Shabbat Message - July 16, 2021
This message has 541 words and will take a little more than 2.5 minutes to read.
We tweaked our Shabbat Message last week, so it's easier to see at a glance what we’re covering. This week, we’re trying a shorter, tighter message, and you’ll see a quick poll at the end where you can tell us if it was too short/just right/too long. So exercise your democratic right and vote!
But first, we want to say thank you to everyone who supported our community through Jewish Federation over the past year.
Together, we raised $12.2 Million in 2020!
In case you missed it in our Annual Report, together, we generated $12.2 million for our community in 2020! Here’s the breakdown:
- $8.8 Million in the 2020 Federation Annual Campaign
- $2 Million for Community Recovery
- $1.4 Million in Special Project Funding
COVID-19 was a crisis that affected—and continues to affect—every aspect of our community. Thank you to each of the 2,600 donors who came together to demonstrate the strength of this community. Because of your generosity, this year we are able to direct more funding to our partners than ever before.
I also want to thank Jonathon Leipsic, chair of the 2020 Annual Campaign, and the entire campaign working cabinet for their outstanding leadership, and our 210 volunteer canvassers for their dedication to community. Todah rabah!
CIJA’s Nationwide Town Hall on Antisemitism
The Town Hall was held on Wednesday, in partnership with Federations across the country, in advance of the Emergency Summit on Antisemitism being held by the government on July 21st.
The Town Hall featured the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, whose department is hosting the Summit, and the Honourable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, who is co-chairing.
If you missed the Town Hall, the video is available at Fight Antisemitism. If you have a message you would like CIJA to relay to our government, please email or submit a short video testimonial.
There will be more opportunities to get involved and we shall bring them to your attention in the days leading up to and following the Summit.
Tisha b’Av Begins on Saturday Night
As we prepare to mark the destruction of the first and second temples on Tisha b’Av, I am honoured to be speaking at the Antisemitism: Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow event at Beth Israel, organized in partnership with Har-El and Beth Tikvah. You can attend in person or via Zoom, and it will be followed by Ma’ariv and Eicha. It starts at 8:45 on Saturday evening.
Langley Jewish Community Picnic
In the mourning period preceding Tisha b’Av it is traditional to avoid eating meat, so it was fitting that when members of the growing Langley Jewish community gathered for a picnic on Wednesday to enjoy farm fresh vegetables. Generously hosted by Syd Belzberg at Stable Harvest Farms, and organized with our Connect Me In outreach program, families learned about food security, the importance of sustainability in Judaism, and how to make natural dye using food scraps. We would like to thank Syd Belzberg for graciously hosting this fantastic event! If you’re interested in Connect Me In events, email Adam Ben-Dov.
Tell us what you think.
How was the length of our Shabbat Message?
Too Short | Just Right | Too Long
Shabbat shalom, and I hope you have a meaningful fast.
Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer