Dear Friends,
It is a privilege to lead an organization that elevates, educates, and empowers immigrants and refugees. For the past 99 years, JIAS has supported waves of immigrants and refugees from different countries who have chosen to make Canada their home. JIAS was founded to support Jewish refugees who were forced to flee Eastern Europe because of pogroms and persecution. While our original client base has expanded to include newcomers from all faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds, what has remained unchanged is our commitment to our Jewish values to welcome the stranger with dignity and respect. Our Jewish history, teachings, and values, combined with our mandate as a settlement agency charge us with the moral imperative to continue to welcome the stranger, stand up for injustices, help the vulnerable, and combat racism. I had the honour of speaking with Irwin Cotler at our AGM about the impact of JIAS and why a Jewish settlement agency is needed today. Click here to watch the interview.
Our Annual Report covers the period of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. In July 2020, we were a little over 100 days into the pandemic and we were operating remotely.
While we did not know much about the future, what we did know with certainty were three things: that our commitment to ensure that each and every client had access to services and programs was unwavering; that our dedication to our staff’s safety and wellbeing was paramount; and that the way we operated moving forward would forever be transformed.
Like most other organizations we had to rethink, re-examine, and redesign how we approached our work. This process forced us to realign our approaches to be more client-centric; think differently about outcomes, deliverables, and communication; address issues of organizational systems and processes; and reframe how we use quantitative and qualitative data to better inform decisions. In looking back at the past year, I am so proud of the individual and collective contributions of our staff and volunteers. While we still have a lot of work to do, their efforts have elevated our work, our impact, our clients, our organization, and each other.
A huge thank you to our many partners, funders, and donors. We are grateful for your support and our trusted relationships.
We look forward in 2022 to celebrating our 100th anniversary. There will be many opportunities to become involved at JIAS, whether it be sharing your family’s immigration story, planning programs, attending events, or helping fundraise. Follow us on social media or join our mailing list to stay informed about JIAS anniversary announcements.
Thank you,
Elise Herzig
Executive Director
A Conversation with Citizenship Judge Albert Wong