Jewish Independent: Jews active for Darfur

May 5, 2006

PAT JOHNSON

Several dozen people, including many from the Jewish community, participated in a rally for action to save the people of Darfur Sunday.

The event, which took place at the Vancouver Art Gallery, was intended to raise awareness of the precarious state of the people of Darfur, a region in western Sudan where Sudanese-backed janjaweed militias are murdering, raping and threatening genocide. The event took place in conjunction with numerous such rallies around North America.

Mark Weintraub, chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Reigon, and chair of the national Darfur committee of Congress, said Darfur is the worst humanitarian disaster confronting the world."

For a period of time, we were cautiously optimistic that perhaps the worst excesses would cease. But any basis for optimism has now been crushed," said Weintraub. "The deaths appear to have doubled in the last year and the Sudanese regime seems intent on carrying the conflict over to Chad and neighboring regimes.

"We are here today because we have all failed to do that which is necessary to give meaning to the post-Holocaust anti-genocidal cry for 'Never again,' " he said. "But at least we are here."

Rabbi Shmuel Birnham of West Vancouver's Har-El Synagogue spoke of the Jewish obligation to build a better world. Vancouver city councillor Tim Stevenson and Vancouver-Centre Liberal MP Hedy Fry also addressed the small crowd.

Pat Johnson is editor of MVOX Multicultural Digest, www.mvox.ca.

http://www.jewishindependent.ca/archives/May06/archives06May05-04.html

Canadian Jewish Congess: Letters in response to CJC's work on the Darfur Crisis

Below is a series of emails received by Bernie M. Farber, CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, and Mark Weintraub, Chair of CJC’s National Darfur Committee, regarding CJC’s work to help the people of Darfur, Sudan.

Subject: Darfur: Thanks

Bernie:

I would like to thank CJC for taking such a strong stand on Darfur. If I can be of assistance please let me know.

Harvey Goldberg
Team Leader, Proactive Initiatives
Canadian Human Rights Commission

Ottawa

Subject: 12-year old's view of your speech last night at the JCC

Dear Mr. Farber,

Following the memorial ceremony (at the Ottawa Jewish Community Centre), my daughter told me that you are her “new hero”. I wanted you to know how deeply your words and the quality of your personal presence touched her.

For my part, I am determined that the next time I hear you speak, I will not hang my head in shame because I have personally done nothing to speak out against the atrocities in Darfur.

Shalom ve yasher koach,

Barbara
Ottawa

Subject: Darfur

Just a short note to congratulate the community for its leadership on this issue, which has been outstanding. The clear national stance that is being taken is simply tremendous.

Best wishes,

Bob

Hon. Bob Rae

Former Premier of Ontario and Federal Liberal Leadership Candidate

Subject: RE:DARFUR

I recently read an article in the Globe & Mail about the CJC’s lobbying Ottawa and the Prime Minister in support of Dafur and the situation in Sudan.

I would like to say as a black woman residing in the City of Toronto, that I am grateful to see your organization supporting the people of Sudan. I have always felt a strong connection to the Jewish community and I have a great deal of respect for the great work done by the CJC over the years.

I have written letters to the US government and other organizations in support of Darfur but, as I watched the situation worsened I wondered when Canada would do something. I think the CJC is an exemplary organization and I appreciate all of your good work.

Thanks,

CarolAnn

Toronto

Subject: Darfur

Mark,

I meant to send this much earlier today but events overtook me. Great front page in the Globe and perfect messaging. The community is positioned as concerned and committed without being adversarial.

Again, great job in the Globe piece. The Congress is making real progress and is showing real leadership.

Cheers, Brad

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=issues&item=132

Globe and Mail: Jewish groups rally for Darfur

By: Richard Blackwell and Jane Taber

TORONTO and OTTAWA -- For Mark Weintraub, it's no surprise that Jewish groups have been in the forefront of efforts to get international action to stop the killing in the Sudanese province of Darfur.

While Jews have always been disproportionately involved in social movements because of their concerns for justice, that's not the whole story, said Mr. Weintraub, chair of the National Darfur Committee at the Canadian Jewish Congress.

"There's no question that in this particular case -- after the shame of Rwanda -- that the possibility the world would sit silent for another possible genocide sent shock waves through some of us in the community," he said.

That was felt particularly strongly among Holocaust survivors, who "knew full well that the silence of the world condemned their relatives and friends to death."

The lobbying efforts of the Canadian Jewish Congress, along with the work of a number of politicians, culminated in last night's "take note" debate on Darfur.

Their efforts can be seen around the Hill, where MPs and senators are wearing green ribbons -- a symbol of the tragedy in Darfur.

The CJC initially ordered 1,500 ribbons, targeting MPs and senators and members of the British Columbia and Ontario Legislatures. It came up with the idea over Passover and had all of three days to make it happen -- designing and ordering the ribbons and calling officials from the four parties, asking them to give them out to their caucus members.

Yesterday, CJC chief executive officer Bernie Farber said he has placed an order for another 4,000.

"We're just being inundated with calls from people who want to wear green ribbons," Mr. Farber said.

"Canada in many respects is leading the way and the Canadian public has taken it to heart."

The CJC has been concerned about Sudan for years, Mr. Weintraub said. The focus on Darfur emanated from the Vancouver arm of the organization, after the community of Darfur nationals there approached the CJC a couple of years ago and asked that it use its advocacy skills on their behalf.

Around the same time a B.C. senator, Mobina Jaffer, was named as the Liberal government's special envoy to Darfur.

The CJC met with B.C. ministers in the federal government, and persuaded them to take the issue to the cabinet table in Ottawa.

While there appeared to be some progress last year as the carnage subsided, it soon became apparent that those advances were temporary. That prompted the CJC to beef up its efforts, encouraging rabbis to discuss Darfur during Passover, and boosting its lobbying in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, Jewish organizations in the United States set April 30 as the date for a major Darfur rally in Washington, providing a focal point for lobby groups, politicians, individuals, and now -- movie actors -- to get their message to others.

Having actor George Clooney and other Hollywood celebrities discover Darfur has been a huge benefit, Mr. Weintraub said.

"The people of Darfur have suffered from a lack of media attention and celebrities can create that media interest," he said. "We have been trying to penetrate the front pages of newspapers for a long time. Sometimes we were successful, [but] for the most part we were not.

"We wish there were a hundred other George Clooneys," he added.

At the same, a number of politicians have been championing the cause.

When the House of Commons returned after the election, the new government asked opposition parties for their debate priorities. Former finance minister Ralph Goodale, in his new role as Opposition House Leader, suggested a debate on Darfur.

"We were anxious to have a discussion about Darfur," he said. "... we were asked if we had suggestions for special subjects to be considered in special debates and we indicated that Darfur would be one of our priorities."

The debate was originally planned for last Tuesday -- Holocaust Remembrance Day -- but scheduling realities shifted it to last night.

At the same time, Liberal MP Keith Martin has put together a motion calling for Canada to present a resolution to the United Nations Security Council, calling for the UN to assemble and deploy a "peace-making force with a Chapter 7 mandate as soon as possible." (The Chapter 7 mandate allows soldiers to use force to protect civilians.)

Dr. Martin was able to submit his motion with the help of Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott and NDP MP Alexa McDonough. He said the Bloc Québécois was concerned with his motion because it used the word "genocide."

The government has put together its own motion calling for action on the Darfur situation. Dr. Martin, who has seen the government's motion, says it is a "hybrid" of the motion he has on the House of Commons order paper. It does not talk about genocide, but refers to "crimes against humanity," he said.

The government will not introduce its motion until the situation with the peace process becomes clearer over the next 48 hours, Dr. Martin said.

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=itn&Story=1752

Jewish Federation: The Ethics of Modern Jewish Life

By Bernice Miller
May 2006

Philosophers' Cafés at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver were held three times this past winter. Each café drew a large and enthusiastic audience of 50 to 80 participants. Dr. Laura Duhan Kaplan, Congregation Or Shalom's Rabbi, moderated all three sessions, which focused on essential ethical issues faced by the Jewish community.

On January 21, the topic of discussion was the rights and obligations we have as Jews and world citizens. How should we express our own values, claim our own rights and, at the same time, respect the needs and rights of others?

On February 11, Shelley Rivkin and Iris Toledano of the Yad B'Yad Council on Poverty joined Rabbi Kaplan to explore the question of poverty. Few believed that we would ever be rid of poverty, but there was a strong interest in finding ways to try to deal with it. Shelley and Iris not only presented statistics on poverty in our community, but raised our awareness and sensitivity to the realities of the poverty experience in our community. Though the 'Tickets to Inclusion' program is successful and gaining support from Jewish organizations, there are still problems that need to be addressed when scholarships are offered. From costumes for dance classes to expensive books that are required for some courses, instructors and community members need to be cognizant of potential problem areas, sensitive to inequalities and more aware of how to handle these inequalities.

On March 11, Rabbi Kaplan was joined by guest speaker, Mark Weintraub, chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. The topic of discussion was whether we, as Jews, are obligated to prevent world genocide. The Talmud says that 'Whoever saves even one life, it is as if he or she has saved an entire world'. It was clear that the audience was against mass murder, committed by any state, with the empathy of a people who will always feel the pain of the Holocaust in their blood.

The Philosophers' Cafés were presented by the JCCGV and Simon Fraser University's Interdisciplinary Programs in Continuing Studies, with generous support from Yosef Wosk and B'nai B'rith.

http://www.jfgv.com/content_display.html?ArticleID=183411

Jewish Federation: On Yom HaShoah

May 2006

On Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Canadian members of Parliament were asked to remember Darfur by wearing green ribbons on their lapels. A number of editorials were devoted to the subject and the week concluded with demonstrations held all over North America, reminding the world of the meaning of “Never Again”.

In the words of local lawyer Mark Weintraub, chair of the National Darfur Committee of Canadian Jewish Congress, “On the day we remember the horrific suffering and losses associated with the Holocaust, we must not forget those who are suffering in the tragedy unfolding in Darfur. The lessons and the legacy of the Shoah require no less from all of us.”

Canadian Jewish Congress has launched a section on its website dedicated to information on their work to help the people of Darfur, Sudan. The section includes news articles, comments in Parliament, and other useful information. To read more, click here.

To donate online to support humanitarian efforts in the Sudan visit the donations page at jfgv.com.

http://www.jfgv.com/content_display.html?ArticleID=183412

Speech at Darfur Rally

"Good Afternoon. I am Mark Weintraub, Chair of the National Darfur Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Friends.

We all know we should not be here today.

We all know that the tragedy of Darfur was condemned several years ago as a genocide in the making.
We all know that various United Nations bodies and committees and officials who are confronted with seemingly limitless tragedies, nonetheless declared Darfur as the worst humanitarian disaster confronting the world; the worst massive human rights.

So why are we here today; at least a year after a world concensus that the carnage in Darfur had to stop.

Why are we here today many months after former Prime Minsiter Martin declared protection of people in Darfur as a national priority.

Why are we here today after the previous government, with the active support of all our political parties pledged and actually delivered over 200 million in aid to the African Union to help with the peace?
We are here today because that 200 million, even though it was the largest single contribution of any nation, has been insufficient in stopping the murders, starvation rapes and homelessness. For a period of time we were cautiously optimistic that perhaps the the worst excesses would cease but any basis for optimism has now been crushed. The deaths appear to have doubled in the last year and the Sudanese regime seems intent on carrying the conflict over to Chad and over neighbouring regimes.

So why are we here? Why were the efforts of so many last year seemingly for naught?
The answer is clear. The money wasn’t enough, the will of the United Nations was not enough; the West has not demanded enough; the Chinese government, refuses to rein in a government from whom it buys huge amounts of oil, and the Russian government imposes no restraint on a regime which it supports militarily.

And the vast millions of people who are energized to take to the streets for any number of other causes and and issues have remained silent.
We are here today because we have all failed to do that which was necessary to give meaning to the post-Holocaust anti-genocidal cry for Never Again.
But at least we are here.

We are here in Vancouver, and in Toronto and in Washington D.C. and you will see media coverage especially of the Washington D.C. rally, because finally the American people have been aroused to take to the streets. If only the people in Russian and in China and in Europe could also be so provoked to take two hours of their day to call for a moratorium on the killing and the raping, we could stop this in a moment.

But at least we are rallying today, and the fact is that I ask the question why we are here today, because there were many advocates in Canada beginning several years ago which resulted in Canada taking a lead role in Darfur. And there continue to be many advocates. And even though it is depressing to have to be here after so much time has lapsed, you are here today; and that it is critical. Because while we have been too late for the 400,000 who have already perished, we are not to late for the next 400,000. And your presence and your voices can be heard in Ottawa. And just this last month, as we have all stepped up our advocacy, the voice is beginning to sound like a lion’s roar.

The Jewish community living in the shadow of our own genocide determined several years ago that we had to advocate long and hard for an end to the ethnic cleaning; the humans rights violations and indeed let us call it for what it is; the genocide in Darfur.

At the Victoria Legislature just this last Tuesday, we commemorated the Holocaust but we insisted that the Legislators wear green ribbons to bring awareness to Darfur. And indeed during the ceremonies and in the Legislature sitting Darfur was on the lips of all speakers. That in turn received coverage in our media. Let me read from one of the interviews.

And the green ribbon campaign which Canadian Jewish Congress took to the Ontario legislature and Parliament also precipitated an editorial in the Toronto Star this week demanding our government do more; and then an editorial in the Globe followed; and then there were statements in the various legislatures and Parliament not only about the horrors of the Holocaust; and the strength and resilience of the survivors but of the necessity to demand an end to the mass killings in Darfur. And so there will be a discussion in the House this week.

And so as well there is a buildup political activity through the efforts of so many such that I was pleased this morning to read the following in the Province.

Yes we should not be here today; our advocacy should have succeeded a year ago, but it did not not and so we are here again; and this time there is a greater anxiety in the world as the numbers increase and this time perhaps this time all of the efforts will succeed. And your presence here today are part of those efforts; and for that we thank you for taking time to be here; and we thank you for the petition you will sign and the letters you will write; we thank you for raising the issue in your mosques and your churches and your synagogues and we thank you for phoning your Members of parliament to demand that Canada continue to play a lead role and that this government clarify precisely what it intends to do with its Sudanese policy.

We must combine a knowledge of what we have done; what we can do with the fact that other nations must play their part as well; we have been too silent in demanding that Russia and China reign in their client state; The Russian people and the Chinese people know well horrific suffering; they have ancient moral teachings and we have no reason to believe that their leadership wants to see unecessary suffering; the oil can still flow to China without the devastation of milllions of people. The arms can still be sold but need not be used on millions of innocents.

I want to thank the organizers of today's rally and specifically our good friend Clement Aapak who has worked with Canadian Jewish congress staff on various projects over this year. Clement came with us to Victoria to mark Holocaust Remembrance day and has distinguished himself as a steady and constant and often frustrated voice to raise awareness for the people of Darfur. His colleagues and friends in his organization who have helped with this day are very dear to us and on behalf of all of us thank you.

Let me conclude in recognizing two other British Columbians who are not not here but who have worked tirelessly for the people of Darfur. Nouri Abdalla of the Darfur Association has been in Abuja for the peace talks. If he were here today he would be speaking but he sends his regards and is hopeful for a breakthrough in the peace talks and urges us all to keep advocating.

Senator Mobina Jaffer was the former Special Envoy to Sudan. She travelled on numerous occasions to Sudan and to the peace talks and was a highly respected voice in Africa for her work in bringing more women into the peace process and raising the Canadian profile as a moral force in the region.

We owe her a great debt gratitude for what she has done on our behalf for several years.

Thank you friends."

Rally for Darfur Invitation

Invitation to Darfur Rally in Vancouver, April 30, 2006 from 12 pm-5 pm

We invite you to the first Darfur Rally in Vancouver planned for April 30th from 12 pm-5pm at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Our organization, Canadian Students for Darfur (CSFDarfur) is founded and operated by students whose mission is to increase public awareness throughout Canada about the ongoing crisis in Darfur, fundraise to assist aid agencies working in Darfur and urge the Canadian government to become further involved in resolving the crisis.

Since the conflict began in 2003, over 400,000 people have died and over 2.5 million people driven from their homes, largely as a result of the government-backed Janjaweed militia. Countless civilians now face death from starvation and disease because the government of Sudan and militias prevent humanitarian aid from reaching them.

Regards.

Clement Apaak

Clement Abas Apaak (BA, M.Phil, PhD Candidate, Archaeology)

President, Simon Fraser Student Society

Local 23, Canadian Federation of Students

Producer and Host, African Connection 2-4pm on Sat., CJSF 90.1FM

Founder and Chair, Canadian Students for Darfur(CSFDarfur)

E-mail: caapaak@sfu.calpres@sfss.ca

Office Phone: 604-268-6564

http://www.csfdarfur.net/home/index.php

Cariboo Press: Survivors attend Holocaust ceremonies at the B.C. legislature, where six candles represent those killed

By: Tom Fletcher

VICTORIA - Some were frail but all were firm in their commitment to remember, as more than 90 survivors of the World War II death camps and purges in Europe gathered at the B.C. legislature for a memorial service Tuesday.

Attorney General Wally Oppal said B.C. was the second province to honour Holocaust Memorial Day with annual ceremonies the past five years.

"It's a day to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children killed by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945," Oppal said. "Holocaust Memorial Day is also a day to remember that over five million people died during the same time because of their physical or mental disabilities, race religion or sexual orientation."

Premier Gordon Campbell presented a framed certificate to Mark Weintraub, chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress Pacific Region, and six survivors lit candles, one for each million people who died.

"As we watch so many precious people be ravaged by hatred and greed today, the lessons of the Holocaust, the Shoah, are still profoundly relevant," Weintraub said.

Rita Akselrod, president of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, recalled how as a child she fled Romania after Russian occupation and ended up in a camp in Austria, "stateless and without identity."

There she met her future husband Ben, who spoke a different language, and they eventually made their way to B.C. to raise their family.

"As a survivor I can tell you that one of our greatest concerns is that the Holocaust may be forgotten," she said.

Also appeared in the Victoria News, Parksville Qualicam News, Esquimalt News, Peninsula News Review, Sannich News, Oak Bay News, Goldstream News, Kamloops this week, Surrey Leader, Williams Lake Tribune, Peach Arch News and Chilliwack Progress.

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=itn&Story=1751

Toronto Star: Star cites CJC on Darfur Editorial

End Darfur carnage

Apr. 27, 2006. 01:00 AM

It is barely a slap on the wrist to the architects of Darfur's agony.

Even so, the United Nations Security Council vote this week to impose sanctions on leading Sudanese figures stirs hope that the council may yet muster the resolve needed to curb the rape, butchery and ethnic cleansing that has killed more than 200,000 since 2003, and driven 2 million from their homes.

The UN was shamed into action by U.S. President George Bush, over the self-serving objection of China, Russia and Qatar. The council voted Tuesday to slap a travel ban on Maj. Gen. Mohamed Elhassan, a key Sudanese official, and to freeze his assets. Also targeted were Sheik Musa Hilal, a janjaweed ally of the regime, and two rebels, Adam Yacub Shant and Gabril Abdul Kareem Badri.

This sends a signal to higher Sudanese and rebel figures that the UN expects power and wealth-sharing peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, to succeed, and soon. Otherwise the UN will consider stronger measures.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government should support this drive for stepped-up UN action, as the Canadian Jewish Congress urged this week atHolocaust Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Sudan recently barred UN staff from visiting Darfur, as scores more villages were razed. And yesterday the UN Children's Fund warnedviolence is rising, as is malnutrition.

If peace talks founder in the coming days, the UN should target Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and serve notice that it will hold himaccountable for genocide.

Meanwhile, Sudan's African neighbours should press al-Bashir to accept a U.S.-backed plan to send 15,000 combat-ready UN troops to Darfur toreplace an ill-equipped African Union force of 7,000.

The UN has threatened for a year to get tough. It is past time to act.

Epoch Times: Holocaust Memorial Calls on World to Renounce Indifference

By Joan Delaney
Epoch Times Victoria Staff

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: An Orthodox Jew looks at photographs of Jewish victims of the Nazis in the Hall of Names exhibit in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem, Israel. (David Silverman/Getty Images)

The horror of the holocaust was brought to life for many who attended a Holocaust Memorial ceremony at the Victoria legislature on Tuesday afternoon. Hosted by the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism Wally Opal, the memorial is an annual event held in provincial legislatures and the Canadian Parliament to commemorate those who perished in Europe between 1933 and 1945.

Premier Gordon Campbell, the first to address the audience of about 140 which included over 90 holocaust survivors, said the Holocaust was such a profound tragedy that it defies explanation even decades later. Calling the Holocaust "a cold, dark stain spilled across the great woven blanket of human history," Campbell said it's our shared responsibility to remember a time "when hate ruled."

During the ceremony, six Holocaust survivors lit six candles in memory of the six million Jews who died, and Campbell presented a special certificate to Mark Weintraub, chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC). CJC was instrumental in having April 25th set aside as Holocaust Memorial Day.

"As we watch so many precious people be ravaged by hatred and greed today, the lessons of the Holocaust, the Shoah , are profoundly relevant," said Weintraub.

Weintraub pointed out that the Holocaust began not in the gas chambers but with words. He said that it's vital to preserve the structures we have built in society to prevent the spread of hate. The so-called "final solution" was able to incubate and grow in a Germany that was "the best educated, the most modern and the most technically competent of all nations" at the time. He said every aspect of German and other societies were complicit, including the legal and medical professions, business and academia, the military and the civil service.

"Those of us who didn't directly live through the Holocaust are unable to comprehend the limitless evil of the nazi ideology," says Weintraub. "How was it possible for so many to refuse to see the humanity of their neighbours?"

Rita Axelrod spoke of how as a child in Romania she experienced discrimination and persecution, which led her to conclude that the world was "indifferent and uncaring." She said the love of her family and her strong Jewish faith were all she had in those dark days. She believes it's a miracle she survived, and said her greatest concern as a survivor is that the Holocaust may be forgotten.

"This event offers an important opportunity to ensure remembrance and helps us to reflect on the moral responsibility of individuals as well as communities and governments," said Axelrod.

Rick Kool, President of the Victoria Holocaust Society, read a moving passage from a new Jewish liturgy, which he said was intended to assist in the memorialization of what happened to the Jews of Europe.

"Our parents were not meant to live," said Kool. "We were not meant to exist,"

Millmann's mother was 21 when the Germans bombed Warsaw. Her mother's twin sister was forced by the Nazis to dig her own grave, and her uncle was hacked to death by their neighbours while other family members were forced to watch. Millmann's grandfather died of a broken heart that night, and soon after her two-year-old cousin was buried alive. Her father's family met a similar fate. Her parents survived only because they were taken prisoner by the Russians and sent to the Gulag in Siberia.

Citing the genocides of Rwanda and Darfur, Millmann said the "human monster" is not far beneath the surface of society's civilised veneer. She used to believe a day would come when the Holocaust would no longer need to be remembered, but the reality is that there are now more than 6,000 websites in existence dedicated to hatred, complete with recipes for mass murder.

"The world we live in is ever more frightening," said Millmann. "Public hatred of Jews is acceptable again and it has led to murder…. Fascism is back, and it's spreading."

Millmann spoke about Elie Wiesel's contention that the opposite to love in this world is not hate but indifference, and the only weapon to fight indifference is memory.

"We have so much work to do, and we cannot do it alone. We must all unite, as we must all be witnesses, and struggle beyond our human weaknesses. So let us all renounce indifference."

Vancouver Sun: Genocide is occurring in Sudan, Holocaust survivors' daughter says

Genocide is occurring in Sudan, Holocaust survivors' daughter says: 'There's a genocide going on and the world doesn't admit it'

Page: B5
Section: WestCoast News
Byline: Lindsay Kines
Dateline: VICTORIA
Source: Victoria Times Colonist

VICTORIA - Isa Milman used to wonder why people stood by while the Nazis murdered six million Jews in Europe more than 60 years ago.

Now the Victoria woman, whose parents survived the Holocaust, fears the same indifference that allowed the killing of her relatives then is allowing another slaughter in Darfur, Sudan.

"There's a genocide going on and the world doesn't admit it," said Milman, 56, following her Holocaust Memorial Day speech at the B.C. legislature Tuesday. "They speak about it in other terms and there's nothing stopping it. And it's so similar to what happened to Jews in the Holocaust. It's not enough to remember what happened in the past. I mean, the whole point is to be aware of what's going on today."

As more than 90 Holocaust survivors attended the ceremony, Milman and the Canadian Jewish Congress urged Canadians to honour survivors and victims alike by speaking out against the massacres in Darfur. B.C. politicians who attended the ceremony wore green "Darfur" ribbons given to them by the congress.

"We are calling upon all Canadians to redouble their efforts to attempt to ensure that the post-Holocaust mantra of "never again" is imbued with real meaning," said Mark Weintraub, chairman of the congress's Pacific region.

The Jewish community has spoken out in the past about genocides in places such as Rwanda and Cambodia, he said. "But our voices were not loud enough, and the voices of our other brothers and sisters in Canada and the world, were not loud enough. And this time we made a decision that we were going to have very loud voices."

Two years ago, the congress began lobbying politicians about the unfolding crisis in Darfur. It succeeded in getting Canada to commit $200 million to support the African Union peacekeeping effort in the west of Sudan.

"Canada became a lead country in the Darfur region, but it has been tragically insufficient," Weintraub said.

The Associated Press reported last month that at least 180,000 people have died -- some estimates put the toll much higher -- and millions of people have been displaced since the start of a 2003 revolt by rebels from Darfur's ethnic African population. The Arab-dominated Sudanese government is alleged to have responded to the revolt by unleashing Janjaweed militias, who carried out sweeping atrocities against ethnic villagers, the news agency said.

Weintraub, a Vancouver lawyer, is encouraging people to write letters to newspapers, politicians, the prime minister, to push for an end to the killings.

"This is my message to my fellow citizens: You would be astounded by the impact that one letter can have in communicating what is a profound concern. Have your church groups, your synagogues, your mosques, all of your organizations commit to anti-genocidal work."

Milman, who runs the epilepsy program for the Victoria Epilepsy and Parkinson's Centre, said she, like others, often feels helpless in the face of such horrors.

"But I think, like Elie Wiesel said, our job as human beings is to be witnesses, and to not be indifferent," she said.

"That is what is the problem always. Indifference. It's like, 'Oh, it's not my problem. I don't need to worry about it. Somebody else will take care of it. It's not me. It's not my family. So why should I worry?'

"But we are a family of human beings in this world, and if we don't take care of each other, we know what happens."

Edition: Final
Story Type: News
Length: 574 words

BC News Release: PREMIER MARKS HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

For Immediate Release

Office of the Premier

2006OTP0079-000481

April 25, 2006

VICTORIA – The Province paid tribute today to the more than six million victims of the Holocaust in a ceremony attended by over 90 Holocaust survivors at the provincial legislature to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

“The lingering scar of the Holocaust stands out in human history as a profound and painful reminder that we must all stand united in the goal of stamping out hate and upholding the fundamental rights of every individual,” said Premier Gordon Campbell. “Today is a day to remember and reflect. We are honoured to be joined by those who endured so much and we pledge that their suffering and sacrifice will always be remembered.”

As part of the ceremony, six survivors lit six candles to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children killed by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. Holocaust Memorial Day is also a day to remember the over five million people who died during the same time period because of their physical or mental disabilities, race, religion or sexual orientation.

“It is through commemoration and remembrance that we pass on the lessons from this dark time in history to future generations,” said Mark Weintraub, chair of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. “We must combat racism and dehumanization in our time, so the millions of people who paid the ultimate price of hatred and fear did not make their sacrifice in vain.”

“In British Columbia, we value the diversity and equality that is demonstrated in our multicultural communities,” said Wally Oppal, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism. “Today we reflect on the painful lessons of history and remind ourselves that hate and racism have no place in our society.”

Holocaust Remembrance Day is marked around the world. The Holocaust Memorial Day Act, passed in 2000, declares Yom Ha’Shoah, the Day of the Holocaust as determined each year by the Jewish calendar, as Holocaust Memorial Day throughout British Columbia.

British Columbia was the second province in Canada to enact legislation marking Holocaust Remembrance Day as an official day on the provincial calendar. Ten provinces have now passed this legislation.

-30-

Media contact: Mike Morton
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
250 213 8218

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.

Toronto Star: Holocaust tribute to focus on Darfur

By: Graham Fraser

Holocaust tribute to focus on Darfur

The phrase "never again," long applied to the commemoration of the Holocaust, is taking on new meaning.

Today, thousands of green ribbons will be given to federal and provincial legislators to be worn Tuesday to draw attention to massacres in Darfur.

"The Holocaust was to be the last genocide," Mark Weintraub, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress Darfur committee, told the Toronto Star. "The words 'never again' were meant to codify that the world is determined that there would never be another genocide."

For several years, Canadian parliamentarians have recognized April 25 as a day of commemoration of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust in Europe during World War II.

This year, the Canadian Jewish Congress is using the commemoration to draw attention to what is going on now in Darfur.

For three years, the Sudanese government and mostly Arab Janjaweed militias have been fighting rebels in Darfur, forcing millions of civilians to move.

Weintraub said 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur and untold numbers of women raped. "We have not been successful in caring enough to save the 400,000 - but it is not too late for the next 400,000."

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CJC News Release: On Holocaust Remembrance Day, CJC asks Canadian legislators to wear green ribbons for Darfur

April 21, 2006: On Holocaust Remembrance Day, CJC asks Canadian legislators to wear green ribbons for Darfur

For immediate release

OTTAWA – On Tuesday, April 25, Holocaust Remembrance Day, legislators in the House of Commons, Quebec’s National Assembly, and the legislatures of British Columbia and Ontario will wear green ribbons provided by Canadian Jewish Congress to demonstrate their support for the people of Darfur, Sudan.

“On Yom Hashoah, Canadians are reminded of the world’s hope that never again would genocide confront us,” said CJC National Darfur Committee Chair Mark Weintraub. “On this day, more than any other, we must honour the memory of the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust by not forgetting those who are currently suffering in the overwhelming tragedy unfolding in Darfur,” he noted.

“As Canadians we have a moral obligation both to remember the horrors of the past and recognize and act to undo the tragedies occurring in the world around us today,” said CJC National President Ed Morgan. “The lessons of the Holocaust require no less of us, as individuals and as a nation.”

Since 2003, millions of Darfurians have been forced from their homes and hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been tortured, raped or slaughtered by the Janjaweed militia in Sudan.

“The world community has recognized that action must be taken to stop the human catastrophe in Darfur,” said Weintraub. “The Canadian government has a responsibility to take a leading role in this process.”

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Contact:
Wendy Lampert
National Director of Communications
Canadian Jewish Congress
416-631-5844
wlampert@on.cjc.ca
www.cjc.ca

Canadian Jewish News: CJC objects to Bibles being distributed to students

By: Lauren Kramer
CJC objects to Bibles being distributed to students

VANCOUVER — Canadian Jewish Congress has added its voice to parents’ objections that the Gideon Society’s distribution of Christian Bibles to students in a Vancouver-area public school system is inappropriate.

The Gideon Society, a lay association of Christians, has offered free Bibles to Grade 5 students across Canada since the 1940s, and in the Richmond School District since at least the 1960s.

But last month, a handful of parents objected to Richmond’s school trustees, saying the distribution of the Bibles is inappropriate in a school system populated by children of many religions and denominations.

Typically, 50 students in the district’s 38 elementary schools request a Bible in any given year, while the rest pass on the offer, said Richmond School District superintendent Bruce Beairsto.

In an interview with the Richmond Review, school board chair Linda McPhail said the Bibles are not handed out to students. Parents who want their children to receive one must fill out a form that the board includes in newsletters, and return it to their child’s school.

She added that most e-mails she’s received on the issue support the practice.

Nevertheless, CJC is against it.

“We don’t see that there’s any benefit in not communicating a very firm boundary when it comes to the public school system and the ability of certain denominations to effectively proselytize,” said Mark Weintraub, chair of Canadian Jewish Congress’ Pacific region. “A position which is not firm will encourage the most aggressive religions to promote their particular sacred texts.”

But Beairsto insisted that the Gideon Society’s offer to distribute free Bibles is no big deal.

“I don’t believe anyone here is passionately wedded to the idea of distributing Bibles through the school district, but we just didn’t see any reason to oppose it,” he said. “The practice is long-standing and has not previously been raised as contentious.”

“We have no particular axe to grind or position to defend, but at this time, our best judgment about how to live our inclusive ideals suggests that past practice is acceptable and there’s no compelling reason to change it,” he added. “That is not to say that we will not do so in the future, but to be honest, there are far more urgent challenges vying for our attention.”

Beairsto said that if other religions come forward and wish to offer students their respective holy books, he would welcome it.

One Muslim parent in Richmond, Abdullah Ali, is reportedly doing just that – he is obtaining Qur’ans to distribute to students who request them.

But Weintraub said that unless they’re being used as part of the curriculum, religious texts only belong in a public school’s library.

“We’re totally opposed to an ad hoc process of disseminating information of religious teachings other than in an academic framework,” he says. “It must be part of an overall teaching curriculum, and must not be left to those groups – be they Buddhist, Zoroastrian or anything else – to create an advantage of one faith over another in the public school system.”

“If the library of this school should house the world’s collection of sacred texts, we’d be supportive of that, but it must be undertaken in a spirit of academic and objective pursuit of knowledge, and without any underlying proselytizing motivation.”

Each year, the Gideons distribute more than 63 million Bibles to schools, hotels, hospitals and prisons worldwide, its website says.

Other Vancouver-area boards do not allow the Gideons to distribute Bibles to students.

Beairsto said the Richmond school board does not promote any particular faith.

“We try to be accepting of everyone. For example, we provide rooms for Muslim students to pray, we sing songs from all traditions in December, and so on,” he said.

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Jewish Independent: NPA offers mea culpa

April 14, 2006

NPA offers mea culpa

Kerfuffle after AGM conflicts with seder.
PAT JOHNSON

Representatives of Vancouver's civic governing party, the Non-Partisan Association (NPA), were in damage control mode last week after scheduling their annual general meeting to conflict with the first seder of Passover.

The scheduling of the party's internal elections means few, if any, of the NPA's Jewish members will be at the April 12 meeting, where new officers will be elected.

Matthew Taylor, president of the board of the NPA, apologized for the oversight."We wanted to convey our sincere apologies," he said in an interview with the Independent. "The fact of the matter is it's a simple oversight. We didn't realize it was going to be the first day of, obviously, a very significant Jewish holiday. There was no intention to single anybody out. It was simply a question of not having checked the calendar properly for religious holidays."

He attempted to reassure Jewish supporters and voters.

"There is no intention whatsoever to send any message to the Jewish community," he asserted, "other than we consider ourselves honored to have members of the Jewish community who are members of the NPA and certainly do have no intention to send any negative message whatsoever."

His apology was echoed by Colin Metcalfe, a member of the NPA's board who was the manager of Sam Sullivan's successful mayoral campaign last November.

"On behalf of the board of the NPA," Metcalfe said, "I want to apologize to the Jewish community for being a part of the decision – mea culpa. We screwed up."

Metcalfe insisted the timing was an oversight and did not represent anything sinister, such as an attempt to keep some of the mayor's supporters away from the meeting.

"I'm on the board of the NPA and the discussion that took place around the dates were simply based on availability. I am convinced that, while we should have looked at this a little more closely, it was done because of the date that the facility was available," said Metcalfe.

"We wouldn't have an AGM with the NPA on Christmas Eve," he added, by comparison. "It just wouldn't be done."

Last year, the NPA held a fund-raiser on Kol Nidre.

When the coincidence of the meeting with Passover was pointed out to party brass, Metcalfe said, "We were, like 'Oh, we've made a mistake here.' "

Marty Zlotnick, a longtime NPA activist who was elected to the parks board last November, dismissed the Independent's inquiries, saying he would not be at the meeting because he will be out of town.

"I really don't have a comment on the matter. It's just unfortunate that the night was set that way," he said. "I don't have a comment."

Bernie Simpson, a political activist and former MLA who has been a prominent supporter of Sullivan, contended that the incident is a sign that Sullivan needs to get a stronger hold on his party.

"I have no doubt that if Sam Sullivan and his immediate supporters were in control of the executive of NPA, the fund-raiser that was held on Yom Kippur and the annual general meeting that is being held on the first seder would not be taking place," said Simpson. "I think what this reflects is that he has not got the type of influence that he should have or would like to have of the NPA board."

Simpson said the mayor expressed to him his disappointment over the timing.

"I have discussed this with him and his campaign manager and they are in complete agreement that it's totally inappropriate to have these events on the most religious of the Jewish holidays," said Simpson.

Mark Weintraub, who is chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region, asked political leaders and party organizers to be mindful that the scheduling of certain events could preclude participation by a religious community.

"There really needs to be resolve amongst all of us, including individual members of political parties to ensure that there will be maximum inclusiveness in our political processes," Weintraub said. "This has occurred on Passover, a festival that has been heralded as an inspiration for political freedom and political democracy, so it certainly underscores the point in an ironic manner that we all have to redouble our efforts to ensure inclusiveness in our very diverse city."

Howard Jampolsky, who served 17 years on the board of the NPA, said the mix-up is something that didn't happen when he was on the board.

"When I was on the board, it was always one of the things that I would do – when we were setting a date for some kind of an event – to make sure that it didn't fall on a Jewish holiday and consequently for 17 years they didn't have an event on a Jewish holiday," Jampolsky said. "But I'm not on the board anymore and so the watchdog for that particular issue is gone. But I think that they will be more careful in the future about these things. I think they'll use the multifaith calendar I promised to get them."

While Jampolsky acknowledged that interest in this year's general meeting is significant, with an aggressive race for the board, it is not usually thus.

"It's an annual general meeting," said Jampolsky. "From my experience in the NPA, which is vast, the annual general meetings are lucky to even have a quorum."

Pat Johnson is editor of MVOX Multicultural Digest, www.mvox.ca.

http://www.jewishindependent.ca/archives/April06/archives06Apr14-01.html

Globe and Mail: Don't forget Darfur

April 13 2006
Letter to the editor

Don't forget Darfur

MARK WEINTRAUB
Chair, National Darfur Commitee, Canadian Jewish Congress

Toronto -- Both John Ibbitson's column (We Have A Duty To Debate Darfur -- April 7) and Norman Epstein's letter (Military Debate -- April 10) point out that the genocide taking place in Darfur has slipped under the Canadian radar. For the past two years, different advocacy organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, have worked to keep this issue in the public eye.

The CJC's National Darfur Committee is asking parliamentarians in a number of legislatures to increase awareness of the plight suffered by the people of Sudan's Darfur region. We will be providing these parliamentarians with a green ribbon to wear in their legislatures on April 25, Holocaust Remembrance Day in Canada.

On the day we remember the horrific suffering and losses associated with the Holocaust, we must not forget those who are suffering in the tragedy unfolding in Darfur. The lessons and the legacy of the Shoah require no less from all of us.

Jewish Independent: A change of scenery

Advocacy groups move down to highrise haven.
VERONIKA STEWART

The recent move of two prominent Jewish advocacy groups in the Lower Mainland to the downtown core will bring aid to the community's burgeoning downtown population, according to Mira Oreck, regional director of Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC).

The offices of the CJC and the local Canada-Israel Committee (CIC) now have a combined workspace at the corner of Alberni and Thurlow streets downtown.

After having their office at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC) for at least 15 years, Oreck said the move is a reaction to where people now work and live in the community.

"I think [the move is] a great thing for the Vancouver Jewish community that has a growing population of Jews living downtown. And it provides a new centre for downtown meetings," Oreck said.

She said the office will be open for use by organizations not based in the area of 41st and Oak.

"I think our office will be used by the Downtown Jewish Community Association, by the Jewish war veterans ... and other Jewish organizations that need to hold meetings downtown are certainly welcome to use our space," Oreck said. "It's sort of a new landmark of Jewish advocacy in Vancouver."

Mark Weintraub, chair of CJC Pacific Region, agreed.

"I see the effect to be a very positive one for the future of the Jewish community," Weintraub said. "The move to downtown Vancouver really positions ourselves in the heart of what is one of the most creative and dynamic urban centres in North America."

He also said because CJC is mostly involved in advocating for Jewish rights in the non-Jewish community, the downtown office will be better able to facilitate CJC's meetings with organizations outside the community.

Previously housed in the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, CIC director Michael Elterman said, as a new organization, the CIC didn't really have a home until moving downtown.

"At the point that the CJC decided that they needed to move out, it was an opportunity for CIC to consolidate the community's advocacy branches into one space," Elterman explained. "There was going to be a certain savings and economy of scale by having just one office that was essentially divided into CJC and the Canada-Israel Committee."

Elterman said there is a "certain symmetry" in having an organization responsible within the Jewish community for providing information on Israel and an organization responsible for the quality of Jewish life in Canada share the same space.

Elterman said another advantage of sharing space with the CJC downtown is that while the CIC was located in the JCC, it was assumed their work was geared solely towards a Jewish audience, which is not the case.

"In reality, the work of the CIC is actually addressed to the work of the non-Jewish community: telling the story of what is happening in Israel and doing advocacy on behalf of Israel to the non-Jewish community," Elterman said. "So by having an office that eventually puts us on a professional basis downtown, where we are close to businesses and to professional associations, was really putting advocacy on a much more professional level."

Like Oreck, Elterman said he thinks the new locale will cater to those who base themselves downtown.

"I think it opens up opportunities for us to have more meetings over lunch hour and during the day for people whose work and business is in downtown Vancouver," Elterman said.

Established in 1919, CJC is a national organization advocating Jewish human rights issues. It has been among many groups at the forefront of advocating a comprehensive approach to human rights, not only for Jewish Canadians, but other minority groups as well.

Its cohabitant, the Vancouver branch of the CIC, was established in 2004 and is a representative of Canada's Jewish community on issues pertaining mainly to Canada-Israel relations. Despite being a fairly new organization in the area, the CIC has created programs to keep the community in touch with Israel and its relations with Canada, including missions to Israel and teaching classes on socioeconomic issues pertaining to Israel.

Veronika Stewart is a student intern at the Independent.

http://www.jewishindependent.ca/Archives/April06/archives06Apr07-03.html

Globe and Mail: Bibles offered to public schools raise row

By: Petti Fong
April 4, 2006
Page A1

B.C. mother asks trustees to reconsider distribution among pupils in 'neutral zone'

VANCOUVER -- Renate Gepraegs thought she had stepped back in time when she opened her son's public-school newsletter and read a notice from the Gideon Society about free Bibles.

"I thought schools were neutral zones," said the 36-year-old graduate student and mother of a Grade 1 pupil. "I thought schools were secular, and organized religions didn't have a place in public schools."

Ms. Gepraegs, who said she does not belong to any specific religion, appeared before Richmond school trustees last month to ask them to reconsider their policy of Bible distribution. Other parents and representatives of other religions are also challenging the practice.

For 60 years, the Gideons, a lay association of Christians, have given Bibles to Grade 5 pupils across Canada through public schools.

School superintendent Bruce Beairsto said the board began to rethink the issue of distributing Bibles to every Grade 5 student in the district in the 1960s, when Richmond began to become a more diverse and multicultural community. Now, nearly 60 per cent of Richmond residents are of Chinese or South Asian descent.

The Richmond board's policy is to place a notice in school newsletters, and Grade 5 pupils may take a form home for their parents to sign if they want a Gideon Bible. The children return the form to the school, which relays the request to the Gideons, who bring the Bibles to the schools.

The Gideons no longer automatically bring Bibles to schools across the country every year, but wait for requests. Every year, each of the 38 elementary schools in Richmond receives one or two requests for Bibles, Mr. Beairsto said.

"We don't proselytize, of course. This is a vexing issue that we've wrestled with as to what multiculturalism means," Mr. Beairsto said. "If someone wanted to distribute the Koran the same way, we would be quite happy to do it in an equitable way."

Mr. Beairsto said some school trustees raised concerns at the meeting Ms. Gepraegs attended about what would happen if a less mainstream religion, such as the Wiccans, also requested that their materials be distributed.

"If one of those odd things come up, we will talk to our parent groups and try to share a collective wisdom," he said yesterday.

Richmond parent Abdullah Ali, who has a daughter in Grade 9, attended the school board meeting with Ms. Gepraegs in March. It's not appropriate, said Mr. Ali, who is Muslim, for anyone in the school to hand out religious books.

"The better process would be if these books can be placed in the library and any child who wants a copy can get one," Mr. Ali said. "I'm not knocking the policy, but I am saying it has to be inclusive and provide an equal playing field for everyone."

Because the board is not backing off its policy, Mr. Ali said he's securing a supply of Korans for distribution to students who request them.

Neither the Surrey nor the Vancouver school boards distribute Gideon Bibles to students.

The issue has divided school boards across the country. The Ottawa-Carleton school board stopped distributing Bibles in 2001, but last year the Gideons organization asked it to reconsider.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued a Missouri school district last month for allowing Gideons to distribute Bibles. The school board there had voted 4-3 in favour of allowing the practice to continue after parents raised concerns.

The Gideons distribute more than 60 million Bibles worldwide each year to hospitals, hotels, prisons and schools.

Executive director Paul Mercer of Gideons International in Canada said that throughout Canada, 250,000 to 300,000 Bibles a year are requested by students. Years ago, schools and the Gideons decided Grade 5 was the appropriate age to receive the Bible, he said.

"It's been done since the mid-1940s, and the offer is made. Some can say no and some can say, 'we want one,' " Mr. Mercer said. "We just simply believe that everybody should have the opportunity of owning a Bible."

Canadian Jewish Congress Pacific region chairman Mark Weintraub said school boards have a legal obligation to not distribute the Bibles.

"We are certainly not against any religious denomination disseminating sacred texts," Mr. Weintraub said. "But in a society that supports a public school system and has people of many faiths and children from families that do not believe in any particular faith, it's vital the school system not be the vehicle for any particular denomination."

B.C. Civil Liberties president Jason Gratl said he was surprised to learn that Bibles are still being distributed.

"It carries no threat of undermining the secularism of our school system, but it's a practice that ought to be quietly ended," he said yesterday.

Rev. Gary Simpson of the Broadway Church in Chilliwack, which has Gideons among its members, said when he was in Grade 5 in the late 1960s, Bibles were automatically distributed, requested or not.

"Obviously, the Gideons are interested in conversion, otherwise they wouldn't be doing this. They hope the Bible can help kids in need and they believe God can change someone's life," Mr. Simpson said.

"But I'm not sure it's right to do it in a public school system. I would be willing to shut the whole supply off, if it means our kids are going to be bombarded with 50 options. My Bible doesn't need to be out there if that's the case."

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