Holy Blossom is Canada's most prominent Reform Jewish congregation, located in the heart of St. Paul's riding in the very affluent Forest Hill/Cedarvale area. Although a very wealthy congregation that is home to movers and shakers like Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman, it is very much known for its commitment to social justice. For instance, Holy Blossom is the only synagogue in North America to shelter homeless people overnight. Holy Blossom also runs an outreach program for those in the Jewish community living with AIDS.
Last night, democratic socialist and humanitarian Stephen Lewis, who recently completed his term as UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, in spite of a snowstorm drew a very large turnout for a talk sponsored by the Social Action Committee. In his introductory remarks, CBC journalist and Holy Blossom member Evan Solomon spoke of Lewis' tireless work on behalf of the humanitarian crisis of AIDS in Africa as being in the tradition of Nelson Mandela, Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Lewis spoke for the need for the privileged people of the West not to be indifferent to the suffering in Africa and spoke of such tragic consequences of parents burying their children and the heroic role of grandmothers raising their grandchildren. A proud feminist, Lewis called the struggle for gender equality the biggest struggle of today and called for the UN to make gender equality a serious part of its mandate. Despite the drastic situation, Lewis spoke of some hopeful developments - including the Clinton Foundation's ability to negotiate lower drug prices as well as the current debate about creating a women's agency at the UN on par with organizations such as UNICEF and UNDP.
The 15 minute period alloted for questions was far too little, and it had to be "bumped" to make room for the presentation by students from the religious school. Lewis was around after for book signings in which the lineup was in the hundreds, and I unfortunately couldn't stick around. It was very much evident that Stephen Lewis is deeply loved by members of the congregation. The commitment to tikun olam is alive and well in Toronto.
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Thanks for responding and leaving a comment on my blog. I'm not sure how you got in. I have tried the link you used - no results.
Just a comment from the dark recesses of my memory: after the NDP recruited Morton Shulman (about as much of a socialist as I am an astronaut) I asked Stephen about it. He was not the least bit embarrassed. The NDP, and this has been said before, has always been the conscience, but never the power. It's time. Well, it wasn't - at least not for Stephen and his sidekick Jerry Caplan.
I have since departed from the NDP over many issues - principly that they exist in an ideological straightjacket, no less confining than the neo-cons of the Harper government. They have embraced every lost cause simply because it appears to be lost. They have spread such a wide umbrella to attract every malcontent that they have lost focus. Jack Layton is bound by some of the old "class struggle" dogmas that make him significantly anti-business. He has endorsed the taxation of Income Trusts simply becasuse any thing Big Business does must be, by its very being, an attack on freedom and a sleazy attempt to avoid taxes. He comes down on what is perceived to be the side of the angels and tries to appear to occupy the high moral ground.
I am not a huge admirer of Bob Rae, but at least he understands that democratic Socialism should include pragmatism and a proper approach to reality.
Never mind that the Left has embraced the "poor" Palestinians in their "sturggle."
Thanks Larry. I don't see Layton as much as an ideologue as you do though. The last election the NDP had a quite moderate platform, with Paul Summerville running in St. Paul's. Like Stephen, I voted for Summerville though I'm not sure if I feel betrayed. Summerville switched parties to support Bob Rae, which a lot of progressive people did. I still very much respect Rae, and I have to say even though I support the NDP Carolyn Bennett is a very good MP.
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