Monica Lewinsky may have been the first person in history to experience international cyberbullying. Lewinsky was an intern in the White House during President Bill Clinton’s administration and her relationship with the U.S. president led to worldwide notoriety – contributing to the impeachment of the chief executive.
Lewinsky’s experiences took place before the dawn of social media, but her experience of being publicly judged and condemned was exacerbated by the then-new technology of the internet. Today, with almost every young person now on some form of social media platform, the potential for victimization or harassment exists everywhere.
The lessons of how decisions in early life can have long-lasting impacts – as well as considering how the #MeToo movement might invite a reconsideration of Lewinsky’s role in those events – are among the reasons Congregation Beth Israel will welcome Lewinsky to Vancouver for an evening that includes Selichot services Sept. 9.
“We were trying to think about someone who would be appropriate for Selichot, which is really the kickoff to the High Holiday season,” said Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld. “We wanted someone who would be addressing key High Holiday concepts, such as personal renewal, dealing with personal choices made throughout one’s life, but especially at a young age, the effect of those choices on one’s life. Also, very à propos to today, someone who is still dealing with body image and life image, dealing with online harassment and dealing especially, again in the modern period, with gender power-related issues.”
Monica Lewinsky will touch upon several topics when she speaks at Beth Israel on Sept. 9. (photo from chartwellspeakers.com)
Lewinsky has been speaking on these topics for several years. And this will not be her first time speaking about them to Vancouver audiences, as she did a TED Talk here in 2015, where she told the audience she was subjected to “global humiliation” by “mobs of virtual stone throwers.”
“In 1998, I lost my reputation and my dignity. I lost almost everything,” she said at the time. “I almost lost my life.”
Lewinsky’s presentation here is presented by RBC Global Assets Management PH&N Institutional in addition to Beth Israel, King David High School and Hillel.
Beth Israel invited King David and Hillel to participate because of the relevance to younger audiences of the issue of cyberbullying and how decisions and actions at a young age can change one’s life, said the rabbi. He noted that some younger people might not know of Lewinsky’s experience, while people his age recall it vividly.
Infeld dismissed the idea that Lewinsky’s visit might be controversial.
“Our goal is not to deal with the political issues,” he said. “Our goal is to deal with the personal growth and harassment and mental health issues. Obviously, everyone has their own view of the political issues involved, but the intention here is really not to deal with Democrats versus Republicans or anything like that but really to deal with how one’s experiences as a 20-something-year-old, and the decisions that a person makes at that point, can affect one’s life…. She speaks openly about suicide ideation at one point and how did she overcome that, how is she alive today, to be able to speak, and how does this affect our young people today, who are also making challenging decisions that affect their lives potentially forever, like we all did.”
Infeld also wonders how Lewinsky would have been portrayed, and how different the perceptions might have been, had the events taken place today, when the #MeToo movement and other social changes have given us a different perspective on workplace and gender power dynamics.
“Had this played out in the 2020s and not in the 1990s, what would the storyline look like?” he asked. “I think that may have changed in a very significant way – what the gender and power dynamic looks like in terms of how people would perceive who has responsibility for what took place.”
Tickets to the event were made available first to Beth Israel members, King David families and Hillel students. Tickets were opened to general audiences on Aug. 15. The 8:30 p.m. fireside chat between Infeld and Lewinsky is free and will be followed by musical Selichot services, led by Debby Fenson and Harley Rothstein. People who donate or pledge $90 or more to Beth Israel’s High Holidays campaign are invited to a 7 p.m. seudah shlishit dinner with Lewinsky. Selichot services will be livestreamed but Lewinsky’s presentation will not be. Information and tickets are available at bethisraelvan.ca.
On Sept. 9, Dr. David Suzuki will speak at Temple Sholom on the topic We Claim We Are Intelligent: Then Why Are We in Such a Mess? (photo from Temple Sholom)
Temple Sholom has invited Dr. David Suzuki to speak at their annual Selichot program on Sept. 9, at 8 p.m. The award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster will present on the topic We Claim We Are Intelligent: Then Why Are We in Such a Mess?
Following Suzuki’s presentation, Temple Sholom’s Senior Rabbi Dan Moskovitz will join him in a conversation about our responsibility as people of faith and citizens of the planet to do the Jewish act of teshuvah, return and repair, for the harm we have caused in abdicating our commanded obligation to be guardians of the earth.
The theme of the program comes from Temple Sholom’s ongoing engagement with the environmental crisis through the lens of Jewish moral tradition. A responsibility further amplified by a sermon Moskovitz gave on the issue on Rosh Hashanah in 2019 that sparked a larger effort by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.
Suzuki has taught recently that the COVID-19 crisis has had two enormous and related consequences – it brought much of human activity to a halt and it has given nature a respite. Both provide an opportunity to reset society’s priorities and head in a different direction.
Confrontation with the reality of a new epidemic should have subdued political and economic imperatives to scientific reality and the United States and Brazil have shown what happens when science is ignored or brushed aside. In a time of accusations of fake news, deep conspiracies and relentless trolls, scientists should have regained authoritative prominence. People have had to confront important questions about purpose, values, opportunities and constraints in the way we choose to live. The murder of George Floyd in the United States and the outbreak of racist attacks against Asians in Canada have revealed deep-seated racism and inequities that must be dealt with in a post-COVID world.
In this exploratory presentation, Suzuki touches on some of the stark questions and answers we’ve encountered, from our impact on the environment and our ability to change it, to our dependence on the human creation called the economy and the unfair treatment of our elders, Indigenous people, homeless people, and others. Suzuki puts out a call to action for all of us to rethink our priorities and learn the ultimate lesson in front of us – that nature can be far more forgiving than we deserve.
Temple Sholom’s Selichot program on Sept.9 is open to the community. Pre-registration is required via templesholom.ca.
Marie Henry, left, and Barbara Halparin (photo by Barbara Halparin)
Don’t yearn to push your pedals to the max up the Sea to Sky Highway among thousands of lean, spandexed superbodies? Then do I have a fondo for you: the Grannyfondo, aka Solidarity Cycle 2023.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, Grandparents Day, a team of 30-plus grandmothers and their grand-others will conquer 100 kilometres of dike trails and farmlands in the Fraser Valley, all in the service of the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.
Among the cyclists will be grandparents Darcy and Marty Billinkoff and Marie Henry, as well as myself. We’re all members of Tikun Olam Gogos, one of 18 Gogos groups in the Lower Mainland. Gogo is an African term for grandmother (or the oft-used “granny”), and the Hebrew phrase tikkun olam means repairing the world. We are grandmothers and grand-others aiming to alleviate the scourge of HIV/AIDS that continues to ravage Africa.
We ride in solidarity with our African partners, the millions of grandmothers in 15 sub-Saharan nations who are raising their grandchildren, orphaned by a disease that continues to overwhelm, despite the progress that has been made worldwide in the areas of treatment, prevention and education.
Inspired by these intrepid women, we ride with hearts full of the knowledge that we are a part of a life-changing movement in which aging women who feel increasingly powerful in their lives are moving the world forward.
Darcy and Marty Billinkoff (photo by Darcy Billinkoff)
Darcy Billinkoff, an avid cyclist, and Janine Reid of Royal City Gogos, conceived the idea for the Solidarity Cycle after learning of similar events in Victoria and Ottawa. Reflecting local inclinations, they envisioned an experience that would be challenging yet doable: a one-day, 100-kilometre ride with a 50-kilometre option. Cyclists are fully supported with nourishing meals and treats, insurance, route maps, GPS, first aid, a service vehicle, a photographer and, of course, a Solidarity Cycle T-shirt. To date, Solidarity Cycle, now in its seventh consecutive year, has raised more than $308,000 for the Grandmothers Campaign.
If you love to cycle, we would love to have you along for this fun-and-fund-raiser, whether or not you are a member of a grandmothers group. If you wish to support the team with your donation, we would love that too! To register or donate, go to solidaritycycle.weebly.com.
UnXeptable Vancouver has been rallying for Israeli democracy for 28 weeks. Here they are on 41st Avenue near Oak Street. (photo from UnXeptable Vancouver)
It has been many months since we first wrote to the Jewish Independent with our plea to voice our concern for democracy in Israel.
On Jan. 17, when the new government came to power, we saw the writing on the wall: the end of Israel as was envisioned in its Declaration of Independence – that Israel “will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and holy places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” – meaning Jewish and democratic.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been going to the street for 31 weeks, holding flags and demanding democratia, democracy. And we have been echoing this outcry in Vancouver for 28 weeks – we joined 64 other cities around the world, as part of UnXeptable.
You might have seen us at Robson Square or, lately, around 41st Avenue and Oak Street. As we gather for our weekly rallies, holding Israeli flags, we try to hold onto the fabric of the Israel that we know and love. We try to hold onto one another in this ongoing rollercoaster, and we end each rally with Hatikvah (The Hope). We hope that Israel’s forces of liberty, freedom and diversity will overcome the agenda of this government – a government that is working towards its own personal interests rather than the good of the Israeli people.
We are fully aware of what happens when good people are silent, as bad things are happening. We cannot be silent as we see Israeli democracy crushed in front of our eyes. Dictatorship, orchestrated by a government that has lost its legitimacy, is turning out to be the biggest existential danger to our country.
We fear for Israel. We fear a civil war, as the rift and hatred that was stoked by the prime minister is growing. We fear for the security of Israel and its ability to defend itself, as soldiers no longer feel that they can commit to a government that does not adhere to the basic agreement, based on the accountability of the government to the judicial system.
The Knesset’s passing of the clause limiting the Supreme Court’s power to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions was a fatal blow to Israeli democracy. This clause provides the temporary majority of 64 members of the parliament (out of 120) the ability to legislate any unreasonable law. The government has more than 200 laws in its queue as the beginning of sweeping changes that will make Israel unrecognizable to us, or anybody that has any reference to Israel.
Day after day, things are getting darker for Israeli democracy. We fear that a constitutional crisis is looming. In the past week, the prime minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, when approached, would not guarantee to the Israeli people that he would obey the ruling of the court if this law were to be struck down.
What illuminates the darkness is the rising of the Israeli liberal forces, protesting and reviving the spirit that brought about the “Israeli magic” – Israel’s economic, political, cultural and scientific rise. Their nonviolent, spirited and creative protests, week after week, are the engine that drives the locomotive of hope. It carries the young and the elderly, Sephardim, Ashkenazim, religious and secular people to resist, sometimes facing the violent response of police acting under government orders. Our group seeks to resonate this protest and, at the same time, provide support to our families and friends in Israel.
After many efforts, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver agreed to set up a meeting between chief executive officer Ezra Shanken and Nico Slobinsky of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and members of our group, UnXeptable, plus a limited number of people of the community at large. Our members addressed the meeting, illuminating different concerns we all share, as Israel is facing these contentious times. The meeting took place on July 24, just two days before Tisha b’Av, and we could hear the wings of history. We reiterated our two main requests:
A town hall meeting, open to the whole community, not limited by the size of the room, with the objective of clearly bringing forth the complex issues Israel is facing.
A clear and public statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver to the community that outlines where they stand, as our leaders, on the judicial overhaul.
If not for the amazing protest movement, Israel would already be a dictatorship, a government in which a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.
UnXeptable voices Israel’s cry for democracy all over the world. Recently, the Philadelphia UnXeptable group, through its continued protests, succeeded in getting billionaire Arthur Dantchik – a main contributor to the Kohelet Policy Forum – to withdraw his donations to the organization, one of the designers of the judicial coup in Israel.
At the moment, 64 members of the Knesset are derailing Israel from being a strong country, of law and order, with a strong economy and a strong army, to being a dark, weak country – economically, militarily, internationally – ruled by a prime minister indicted on three charges, an MK convicted of bribery, Haredim trying to legitimize their refusal to serve in the army and, last but not least, religious zealots seeking to legitimize the occupation and to govern Israel by religious law. There have been warnings from all sectors, including the previous head of Israel’s General Security Service and Israel Defence Forces, banking professionals, the International Monetary Fund and many heads of state.
We believe that the Federation, based on its support of human rights and Jewish values, should take a stand supporting the protesters in Israel and the values they are trying to protect, helping us save the national homeland of the Jewish people, which was established, after thousands of years in exile, with a vision to be Jewish and democratic. In historian and philosopher Yuval Harari’s words: “either a messianic dictatorship will rise or a democracy for all [will be established]. It is in our hands.”
We call for our local leaders to stop sitting on the fence. Come to Israel’s defence to prevent it from becoming a messianic, poor state that discriminates against minorities. Help us protect and keep Israel Jewish and democratic as per the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
– The UnXeptable Vancouver team (Rina Vizer, Dalite Har Toov,
David Berson, Edna Leyland, Ornit and Ron Haber,
Noga and Gideon Levit, and Daphna Kedem)
Fourteen people who have made an outstanding provincial, national or international impact will be appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest form of recognition and an official part of the Canadian Honours System. Among the recipients is Jewish community member Samuel Leon Feldman.
The Order of B.C. investiture ceremony will be at Government House in Victoria in the late fall. This year’s honourees bring the total membership of the Order of British Columbia to 503. Members have been appointed from all parts of the province and biographies of all the 2023 recipients can be found at news.gov.bc.ca/files/biographiesobc2023.pdf.
Feldman’s biography notes that he might have lived anywhere. Born in Shanghai, China, of Jewish parents whose ancestors had been persecuted in Russia, he and his family moved to the first place a visa was acceptable – Vancouver – in the 1950s.
The Feldmans loved the peace they found in this sleepy Commonwealth outpost. Although young Sam Feldman experienced some degree of antisemitism growing up, this paled in comparison to the positive experience of growing up in Vancouver and the many lifelong friends he has made.
In the early 1970s, Vancouver’s entertainment scene was booming. It was very early in Feldman’s business career that he identified an opportunity and a desire to be part of that musical environment. He established himself by representing and booking musical artists for what became a launch pad for many iconic artists.
Feldman continues to turn that humble start into an international juggernaut, primarily through artist representation by building an internationally known talent agency and management firm that has been responsible for more than 250 million records and countless tickets sold from past and present clients, such as Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Tracy Chapman, Bette Midler and Norah Jones. While the numbers are impressive, Feldman measures success through long-standing relationships and the positive musical influence his clients have brought to the community and beyond.
After 50-plus years, Feldman’s involvement in various aspects of the entertainment business is still growing and his legacy is intact. Uniquely, at a time when Los Angeles, New York and London were the epicentres of the music industry, he chose to stay in Vancouver. He has been quoted as saying: “I wouldn’t move elsewhere, as there is no better place than British Columbia to bring up your family.”
Contributing to the culture of this community and beyond is another part of Feldman’s legacy. From Expo ’86 and the 2010 Olympics to countless sold-out stadiums, he’s brought some of the biggest musical acts in the world here to record and perform, and he’s sent some of British Columbia’s biggest stars into the world. He’s proud to have contributed to the excellence of culture here, sharing values he learned from his mother, a high-level concert pianist, and his father, an amateur actor and salesman. His parents were a huge influence on him, and their mid-life immigrant status framed tough times. They urged him to work harder and shine brighter. Having watched their struggles, the lesson was not lost.
In an era when it was difficult for female artists to succeed, Feldman helped female clients through the headwinds of what can only be characterized as a sexist industry, to access what their male counterparts were already achieving.
Having been born in Shanghai in 1949, immigrating to Canada, having a Russian Jewish heritage and building an entertainment empire in a province most people had never visited, Feldman knows firsthand what it feels like to have to work twice as hard to succeed.
To be a successful music business entrepreneur, one must straddle the divide between art and commerce, and treat both with equal respect. Feldman is an interpreter – he has bridged those worlds. This is a skill set he has been able to bring to many good causes, using his connections and resources to support the revitalization of Chinatown, plus many health initiatives particularly targeted at youth.
Feldman has been recognized repeatedly, garnering awards such as the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award for extraordinary contributions to the Canadian music industry, and the SOCAN Special Achievement Award for contributions to Canada’s music industry and heritage. He has been inducted into the Music Managers Forum Honour Roll, the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame.
Feldman is a huge believer in the positive change music can bring to people’s lives. It’s in the mission statement of his business and it’s key to his support of the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, Odd Squad Production Society, Zajac Ranch for Children, music therapy for children on the autism spectrum, and many others.
It’s all part of giving back to the province he committed to so many years ago. Celebrity can be exciting, but it can also disappear overnight, unless you build a solid platform through exceptional relationships and hard work. Feldman has demonstrated that by building something honest and sustainable, you can literally change the world.
The Washington Capitals have signed forward Andrew Cristall to a three-year entry-level contract.
The Capitals selected Cristall, 18, in the second round (40th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. Cristall was ranked fifth among North American left wings and 15th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
The 5’10”, 175-pound forward spent the 2022-23 season with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL), leading the team in goals (39), assists (56) and points (95). Cristall’s 1.76 points-per-game rate ranked fourth in the WHL, while his 95 points ranked tied for sixth. Cristall was named Kelowna’s team MVP and was selected to the WHL B.C. Division First All-Star Team.
During the 2021-22 season, Cristall set a Kelowna Rockets franchise record for goals by a 16-year-old (28) and tied the franchise record for points by a 16-year-old (69). In 129 career WHL games with Kelowna, Cristall has recorded 169 points (69 goals, 100 assists).
The Vancouver, B.C., native won a gold medal with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing the tournament with six points (1 goal, 5 assists) in five games. In addition, Cristall served as an alternate captain at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship, where he registered six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in seven games and helped Canada to the bronze medal.
Or Shalom Synagogue’s new children’s programs teacher is Sammy Fogel, a creative, curious and community-driven educator and facilitator passionate about Jewish education, social justice and mental health. Having grown up at Camp Miriam, and having been a Saturday childminder at Or Shalom as a teenager – and 10 years later as an adult! – Fogel’s connection to the Vancouver Jewish community is longstanding.
Fogel was raised in North Vancouver, had her bat mitzvah at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, and has held several roles working with youth at synagogues including Congregation Har-El in West Vancouver and Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom in Montreal. She has a bachelor’s in liberal arts and women’s studies from Concordia University and a master’s in social justice and community engagement from Wilfrid Laurier University. She currently works full-time as the administration and facilities coordinator at the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of British Columbia and, in her spare time, you can find her swimming in the ocean, reading her book in the sunshine or enjoying a London fog at her local café.
– from Or Shalom
* * *
From left, FINN Partners colleagues Gil Bashe, chair, health and purpose; Vancouver-native Nicole Grubner, partner and environmental innovation group lead; and Goel Jasper, managing partner. (photo from FINN Partners)
The Israel office of FINN Partners, a global integrated marketing and communications agency, has launched an environmental innovation group. FINN Israel will play a communications role on behalf of Israeli companies in the environmental innovation sector.
Vancouverite Nicole Grubner, partner at FINN Partners, will lead the innovation group. Named “PR Guru” in the 2019 PM360 ELITE Awards as a rising communications leader, Grubner has a decade of experience working with Israeli clients. She will spearhead strategic communications programs for Israeli companies making an impact within the environmental innovation sphere.
“Our goal is to effectively communicate Israel’s groundbreaking, market-ready offerings in the environmental innovation sector, accelerate their growth, and foster meaningful connections with key stakeholders worldwide,” she said. “With more than 100 Israeli companies attending this year’s COP28 in Dubai, we are witnessing Israel’s expanding role in implementing solutions for both climate change mitigation and planetary adaptation to the impacts of our changing climate. Implementation begins with creating awareness that these solutions exist today.”
According to Start-Up Nation Central, there are more than 850 companies in the environmental innovation ecosystem, developing solutions for clean energy, food and agricultural systems, industry, mobility, nature and carbon, water and construction. According to Israel’s climate tech industry group, PLANETech, investments in Israeli climate tech companies between 2018 and the first half of 2022 totaled $6.67 billion.
Ada Glustein’s passion for learning and teaching shines through in her self-published memoir Being Different. (photo from Ada Glustein)
Duke’s father would beat him. Tien, a refugee from Cambodia, had witnessed unimaginable violence. Louise was in and out of foster care because her father had drug addictions and her mom was emotionally unstable.
These are just a few of the countless children Ada Glustein encountered in her time as a teacher. Many of her young charges – she taught kindergarten mostly – faced harsh conditions at home and adult-sized problems. She shares her and their experiences with kindness and compassion in her memoir Being Different: From Friday Night Candles to Compassionate Classroom, which she self-published last year. She dedicates the book to her “parents, grandparents and ancestors whose struggles and strengths brought them to Canada, where at last they found their place to call home.” She also writes, “To my children and grandchildren, whose journeys bring the hope for a future of respect, social justice and belonging for all.”
While Glustein was born and raised in Ottawa, her Jewish Orthodox grandparents and parents came from Russia, from an area that became Ukraine. Part 1 of Being Different – Where I Am From: Stories of Home and Community – is about Glustein’s family and her early years. “Though my parents considered themselves to be modern,” she writes, “to me they seemed to live in a world caught between the old and the new.”
From her perspective, her father believed she asked too many questions and her mother fretted too much over her safety. But they came from a different time and place, more traditional and more dangerous. “My family comes from a place where the grass is greener somewhere else. Any place that is not Eastern Europe, not within the Pale of Settlement. Any place to leave behind the pogroms and the poverty, the losses of children who died in childbirth or wasted away from consumption. I do understand the silence,” she writes.
“But I also understand the richness of life’s difficult experiences and their inevitability. To allow those experiences to touch me, even to hurt me, helps me to live a full human life, to live with the reality of how things are.”
Part 1 of Being Different is about Glustein’s efforts to understand her place and who she is within her family. Part 2 – Where Do I Belong? Lessons at School – takes that exploration of identity and differentness into the broader world, where Glustein has to confront Christmas plays, lecherous older men, peer dynamics and a mix of teachers with different approaches, among other life lessons. In Part 3 – Becoming a Teacher: Finding My Way Home – we see how Glustein translates what she has learned into being an educator. And, honestly, if only every teacher could be like Glustein – not because she is perfect, but because she cares, and is continually learning.
Glustein graduated from Ottawa Teachers’ College, completed her bachelor of education at the University of British Columbia and her master of arts at Simon Fraser University. She taught for many years – in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver – and also became a faculty associate and sessional instructor at SFU, where she taught teachers. After she retired, she became a member of two writing groups and has had several of her works published. Being Different won a silver medal for Canada-West Region, non-fiction, in this year’s Independent Publisher Book (“IPPY”) Awards, and deservedly so.
Being Different is charming and heartbreakingly honest, written in short, crisp chapters, giving it a sense of immediacy. It is a call for all of us to be more patient with one another, to keep an open mind and to understand the impact our actions have on other people, especially children. In her openness about her own imperfections and missteps, Glustein is also asking us to be kind to ourselves. A more accepting and inclusive world begins with us, after all.
Being Different will be engaging to any reader – it will foster many a childhood memory – but should be a must-read for anyone interested in becoming an educator. It is available on Amazon.
In a Grade 7 iSTEAM program developed by Les Robertson, Vancouver Talmud Torah students learned all about skateboarding and even crafted skateboards from scratch. (photo by Danica Burpee)
The week-long Grade 7 iSTEAM skateboarding program is a prime example of experiential education. (photo by Les Robertson)
Skateboarding, a blend of sport, creativity and community, has left an indelible mark on generations. From its origins as a child’s pastime to a global cultural phenomenon, skateboarding embodies resilience, innovation and self-discovery. Within this narrative, a Grade 7 skateboarding program led by parent Les Robertson has flourished at Vancouver Talmud Torah. This program shines a spotlight on hands-on learning, where students not only master skateboarding skills but also cultivate life skills and gain confidence.
Skateboarding, straddling the realms of athleticism and artistry, mainstream and counter-culture, reflects the rich tapestry of life. Rooted in a do-it-yourself ethos and with a history spanning centuries, skateboarding is a fusion of tradition and innovation, inspiring resilience, adaptability and the thrill of pushing limits.
Students crafted skateboards from scratch, which will be used for years to come in VTT’s physical education program. (photo by Danica Burpee)
Within this context, a week-long Grade 7 iSTEAM (innovation, science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skateboarding program is a prime example of experiential education.
Developed by Robertson, the program went beyond traditional learning. Students immersed themselves in skateboarding skills and even crafted skateboards from scratch, which will be used for years to come in VTT’s physical education program. This hands-on adventure solidified students’ connection to the sport and gave them an enduring sense of achievement.
This hands-on adventure solidified students’ connection to the sport and gave them an enduring sense of achievement. (photo by Les Robertson)
The journey extended from visits to renowned skateboarding hubs like Landyachtz Longboards and Ultimate Distribution, where students met members of the skateboarding community and heard firsthand the positive impact skateboarding has had on Vancouver and beyond. They further experienced and learned about skateboard art, explored marketing and media, saw tricks and skills from expert skateboarders and learned about meaningful social projects.
The triumph of this program is owed to the team Robertson put together: Jackson Hilts, Karson Leigh, Shai Gropper, Riki Fandrakis and Harlen Terjesen. Their professionalism, knowledge and passion for skateboarding propelled the young skaters on a path of exploration.
Also integral to the program’s success were Jessie Claudio, VTT’s director of learning and innovation; Danica Burpee, the Grade 7 health and physical education teacher; and Grade 7 teachers Kim Fisher and Josh Leonard.
As the program concluded, students emerged as proficient skateboarders and more empowered individuals with increased assurance, creativity and thirst for innovation.
Participation in Jewish supplementary education in North America has decreased by nearly half in 15 years, according to a new study from a New York-based organization. But a brief survey of Vancouver after-school and weekend education programs suggests local kids are bucking the trend.
The report from the Jewish Education Project, formerly the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York, is the first comprehensive continent-wide assessment of supplementary Jewish education since a 2008 report by the AVI CHAI Foundation.
Supplementary education – that is, after-school and weekend options offered mostly by congregations – is how most Jewish children get their formal Jewish learning. Despite this, little research has been done on the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, according to the report, titled From Census to Possibilities: Designing New Pathways for Jewish Learners, which was conducted with Rosov Consulting.
According to the study, total enrolment in supplementary schools has decreased at least 45% since 2006-2007. “While not so different than in 2006, only 16% (less than 2,000 students annually) of those ever enrolled in a supplemental program remain in a formal educational environment by senior year in high school,” notes the report. The number of schools has decreased at least 27% since 2006-2007.
Although the report surveyed Canadians, the American numbers overwhelmingly swamp nuances in the Canadian Jewish experience. An informal whip-round of a few local supplementary education providers by the Independent produced a far rosier picture. Most who responded to the paper’s inquiries have not only bounced back from the pandemic’s challenges but are doing better than ever.
Congregation Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld said all post-pandemic programming is attracting more people than ever before, including growth in Hebrew school numbers.
“Despite the fact that 85% of our children attend Talmud Torah, our Hebrew school is thriving and growing,” he said. “A lot of that I believe has to do with the hard work and efforts of Rabbi [David] Bluman and the teachers, as well as solid Hebrew and Jewish education. It is well known that children leave the BI Hebrew school having learned real knowledge and with a strong and positive Jewish identity.”
Engaging young people in unique and hands-on ways is among the reasons for the success, Infeld suggested, noting the congregation’s involvement with the new Jewish Community Garden.
“At Beth Israel, we provide Jewish education in motion, where Jewish children are able to learn while literally getting their hands dirty in the garden,” he said. “This is an exciting addition to the scene of supplementary Jewish education in Vancouver that has already begun to teach Jewish children important Jewish values of protecting our environment, food security, gratitude for the food we eat and the land of Israel.”
Jen Jaffe, school principal at Temple Sholom, also reports great post-pandemic engagement. Over the last 10 years, she said, Temple Sholom School has more than doubled enrolment, reaching almost 200 students. More than 30 teenage madrichim are set to help in the classrooms this year.
Temple Sholom successfully navigated the pandemic, she said, through online learning. The convenience of that mode has not been abandoned just because it’s safe to gather again.
“Now, although back in person, we also offer midweek Zoom Hebrew classes for our Grade 4 to 7 students who find the convenience appealing,” said Jaffe.
The school’s continued growth has led to a second session of Sunday classes.
Schara Tzedeck has not resumed supplementary education since the pandemic and the congregation’s formal youth education has traditionally been limited so as not to detract from Jewish day school opportunities like Vancouver Hebrew Academy, said Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt.
“Hating on Hebrew school has been fashionable at least since Philip Roth published his short story ‘The Conversion of the Jews’ in 1958,” the Jewish Education Project report notes. Despite this cultural trope, a recent survey found that 87% of kids surveyed like or love their experience with Jewish education.
While part-time Jewish schooling has been seen as an easier, more affordable form of Jewish education, the report notes that it is not cheap, requiring, as it often does, synagogue memberships in addition to possible other expenses.
Broader trends toward secularization that are affecting most religious communities in North America are reflected among Jews.
“Overall, about a quarter of U.S. adults who identify as being Jewish (27%) do not identify with the Jewish religion,” says the report. “They consider themselves to be Jewish ethnically, culturally or by family background and have a Jewish parent or were raised Jewish, but they answer a question about their current religion by describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular’ rather than as Jewish.”
Many families tend to be looking for a cultural approach to Jewish identity, which emphasizes history, language and peoplehood over prayer and worship. Another aspect to note is the ethnic diversity of Jewish communities, with that diversity increasing among younger age cohorts.
“Successful educational programs welcome Jews of Colour, all family members from homes where more than one religion is practised, and all who wish to be part of the community regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, class or ability,” write the authors.
According to the report, effective teachers have “transitioned from ‘a sage on the stage’ to a ‘guide at your side.’”
Maggie Karpilovski, executive director of the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, is bullish on Jewish education but said institutions need to heed the warnings of this report. Her organization is trying new things both in terms of content and delivery, with one of their popular offerings a province-wide online program. They are also explicitly reflecting the diversity of families who may be intermarried, LGBTQ+ or otherwise seeking something that reflects their values.
“We are also adding an additional program that’s focused on Israeli culture because we are seeing that segment of the population growing quite a bit and they don’t fit the mold of the traditional synagogue,” she said of young Israeli-Canadians and Canadian-born kids of Israeli parents.
If anyone needed a reminder, the report should convince them that rote language learning and proscriptive religious training are out.
“The traditional brick-and-mortar Hebrew school is no longer working for a lot of families and families are looking for alternatives,” said Karpilovski. “Young people are so worldly nowadays. They are concerned about climate change, they are concerned about racism and discrimination. They are concerned about what’s happening in their world and Jewish education that takes that into consideration, that contextualizes
Judaism and Jewish life within the context of the world, has more success and holds more interest to modern families and kids.”
The Jewish Education Project report may carry bad news, but Karpilovski sees it as a chance for renewal.
“We need to be engaging young people in the design and delivery of educational programs because they are the ones who are going to tell us what is relevant and they are the future of this,” she said. “So, I really hope that this report opens the door for us to pay attention, to ask more insightful questions and to invite young people and their families to participate in the development of what Jewish education is going to evolve into over the next decades.”
Yesterday, I shared my to-do list with a friend via email. She responded with “Ahh! I’m tired just reading this!” What I didn’t mention is that I had to do all this plus other chores, thrown in, which I had either forgotten to write down or were such household habits that I didn’t list them. For many caregivers who work and manage households, this sounds familiar. It’s the list that is the first step. Write it down. Name the obligation. Then release yourself from trying to remember it all. Finally, cross it off the list later.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Studies have shown how much of this organizational and emotional labour falls to women. For example, a recent National Public Radio piece from the United States covered research by economists, which showed that women (mothers) were almost always contacted by schools first, no matter which parent was designated as the “first contact” on the emergency form. The social media chatter that followed remarked on how female medical residents or surgeons, working hours away from their children’s schools, were still called first even though the primary caretaker was the father. In the study itself, one economist described the mental load of planning ahead for “if the school called” and how women’s workload could be managed in such situations. She noted that, even though her husband was the vice-president of the Parent Teacher Association, the school always called her first.
In economic terms, women then self-select for lower paying, more flexible work simply to manage these challenges, resulting in lower income and fewer opportunities for career growth. Societal obligations placed mostly on women create a lifelong effect on earning power and household income.
This morning, as I bake bread, make chicken broth in two slow cookers, write this article and air out the house with fans because of an unexpected drop in temperatures due to a rainstorm, I time everything to fit into the hours between when I drop kids off at 9 a.m. and pick them up at noon for their half day of camp. This is, of course, not a specifically Jewish problem, but aspects of it are in our house.
We have twin 12-year-olds, with both kids doing b’nai mitzvah lessons at the same time. These kids come with different challenges. Like all learners, they may need different supports to master chanting trope. Amid the meltdown tears last night, it became clear that what was necessary was for each kid to have 15 minutes to practise separately every day with me. As the crying continued – and I include myself in the crying – my partner tried to help.
This is when you might wonder why all this falls to me, and you’d be right to ask. My partner told us that the year before his bar mitzvah involved a lot of crying. He was so overwhelmed that he quit playing drums at school, because he couldn’t manage both things. His mother had been given no Jewish education. She couldn’t read Hebrew and didn’t know the prayers. His father worked late every day, coming home at 11 p.m. My twins’ dad was truly on his own, with a cassette tape. He never learned the trope and struggled with short-term memory issues. Mastering his bar mitzvah portion took him a long time. As an adult, he never gained some of these prayer skills. A demanding job means now is not the time for him to catch up. The obligation’s all mine.
We’ve now been married for 25 years and I just learned last night about this tough path my husband took towards bar mitzvah. By comparison, I had supportive parents with some Jewish literacy, plus we attended services regularly. I was self-directed as a learner. Mastering everything for my bat mitzvah was interesting and challenging but not a struggle. I continued learning through university and graduate school and beyond, as I continue to study Talmud when I can. We chose a bilingual Hebrew/English elementary school for our kids partially because it would make bar mitzvah study easier for them.
Few people see what my lists of work and household obligations look like. I tell even fewer people about fitting in 20 minutes of Daf Yomi, a page of Talmud every day. When I mention the Talmud study, I’ve been asked why I bother. The minutiae of discussions of Jewish law that rabbis conducted so long ago is of no interest to most. Sometimes, if the person wants to know why, I explain that I learn things about Jewish tradition, history and daily life from these debates.
I also admit to myself that I find some reassurance in these pages. Although the specifics might have been different, life’s minutiae is pretty much the same. The rabbis struggled over multiple daily tasks, relationships and household concerns in many of the ways I do. They sweated the details, even if they didn’t do them all personally.
If everything works out, in June 2024, my kids will step up to the bimah (pulpit) and become bar mitzvah boys, which is a huge lifecycle event. Between now and then, practising with them will be another part of my to-do list. Good study habits mean you do a little every day until, suddenly, you learn something new. Just like my lists, nothing is insurmountable if you name it, take it step by step, and cross it off the list when the task is complete.
Like many women, I get bogged down by the minutiae. I wish I could share more of the household labour and emotional load. Even men who try to assume more of these tasks have to struggle against the societal expectations our culture wields. Step by step, we make change in our lives, our lists and our expectations for one another. It’s not a sprint. You can’t cram the night before to pass this exam. Life is a series of chores, moments, obligations and, well, joys.
Early this morning, I leashed up the dog while I sang the first Haftorah blessing aloud. I try to put the melody into the twins’ heads while donning my shoes and raincoat as I head out. Each step makes a difference to hopefully hit one very big milestone ahead.
Joanne Seiff has written regularly for CBC Manitoba and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. Check her out on Instagram @yrnspinner or at joanneseiff.blogspot.com.
בתקופה שבה מדינות מתועשות בכל העולם מתמודדות עם ירידה בילודה והזדקנות כוח העבודה, קנדה מהמרת על כך שהגירה תצליח למנוע הידרדרות של הכלכלה. לאוכלוסיית קנדה, אחת המדינות הדלילות ביותר בתושבים בעולם ביחס לשטחה, נוסף מדי שנה מספר תושבים השווה לתושבי סן פרנסיסקו. באחרונה היא עברה לראשונה את רף הארבעים מיליון תושבים, והצמיחה צפויה להימשך בקצב מהיר ככל שיגיעו למדינה עוד ועוד מהגרים, פליטים וסטודנטים
עבור ממשלתו של ג’סטין טרודו, ניסוי ההגירה המסיבי הזה הוא גם דרך להרחיב את שוק העבודה, בזמן שהתחרות על עובדים מקצועיים נהיית קשה יותר. הניסוי הזה גם משקף את השאיפה של קנדה לטווח הארוך להרחיב את הנוכחות הבינלאומית שלה ולצאת מהצל הכבד של שכנתה ארה”ב, שבה חיים פי שמונה יותר אנשים, והתמ”ג שלה גדול כמעט פי שתיים עשרה
עכשיו, כשאנשים נכנסים לקנדה בקצב חסר תקדים, היא מתמודדת עם אתגר מיידי: כיצד לעודד את הצמיחה באזורים הכפריים שזקוקים נואשות לדם חדש, תוך מזעור הפגיעה במרכזי הערים העמוסים באנשים
לכאורה, היתרונות הכלכליים ברורים מאליהם. הגידול באוכלוסייה הגביר את גיוסי העובדים והצריכה, ועזר לכלכלה לעמוד איתנה בפני שורה של העלאות ריבית שביצע הבנק המרכזי של קנדה, עד כדי כך שהחודש נאלץ הבנק המרכזי לחזור להדק את המדיניות המוניטרית לאחר הפסקה. ואולם בקנדה, ששוק הנדל”ן שלה היה במשך תקופה אחד הלוהטים בעולם, התוכנית של הממשלה גררה ביקורת על כך שהעלאת יעדי ההגירה רק מגדילה את התמ”ג, בלי להעלות את רמת חייהם של התושבים
התמ”ג הריאלי לנפש בקנדה כמעט שלא השתנה בעשור האחרון, וצפוי ליפול מהשיא שרשם אשתקד, על פי תחזית הבנק המרכזי של קנדה. הצמיחה בפריון לא זזה, וההכנסה הפנויה לא עומדת בקצב עליית מחירי הבתים. אפילו כלכלנים בולטים שתומכים בהגירה אומרים עכשיו שקנדה הרחיקה לכת
לא הגיוני להגדיל מהר כל כך את האוכלוסייה בפרק זמן קצר כל כך, אומר דיוויד דודג’, לשעבר בכיר בבנק המרכזי של קנדה, שעבד לפני כמה עשורים במערכת שממנה התפתחה תוכנית ההגירה הנוכחית. המהירות של השינוי הזה מגדילה את העלויות ומפחיתה את הפריון שנוסף משום שאין מספיק זמן לאנשים להסתגל
ממשלתו של טרודו הציבה יעד של הוספת חצי מיליון תושבי קבע מדי שנה. עם זאת, בשנה שעברה, סטודנטים זרים, עובדים זמניים ופליטים היו קבוצה גדולה אף יותר ממהגרי הקבע, מה שהביא את סך הכניסות של מהגרים לשיא של מיליון. קנדה רשמה גידול שנתי של כשלושה אחוזים באוכלוסייה, המהיר ביותר בקרב הכלכלות המפותחות, וכזה שנרשם דווקא במדינות מתפתחות
בקנדה התושבים מסבירי פנים כלפי מהגרים יותר מבמדינות אחרות, הודות למסגור ההגירה כמדיניות כלכלית ובזכות הגיאוגרפיה המבודדת יחסית, שמגבילה הגירה לא חוקית. מאז אלף תשע מאות שישי ושבע, קנדה נשענת על מערכת שבה מהגרים מקבלים ניקוד על פי גיל, השכלה, הזדמנויות תעסוקה בקנדה וידע באנגלית ובצרפתית, מה שמאפשר לה לנצל עובדים בעלי כישורים מקצועיים
אבל עד כה, ההגירה הייתה בעיקר לערים המאוכלסות ביותר של קנדה שבהן צמחו קהילות אתניות גדולות, שמושכות אליהן מהגרים חדשים שמחפשים לשמר תחושת שייכות במדינה החדשה. זה חיזק עוד יותר את הביקוש לנדל”ן בערים שכבר סבלו קודם לכן ממחסור בבתים, העלה את החסמים בפני בעלות על בתים ודחק מיליונים מהשוק, מה שפגע הן במהגרים והן בתושבים מקומיים במיוחד הצעירים שבהם
