Hillels are reaching out
We want to thank JNF Canada CEO Josh Cooper for his thoughtful article about life on campus for Jewish students (“Being Jewish on campus a big challenge,” Sept. 24). Cooper says he hopes that Jewish organizations across Canada will increase their outreach to students and help guide them through some of these challenges. As Hillel directors, we want to let concerned parents know that we are doing just that.
Every day, we have the privilege of working with bright, passionate and motivated Jewish students, and we are working hard, along with our partners at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the federations to support them as they navigate some challenging waters.
Just last week, Queen’s University hosted a Size Doesn’t Matter Tel Aviv beach party that gave 700 students on campus an opportunity to learn about Israel in a non-confrontational way. At Western University, frosh week activities drew significant crowds to Hillel events, and we are privileged to launch the Israel Engaged Campus Project. There is much work to do, but Hillel professionals across the country are here to support Jewish students on campus.
Naomi Mazer, Executive Director, Western Hillel
London, Ont.
Rob Nagus, Director, Queen’s Hillel
Kingston, Ont.
JNF needs attitude change
Israel, together with world Jewry, finds itself in a very difficult situation. Pernicious anti-Semitism is certainly nothing new. But the level of anti-Israel sentiment on the part of Jews is. This phenomenon exists both in the Diaspora and in Israel itself.
You have certainly addressed it well in the Sept. 24 edition. And that is why I find the flippant and arrogant attitude projected by the Jewish National Fund so troubling (“Protesters disrupt speaker at JNF event”).
There are far too many Jews who share this sentiment to be dismissive of them. I don’t advocate giving them a forum or allowing them to disrupt an event, but I certainly don’t believe that the JNF will help Israel by adopting an arrogance better suited to the last century.
Haimy Shemtov
Toronto
A Nobel for Harper
I wish to raise my voice to support Frank Dimant’s nomination of Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the Nobel Peace Prize (“Dimant’s nomination of Harper for Nobel draws backlash,” Sept 11).
Never in recorded history has a head of government supported our beleaguered people as Harper has. Jewish history has been at best a saga of official discrimination and at worst fatal policies against the Jews. Anti-Semitism appears to have no end. Reading the international press today, we see a resurgence of it in Europe and elsewhere.
When the world appears to be turning against the Jews once again, it is hardly the time for some Jews to criticize Dimant’s well-chosen nomination of Harper for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In Harper there appears a leader of an admired democratic nation who is outspokenly supportive of the Jewish People, for which we should be doubly grateful in the face of a hostile United Nations.
Lita-Rose Betcherman
Toronto
Defining Judaism
I appreciated much of the article “In defence of cultural Judaism” by Rabbi Denise Handlarski, which is very positive in expressing the essence of Humanistic Judaism (Sept. 4).
However, I’m surprised and somewhat disturbed by referring to Humanistic Judaism as cultural Judaism. It is displeasing to have it compartmentalized in this way. It is, to my way of thinking, another stream of Judaism.
For my husband and me, being Jewish is intrinsic to our way of life. Languages, history, religion and the richness of our literature all comprise our Jewish heritage. Using Yiddish, Hebrew, singing songs and even reciting certain prayers as part of the tradition give us pleasure. Intrinsic motivation causes us to celebrate the High Holidays and Passover. Lighting Shabbat candles feels spiritual and connects us with Jews all over the world and throughout the ages.
The term “cultural Jew” should either be eliminated altogether or perhaps attributed to individuals for whom Judaism does not play an integral role.
Jocelyn Cooper
Thornhill, Ont.