By Marc Gold
Chair, Advocacy Summit

Someone once quipped that all publicity is good publicity. However true that may be in certain contexts, the amount of publicity that the Jewish community has received in the Quebec media over the past number of years has been neither good nor, at the risk of appearing parochial, good for the Jews.

First, we had the firestorm over the government’s plan to extend full funding to Jewish day schools. This was followed by all the events giving rise to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission, the ongoing controversy surrounding the government’s Ethics and Religious Culture program, the crisis provoked by the legalization of certain orthodox Jewish day schools, the questioning of financing for certain day care centres within the Jewish community, and most recently, the tabling of Bill 94 concerning access to, and the provision of, government funded services. (more…)

As part of the activities of the 11^th Annual Action Week Against Racism, over 200 people of various backgrounds attended the Quebec Jewish Congress (QJC) launch of « Desaprendre L’Intolerance ». In a public ceremony, under the auspices of the President of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, Gaétan Cousineau, a compilation of 90 texts on the theme ”unlearn intolerance,” written by 6^th and 7^th grade Montreal students of all faiths and backgrounds, was released.

This fascinating look at intolerance by students from École Bois-Joli Laval, Solomon Schecter Academy, and École Enfant-Soleil provides a message to their fellow Quebecers. Copies of the booklet are sale at Librairie Olivieri for 15$.

Rachida Adzouz, Vice Dean of the faculty of permanent education of the University of Montreal and Patricia Rimok, President of the Conseil Interculturel de Montreal, were present at the launch, which received significant media coverage. Other partners behind this innovative project include le Centre international de documentation et d’information haitienne, caribéene et afro-canadienne (CIDIHCA), l’Alliance israélite universelle (AIU), FAST, and the Alex and Ruth Dworkin Foundation.

QJC held a workshop on racial profiling for members of the LaSalle Multicultural Resource Centre, a black community group. The event was organized in response to of a report by the Quebec Human Rights Commission on the problem of racial profiling in Quebec.

Following a sudden turn-around on the issue of religion in day cares by Quebec’s Minister of Family Tony Thomassi, a delegation including representatives from Quebec Jewish Congress, FEDERATION CJA, the Association of Jewish Day Schools, the Association of Childcare Centres of the Jewish Community, and the CPE Sepharade, met with the Minister to discuss his position and intentions with regard to the Jewish community. The delegation received assurances that the financing to Jewish daycares is not in jeopardy in the short term, and that community leaders would be involved in the process of determining future action. QJC continues to work with its partners and will advise the community of any developments on this issue.

Quebec Jewish Congress coordinated a meeting with the Editorial Board of Le Devoir following its publication of a series of articles that were perceived as negative toward the Jewish community. The QJC delegation met with Bernard Descôteaux (directeur) and Josée Boileau (chef de la rédaction). From time to time, QJC holds similar meetings with editorial boards of various publications to present the priorities and concerns of the Jewish community.

Quebec Jewish Congress President Adam Atlas headed a delegation that met with Federal MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multiculturalism Rick Dykstra in March. Among those who attended were QJC Board Member Robert Presser, Gilbert Tordjman, Maia Cooper, and Elizabeth Perez, representing FEDERATION CJA, and Michael Crelinsten, Executive Director of the Montreal YM-YWHA. The meeting was requested by Mr. Dykstra, who sought to gain a better understanding of the needs and concerns of the West Island Jewish community.

For over 200 years, the Jewish community has contributed to the development of Quebec and the city of Montreal in many ways. The exhibition, Jewish Painters of Montreal – Witnesses of their Time, 1930-48, on display at the McCord Museum until May 2, masterfully captures a dark era in world history and its impact on Montreal’s Jewish community. Through the eyes of these painters, we glimpse their experiences.

The exhibition was produced and organized by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. QJC cooperated in the Montreal launch of the exhibit. A message from QJC can be found on the McCord Museum website.

QJC would like to thank the McCord Museum, the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition feminine du Québec, as well as the Musée Nationale des Beaux Arts de Québec for sharing this exhibit with all Montrealers.

In February, Quebec Education Minister Michelle Courchene announced a proposed amendment to the regime pedagogique which would enable schools to comply with the minimum required hours of secular studies by adding extra class time on Sundays. This brought a positive resolution to the issue for six Hassidic schools, which had been unable to reconcile the government’s requirements with their religious curriculum. It ensured that their students would receive the same curriculum as in all other Quebec schools.

Subsequently, the Parti Quebecois Critic for Education, Pierre Curzi, held a press conference denouncing this initiative, leading to intense media coverage, particularly in the French press for several days. Quebec Jewish Congress led community reaction on the issue, noting that the debate over Quebec identity and secularism would not be permitted to take place on the back of the Jewish community. QJC President Adam Atlas and Past Presidents Joseph Gabay and Dr. Victor Goldbloom gave dozens of interviews to various print, television and radio outlets.

Diogene and Ariel Ifergan

This January, Quebec Jewish Congress (QJC) organized a successful Quebec-wide tour of Identity Card written and performed by former Rwandan child soldier Diogène Ntarindwa in cooperation with la Fondation SurVie-Barakabaho, the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, Trent University, Université de Laval, and the Human Promise. Performances were staged at St. Paul’s University, CEGEP de l’Outaouais, and Laval University (Saint Foy).

“The Jewish community is all too familiar with the difficult journey that survivors face, and the importance of telling the story,” noted QJC Board Member Ariel Ifergan. “Not only does the story need to be told, it needs to be heard by all of us, so that we can all move forward, learn from the past, and proclaim, never again.”

Performing a dozen different roles, Ntarindwa takes his audience on a journey from tragedy and pain to comedy and laughter. His work as an artist-activist addresses the role of memory in identity formation and notions of reconciliation through personal stories.

QJC has worked with various organizations within the local Rwandan community to raise awareness on the Rwandan genocide.