Avrum Rosensweig

Rosensweig Leading Community Passover Seder at Habonim (2014)

Avrum Rosensweig is the founder and President of Ve'ahavta, Canada's only national Jewish organization dedicated to humanitarian aid and relief in Canada and abroad. Ve'ahavta was founded in 1996, and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.

Background

Rosensweig was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1960, the only son of Rabbi Phyvle (Philip) Rosensweig (1928–1989)[1] and Gitel Rosensweig (née Flicht) (1930–2016)[2]

Rabbi Phillip Rosensweig came from a family of Orthodox Rabbis, that emigrated to Canada during the turn of the last century. Some of his mother's family were Polish Jews from Wierzbnik (after 1952 called Starachowice), Poland, who were murdered in the Holocaust.

In his younger years, Rabbi Rosensweig was active in helping Jewish refugees from Europe flee persecution to come to Canada.

Rosensweig received an Orthodox Jewish education at Ner Israel Yeshiva in Toronto[3] and later on in Jerusalem, Israel, followed by the study of journalism at Ryerson University. From 1990 to 1996, he worked for Toronto's United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaign. During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, he convinced UJA to launch efforts help the fleeing refugees from the crisis torn region.

From 2005 to 2015, he served as associate Religious Leader at Congregation Habonim Toronto.

Rosensweig with children at Community Passover Seder at Habonim (2014)

Ve'ahavta

In 1996, he founded Ve'ahavta, Canada's only Jewish humanitarian and relief organization, which launched numerous initiatives in Canada and around the world.[4]

at Hurricane Katrina Benefit

Areas of work include South America, the Caribbean, in Asia (during the tsunami in Thailand and the Hurricane in the Philippines), and communities in rural Africa (affected by AIDS), and advocating awareness about the genocide in Darfur.[5] Locally, he has initiated many programs for the disadvantaged in Toronto (Passover Seder for the Homeless (co-sponsored by Toronto's Congregation Habonim), Creative Writing Contest for the Homeless, Homework Partnership Program for Somalian Children etc.), as well as forming alliances with the Jewish and First Nations communities.

Rosensweig Presenting Plaque to Chief Rodney Monague, of Christian Island, Survivor of Residential Schools (2009)

Ve'ahavta hosts a gala fundraising event each year, honouring Canadians of all backgrounds for their work in social, humanitarian, medical and educational fields. Honourees have included: Moshe Hammer, Dr. Naomi Azrieli, Dr. Michael Dan, Irwin Cotler, Karen Levine and others.

Hosts, Guest speakers/performers have included: Bob Geldof, Mia Farrow, Mariane Pearl, Steven Page, Emmanuel Jal, Jaffa Road, Michael Enright, Shad (Shadrach Kabango), Evan Solomon and others.

Media presence

Rosensweig's work has appeared in various print,[6] TV and Radio Media including:

  • Weekly column in the Canadian Jewish News[7]
  • Contributing columnist for Haaretz.com
  • CFRB Talk Show Host - "Marty & Avrum: The Food Guys"
  • TV Show Host (Marty Galin) - "The Moveable Feast"
  • Israel Today Radio Show Host (with Shimon Zeraviv)

References

  1. ↑ "I haven't seen my Father in 22 years. How do we?". 3 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Happy Birthday Mom". 6 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "A Rabbi, Rebbetzin, A Boy & A Biker (On Teaching Tikun Olam)". 12 February 2009.
  4. ↑ "Tikun Olam according to Avrum Rosensweig". 6 August 2009.
  5. ↑ "Spurred by Rwanda Genocide, Activist Makes 'Love Thy Neighbor' a Mission". 18 December 2007.
  6. ↑ "A JEW IN KENORA SPREADING TIKKUN OLAM". Now Magazine. Toronto. 7 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Posts by Avrum Rosensweig". 16 February 2016.
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