Abraham J. Arnold

Abraham J. Arnold - Honourary Director of the International Coalition Against Torture.

"Mr. Arnold has been an author, journalist, editor, human rights advocate, and a community service professional and volunteer for over 50 years. During 1945-48 in Toronto, he served as an editorial associate with the Canadian Film Weekly, editor of Anglo-Jewish news service, and an English-page editor of the Yiddish language paper, Vochenblatt. In Vancouver (1949-1960), he served as an editor/publisher of the weekly Jewish Western Bulletin. In Montreal (1960-65), he worked as a Public Relations Director for the Jewish Federation/Combined Jewish Appeal. In Winnipeg he served as a Western Region Director of the Canadian Jewish Congress (1965-1973),

"Founding Director of the Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada (1968-75), and the Founding Director of the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties (1978-88). He has placed over 30 feet of manuscripts and papers with the Provincial Archives of Manitoba under the heading A. J. ARNOLD PAPERS.

"Mr. Arnold has received the Shem Tov (good name) award from the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council, 1997; the Manitoba Human Rights Achievement Award as a “life-long advocate of human rights and civil liberties”, 1994; best editorial in a weekly newspaper from Vancouver United Way, 1951; and an Honourable Mention, Bowater Award for Journalism, 1958 & 1959. He has also received Canada Council grants for research in Canadian Jewish history (1968 & 1970).

"Mr. Arnold has published a book titled “Judaism: Myth, Legend, History and Custom from the Religious to the Secular”, as well as “Jewish Life in Canada”. He has also contributed chapters to five other books including two school texts (1981-1995), among them “William Kurelek, an Appreciation” in “A Sharing of Diversities”. His essay “Moses Hart, First Born Canadian Jew was a Deist and Social Activist”, is to be published by the York University Centre for Jewish Studies in a book of papers titled “Canadian Jewry: A Heritage in Transition”.

"In past years, Mr. Arnold has contributed articles to Vancouver Sun, Victoria Colonist, Montreal Star, Globe and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, and other dailies and in recent years to The Beaver Magazine, Canadian Jewish News, Toronto, Humanistic Judaism, Detroit, and Jewish Currents, New York. Currently he contributes to Outlook Magazine, Vancouver, and Jewish Post & News, Winnipeg.

"Mr. Arnold has been a Volunteer Advisor member of CESO, the Canadian Executive Services organization, and in this capacity went on Assignment to Russia in 1999. He is a board member of the Jewish Heritage Centre in Winnipeg, a member of the national executive of the Canadian Association for Jewish Studies, and the National Executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress. He is a board member of the Joseph Zuken Memorial Association, advisor to the Sholem Aleichem Community in Winnipeg, a member of the Manitoba Writers Guild, the Society for Humanistic Judaism, and the United Jewish Peoples Order.

"He is currently serving as a member of the Manitoba Film Classification Board, and he has been elected to the board of the Jewish Federation/CJA of Winnipeg."