Former CJC leaders spearhead the formation of the Canadian Jewish Community Forum

A group of former Canadian Jewish Congress senior leaders from coast to coast, as well as some new young leadership,  have come together to establish the Canadian Jewish Community Forum (CJCF).

Les Scheininger

For 92 years, until its dissolution in 2011, CJC was  recognized as  the Parliament of Canadian Jewry and served as the community’s democratic and grassroots voice, advocate and intervenor with governments, courts and other communities, domestically and internationally. Over the years, it was “the forum” where all issues of concern to Jews in Canada were discussed and debated, and appropriate action was determined while maintaining unity and consensus.

In its statement of purpose, it is emphasized that the CJCF will  provide a forum to educate, discuss and debate issues of interest and concern, both regional and national, that impact Canada, the Canadian Jewish community and the welfare of the people of Israel.

A national steering committee was established in January, as well as a larger advisory body, and meetings have been taking place virtually.

Renee Switzer

The group hopes to engage the former leadership of CJC and new young leaders to honour, learn and draw from the legacy of Congress, a body that worked and fought for social justice in Canada. The CJC understood that making Canada a peaceful, inclusive and just society is good for all of its peoples.

It is the prime objective of the CJCF to take lessons from the past and use them to inform communal policy in the present and future, to promote Jewish values of chesed, diversity, anti-racism and embrace harmony within a Canadian context. In  the spirit of the former CJC it wishes to create a forum for the greater Jewish community to provide input and determine what the current urgent issues are that our own community and society are facing and witnessing here in Canada and globally.

The CJCF is now a federally incorporated all-volunteer organization. 

Bernie Farber

Like CJC, the CJCF believes its strength will be in regional representation. Regional bodies are now being established. More details will follow on the new organization’s rollout.

Members of the steering committee are  Les Scheininger, Toronto (former national president); Bernie Farber, Toronto (former CEO);  Renee Switzer, Vancouver  (former National Executive Chair); Dr. Michael Elterman, Vancouver (former Pacific Region Chair);Dorothy Zalcman Howard (former National Executive Chair); Frank Schlesinger, Montreal (former National Legal Counsel);  Mike Cohen, Montreal  (former National Director of Communications); Israel Ludwig, Winnipeg (former Manitoba Chair);  Len Dolgoy, Edmonton (former Alberta Chair); Hal Joffe, Calgary (former National Community Relations Chair);  Jon Goldberg, Halifax (former Atlantic Jewish Council Executive Director); Ivan Levine, Fredericton (former Atlantic Jewish Council President); and  young leaders  Henry Paikin and Jimmy Gutman of Ottawa, both of whom were very active in campus life. A Saskatchewan rep will be named soon.

Dorothy Zalcman Howard

A website (cjcf.ca/fcjc.ca)  is in development. For now you can go to https://cjc1919.blogspot.com  for more details and email thecjcf@gmail.com.