CJPAC’S Fellowship Conference: the future looks bright

The Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC) and its fellowship program are renowned in pro-Israel and political circles. While participation in the fellowship program is sought after by young, politically minded adults, it is hard to truly grasp the effect and impact of the program until you get the opportunity to be a part of it all.

I recently had that chance. While I had high expectations, I can safely say it was an even better experience than anything I could have hoped for. 

I originally heard about the CJPAC fellowship from my older sister who participated in the program for two years, but as a highly involved member of my campus and city who was raised with a Jewish education, I wasn’t sure what the program could teach me. I had sat through many political sessions and leadership conferences and assumed the CJPAC fellowship program would be much the same. It took me about five minutes on the first day to realize how wrong I was. A quick search on Twitter or Instagram for the hashtag “#Fellows14” will show you the same.

After dropping my things in my hotel room, I wandered down to the lobby to see if any other 2014 fellows had arrived. I immediately found a group of fellows sitting on couches – I knew they were fellows because I overheard them discussing the merits of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements. After sitting down, I quickly found out these fellows were from across Canada and only one was Jewish. 

From there the weekend took off, and so too did the discussion and learning. CJPAC and the fellowship are multi-partisan and there were fellows who identified with several different parties, yet where some would usually clash over ideologies, we focused instead on mutual principles , such as our support for Israel, and grew close as a result. 

We heard from well known political figures such as Conservative Minister Chris Alexander, Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and NDP MP Glenn Thibeault. However, we also heard from those who don’t usually speak at political conferences – staffers, city council members, public strategy advisers and others. We gained insight into, and learned more about, the Canadian political realm, as well as effective communication strategies. It was only two days after the conference ended that I implemented some of the media skills taught by Jordan Kerbel, the deputy director of communications and advocacy training at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

It was the reputation of the program, and CJPAC itself, along with the intelligence and calibre of the fellows in attendance that allowed these politicians and speakers to truly be open with those in attendance and fully illustrate their personal views of Canada. This is where the CJPAC fellowship differs from other programs.

Looking back on my time at the CJPAC fellowship conference, I realize that, true to its reputation, this program did not end as we left the hotel, it began. As we sat down in our first session we were told that, while a cliché, CJPAC truly is a family. After five days together, armed with kinship and new found knowledge, we begin a yearlong journey of conference calls, workshops, and putting into practice some of what we have already learned. As I write this, I, along with the other fellows from Carleton University, have already begun to plan a political engagement event on our campus.

CJPAC’s fellowship program is a unique and rewarding experience, one that has been benefiting Canadian and Israeli politics for almost a decade now. I feel honoured to be a part of this family and representing CJPAC in the eyes of Canadians everywhere. I look forward to one day seeing the great things that these fellows, my friends, will accomplish. More importantly though, I look forward to travelling across Canada – from Halifax to Vancouver – and having a friend to have a drink with and discuss politics, our lives and the future. With the CJPAC Fellowship aiding us, the future looks bright.

Randy Forx is a first-year CJPAC fellow and a fourth-year bachelor of arts student at Carleton University.