Thank you to all the board members, donors and staff who joined us at our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday September 24. It was truly an exceptional event. In addition to the formal business of the evening, we had the honour of hearing from our keynote speaker, Naomi Azrieli, and celebrating Rabbi Weiss’ 25 years of service with the agency. It was great to see the Rabbi’s family (beaming with pride) in attendance.

Naomi Azrieli is the Chair and CEO of The Azrieli Foundation, one of the agency’s largest donors supporting both our Holocaust Emergency Assistance Program and the JDD. Focussing on the theme of resiliency, she spoke about both programs individually and then drew a meaningful connection between the two and how each contributes to resiliency in individuals. While the audience was captivated by Naomi’s inspiring words, there were a couple of quotes that were particularly meaningful regarding the work we do here at the agency, “Judaism’s focus, both spiritual and practical, is on helping people get on with living in the face of challenges,” and “Judaism has sustained the Jewish people because it sustains individuals. And then, in a virtuous cycle: the sustenance and contributions of resilient individuals strengthens and raises up our communities.”

Rev. Joan Silcox-Smith, one of Rabbi Weiss’ closest colleagues and friends, praised him for his kindness, commitment and leadership to the profession of chaplaincy and his community. In a true testament of admiration, she stated that if she was to ever be sick it is Rabbi Weiss that she would want by her bedside. Rabbi Weiss then shared his own recollections of his time at JF&CS, punctuating his speech by sharing how blessed he feels to be doing the work he does.

Brian Prousky shared the significance of the year 1906 – the year in which our community first embraced a “cradle to grave” social service model, which, 113 years later, continues to have a significant influence on our work.

At the end of the evening, the gavel was passed from Steve Stein to Sharon List, our new Board president, who both eloquently expressed their passion for the agency, reflecting on its historical importance and looking forward to a future filled with success.

Click here to visit our Facebook page to view all of the photos from our AGM. 

Child Abuse Prevention Month is observed annually across Canada in October. Tomorrow on October 24, JF&CS will wear purple on Dress Purple Day to raise awareness about the role that adults and communities play in supporting vulnerable children, youth, and families. On Dress Purple Day, we are partnering with the Julia and Henry Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Education, reaching out to the schools to educate them on how to speak up for every child and youth’s right to safety and well-being in all spaces and to celebrate the community that cares for kids. 

It is neccessary for our community to step in and help kids who are dealing with neglect, physical and sexual abuse, gender-based violence, dating violence, and emotional abuse, including racism, intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination. If you suspect that a child is being abused/neglected, call us. It is our job to figure out if what is happening is abuse/neglect.

Jewish Family & Child is committed to keeping children and youth in our community safe from harm. For more information and to learn more, click here. 

A message from Rhys and William's parents:  

Our twin boys, Rhys and William, have been gifted with a lot of toys over the years. Sometimes friends and family would generously give two of the same thing so that they wouldn’t fight over them. Our house was overflowing with toys new and old and they didn’t even know what they had. For their 5th birthday, we told the boys that they each had to pick 3 presents that they would give to little boys or girls who don’t get to have many toys. Though it was a hard pill for them to swallow at first, they eventually picked their toys and we hand delivered them to JF&CS.

The boys saw how happy it made JF&CS to see them participating in the act of tzedakah and they began to understand theimportance of their donation. The following year we decided to use Echoage. When I asked Rhys and William which charity they wanted to donate to, they quickly responded with “That place where we gave our presents last time”. Whether it was because that was all they knew, or because they truly remembered the feeling it gave them to give to those less fortunate, they made that choice, and then made it again this year for their 7th birthday.

They are at an age now where they really understand what they are doing. Though 7 year olds are still very egocentric, they realize how lucky they are, and that there are many Jewish children and families who need help. Our hope is that by continuing to use Echoage year after year and to discuss with our kids why we do it, they will grow to be charitable and empathetic adolescents and then adults who will value the importance of giving back to our jewish community.

Want to host an EchoAge party? If you have an upcoming celebration and would like to learn more, please click here.

Click here to read to full report.

Correction: Alex & Marcia Burstein donated at the $1,800-$4,999 level.

Stay tuned!

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