Month: October 2015

Sometimes innocent jailed

Ken Klonsky speaks on “Freeing David McCallum: A Story of Exoneration” at the Outlook fundraiser and social event Sept.27. (photo by Winnifred Tovey)

“Number one, never talk to the police.” The first tip Ken Klonsky gave when asked by the Jewish Independent for the best advice to avoid getting wrongfully convicted by the police. Klonsky – Vancouver author and director of Innocence International, which focuses on righting wrongful convictions produced by false confessions – spoke at Outlook magazine’s annual fundraiser and social event on Sept. 27, which was held at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture.

The event began with refreshments. During the initial schmoozing, Faith Jones, a member of the Vancouver Outlook collective, explained that people attending were “from various Jewish activist communities, such as Independent Jewish Voices,” as there is an “overlap with IJV and the Peretz community and the new UBC club, the PJA” (Progressive Jewish Alliance at the University of British Columbia), with topics ranging from food security to Yiddish-language activism.

Jones included that “many other people read Outlook because it offers a voice they don’t hear often” and, within the community, there is a “strong sense that words can change the world.”

Amid stories of the joys of being Jewish and various community and activist involvements, the crowd of about 25 people entered the downstairs room at the Peretz Centre scattered with foldout tables and a slide projecting: “Freeing David McCallum: A Story of Exoneration.”

Klonsky explained “the fraudulent case” of David McCallum, with which he became involved after receiving a letter from McCallum, who had read an interview Klonsky had done for The Sun Magazine with Dr. Rubin Carter, the founder of Innocence International, who passed away April 20, 2014.

“David McCallum was in prison for 19 years when he saw this. What he saw was a friend was reading it somewhere in the library of the prison. He was able to read it, and saw my name connected to it. He wrote to The Sun, asking for my address and he wrote me a letter asking if I would help him with his case. I had nothing to do with the law at that point in my life. I was just basically an observer…. But the letter was so poignant that I decided I was going to get involved.”

When referring to the McCallum confession, Klonsky noted: “We never see the interrogation. If you have a videotape confession, the purpose of it was to get a conviction because the jury sees a videotape confession.”

Klonsky explained, “The police say, when they are in private, they say, and I’m using their language, the reason people talk to us is because they are stupid and they love to tell their stories and that’s how we get them. Now, I know young people, the reason they talk to the police is they think, ‘Well, I haven’t done anything wrong and I’m going to tell them the truth, the truth is going to protect me’… but your truth might not be the truth of the next person they talk to. McCallum and [the late Willie] Stuckey… they were both told, your friend has told us you shot Nathan Blenner, but we know you didn’t do it, we know it was him.”

Elaborating on the mindset of the interrogated individuals, Klonsky said, “Well, I’m going to go home because all I’m saying is what my friend did … neither David nor Willie confessed to the crime. They said they were witnesses to somebody else doing it. They didn’t realize, being children, that if you’re along for the ride, you are an accomplice and it doesn’t matter. You are going to get charged.”

McCallum was exonerated last year, after nearly 29 years in prison.

Klonsky is currently working towards proving the innocence of Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns. He called the situation “the greatest tragedy I’ve ever ran in to” because “there is no evidence linking them to the actual crime” and, he alleged, their “false confession … was engineered by the RCMP. Sebastian and Atif were the youngest people that have ever been victimized by this routine.” Klonsky continued, “It is a very dangerous thing to do … they know how to set up a young person.”

In responding to a question of the number of wrongful convictions in the United States, Klonksy said, “A minimum of 35,000, that is 1.5% of the 2.3 million people who are in prison in the United States.… This is the mechanism of an oppressive state. I don’t want to paint an unnecessarily dark picture, but it really is pretty dark.” Klonsky added that he considered this a low estimate, as “The New Yorker says five percent, that is, over 110,000 wrongly convicted people. There are only 70 innocence projects in the United States.”

Throughout the talk, comments and questions were shared by the crowd, ranging from experiences in the 1970s of interrogation regarding the activist work of individuals on the way to an anti-apartheid conference, to questions regarding the motivations of police officers pushing these charges and using such tactics.

Gyda Chud, emcee of the event, spoke after Klonsky and highlighted one of his quotes of the evening: “The opposite of evil is not good, it is truth.” She continued to say that, “for truth to prevail, people like yourselves [Klonsky] and those involved in the innocence project work … we must thank you for righting these wrongs.”

Klonsky told the Independent about “a case in Louisiana, a football player, African-American kid. He was accused of writing false banknotes, forged banknotes, and the handwriting didn’t match and we were able to get him off.” The “kid” is now married with four children, said Klonsky. “Sometimes, you do things that you don’t have any idea of the effect you are going to have.”

A fundraising speech by Marion Pollack concluded the event. “Outlook has a strong and proud history of voicing dissenting opinions…. It shows that there is an amazing and wondrous reality of Jewish voices,” she said.

Outlook editor Carl Rosenberg said, “The presentation was good, people seemed to enjoy it…. I think it went well.”

Outlook publishes six times a year and offers both a socialist and humanist lens of social justice, Yiddishkeit, ethical humanism and other issues. For more information, visit outlookmagazine.ca.

Zach Sagorin is a Vancouver freelance writer.

Ensuring fair, legal elections

Kara Mintzberg (B.C. regional director of CJPAC), Ron Laufer, centre, and Michael Schwartz. (photo from Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia)

With Canada’s 2015 federal election so closely contested, Jewish community organizations continued to the dying days of the long campaign to try to encourage volunteerism and interest in the electoral process. One such point of community engagement was the talk Observing Democracy by Ron Laufer on Oct. 8 at the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia. Presented in conjunction with the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC), the evening was a chance for people to hear about the challenging conditions under which elections run in a variety of countries around the world.

Laufer works as an election observer and administrator. He has administered private elections locally, in the case of court-ordered elections of nonprofit organizations such as the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, for example. His international experience includes primarily work for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He has acted as an election analyst, polling station advisor and deputy head of mission for many international elections. Some of these elections were not particularly democratic while others, although complex in their execution, were perhaps surprisingly democratic in their process.

The Afghan election in 2005 was an example of a logistically complicated election. Not only was the concept of democratic elections new, but also a large proportion of the population is both illiterate and isolated in places unreachable by motorized vehicle.

“We used hundreds of donkeys, camels and horses to transport election materials,” said Laufer. The ballots were sometimes seven broadsheet pages on which voters needed to cast seven votes, no more, no less, in order for the ballot to be valid.

Laufer worked on this election on the ground in Afghanistan for six months in order to help educate the population, organize the ballots and the voting, and assess the results afterward. From the slides he showed, another challenge was keeping the election observers safe. “One trip included two international observers, with about 18 others between the interpreters and the security staff.”

Just a sampling of the countries Laufer has visited to help in some fashion with their elections includes Turkmenistan, India, Nigeria, Iceland, Hungary, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Austria, Tunisia, Malta and Albania. With the exception of Nigeria, these countries are all member states of OSCE. Much of his work as an observer has been for the OSCE, since all member states are required to have observers of their elections. There are 57 states who have signed on to the OSCE, so this keeps Laufer quite busy, considering the length of his missions can range from one week to observe an election day to a long-term mission of up to six months.

Membership in OSCE is, in some cases, a screen for undemocratic states, such as Turkmenistan, and countries like Hungary and Bulgaria, which are becoming increasingly less democratic, said Laufer.

While he offered many examples of countries in which elections are no more than a show put on by the ruling dynasty, he also gave examples of countries whose systems seem to be improving. His fairly recent trip to Sierra Leone was a bright spot. He said, “They went through hell and back and now it feels like they are moving forward. Their election was fairly smooth.” He acknowledged that elections are only a small part of democracy but said that, without properly run elections, democracy cannot be achieved.

After Laufer answered questions from the floor, Michael Schwartz, JMABC coordinator of programs and development, gave a short presentation that was followed by Kara Mintzberg, B.C. regional director of CJPAC, who spoke briefly on the ways in which Jewish Canadians can “punch above our weight” in an election.

As a community, she said, we represent only 1.1% of the Canadian population and are spread out all over the country; only five percent of all ridings in the federal election were potentially influenced by a concentration of Jewish population in those areas. In general,

CJPAC encourages members of the community to volunteer, and facilitates the introduction of a volunteer who signs up with CJPAC to the volunteer’s choice of campaign, thus alerting the candidate to the participation and interest of a Jewish volunteer. This knowledge, it is hoped, will make the candidates more aware of the Jewish and/or pro-Israel presence and support in his or her riding.

Among CJPAC’s activities leading up to the Oct. 19 federal election was an all-candidates meeting on Oct. 1 at Beth Israel Synagogue with more than 500 in attendance. CJPAC’s mission of fostering Jewish and pro-Israel political leadership is not limited to election time.

For more information on the JMABC, visit jewishmuseum.ca. To become involved in political advocacy through CJPAC, visit cpjac.ca.

Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.

Expanding the financial field

Michael Susser, left, and Murray Palay of Quadrant Asset Management. (photo from QAM)

The first-ever Quadrant Asset Management Investment Conference was held on Oct. 2 at the University of Manitoba’s James W. Burns Executive Education Centre in downtown Winnipeg. It will be a recurring event, happening at least once every two years, according to Murray Palay of Quadrant Asset Management, which has committed to five conferences in the next 10 years.

Even though the conference was their idea, Palay and business partner Michael Susser were taken aback by how quickly the idea was accepted and how speedily it has taken form – a year ahead of schedule.

Both graduates of the U of M, Palay and Susser wanted to support the Asper School of Business in its desire to hold a conference on behavioral finances.

“We felt it was appropriate to give back, particularly in the area of finance,” said Palay about the decision to support the conference. “But really what we wanted was more academic…. We wanted a program that we could kick-start and that would build over the years.”

Quadrant covers 60% of the cost, with the remaining amount covered by partners in the industry, Tetrem Capital Management and CI Investments. Michael Benarroch, dean of the Asper School, and Dr. Gady Jacoby, the Bryce Douglas Professor in Finance, were involved, and U of M assistant professor of finance Chi Liao organized the conference.

Behavioral economics, or finance, incorporates other factors, such as psychology and emotion, into conventional economic theory – which assumes that people always behave rationally, in a way that maximizes their wealth – in an effort to explain why people often make decisions, or behave in ways, that seem unpredictable or irrational. It does so not just to understand individual behaviors, but their effect on the market at large.

About that general definition, Liao said, “I’m not sure if I agree with the term ‘irrational.’ It may be more measured to say that behavioral finance uses psychology to understand how human behavior influences financial decisions.”

A major question the conference examined is whether or not people make decisions based on emotions as well as financial considerations.

“I had the liberty of choosing the speakers, so I chose people who I thought had very cutting-edge, very talk-able research topics – researchers like Dr. Hersh Shefrin of Santa Clara University, the conference’s keynote speaker,” said Liao. “He was an obvious choice, as he really pioneers the field of behavioral finance.”

Shefrin’s 1999 book Beyond Greed and Fear: Understanding Behavioral Finance and the Psychology of Investing has become a standard text used around the world in behavioral finance courses, as well as being part of the CFA Institute curriculum source material, among others. As it happens, Shefrin is a former Winnipegger and a U of M graduate.

Other conference presenters included Amos Nedler of the University of Western Ontario, who spoke about The Bull of Wall Street: Experimental Analysis of Testosterone and Asset Trading; Rawley Haimer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland on YOLO: Mortality Beliefs and Household Finance Puzzles; Jawad Addoun of the University of Miami, who discussed Local Bankruptcy and Geographic Contagion in Loan Characteristics; and Vicki Bogan of Cornell University on the Importance of Mental Health and Retirement Savings: Confounding Issues with Compounding Interest. Capping off the conference were speakers Scott Hsu of the University of Arkansas, who spoke about Beauty is Wealth: CEO Appearance and Shareholder Value; and Lisa Kramer of the University of Toronto, who discussed Examining the Effect of Social Distance on Financial Decision Making.

“Martin Wayngarten, who heads our investment management group, could have listened to Dr. Shefrin all day,” said Palay. “His explanation of the behavioral aspects, how sentiment and emotions factor in, and how they correlate or don’t to rational investors, this is all stuff that we live and breathe.

“Being on the front lines, we recognize that behavioral issues, such as sentiment and emotion, are very much a part of what we have to deal with. It’s just not all numbers.”

Palay felt some of the other speakers’ topics were a bit more esoteric, such as those discussing testosterone in traders, but still very interesting.

One major takeaway for Palay from the conference was a newfound understanding of the nature and depth academics go through to prove their theories through clinical studies.

“We would have never really seen this kind of a presentation if not for Jacoby and Liao,” said Palay. “The presentations you would get industry-wide would be a lot more practically oriented and more numbers-oriented.”

In addition to what he learned at the conference, Palay was also glad to have had the opportunity to spend time with his son, who is a student in Liao’s class, as the whole class came to the conference.

“I should mention, by the way, the bias I have in terms of how good Dr. Shefrin was,” said Palay, noting that Shefrin is his wife’s second cousin. Palay learned of this connection shortly before the conference, when sharing some information with his wife, Ivy Kopstein (of Winnipeg’s Jewish Child and Family Service), about the then-upcoming conference and the keynote speaker. Kopstein said Palay must invite Shefrin home over for dinner.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

First-ever official visit

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, left, welcomes President Pranab Mukherjee to the Knesset. (photo from Israeli Prime Minister’s Office via jns.org)

In the first-ever official visit by an Indian head of state to Israel, President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Jerusalem last week to discuss a wide range of issues including the negotiation of an extensive free-trade agreement, bilateral cooperation in agricultural and other technologies, and expanded counter-terrorism coordination.

“India attaches high importance to its relationship with Israel, a relationship which has taken great strides in the last few years,” said Mukherjee.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin described the visit as deepening “the friendship between our states in the fields of economy, science, medicine and agriculture.”

Relations between India and Israel have recently undergone a major shift. In 1947, India voted against Israel joining the United Nations and did not establish official relations with Israel until 1991. This was mainly out of concern over how this would affect India’s diplomatic relations with Muslim countries, as well as India itself hosting “the world’s second-largest Muslim population in raw numbers,” according to a 2013 report by the Pew Research Centre.

Nevertheless, this recent development demonstrates how ties between the two countries have expanded considerably since then. The most recent example of a warming of relations between the countries came when India decided to abstain from the UN Human Rights Council vote condemning Israel during the 2014 Gaza conflict. This was a significant policy change, since India for decades was a leading force for nations that automatically voted against Israel in all international forums.

At the same time, the Press Trust of India recently quoted Mukherjee as saying, “India’s traditional support to the Palestinian cause remains steadfast and unwavering while we pursue strong relations with Israel. Our bilateral relations [with Israel] are independent of our relations with Palestine.”

During Mukherjee’s visit, India and Israel signed a double taxation avoidance pact as well as a number of accords promoting cultural and technological exchange between the two nations. Mukherjee and his delegation reserved 70 rooms in Jerusalem’s King David Hotel and another 30 rooms in the nearby Dan Panorama. Celebrity chef Reena Pushkarna was hired by the King David Hotel to prepare Indian dishes for the delegation and some 300 members of Israel’s Indian community.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu shares a very warm relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and referred to him as his friend multiple times when hosting Mukherjee at the Knesset. The prime ministers earlier this year congratulated each other on their respective electoral victories, with Modi making a point of doing so in Hebrew and Netanyahu expressing his good wishes in Hindi. Mukherjee extended an invitation to Netanyahu to become the second Israeli prime minister to visit India, the first being former prime minister Ariel Sharon, who visited India in 2003.

Further illustrating the growing ties between the two countries, Israel is India’s second-largest arms supplier after Russia. But relations are not limited to military ties and a mutual commitment to fight terrorism. Vijeta Uniyal, founder of Indian Friends of Israel, described how Israel’s commitment to developing the desert “extends to the Thar Desert, Gangetic Plain and Wetlands of Bengal.”

Bilateral trade between Israel and India grew from $200 million in 1992 to $4.39 billion in 2013, with both countries importing and exporting precious stones, metals, machinery, minerals, plastics, chemical products, textiles, agricultural products, and transport equipment.

Ties between the two countries are expected to strengthen considerably as a result of Mukherjee’s visit, signifying the solidification of a strong alliance between India and Israel.

Bradley Martin is a fellow for the Salomon Centre for American Jewish Thought and research assistant for the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research.

Eatery’s unique offer

Recent visitors to the Hummus Bar at the M Mall in Kfar Vitkin, near Netanya. The eatery is offering a 50% deal on its hummus for Jews and Arabs who share a table and eat together. (photo from facebook.com/Mhumusbar)

An Israeli eatery is making headlines across the globe for its latest menu deal: 50% off any hummus dishes served to tables seating Jews and Arabs together.

Breaking bread together throughout history has always been an act of sharing and reconciliation. So, in response to the latest wave of terror attacks and incitement in Israel, Hummus Bar at the M Mall in Kfar Vitkin, near the coastal city of Netanya, posted a Facebook call for customers to share pita and hummus together – and pay less if they do.

The Oct. 13 post reads: “Scared of Arabs? Scared of Jews? At our place, we don’t have Arabs! But we also don’t have Jews … we’ve got human beings! And genuine, excellent Arab hummus! And great Jewish falafel! And a free refill for every serving of hummus, whether you’re Arab, Jewish, Christian, Indian, etc.”

Speaking to local media, manager Kobi Tzafrir said there were a number of people taking up the offer from his restaurant, which is famous for its chickpea spread. But, he added, the short post also fueled interest from around Israel and the world.

Hummus eateries are countless in Israel, yet Tzafrir reported that visitors have come from around the country to show support for the Hummus Bar’s message of tolerance and camaraderie.

“If there’s anything that can bring together these peoples, it’s hummus,” Tzafrir told the Times of Israel.

Hummus Bar’s Facebook page continues to garner positive posts from abroad, as well.

“Love the idea of bringing people together with food! Love and food conquers all!!” writes Urbian Fitz-James from the Netherlands.

“I think it is amazing what you guys are doing to unite people!” posts Josh Friesen from Canada.

“Thank you. This is marvelous,” writes Samir Kanoun from Turkey.

There are other messages of support – including from the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan – on the eatery’s Facebook page.

Hummus, of course, is a national dish in Israel, from the point of view of both Muslim and Jewish communities in the country. The International Day of Hummus even began here.

And it’s not just hummus that brings tolerance and coexistence. There are also Arab-Jewish owned eateries serving up coexistence, including Maxim restaurant in Haifa and Bouza ice cream in Tarshiha.

Viva Sarah Press reports on the creativity, innovation and ingenuity taking place in Israel. Her work has been published by international media outlets including Israel Television, CNN, Reuters, Time Out and the Jerusalem Post. Israel21C is a nonprofit educational foundation with a mission to focus media and public attention on the 21st-century Israel that exists beyond the conflict. For more, or to donate, visit israel21c.org.

יש לנו תיש שמסרב לעזוב

עובדי טים הורטונס למשטרה: יש לנו תיש שמסרב לעזוב את המסעדה. (צילום: CTV News Saskatoon)

בחירות 2015: לא ברור למי היהודים הצביעו

בניגוד לבחירות הקודמות לא ברור למי היהודים הצביעו הפעם בבחירות שהתקיימו ביום שני. כך מדווח העיתון גלוב אנד מייל. לדברי העיתון בבחירות הקודמות מרבית הקהילה היהודית עמדה מאחורי ראש הממשלה, סטיבן הרפר, בעיקר לאור תמיכתו החד משמעית בישראל. בבחירות אלה ג’סטין טרודו מהמפלגה הלברלית ותום מולקייר מהמפלגה הדמוקרטת החדשה הודיעו אף הם על תמיכתם בישראל. ההמשך יבוא.

משטרת אבוטספורד לעבריינים: “תכננו את עתידכם ולא את הלוויותיכם”

העיר אבוטספורד נחשבת לבירת הפשע של המדינה. תחנת המשטרה המקומית בשיתוף העירייה מחפשים כל הזמן דרכים להקטין את הפשע. תחנת המשטרה מצאה לאחרונה דרך יוצאת דופן להילחם בפשע. נהג של המשטרה מסתובב ברחבי העיר עם ג’יפ האמר מפואר, שהוחרם במסגרת פעילות משטרתית. על הג’יפ מודבקים שני סלוגנים “חינוכיים” ויוצאי דופן שנועדו להרתיע את העבריינים. הראשון הוא: “כסף קל יכול לעשות לכם חיים קשים”, ואילו השני הוא: “תכננו את עתידכם ולא את הלוויותיכם”. על שמשת הרכב המוזר מודבקת בנוסף גם תמונה של צעיר כלוא מאחורי סוגרים, ומתחתיה כתוב בגדול כי ג’יפ זה הוחרם ע”י כוחו אכיפת החוק לאחר שעבריינים השתמשו בו להברחת סמים.

במשטרת אבוטספורד מקווים שהסלוגנים מאירי העיניים שעל הג’יפ החינוכי, יגרמו לעבריינים מקרב חבורות הפשע שפועלות בעיר, להתחיל ולעשות חושבים בטרם ימשיכו בפעילותם הפלילית האין סופית. ראש עיריית אבוטספורד, הנרי בראון, אמר לאמצעי התקשורת: “פעילות הפשע בעיר שגורמת לקורבנות רבים צריכה להיפסק והיא תופסק. יש לנו כוח משטרה מצויין בעיר וביחד אנחנו כולנו נטפל בבעייה חמורה זו”.

עובדי טים הורטונס למשטרה: יש לנו תיש שמסרב לעזוב את המסעדה

“שלום. אנו מתקשרים מסניף של טים הורטונוס בססקצ’ואן וזקוקים לעזרכתם. מישהו מסרב לעזוב את המסעדה לצערנו. הראנו לו את הדרך החוצה מספר פעמים והוא כל הזמן חוזר אל המסעדה בעקשנות באמצעות הדלתות האוטומטיות. אגב העקשן הסרבן הזה הוא תיש”. בתחנת המשטרה הפדרלית (האר. סי.אם. פי) של ססקצ’ואן הופתעו לקבל שיחת טלפון ברוח דומה מאחד העובדים של טים הורטונס, על תיש עקשן שמסרב לעזוב את המקום, וחוזר אליו שוב ושוב.

לדברי מומחים לבעלי חיים שנדרשו לדון בסוגיה המוזרה הזות התיש כנראה היה עייף ורעב ואולי אף היה לו קר, ולכן הוא החליט להתמקם לא פחות מאשר במסעדה המוגנת. ידוע גם שתיישים הם בעלי חיים עקשניים והנה לכם המתכון לסיפור המוזר הזה. כאמור לאחר שהעובדים במסעדה הבחינו בתיש שנכנס למקום, הם פתחו את הדלת והורו לו לצאת. הוא יצא ולאחר מספר דקות מצא את הדרך בחזרה למסעדה, תוך הוא נכנס דרך הדלתות האוטומיות שמותקנות במקום. התרחיש הזה חזר על עצמו מספר פעמים והתיש לא נואש, אלא שדווקא העובדים התייעפו ממנו. לכן הם קראו לשוטרים שהגיעו למקום.

לאחר שבדקו שהסיפור המוזר אכן נכון לא הייתה לשוטרים ברירה אלה לעצור את התיש העקשן, ולהובילו לאחר כבוד לתחנת המשטרה. לאחר ברור קצר הוחלט שלא להשאיר את התיש במעצר כיוון שהוא לא נראה שמח במיוחד ממעצרו, והיה ברור שאינו ממש מסוכן לציבור הרחב. אחד השוטרים לקח אותו לביתו ולמחרת הועבר העציר היוצא דופן למקלט לבעלי חיים. במשך שמונה ימים ניסו במשטרה לאתר את הבעלים של התיש תוך הם מתקשרים לכל החוות שבאזור מחוז ססקצ’ואן. לבסוף נמצא הבעלים שלו וזה התייחד מחדש עם התיש שבעקשנותו שיגע את כל העיר והמשטרה.

Don’t vote for Momma!

A few weeks ago, I sat in the High Holy Day services looking around the room at the omany folks who make their annual pilgrimage to the synagogue that time of year. Most of them are there out of guilt or a sense of obligation instilled in them from when they were kids. Momma said, “You go to services on the High Holy Days!” And that was that! Most of them also hang onto a sense of Jewish identity and feel that attending that service once a year keeps them connected and fulfilled.

A few rabbis might wince as they read this, but I say there is nothing wrong with that. Religion is whatever we each want, need or don’t need it to be. It is personal. However we wish to acknowledge or pay attention to it is up to us. We don’t owe our beliefs or religious commitments to anyone but ourselves – and maybe our mommas.

This certainly isn’t just a Jewish-specific behavior. All sorts of folks in all sorts of religions follow a similar path, engaging at certain key times of the year to fulfill their personal obligations or commitments.

Unfortunately, too many Canadians carry on a similar mentality when it comes to national politics, with election time being the one time they feel compelled to celebrate their democratic rights by heading to the polling stations and voting.

While participating in a religious service without understanding the issues or knowing what it’s really about can still offer personal benefits, influencing politics and voting without knowing what it’s really about is concerning.

Everywhere I look on social media for the past month I see folks pleading with the country to show up and vote. We live in a democracy, after all. We are lucky to have the opportunity and the right to vote and, thus, we should. Many people sacrificed their lives so that we can have these choices today, with the right and freedom to vote for our leaders.

But it’s not just about stepping up to a pole and filling out a ballot. Important decisions are being made while every single vote carries the same weight.

It’s not just about the action of voting. It’s about contributing. It’s about respecting the rights and privileges we once fought for and now defend in this country. So please, don’t vote blind. Don’t vote based on the color of the lawn post you prefer. Don’t vote because the person in your riding has the same first name as you. Don’t vote because your momma told you who to vote for.

Everyone should vote! But if you can’t find some time to have at least a basic understanding of who or what you are voting for I am suggesting that you do not vote.

If you think you might fall under that category, take the time to read the posts linked here – both great places to start. Then get out there and vote!

Everything you need to know about the platforms, and JI interviews with the Liberals, Conservatives, Greens and NDP for all you need to about the federal leaders’ views on Israel, Iran, security, and more. And there’s even more at Federal Election 2015.

 

Mulcair talks about choices

New Democratic Party of Canada leader Tom Mulcair. (photo from Tom Mulcair’s office)

“I think the values of the community that you’re writing for are very similar to the social values of the NDP historically, and I think that’s a strong connection that we have,” New Democratic Party of Canada leader Tom Mulcair told the Independent in a phone interview last week.

He added that his wife Catherine’s “family connection means that I’m the only person in this race who has a deep understanding of the Jewish community and of its history, and I’ll always be a strong stalwart based on that understanding.”

Even before the election campaign started, Mulcair always has been clear in his support for Israel.

“My position is very comfortable within the NDP,” he said, “because the party’s position has, for a long time, been in favor of a two-state solution. Essentially, we believe we have to be working with partners in the Middle East, in particular, in Israel and Palestine, within a framework of respect for UN resolutions and international law, that’s important. And, we always talk about working towards peace in the region, starting from a base where it has to be mutually agreed borders and, frankly, everyone free from attack of any kind: peace and security, in other words, within established and negotiated borders.”

He defended his strict enforcement of this view, which has included the dismissal of candidates who hold alternate opinions.

“I’ve tightened the reins in making sure people respect our position, and I think that that’s the key thing,” said Mulcair, adding that the NDP is “still the only party political party in Ottawa to have ever had a Jewish leader, in David Lewis [federally] and, of course, in Ontario, Stephen, Lewis’ son. And I’ve had a chance to visit Israel a couple of times and look forward to going back. I daresay that I’m the only leader in this campaign … who can count family in Israel, as well.”

“I think that free trade with a democracy is a good thing. We also backed the trade agreement with Jordan because we know that it’s also a very strong voice for stability and peace in a very tough region with a lot of problems.”

With respect to the expansion of the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement earlier this year, Mulcair said, “I think that free trade with a democracy is a good thing. We also backed the trade agreement with Jordan because we know that it’s also a very strong voice for stability and peace in a very tough region with a lot of problems.

“As you know, the NDP takes a pretty strong view that free-trade agreements have to represent dealings with countries that have values similar to ours, and that’s why in both cases we had no problem with it.”

The NDP also has no problem with the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany) nuclear deal with Iran.

“I think that the P5+1 deal shows that diplomacy can achieve real results even after decades of hostility,” said Mulcair, who described himself as “very clear-eyed about the Iranians,” noting that the antisemitism there “is at a level rarely seen in the world today.”

He said, “I don’t have any illusions about what I’m dealing with … no Israeli government can ignore the threat of a nuclear Iran…. At the same time … as long as it is enforced rigorously, the deal shows the possibility of making sure that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are hemmed in.”

About security closer to home, and specifically Bill C-51, Mulcair said, “I think that it’s a question of approach and priorities. Don’t forget Mr. [Stephen] Harper’s approach is always about stark, false choices. He would have you believe, for example, that a government has to choose between the economy and the environment. Of course, that’s a false choice; you have to do both. He would have you believe that you either keep your communities safe or you respect your rights or freedoms. Well, the prime minister’s job is to do both: respect Canadians’ rights and freedoms, and keep communities safe. So, C-51 is a breach with that.”

Offering an example from the party’s history in balancing security and freedoms, Mulcair noted, “The NDP, you might recall, is the party that had the courage politically to stand up in 1970 against the imposition of the War Measures Act that put hundreds of Canadians in jail without trial, without accusation, and the NDP had the courage to stand up against that.

“When Mr. Harper came in with Bill C-51, I was told that I was being foolhardy to oppose it, that the vast majority of Canadians were in favor of it. Well, you know what? I don’t take that as the starting point in these issues. I am more than willing to stand up to Stephen Harper when he’s compromising Canadians’ rights and freedoms, and we did that. We did that with an articulate stance that explained to Canadians why it was a mistake, and you know what? At the end of that process, most Canadians agreed with us, so I’m proud of that.

“There are things that can be done here in Canada to help fight some of the situation there,” he said, referring to the conflict in Syria, as well as others in the region. “There are a couple of concrete things that I think Canada can and should be doing.

“First of all, Canada is the only country in NATO not to have signed the Arms Trade Treaty. Well, that’s something that’s easy to fix, and that can help stop the flow of arms to some of those conflicts right now.

“Deradicalization is entirely absent from Bill C-51 and that is, again, a mistake. Most of our partners in the world who are dealing with these issues realize that the flow of foreign fighters into those regions is one of the biggest problems and, instead of coming to grips with that, Mr. Harper completely ignores the problem.”

“There’s also an important element of deradicalization. And, again, Mr. Harper just doesn’t know how to get this right. For example, he doesn’t talk about going into houses of worship, as you hear President [Barack] Obama talk about. What Mr. Harper will talk about, specifically, are mosques. Now, of course, in that case, he’s finger-pointing a single community. That’s a mistake. Deradicalization is entirely absent from Bill C-51 and that is, again, a mistake. Most of our partners in the world who are dealing with these issues realize that the flow of foreign fighters into those regions is one of the biggest problems and, instead of coming to grips with that, Mr. Harper completely ignores the problem.”

Other problems that Harper has ignored, or about which he has been mistaken, according to Mulcair, concern the budget and jobs. The NDP’s approach to these issues, including its focus on the middle-class, has drawn some criticism that the NDP has strayed from its roots – a point with which Mulcair disagrees.

“We’ve been really clear all along, especially under my leadership, that Canada wants a government that knows how to deal with the big issues of the day in the interest of the population,” he said. “When we [the NDP] were in power in Saskatchewan, we ran 17 consecutive balanced budgets because we had taken over a province that was bankrupt after years of Liberal rule…. After those balanced budgets, we were able to bring in free, universal, public medical care – that was an NDP priority.

“This time around, I’m talking about the importance of bringing in quality, affordable, maximum-$15-a-day child care, and we’re going to do that on the basis of a balanced budget. There are some who would say, well, that’s not a very social-democratic thing, but if you look at the history of the NDP, we have a history of being very prudent public administrators. We know that we have that burden on us – that we’re always going to have to be the ones who have to be the most prudent because, if we’re not, people will judge us more harshly than the others.

“Some of the other parties are taking a different approach,” he continued. “Mr. Harper talked a good game but ran up $150 billion in new debt while he was in power. Mr. [Justin] Trudeau is promising to spend at least $10 billion a year more than what he takes in and, in the fourth year, he’s going to start cutting with, quote, everything will be on the table, in terms of cuts – that was the exact quote from Mr. [John] McCallum when he was asked how he was going to be able to cut $6.5 billion in the fourth year of his budget. So, that’s where the Liberals are, that’s where the Conservatives are.”

“Economically, we’re talking about balanced budgets, but we also want to create opportunities for good-paying jobs. There were 400,000 manufacturing jobs lost on Mr. Harper’s watch, and he wants to kill off tens of thousands more with this recent trade deal.”

Mulcair said the NDP are prudent administrators in other areas, as well. “I have a strong personal track record as a former environment minister as a strong enforcer of environmental legislation and I’m strong on principle on those things,” he said. “Economically, we’re talking about balanced budgets, but we also want to create opportunities for good-paying jobs. There were 400,000 manufacturing jobs lost on Mr. Harper’s watch, and he wants to kill off tens of thousands more with this recent trade deal,” meaning the Trans-Pacific Partnership. On Oct. 5, the 12 countries involved, including Canada, reached an agreement, which still has to be ratified by each country’s parliament.

“On the environment, on the economic issues, on social issues, we’re very different from the other two parties who, more often than not, are of one mind,” Mulcair said, giving three examples.

“Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Harper agreed with tens of billions of dollars of tax reductions for Canada’s richest corporations – we disagree, we’re going to start making them pay their fair share.

“We disagree with the Keystone XL Pipeline. We think that you don’t export your natural resources raw. Mr. Harper and Mr. Trudeau are of one mind, they think that it’s a good idea to send 40,000 Canadian jobs to the U.S. – we disagree.

“We’ve had a different approach on C-51. Mr. Trudeau was afraid of Mr. Harper. He said at the University of British Columbia that he was too afraid of Mr. Harper to stand up for what he thought was the right thing to do in that case. Well, I think that that’s sad, and I think that Mr. Trudeau has shown a lack of leadership and, frankly, a lack of experience.”

While the NDP would increase the corporate tax rate, its platform includes “supporting innovation and investment in companies.” When asked if this was not just a different way of subsidizing business, Mulcair responded, “No. For example, the Conservatives have continued to subsidize companies in the oil patch. We will remove subsidies. What we will do is bring back certain innovation tax credits because we know that the manufacturing sector is, and can be, a hub for innovation and technological jobs in the future that will be knowledge-based.

“We’ll also propose a small-business tax cut, so we’ll bring their taxes down from 11[%] to nine, which we think is a smart way of stimulating the creation of jobs by job creators because small- and medium-sized businesses in Canada create more new jobs. We don’t shy away from saying that government can play an active role in creating the conditions for the private sector to create jobs.”

“This is the first time in Canadian history that we actually have a choice. For 148 years, we’ve been told we have no choice but to alternate. When we get tired of the Liberals and the sponsorship scandal, we’re supposed to go back to the Conservatives. We get tired of the Conservatives and the Senate scandal, we’re supposed to go back. This time, the first time, there is a choice.”

Looking ahead to the last days of the campaign, Mulcair said, “This is the first time in Canadian history that we actually have a choice. For 148 years, we’ve been told we have no choice but to alternate.” For example, “When we get tired of the Liberals and the sponsorship scandal, we’re supposed to go back to the Conservatives. We get tired of the Conservatives and the Senate scandal, we’re supposed to go back. This time, the first time, there is a choice.

“For the first time in Canadian history, the NDP is forming the Official Opposition, we’re seen as a government-in-waiting. We’re doing great across the country but we’ve got very strong support in certain regions that are going to allow us to form a government, and we know that.

“B.C. is a good example of a province where we’re doing super well,” he said. “I just had an event there yesterday morning that showed me that the energy and the strength of the team and the campaign that we’re running are resonating … so we’re going keep that going.”

The Independent has interviewed Liberal leader Justin Trudeau (July 31), Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism Jason Kenney (Sept. 18) and Green party leader Elizabeth May (Oct. 9). The federal election is on Oct. 19.

A sentimental journey

Stephen Aberle as Dan and Annabel Kershaw as Sue reflect on their life together in Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook, at Presentation House Theatre Oct. 28-Nov. 8. (photo by Megan Verhey, Megan Verhey Photography)

Theatre often allows us, the audience, a safe place in which to experience feelings that we are more guarded about showing in daily life. It can offer a way in which to reflect on our own lives and actions without the vulnerability that such introspection usually entails in “real life.” We can learn from what we witness on stage, whether a comedy, a drama or something in between. At the least, we can escape from our own cares for a time, immersing ourselves in someone else’s joys and pains. A perfect example? Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook.

So popular was last year’s Canadian première of the show in Vancouver at Studio 1398, that WRS Productions – Ron and Wendy Stuart – is bringing it back for 12-day run at North Vancouver’s Presentation House Theatre, Oct. 28-Nov. 8.

“The response was amazing,” Wendy Bross Stuart told the Independent about last year’s production. “People laughed. People wept. Tissues were in short supply. The actors were very moved by the content and the music of Snapshots. The last five shows were completely sold out; people were turned away at the door. It was at that point that Ron and I decided we would seek the opportunity to remount the show.”

In Snapshots, Sue is set to leave her husband Dan after 30 years of marriage. While she is going through the attic, Dan comes home. A box of photographs (snapshots) falls open, leading the couple to reflect on their life together.

Conceived by Michael Scheman and David Stern, composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz adapted music from his stage shows, feature films and original CDs to mesh with the book by Stern, which takes the audience back to Dan and Sue’s earlier days.

In the WRS Productions’ show, Dan and Sue are portrayed by Stephen Aberle and Annabel Kershaw; Daniel and Susan, by Steve Maddock and Jocelyn Gauthier; Danny and Susie, by Daniel Johnston and Georgia Swinton.

About the ways in which he personally related – or not – to Dan throughout the character’s life, Aberle said, “Hmm, well, younger Danny/Daniel has a winning way with women. Many, many women. I was definitely not like that growing up; I was shy and repressed and a bit of a goob, I guess.

“On the other hand, when Dan truly falls in love, he falls hard and he stays fallen. I identify with that. While he has this playboy past, he’s careful about where he really gives his heart, and he finds it hard to put the truth of his love into words. I think that’s the central struggle in the play for him. Casual physical intimacy comes easily to him (unlike me!), but he’s scared by commitment and emotional intimacy. He’s experienced deep hurt in the past, and he fears opening up too far because he doesn’t want to get hurt like that again. I get that.

“Details from the past – talismans, little triggers for powerful memories – really get to him. I guess they get to all of us one way or another, so it’s not necessarily a specific character thing, but it resonates for me.”

Like Aberle, most of the actors are reprising their roles, but there have been changes, and not only in casting.

“Last year’s Snapshots was in a ‘black box’ theatre,” explained Stuart. “This gave us the opportunity to configure the show ‘in the round.’ The set design was done by Jessica Oostergo.

“This year, we are working in partnership with Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver. We are in a traditional theatre space. This meant the show needed to be completely reconfigured. With the experienced hand of Pam Johnson, we have a brilliant set – full of secret entrances and exits. This design is in conjunction with our new director and choreographer, one of Canada’s most sought-after and experienced, Max Reimer, former artistic director at the Vancouver Playhouse. The show will look very different.

“In addition, we have two new cast members: Daniel is played by Steve Maddock and Susie is played by Georgia Swinton. The rehearsals are very exciting; we have a chance, now, to add new interpretation and shape to the music. The sound of the ensemble is thrilling!”

Aberle spoke about the ensemble and what it feels like to have different actors “all playing aspects of the same role.”

“The other performers playing Danny and Daniel – my character’s younger selves – give me ideas about Dan that I wouldn’t necessarily have come up with on my own,” he explained. “There’s a lot of give and take. We have an opportunity to develop a shared physical vocabulary, for example: postural or gestural or vocal details that stay with the character as he grows older. That’s a lot of fun to explore.

“We’re all, all six of us – along with the band and the creative team – sharing the task of bringing this decades-long, deep relationship to life. One intriguing consequence is that I get to fall in love on stage with not just one woman but three. I have a lot of interplay with all three of Sue, Susan and Susie. When I’m watching them, the younger selves of the love of my life, remembering how we met as kids and how much we meant and gave to each other, it’s profoundly moving.

“It’s interesting,” he continued, “to relate on stage to my character’s younger selves. We don’t get a lot of direct connection but there are important moments, of both frustration and understanding. In real life, we don’t get to say to our younger self, ‘You idiot! Not that way, this way!’ It’s refreshing. It’s also illuminating to see how patterns set in youth change, or don’t change, in later life.”

And what is it about Schwartz’s music that touches people so much?

“I will speak more specifically about the music in Snapshots,” said Stuart, who also wears the music director and pianist hats in this production. “Here, we have examples of Stephen Schwartz’s music from as early as 1971 (Godspell) and as recently as Wicked (2003)…. Schwartz chose the songs to move the new story (book by David Stern) forward in the most compelling way. About 85% of the story is told in music.

“This plot line allows two characters to each communicate with themselves at different stages of their lives. Stated differently, we have a story that takes place 1) in the present, 2) in the past and 3) in one’s interior life. The music is not simply one song after another, it is multi-layered, with (formerly unrelated) songs performed simultaneously in gorgeous counterpoint with one another.

“I truly feel that the music and lyrics (often changed by Schwartz himself to fit the arc of the new story) can simply be enjoyed for their depth of meaning, their melodic interest and their beautiful harmonies. However, for those who know Stephen Schwartz’s music, the complexity and brilliance of the multi-layered nature of this work are simply breathtaking.”

Stuart added, “Yesterday at rehearsal, we had many moments when we simply had to stop. The actors were so ferklempt (choked up with emotion), they were unable to continue. I feel the same way.”

For tickets to Snapshots, visit phtheatre.org, call 604-990-3474 or drop by Presentation House Theatre, at 333 Chesterfield Ave.