The 30^th annual Gay Pride Parade takes place on July 4 at 2:00pm.

Canadian Jewish Congress is proud to support Kulanu Toronto, the only Jewish LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) delegation participating in the event.

Joining Kulanu at the parade will be friends from Canadian Jewish Congress, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, Temple Sinai, Holy Blossom, First Narayever Congregation, Congregation Darchei Noam, Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School and Hillel of Greater Toronto.

But we want more! We want this to be the biggest and best Kulanu delegation ever.

Kulanu is not only marching for the LGBT community but is carrying the banner, literally, for Israel. Come join us! Bring your family, friends, and colleagues, your Israeli and Canadian flags, your Kulanu T-shirts (available for purchase by emailing Kulanu at kulanutoronto@gmail.com), your water bottles, hats, and sunscreen, and line up with Kulanu Toronto at 1pm at the corner of Bloor and Church St. (look for a Kulanu Toronto banner and Israeli flags) on Sunday, July 4.  For more details and to sign up to march, or to make a donation to Kulanu, please contact Justine Apple, Executive Director of Kulanu, at kulanutoronto@gmail.com. She can also be reached directly at 416.819.7431.

Kulanu marching at Toronto's Gay Pride Parade in 2009

• Breaking a Boycott – a post by popular Vancouver blogger Jonathon Narvey
• England, France, Underpants! – a post from the UK blog Divest This!
• Anti-Israel protest fizzles as long johns sales soar – by Lauren Kramer, Canadian Jewish News

Ignore boycott, it’s time to BUYcott Israel

With the Aryan Guard in Calgary disbanding, it’s good riddance to one bunch of anti-Semites. Now, if only another bunch would disperse, as well. The misguided members of this particular group plan to picket at Mountain Equipment Co-op stores today to protest the retailer’s selling of Israeli-made products. MEC management should ignore them and continue selling made-in-Israel goods. Anyone who wants to boycott merchandise made in a democracy because of the despicable belief that this democracy has no right to defend itself against attacks by terrorists determined to wipe it out should be dismissed with the contempt merited.

Israel is the only country in the world that suffers condemnation for fighting back when attacked–and that bespeaks loudly of anti-Semitism, for no other reason is discernible.

Sunday, a counter-protest is taking place–it’s called BUYcott Israel, and its purpose is to urge people to go to MEC and specifically purchase Israeli products there, to show their support for Israel and for MEC’s sensible refusal to cave in to the wrong-headed protesters. The pressure must be kept up against those who would boycott Israel.

• National Post’s Full Comment blog: Anti-Israel campaign finds a new villain to molest,by Jonathon Narvey
• The Winnipeg Jewish Report: Why I’m going to buy seamless underwear this Sunday, by Rhonda Spivak
• Jewish Tribune: Pro-Israel Canadians strike back with ‘Buy-cott’ campaign

A statement from the board said: “As an academic institution, NTNU’s mission is to stimulate the study of the causes of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and how it can be resolved. This means that the university is also dependent on being able to cooperate with Israeli academics, and hear their views on the conflict.” You can read the entire statement here.

Another victory for the BUYcott Israel movement!

Sara Saber-Freedman
Executive Vice President, Canada-Israel Committee,
for the BUYcott Israel Team

You can read more about this Buycott action here and see pictures of the event on the BUYcott Israel Facebook page.

Well done, and proof that this is a tactic that works!

Sara Saber-Freedman
Executive Vice President, Canada-Israel Committee,
for the Buycott Israel Team