Jewish Public Servants’ Network
December 20, 2021 - Defence Stories
Who We Are
Established in Spring, 2021, the Jewish Public Servants’ Network is a rapidly growing network representing over 250 Jewish Canadian public servants from across the Federal Public Service. We are committed to working to make the federal public service a truly inclusive work environment.
Mandate
Our mandate is to connect Jewish public servants across the government of Canada, to offer a forum to discuss issues impacting Jewish public servants including addressing and educating on antisemitism, and to collaborate with other groups to realize a shared goal of a truly inclusive federal public service.
Long-Term Objectives
Education: Educating people can go a long way in dispelling negative myths and stereotypes about Jewish people and draw awareness to the Canadian Jewish experience and current realities
Antisemitism and Training: Ensure that Antisemitism is included in public service anti-racism initiatives
and that antisemitism is included when the Government of Canada speaks about racism
- Ensure measures to combat antisemitism are part of domestic and international anti-racism and discrimination initiatives
Canadian Jewish Heritage Month & Holocaust Remembrance: Ensure an inter-departmental approach to commemorating Canadian Jewish Heritage Month and International Holocaust Remembrance Day tos upport learning about the Canadian Jewish experience.
Approach
Advocate: Be spokespeople for Jewish specific issues within the public service in order to promote education and understanding amongst Jews and non-Jews alike
Network: Utilize the network which exists within the Jewish public servant community to reach out to decision-makers within government of Canada institutions to achieve long-term objectives
Collaborate: Understand that long-term objectives can be achieved through a cross-partnership approach with other public service professional networks, and symmetries identified and utilized to attain these goals
Understand: Realize that Jews and non-Jews come from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds which shape opinions and positions on issues impacting Jewish public servants
Empathy: Recognize that arguments are not won through force but through understanding and an awareness of facts and lived experiences