The past year has been marked by turmoil for countries and governments worldwide. Many have shifted their support from progressive to right-wing parties. In Canada, polls show weariness with Liberal strategies despite their efforts to improve Canadians’ lives. While there is nothing wrong with this shift, right-wing politicians should focus on criticizing their opponents’ policies rather than attacking them personally. As for the United States, it’s still too early to make judgments, as the election is still ongoing. However, a significant portion of the electorate still supports the right-wing (looney-tune) candidate as of October 2024.

In our beloved Israel, fighting has been ongoing for over a year. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that this conflict will be resolved soon. It appears to be getting worse, while the fate of the hostages seems to have been sidelined. While Israel excels in many areas, public relations is not one of them. In the ongoing back and forth, Hamas remains entrenched in Gaza. So when Israel targets one sector and inflicts severe damage, Hamas – like most vermin – simply moves to another part of Gaza. Israel declares the operation a success and targets the next area. Of course, by then, Hamas has moved back to the first area. It’s like playing whack-a-mole and ultimately is a no-win scenario.

What’s the solution then? How can you find peace with someone whose only goal is your eradication? I wish there was a simple solution. Unfortunately, they represent an idea, a skewed vision for many people in that region, and you can’t kill an idea.

Is there even a solution? I have no idea, but enough is enough! As someone once said, “Can’t we all just get along?”

My wish for 2025 is that it will be a year of healing, understanding, and progress for FHL, Ontario, Canada, and the entire world.

Before we sign off on another issue, I’d like to discuss a matter that has been on my mind recently. With the federal election on the horizon (or already here), we can expect ongoing criticism from the opposition about how our first-past-the-post electoral system fails to represent the people’s will. Most of us agree that it must evolve to ensure better representation in government. However, once we abandon the current system, what should we replace it with? There are numerous options, each with its own pros and cons. For example, in Israel, minor political parties wield a disproportionate amount of power.

All countries must find the best way to choose their elected representatives, as there is no perfect system. Ultimately, it should be about selecting the best people to represent them in whatever system they choose. Unfortunately, Canada’s Jewish community groups long ago abandoned any pretense of letting the public choose leaders to represent their interests.

Years ago, the Canadian Jewish Congress held annual plenaries where members of local Jewish groups participated, debated issues of the day, and elected their leaders for a fixed term. Similarly, B’nai Brith Canada would hold annual conventions to discuss concerns of the day and elect its leadership.

Unfortunately, CJC is now a part of Canadian Jewish history. In its place, we have CIJA (The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), whose leadership is determined internally. BBC still exists, but has undergone significant changes since its inception. National conventions are now part of historical memory, and the process for selecting leadership is unclear to the members who continue to pay annual dues.

Then there is the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, basically an American construct set up north of the 49th parallel. I would love to know who appointed them as our guardians and gave them the authority to speak on our behalf.

Maybe I have already become a relic, but I still firmly believe in participatory democracy, which I find sadly lacking in our community. Do our leaders even know what it means? Perhaps they should look it up on Google. They might be pleasantly surprised at how well it works.

Happy Chanukah to all.