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April 11, 2003
CJC promotes politics
Jewish voice is not heard among Canadian leaders.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) wants more Jews to get involved
in civic politics and they've published a guide book on how to do
it.
According to Nisson Goldman, chair of CJC, Pacific Region, there
is not enough influence in provincial politics coming from the Jewish
community.
"We think that, at the present time, there are very few Jewish
people who are engaged in the political process and, as a result,
the Jewish community's voice is not heard in political circles,"
he said.
In hopes of countering those concerns for the future, the local
advocacy organization has published a booklet called Civic Engagement
and the Jewish Community which urges Jews to become politically
active.
The package includes information on how to get involved, an article
by Goldman titled "Jews and Politics," information about
how Canadian political systems work and a chapter on why civic engagement
is important. The latter chapter makes reference to how the world
has changed since the destruction of the World Trade Centre.
"Because the current environment is experiencing instability
and people fear a future troubled by conflict and insecurity, there
is more need than ever for dialogue and mutual understanding,"
it reads. "The most effective means of conveying that understanding
to our political leadership is by actively participating in the
political process."
While Goldman wouldn't state that a lack of Jewish influence is
the sole reason Canada has chosen to stay out of the current war
in Iraq, he believed that a stronger Jewish influence would likely
have had some impact.
"One always wonders what policy would have been if we had our
voices heard more clearly," he said. "Certainly there
is a wide spectrum of how [different Canadians] feel about the Middle
East."
The guide book does not promote any particular political party and
it features contact information for Canada's five largest parties.
Goldman explained that whichever party someone favors, the important
thing is that their party understands the Jewish concerns.
"We just say that Jewish people should be involved," he
said. "The party of your choice, where you feel most comfortable,
is where you should go."
He also insisted that political involvement does not have to mean
running for office, but it does require a significant effort.
"Jewish people should be politically aware and prepared to
put in some actual time and effort in the electoral process,"
he explained. "You have to be prepared to go out and knock
on doors, carry pamphlets and fill in voter cards. It doesn't happen
over night."
The guide book can be downloaded online by going to www.cjc.ca/docs/RD/93_Civic_Engagement_and_the_Jewish_Community.pdf.
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