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CIJA - Pacific Region Makes its Mark
This past Sunday, more than 300 people gathered for the CIJA – Pacific Region’s first regional policy conference. Not only was it a first for Western Canada, but it marked a first for the national organization.

Both CIJA and Jewish Federation have received overwhelmingly positive reactions to the day, which was mounted with a high degree of professionalism and outstanding speakers from across Canada, Israel and our own region. It was the level of programming that you might see at a General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America or AIPAC, and many participants were excited to be part of something that people have never before been able to access here.

Major plenary sessions focused on anti-Semitism, domestic social policy issues and the current range of issues related to Israel and her neighbours. Between the plenaries participants had their choice of workshops that focused on a wide range of topics that touched on those listed above and more. For more detailed information about the program see the CIJA-PR website.

Among the most striking elements of the day was the breadth of participation. We had long-time community leaders and new community members, students and young adults, visitors from Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and Seattle, and non-Jews interested in supporting various aspects of our community advocacy agenda.

I would like to thank the professional and volunteer leadership of CIJA-PR for their excellent work on this event. Jewish Federation was pleased to provide extensive financial and program support to make the day possible.

Remembering Rabbi Lippa Dubrawsky z”l
Our community was shocked last month by the sudden passing of Rabbi Lipa Dubrawsky z”l, a long-time and cherished teacher of the local Chabad organization. This past Tuesday night, the Congregation Schara Tzedeck sanctuary was filled with community members from across the denominational spectrum whose lives were touched by Rabbi Dubrawsky z"l, and who came to pay their respects at the conclusion of the shloshim (30 day period of mourning). From the many tributes to him as a scholar and educator, what stood out was the number of people who spoke about his kindness and compassion, and his impact on their own personal growth and development.

2nd Annual Dragon Boat Festival
The 2nd Annual Dragon Boat Festival in Israel just finished and our community was represented again. This year, we sponsored a team that comprised both members of our community and residents of our partnership region in the Upper Galilee, several of whom have personal connections to our various projects there. Given the inherent challenge of a combined team that couldn’t practice together until the first day of the festival, the team faced an uphill battle. (Can you have an uphill battle on the water?) Nonetheless, the primary objective of providing a shared experience through which participants from both communities could meet, work together, sweat together, and laugh together was easily met. And in the end, our team won gold. Read a first-hand account of the dramatic events here.

There's Still Time to Get Involved in the Provincial Election
One of the most important ways you can get involved in the political process is to volunteer with the candidate or party of your choice on Election Day, this Tuesday, May 14th. This is among the most valuable contributions people can make, and doing this through CJPAC – the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee – can help our community build relationships with political leaders across the spectrum.

To volunteer for the campaign of your choice during Tuesday’s provincial election click here.

Parashat Bemidbar
It is one of the most remarkable moments of timing, when our weekly cycle of Torah reading coincides with events in our lives today. This week’s portion, which begins the Book of Numbers, begins with a description of the census that Moses is commanded by God to conduct a month after the Israelites set up camp in the desert. Earlier this week, Statistics Canada released the first pieces of data from the last national census.

In the Torah portion, the census serves as a means to take stock of how many men there are over the age of twenty who will be able to bear arms. In their new nomadic existence in the desert, at the beginning of what will ultimately be a forty-year sojourn, the focus is on ensuring group survival.

Today, we use the census to try to count everyone, and the data is used to take stock of a whole host of societal factors – who comprises our national society, where do they live, what are their ages, their family structures, their backgrounds and so on. The primary impetus is not group survival, but nonetheless the data will shape many decisions about how resources are deployed to meet various kinds of needs. Jewish Federations have long used this kind of data to focus on the more specific picture of our Jewish community - who and where we are, and what we might understand about individual and collective needs.

The earliest data from the census is so broad that at this stage we know little of what it can tell us – basically, that we have seen slight growth as a community relative to 10 years ago. Over the months to come, as more data becomes available, Jewish Federation’s Planning Council and staff will work to engage with our partner agencies, analyze the information, and shape our community planning for the years to come.

Shabbat shalom!