Moshe Ronen
Encyclopedia
Moshe Ronen is a Toronto lawyer, and a Jewish community leader.
Ronen is vice-president of the World Jewish Congress
, was the last national chair of the Canada-Israel Committee
and was president of the Canadian Jewish Congress
from 1998 to 2001.
He was educated at the Associated Hebrew School and Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto
(CHAT) before obtaining a degree in political science and economics from York University
and a law degree from the University of Windsor
.
In the 1970s he was a Jewish student activist as head of the Jewish Students' Network. In the 1970s and 1980s he was an activist in the Movement to Free Soviet Jewry
in support of refusenik
political prisoners in the Soviet Union
, in particular Anatoly Shcharansky, and to allow emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel.
In 1985, he led an international student protest against US President Ronald Reagan
's 1985 visit to a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany that contained Nazi SS graves.
In 1996, he was awarded the Jewish National Fund
's Jerusalem of Gold Award and, in 1998, was given the Volunteer Service Award by the province of Ontario.
As CJC president, Ronen successfully advocated the recognition of Yom Hashoah
by each provincial government in Canada as a means of remembering and educating people about the Holocaust.
In his professional life, Ronen is a director of First Capital Realty Corporation. Managing Director for The Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation, a Senior Consultant for Verdiroc Development Corporation, and the Barrister and Solicitor for First Capital Realty Inc.
Ronen is vice-president of the World Jewish Congress
World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in August 1936 as an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations...
, was the last national chair of the Canada-Israel Committee
Canada-Israel Committee
The Canada-Israel Committee was the official representative of the organized Canadian Jewish community on matters pertaining to Canada-Israel relations....
and was president of the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
from 1998 to 2001.
He was educated at the Associated Hebrew School and Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto
Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto
The Anne & Max Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto , or "TanenbaumCHAT", is a secondary Jewish day school which is located on two campuses in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada.-Campuses:...
(CHAT) before obtaining a degree in political science and economics from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
and a law degree from the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
.
In the 1970s he was a Jewish student activist as head of the Jewish Students' Network. In the 1970s and 1980s he was an activist in the Movement to Free Soviet Jewry
Movement to Free Soviet Jewry
The Movement to Free Soviet Jewry was an international human rights campaign that advocated for the right of Jews in the Soviet Union to emigrate....
in support of refusenik
Refusenik
Refusenik originally referred to citizens of the former Soviet Union who were refused permission to emigrate.Refusenik or refusnik may also refer to:*An Israeli conscientious objector, see Refusal to serve in the Israeli military...
political prisoners in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, in particular Anatoly Shcharansky, and to allow emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel.
In 1985, he led an international student protest against US President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's 1985 visit to a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany that contained Nazi SS graves.
In 1996, he was awarded the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
's Jerusalem of Gold Award and, in 1998, was given the Volunteer Service Award by the province of Ontario.
As CJC president, Ronen successfully advocated the recognition of Yom Hashoah
Yom HaShoah
Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah , known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews and five million others who perished in the...
by each provincial government in Canada as a means of remembering and educating people about the Holocaust.
In his professional life, Ronen is a director of First Capital Realty Corporation. Managing Director for The Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman Foundation, a Senior Consultant for Verdiroc Development Corporation, and the Barrister and Solicitor for First Capital Realty Inc.