The columns that appear on this page are intended to present the opinions of various writers from across Canada on issues that they consider to be important to the Jewish community. Sometimes we are inspired, angered or occasionally amused by matters of local, national or even international interest.

But on a typical day, it’s not difficult to find issues that should be of concern to members of the Canadian Jewish community. The news media daily report on events relating to our heritage, institutions, religious practice and social conscience. Some days, it can be overwhelming.

Essentially, we face three kinds of issues: those of parochial impact on particular facets of community life, those that should be of concern to all Canadian Jews, and, even further, those that go beyond our day-to-day experience.

In the first category, there are many topics of interest to particular members of our community. For example, we have experienced circumstances in Canada in which our secular society has been asked to reasonably accommodate differences and practices in order to protect religious minorities. This addresses concerns recently raised by some chassidic Jews in Quebec.

Issues that should concern all of us include the prosecution and/or deportation of war criminals in our midst. And as part of our efforts to eradicate anti-Semitism, we must continue to take measures against those who propagate hate. We support the constitutionally entrenched value of preserving and enhancing the multicultural heritage of Canadians. And of course, we must continue to seek safety and security for Jews throughout the world, as well as a vibrant and healthy future for the State of Israel.

Our collective social conscience encourages us to get involved in matters that don’t affect our everyday lives, but, if left unattended, serve as an affront to Jewish values, traditions and sensitivities. These include poverty, the plight of the disabled, the recurrence of genocide and other humanitarian issues that are currently unfolding in Sudan’s Darfur region and elsewhere in the world.

Since it’s impossible for individuals to champion all of these issues at once, we have community organizations to address these challenges. Jewish federations across Canada deal with local issues. Canadian Jewish Congress is an organization that is described in terms of its two modifying adjectives: Canadian and Jewish. Congress deals with Canadian issues, Jewish issues and Canadian Jewish issues, and it does so in an admirable and effective way. Other Canadian organizations, such as B’nai Brith, also do their share in addressing these matters. To an extent, we can derive some comfort from knowing that such organizations are mandated with the ongoing responsibility of addressing concerns of importance to our community.

But it’s not enough to leave all the work to these larger organizations. While it’s true that some issues capture our interest more than others, each of us must take a stand and address the issues that  we feel strongly about.

For some, it’s combating anti-Semitism and bringing to justice those who have violated international norms, including those who perpetrate genocide. Others work to discredit those who try to re-write history and deny the Holocaust. Some individuals give priority to the protection of minority religious rights. Others may, however, approach this issue with caution in order to ensure that the preservation of minority rights does not have the deleterious effect of offending gender equality. Some courageous individuals are actively countering events at our universities that condemn Israel for so-called “apartheid” policies.

Whether it’s through education, fundraising, lobbying or other forms of community activism, there is much work for all of us to do.

We bring our Jewish perspective to issues that face us in our daily life, as well as to issues of broader concern. Confronted by a barrage of contemporary issues, we each must identify the issues that have the most personal significance. Although we have to be selective as to how we confront the many challenges that we face, through our commitment to tikkun olam, we must get involved and make a difference in the lives of others.