Shalom magazine - The Atlantic Jewish Council

Editor’s note: Mark David was a
valued addition to our office. We wish
him the best in his future endeavors
and look forward to him contributing
to the AJC.
This is my last dispatch from the
UJA Administrator’s Desk, as I
left the AJC at the end of June.
I wish to thank all those who donated
to the UJA Annual Campaign, and
encourage them to continue to do so.
If you are not a donor, then please
consider making even a nominal
donation on an annual basis – I
believe it is important that everybody
should contribute in some manner
to the costs of running our Jewish
communities and supporting the State
of Israel. I particularly want to thank
all the people in all our communities
who helped in the conduct of the
Campaign – they are vital to its
continued success, and I hope that
they remain involved. Thanks also to
Perry Romberg and to the UJA staff
in Toronto – and best wishes to Dan
Stern as Perry’s successor.
The UJA Campaign will now be structured
to be covered by both our Halifax and
Toronto office. I have been involved in the
transformation process, and believe that
for various reasons, it will result in a more
efficient campaign, if only in an internal
sense. I will remain associated with the
UJA Campaign in a volunteer capacity, and
will also continue my work regarding Israel
advocacy (you can check out my blog at
http://supportisraelnow.blogspot.com).
I enjoyed working with my colleagues at
the AJC, and wish them the best. They
work very hard and always appreciate
support from the community – especially
expressed in terms of attending community
events.
In closing and in particular, I want to thank
Jon Goldberg. We have been friends for
decades and I worked for him from 1975-
1982, when he was in the retail business. I
From the Desk of
Mark David, UJA Campaign Administrator
can tell you that unless you have worked
at the AJC on a day to day basis, you
likely have little idea of the extremely
limited resources that Jon, as Executive
Page 6 Tishre 5771 - Vol 35 No. 2
Rosh HaShanah 5771
Director of the AJC, has to work with, the
constant tug from all directions upon those
resources, and the numerous issues that
continually arise for which there is simply
no answer in some “Jewish Executive
Director” manual. I believe that Jon is
the longest serving Jewish Federation
Executive Director in Canada. His
knowledge and experience reflect that and
are irreplaceable. He works very hard for
the interests of all the Jewish communities
in Atlantic Canada (including the many
university students on our campuses) and
for the State of Israel. I enjoyed working for
him again, and I want to thank him for his
friendship and leadership.
Throughout the tefillot/prayers during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, a
short phrase is repeated many times – “Repentance, Prayer and Charity
cancel the stern decree” ����� �� �� ������� ����� ������ ������
The Rosh HaShanah-Yom Kippur period, called the Yamim Noraim
(Days of Awe) stress three core principles of Jewish faith, practice and
tradition. Repentance refers to introspection, personal evaluation of one’s
relationship with G-d, one’s fellow man and with how one lives one’s life
daily. Prayer refers to personal communication with G-d and with one’s
perspective of the world and its source. Charity refers to man’s
responsibility for and his behaviour with his fellow human beings and to
the world at large. While reflection and prayer are highly personal and
subjective, charitable acts, acts of kindness (chesed) and social
responsibility are clear and simple – lend a hand, lend an ear, be caring,
recognize that individual well-being is tied to communal/societal health –
be charitable and act charitably by supporting those services that assist
those in need (whether physical, emotional, spiritual, young and old). The
message is that we strengthen ourselves by strengthening others.
With the coming New Year we at United Israel Appeal of Canada hope
you will continue to support our community welfare programs, right here
in Canada, in the FSU and in Israel.
My very best wishes to you and your family
for a Healthy, Sweet and Happy New Year 5771 – �"
���
Perry Romberg, Director, Financial Resource Development,
United Israel Appeal of Canada