Features - Winnipeg Jewish Review

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs welcomes Canada’s decision to list the IRGC’s Qods Force as a terrorist entity

Toronto, ON - The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs strongly welcomes today's announcement by Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews to add Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Qods Force to the list of terrorist entities that fall under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act. Today's decision, which follows the Government’s recent addition (December 11, 2012) of the IRGC to the Special Economic Measures Act, significantly enhances Canada’s array of legal and security tools available to combat Iranian support for terrorism.

"The Canadian Jewish community deeply appreciates today's long anticipated announcement by the Conservative government,” said David Koschitzky, Chair of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “For many years, we have called for this measure as the next logical step in countering international terrorism – and we are gratified that the government has responded to this appeal.”

"In sponsoring horrific terror acts that have claimed scores of lives around the world, the Iranian regime has acted with impunity for far too long,” said Koschitzky. “Canada's listing of the IRGC sends a clear and direct message to Tehran that it will be held to account for past and future acts of terrorism."
The Centre also applauds the unanimous support for listing the IRGC under the Anti-Terrorism Act by Canada’s two largest opposition parties, and particularly commends the Liberal Party for its efforts in support of this policy.

The IRGC is widely suspected of having played a pivotal role in various high-profile attacks, including the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre (both in Buenos Aires), as well as last February’s attack on Israeli diplomats in New Delhi. The IRGC is also alleged to support a range of international terror organizations, including Hezbollah and the Taliban. In addition to its role as a sponsor of terrorism, the IRGC is also the principle agent in Iran’s illegal efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is a non-partisan organization that serves as the Canadian Jewish community’s official spokesperson to government and media.

For more information, contact:
Steve McDonald
Associate Director, Communications
416-953-4417
[email protected]

Hi Max,

Not sure if you remember me. I am Izzy and Evelyn Shuster's daughter. Molly sent me your Winnipeg story. It is a great story. It seems as we get less young that who we are and where we came from holds a far greater importance than it ever did before in our lives. By the time we are old enough to appreciate the history, those
able to share it with us are gone. I would encourage you to continue your story, as I know you had a very interesting career and now find yourself living in Ireland - which is all very interesting at the Winnipeg Jewish Review.

I had the unfortunate task of cleaning out my parents’ house of over 55 years, on Daffodil, and found tons and tons of unlabeled photographs. I wish I had someone to tell me who these folks were. My Dad (89) is still with us but he says he can't remember many of them. If I come across any of your family I will scan them and forward them to you and your sisters. Thus far, none. I am in Arizona for the winter and won't get back to my mining until May. Sadly the children of my son's generation neither know nor care about their history - YET. So, by you recording yours, you leave a legacy that will catch their attention at some time in the future. It saddens me that we as humans have not evolved to the point that we can be welcoming and open to people of all religions and beliefs. The Jews have been fighting for their right to exist since the beginning of time. Perhaps this is our destiny.

I have enjoyed reading some of your poems that Molly has sent and understand that you have recently published a new book. Mazel Tov. Creativity runs deep in the Roytenbergs.

I have the next great novel sitting in my briefcase and on my computer, but somehow life gets in the way of living the best laid plans to sit and write each day are often usurped by far more entertaining activities that land on my doorstep. We have a very blessed life here in the desert and are constantly welcoming visitors and enjoying entertainment based activities. Also, while I am still able and agile enough to enjoy hiking, shopping, sightseeing, etc. I am garnering every moment that I can.

I hope that you are able to net others with your story to add to your collection of Winnipeg stories. Winnipeg was a great incubator for many successful individuals on the world stage and locally as well. I am sure you have considered it, but just in case, perhaps you could write a letter to the editor of the Winnipeg Jewish Review to encourage other story tellers to come forward. Most people feel that they do not have the ability to write, but if they could at least "tell" their story, it would be a beginning.

Good luck! I look forward to the next installment!!.

Very best wishes to you and all those you love for a happy, healthy New Year.

Much love
s~ (Izzy and Evelyn Shuster's daughter)

Winnipeg is always a leader and around 1998 David Cohen (whose father Moshe was executive director of Peretz School) developed an endowment book of life project where people were inspired to write their stories for future generations and committed to endow the foundation with whatever small or large amount they could to leave more than memories.

By the way when I became the auditor of Peretz School, Moshe Cohen was so efficient that I could know dates on my calendar when he had the books ready for me. I still recall it was by the 10th without fail. And he probably got his accounting degree in a box of cracker jacks and became proficient from his street education... the best of schools.

I could tell millions of stories like that. And by the way, he never ran a deficit until us "CA" professionals took over with fancy degrees.

Marsha Lipkin Cowan is now CEO of the foundation and was interviewed on Jewish radio December 16th.

It's accessible on the web. Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. I was one of the first to write my story in the book of life.

REGARDS

SID HALPERN

I remember those days......I was born on Stella near Andrews then to Flora & Andrews....then my parents bought a home on Lansdowne... Just off Main (220).....The Deluxe theatre just across the Street.........Yanks just down the street at Main & Polson.....and Nordic Pool Room at Atlantic & Main.......And a little farther south.....This is It...Toph's....and the College Theatre...On the east side of Main St....there was Pollock's Hardware (still there).....and Orlikow Drugstore (Archie died last Week).....Luxton School close to the river and St. John's at Salter & MacKray........those were the days.......

As we approach ‘International Human Rights Day’ on December 10th, B’nai Brith Canada marks the 64th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Jewish human rights organization reminds people that this is an opportunity to come together to confront real human rights abuses worldwide.

Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada issued the following statement:

“International Human Rights Day presents an opportunity for people across the world to reflect on the important values exemplified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Communities around the world continue to suffer persecution and violence. Whether it is Jewish Communities in Eastern Europe or Christians in the Middle East, the threat to human rights and human dignity is intolerable.

“It is also fitting that Human Rights Day falls on Chanukah, a time when the Jewish community celebrates the triumph of freedom of religion and expression and the liberation of it's ancient homeland. It is precisely because of this that we must take the lessons of Chanukah – that the light of freedom can never be extinguished – and recommit ourselves to fighting racism, hatred and intolerance wherever found.

“B’nai Brith stands at the forefront of this battle in Canada and encourages its partners to do the same across the globe.“

Nov 26, 2012

To the Editor,

I enjoy all the news you report. Keep up the good and interesting
work you publish.

Nov 25, 2012

Rhonda,

You've shown the folly of economic dependency on one country. Countries change.

You wonder where is the leadership of Pres. Obama. Obama has the leftist view that the U.S. should not be a leader and the Muslim view of hostility toward Western countries. He keeps helping radical Islam, throwing us off the scent by minor concessions such as the slaying of bin Laden, who had become expendable.

The ceasefire in Gaza saved Hamas and will enable it to rearm with deadlier weapons. This policy, however, fits the pattern of the anti-Zionist State Dept. rescuing Arab aggressors whenever the Israeli counter-attack is succeeding.

But Obama is burying the American economy under overspending, debt, and business-stifling regulation from which it cannot recover. He is letting Iran get nuclear weapons.

Richard Shulman,

New York City

RE: Fuel for Thought: Is Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Purposely Trying to destabilize King Abdullah of Jordan by withholding gas supplies?
http://www.winnipegjewishreview.com/article_detail.cfm?id=3029&sec=1&title=Fuel_for_Thought:_Is_Egypt's_Muslim_Brotherhood_Purposely_Trying_to_destabilize_King_Abdullah_of_Jordan_by_withholding_gas_supplies

Many thanks for your article [above] about the The Jordan Times articles.

Totally by chance I just ended writing an article about Jordan and King Abdullah II.

RE: The Story the West has Buried: How Egypt's Moslem Brotherhood has Helped Foment This Week's Riots in Jordan by withholding Gas Supplies

I received your email contact address after being sent an open editorial article on the Ukrainian elections by* Askold S. Lozynskyj* and *Adrian I. Dlaboha*.

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to *New Eastern Europe* (www.neweasterneurope.eu), a non-profit print journal and website dedicated to Central and Eastern European affairs. And in particular to articles on Ukraine by Andrew Wilson from the *European ouncil on Foreign Relations*, and our Ukraine columnist, Jakub Parusinski from the *Kyiv Post*.

The River Heights Residents Association's (RHRA's) next meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 27th, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the River Heights Community Centre located at 1370 Grosvenor Ave.
We are hoping to have volunteers sign up for different committees as well as be part of an executive. Thank you to those who have offered thus far. In addition to the people who have signed up to assist, we are looking for people who have background skills and knowledge in the following areas:
a.. legal
b.. research (a variety of topics)
c.. community planning
d.. community development
e.. environment
f.. municipal, provincial & federal political navigation
g.. communications

The above is certainly not an exhaustive list. We are also looking for the following positions for our RHRA board: Chair person(s), Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer (with accounting experience) & Members at Large. Please feel free to add suggestions at our upcoming meeting and don't forget to sign up!

We hope to have Counsellor Orlikow and MLA, Dr. Jon Gerrard at our next meeting. We are awaiting confirmations from them both.

We are now on Facebook yippee! We hope to see you visiting us and sharing info. Here's how to find us: http://tinyurl.com/rhra2012 . Please be patient with us as our online presence is just emerging.

A) With regards to the Provincial Highway Traffic board hearings to increase speeds from 50 km/h to 60 km/h on Grant and Corydon, we will be requesting delays and rescheduling of these hearings so that a proper community consultations can occur. According to a CBC radio report early this morning, a pedestrian car survival rate post impact at 60 kilometers is only 5%.

Residents can lodge their oppositions by emailing Iris Murrell at [email protected]. Residents can also phone Iris Murrell at (204) 945-0940 to raise concerns about the limited/ inaccessible onsultations times available to the community. This will support our recommendation for a hearing postponement.

B) We have been requested to forward this on behalf of the Corydon Village Residents Association with regards to 956 Corydon zoning hearing on December 4th, 2012 and petition against allowing for a drive through at the corner of Stafford and Corydon. Please find the two documents attached.

Judy Plotkin, Acting Co-chair,
on behalf of the river heights residents association

November 20, 2012

Nice reflection Rhonda!

- Paula Havixbeck,
City Councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge
A/Deputy Mayor, Winnipeg

Canada has condemned the murder of blogger Sattar Beheshti by the Islamic Regime in Iran. Mr. Beheshti was tortured and lost his life while in custody. He had been charged with "acting against national security on facebook and other social media". I welcome Canada's stand on condemning Mr. Beheshti's murder at the hands of the Regime. Hope the rest of the international community will follow, hopefully this will help prevent such tragedies in the future.

Canada Condemns Iran’s Torture, Killing of Blogger: “Canada condemns the torture and death in detention of Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti, who was arrested earlier this month for criticizing the Islamic Republic of Iran on Facebook. http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2012/11/13b.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

Toronto – B’nai Brith Canada today applauded the decision by the Government of Canada on its principled stance condemning the terrorist group Hamas as it threatens regional peace and security. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird issued a statement in which he reaffirmed Israel’s right to self
defense in the face of hundreds of rocket attacks.

“The Government of Canada has once again shown leadership in the international community by condemning the terrorist group Hamas. Israel has been attacked by hundreds of rockets in this year alone, and has the right to defend its citizens from this terrorist onslaught."

For more information please contact Sam Eskenasi, Communications Officer at

(647) 780-8490 or [email protected].

B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875 as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights agency.

15 Hove Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 4Y8
www.bnaibrith.ca | [email protected]
Phone: (416) 633 - 6224

The Rady JCC’s Tarbut Festival is coming up and one of the main events is well known Comedian Rachel Feinstein. She was a finalist on Season 7 of Last Comic Standing and has appeared on the Louis CK show. She’s performing in the Berney Theatre on Saturday evening, Nov. 17^th @ 8:00 PM for a student price of only $18. Click here to see some of her material! To buy tickets call 204-477-7510 or go to www.radyjcc.com

This week's report on the East End Madrassah (EEM) produced by the York Region Police (YRP) is a wake-up call for the Jewish community - and all Canadians. It unequivocally concludes that extreme forms of antisemitism have been taught for years to thousands of students at the Madrassah.

While criminal charges were not laid, the Hate Propaganda Investigation proved by the state what we have long suspected, that the EEM is only the tip of the iceberg. The Madrassah in fact is a "branch" of the Jaffari Centre (also connected to the Islamic Ithna Asheri Jamaat - ISIJ, of Toronto), a large complex embedded in the heart of Thornhill's Jewish community.

Moreover, the YRP investigation also confirms that much of the curriculum utilized by the EEM is taken from material connected to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iranian connection is of significant concern as Iran has been identified as a state sponsor of antisemitism, Holocaust denial and terrorism.

The YRP investigation is of significant importance: First, it provides a paper trail and a historical record. Second, it furthers the interest and awareness of the intelligence community. Third, it puts the Madrassah communities on notice. It is unfortunate that leaders of both the Jaffari Center and the ISIJ believe this report fully exonerates them and the Madrassah: it seems they either do not understand the true significance of the report or are wllfully ignorant of the concerns raised about the school teaching children to hate for years..

Our community has a proud and historic legacy in Canada. A legacy of contribution to education, science, law, business, politics, philanthropy and to human rights. As before, we must stand strong, united and proud against groups who wish to marginalize and victimize us - again. We should not be apologetic, nor should we accept apologies at face value.

Together we must stand against pernicious forms of hatred and intolerance. I ask of you to speak out unabashedly about this incident to your friends and colleagues; to the media and to the politicians who represent you. Large scale changes occur only when great numbers of people speak.

I will make every effort possible to be available to answer any questions or speak to any groups to educate as many people as possible about this incident.

Toronto, ON -The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs applauds the decision by the Office of the Attorney General of British Columbia to lay charges against Arthur Topham for the content of the website, Radical Press.

“We have maintained that a robust use of existing provisions of the Criminal Code is necessary to provide Canadians with protection against those seek to promote hatred,” said Shimon Fogel, CEO of The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “The content of the website is viciously antisemitic and promotes a hateful view of Jews and Judaism.”

“We commend the diligence of law enforcement agencies in BC who have gathered information on the Radical Press as well as the office of the Attorney-General for authorizing charges against Arthur Topham,” said Darren Mackoff, Pacific Region Director for The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs/Centre consultatif des relations juives et israeliénnes

WASHINGTON — AIPAC congratulates President Obama on his re-election victory. We look forward to continuing to work with him and his Administration to further strengthen the US-Israel relationship. President Obama has made it clear during the past four years that he and his Administration are strongly committed to solidarity with Israel in confronting the many security challenges that she and our own nation face. As the President stated in the campaign, Israel “is our greatest ally in the region.” President Obama has also promised that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon as long as he is president. To this end, we look forward to working with him and his Administration and Congress in the coming months to thwart Iran’s nuclear quest.

What is striking about this hard-fought campaign is that both candidates for the Presidency were firmly supportive of the US-Israel relationship. Their commitment is reflected in the newly elected Congress which will strengthen the bi-partisan, rock-solid bond between America and Israel. The election once again demonstrated that the solidarity between the US and Israel transcends partisan politics. The US-Israel friendship embodies the democratic beliefs and values both nations share.

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Consistently ranked as the most influential foreign policy lobbying organization on Capitol Hill, AIPAC is a bipartisan American membership organization that seeks to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Israel. For more than 50 years, AIPAC has been working with Congress to build a strong, vibrant relationship between the U.S. and Israel. With more than 100,000 members across the United States, AIPAC works throughout the country to improve and strengthen that relationship by supporting U.S.-Israel military, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.