McGuinty is lucky.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/986598--liberals-woo...
Bernie Farber to run for provincial Liberals in Thornhill
Fri, 2011-05-06 14:22
#1
Bernie Farber to run for provincial Liberals in Thornhill
Fri, 2011-05-06 14:27
#2
Well, Bernie, you've co-opted and exploited our community for years to serve your own agenda, to line your pockets and advance your career. Now you've gotten what you've always wanted. Mazel tov. I hope it was worth it.
Fri, 2011-05-06 14:35
#3
The rightwing of the community is already going berzerk, I see. And Peter Shurman is not nearly as high-profile as Peter Kent, nor do I see the provincial Liberals while down in the polls headed to a disastrous third place showing like their federal counterparts.
This could have spillover effect in other ridings, and hurt Rocco Rossi's chances in Eglinton-Lawrence too.
Fri, 2011-05-06 14:39
#4
I don't agree with Farber on everything, but the NDP has no chance in Thornhill, and he is much better than that useless loudmouth Shurman.
He's also taken on the hard right that has called for the abolition of HRCs.
Fri, 2011-05-06 15:06
#5
nor do I see the provincial Liberals while down in the polls headed to a disastrous third place showing like their federal counterparts.
Here we are just days away from an election that showed conclusively that our old assumptions are just that - assumptions, nothing more. We just don't know what is winnable or not so writing off ridings now is a pretty wasteful exercise.
Fri, 2011-05-06 15:29
#6
I'm confident that Farber will go down in flames. The McGuinty Liberals are in rapid decline. Farber just bought himself a ticket onboard a ship that's already sinking.
I`m what you`d call an `active member of the Jewish community`and everyone I know can`t stomach Farber.
Fri, 2011-05-06 15:49
#7
Two things from that opening link:
Premier Dalton McGuinty is poised to name Canadian Jewish Congress CEO Bernie Farber as the Liberal candidate in the Thornhill for the fall election...
Don't the Liberals who actually live in Thornhill have anything to say about it?
“Dalton McGuinty is unabashedly pro-Israel,” said a Farber confidant...
Why is foreign policy suddenly part of a provincial election? Aren't there enough provincial issues to keep these people busy?
Fri, 2011-05-06 15:58
#8
Yeah, no shit, Pogge. Does Farber think that the government of Ontario plays a role in foreign policy as it relates the Mid-East
By far, the bigger issue for the Jewish community in Thornhill will be the cost of giving their children a Jewish education. Indeed, the Tories won that riding in the last election (in which they generally lost badly overall) laregely because of John Torys policy of funding faith-based schools. There`s still a lot of ill-will towards McGuinty over that, as well as from his cancelling of the tax credit that was previously in place for parents who sent their kids to such schools. Farber is an idiot if he thinks that the Jewish community only votes on Israel issues. And, even if they did, the Tories get higher marks in that regard anyways. Witness the ass kicking delivered to Karen Mock (a Farber associate) in Thornhill in the recent federal election.
Fri, 2011-05-06 16:16
#9
Catchfire
Why is foreign policy suddenly part of a provincial election? Aren't there enough provincial issues to keep these people busy?
You might also ask, pogge, why Markham city council publicly denounced Israeli Apartheid Week at every one of its zero universities. They must run a pretty tidy ship in Markham.
Fri, 2011-05-06 17:34
#10
remind
Why is foreign policy suddenly part of a provincial election? Aren't there enough provincial issues to keep these people busy?
You might also ask, pogge, why Markham city council publicly denounced Israeli Apartheid Week at every one of its zero universities. They must run a pretty tidy ship in Markham.
WTFF......I mean way
Fri, 2011-05-06 19:14
#11
Yeah, no shit, Pogge. Does Farber think that the government of Ontario plays a role in foreign policy as it relates the Mid-East
By far, the bigger issue for the Jewish community in Thornhill will be the cost of giving their children a Jewish education. Indeed, the Tories won that riding in the last election (in which they generally lost badly overall) laregely because of John Torys policy of funding faith-based schools. There`s still a lot of ill-will towards McGuinty over that, as well as from his cancelling of the tax credit that was previously in place for parents who sent their kids to such schools. Farber is an idiot if he thinks that the Jewish community only votes on Israel issues. And, even if they did, the Tories get higher marks in that regard anyways. Witness the ass kicking delivered to Karen Mock (a Farber associate) in Thornhill in the recent federal election.
And does Hudak plan on running on the same religious school funding plank? I doubt it.
It's too early to say what will happen in Thornhill, I agree.
Sat, 2011-05-07 10:21
#12
Like it or not Israel is important in Thornhill whether its municipal, provincial or federal. McGuinty has always been a strong Israel supporter and unlike his federal cousin has garnered goodwill for his trip last year to israel from Israeli government leaders. That will undoubtedly help Farber.
As for the faith based funding issue, well it seems on that one McGuinty read the provincial tea-leaves far better than did John Tory last time around. It would be strategically stupid for this to become an issue in Thornhill. Hudak will be asked if his party is now set to fund faith-based schools. If he says anything but "no" he will find himself in the very same position as did John Tory. I just don't think he wants that.
Sat, 2011-05-07 13:56
#13
I'm confident that Farber will go down in flames. The McGuinty Liberals are in rapid decline. Farber just bought himself a ticket onboard a ship that's already sinking.
I`m what you`d call an `active member of the Jewish community`and everyone I know can`t stomach Farber.
Well I don't know what it means to be an "active member of the Jewish community" Dodger but I travel in many Jewish circles and the only Jewish public spokesperson that seems to have any cred on Jewish Main St. is Farber. That is unless you are a member of the JDL who Farber took on recently. And of course there is an element of our community both on the far left and far right that see Farber within their own very limited lens.
If Farber was as hated as you try to convince yourself Dodger he could never have lasted so long at CJC. Jewish politics can be worse than anything the Tories can dish out.
I imagine Shurman is not happy that Farber decided to run.
Sat, 2011-05-07 14:16
#14
I've noticed that CJC people tend to run for the Liberals and Bnai Brith people tend to run for the Conservatives.
Sat, 2011-05-07 22:49
#15
M. Spector
Let's try to get over the idea that criticism of Israel is a "foreign policy" issue.
Because of the ongoing Zionist campaign to silence criticism of Israel, backed by all levels of government, it is now a freedom of speech/civil liberties issue, which is very definitely provincial, and should be an issue in the provincial election.
Sun, 2011-05-08 00:42
#16
Well I don't know what it means to be an "active member of the Jewish community" Dodger but I travel in many Jewish circles and the only Jewish public spokesperson that seems to have any cred on Jewish Main St. is Farber.
Well, I live in a largely Jewish neighbourhood (though not in THornhill) and am a member of a synangogue that I attend regularly as well as a Torah study group. My daughter attends a Jewish school and my wife and I are involved in various Jewish causes.
Among the people I know (mainly Orthodox), there's a lot of hostility towards Farber and a sense that he doesn't like us and doesn't care about our part of the community. Farber's focus has never really been on Jewish life. He'd much rather build yet another Holocaust memorial than build a yeshiva. He'd much rather visit a mosque for "interfaith dialogue" than actually sit down and study Torah in a synagogue. When, say, the Dalai Lama visits, Farber is there for the photo op but when a great Hasidic Rebbe visits Toronto, he has no interest in attending that. He's very close to Brent Hawkes, a gay Christian pastor, but he publicly attacked a Chabad rabbi (R' Mendel Kaplan, who runs a major shul in Thornhill) for opposing money being spent to promote the gay pride parade.
Generally, I'd just say taht there's a sense among the orthodox community (of which Thornhill has a large one) that he uses the Jewish community to advance his own agenda and further his own career and isn't really interested in Judaism or the community, despite being paid a lot of money to serve it.
Sun, 2011-05-08 00:52
#17
Here's an interesting article from a few years back
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/canada/story.html?id=7cfb013b-447e-408a-b7ce-7d589b4b4c74
TORONTO - Dalton McGuinty has betrayed Ontario Jews who believed the Liberal Premier was in favour of funding their faith-based schools, says Bernie Farber, chief executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
Mr. Farber said yesterday he was floored to hear Mr. McGuinty attack faith-based schools as segregationist and harmful to Ontario's "social cohesion" last week.
Those comments represent a complete departure from Mr. McGuinty's earlier statements on the issue, Mr. Farber said.
"This is a complete about-face," he said in an interview yesterday. "It's not fair -- it's offensive -- to link our day school system and [other] faith-based schools with segregation. It's fear mongering. It's time for him to step up to the plate and to retract this."
Sun, 2011-05-08 12:06
#18
Dodger, I see you come from a more limited perspective than do I however we are both active I suppose in our own way.
The Jewish people I know would praise Farber for what you damn. His more worldly view is what makes him appealing to the more mainstream of our community. And to harp on the fact that he is interested in remembering the horrors of the Holocaust is pretty low. As I recall Farber is the son of survivors and one can understand his committment to the memory of the 6 million.
As for your allegation that Farber is uninterested in the orthodox,I just don't believe it. No one in his position could have held it so long with the attitude you describe.
The Pride thing is tough but you should really tell the real story. You claim:
"...but he publicly attacked a Chabad rabbi (R' Mendel Kaplan, who runs a major shul in Thornhill) for opposing money being spent to promote the gay pride parade."
Farber supported Kulanu's right as I recall to launch a complaint with York region police over the fact that the rabbi was a police chaplain. That came about after an email the rabbi wrote was made public that was viewed by Jewish LGBT as homophobic. It had nothing to do with money and I can find nothing farber has said in Xtra or the CJN which gives any credence to your allegation.
And yes the police chose to respect the fact that Rabbi Kaplan believed in the Torah admonition that homosexulaity was an "abomination" hence allowed him to keep his public post. A ruling I never quite understood.
In the end Farber has his admirers and detractors as anyone else.
Sun, 2011-05-08 14:23
#19
What Rabbi Kaplan strongly objected to was the CJC taking out full paid ads in the Star, Globe and Post encouraging Jews to attend the parade. These ads appeared in the Saturday editions and the price tage was likely in the 6 figures. Rabbi Kaplan objected to tzedeka money (a lot of it) being spent on something that a) wasn't a major priority (those adds could have fed a lot of needy families or paid a lot of kids' tuition) and b) promoted the violation of Torah law. If you google around or go to the Xtra.ca website, I'm sure you can find Farber's letter and the rabbi's response.
And I don't think anyone is "against" remembering the 6 million. But it needs to stop being the focus of Jewish communal life. I say that as the grandson of two survivors. Farber's main initiatives, it seems, are all about building yet another memorial or passing another declaration about the Holocaust.
People like Farber are busy building memorials to dead Jews and neglecting those of us who are still alive. A month ago, when we were organizing a Pesach food drive to help needy families, we could have used his support. Not a big enough photo op, I guess.
It's 2011 and the Holocaust can't continue to be the focus. We have Jewish kids who go every year to visit death camps in Poland (again, at great expense) but who have never set foot in a Beis Medrash. Jewish kids who can tell you all about the Holocaust but who can't spell their name in Hebrew or tell you this week's Torah parsha.
A couple months back, I read an obituary of a woman who had died in Jerusalem at 100 years old. She was a survivor of Bergen Belsen. Every last member of her family was killed by the Nazis, yemach shemos. She moved to Israel, got married, had about 10 children, each of whom had about 10 children, each of whom had about 10 children. This woman who just decades ago lost every person in her family now counts close to 1000 direct descendents, all living in Israel, all Torah observant. That's a memorial. Not something carved into granite. And that needs to be the focus of our so called "Jewish leaders".
Sun, 2011-05-08 17:08
#20
I was just talking to my dad, who is pretty involved in the Jewish community and he tells me that Farber is being pushed out of the CJC, which is undergoing a big reorganization and has decided that his services are no longer needed. To be replaced by Shimon Fogel. So I guess McGuinty is offering him a graceful exit strategy.
Sun, 2011-05-08 17:22
#21
First its you, now its your father, your attacks on Farber (who is no hero here) are getting kind of dumb. And running for provincial parliament is hardly an exit strategy though if its Farber's choice to get out knowing how the Jewish community is shifting to the harder right who can blame him?
Oh and the CJC didn't take out the add you are talking about. That was the UJA. All other Jewish groups (except the ultra-orthodox) just supported it. Try to get your facts staright ok?
Sun, 2011-05-08 17:35
#22
CJC wasn't the only one involved in posting the ad but their name certainly appeared on it and they contributed money to it. All groups who added theirs should be condemned. I'm not singling out the CJC.
And it wasn't Farber's choice to move on, he was pushed.
Sun, 2011-05-08 18:44
#23
Dodger virtually everything you have written here is simply untrue. I now have been told by more reliable sources than your alleged father that Farber was not pushed. The ad was not paid for by CJC or any other group other than UJA. Most modern orthodox have no problem with CJC or Farber. This is a gratuitous attack that is quickly becoming personal. Libeling people, even people you don't like is not a good thing.
Sun, 2011-05-08 19:56
#24
I don't buy it. Farber is the CEO of the organization. How could he be unhappy with the "direction" the organization was going when he was the one responsible for setting the direction? And, look, I don't know you in real life. I'm sure you're a good guy but I don't know who your anonymous "reliable sources" are. I do know whose my father's are (obviously, you don't) but I'm willing to give him more credibility than these anonymous sources, particularly since this has been bubbling for a while, long before there was any word of farber running for the Liberals.
Whether or not the CJC actually paid for the ad, they added their name to it and Farber personally sent out a letter (using his CJC account) to rabbis across the city encouraging them to join the parade. Again, I'm not singling out the CJC on this. It was a mistake by many Jewish organizations to divide the community like that. I attend a modern Orthodox shul and our rabbi has also spoken out against the decision, as has the rav at Shareei Shomayim, probably the largest modern orthodox shul in Toronto. And Farber certainly did question whether Rabbi Kaplan was fit to serve as police chaplain. I don't know if you know Rabbi Kaplan, but he's a great guy who I imagine has done far more to serve the Jewish community than Farber has (with far fewer resources and to much less public credit).
Sun, 2011-05-08 21:15
#25
Dodger you are really cock-eyed, no one really cares who you are aor your father for that matter and as far as Farber is concerned he can take care of himself. And look there are many issues in which i disagree with people on this board but on one thing I think we all do agree and that is the fact that LGBTQ have the right to their lives.
The Jewish community signed onto an ad asking people to attend pride parade and this Rabbi Kaplan basically went snaky calling it an "abomination". The whole story can be found here People can judge for themselves.
Sun, 2011-05-08 21:24
#26
I have my issues with Farber, but taking on a homophobic rabbi is not one of them.
Mon, 2011-05-09 03:32
#27
So has Farber reversed his stance on funding faith-based schools? Does he support the McGuinty government's funding of the Pride Parade?
Mon, 2011-05-16 16:18
#28
He does support funding for pride as QuAIA dropped out, but Mammoliti is still making an issue of it.
Anyway it looks like Farber has begun his campaign on Twitter.