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As we move out of the warmth of summer to the cooling breezes of the fall, we will no doubt be seeing a lot more of each other as we gather to blow the shofar, fast, pray and dance with our torahs. I also hope we will cross paths at our Federation Annual Campaign Opening Event where we will hear from interesting speakers who will lift us up as we enter into the holy work of the Annual Campaign for our community.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting one of our places of gathering, the new Beth Israel building, with Rabbi Jonathan Infeld. The completion of Beth Israel is a prime example of what can be accomplished when we come together as a community.

Anti-Semitic Incidents in Our Community

This summer provided two important examples of the success we can achieve through cooperation. The first involves sporadic anti-Semitic incidents in our community, including many of our agencies receiving numerous anti-Semitic phone calls and emails. We have been working with CIJA to address these issues with local law enforcement. The second example involves two separate incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti. The actions of individual Federation board members and their personal contacts resulted in the quick removal of this offensive graffiti.

Please keep Jewish Federation and the CIJA regional office informed on any further situations. Together we can take action.

Shabbat Project

Yesterday I spent time with volunteers from the Shabbat Project. This program started in South Africa to introduce people to the power of unplugging and experiencing Shabbat. This year across the Lower Mainland and around the world, people are pledging to observe a single Shabbat on October 24th, and I will be one of them. Shabbat is when I recharge my spiritual batteries, and it is important to me to support others in discovering that keeping Shabbat (however defined) is a deeply uplifting experience.

Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq

I want to thank Rabbi Robert Daum, one of our community leaders in the area of interfaith dialogue, for sharing with us an important new grassroots initiative to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. A diverse group of concerned individuals met to discuss and formulate a relatively quick response to news reports about worsening recent events in Iraq. An open letter to the Canadian government has been crafted and a website has been created. The group’s goal is to obtain over 500 individual signatures on the letter and draw media attention to their efforts. You can learn more about these efforts and view a copy of the letter by visiting regularcanadians.org. This is an opportunity for our community to show solidarity with other communities that are suffering, and for joining with them in calling on the Canadian government to act.

Update on Israel

While we stand with those under threat from fundamentalism in Iraq, we are not forgetting that our own people continue to live under rocket fire in the state of Israel. Thanks to the continued generosity of individuals in our community, we have been able to maintain care for the most vulnerable. The work is not done yet and we ask you to dig deep and help by making gifts to the Israel Relief Fund. Together we create the social iron dome.

Parshat Re'eh

This week’s Shabbat message was written by NYL Cabinet member Jack Maizel (2011) from San Diego.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver