Back in 2001 in the midst of the Intifada, my son David (now a past President of Federation CJA) asked me to join him on a Federation CJA solidarity mission to Israel. This mission was my first ever connection with Federation CJA since 1976, and it was the first time I’d been back in Israel since taking part in a family mission at that time – my only previous visit. Because of that trip, I came back with a strong emotional attachment to Israel that I hadn’t had before and an even stronger connection to the Montreal Jewish Community. I returned with the feeling that I wanted to get involved.

Over the next couple of years, Marilyn Blumer, one of the mission leaders, took me up on my expression of interest, and in no short order started plunking me on several different committees – one of which was JVS. At the time, JVS was working to create a new employment agency. I participated in that committee as well, and the ultimate outcome was JEM. To my surprise, they asked me to become its first President. The Workshop also fell under the JEM umbrella and working with Howard Berger, we restructured the Workshop, brought in a whole new group of young leaders, and raise two million dollars to totally renovate the premises. It was a very rewarding experience.

Fast-forward a couple of years and I’m on the committee to merge JEM, JIAS, and JFS into a mega social agency of Federation CJA. We pulled off the merger with great success and Ometz was born. We were so very proud of our achievement and the governance we set up. So many said it couldn’t be done and that it wouldn’t work, yet with everyone from the three former agencies building trust in one another, we pulled it off. We built up the trust that allowed everyone to move forward. Being an integral part of such basic changes was a very rewarding feeling. We truly felt like we helped our community organization, made a positive contribution, and left a permanent imprint. In doing that, you get back more than you give.

Looking back, I see my time at JVS, JEM, and Ometz as a collective of my experiences at Federation CJA that have been so personally rewarding. Could I have ever believed that in 2007 I would be asked to be Chairman of the Annual CJA Campaign? It was such an honor to be the face of the Montreal Jewish community, and it was an experience I’ll never forget.

I’ve always looked at it this way: Ometz is really the guts of Federation CJA. Without Ometz, Federation CJA would not exist the way it does now – it is its heart and soul. I love the community and wherever they’ve asked me to lend a hand, I have not hesitated, and hopefully, I never will.