Nominating Committee Report to the Membership

TheNominating Committee consists of one Board representative and three communitymembers who responded to a broad call for members.  We were asked to reach out to the membershipfor recommendations to fill upcoming vacancies on the Board, consider potentialcandidates who self-nominated through the open call for new Board members, andpresent a list of nominees to fill the vacant positions for a two-year term atthe AGM. 

Ouropen call to the community inviting any DJC member to self-nominate (or tonominate someone else) to the Board was new this year.  A notice to this effect was sent out in ourMarch newsletter and in three weekly e-blasts throughout the month ofMarch.  The deadline for nominations wasApril 1^st, 2019.

Thereare five vacancies to be filled on the Board of Directors this year. 

TheNominating Committee considered the recommendations and is pleased to present thefollowing strong nominees:

• Juliet Palmer

• David Ross

• Sue Cooperstock

• Susan Feldman

• Saara Greene

Pleasesee below for our 2019 slate of Candidates, including bios.

AllDJC members have the right to vote for nominees to the Board at the AGM, to beheld on Sunday, June 2^nd, 2019, 1:00 – 3:00 pm at EastminsterChurch, 310 Danforth Ave.  We encouragemembers to come out to the AGM in support of those who have generouslyvolunteered their time to serve our community by participating on the Board ofDirectors.

In accordance with DJCBy-Law 9.7, we wish to remind the membership of their right to vote byproxy.  Amember may, by means of a written proxy, appoint a proxy holder to attend andact at a specific meeting of members, in the manner and to the extentauthorized by the proxy.  A proxy holdermust be a member of the DJC.

YourNominating Committee,

Emil Sher, Warren Morris,Shari Novick, Nadya Burton

April24th, 2019

Danforth Jewish CircleBoard of Directors 2019 Slate of Candidates

SUSAN FELDMAN

Susan and her husband Mark don’t remember exactly how longthey’ve been members of the DJC, but they do vaguely recall that their now verygrown children were then very young. The thought-provoking sermons &non-judgmental acceptance over those years helped their family to grow from a‘not to save your life’ to a ‘high holiday only’ shul family, which is actuallysaying a lot! Thanks to the DJC, Jewishness has come to have a place in herlife, and perhaps more importantly, in the lives of their children. 

In her day job, Susan is aproblem solver in the construction finance industry, making shidduchs betweendevelopers and investors and making sure no one loses any money or their senseof humour along the way. In her spare time, Susan is trying to figure out whatto do with her spare time.

SUE COOPERSTOCK

Born to Jewish parents, Suedidn’t know what a Seder was until into adulthood. Her eventual desire toexplore and embrace her Jewishness led to enrolment in a Reform movement“conversion” class, and later joining the DJC, where she has been a member offand mostly on for many years. Sue’s now 15 year old daughter Maya participatedjoyfully in the DJC’s B’nei Mitzvah Program. 

As a single by choice mom and an “outsider” Jew, the warmth, diversity,culture of inclusivity and progressive values of the DJC resonate deeply with Sue.She is delighted to have an opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of thisvibrant community.  Professionally, Sue has been a social worker/psychotherapist for over thirtyyears and she enjoys a busy and fulfilling private practice.

JULIET PALMER

Juliet and her husband James Rolfe have been members of the DJC since2014, when their daughter Miriam joined the B’nei Mitzvah program. As anintercultural family they value the deeply inclusive spirit of the DJC and feelblessed to have found a welcoming and progressive spiritual home. They’ve beengrateful for community support as they deepen their Jewish learning and for thecreativity and curiosity that underpins the DJC.

Juliet was raised in New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. Before moving toCanada in 1998, she lived and studied in the New York area for seven years.Juliet is a composer and interdisciplinary artist whose work spans music,dance, theatre, video and architecture. Reaching beyond boundaries isintrinsic to her work in the wider community as mentor, facilitator, educator,gardener, artist and volunteer. When it’s not raining, she loves the bicycleride to the DJC from her home in The Junction and enjoys wintertime skiing inthe city’s ravines and river valleys.

DAVIDROSS

Davidand his wife, Liat, have lived in Greektown since moving back toToronto from the UK. They have been members of the DJCsince 2013, and were drawn to the progressiveness andinclusiveness of the community. Both their daughters enjoy attending the DJCChildren’s Jewish Studies Program. David converted to Judaism after studies atthe West London Synagogue in the UK, which offers him a personal perspective oninterfaith relations. Professionally, David is a director withinthe Capital Markets group at OPTrust, the defined benefit pensionplan of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. David joinedOPTrust in 2016 with 20 years of prior experience in global macroand emerging markets investing, research and country riskmanagement in roles based in Toronto, New York and London. Davidhas a Master of Arts (Economics) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)designation. When not working he enjoys travelling, canoe trippingand skiing with the family.

SAARA GREENE

Saara Greene has been amember of the Danforth Jewish Circle since 2003.  Her children, Sam and Rebecca, have beenfaithful students of the DJC Jewish Studies program and the DJC B’nei Mitzvahprogram. During this time, Saara was a member of the Education Committeestarting in 2006, taking on the role of chair from 2007-2017. As a youth andyoung adult, Saara sang with the Chai Folk Ensemble based in Winnipeg and feelsvery lucky that her love of Jewish music continues to be fulfilled through herparticipation in the DJC choir, which she has been a part of since 2009. Herfavourite DJC activity is the annual Earth Hour Havdalah service and coffeehouse.

In her professional life,Saara is a Professor in the School of Social Work at McMaster University whereshe teaches in the areas of Feminist Approaches to Social Work and SocialJustice and Community Based Practice and Research. Her research focuses on thehealth and social care needs of women identified individuals who experiencemarginalization along multiple axes of identity with specific attention to womenliving with HIV and women who consume cannabis. In partnership with thecommunities and women that she works with, Saara engages in arts-basedapproaches to research, education, knowledge mobilization and advocacy.