cawana £297 and saying we're your friend,” and Rabbi David Lowy, head of fh Israel in Toronto, termed their aetions a “chilul HaShem [des jon of God's name), disgusting, repulsive.” 100 people, styling themsclves the Alliance of Coneerned Jew= |Canadians, published an open letter to the Jews of Canada explain- ywhy they were distancing themselves from Israelé government policies, November the group ran an ad in the C/N expressing “profound dis- n with the direction in which the leaders of our community have us" and claiming that its request to be included asan affiliated or- iation of CAC had encountered resistance. cooperation with Montreal's Federation CJA, seven Istacli univer- joined together in January to- present the first Isracl Universities it Hundreds of students atfended, attracted by the opportunity to directly with representatives of the various Israeli institutions about ional oppertunities, ligion December, the Rabbinical Assembly's Committee on Jewish Law and ards issued an opinion that the ordination of gays and lesbians and itment ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples were acceptable Jewish Law, while also approving another apinion upholding the i ban on both (see above, p. 130), This created. stirin Canada, the Conservative movement tended to be less accepting of suel in- ions than was the case in the U.S. To be sure, differences between Fvutive opinion in the two countries wereal ready noticeable before decision. Many Conservative synagogues in Canada, forexample, had ted gender egalitarianism with regard to participation in services heless, the decision on gays and lesbians exacerbated tensions. expected that most Ciinadian Conservative congregations Would the permissive ruling, Thus Rabbi Steven Saltzman of Toronto the responsum that accepted homosexuality as."a social, po- dogmatic, philosophic statement, but it does not come up to Ha- Standards of any sort,” and Montreal's Rabbi Lionel Moses said he ruling “unquestionably” contravened Halakhah. Clearly, the new portended a serious division between the Canadian and. American the movement. ly in Toronto, had for some time been moving to gious right, and questions were raised over whether the influence iva world” Icaders in the ety, especially Rabbi Shlomo Miller,20 / AMERICAN LEWISH YEAR BOOK, 2007 ‘yead of Kole] Avreichim, was pulling the community in an extremist rection, Among the issucs that arose during the year were denunciation af a visiting speaker, Rubi Natan Shifkin, for his allegedly heretical about ereation (sce AJYB 2006, p.107),a decision by 8 supervisory ity board to stop certifying female charity collectors, and an attenapt by the Vaad Harabonim (rabbinical council) to challenge the validity of the city’s longstanding rus, which cnabléd observant Jews to carry items ut of doors on Shabbat. Another controversial issue was a tightening 0 standards for certification of food products.as kosher. In defense of stringencies, Rabbi Mordechai Levin, exceutive director of the Kash Council of Canada, said that the reduction in the use of pesticides mea that more bugs were being found in raw fruits and vegetables. ‘Rabbi Reuven Tradburks, secretary of the Vad Harabonim, defendes the increased emphasis on strict observance as a positive develoy reflecting the desire of many Jews to comply more fully with the uirements of Jewish taw. He contended that the higher quality of Je ish education had led more Orthodox Jews to demand more string fovels of observance for thernealvor and others “This is nota shift. 10 th right,” he declared, “itis shifl 10 the correct.” In un embarrassing situation, the Toraiita Bourd of Rabbis, who members were overwhelmingly Conservative and Reform rabbis, nounced in April that it would not participate in the community's Yom Hashoah commemoration because only the boys from a youth choir invited to sing. The girls, who made up about Wwo-thirds of the choir, reportedly been barred from participation in deference to the Vi Harabonim, which, as w strictly Orthodox bods, followed the tradi of not lisiening to women sing, Prof. Martin Lockshin of York University, an Orthodox rabbi lished “A Modem Orthodox Manifesto” in the CJ in October. Altho not labeled as such, it was clearly a contr influence of right-wing tabbis that had been goingen for several mont Lockshin presented a vigorous case for Mader Orthodoxy in terms o observance, commitment to Israc! as a religious vaiue, affirmation of th value of secular knowledge, participation in publi¢ life, invalvement i universal mora causes, and maximum equality for women within th limits of Jewish law, and expressed optimist that his brand of Ont ‘could flourish in Toronto [At year'send, the Toronto bet din (religious court) decided to suspend all conversions to Judaism pending resolution of a dispute betweencaname 1 299 i rabbinate and Diaspora communities over conversion st:indards, sfically, what level of religious observance should be demanded of ts who wish toconvert an adopted child, Rabbi Saul Ennunuel, ex rector of Montreal's Vaad Hair, expressed support for a strin- position, indicating that it was.already the norm in his city, However rabbis called for openness to converting adopted children for fam- that were not yet fully Orthodox, in the expectation of religious th over time. Winnipeg's community encountered serious. problems when ile only ‘butcher lost his kosher certification in a dispute over standards ly weeks after the city’s only kosher market, which included 3 deli- scen, closed. The market eventually reopencd with kosher certifica- , but since there was no Kosher Buteher in town, meat had 10 be ight in from larger cities like Toronto. Jontreal’s Vaad Havir announced in October that it was elevating its fards for kosher certification in the light of a scandal that occurred Jonsey, New York. where unkosber meat was four in kosher store ‘ules required closer supervision at ull stages of the process, from iahierhnnn tnconsnmer.and a6. result, the Vad had tolook fOCseV- new recruits for supervisory positions. ‘Ontario's Bill 27, an amendment to the Arbitrstion Act motivated by desire to prevent the operation of Islamic cous's based on sharia, had effect of weakening the long established het din system in the Jewish munity. Attorney John Syriash, representing several Orthodox ups, expressed strenuous opposition to the bill, suggesting that it ht be unconstitutional and terming it “blatuntly unfair.” The legisla s Passed in February, (ook no notice of Jewish community objections Prohibited all forms of binding arbitration in family mutters that fot carried out in secordunce with Canadian law CJC Ontario's rary legal counsel Mark Freiman said thut the law inaccurately “‘pre~ 5 that faith-based arbitration is innately exploitative and coercive,” ‘Syrtash announced he would challenge it in court. Lion onto's CJA. Federation task force on Jewish education released in September, focusing on the rising financial challenges faced ‘the day schools and families that patronized ther, especially in light the provinces refusal 10 provide any funding. Aniong the many rec: