Local News
JNF-Canada responds to CRA decision to revoke its charity status
(Posted August 30, 2024) We have been attempting to provide full information as to the ongoing situation in which the CRA has revoked JNF-Canada’s charitable status. Elsewhere on this website you can read stories that outline what has happened.
On August 28, JNF-Canada sent an email to supporters in which it provided a rigorous defence against the decision by the CRA to revoke its charitable status.
Here, in full, is what that email contained:
| Dear JNF Supporters, We thank you for your continued support and attention during this ongoing matter. The number of kind calls, texts, and emails to our offices have been overwhelming. Todah Rabbah. The following is JNF’s official response to the claims made in the CJN. The most upsetting thing about the article is that it plants doubt in our supporters minds. Your generosity and support is not something we take lightly, and keeping your trust is our #1 priority. Thank you for taking the time to read it and as always, we welcome any questions or concerns you might have. In the coming days, we will also be releasing additional documentation that we have submitted to the CRA to further explain JNF’s position. We believe we have a strong legal case, have more than demonstrated cooperation and compliance with CRA, and we are proud of what we have achieved in Israel and across Canada thanks to you – our donors and supporters. You can also read the following statement on our website. |
| JNF Canada’s Official Response to CJN 15+ Million Trees is No Gimmick We wish to respond to the recent coverage in the CJN with respect to our multi-year battle with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is time to set the record straight. 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 raisedDue 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.A statement from a staff person that trees are simply a marketing trick – what? JNF has planted 15+ million trees over the decades – that’s in no way a “gimmick”. It’s integral to our entire organization and we are proud of this work.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. |
| The JNF-CRA Relationship The CJN misconstrues the nature of the timeline between the CRA Charities Directorate (“CD”) between 2014, the year the auditors came, and August 10, 2024, the date of revocation. The CJN article says that the CD, for example:“lost patience”“had known for years … major concerns with how the Charity operates”“warned them again in 2023 and in 2024”“warned repeatedly to clean up its act between 2016 and 2023”The entire CRA-JNF relationship was based, rather, on the premise of investigation/prosecution/sanction. This approach is in accordance with provisions of the Income Tax Act (ITA), read literally, but is not in accordance with CRA official guidance and not in accordance with the treatment afforded to almost all other charities. There were no “repeated warnings”. There were repeated accusations, all of which were addressed by JNF. Over the course of the 10-year process, CRA refused on more than 10 occasions to meet with JNF representatives. Throughout, CRA simply threatened revocation, rejecting all of JNF’s requests to discuss solutions in person. Furthermore, evidence suggests that CRA took a position in the process prior to even conducting the actual audit. As early as 2013 a representative of CRA said to the CRA audit team that the campaigns and complaints of JNF’s detractors provided “excellent background about the Charity…and a view of potential areas of concern for the current audit.” It was not until JNF obtained access to CRA’s heavily redacted audit file in July 2021 that JNF learned of the extent of the role of its detractors in the audit and sanction process. Interestingly, the redacted materials fail to divulge the fact that JNF’s most vociferous detractor had submitted over 100 pages of writing to the Director of the Charities Directorate (CD) and had actually met with him in October of 2017. This fact was only discovered by JNF in August 2024. Why did the Director of the CD meet with a major detractor, and not understand that it was therefore incumbent upon him to meet with representatives of JNF? Instead, there was unrelenting determination to revoke JNF from the outset, due almost entirely to the CRA’s apparent but unexpressed view that JNF was entirely subservient to Karen Kayemeth Le’Israel (KKL), and therefore that it did not undertake any independent operations. All of the detractors have taken this view. None accord JNF any existence or integrity independent of KKL. We point out that, to address this, we have reduced the number of our projects with KKL, entered into a robust compliance agreement with them, and changed the way that KKL describes its relationship with our charities on its website. KKL works for JNF Canada, just like any other agent that we utilize. (The term “agent” is CRA nomenclature. If a charity is doing work in a foreign country, they need an agent to assist with their charitable work.) JNF’s leadership selects the projects we wish to support, and we always have direction and control over all of the funds, as we only reimburse expenses upon receipt of valid expense reports. In short, we have addressed the CRA’s concerns. In summary, this was a vigorous prosecution from Day 1. There was no discussion afforded to us. Rather, there is evidence of the CRA’s determination to reach a result of revocation from the outset, and there is a reasonable apprehension of bias based on the above and other documents that we obtained through our access to information request. CRA Guidance The CRA’s own published guidelines for applying sanctions highlights the irregularity with respect to the treatment afforded to the JNF. “As a general rule, the Directorate intends to start with educational methods to obtain compliance, and then move progressively through compliance agreements, sanctions, and the ultimate sanction of revocation, if necessary.” Only in cases of “aggravated non-compliance” does CRA decline to follow this approach. CRA has never alleged or maintained that JNF was guilty of “aggravated non-compliance.” There were no educational methods presented nor was there any effort on the part of CRA to develop a compliance agreement. The question for CRA is why it abandoned its own guidance, and whether the detractors played any role in that decision? “Repeated warnings” The recent CJN article mentions a 358-page document. The 358 pages is actually several documents. The sequence of messaging in the documents is not “repeated warnings” – it is CRA’s position repeated several times, in a process in which JNF offered a vigorous defense. CRA actually abandoned several arguments including those related to KKL, as well as to projects on disputed territories and projects situated on IDF land. Nevertheless, we made changes even though we disagreed with the CRA’s legal reasoning. There are several other documents, from both sides, subsequent to the 358 pages of documents. JNF’s full position is stated in multiple submissions, most of which, unfairly, are not referred to in the CJN article. JNF’s last submission of October 2023 is over 90 pages long. JNF presented a detailed and well reasoned legal argument based on dozens of precedents prepared by an eminent lawyer, and CRA’s response did not address these issues at all. The CRA letter of July 2024 purports to deal with the arguments raised in our October 2023, but fails. Our position was ignored. “One last chance” The CJN claims that the CRA gave JNF “one last chance.” The timing and the legal logic are incorrect. JNF had a legal right to object to CRA’s ‘notice of intent to revoke’ letter of August 20, 2019. There is no discretion or power in the CRA to “give” a charity ‘one more chance’. JNF prepared a Notice of Objection to CRA’s notice, on October 18, 2019, and requested that CRA provide JNF with its whole file, as it had a legal right to do. CRA provided a heavily redacted file on July 21 2021, 18 months later. JNF prepared two further submissions as part of this appeals process, the second of which was submitted on December 17, 2021, after it had had a chance to review the heavily redacted file. CRA provided its response to JNF’s appeal in a letter dated July 26, 2023, another 18 months later. JNF responded in October 2023 with its 90-page letter. There was no ‘one last chance’ and the origin of CJN’s February 2023 date is a mystery. Three full years of the delay were caused by CRA. The CJN article makes it appear as though JNF never responded to ‘warnings’ and that the CRA, out of the sheer goodness of their collective hearts, gave the truant ‘one last chance’. The exact opposite is true. We have responded to all of their communications, addressing their concerns or expressing our objection of their position. It’s worth adding that each CRA letter in the process dropped significant arguments that had been sufficiently refuted by JNF, despite their unrelenting drive to revoke JNF’s registration, contrary to its own guidance. Improvements since 2016In 2016, JNF Canada retained legal counsel who has not only represented us to CRA but has also filled the function of a compliance officer. We have worked closely with David Stevens (Gowlings) and his colleagues for over 8 years, to ensure that our undertakings are CRA compliant.JNF Canada has worked side by side with Keren Kayemeth L’Israel for decades. There was confusion about the relationship. To demonstrate that we are an independent Canadian charity, in 2018, JNF Canada fully rebranded to remove any association with KKL.JNF Canada also rewrote, thereby modernizing and strengthening, the agency agreement between the two organizations and utilized this agreement as a template for agreements with other Israeli organizations. JNF Canada has no exclusive relationship with KKL. Rather JNF Canada works with the best organizations in Israel to advance the projects we select. JNF’s leadership make the decisions with respect to projects that we wish to undertake as an organization. There is no KKL “head office” giving instructions to JNF Canada. JNF Canada hired a Senior Representative based in Israel, to enhance our ability to demonstrate direction and control over our projects, represent JNF Canada and oversee our charitable endeavours there.Before undertaking any project, an Israeli lawyer reviews the ownership of the land to ensure JNF Canada is not doing anything in violation of CRA policies.JNF Canada hired a new CFO who has worked with our legal counsel to improve and enhance our record keeping, ensuring that all activities undertaken are compliant with CRA rules and regulations, and that documentation is collected and filed properly. Moving Forward JNF has launched two legal processes to challenge the revocation notice: July 25, 2024: Federal Court of Appeal appeal challenging the CRA revocation decision on the basis of a misapprehension of the facts and law; flawed and unfair process; and bias. August 20, 2024: Federal Court Application for a Judicial Review of the August 10 revocation notice.At the same time, 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). JNF Canada should be provided the fundamental value of the presumption of innocence, especially because we are not an aggravated case.While for the time being we are not allowed to issue charitable receipts, please rest assured that we will continue to raise funds in support of building Israel’s social infrastructure to the benefit of vulnerable populations such as youth-at-risk, victims of domestic abuse, children with special needs, veterans and the disadvantaged. Hurting JNF hurts Israelis who need our help the most, especially as they try to recover from the horrors of October 7.There were many opportunities to solve this issue short of the draconian penalty of revocation. JNF would welcome the opportunity to find an off-ramp and will, as demonstrated many times before, continue to do whatever is necessary to satisfy the expectations of CRA. We do not ordinarily post comments to this website. (We received too many spam comments when we allowed comments.) But – if you would like to comment on this story – or any other story for that matter, send an email to jewishp@mymts.net– and if the comment is relevant and not defamatory, we will post the comment. |
Local News
March of the Living 2023 participants form Gofund page to help honour the memory of Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman
By BERNIE BELLAN The March of the Living is an annual two-week international educational program that brings thousands of students and adults to Poland and Israel to study the Holocaust, Jewish history, and the rise of the State of Israel. Founded in 1988, it features a 3-kilometer silent walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
Attendees on the march are accompanied by adults, some of whom themselves have been Holocaust survivors.
Following the week in Poland, participants travel to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), marking a journey from darkness to life.
For many years the coordinator of the march in Winnipeg was Roberta Malam, working on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. More recently Abby Flackman filled that role, and now the person in charge is Lindsey Kerr.
Since its inception 37 years ago the March of the Living has become a rite of passage for many young Winnipeg Jews who have been able to participate as an organized group from Winnipeg and combine visits to the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland with the subsequent trip to Israel.
Then – the Covid pandemic hit – in 2020, and the March of the Living was put on hold for two years – in 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, the March of the Living resumed, but there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg participating. (There may have been some Winnipeggers who did go on the march that year, but if there were any they would have been part of a general Canadian group since there was no Winnipeg coordinator that year.)
In 2023, however, once again a very large contingent of young Canadian Jews – 51 altogether, of whom approximately two-thirds were from Winnipeg, went on that year’s March of the Living. That particular march was memorable for many reasons, including the fact it was the last full march since 2019 and was to remain the last march to have an organized Winnipeg contingent in the past six years as the years 2024 and 2025 were interrupted by the war in Gaza. (There were smaller marches held in 2024 and 2025, but again there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg.)
Recently, we were contacted by one of the participants of that 2023 march, Ethan Levene, who asked us whether we’d be interested in running what turned out be a very poignant story about one particular aspect of that 2023 March of the Living.
Here is what Ethan wrote:
“In April 2023, the Coast to Coast Canadian delegation of March of the Living was privileged to travel with Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman (z”l). March of the Living is a Holocaust education trip that allows participants to visit and bear witness to the sites of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, while sharing his story in Poland, Alex passed away. However, the impact he left on us students was immeasurable.
“While speaking to us in Warsaw, Alex told us the story of his Aunt Becky’s gâteau à l’orange (orange cake). While in Ravensbruck concentration camp, his aunt managed to write down this recipe. After his parents’ murder, his Aunt Becky went on to raise Alex after surviving. In addition to sharing his story, Alex tasked us with baking the cake with family and friends.
“Out of this, a group of alumni from our trip have created this project: ‘A Taste of Hope.’ On February 1st, university students from over 5 universities across Canada will come together to bake the gâteau à l’orange and hear Alex’s story. Proceeds from the event and this fundraising page will support the World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants. Alex was heavily involved with this organization, whose mission is to both create community for Holocaust survivors and their descendants and educate about the Holocaust to help fight against antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate.
“Here is information from our fundraising page for the event – ‘A Taste of Hope’: Fundraising for A Taste of Hope.
Ethan added that “it’s completely student led, all by alumni from our 2023 trip attending university at these various locations across Canada; Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Montreal.”
He also added: “Follow us on instagram@tastehope.“
Here is a link to a CBC story about Alex Buckman: Alex Buckman story
In a subsequent email Ethan gave the names of Winnipeggers who are involved in A Taste of Hope: Ethan Levene (studies at McGill), Zahra Slutchuk, Alex Stoller (studies at Queens), Coby Samphir, Izzy Silver (studies at Waterloo).
He also added names of others who are involved in the project: Jessie Ages, Anneke Goodwin, Lilah Silver, Ella Pertman, Ellie Vogel, and Talia Cherun.
To find out more about March of the Living in Winnipeg go to: March of the Living
Local News
Young Researcher Eryn Kirshenbaum 2025 recipient of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences prestigious Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Award
By MYRON LOVE Fifth year University of Manitoba Faculty of Sciences Microbiology student Eryn Kirshenbaum is this year’s recipient of the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Student Award in recognition of her excellence in research under the supervision of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba and Principle Investigator in Women’s Heart Health Research at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre.
When asked for her reaction to learning she was the 2025 recipient of the student award, Kirshenbaum says “I was so honoured, humbled and excited to have been nominated and then chosen as the recipient out of many well deserving students.”
Rabinovich-Nikitin, Kirshenbaum’s mentor, says “This is Eryn’s third year working in my lab and I am incredibly proud of her for winning the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Research Award.” She adds: “It is a truly deserved honour. Since joining my laboratory in 2023, Eryn has shown an exceptional combination of technical skill, intellectual curiosity, and professional maturity, becoming an integral contributor to our research on women’s heart health, an area of growing scientific importance that demands both rigorous methodology and a strong understanding of sex-based differences in heart disease.
“Not only has Eryn provided invaluable experimental support, but she has also taken on a leadership role in training new students and has demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration and mentorship.”
In return, Kirshenbaum notes that she has “learned a lot from Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin. She is a great mentor and I look forward to learning and growing even more under her leadership”.
The T. Edward Cuddy Award is one of 12 awards presented annually by the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in partnership with the University of Manitoba.
The 27th Annual Institute of Cardiovascular Naranjan Dhalla Awards were held on December 2nd and 3rd as part of a two-day conference comprised of a scientific forum and awards ceremony. The awards celebrate the leadership of individuals who have profoundly influenced the advancement of cardiovascular research, medicine and health education, including, in previous years, Nobel Prize winners and Gairdner Award Scholars. The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Gold Medal was awarded to Dr. Stanley Nattel, Director of the Montreal Heart Institute for his outstanding contributions to advancements in cardiac arrythmias and patient care.
Eryn Kirshenbaum, the daughter of Barry and Kim Kirshenbaum, says she was always interested in understanding the functioning’s of the human body, in particular the heart, which has fit with her desire to pursue a career in medicine and possibly continued heart health research.
A graduate of the Hebrew Bilingual program at Brock Corydon Elementary School, Ecole River Heights, and Kelvin High School French Immersion, Eryn says that she has always been interested in science, particularly cardiology. She reports that she has assisted as co-author on 5 research papers, including one where she was the primary author, focusing on women’s heart health and how heart disease affects women differently than men. That paper also investigated the connection between disrupted circadian rhythms and heart disease, specifically related to individuals with irregular sleep patterns, such as shift workers.
Eryn notes that, in addition to her university studies and research activities, she works part time as a Medical First Responder with St. John Ambulance – an activity which complements her medical research. “With St. John Ambulance, I have had calls dealing with the early stages of heart attacks and strokes as well as basic first aid,” she notes.
Readers might also run into Eryn at many Jewish celebrations such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, where she helps her dad with the family entertainment business.
While her ultimate goal, she says, is to practice medicine, she adds that she is really enjoying doing research.
Local News
Young entrepreneur Noah Palansky and partner Jordan Davis are the first Winnipeggers to crack Forbes Magazine’s “top 30 Under 30” list
By MYRON LOVE From a very young age, Noah Palansky has demonstrated initiative and leadership. I first met and interviewed Palansky in 2011 at a low point in his life. His mother, Naomi Palansky, had sadly passed away at a young age. The then 12-year-old channeled his mourning into action. With his younger sister, Lexi, by his side – and the support of his father, Bruce – the preteen entered a team in the annual CancerCare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life. For the next few years, Palansky’s teams – under the banner, “Kids Count” – raised thousands of dollars for cancer researched.
Fast forward to 2019. Palansky was by then a young adult with a new initiative. The year before, he and a couple of friends had entered a potential business proposal in a competition sponsored by Winnipeg-based North Forge, Canada’s only start up incubator and fabrication lab, and won the top prize.
In that 2019 story, the young entrepreneur recalled how he came up with idea for his new business – TAIV (the AI stands for artificial intelligence). In the spring of 2018, he recounted, at the height of the Winnipeg Jets playoff run, he and his girlfriend were watching the game on a big screen while having drinks in a restaurant when an ad appeared onscreen promoting a rival restaurant and advertising the same drink he was imbibing – at a lower price.
“That ad gave me the germ of an idea,” he said in that earlier interview. “I immediately spoke to the restaurant manager and asked how he felt about the ad,” he recalls. “He was not pleased.”
That germ of an idea has developed into a highly successful new business venture. The idea that was put into practice has landed Palansky and his partner, Jordan Davis, on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in the Marketing and Advertising category. The duo are the first Winnipeg-based entrepreneurs to have received this honour.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Palansky responds. “We had no advance notice that we were even being considered for this recognition.”
Since TAIV officially launched in 2021, the company – still based in Winnipeg – has grown to a workforce of about 80 – most of whom are based here. Palansky notes that TAIV also has sales offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In the past four years, TAIV has built a presence in nearly 5,000 venues across the United States. The company works with brands like Coke, Pepsi, Netflix, T-Mobile, FanDuel, Fox, and United Airlines.
“The way this works,” Palansky explained to this writer in 2019, “ is that if you are in Boston Pizza, for example, watching a Jets game and a commercial comes on, our software will switch the commercial to an ad for Boston Pizza.
“We make a little box that sits between your cable box and the TV. Our box can detect when a commercial is coming on and switch the ad out for one promoting the restaurant or store the box is in.”
For larger enterprises, Palansky notes, TAIV produces a web app that allows the company to switch its own in-house ads for the ads that would be appearing on screen.
In a statement by North Force celebrating Palansky and Davis’ achievement, Palansky is quoted as saying that “the Forbes achievement offered a rare moment to pause and reflect.
“There are very few moments where a third party reaches out and says, ‘We’ve noticed what you did, and we think it’s awesome.’ This felt like one of those rare moments.”
The North Forge report also sees the recognition as a win for the community.
“I wish we had more Winnipeg entrepreneurs on the global stage because it’s really good for the local ecosystem,” Palansky is quoted as saying. “I’m trying to do what I can to help others get off the ground.”
Palansky and Davis are looking forward to going to Phoenix in April for the official presentation.
He adds that TAIV continues expanding across North America, strengthening partnerships, and onboarding advertisers as the network grows. For local venues or businesses interested in installing TAIV or exploring advertising opportunities, the company welcomes inquiries at hello@taiv.tv.