|
Jewish identity is key for the
continuity of our people and to ensure that we have a relevant impact in
the broader world in which we all live. You can’t mandate Jewish identity,
but you can inspire it — through Jewish education and a strong Jewish family
life. If we can plant the right seeds in our children today so that they
know who they are from a Jewish perspective, then we will be in good stead
for a stronger future.
 Growing up, we were both very fortunate to be blessed with a solid Jewish
education and family life. Our parents were Canadian-born (with the exception
of Sheldon’s mother who came to Canada as a young girl) and they
gave us each a traditional Jewish upbringing. We both went to Associated
Hebrew Schools and Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT), where we
met as teenagers. We both saw our respective parents actively and wholeheartedly
involved in the Jewish community. We are now carrying on those traditions
and values in our home and in our community. Our tzedakah is from our
heart. We do the best we can and feel privileged that we can do our part.
A great deal of our tzedakah relates to education because we believe
that with the right Jewish education, the doors can be opened for younger
generations to connect with our rich history, our shared values and to
the lineage of our people that dates back thousands of years.
We are equally passionate
about Israel. Without Israel, how can we really appreciate who we are and
what we stand for?
By our own actions and deeds, we
hope to inspire in today’s youth and future generations some of the
pride, passion and commitment we feel for being Jewish and ensuring a strong
future for the Jewish community.
We are blessed to already
witness many such seeds flourish in our own children as they discover and
express their Jewish identities and are starting to make differences of
their own in the world.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
