Limmud Toronto 2016

This is a light and informative talk about what it is was like as an observant Jewish City Councillor before during and after the tumultuous Ford years. Councillor Pasternak will share stories about what happens when an observant elected official navigates the secular world of municipal politics. What happens when Toronto's former Mayor Ford attends a Menorah lighting on his first day in office and then dances the Horah to much horror? What happens when Toronto Councillors and Mayor Ford attend an Eruv educational session and it ends up being a feature story in Now magazine? What surprises Councillor's got when they went on a Shiva visit for the first time? And what the real fight was when the anti-Israel group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid tried to hijack the political agenda of Pride Toronto? Councillor Pasternak will also share the inside story of how as a school board Trustee he was responsible for navigating the political minefield when setting up Canada's only black-focussed school. Hear the background stories of power politics and the Jewish community in an amusing and informative format.