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Board of Deputies of British Jews

Representatives of the Board of Deputies of British Jews met with a broad delegation of religious officials in the wake of moves within the Church of England concerning divestment from Israel. The group discussed ways of advancing Christian and Jewish relations and encouraging dialogue and interaction between the two communities at all levels.

Commenting on the meeting, President of the Board of Deputies Henry Grunwald, QC said, "Recent events should not obscure the fact that there are good relations with the Church and there have been many who have spoken out against boycott campaigns targeting Israel. We all recognize that the way to counteract misinformation is through education and fostering closer ties."

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Canadian Jewish Congress

Skyline to Darfur

The Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) facilitated a private shipment of $430,000 worth of medical supplies to the Darfur region of Sudan to help with the humanitarian crisis there. The supplies were donated by Walter Arbib, President of Canada's Skylink Group of Companies and a CJC lay leader, in partnership with Counterpart International and Medicines for Humanity. "As citizens of the world, Canadians have a moral obligation to help stop the tragedies unfolding around them," said CJC National President Ed Morgan. "CJC has long worked to bring attention to the needs of the people suffering in Darfur - Walter Arbib has answered that call," he said.

Fighting Internet Hate

The CJC launched a new initiative, to fight hate on the internet: Stop Internet Hate. The CJC web site now carries a link for anyone wishing to report what they believe may be an Internet site with hateful content. This new initiative seeks to educate and empower Internet users to recognize and report sites that promote hate and can be viewed at www.cjc.ca

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Small Communities

Asia Visit

WJC Policy Council Chairman Israel Singer, accompanied by Deputy Secretary General Maram Stern, traveled to Asia to meet with small Jewish communities.

Tokyo: The WJC representatives met with Israel’s Ambassador to Japan, Eli Cohen and representatives of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and the Jewish community including Daniel Turk, the President of the Japanese Jewish community to discuss endemic anti- Semitism in Japan, a small Asian Jewish communities program, and methods by which larger Jewish communities can assist small Jewish communities in Asia.

There are some 400 Jewish families associated with the Tokyo Jewish Community Center, the city’s communal association that was established in 1953.

Singapore: The newly-appointed Israeli Ambassador to Singapore, Ilan Ben Dov, and the leadership of the Jewish community, including Rabbi Mordechai Abergal, a Sephardic Jew who is the resident rabbi, welcomed the WJC delegation for Shabbat.

The Jewish community participated in Shabbat synagogue services and a community-wide Shabbat dinner where discussion focused on cooperation between small Jewish communities and the WJC. The community presented a request for formal affiliation as a member community of the WJC and expressed interest in hosting a preliminary dialogue among regional Jews, Christians and Muslims, among others.

Mumbai: WJC representatives met with members of Mumbai's Jewish community which number some 5,000 people. Delegates came from Bangalore, Mumbai, Kerala, and Kolkata to meet with WJC officials and discuss the need for coordination between small Jewish communities.

The WJC delegation led by Singer and Stern, visited the largest slum in Mumbai, which was overwhelmed by flooding caused by devastating monsoon rains last year. Thousands were reported drowned as flood waters reached depths of 12 feet in some areas. A synagogue was badly damaged, and the Torah scrolls and prayer books were either destroyed or ruined.

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