Montreal to See Jewish Immigration Wave: Cummings

By JANICE ARNOLD

The Canadian Jewish News- October 10, 2002 - 4 Cheshvan, 5763

Montreal is experiencing an upsurge in Jewish immigration and the community should help the newcomers settle, president Steven Cummings told the 85th annual general meeting of FEDERATION CJA.

"In the last three months, requests concerning immigration to Montreal have tripled from distressed communities, and in the upcoming year, we will be faced with the challenge of integrating large numbers of new immigrants," said Cummings in his mid-term report.

This is a turn of events for a community that is more familiar with members leaving the city, and fits in with one of Cummings' local priorities: encourage community growth by encouraging immigration and helping young people stay.

Cummings, who has completed the first year of his two-year term, said a task force has been formed to ensure that ProMontreal's services continue to meet the needs of young adult Jews.

Other local priorities cited by Cummings were programs alleviating poverty and providing for children with special needs and the elderly. He also listed formal and informal Jewish education, and "creating one community" from its diverse segments.

Israel, however, remains the focus of FEDERATION CJA, in terms of both raising money and strengthening the connection between the community and the state.

"I can say unequivocally that we stand united with the people and State of Israel," he said. "At this time, Israel remains under attack and the Jewish people are again confronted with the dark face of anti-Semitism."

A concrete display of that solidarity, he said, was the raising of $15 million in six weeks, in FEDERATION CJA's Israel Emergency Campaign. That followed on a record Combined Jewish Appeal total of just over $40 million in 2001.

General Campaign chair Mel Hoppenheim reported that as of Sept. 30, $28.5 million in pledges had been achieved in this year's CJA, representing a 15 per cent increase "on a per card basis" over 2001. The campaign was launched Aug. 29.

The goal is to raise at least $42 million by the time the campaign closes in November and $50 million by 2005.

Cummings departed from his text to denounce those at Concordia University who are responsible for what he described as hate, threats and intimidation. "I condemn the action of those who arbitrarily decided what views can and cannot be expressed. We cannot be held hostage by the violent voices of a few."

Cummings will be succeeded next year by Sylvain Abitbol, who will be the federation's first Sephardi president. Nominating committee chair Marilyn Blumer announced that chartered accountant Richard Vineberg will become first vice-president at that time and will thus be in line for the presidency in 2005.

Stephen Lipper was presented with the Samuel Bronfman Medal, the federation's most prestigious citation for community service over a long period.

Lipper said the three "pillars" of his efforts over the past 30 years have been his synagogue (Congregation Shaar Hashomayim), the Jewish community and Israel.

"Israel has not always been popular of late. There have been many movements of national liberation over the past 100 years, but none comes even close to the Zionist movement. In the face of all the odds, we have rebuilt a language and a state we can be so proud ofŠ Despite the obstacles, Israel has maintained democracy, freedom, pluralism and respect for the otherŠ

"The second intifadah is a disgrace to the Arab world, and the rest of the world did nothing to stop it despite the amazing offer of [former prime minister] Ehud Barak."

Lipper said he intends to devote himself to "reversing the tide of the new hatred" against the Jewish people.

Other award winners were: Laetitia Sabbah and Eddie Shostak, the Ruth & Michael Rosenthal Family Student Leadership Award; Benjamin Sternthal and Alexander Jesion, the Jon Roskies Memorial Award for New Leadership; James Alexander and Gil Troy, the Gertrude & Henry Plotnick Young Leadership Award; Jewel Lowenstein, the Minnie Cummings Abbey Memorial Award; Dorothy Zalcman Howard and Donald S. Davis, the Distinguished Leadership awards; and Karen Gazith and Penni Kolb, the awards for Professional Excellence, under and over five years work, respectively.

The Award for Community Service, generally presented to a voluntary organization, was given to B'nai Brith Canada, Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canada-Israel Committee, Hillel, FEDERATION CJA and "the Jewish community at large" for the pro-Israel rally held downtown in April, which drew over 20,000 participants.