Jan 07, 1999 - CJC CHALLENGES CLAIM TO MENORAH AS CHRISTIAN TRADEMARK
MONTREAL, JANUARY 7, 1999-- Canadian Jewish Congress has launched a trademark challenge against an attempt by the Chosen People Ministries, a Christian missionary group to use a stylized menorah which would appear on promotional items intended "to reach both Jewish and non-Jewish peoples with the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah."
Toronto lawyers Victor Krichker and Adrian Kaplan, who specialize in intellectual property matters, are acting for CJC in this matter. "We give full credit to Messrs. Krichker and Kaplan for spotting this application in an industry journal in November and tipping us off about it," said CJC National Community Relations Committee chair Mark Weintraub. "This application to the Canadian Intellectual Properties Office is scandalous, immoral and deceptive by a group bent specifically on converting Jews to Christianity."
CJC national president Moshe Ronen emphasized: "We will vigorously counter attempts by Christian proselytizing organizations to appropriate major Jewish symbols as a way of facilitating their conversionary efforts."
Added Mr. Weintraub: "What makes these efforts particularly insidious is that they target the vulnerable and new immigrants not well grounded in their faith."
The menorah is a seven-pronged candelabra that has long been associated with the Jewish faith, identifiable as the symbol of Israel and a Jewish symbol of ancient lineage going back to the tabernacle in the desert.
Only two weeks ago CJC expressed its deep concern about an insensitive full page Chosen People Ministries advertisement published in The Globe and Mail. CJC wrote a letter to publisher Roger Parkinson questioning his paper’s decision to allow such an ad to run. "With the exception of The Globe and Mail, most other newspapers in the country have adopted policies that reject advertisements targetting an identifiable group for religious conversion," said Mr. Ronen.
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Contact: Jack Silverstone
Executive Vice-President
Canadian Jewish Congress
(514) 931-7531
or Manuel Prutschi
National Director and General Counsel Community Relations
Canadian Jewish Congress
(416) 635-2883, Ext. 673
