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June 8, 2012
Fostering relationships is key
CIJA’s new Pacific Region director discusses Israel advocacy.
NICOLE NOZICK
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) recently opened its Vancouver-based Pacific Region office, housed at the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, which is located at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. And, in March, the Vancouver office welcomed its first regional director, Vancouver born-and-bred Darren Mackoff, who sat down with the Independent for an interview to introduce himself and CIJA.
The newly envisioned national advocacy agency of Jewish Federations of Canada – United Israel Appeal identifies itself as “a non-partisan organization creating and implementing strategies to improve the quality of Jewish life in Canada and abroad, increase support for Israel and strengthen the Canada-Israel relationship.” CIJA integrated Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and the Canada Israel Committee (CIC) into its new structure.
Mackoff has returned to his hometown after living abroad, in the United States and Israel for several years and he is enthusiastic about offering his knowledge, experience and passion for Israel advocacy work to this community. “There is so much work to be done here, so many incredible opportunities to foster relationships, to build awareness and to engage the community in pro-active advocacy,” he noted.
“The centre supports, educates and, most importantly, empowers members of our local community at the grassroots level to advocate in support of the Canada-Israel relationship and on domestic issues of concern to the Jewish community,” Mackoff explained. “Along with Federation, we also want to help strengthen and support our local Jewish agencies, which continue to provide invaluable services to the community.
“The role of the centre’s professional staff is to provide the background and education on the critical issues. We also provide the most effective tools for turning that knowledge into tangible action. That means engaging with elected officials at the local, provincial and federal levels,” he continued. “It means reaching out to other ethnic and religious groups. It means building alliances with a non-partisan approach and building relationships based on common values and concerns. The centre aims to establish broad-based support throughout British Columbia by educating political, religious, ethnic and other community leaders about universal areas of concern such as racism, poverty and the importance of Canada’s strategic alliance with Israel.”
Mackoff’s professional experience includes a number of years in senior production roles at U.S. television networks, including FOX and NBC, and, more recently, a top-level communications position with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
“During my career as a journalist, I found myself not only wanting to report on the news affecting Israel and the Middle East, I wanted to be actively engaged as a pro-Israel advocate,” Mackoff said. “Living in the United States, I wanted to do my part to help strengthen America’s relationship with Israel. AIPAC gave me that opportunity – it was a dream come true.
“One of the most important things that I learned from AIPAC was that advocacy should always include a call to action – a focused and concise way for people to make a real difference. It isn’t enough for folks to attend an event, listen to a speaker and go home. They need to do something with the information they’ve learned: channel it into something real, effect change. While there is much we can learn from the AIPAC model, the centre is a uniquely Canadian organization and the Pacific Region’s agenda and approach is viewed through a uniquely local lens.”
CIJA initially received some criticism regarding its strategy to establish one homogenous advocacy agency to represent the Jewish community as a whole. Mackoff explained this strategy: “The centre is made up both nationally and regionally of extremely diverse opinions and voices, it incorporates a broad base of individuals from various backgrounds and viewpoints as well as interests. This is reflected in our local partnership council. However, advocacy is most effective when we speak in one voice with a clear and concise message. Through the centre, B.C.’s Jewish community can have a strong voice at the table and advocate for making a solid difference.”
Further addressing some of the issues surrounding its inception, Mackoff noted, “During the period of the CJC and CIC reorganization, the concerns of the entire community were carefully weighed. The apprehensions, pros and cons were all debated both nationally and locally. The overwhelming consensus was that establishing one singular advocacy organization under the national umbrella of Jewish Federations [of Canada] would be the most effective way of leveraging our resources and building upon the legacies of the CJC and CIC. Former members of both organizations play important roles with the centre locally and nationally today.”
Mackoff is excited about making a new home with his wife and young child in Vancouver. “We wanted to be close to family, especially with the recent birth of our daughter, Dylan. In Vancouver, there is a strong sense of the Jewish community and we are thrilled to feel part of it. To be doing something like this and being part of an organization like the centre is just the icing on the cake. There is so much amazing potential in Vancouver and I have this incredible opportunity to take my experience and translate it into ways which engage the community and make a positive difference. I am excited to be here and privileged to have an opportunity to give back to the community I grew up in.”
Nicole Nozick is a Vancouver freelance writer and director of the Cherie Smith JCCGV Jewish Book Festival.
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