English Version of an Op-Ed that was published in Media Shmone

On June 30, 2017 our Board chair, Karen James, wrote an op-ed that was published in Hebrew in the local newspaper Media Shmone in our partnership region in Northern Israel. Below is the original in English. Click here and view page 36 to read it in Hebrew.

Government Decisions Strike a Blow to Jewish Unity

The Jewish community of Greater Vancouver, Canada has a 20 year partnership with Etzbah Hagalil, strategically investing millions of dollars every year to improve the social and economic prospects of the region.

After spending the last few days here, I am reminded of why we do this work: to make a difference in the lives of the people who live here. The friendships we have built are the living bridge between our two communities. This is what it feels like to be one Jewish family. One People.

This stands in stark contrast to the Israeli Government’s decisions on Sunday to rescind approval of an egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel; and to promote a bill that would give the Chief Rabbinate control to define who is a Jew, and even to withdraw recognition from completed conversions, leaving the status of thousands of Jews in question.

These issues strike at the heart of what it means to be One People. It says to the majority of Jews in North America that Israel will not accept them. And this poses a significant risk to whether Diaspora Jews will continue to support Israel. I cannot overstate how serious the situation is.

I belong to one of largest synagogues in Vancouver, where men and women sit and pray together, where women wear kippot and talit if they choose, and where both men and women do Aliyot. It is where I stood on the bima five years ago to read from the Torah and lead services as a later-in-life Bat Mitzvah. This style of prayer is the norm for many congregants in North America.

If Israel and Diaspora Jewry are to stand together, we must not allow diverse forms of practicing Judaism to divide us. What we share is infinitely more important than our differences.

Karen James

Board Chair, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

Assembly Member, The Jewish Agency for Israel

Past Chair, Partnership2Gether, Vancouver