Precisely because progressive Zionists have legitimate criticism of objectionable Israeli policies and behavior, they are the best suited Jewish communal activists to respond to the anti-Israel left's calls for Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, claims that Israel is an Apartheid state and more. This session will cover both substantive issues and a discussion of tactics.
One in eight Jews in Vancouver lives below the poverty line.
In a small, relatively wealthy community, why do we tolerate poverty and indignity within our community? Why do we allow mothers to miss meals and seniors to have to choose between medication and meals? We shouldn’t. And we don’t have to.
David Kaplan, Chairman of the Jewish Family Services Agency, will provide insight on who makes up Vancouver’s poor Jews; consider the potential for poverty elimination; illustrate select, successful, cutting programs for poverty reduction from North America, Asia and Israel; teach the Talmudic approaches to Poverty; and present Vancouver’s radical plan to eradicate poverty in our community if everyone helps out.
Examine how engaging in Jewish community building in North America has changed over the years. As society has become more excepting of who we are how do we find new ways to engage this latest generation of community members, separate the facts from pure opinions and not panic when we see intermarriage rates rising and affiliation rates dropping. Get an inside look from 10 years engaging community in Colorado, New York and now in Vancouver from the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.
here were more Jewish refugees from Arab countries consequent on the establishment of the State of Israel than Palestinian refugees. The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Parliament of Canada in 2013 recommended that the Government of Canada encourage that both refugee populations be part of any just and comprehensive resolution to the Israeli Palestinian and Arab Israeli conflicts. The Government of Canada did not accept this recommendation. The presentation would attempt to justify the recommendation.
In this session we will learn about the Israeli political system, meet the current leading players and trace the different party platforms back to the Zionist movements that established the state in 1948. We will also look at the results of the recent elections.
Ideologically Challenging Entertainment (ICE) is an approach to deradicalization that was first implemented through a theatrical adaptation of The Merchant of Venice titled Two Merchants. Each performance included two versions: a Jewish dominated society with an Arab Muslim minority, contrasted with an Arab Muslim dominated society and a Jewish minority. Audience responses to the show demonstrated that, not only did the production increase tolerance in relation to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but results indicated that using the Arab-Israeli conflict as a case study, may have, in this instance, inspired increased tolerance and reduced prejudice towards other victimized groups as well.
After a brief introduction, we’ll watch a 20-minute film, "The Overview Effect", about the shift in awareness reported by people in spaceflight, who view Earth from a distance. Participants will break into small groups (two to five people, depending on the number of attendees). Each group will review a different piece of writing from Jewish law, liturgy or lore (provided by the facilitator) to discuss whether the film’s themes resonate with the text. They will report any resonances back to the larger group for further discussion.
Compassionate Listening and Nonviolent Communication are communication “cousins” that emphasize compassion as the motivation for action rather than fear, shame, blame, coercion or threat. We will dramatize actual conversations between Israelis and Palestinians. There will be opportunity to practice in real-life situations.
