada and the Centre satisfied with outcome of meeting with V-Network’s management

Update 1 (January 30, 2012): The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, HonestReporting Canada and the V Network put out a joint press release on this topic.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is pursuing action against a French-language television host for his continued on-air denigration of Jews and Israel. On December 27, Stéphane Gendron,  Huntington mayor and host of the V Television Network show ‘Face à Face’, stated live on the programme that “unfortunately Israel has not yet collapsed” and that Israel “does not deserve to exist.”

CIJA has been in contact with the network’s management to seek a prompt end to Gendron’s contemptuous statements. As a result, a meeting between Maxime Rémillard, co-president of Remstar Corporation (which owns V) and Gendron was held in mid-January to discuss the issues, however the station has been delaying their response to CIJA with their course of action. CIJA, therefore, has committed to pursuing the advocacy campaign against Gendron and is pushing for an investigation by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

“There is an important distinction between legitimate opinion that promotes public discourse and incendiary rhetoric that blocks constructive criticism. Gendron’s use of V Television’s information platform gives free reign to his personal prejudices contravening the regulations established by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, which require commentators not to make abusive or unduly discriminatory statements. Unfortunately, V’s failure to respond to our concerns or express any regret signals it is not taking its broadcasting responsibilities very seriously,” said David Ouellette, Associate Director of Public Affairs (Quebec) at CIJA. “Gendron has a long history of defamatory statements about Israel and Jews and we don’t believe that the issue will end here. We are certain that Gendron will continue to express his contemptuous views and we are determined to keep advocating for this issue to be addressed responsibly.”

During the second Lebanon War in 2006, Gendron described the Israelis as “modern day Nazis” and compared the Gaza Strip to the Warsaw ghetto. That same year, the TQS network (now V) fired Gendron because of his offensive and hurtful comments about certain identifiable groups. In 2008, he accused Israel of perpetrating “genocide” against the Palestinians. Last September, the same network that had terminated him hired Gendron to co-host ‘Face à Face’ on V. Gendron continued his tirades throughout the fall season, accusing Jews of having “invented terrorism”, promoting the mocking of the Holocaust by French anti-Semite Dieudonné and accusing the Jews of being steeped in contempt of non-Jews. Last November, Gendron again vilified Israel, claiming that Israel was killing Palestinian innocents by “bulldozing” them to build houses on the seized land.

“Gendron’s views are not held in a vacuum. Their seriousness is aggravated by the fact that the TV programme is watched by tens of thousands of viewers. Gendron’s hot rhetoric has the potential to create and shape the stigmatization of Quebec Jews,” Ouellette said.

He explained that when TQS fired Gendron in 2006, they justified it by stating that Gendron had the obligation not to attack a population in particular and as a broadcaster, TQS had their own obligations and responsibilities to respect as part of its broadcasting license.

“If V wants to remain a broadcaster committed to best practices, it needs to be consistent with its justification for firing Gendron in 2006. V unquestionably has the right to raise controversial issues that enrich public intellectual debate. Although well-founded criticism of Israeli policies is certainly legitimate, Gendron’s statements cross the line that separates fair opinion from hatemongering,” Ouellette said. “V’s viewing public expects and deserves informed opinions by respected commentators, not hate-filled invective from an agitator. It is hard to believe that V will tolerate in 2012 what TQS condemned in 2006.”

To follow this story as it progresses, please visit CIJA’s website.

David Cape (photo: Vadim Daniel)

My children have benefitted immensely from Montreal’s vibrant Jewish community: day schools, Jewish camps, synagogues, a strong connection to Israel and Beer Sheva, opportunities to learn the meaning of tzedakah… My wish is that their children, and their children’s children, will benefit from the same Jewish Montreal that we all cherish today. I hope that they, too, will continue to build the great Jewish community we have for generations to come.

This is a key motivation that propels me in my community work. I have often heard from people outside of Montreal how lucky I am to live in such an incredible Jewish community. Our reputation as a powerful community makes us the envy of many others. As President of Federation CJA, I will strive to secure this reputation, and in so doing, we will strengthen our collective Jewish identity.

Hundreds of volunteers and professional staff are working hard every day to ensure that Montreal is the city with the highest quality of Jewish life in North America. Together, we have identified and agreed on some key priorities for the coming two years and have initiated a concrete action plan for success.

We are continuing the implementation of our Imagine 2020 strategic vision. Our goal is for Montreal’s Jewish community to be a dynamic model of creativity, compassion and inclusivity. In this vision, Montreal Jewry is cohesive, yet diverse and pluralistic. It allows every Jew, irrespective of religious ideology, lifestyle choices and ethnic background to find a Jewish option for him or her self. At Federation CJA, we are focused on the Jewish values of caring for those in need, in education and building Jewish identity, in representing and defending our community and in responding to the major issues and global emergencies in our society, whether in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Japan or Haiti.

As I write this, there are several committees already in place and working towards ensuring that these goals are met. I am confident that these exceptional volunteers, together with our dynamic professional leadership, will make this happen.

We must also make our Jewish schools affordable and accessible to all. We have talked for years about giving every child access to a Jewish education and we are committed to making this a reality.

And we have the responsibility to deliver the highest quality of education for our children. A Montreal Jewish education cannot exclude the skills needed to live in Quebec. Our children must be equally comfortable working and living in French and in English. Not only is this imperative in keeping every option of employment, life and culture available to them, not only is this necessary to ensure the continuity of a Montreal Jewish community for the generations, but bilingualism, as a standard, is fundamental to uniting the linguistic groups within our own community.

Finally, we must take action to increase our legacy gifts. We are committed to working with our major donors and our professional leadership to see that our community gets stronger and stronger with every passing generation.

These are some of the highlights of our major objectives. Rest assured that, together, we will work towards the betterment of our Jewish community and assuming our place in the broader society. With your support, and the support of a great team of volunteers and professionals, I am confident that we will get the job done.

Their amazing and life-changing adventure was documented daily with photos and a blog available in full at federationcja.org/ethiopia.

Here are some highlights – click on the author’s name to read the full entry:

Allie – January 3

So today, we finally got to ETHIOPIA after about 24 hours of travelling and wow… I cannot even describe to you what we have seen and done in the past day. There are literally homeless people and beggars on the street by the dozen times 6800. They use children to try and make u feel bad… sometimes the kids aren’t even theirs!

Tamar – January 4

We’re officially on our way to Gondar!!  Time to get our hands dirty and do some real hands-on work! Who’s ready? WE ARE.

Elya – January 4

We went to one of the newly built schools and assisted with de-worming as well as eye check ups. We helped give out the pills, reassure the kids, play with them, communicate with them, entertain them, etc. It was amazing to do Tikun Olam, and to see their sincere appreciation, and making us feel like “celebrities”. Truly amazing experience! To think that is only day 1 out of 11 days in Ethiopia is just – !!!

Jordana – January 4

We were able to build about 3-4 layers of brick (cinder blocks). Tomorrow the rest of the group will work more on completing some of this. They expect that it will take 2 months to complete the school house (including 3 classrooms).

Talia – January 6

The desperation and the poverty in this country cannot go unnoticed and the fact that our physical labour was valuable made us feel as though we were truly making a difference.  The school that we had visited the first (day) was such a beneficial addition to the surrounding community—we were about to change a community in Gondar forever.

Elie & Shanie – January 6

We were standing in front of the entrance of the school where hundreds of students welcomed us in their pink school-shirts (boys too) and smiles. Through a “speed dating” activity we had the opportunity to get to know the youth and help them practice their English.

Elysa – January 6

Next stop was at water development projects. Locals come to fill their 7-liter buckets. When we were there, an old woman was filling hers. She must have been 80 years old, and was saying how happy she is that the water is there. She thanked us over and over again. We went to a clinic where we helped give out these nutritional bars mainly to kids and pregnant mothers. They follow close to 6000 patients monthly to make sure they are gaining weight and are getting proper nutrition. We also played with the kids and had so much fun giving them some toys, and blowing bubbles, which I’m sure they have never seen before in their lives. It was truly enriching.

Maayan – January 8

When you see little children sitting in the street or walking without shoes or normal clothes this makes you think about life how people can live in such a way and moreover how the “rich” people there can just no pay attention and to get used to this?!!! When I came back to the hotel to sleep I think about those that I just so sleeping outside…this day I felt overwhelmed but also good cause I knew that we are going to do it a better place…

Yarden – January 8

Today we went to the village Ambover in jeeps. Ambover was the capital of the Jews near Gondar and had a famous Jewish community. We went to a clinic in Teda village that was opened in the 80′s and now is managed by the government. Amazing!!!

Cedric – January 8

Looking out the window, poverty struck you in the face. I observed the established houses and wondered how one could live like so.  Thinking about their lifestyle left me with an anguished face. All I could think to myself was “where the hell am I.” But from that, I began to understand real poverty.

Karine – January 10 (in French)

It has been nine days today since we left Montréal. Until now, no two days have been alike. In fact, as some of us mentioned at dinner, it is difficult to decide which day has been the best since each day has brought us a new surge of different emotions.

Talia – January 11

So far… I like Lalibela the most.  The driver informed us that it is considered Ethiopia’s Jerusalem.

David – January 16

Although I am physically home, my mind is still in Ethiopia. What an unbelievable trip it was. Now that we are home, we have certain challenges that lie ahead. It is up to us to follow up our experience with significant efforts to fundraise and to educate our communities on what we have witnessed and on the current situation in Ethiopia.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters.

The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) addresses the most pressing issues in Jewish life by working to inspire Jews throughout the world to connect with their people, heritage and land, and empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and strong Israel. The Jewish Agency pursues this goal by bringing young Jews to Israel for life-changing experiences and involving them in social activism in Israel and abroad.

Israel and overseas allocations from Combined Jewish Appeal through the Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA address, with our partners abroad (such as JAFI and JDC), social issues including youth, education, social welfare, capacity building and people-to-people connections.

“I was living with my uncle. We didn’t function properly in that situation as a family. He would leave me at home and go away all day. When they saw it was too violent, they made a decision – the workers and the school, a lot of them – to go into a foster home,” describes Fanny, now a young woman.

Fanny came to Canada at nine years old with the help of Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (now Ometz). Her parents had been granted immigration to Israel, but due to family circumstances, Fanny instead had to come to Canada to live with her uncle. Mandated by the government to be responsible for youth protection, adoption and young offenders across Montreal means that the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres deal with children in need, like Fanny.

“When I came here to Canada, I remember it was not working so well with my uncle. Batshaw Centres supported me and they wanted to make sure I went to school. I had a worker; she was very good, very supportive. She helped me move away from him.”

When these children are Jewish, Batshaw Centres often works together with Ometz to ensure that the most pressing needs of the child are met and that their best interest is put first.

“There is a growing partnership between the public and private sectors to ensure that children maintain their connections to the community. It is a very important aspect of their well-being to have stability with respect to neighbourhood, culture, language and school of the child,” said Susan Karpman, Director of Community Services & Immigration at Ometz. “We have the resources in our community to find and ensure these connections continue and to maintain as much consistency as possible.”

Batshaw Centres services approximately 1500 children and youths at any given time. Approximately 40-50 of these children are Jewish and about one-third of those live outside of their parents’ care, either with extended family, with foster parents or in a group home or rehabilitation centre. This could happen under circumstances of serious neglect or abuse, severe family conflict, abandonment or dangerous behaviour issues.

“One of the main ways we work together is that Ometz is able to work within the community to help find Jewish foster homes for Jewish children. We also work with Batshaw Centres to ensure that there is flexibility and special arrangements available in their group homes for Jewish children, such as providing Kosher food.  Our school workers also work to ensure the children are well supported in the school environment,” said Karpman.

“My worker helped me stay in one place because she said I was changing places too much. I did stay longer and I came to the Y and I went to the synagogue. I used to go to Camp B’nai Brith. We celebrated Passover. We put the candles for Chanukah. I know that I am Jewish,” Fanny said, noting that the community even helped her go to Israel when she was a teenager to meet her family. “Before I didn’t know that they had all these resources. Now, with my kids, we go to Chanukah parties, we keep up. We do go to synagogue for the holidays. It’s important to know where you are coming from and what you believe in.”

While the roles of both agencies are different, with Ometz providing community services and Batshaw Centres maintaining the youth protection mandate, both agencies provide critical support to families in need. Batshaw Centres’ responsibility is to identify anyone under 18 years old at risk, to determine why they are at risk and to map out a solution; and Ometz offers community services and resources to help those individuals and families.

“Both Batshaw Centres and Ometz interveners work together in the clinical planning of the child with a primary focus on the best needs of the child,” said Elliot Zelniker, Program Manager from the AM Cavendish Team of the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres.

“Sometimes Ometz works with a family and then youth protection (Batshaw Centres) gets involved so there is collaboration. At other times, youth protection is involved with a family, but Ometz’s services are sought to further assist the family. Interventions are typically geared towards helping parents achieve their fullest potential so that they could raise their children effectively,” he said.

“Batshaw Centres has the legal mandate to enforce an intervention plan and make sure families follow through.  Ometz may be the appropriate agency to provide some of those services. These can include things like family counselling, play therapy, budgetary assistance, volunteer mentors, et cetera. We also sometimes share the costs of resources for certain therapies, day care or even  sending kids to camp,” Karpman said.

“They helped keep me within the community. They understand me. The community is very important – it’s very important to have a community that you can trust, someone who supports you,” Fanny said. “There are a lot of different kinds of communities, but it’s not the same thing as when you come to your own people, and to see, share in it what you believe and what you don’t believe.”

Batshaw Youth and Family Centres provides youth protection, adoption and Youth Criminal Justice Act services to English-speaking families who reside on the island of Montreal and to all Jewish clients in Montreal, regardless of language.

Ometz delivers social services to families and individuals, especially during times of vulnerability, provides training and employment services to jobseekers and employers, and assists families and newcomers here and abroad throughout their sponsorship, immigration and integration process.

Federation CJA recently made a donation to support the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres’ Toy Fund, which provides 540 toys to children of various ages for the holiday season, including to Jewish children for Chanukah.

Federation CJA allocated $4,412,000 to Agence Ometz (includes poverty relief fund).

By Chaya Greenberg

I first arrived to Montreal from New Jersey as a newlywed.  My husband is from here so we were lucky to have his family nearby to assist us.   Despite having family, I felt very alone in a strange place with a strange language (French) and strange weather.   After two years in Montreal, the opportunity presented itself for us to travel to Russia and become the Jewish communal leaders in a remote city.  With our one-year-old daughter in tow, off we went, forced once again to fend for ourselves without knowing the language, the culture, the people or the city. Though it was difficult in the beginning, it was the most amazing experience of my life, giving of ourselves to the community.

As abruptly as we had arrived, it was time to go. The authorities showed up at our house and took my husband to the police station.   For political reasons, the Russians decided to deport a number of rabbis and unfortunately, we were among them. Less than twenty-four hours later, we were on a plane with just a couple of suitcases.

We returned to Montreal with our two kids; I was pregnant with my third.  My husband started to look for work and I had to readjust to life in Montreal.  My husband’s work situation was terrible, moving from one bad job to another. We could hardly make ends meet.

The first time I heard about Ometz was when I decided to apply for my permanent residency. I sat down with an immigration counsellor who guided me through the entire process with respect and patience.   As our situation worsened, I turned to Ometz again at my friend’s suggestion. I thought that they would just provide some financial support but then I had the most wonderful fortune of meeting Ruth.

At the first meeting, I cried to Ruth, unburdening all of the troubles that had engulfed me and my family. I told her about the debts, the lack of funds to pay rent or groceries, the difficulties of being pregnant and having no Medicare, about my husband not having a regular job, of not having status in Canada, of not knowing where to turn or what to do. She listened and empathized but more than anything, she helped me pull myself together. She woke me up and showed me how to take responsibility for my life.

Ruth helped us in numerous ways, be it about payment plans or French language courses, providing funds to buy winter gear and grocery coupons, organizing wonderful food baskets before the holidays and broaching the idea of going to school and having a career. I can honestly say that that afternoon, in Ruth’s office, my life was turned around. I started to think about the future instead of bemoaning the past. She gave me courage and hope and presented me with fresh options and new dreams.

Ometz has sent so many angels our way. Tom, our kind, non-judgmental, financial advisor who voluntarily took time out of his life to come to our home and help us make a budget and a plan to pay off our debts. Tzu-Yung, who sat with my husband and me, separately, for hours helping us find our career paths. Emmanuelle, our play therapist, who meets with us every week to listen to our challenges and present us and our kids with the necessary tools needed to meet life’s challenges head on.

We have been so fortunate to have benefited immensely from the magnificent work that Ometz does. The Torah teaches us that the highest level of tzedakah is not to give someone money, but to help them find a job. Ometz offers love, financial support and emotional assistance. More than anything, they endow those in need with the tools to help themselves and rebuild their own lives. Thanks to Ometz, we have paid off half of our debt and are living within our means. Thanks to Ometz, my husband has a steady job and I am in the Human Relations program at Concordia University. Thanks to Ometz, our kids are happy, well-adjusted and well cared for. Thanks to Ometz, I finally feel happy and at home in Montreal.

Herzliah student Zack Simon, École Maïmonide student Suzie Perez, Natan Sharansky, Hebrew Academy student Emily Dahan and Bialik student Ben Libman.

Former Soviet Union prisoner and freedom fighter, Natan Sharansky, recently spoke to a packed house of students from Jewish high schools, sharing his personal story of imprisonment, activism and survival.

“Brit mila. Bar Mitzvah. Chanukah. It didn’t exist for us. We didn’t know. But we knew we were Jews,” explained Sharansky to the over 530 students from Bialik, École Maïmonide, Hebrew Academy and Herzliah. “The message we were getting from our parents was that because we were Jews, we had to be the best at arts or sciences or math. Maybe we could hide a bit better if we were the best at one of those. This was the most important… physical survival.”

Sharansky described for students the atmosphere of growing up Jewish in the Soviet Union in the 1950’s and 60’s, explaining that it was constant anxiety, stress and fear as they were all watched by the KGB. When Sharansky’s application for an exit visa was denied in 1973, he became an activist and refusenik, leading to his arrest in 1977, after which he spent eight years in prison, many of those years in solitary confinement.

“All my strength to fight was coming from my desire to be part of my people. The power of dictatorship is that it makes you feel alone and isolated and helpless. When you are cold, dark and very hungry, you have to remind yourself why you are there and what you are fighting for,” he said. When arrested, the KGB told Sharansky he had a choice. If he gave a press conference denouncing Zionism, they would let him go and give him the exit visa to Israel; if he didn’t, he would be sentenced to die for treason. “I had to explain to myself why not to cooperate with them. To me, it was very clear that I wanted to go to Israel, to be with my wife, with my family, with my people. But I had no doubt that the Jewish people would continue to fight for me. And they did.”

Sharansky highlighted his personal connection to Montreal, including how family in Canada he didn’t even know existed realized they were related and sent Irwin Cotler to be his lawyer when he was imprisoned and a particularly special call between himself and students from Bialik High School before he was imprisoned, but while he was being watched and followed by the KGB.

“When I got on the phone, I wanted to pass on important information, but the students started to sing Hatikvah. I couldn’t disappoint them, so I joined in, in the middle of the post office with the KGB standing around watching me, thinking I was crazy,” he said. “But it was one of the most solid expressions of solidarity I have witnessed. It was very moving. I felt like we were really not alone.”

The students listened intently to Sharansky and asked thought-provoking questions following his speech. Many gathered around him afterwards for photos or to have him autograph his books and many spoke of how their parents had told them about Sharansky and the triumph of the Jewish people in the Soviet Union.

“It is an honour to have you speak to us. It helps to bridge the gap between what we learn and what really happened and that is fantastic,” said student Ben Stein from Bialik during the question period.

“You serve as a role model to us in the Diaspora and to the people and the State of Israel,” Emily Dahan, from Hebrew Academy, said in thanks. “You serve as an inspiration to all of us.”

One student even asked him in Russian if he ever missed Russia, to which Sharansky replied that he did miss some of Russia – the Russian literature and the snow. He explained how he returned to where he had been imprisoned 10 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, even though most people couldn’t understand why he would want to go back and that surely it must be too painful.

“On the contrary. It is one of the most inspiring moments – this was the most powerful leadership in the world, trying to tell me that all the Jews had been arrested and that they were all afraid. But I had a strong feeling that as long as the Jewish people are with me, I should fear no evil. And only 10 years later, the Soviet Union doesn’t exist, millions of Jews left,” he said. “This is all because of the power of the Jewish people when they are united. This is our optimism… this is the most important message.”

The Montreal participants of The Ethiopian Short-term Service Program

Our young adults see their Jewish collective responsibility as a call to action. They understand global Jewish peoplehood is something to take responsibility for and not just to participate in. Federation CJA is listening to the voices of our young people who wish to be involved in tikun olam, who wish to help those who are in need as it relates to practical methods, no matter in what capacity. Partnering with the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), Federation CJA is fulfilling the aspirations of our young people by offering an Ethiopian Short-term Service Program taking place over the holiday period involving 20 participants from the Montreal Jewish community and our Beer Sheva/Bnei Shimon partnership communities who are between the ages of 18 and 25.

The Ethiopian Short-term Service Program will take place between January 2nd and January 13th, 2012. Follow this amazing journey at federationcja.org/ethiopia as participants report to us with daily blogs and photos.

“This once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Ethiopia with other Montreal and Beer Sheva/Bnei Shimon students will expose me to a new culture and way of life. Learning about Ethiopian Jewish traditions and struggles will enrich my understanding of the diversity of the Jewish people and the richness of our heritage. It has been my experience that tzedakah is far more meaningful when done personally. Taking an active hands-on role in the work we will be doing in Ethiopia and seeing first-hand how my efforts will benefit others will be rewarding, educational and empowering,” said Talia Bensoussan, a Canadian participant on the Mission. “I am excited to go on a humanitarian mission together with members of our sister city in Beer Sheva. Ever since I was in elementary school, I have been building bridges with the Beer Sheva community through the Gesher Chai program. This opportunity will enable me to cement relationships with my peers from our partnership region. Together, we will share a unique experience that will bond us forever.”

The service program provides these young Jews with the opportunity to directly engage and work through meaningful volunteer projects to meet real needs while gaining an understanding of pressing Jewish and humanitarian challenges worldwide. They will learn through hands-on and practical experience that Jews are obligated to work towards achieving a more perfect world by increasing the well-being of humankind. The service work will focus on meeting the health, development and educational challenges of children and youth in Ethiopia. During the mission, they will assist in the construction of a new school house, distribute vitamins and de-worming medication to local children and facilitate sports, art and education enrichment activities in local schools.

“I see this trip as a unique opportunity for learning through personal experience about what is happening in Ethiopia, a Third World country, a different way of life, the way of dealing with problems (food, diseases and education among others), survival and the children who are born every day into this reality . I see this trip as a first-hand learning experience, to have personal contact with residents as opposed to learning from the media, and on a personal level, from my parents who were born in Ethiopia, to see and not just hear about Ethiopia. I hope I can give of myself this trip, to understand, see, draw conclusions, find meaning and learn lessons for the future on how we can contribute to communities all over the world and gain self-gratification and personal fulfillment,” said Rosa Vota, a participant from Israel.

During the Mission, participants will visit many key Jewish sites, including Ambober, a village that once served as the capital of Ethiopia’s Jewish (Falasha) community, where they will receive an overview of Gondar’s rich Jewish history. At the Israel Transit House, they will meet with Felas Mora (Ethiopian Jews remaining in Gondar) who are preparing to make aliyah and will see first-hand the care and maintenance needed to help this population immediately prior to their departure.

Each day will include time dedicated to learning about Ethiopia’s history, development needs and programs that address humanitarian issues in Ethiopia and around the world. Throughout the program, the participants will engage in cultural exchanges with professionals and peers and take time to reflect on their experiences and the Jewish values that form the basis of this service work.

The Combined Jewish Appeal just closed one of its most successful Campaigns in recent memory. There are many reasons for this accomplishment – an army of over 800 dedicated volunteer canvassers, an increase in pledges from new donors and increased pledges from loyal supporters. But one of the best kept secrets to Combined Jewish Appeal is its Corporate Sponsorship Program, which this year raised a new record of over $1 million, making it one of the most successful of such programs in North America.

“Corporate sponsors allow Combined Jewish Appeal to host incredible outreach and fundraising events while keeping the operational costs low. With corporate sponsors helping to cover the costs of these events, all the funds raised from tickets sales, personal donations and other fundraising activities go directly to the cause, which is improving the quality of life for people,” said Jeff Segel, Chair of the Corporate Sponsorship Executive. “It is because of the generosity of these companies that we are able to direct almost 91% of all the funds raised through Combined Jewish Appeal to impact Jewish lives in our own community and all around the world.”

Combined Jewish Appeal 2011 had 60 corporate sponsors, some of whom have been sponsors since the inception of the program in 1995. As the Jewish community supports Combined Jewish Appeal through their donations to the Campaign, the Corporate Sponsorship Program seeks sponsorship support from the non-Jewish corporate sector as another revenue stream specifically to defray Campaign costs. Some of the costs covered by sponsors include holding events, radio and print advertising, producing marketing materials and signage seen across the city, as well as other initiatives such as the Jewish Chamber of Commerce and even the production of this Tikun Olam newsletter. In exchange for their financial contribution, sponsors receive visibility by having their company name and logo prominently displayed, a representative from the company is given the opportunity to speak directly to the audience at the event, and the company is publicly thanked in an ad following the event.

“Many companies have corporate social responsibility programs, especially today. Our Corporate Sponsorship Program is an excellent way for the corporate sector to work together with one of the top non-profit organizations in North America to meet their objectives while directly reaching a segment of their target market,” said Harvey Levenson, one of the founders of Federation CJA’s Corporate Sponsorship Program. “The success of our program is due to our ability to capitalize on the corporation’s goals and in our meeting their philanthropic needs. Together, we help build a better and stronger community.”

Aside from corporate sponsorships of Campaign events and Federation CJA initiatives, companies can also sponsor specific programs or services. For example, Fonds de solidarité FTQ sponsors the JEM Workshop and UPS made a grant for the renovation of the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors’ kitchen and cafeteria to support the Le Café community soup kitchen.  These types of corporate partnerships help underwrite the cost of running these services and offer companies the opportunity to have a direct impact on people’s lives.

“Our Corporate Sponsorship Program can be as flexible as necessary to meet a corporation’s needs and objectives. There are numerous types of events, services and programs for companies to choose from as Federation CJA touches so many areas of need in the community. So whether a company is interested in feeding the hungry, helping those with special needs, supporting the elderly or any other social service area, we can link them to an appropriate program or event that is in line with their corporate philanthropy mission,” said Segel. “The bottom line is that thanks to the support of our corporate partners, Federation CJA and its agencies are able to touch the lives of so many people, every single day, providing essential services and life-saving support.”

For more information on Federation CJA’s Corporate Sponsorship Program, please contact Alex Zinegyi, Director of the Corporate Sponsorship Program at 514-345-2645 ext. 2616.

Volunteers June Friedman; Carolyn Polak, Co-Chair of Warm Hands; Allison Cobrin, Senior Development Officer at Federation CJA; and volunteer Shelley Kerman with some of the scarves collected last year.

Last year, over 600 children’s scarves were knit for those in need to help them through the cold Montreal winters. Coming off the heels of that successful Tikun Olam Volunteers (TOV) ‘Warm Hands’ initiative, the hands of women volunteers across Montreal are busy once again. This time, TOV is collecting hand-knit lap blankets for seniors in residences across the city.

“We were provided with an important opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to our community and we are thrilled by the response we’ve received,” said Carolyn Polak, co-chair with June Baily of the Warm Hands project which started last winter. “Last year,  just through word of mouth, women were dropping scarves off at Federation CJA; a woman called from Florida asking if she could knit a scarf; and groups of women were gathering for ‘Warm Hands’ evenings. People who had never heard of TOV, people who weren’t Jewish and who weren’t active at Federation or in TOV heard about the program and wanted to be involved and make a difference. We are excited to be building on that success and working towards a new initiative that will help many elderly and vulnerable people in our community.”

The ‘Warm Hands’ project started as a vision of mothers and daughters getting together to knit scarves for children in the community in need, with the daughters earning community service hours. But what began as a small, grassroots initiative grew into a phenomenal celebration of volunteerism and dedication to the cause. The Tikun Olam Volunteers from Women’s Philanthropy rallied women from around the community to pitch in and help to ensure that the goal was reached. The scarves were delivered at the annual Back to School Giveaway in August organized by Federation CJA in conjunction with its agencies.

“We saw that women were really keen to get involved and to do something meaningful. They don’t have to leave their homes, they don’t have to come to an event, but this is a tangible way for them to be a direct help to people in need and our volunteers really responded to that,” said Lindsay Rothenberg, TOV Manager. “We chose to do lap blankets for seniors because we knew that many seniors living in residences often get cold and we were told that blankets are their number one request. We are counting on the community to once again put their sewing needles to good use by knitting lap blankets that will be donated to seniors’ residences around Montreal. We felt that this is a great way to bring some warmth to seniors’ lives and laps.”

The knitting group of Caldwell Residences presented TOV with 76 scarves for the “Warm Hands” project last year. Seen here from left to right: (Back row) Esther Mill; Phyllis Lohner; Allison Cobrin, Senior Development Officer at Federation CJA; Carolyn Polak, Co-Chair of Warm Hands; Mimi Dikman; Charlotte Amiga-Benzwy, Coordinator of Programs at Caldwell Residences; (Front row) Rhonda Wittenberg; Norma Palus; Riva Fleischman; Giselle Cuby; Ofelia Israel, knitting instructor at Caldwell Residences; Reina Sultan; Irene Martin; Anna Kuby; (seated front) and Merilyn Marcus.

To donate a hand-knit lap blanket or for more information, please contact Lindsay Rothenberg at 514.345.2645, ext. 3202 or email tov@federationcja.org .

Co-Chairs of TLC at the recent Dance for a Cause event (from left to right): Oliver Cutler, Gabrielle Rappaport, Samantha Rosenthal, Talia Bensimon, Julia Knafo and Josh Cape.

For high schoolers Talia Bensimon, Josh Cape, Oliver Cutler, Julia Knafo, Gabrielle Rappaport and Samantha Rosenthal, raising funds for the betterment of the community is just another fun thing to do outside of school. The six Grade 11 students (representing the Jewish high schools and two non-Jewish schools) are the co-chairs of the first-ever Teen Leadership Crew (TLC) of YAD Montreal.

“We were very excited by the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of these young volunteers to get involved in their community and to help bring the CJA Campaign message to their peers,” said Tina Apfeld-Rosenthal and Elissa Lifson-Uditsky, co-chairs of the YAD@School initiative, which helped develop the TLC.  “Federation CJA has identified engaging youth as a key priority for the organization and we felt that our teens could play an important role in helping to ensure the future of the Montreal Jewish community. This also presents an excellent opportunity for students to learn vital leadership skills, earn community service hours, connect to many other Jewish youth and to really become proud members of this amazing Jewish community. It will help instill in high school students the value and importance of charitable giving and it will demonstrate that participating in good deeds can be a fun activity, as well.”

As co-chairs of the TLC, the students planned an overwhelmingly successful outreach event for Combined Jewish Appeal. A Dance with a Cause was held recently and attracted a packed house of nearly 200 teens. TLC members sold tickets to the dance, used social media to promote the event and coordinated all the details themselves.

In addition, their commitment doesn’t stop just because the Combined Jewish Appeal Campaign is over. These co-chairs will be spearheading ongoing outreach and will continue to help engage and involve their peers in the community throughout the year.

TLC is an initiative of YAD Montréal, a vibrant and passionate group of young Jewish adults who are joined together to make a difference within our community, both locally and internationally. Fostering active community involvement, YAD Montréal builds community and leadership through social, professional and philanthropic activities.

For more information on TLC, please contact Elysa Ben Sabat at 514.345.2645, ext. 3078 or by emailing elysa.bensabat@federationcja.org.