Hundreds of young professionals recently mingled with politicians from all levels of government at the fourth annual ACTION party organized by the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC).
Young professionals recently mingled with politicians at a Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee party. From left are party co-chair Jay Klein, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and party co-chair Noah Godfrey [Cara Edell photo]
This year’s event, held at the National Ballet School in Toronto on March 11, was created to encourage young Jewish Canadians and pro-Israel supporters to become politically active and make an impact on issues of concern in the community, said Leah Carr, one of four co-chairs of the event, along with Emily Burnett, Noah Godfrey and Jay Klein.
CJPAC is a national, grassroots, independent organization whose mandate is to engage the community in the political process, said Mark Waldman, executive director of CJPAC. “It is the only organization that can engage in multi-partisan politics. We help the community look coast to coast to build critical relationships with friends from all parties and all levels of government. Relationships matter if we want to have an impact beyond our numbers. There are 308 ridings in Canada, not just the few we live in.”
Waldman said many young professionals are naturally passionate, but don’t know much about the political process. “We try to demonstrate with the ACTION party that getting involved in politics is a great way to make a difference on the issues they care about. There are also many young professionals who are political leaders. Getting these groups together helps promote political involvement.”
He said CJPAC’s ACTION party provides an opportunity for young professionals and politicians to unite in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. “The informal setting that the party presents allows CJPAC to demonstrate to young Jewish professionals that meeting politicians and ultimately getting more engaged in the Canadian political process should not be intimidating and can actually be a lot of fun.”
Since 2007, Waldman said the ACTION party has become CJPAC’s largest event. Tickets to this year’s affair, which featured live entertainment, an open bar and delicious hors d’oeuvres, were sold out more than two days in advance. Politicians and political candidates in attendance included Ontario PC party leader Tim Hudak, Toronto city councillor Adam Giambrone, Toronto mayoralty candidate Rocco Rossi and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
“The ACTION party has been a huge success since the first year we started it. The fact that it grows each year says that both the young professionals and politicians think it is a great event since they keep coming back. Positive word of mouth helps it grow,” Waldman said.
A similar party is scheduled for Montreal on May 6. To ensure that young professionals of the Ottawa community can be part of the “action,” CJPAC will arrange transportation between Ottawa and Montreal.
Aside from its annual ACTION party, Waldman said CJPAC promotes various initiatives across Canadian university campuses “that seek to build an intellectual and experiential understanding of civic engagement for students.” The organization runs programs, seminars and volunteer opportunities “to increase students’ understanding, skills and enthusiasm in the decision-making process to ensure a strong voice that will carry forward.”
He said CJPAC encourages students to become active in the offices of candidates between and during elections and to attend national and regional conferences across the country. CJPAC’s Fellowship program allows students to enhance their understanding of election campaigns and Israel advocacy in Canada, as well as opportunities to meet with elected officials and senior political strategists throughout the year.
The Fellowship program even includes a trip to Ottawa, where students can attend a national political conference, including a day of advanced campaign training, Waldman said. Currently, 37 Fellows from 13 university campuses across Canada are enrolled in the program.
For more information about CJPAC, visit www.cjpac.ca.
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