By MYRON LOVE High Holiday seats are selling out quickly at our community’s largest congregations as Etz Chayim and Shaarey Zedek members are eager to experience Yom Tov services in their new surrounding
With almost a month still to go until Yom Tov – Erev Rosh Hashanah is Wednesday, October 2 – Dr Rena Secter Elbaze, Shaarey Zedek’s executive director, reports that as of Friday, August 30, seats for the main sanctuary service are 74% sold out and that the family service already has a wait list.
For the past two years, the synagogue has been closed while the now-72-year-old building has been undergoing the first major thoroughgoing upgrade since the early 1970s. Over that time period, regular weekly minyan services have being held at Temple Shalom and Shabbat and High Holiday services at the Asper Campus.  The congregation is scheduled to resume regular Shabbat and weekday services in its own building again after Rosh Hashanah.
Elbaze does note that, due to current fire code conditions and the need to make the sanctuary better able to accommodate wheelchairs, there are somewhat fewer seats in the sanctuary than there were before.  On the other hand, services have been live-streamed now for several years.
“We have quite a few people from out of town who regularly follow our services online,” Elbaze points out.
Once again, this year, the popular Rabbi Emeritus Alan Green – who was the Shaarey Zedek’s senior rabbi for 18 years – is returning to lead Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the main sanctuary with Cantor Leslie Emery, the Quartet, and the Ruach Volunteer Choir. Rabbi Anibal Mass will be leading the popular family service with Noah Trachtenberg, a Youth Band and the Dor Chadash Youth Choir.
 
For the members  of Congregation Etz Chayim, these will be the first High Holiday services in the synagogue’s new south end location at 1155 Wilkes.
“We are essentially sold out for Yom Tov,” reports  Jonathan Buchwald, Etz Chayim’s executive director.  “Our members are really excited about our first Yom Tov in our new building.” 
Congregation Etz Chayim came into being on July 1, 2002, as a result of the merger of the Rosh Pina, Bnay Abraham and Beth Israel Congregations – the three largest synagogues in north Winnipeg.  While the resulting new congregation had been davening at the former Rosh Pina’s building – which dated back to 1952, the broad and members had been – for several years – talking about relocating to south Winnipeg, where the majority of its members live.  The discussions finally became reality within the past year. Last year, the congregation acquired the former Shriners headquarters while at the same time selling their north Winnipeg building to a church group. Following a complete renovation of the new building, the membership was able to begin services in March.
By necessity – in reflecting the congregation’s slowly declining membership numbers  –  the new Etz Chayim is considerably smaller than its predecessor.  To accommodate the demand for Yom Kippur seating in particular, Buchwald reports, the Kol Nidre service will be held at the Holiday Inn  Express at the airport – and there with two services for Yom Kippur day.
The services can also be followed online.
Rabbi Kliel Rose and Cantor Tracy Kasner will, as usual, be leading Etz Chayim’s High Holiday services.
“We will be holding our special family service again this year geared towards families with young children,” Buchwald notes.  This will be a unique service involving songs, activities and storytelling. It will take place in the mornings of the second day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur day.
Etz Chayim will also be holding Junior Congregation for the two days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur day for both the morning and afternoon services.
Services are available either in-person or online.

Temple Shalom, our community’s 60-year-old Reform Congregation, will be introducing their new clergy this year at Yom Tov.  The 2024 High Holiday services will be led by cantorial soloist Janet Pelletier Goetz as well long time Temple Shalom member Myriam  Saitman – who is set to begin training in September toward her rabbinical  ordination – and, for the first time, choir leader Erica Tallis –a  2020 graduate of the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba.

South end Winnipeg further offers a fourth liberal Jewish option in the form of Rabbi Matthew Leibl’s “Services on the River: A Modern High Holidays”. This is the second year that the former Shaarey Zedek – and now independent – rabbi is leading his own service at the Gates on Roblin.
He reported last year that he had a lot of people asking him to lead Yom Tov services.  ”Last year, I had about 250 people attending my service,” he says.  “I am hoping to have a similar number this year.”
The venue has room for up to 300 people.
“Services on the River: A modern High Holidays” are once again scheduled for   the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur in the morning.
The three services, Leibl noted last year, “are designed to offer moments of reflection and introspection, beautiful live music, and a celebration of the Jewish New Year, all against the pastoral backdrop of the Assiniboine River, which will also be our site for Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah.” 
He explained that he will be blending his trademark Torah commentary, relevant explanations, and some humour with a mix of traditional and contemporary liturgy, to deliver a High Holy Day experience that will feel both familiar and modern.   He adds that he will again be working with the husband and wife cantorial team of Justin Odwak and Sarah Sommer.
All services will run 90 minutes.  While families are encouraged to attend, there are no programs designed specifically for children. 

South Winnipeg’s orthodox options include the Adas Yeshurun Herzlia and the Chabad Lubavitch centre. The former – led by Rabbi Yossi Benarroch  – has a membership of about 100  and can accommodate up to 250.  The latter has a capacity of between 200 and 300.
 
The Simkin Centre is holding Yom Tov services that are open to the general public.  The services, which will begin at 10:00 A.M. on all three days of Yom Tov, are being led by Steven Hyman with the Simkin Centre Choir, led by Bonnie Antel.
Caitlin Liewicki, the Manager of Resident Experience, is asking that anyone who may be planning on attending the service from the public RSVP either by email (caitlin.liewicki@simkincentre.ca)or telephone (204 589-9008) , so that she knows how many to plan for.
 
While it is too early to report as to High Holiday attendance at the Chevra Mishnayes Rob Waldman, the president of the egalitarian congregation in Garden City, says that the board is hopeful that there may be a few former Etz Chayim people in the North End who may choose the Chevra Mihsnayes this year.
A few former Etz Chayim members have been attending Shabbat services at the north Winnipeg congregation for the past several months.
Last year’s attendance was 100.
Once again, Al Benarroch will be leading the services.  
                          
Still with the North End, the venerable House of Ashkenazie, the last of our community’s older-style Orthodox congregations, also, according to president Gary Minuk, is hoping that there will be 30 to 40 daveners for the High Holidays this year.

One other Orthodox north Winnipeg alternative is the former Chavurat Tefila – on the corner of Hartford and McGregor – which merged last year with the Talmud Torah and is now operating under the Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah name.
Last year, attendance at the CT-TT was around 40. The leadership is hoping to match, if not exceed, that number this year.  Services this year will be led by Rabbi Menachem Frenkel from Baltimore.

Finally, for those who enjoy an alternative – yet traditional service in its own way – after a two-year absence, Camp Massad is resuming its innovative Rosh Hashanah service.  Daniel Sprintz, the camp’s executive director, is pleased to announce that Massad will again be hosting its usual Rosh Hashanah program on the second day. 
“We offer a creative and interactive service that combines some traditional prayers with contemporary readings, folk music and our usual Camp Massad shtick,” Sprintz says.  “Our services will be followed by a kosher lunch and Tashlich at the Lake.”
Last year, just over 100 attended.  He is hoping to have a somewhat larger number this year.

Yom Tov this year begins on Wednesday, October 2, in the evening.
Wishing all readers a sweet new year.

By MYRON LOVE  A chance meeting on an airplane almost 30 years ago between former Lieutenannt-Governor Janice Filmon – at that time the wife of then-Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, and a Jewish businessman from Argentina, planted a seed that has grown into a magnificent tree that has revitalized our Jewish community.

As a result of that meeting, our once declining community has been enriched by an estimated 6,500 newcomers (most of whom have stayed) from many different countries.
To recap, the businessman was looking to immigrate to Toronto. Filmon persuaded him to consider Winnipeg instead. He was impressed by what he saw and suggested that the community send representatives to Buenos Aires to meet with other Argentine Jewish families who were considering leaving.
Thus was born GrowWinnipeg, an initiative led in its early years by Larry Hurtig – then the president of the Federation, and Evelyn Hecht, who became the principal contact for the newcomers.  Our community opened our arms in welcome to the new arrivals, hosting them in our homes, and helping them become acclimatized to their new society.
After Evelyn Hecht retired in 2006, she was succeeded as director of GrowWinnipeg by her assistant, Dalia Szpiro, who was herself a relatively new immigrant to Winnipeg.  Szpiro,  her husband, Eduardo Borovich and young daughter, Yael, came here in 2002 from Uruguay,
“Evelyn was a joy to work with,” Szpiro says. “I learned through her the generosity, openness and welcoming spirit that our Jewish Community has. Her door was always open.  I have tried to follow her example.”
Szpiro is being assisted in her work by Irina Gelzin and  recently hired volunteer coordinator Belin Seloni.
 “What we offer as a community to newcomers is unique,” Szpiro pointed out in an earlier interview.  “One of the requirements to apply for permanent residency is an exploratory visit to Manitoba. We have a great number of volunteers who connect with the exploratory visitors and their families.  We work to build contacts between prospective newcomers and members of the community. We try to match new families with people with similar backgrounds.  They start to build their network before moving here, so when they move here they feel at home. Candidates are connected to all our organizations and services including JCFS, Rady JCC, Gray Academy, synagogues, professional regulatory bodies, and other relevant contacts.”
On Monday, August 26, Szpiro and the Federation showed its appreciation to the many community volunteers who have helped make the GrowWinnipeg initiative a success with a social evening at the Asper Campus that attracted about 130 people – a mix of locally-born host families, long-established immigrants, and recently arrived newcomers.
The evening was light on speeches with more focus on socializing and enjoying the music from Muse On, a live band, at the outdoor venue. “The members of the band,” Szpiro notes, are also volunteers who meet exploratory visitors and volunteered that evening as well.
 
In her remarks, Federation President Paula Parks spoke of the dreams and aspirations which newcomers to our community have brought with them.  “I want to thank all of you who have extended a welcoming hand over the years to our new arrivals,” she said. 
“Winnipeg is not just a good place to raise a family. I is also a great place to call home.”
Among the most recent arrivals who were out for the event was Eyal Braunstein, formerly of Sderot, who landed with his wife and baby just five months ago.   “We really appreciate the quiet,” says the mechanical engineer.  “It is relaxing and people have been really welcoming.”
Itai and Elona David and their four children – the oldest of whom is in first year at the University of Manitoba – have been here for three years.   Originally from Hadera in west central Israel, the software engineer says that he appreciates the support from our Jewish community. 
He adds that a lot of Israelis may be interested in moving to Winnipeg.
Good friends Alex Hadish and Dima Vainer have been here for 12 and 14 years respectively.  Vainer is originally from Sderot and Hadish from Ukraine by way of Israel.  Both work for the same IT company.
Hadish says that he and his family came for reasons of security and opportunity, Vainer and his family for a sense of safety. “This is a better place to raise a family,” he says.
Like Hadish, Asia Shvarzman is also originally from the former Soviet Union by way of Israel.  The project manager in charge of research and development with Gordon Construction came to Winnipeg 14 years ago after having lived in Haifa for 19 years.  In addition to her work here, Shvartzman, who has a Ph.D., is an associate professor of Computer Science at the Jerusalem College of Technology.
“I teach carbon construction and technology,” she notes.  “I return to Israel twice a year.  One area I focus on is building a strong working relationship in my field between Canada and Israel.”
Of the newcomers that I had the pleasure of meeting at the social evening, David and Sandra Brunstein have been here the longest.  The couple arrived here from Buenos Aires in 2005.
“With the birth of our daughter, our view of the world changed,” says David, a software developer.  (Sandra works with refugees and new immigrants).  “We wanted to go to a place that would offer a better environment in which to raise our daughter.”
They learned about the GrowWinnipeg initiative and liked what they heard.   “We got a lot of support from the Jewish community – especially from Evelyn Hecht,” Sandra recalls.
Once they were established here, David and Sandra began to give back – hosting other prospective immigrants – who came on exploratory visits  – and sharing their experiences.
I was surprised to run into David and Sherrill Levene at the event.  I have known them for years – but I did not know that they have been among the members of our community who have been opening their home to newcomers – something , Sherrill reports, that they have been doing since the mid-1980s – well before the GrowWinnipeg initiative came  into existence. 
“I was a volunteer with the Jewish Child and Family Service when the  first wave of immigrants from Russia arrived here,” Sherrill recounts.  “That was how we began hosting newcomers.”
David adds that, over the years, they have hosted between 50 and 60 different exploratory visitors and newcomer families.
“We have been glad to be able to help,” Sherrill says  She could be speaking for our community as a whole when she added that “our lives have been enriched by all those friends we have made through the GrowWinnipeg initiative.”     
“While most of our new families are now coming from Israel,” Szpiro noted in that earlier interview,  “we are also still getting a lot of inquiries from Mexico, Brazil Argentina, Turkey, Hungary, South Africa, Colombia, Ukraine and Russia.”
As for herself and her family, she and Eduardo are satisfied that they made the right move.  “Winnipeg not only offers a lot for families but also for young adults,” she says.  “There are so many opportunities for them.” 

By BERNIE BELLAN (September 6, 2024) For several weeks we’ve been writing on this website about the quandary in which JNF Canada now finds itself as a result of the CRA’s announcement on August 10 that it was revoking JNF Canada’s charitable status. What follows is a detailed review of what’s happened since the CRA made that announcement. As a result of that decision JNF Canada has not been able to issue tax receipts for donations – and, in the worst case scenario, could be hit with a penalty amounting to 100% of its assets (which are over $32 million).

Here’s what’s happened: On August 10, the Canada Revenue Agency dropped a bombshell with an announcement in the Canada Gazette that JNF Canada’s charitable status had been revoked.
Not only did the announcement catch JNF Canada by surprise, it came on a Saturday – which JNF Canada regarded as especially hurtful considering it was Shabbat.

What the CRA has done has enormous ramifications, not only for an organization that has had a storied history in the development of Israel, but for many Canadians – Jews and non-Jews alike, when it comes to charitable giving, no organization has had a higher priority than the Jewish National Fund Canada.

As such, prior to publication, we did contact the Canada Revenue Agency to try to get a better idea why it had revoked JNF Canada’s charitable status, asking in an email dated August 29: “What I’ve been trying to understand is whether there is any one key issue that has led to the CRA’s revoking JNF-Canada’s charitable status or is it as a result of many issues?”

Email sent to jewishpostandnews.ca by CRA

The CRA did respond, writing “We can confirm that the charitable status of the Jewish National Fund of Canada Inc. / Fonds National Juif du Canada Inc. (the Organization) is revoked effective August 10, 2024, in accordance with the Income Tax Act (the Act).
 
“As the charitable sector is supported by all Canadian taxpayers, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is committed to increasing the transparency and accountability of charitable organizations by providing relevant information about them to the public, in accordance with the disclosure provisions of the Income Tax Act (the Act).

“For more information, please visit Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 158, Number 32 and the CRA’s List of charities and certain other qualified donees. Furthermore, under the Act, the CRA can release a copy of the letter(s) it sent to the charity outlining the reasons for its revocation. Please find here a copy of the letters the CRA has sent to the Organization about the reasons for revocation. Any redactions found in the documents are intended to protect confidential taxpayer information as required by the Act.”

JNF CEO Lance Davis questions the CRA’s stance

Also, prior to publication, we invited JNF Canada to respond to the CRA’s decision. On September 5, we received a response from Lance Davis, CEO, JNF Canada (It should be explained that Davis refers extensively to the term “charitable object.” Later in this article there will be a detailed explanation of what that term means and why the CRA maintains JNF Canada deviated from its charitable object.) Here is what Lance Davis wrote:
“The CRA’s confirmation of revocation letter, focusing on JNF Canada’s work in 2011-12  is fundamentally about our founding charitable object, meaning the key purpose of the charity.  If the charitable purpose is not charitable then all of our subsequent work would be problematic.  We disagree and have argued to the CRA that our work for the past five decades is indeed charitable. 
“Secondly, if after more than fifty years, CRA changes its opinion about an object that it accepted in 1967, then a simple solution would have been to work with JNF to identify a new charitable object and ensure its compliance.  JNF Canada submitted ten potential charitable objects to the CRA and they ignored these suggestions.  We called upon the CRA more than 10 times to help us resolve this dispute and these requests were not answered.  Interestingly, representatives of the CRA did accept meetings with organizations calling for the revocation of our charitable status, but not JNF. 
“The CRA did address two recent projects, meaning they were realized long after the time frame of the audit.  They identified two rather small administrative issues.  We do our work in Hebrew and submitted some documentation in Hebrew which is not illegal.  However, we should have translated it before we shared it.  We are involved with two psychiatric hospitals in Jerusalem and there was an error in the documentation provided, which we acknowledge.  It was human error.  It could have been solved with a simple phone call or email asking for clarification.  If this is an issue worthy of inclusion in the letter of revocation, it certainly is a draconian response.  The projects in question were built properly.  The receipts for the work were submitted.  We have professionals on the ground checking the work.  One simply has to look at the photos of the before and after to see that that we realized important charitable social service projects assisting Israel’s most vulnerable populations: those suffering from the most severe mental illnesses and special needs children.”
 

In order to understand the significance of the CRA decision one need only consider some aspects of how much JNF Canada has contributed to Israel since its inception in 1968 (when it was created as a wholly separate entity from the Keren Kayemet Le’Yisrael (Jewish National Fund).
In the years since its creation JNF has funded over $200 million for more than 180 projects in Israel and has planted over 2 million trees. As of 2022 JNF Canada had almost $32 million in assets in Canada.
Now, with the decision to revoke its charitable status, while JNF has assured its supporters that it will carry on even if it is no longer able to issue charitable receipts, the danger is that it will be forced to pay a penalty amounting to 100% of all its assets in a year’s time from the date of revocation.

In the days that followed the decision to revoke JNF Canada’s charitable status – and ever since, for that matter, there has been much confusion as to what led the CRA to take such drastic action.
The CRA cited a number of reasons for the decision to revoke, including that JNF Canada failed “to be constituted for exclusively charitable purposes;” was engaged in activities that are not in furtherance of charitable purposes;” was not exercising “direction and control over the activities undertaken in Israel and thus not devoting its resources to its own charitable activities;” provided “funds to non-qualified donees;” and failed to have “insufficient documentation to substantiate the activities undertaken in Israel and its failure to keep information in such form that would enable the Minister to determine whether there are grounds for the revocation of its registration.”

On August 14, we reported on the JNF’s response to the CRA’s shocking announcement by running a story on jewishpostandnews.ca that was first published on a website known as Algemeiner. That story noted JNF Canada’s response to the CRA’s decision to revoke its charitable status: The “CRA usually takes certain measures, like negotiating compliance agreements or invoking sanctions, before drastically revoking an organization’s charitable status,’ JNF Canada said. ” But, in its dealing with JNF Canada, the CRA ‘not only skipped steps 1-3, it also refused to enter into a dialogue with us and to entertain our suggestions of new objects for our charity or to discuss a compliance agreement,’ the Jewish group said. ‘We maintain that the CRA erred both in fact and in law and that the process was flawed and unfair, which is why we have ended up in court.’
The story went on to say that “JNF Canada also maintains that it has addressed CRA’s concerns about its work with KKL by taking steps such as reducing the number of its projects with the group and engaging in a compliant agreement with the Israeli charity.
“ ‘KKL works for JNF Canada, just like any other agent that we utilize. JNF Canada selects the projects we wish to support and we always have direction and control over all of the funds as we reimburse expenses upon receipt of valid expense reports. In short, we have addressed the CRA’s concerns.’ ”

The CJN criticizes JNF Canada
Also on August 14 the Canadian Jewish News released a podcast with well-known journalist Ellin Bessner in which Bessner examined in great detail the charges laid by the CRA that had led to its revoking JNF Canada’s charitable status. For part of the podcast Bessner also interviewed lawyer Mark Blumberg, who specializes in charity law. (We have been in touch with Blumberg several times since, asking him about the CRA’s decision. At the end of this story you can read a very interesting comment by Blumberg about the suggestion that politicians should intervene in this situation to reverse CRA’s decision.)
During her podcast Bessner was critical of JNF Canada and, in an article subsequently published by the CJN many of those criticisms were repeated in print, including:
“Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) warned JNF Canada in 2019 it planned to take away its charitable status and then warned them again in 2023 and in 2024, due to ‘repeated and serious non-compliance’ with the Income tax Act rules governing charities, particularly covering JNF Canada’s work in Israel.
The article went on to say that “Documents recently released to The CJN by the CRA show the venerable Canadian Jewish charity–that has helped reforest and build infrastructure in Israel since the late 1960s—had been warned repeatedly to clean up its act between 2016 and 2023, and even earlier. 
“ ‘The CRA letter dated Aug. 21, 1989, raised concerns about the [JNF Canada’s] direction and control, and maintenance of books and records,’ according to the CRA documents. ‘The major concerns about the Organization’s activities overseas have been present since the first audit.’
To clarify, the CRA began auditing JNF Canada in 2011 and sent letters to JNF Canada in 2016 and 2018. The CRA began issuing warnings to JNF Canada beginning in 2019 that JNF Canada’s charitable status could be revoked.
The CRA released 358 pages of documents to Bessner and we were able ourselves to see those documents. In fairness to JNF Canada, many of the documents are simply repetitions of other documents. The gist of the CRA’s complaint with JNF Canada is that it had not been in compliance with regulations in the Income Tax Act that govern the behaviour of charities, nor had it taken proper steps to correct its behaviour even though it has been given repeated warnings for many years.

JNF Canada’s “charitable object” comes in for close scrutiny
One particularly interesting aspect of the CRA’s criticisms of JNF Canada had to do with what is known as JNF Canada’s “charitable object.” Every charity, in order to be allowed to issue tax receipts, has to have a “charitable object” that would have to have some sort of humanitarian purpose.
Now, in order to understand something about the JNF’s charitable object you have to go back to the inception of JNF Canada in 1968. Until that point there was no such thing as JNF Canada. There was only what was known as “Keren Kayemeth Le’Yisrael,” which is how many of us knew of the organization. When JNF Canada was created in 1968, it declared that its “charitable object” – you may be surprised to learn, was “the relief of poverty” – by employing “indigent workers” to plant trees and prepare parks.
It may be a digression, but in looking at the 358 pages of documents that CRA had sent to JNF Canada, I was surprised to see the extent to which CRA examined in minute detail how much those “indigent workers” were paid. CRA concluded that, based on Israel’s minimum wage for the periods which were examined, workers were overpaid quite a bit for the work they did. (We cite that only to show how far CRA went in examining JNF Canada records.)
In other instances, CRA complained that there was an insufficient paper trail for projects undertaken by JNF Canada in Israel or, as was noted in one particular instance, receipts and invoices were submitted to CRA in Hebrew. As well, CRA noted JNF provided documentation for the wrong project when it was asked to provide documentation for a particular project.
JNF Canada responded strongly – both to the reasons CRA cited in revoking JNF Canada’s charitable status, and the manner in which Ellin Bessner reported on the CRA decision – claiming that Bessner had not gone to JNF Canada for a response to CRA’s criticisms before publishing a piece that cited CRA criticisms of JNF Canada.

JNF Canada responds to the CJN story
JNF Canada published a response to the CJN story on its website, saying in part:
“Although JNF was in regular contact with the CJN reporting team prior to the publication of the article on the history of our relationship with the CRA, we were never asked for our views on critical issues raised in the article. Furthermore, the behaviour of the CRA or their findings, are never questioned or criticized. Rather, it assumes that the CRA is righteous and just, and JNF is the guilty party.

“Not surprisingly, this leaves the readers with a one-sided and unbalanced impression. 

“A few issues raised
“Due to human error, we provided the CRA with documentation on the wrong psychiatric hospital project. We annually oversee funding for multiple projects and at the time, we were supporting two psychiatric facilities in Jerusalem. A phone call would have quickly resolved the matter.
“Hebrew is the language of work in Israel, the language in which we receive 100s of documents, and a language our leadership can read and work in. While there is no law that requires documentation to be submitted to CRA in English or French, we should have translated certain documents to make it easier for the CRA to review. Again, a phone call would have resolved the matter quickly.

“And still, these are periphery issues in the matter of our revocation. The CRA revoked our charitable status without a fair process even though we have addressed their principal concerns. Fundamentally, CRA is questioning our charitable objects and therefore our charitable activities in support of the people of Israel.” (emphasis mine)

Added to the entire issue is the concern which many supporters of JNF have expressed that CRA has acted in response to demands from vehemently anti-Israel groups, such as Independent Jewish Voices, to cancel JNF Canada’s charitable status. Those anti-Israel groups had long voiced criticisms that JNF Canada was providing support for projects operating over the “green line,”i.e., in the “occupied territories,” and on Israel Defence Forces bases.
JNF Canada claims that it fully responded to those allegations but that it never heard back from CRA with regard to its responses.

Finally, in the same post on its website in which it provides a vigorous defence against the criticism levelled against it by CRA, JNF Canada now notes that it is appealing the CRA decision before the Federal Court of Canada (in two separate cases).
JNF Canada also says “that we are calling on our elected representatives to take responsibility. To date, Liberal MPs have situated the actions of CRA as a bureaucratic response to JNF ‘s charitable objects because of audits undertaken in 2014. If elected officials are arguing that unelected bureaucrats have been delegated the authority to make a decision of this magnitude, that was a mistake.  The Government should take responsibility.  The Minister of National Revenue and the Government of Canada should put the revocation of our charitable status on hold until the courts have ruled, as is customary in situations like ours (based on our lawyer’s review of over 200 cases).”

Can the government intervene?

We have been in touch with various elected representatives to gage their reaction to what has happened. As one might well understand, this is an extremely sensitive matter. The entire aspect of political involvement in as consequential a bureaucratic matter as the CRA’s decision to revoke the charitable status of as important a charity as JNF Canada has huge ramifications.
But, as lawyer Mark Blumberg advised us in an email, with reference to the Minister of Revenue’s intervening in a decision taken by CRA, “This is from the CRA’s website with my underlining:
 “The Minister of National Revenue
“The Minister is responsible to Parliament for all CRA activities and exercises powers relating to regulation-making and providing reports to Parliament or the Governor in Council (Cabinet). It is a longstanding practice that the Minister does not direct officials how to interpret the law in individual cases. This practice preserves the Minister’s right to be informed while at the same time protecting the Minister from allegations of political interference in taxpayers’ affairs.”