Commission for Jewish Culture

The Commission was recently established to address issues that tend to fall under the broad rubric of "continuity". It serves as a catalyst, functioning as a coordinating, advocacy, and programming body in the fields of Jewish culture, informal education, and scholarship. The Commission is charged with generating ideas and initiating approaches that enhance both individual and collective commitment to Judaism.

Experience would suggest that the transmission of a Jewish identity, with its rich traditions and values, is lacking. It is the Commission's judgement that the communication of our heritage through an augmented cultural expression can affirm and reinforce a community of belief and interest; one that transcends the generations and can encompass the pluralistic nature of Jewish expression.

Click here for more information on Ten Marks and a Train Ticket, the first publication in the League for Human Rights’ Holocaust and Hope Testimonial Series.

Highlights

The history of the Jewish community in Canada was explored in an authoritative new book, From Immigration to Integration, published by the Institute for International Affairs together with the Millennium Bureau of Canada. The academic, literary and ethnic communities were represented at launches across the country at which federal, provincial and municipal politicians stressed the importance of such initiatives in preserving the valuable cultural heritage of Canada.

Sixteen outstanding Jewish academics and experts, representing diverse disciplines and universities across the country, contributed to this in-depth study of the Jewish experience in Canada which was commissioned by the government as one of its special projects to mark the millennium.

The book has been distributed to universities, libraries, schools, government departments, social service agencies and diverse ethnic groups and communities across the country It has been nominated for the upcoming Jewish Book Awards in the category of Jewish scholarship.