Education

Education: Public Speaking Initiatives, Tikkun Olam Workshops

Ve’ahavta recognizes that much is being accomplished through our activities in places such as Zimbabwe, where HIV/AIDS is rampant and to a great extent has destroyed the family and national structure. We know, of course that our relationship with the Native community through our Homeless Program initiatives is important, as they are indigenous Canadians with much experience to offer on how to assist those living on or near the street.

But we also recognize that education, imparting healthy ideas, encouraging debate on ethical issues and moral questions and sharing the wisdom of our elders is equally as important as all of our hands-on work.

The Jewish people are called the ‘People of the Book’ because it is central to Judaism to wonder and ask, to teach and to learn, and all of this is achieved through reading, writing and the cultivation of wisdom.

The Torah says, “na’aseh ve’nishma” – “we will do and then we will learn.” At Ve’ahavta’s launch in 1996 we decided to invest our efforts in education initiatives – speaking in schools, shuls, temples and churches on the need to pursue goodness and peace, the importance of actualizing tikun olam. Ve’ahavta’s dedication to education initiatives is equal to that of its practical, hands-on and site-specific assistance programs – making our way through the Guyanese rainforest to help those without adequate medical care.

Today our Education Department has a vital program of site-specific education agenda including:

• Our Homework Program in Regent Park every Monday night when volunteers travel down to Regent Park to teach and study with Somali children and other young people newly arrived in Canada;
• Regular speaking engagements in shuls, churches and mosques, in public and private schools and corporate boardrooms;
• Our Tikkun Olam Camp Program where we visit camps to discuss and workshop concepts and practices of tikun olam.

We persist in our efforts far and wide to inform audiences of Ve’ahavta’s capacity to perform tikkun olam and to assist in designing educational modules dedicated to promoting tikkun olam anywhere and everywhere.

If you would like to engage a speaker or want to learn more about our Education Department please call Sarah Zelcer at 416-964-7698, ext. 16 or Avrum Rosensweig at 416-964-7698, ext .13.