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36-642: The organization disbanded in July 2011 following a reorganization of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs , of which the CJA became a subsidiary in 2007. The immediate predecessor to the CJC was formed in 1915 by the Montreal chapter of Poalei Zion , a working class Labour Zionist organization. They were soon joined by thirteen other organizations, mostly other chapters of Poalei Zion and

72-646: A Jewish state . In 1919, over 25,000 Jews from across Canada voted for delegates to the first convention of the CJC held in Montreal that March. Groups including the Canadian Federation of Zionist Societies , Poalei Zion , Mizrachi , and the Arbeiter Ring were present at the convention. While there, they were addressed by the Solicitor General of Canada , and were entertained at Montreal City Hall , where

108-716: A "close observer of Congress", argued that CIJA was "stacking the deck" in a bid to take over the CJC. In 2011, the renamed Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) assumed the functions of the CJC after an 18-month restructuring process in which the functions of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canada-Israel Committee , the Quebec-Israel Committee, National Jewish Campus Life and the University Outreach Committee were consolidated,

144-514: A Canadian parliamentary committee, just weeks after the Quebec City mosque shooting , together with B'nai B'rith Canada. This article about an organization in Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a subject related to a Jewish organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Canadian Centennial The Canadian Centennial

180-475: A custom air horn that sounded the first four notes of " O Canada ." The train was inaugurated on January 9 in Victoria and made 83 stops across the country before reaching its final stop in Montreal on December 5. The Bank of Canada issued into circulation a redesigned version of the $ 1 banknote from the 1954 Series . The image on the reverse of this version shows the original Parliament Buildings , and

216-799: A large Zionist flag was draped over the Mayor's chair. The main decision at that meeting was the founding of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society to assist Jewish settlers and refugees in Canada. They also passed motions expressing the Jewish community's loyalty to Canada and others declaring their support for the Balfour Declaration . The convention elected Lyon Cohen , former President of the Montreal Clothing Manufacturers Union, as their President. Despite this auspicious start,

252-438: A move that left the Jewish community divided. On 1 July 2011 the CJC posted a message on its website declaring that it had halted its activities and that its functions would be assumed by CIJA. Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs ( CIJA ; French : Centre consultatif des relations juives et israéliennes ) is a Zionist and Jewish advocacy organization and an agency of

288-570: A new and distinctively Canadian typeface . The first proof of Cartier was published as "the first Canadian type for text composition" to mark the centenary of Canadian Confederation . The Canadian Armed Forces contributed to Centennial celebrations by producing a military tattoo unlike any other in Canadian history. It was formed in Picton, Ontario in February 1967 by members from the three branches of

324-531: The Arbeiter Ring , in forming the Canadian Jewish Alliance. The organization, composed of elected officials, set out to represent all of Canadian Jewry on its major political, national and international affairs. It also aimed to respond to problems arising from the First World War , specifically the oppression of Jews overseas, the immigration of Jewish refugees , and Britain's promises to create

360-724: The Caribana parade and festival was launched in 1967 as a celebration of Caribbean culture, and as a gift from Canada's West Indian community in tribute to the Centennial year. The Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant was a canoe race started on May 24 in the Rocky Mountains by ten teams representing eight provinces and the two territories. Two provinces were not entered. 3,283 miles were paddled and portaged in 104 days by 100 men using six man shifts per team. They arrived in Montreal on September 4. Other privately sponsored canoes from across

396-641: The Jewish Federations of Canada . It was founded in 2004 as the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy ( CCIJA ) and headquartered in the district of North York within Toronto, Ontario. In 2011, CIJA assumed its current name following an 18-month restructuring process in which the functions of the Canadian Jewish Congress , the Canada-Israel Committee , the Quebec-Israel Committee, and

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432-624: The National Library on behalf of the Canadian Jewish community in honour of the Canadian Centennial . During the war between Israel and Lebanon in 1982, former Prime Minister Joe Clark issued a public rebuke to the CJC at its annual policy convention for its stance of unconditionally supporting the State of Israel in that war. During the speech, Clark was interrupted with heckles from

468-533: The 1990s and formed a national coalition of Canada's Italian , Greek and Jewish communities during the debate on the Charlottetown Accord . The CJC also worked to promote tolerance and understanding between religious and ethnic groups, promote anti-racist work and other campaigns. The CJC introduced significant changes to its internal organization in June 2007. The previous system of electing representatives to

504-545: The Board of Directors was discarded, and a new system was introduced wherein Board members were chosen by indirect elections from "regional Congress representatives" and "delegates from Jewish federations." Congress CEO Bernie Farber supported the change, arguing it would streamline a complicated process. Others argued that the new system would give disproportionate power to the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy . One individual, described by The Canadian Jewish News as

540-588: The CJC fell into abeyance and was inactive until 1934, due to lack of leadership and funding. With the rise in antisemitism and restricted immigration policies in the 1930s, the CJC re-convened in 1934 and held the Congress' second plenum in Toronto in January. Cohen's friend and close colleague, Samuel William Jacobs , a prominent Jewish leader and Member of Parliament , became the revived Congress' first president. In 1938,

576-536: The Canadian Jewish Congress partnered with B'nai Brith Canada to create the Joint Public Relations Committee, with the goal of developing a strategy to combat discrimination and find allies within other minority groups . The CJC was active before and during World War II in lobbying the government (with limited success) to open the borders to Jewish refugees fleeing Europe. After the war, over 1,100 child Holocaust survivors immigrated to Canada in

612-566: The Centennial Commission, convened in January 1963, various projects were commissioned to commemorate the Centennial year. The prime minister, Lester Pearson , appointed in 1965 a committee headed by Ernest Côté to plan events in Ottawa for 1967. The CBC commissioned Gordon Lightfoot to write the song the " Canadian Railroad Trilogy " for broadcast on January 1, 1967. The Canadian Government commissioned typographer Carl Dair to create

648-594: The National Jewish Campus Life and University Outreach Committee were consolidated. The group's Chief Executive Officer was Hershell Ezrin , who served in that position until his retirement at the end of 2010. Shimon Fogel , former CEO of the Canada-Israel Committee, now serves as CEO. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is the advocacy agent of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, representing Jewish Federations across Canada. CIJA represents

684-802: The U.S., Europe and even Russia but the Prime Minister at the time scuttled the idea. CBC Television and the National Film Board of Canada filmed the Tattoo, as did the Military. Tattoo 1967 was the largest undertaking by the military during peacetime and has never been reproduced since. The Tattoo depicted the military history of Canada from the first French military and settlers in Canada in 1665 right up to Canada's UN Peace Keeping role in 1967. Challenge for Change (in Quebec Societé Nouvelle )

720-568: The War Orphans Project, a refugee resettlement program administered by the CJC. The CJC also organized relief aid for Holocaust survivors who were being detained in Displaced Persons camps. Along with the efforts of Senator Arthur Roebuck and Rabbi Avraham Aharon Price , the CJC helped obtain the release of young, Jewish refugees from internment camps, bringing them to study in Toronto. The Congress' dominant figure from 1939 to 1962

756-985: The Yukon Fish and Game Association. It was a voyage down the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City commemorating the memory of the Klondike gold-seekers who sailed the Yukon River from Bennett Lake to Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. On August 6, 54 craft departed Whitehorse on a ten-day voyage to Dawson carrying 108 adults, 45 children, and 9 dogs. Participants came from four provinces, thirteen states and one European country. They sailed in different types of watercraft to include rubber-rafts, canoes, kayaks, river-boats, power-boats, skiffs, cabin cruisers, and four Amphicars . In addition to these major projects there were commemorative projects throughout

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792-446: The anniversary. The projects ranged from special one-time events to local improvement projects, such as the construction of municipal arenas and parks. The Centennial Flame was also added to Parliament Hill. Children born in 1967 were declared Centennial babies. In 1961, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker announced that the federal government would provide funding for the construction of about 860 buildings as centennial projects. Under

828-524: The centennial as "the last good year" in his book 1967: The Last Good Year . In 1961, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker proposed a travelling exhibit on a train that would traverse the country and bring exhibits on the history of Canada to the citizens. The train consisted of six exhibit cars and seven cars for staff and equipment pulled by two diesel locomotives, one from each from Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway . The locomotives were painted in purple, grey, and black livery and had

864-565: The centennial year. In a political and cultural context, Expo 67 was seen as a landmark moment in Canadian history. Expo 67 in particular was a signifier of the nation's mood of extreme optimism and confidence on heading into its second century. In retrospect, the centennial is seen as a high point of Canadian aspirations prior to the anxious decade of the 1970s that saw the nation divided over issues relating to inflation , an economic recession , government budget deficits and Quebec separatism . Popular Canadian historian Pierre Berton referred to

900-521: The country made similar trips. In November 1967, the Confederation of Tomorrow conference was held at the newly built Toronto-Dominion Bank Tower . Called by Ontario Premier John Robarts , the summit of provincial premiers led to a new round of federal-provincial negotiations to amend the Canadian Constitution . The Yukon River Flotilla was a Centennial project organized and sponsored by

936-705: The country. Municipal funding for approved centennial projects was matched dollar for dollar by both the province and the federal government. Providing a concrete reminder of the centennial year celebrations these projects included the 1,500 seat Norbrock Stadium in Kamloops , British Columbia, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa , the Centennial Building in Fredericton and many others. Approximately $ 25 million

972-754: The crowd and approximately 50 people left the room in protest. Near the end of his remarks, the audience began to sing Hatikvah , the Israeli national anthem. One of the initiatives sponsored by the CJC was the International Jewish Correspondence, founded in 1978, whose goal was to link Jews around the world as pen-pals . With the rise of the internet in the 1990s, IJC became less active and had folded by 2002. The organization also provided addresses for Jews living in Arab and Soviet Bloc countries as well as Jewish prisoners who were put in contact with others in

1008-646: The diverse perspectives and concerns of more than 150,000 Jewish Canadians affiliated with their local Jewish Federation. As the Canadian affiliate of the World Jewish Congress, representative to the Claims Conference and to the World Jewish Restitution Organization, CIJA is also connected to the organized Jewish community. In September 2024, CIJA formally requested of the Canadian government to adopt four new policies to help ensure

1044-522: The military providing service personnel at the Picton base for training purposes. The "show" was produced by Colonel Ian Fraser of the Black Watch and would eventually included 1700 military men and women in a show that would travel across Canada from March to November performing over 150 performances. Some said that Tattoo 1967 was the major event that year and there were calls to have the Tattoo travel through

1080-424: The obverse includes a green monochrome adaptation of the stylised maple leaf Centennial logo marked with the years 1867 and 1967. Two variants of the design were printed; the first had the serial number at the top of the obverse, whereas the second and more common variant had the years 1867 and 1967 printed twice flanking the apex of the coat of arms. The Canadian Centennial Medal was issued in 1967 to commemorate

1116-703: The safety of Canadian Jews. In October 2024, CIJA reported that 82% of Canadian Jews feel less safe after October 7. CIJA has faced criticism due to comments made by staff through news outlets and via its social media accounts. In 2023, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East criticized "provocative statements" made by CIJA Israel office Director David M. Weinberg. His statements make use of dehumanizing terms to refer to Arabs, Muslims, Palestinians, and human rights activists, calling them “weeds”, “snakes”, “barbarians”, and “terrorists”. CIJA also faced criticism when it lobbied against islamophobia Motion M103 in

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1152-611: The same situation. Jewish people from nearly 20 countries participated in the initiative, including those with declining Jewish populations such as Estonia , Morocco and Zimbabwe . In its later decades, the CJC launched campaigns to pressure the Soviet Union to allow Jewish emigration , to pressure the Canadian government to prosecute Nazi war criminals who had settled in Canada, and to enact and use hate crimes legislation against antisemites and Holocaust deniers such as Ernst Zündel . The CJC actively opposed Quebec separatism in

1188-551: Was a participatory film and video project created by the National Film Board of Canada in 1967 as a response to the Centennial. Active until 1980, Challenge for Change used film and video production to illuminate the social concerns of various communities within Canada, with funding from eight different departments of the Canadian government . The impetus for the program was the belief that film and video were useful tools for initiating social change and eliminating poverty. In Toronto,

1224-509: Was a yearlong celebration held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation . Celebrations in Canada occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day , July 1. Commemorative coins were minted, that were different from typical issues with animals on each — the cent , for instance, had a dove on its reverse. Communities and organizations across Canada were encouraged to engage in Centennial projects to celebrate

1260-614: Was its president, Samuel Bronfman who was elected president following Jacobs' death in 1938. During the Cold War at Bronfman's urging, the CJC expelled the United Jewish People's Order and other communist Jewish organizations in 1951. At the time, the UJPO was one of the largest Jewish fraternal organizations in Canada. It would not be readmitted to the CJC until 1995. In 1967, the CJC gifted approximately 7,000 volumes of rare Judaica to

1296-531: Was made available by the Centennial Committee for local projects. Some projects, such as the Ontario Science Centre , were completed after the 1967 centennial. The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, or Expo 67 as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal from April 27 to October 29. Expo 67 was Canada's main celebration during

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