A message from Stacey Leavitt-Wright, CEO Jewish Federation of Edmonton

by Stacey Leavitt-Wright

(AJNews) – Shavuot reminds us that values are not something we inherit automatically—they are something each generation must choose. The ancient story of standing at Sinai is less about a moment frozen in time and more about an ongoing decision: what teachings, responsibilities, and commitments will guide our communal life today?

This theme of choosing values has been vividly alive in our community over the past weeks. The recent 30^th Jewish Film Festival was a celebration of Jewish joy and cultural expression. Film has the unique power to invite empathy, spark conversation, and reflect the complexity of lived experience. By gathering to watch, discuss, and celebrate these stories, our community chose curiosity over indifference and connection over isolation.

At the same time, we were called to a different, equally vital responsibility through the two-day Dianne z’l and Irving Kipnes Holocaust Symposium. Shavuot teaches that receiving values comes with obligation, and among the most solemn is the duty to remember and to teach. Our staff and Holocaust Education Committee provided high school students with the opportunity to engage with testimony and dialogue, recognizing that bearing witness is not solely about the past—it is about shaping the moral boundaries of the future, ensuring that knowledge, empathy, and accountability endure over time.

May, recognized as Jewish Heritage Month, offers an additional lens for reflection. It is a time to honour the enduring contributions Jewish Canadians have made to the development of our country—across business, philanthropy, education, science, public service, and the arts. These contributions did not emerge by accident; they grew from a shared commitment to resilience, communal responsibility, and service to the greater good.

In that same spirit, we are proud to support the Jewish Archives and Historical Society of Edmonton and Northern Alberta’s new book, Leadership & Legacy: Notable Jewish Edmontonians, which documents the lives, leadership, and impact of notable Jewish Edmontonians. Preserving these stories ensures that our community’s principles are not abstract ideals, but lived examples of leadership and civic engagement—ones that can inspire future generations to step forward.

Shavuot asks us to see values as living commitments. Through celebration and remembrance, education and storytelling, we continue to choose what kind of community we are building—and what wisdom we will pass on.