In the days preceding Pesach 17 years ago, a rash of vandalism broke out in the GTA aimed at Jewish institutions and cemeteries. Such outright miscreant behaviour was relatively rare in our community then. Not surprisingly, many people at the…

Only the guns and the screams of smashing rockets are silent in Israel and in Gaza. But public spaces on the streets and on the internet here and abroad are overwhelmed with a waterfall of shrill, disgusting expressions of hatred…

As these words were written, the genocidal regime in Gaza was still sending rockets and other missiles at the villages and cities of Israel, hoping to kill as many people as possible. Israel, of course, was still fighting back, hoping…

Dark times require light, some form of illumination.  Thus, pandemic requires a heightened sense of responsibility for others. And, assault on Israel (read Jews) because they are Jews, requires us to champion our Judaism. Thoughts and prayers are necessary but…

The discussion reimagining Jewish day schools continues in the wide educational community with pointed debate.  Ideas and counter-ideas fill digital screens and travel through the invisible fibre-miraculous pathways of cyberspace with unabating frequency. We are monitoring this discussion only insofar…

The prolonged Covid virus crisis, the need for day schools to adjust to the dread effect of the virus and the successful manner in which many schools did adjust – especially in the GTA – has led some educators to…

Some three decades ago, after worrisome revelations about the state of American Jewry, most community leaders, planners arrived at the conclusion that the most effective way – though not the only way – to ensure Jewish continuity and Jewish engagement…

The Toronto Star reported this week that the federal government is giving Queen’s Park $525.2 million to help schools pay for Covid-19 related health measures. The provincial government is adding $131.3 million to this amount for a total of $656.5…

The Government of Ontario’s preoccupation with containing and eliminating Covid-19 and its manifold harmful societal effects is, of course, entirely appropriate and the correct policy imperative of the moment. Paying no attention however – or worse – being indifferent to…

The creation by UJA Federation of Greater of the Generations Trust Scholarship, as we wrote last week, is a giant step at enabling more families to provide a Jewish day school education to their children. It is an innovative, positive…