Recollections of day-to-day details at Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp by survivor Kalman Bar-on are being made public for the first time in Canada at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day presentation in Vancouver on Jan. 26 at the Rothstein Theatre.
The Story of Kalman & Leopold features previously unseen testimony, providing a unique glimpse at the Nazi atrocities committed at the extermination camp, given from the vantage point of a Jewish witness posted in a camp guard shack. The presentation takes place on the eve of the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The testimony of “Mengele twin” Kalman Bar-on will be revealed by Richard K. Lowy, a Jewish Canadian and the son of Holocaust survivor Leopold Lowy – another twin who was subjected to SS doctor Josef Mengele’s gruesome human experiments at Birkenau’s hospital camp during the Holocaust.
Richard Lowy was on a decade-long mission to preserve his father’s recollections as Canada’s last surviving “Mengele twin” when his efforts yielded an unforeseen link to Bar-on in Israel.
“I will try to paint this map of fear,” begins Bar-on’s testimony, “pointing out the difference between fear from the paws and boot of SS Guard Sgt. Fritsche Fritz, the palpable fear for our lives when witnessing a delivery of the next batch of walking skeletons to the crematorium, the ice-cold grab in my chest when I am lying on the stone table during the periodic medical checks of Mengele, and the ever-present knowledge that no one, but no one, will survive and emerge from Birkenau.”
“We produced Leo’s Journey (leosjourney.ca) in 2000,” writes Lowy. “The documentary was presented in Canada, part of Europe and in Israel.”
When the film played on the National Geographic Channel in Israel on Oct. 31, 2001, an astonishing thing happened, Lowy said. “Precisely 21 minutes and 17 seconds into the film, a picture of my father, Leo Lowy, was shown as a young boy. [A] man dropped his dinner and started yelling at the screen: ‘It’s my Lippa!’ Kalman Bar-On had been looking for his ‘Lippa’ for 56 years. Lippa was his hero in Auschwitz-Birkenau and saved Kalman from beating in the hospital camp’s SS guard shack.”
For (free) tickets to the Jan. 26 presentation, which starts at 6:30 p.m., visit eventbrite.com.
Among the documents in the Houdiniana Collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is a thank you letter from Harry Houdini’s brother to Dr. Daniel E. Cohn, who was Houdini’s doctor at the time of the escape artist’s death in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926. (image from New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Houdiniana Collection)
Did you know there’s a Harry Houdini connection to Vancouver’s Jewish community? My late husband was Theodore (Ted) Cohn, emeritus professor of political science at Simon Fraser University. Ted’s father, Dr. Daniel E. Cohn, was Houdini’s doctor at the time of the escape artist’s death in Detroit on Oct. 31, 1926 (Halloween).
After Ted’s mother, Ethel Schatz, died in 2012, we acquired papers related to Cohn’s care for Houdini. Cohn was just 25 years old, starting his medical practice. He was the substitute doctor for the Statler Hotel at the time of Houdini’s Detroit tour.
Prior to his Detroit performance, on Oct. 22, Houdini had been punched unexpectedly in Montreal by a McGill student, J. Gordon Whitehead. Whitehead was testing Houdini’s ability to withstand abdominal blows. Without advance notice, however, Houdini was unable to prepare his muscles, and his appendix was ruptured. Nevertheless, he and his wife Bess traveled to Detroit, where he performed at the Garrick Theatre on Oct. 24. He collapsed after the show.
Houdini reluctantly went to Grace Hospital after being examined by Dr. Cohn. His surgeon, Dr. Charles S. Kennedy, operated and discovered the now-gangrenous appendix. With no cure in sight, Houdini remained hospitalized. Specialists were consulted, to no avail.
Among the documents in the Houdiniana Collection are Dr. Daniel E. Cohn’s notes on his examination of Harry Houdini (page 1 shown here). (image from New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Houdiniana Collection)
Cohn was able to spend time at Houdini’s bedside, getting to know him and even bringing him “Farmer’s Chop Suey,” a sour cream-raw vegetable dish Houdini requested. The two ate this Jewish specialty together.
A thank you letter to Cohn from Houdini’s brother, Theodore Hardeen, and other original documents are now in the Houdiniana Collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. These include Dr. Cohn’s notes related to Houdini’s medical care and death, and insurance and legal letters related to Cohn’s payment. I wanted these valuable items to have a better home than our personal archival-quality folders, and approached the specialty library, where these papers will be available to researchers.
One of the legal documents related to Harry Houdini and Dr. Daniel E. Cohn. (image from New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Houdiniana Collection)
Houdini’s father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weiss, moved to Appleton, Wisc., in 1878, to be the first rabbi at Zion Congregation. Houdini, known then as Erich Weiss, was 4 years old. Houdini is buried in Machpelah Cemetery, Queens, N.Y.
Come March, and in advance of Israel’s 75th Independence Day, the People of the Book will have an iconic shrine worthy of their literary legacy, promises Oren Weinberg, the chief executive officer of the National Library of Israel, making him the chief librarian of the Jewish people.
All of the NLI’s collection of more than 6,000,000 rare volumes, manuscripts, incunabula, books and miscellaneous printed material has been transferred from the current building on the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Givat Ram campus. Their new home, 500 metres distant, is the 45,000-square-metre venue located at the northwest corner of Ruppin Road and Kaplan Boulevard in the Ben-Gurion government precinct, between the Knesset and the Israel Museum.
“Construction of the new National Library of Israel complex is nearing completion,” Weinberg told a recent press conference. “Over the past year, the new building has emerged as a stunning addition to the Jerusalem cityscape, already recognized as a major Jerusalem landmark.
“The building reflects the library’s transformative renewal from the secluded environment of a university campus to a stunning physical manifestation of our central value: opening access to the National Library of Israel’s treasures to broad and diverse audiences from Israel and around the world.”
Weinberg told a recent explanatory session for the NLI’s core group of readers and researchers that, while boxing, moving and unpacking 33,000 books daily is a daunting logistical challenge, he and his team are proud they were able to do so without disrupting service to the institution’s many thousands of daily readers. The transfer of the books was finished in December. Now, a high-tech array is protecting the invaluable collection from fire, water damage and theft. Apart from reference material, most of the books are housed in the four basement levels. The six floors above ground serve the public.
With palpable excitement, Weinberg displayed photos of the construction progress of his $200 million baby, now in its final phase, funded by the Rothschild family’s Yad Hanadiv and the Gottesman Fund of New York.
The NLI was designed by the Basel architect firm Herzog & de Meuron. If that name is familiar, it’s because the Swiss architects are renowned for their bird nest stadium that graced Beijing’s 2008 Olympics. Their Jerusalem library is certain to be an equally recognizable instant landmark. Located on an irregular plot, the architects designed a modern interpretation of a triangular flatiron building surrounded by a lush garden.
Like its predecessor, which opened in 1960 and is named after its patron, Lady Davis of Montreal, the new building will be primarily a close-stack facility. It, too, will have a spiral staircase. But the comparison ends there. With a glass oculus – calling it a skylight would be too modest – and a swooping roof that would be a skateboarder’s delight, the distinctive library will be incomparably more multi-purpose than the current facility. Besides the greatly expanded and dramatic three-level reading room, it will encompass an auditorium, display areas, lockers, commercial space, a restaurant, synagogue and underground parking. In the future, it will be served by a nearby light rail station.
The multi-purpose research centre and venue for cultural and educational activities will also be a place to drink coffee and socialize, Weinberg said.
Founded in 1892, the NLI today is the repository of the world’s largest collection of Judaica and Hebraica. It collects everything related to the state of Israel, and contextualizes that core with general books on the humanities, Islam, the Middle East, religion and antisemitica.
Among its rare treasures are the Damascus Crown, a 13th-century Hebrew Bible smuggled out of Syria 29 years ago in a Mossad operation so hush-hush that the manuscript’s existence in Israel was kept secret for decades. Another priceless volume is a commentary on the Mishnah handwritten by the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides.
Sir Isaac Newton’s manuscripts about theology and the apocalypse, including his notations in cursive English and Hebrew, have a home at the NLI. Newton predicted the end of the world will come in 2060. That should leave readers at least 37 years to savour the new building.
More recent is Czech novelist Franz Kafka’s notebook, wherein he recorded Hebrew words and their German meaning in advance of his unfulfilled dream of settling in Jerusalem.
The NLI continues with its mission of collecting, preserving and providing access to the cultural treasures of the state of Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. For example, in a complex deal in 2017, the library acquired 80% of the 10,000-volume Valmadonna Trust Library – the largest private collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts in the world. Included were a rare 1491 Chumash (Torah in book-bound form) from Lisbon and one of only two surviving copies of a 1556 Passover Haggadah from Prague, a siddur (prayer book) from Venice dated 1459 written on klaf (parchment) and a Hebrew Bible handwritten in England in 1189 – the only dated Hebrew text before the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290 by King Edward I.
In keeping with NLI policy, the price paid for the Valmadonna Trust Library collection was not released. Selections from it will be on view to the public in March, when the new NLI opens.
Like books, space can also be a precious commodity. With desks for only 600 readers, the Givat Ram structure is today obsolete. The new building will have more than double that number. Each reader will enjoy a 1.25-metre-long desk and each space will be equipped with its own reading lamp.
While computers will be readily available both at desks and to borrow – during a recent visit to the Lady Davis building, I had to scavenge a mouse to access the catalogue – it is anticipated that most readers will be bringing their own notebooks, said Weinberg. That fact indicates the NLI’s forward-looking vision whereby ever more materials will be digitized as the preservation of knowledge evolves.
What of Mordecai Ardon’s triptych depicting the Prophet Isaiah’s vision of messianic peace, which was installed in 1984 opposite the old building’s main stairwell? The stained glass vitrine, like the old building, will be in limbo – an empty white elephant waiting to be repurposed.
Gil Zoharis a writer and tour guide in Jerusalem.
Problematic provenance
Gish Amit’s 2014 book Ex-Libris: Chronicles of Theft, Preservation and Appropriating at the Jewish National Library, published by the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, tells the extraordinary story of how three collections came to the NLI.
Following the Second World War, the Diaspora Treasures project brought to Jerusalem hundreds of thousands of books once owned by now-murdered Jews whose belongings had been looted by the Nazis.
During Israel’s 1948-49 War of Independence, 30,000 Arabic-language books that were owned by Palestinian refugees were collected. They are cataloged “A.P.” – abandoned property – and await a peace treaty so that they may be turned over to the future National Library of Palestine.
Lastly, there was the gathering of books and manuscripts from the 49,000 Yemenite Jews who were rescued and brought to the nascent state in 1949 and 1950 in Operation On Wings of Eagles. Their property was systematically looted as part of Israel’s claim to ownership of the country’s Jewish past, as well as its pre-Zionist past. Amit documents that only a small number of those books were ever returned to their rightful owners.
– GZ
Remembering Lady Davis
Noted Jewish Canadian philanthropist Henriette Marie Meyer (1872-1963) was born in San Francisco. She moved to Montreal in 1898 to marry businessman and philanthropist Mortimer Davis, and became known as Lady Davis after her husband was knighted by King George V in 1917.
The couple divorced in 1924 and Lady Davis moved to Paris, where she continued her philanthropic activities, including founding a resort for children with disabilities, called the Colonie de vacance. For her actions, she was made an officer of the Legion d’honneur.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Davis fled to Montreal, where she donated a Spitfire plane to the Royal Air Force and provided lodging for RAF pilots. For her contributions, she was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
In 1945, she founded the Lady Davis Fund, which helped bring Holocaust survivors to Canada. She is best known in Canada for the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital.
In addition to the National Library of Israel, she also donated funds to build the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Centre at the Technion, and the Lady Davis Carmel Medical Centre, both in Haifa.
During coalition building negotiations, Binyamin Netanyahu had to consider lists of demands that would make even the pious cringe. (photo from president.gov.ua)
So, my mom doesn’t have to worry about me anymore. Ever since I moved to Israel, she’s been concerned about my safety. Well, Israel is now one of the five safest countries in the world to visit, according to Swiftest, an American travel insurance website. From homicide rates to natural disasters to rode carnage, Israel rounds out the top five safest places, just after Singapore, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The most dangerous country to visit is South Africa. Canada was ranked the 21st safest country, so now I’ll have to start worrying about my mom’s safety. Just sayin’.
* * *
During coalition building negotiations, United Torah Judaism (UTJ) – holding seven seats Binyamin Netanyahu required to build his government – presented a list of demands that would make even the pious cringe. This included affirmative action for ultra-Orthodox job seekers in state-owned companies. More religious studies in secular schools. Less secular studies in religious schools, like science, arithmetic and English. More gender segregated beaches. (How often do the Orthodox go to the beach? Do they need additional beachfront real estate?) Legislation permitting yeshivah students to continue Torah studies and defer army service. And, are you ready for this? A demand to stop energy generation on Shabbat. Does this reek of theocracy-building or what? And it costs the Israeli taxpayer – about which the UTJ constituency knows little – about nine billion bucks a year!
Not to be outdone in chutzpah, Religious Zionist Member of the Knesset Orit Struk is reportedly a strong advocate of a government amendment enabling private businesses to refuse to provide services based on religious beliefs. But only if the same “widget” is available elsewhere at similar terms. Good thing she clarified that. Seriously! So a business owner can now deny selling to people of colour, to LGBTQ+ people, to Arabs and to others, Jews and non-Jews. If it’s justified by religious beliefs and becomes even more outlandish. Doctors could also decide who to operate on. Yes, bearers of the “hypocritic” oath: “I’m not operating on that guy. He’s homosexual.” OMG!
I’m not just sayin’, I’m shoutin’! Bring in some sanity!
* * *
Speaking of the Haridim, according to a new research study from the Hebrew University, Philip Morris spent more than $1 million on advertising to attract the ultra-Orthodox. Now what makes this demographic so influenced by cigarette advertising? Is this related to that sector’s education, or lack thereof, in the sciences and the deadly impact tobacco products have on health? Maybe the incoming government should introduce more secular education in the religious schools. Make Israel a more educated and healthier country.
And talking about education – in a survey by the education platform Erudera, Israel is the fifth most educated country in the world. More than 50% of Israelis hold a higher education degree. This despite Rabbi Yitzchak Godknofp, the United Torah Judaism’s party chairman, claiming that math and English studies have no effect on Israel’s economy in his lame attempt to defend these core subjects not being taught in Orthodox schools. Really, no effect?!
By the way, Canada was in top spot, with almost 60% of Canucks holding a tertiary degree. And in Canada all schools teach the three Rs.
Just sayin’.
* * *
Tel Aviv made the UBS Global Real Estate 2022 Bubble list, being in the top 10 cities with a severe housing bubble. Given Tel Aviv’s 2021 rank as the most expensive city, according to The Economist magazine and my wallet, this is really no surprise. To wit, housing prices increased threefold between 2001 and 2017. And, during 2022, climbed another 18%. This bubble was not only in Tel Aviv but throughout our tiny shtetl. Also included in the list of top 10 severe housing bubble cities are Toronto and Vancouver; Winnipeg – my home city – is not on the list.
Towards the end of 2022, Tel Aviv fortunately lost its place as the world’s most expensive city. It moved to third place, behind Singapore and New York. Coming in last were Damascus, Syria, and Tripoli, Libya. All things considered, I’d rather be living in one of the most expensive cities.
Just sayin’.
* * *
Not all is bleak. According to The Economist, Israel was the fourth best performing economy within the OECD during 2022. Metrics included GDP growth rate, annual inflation and share prices. Greece ranked first, the U.S. ranked 20th and Germany 30th. As a top world economy, shouldn’t prices be more reasonable in Tel Aviv? Just askin’.
* * *
Somewhat belated happy Hanukkah thoughts. Sufganiyot – Israeli jelly-filled donuts doused in oil – shouted out from every bread counter in the country. It made me more whimsical and homesick for the donuts of my Canadian youth, Tim Hortons – Tim Hortons bakes ’em. I’m all for celebrating the Maccabees’ triumph over the Syrian-Greek Seleucids’ empire in Judea – yes, Hanukkah is mainly about victory – and their eight-day oil-based menorah-lighting miracle. Just didn’t want my sufganiyot tasting like they had been sitting in oil for eight days. Just sayin’. Belated wishes for a happy Gregorian new year.
Bruce Brown is a Canadian and an Israeli. He made aliyah … a long time ago. He works in Israel’s high-tech sector by day and, in spurts, is a somewhat inspired writer by night. Brown is the winner of the 2019 AJPA Rockower Award for excellence in writing, and wrote the 1998 satire An Israeli is…. Brown reflects on life in Israel – political, social, economic and personal.
Generations of kids have “the best summer of their lives” at camp. (photo from Camp Miriam)
“There’s no way we are going to a Jewish camp,” my kids declared with absolute resolve. Wait. What? Why??? They explained that they knew “enough” Jewish people and plenty of culturally Jewish things, so camp was not necessary. OK, I thought, that’s completely, totally and utterly crazy.
While we’ve been involved at Temple Sholom for years, speak Hebrew at home and celebrate the holidays, my kids are the only Jewish kids in their classes at public school. They are often told they don’t look Jewish, let alone Sephardi. Whatever that means – there’s a huge span between Barbra Streisand and Ofra Haza. They weren’t excited about their identity, but begrudgingly went along with being Jewish. It was the equivalent of cultural, ethnic and faith feet dragging.
My disappointment couldn’t be missed because I literally said, “I’m so disappointed to hear you say that.” I thought guilt might move them – a powerful tool of every Jewish mother. They apologized. Yes. I was moving the needle. And then, they immediately asked me if they could go to a Christian horse camp. Nope. I failed, while concurrently being mortified. To be clear, I wasn’t horrified of considering a different faith camp, but because they are wildly allergic to horses. Who wants to be the parent that gets a phone call that their kids can’t handle equines? Not me. Too embarrassing.
Moreover, it was a complete reversal of my experience. I begged my parents to send me to a Jewish camp. I started going from the age of 10, eventually visiting Israel and managing to get a coveted staff position. My camp time was the most incredible and defining experience of my youth. I wished, hoped and prayed for my kids to have the same experience. They had shut down the idea, but before I wrote them off as blasphemers, I decided to let it sit and cook in their minds like a delicious shakshuka.
(photo from Camp Miriam)
For a couple of months, they pondered a tough year of COVID-19 shutting down so much of life – and the idea of being away for several weeks with a lot of independence became very appealing. They finally agreed to “let me send them” to Camp Miriam, which was very similar to the camp I went to back east. They diligently packed, were welcomed by friends at registration, got on the bus and did not look back. I got two postcards. The first informed me that they hadn’t been eaten by wild island dogs, and the second told me they were having the best summer of their lives.
The kids came back transformed both physically and figuratively. They both grew half a foot, and something in their psyche profoundly shifted. They loved, I do mean loved, all things Jewish because of Camp Miriam. They had a magical summer that every parent wishes their kid to have. A tight group of friends, a deep respect for their beloved staff and a passion for the programming. Frankly, they wouldn’t zip it about how much they adored Camp Miriam.
They bragged about doing avodah (work), one choosing garbage duty and the other cleaning the sherutim (bathrooms). Umm … what happened? I couldn’t get them to make their beds at home, and they were doing legitimate work at camp? It struck me. Camp Miriam had instilled a profound sense of pride. For weeks, and I do mean weeks, they would prompt a conversation with, “At Camp Miriam….” Some of their most profound moments were having Shabbat at the Point, feeling a deep connection of chevra (community) and telling me they felt understood for the first time. They didn’t have to explain themselves, and that was mind-blowing.
(photo from Camp Miriam)
Going to Camp Miriam coalesced for my kids a sense of identity; they felt seen and heard, so could go deep into what this meant. We were able to have a shared generational experience, which was pretty awesome, considering my kids think electricity was barely invented when I was a kid. I corrected them and explained that the cutting-edge technology of faxing existed when I was a child.
Last week, I overheard them at Sunday Temple Sholom school bragging that Camp Miriam was the best camp ever. And there it is. My kids not only needed Jewish camp, but they also desperately wanted to be there. I feel utterly indebted to Camp Miriam for giving my kids such a brilliant and rich Jewish experience and, although I couldn’t say it to their faces, I was satisfied thinking, “Yes! In your faces. You suck. I was soooooo right about everything, and you were so unequivocally wrong.” Also, now I can breathe easy, knowing they can’t wait to go back to Camp Miriam and build a lifetime of memories and friendships.
Photos from camp captured kids’ joy and excitement while appeasing the anxious parents at home. (photo from Camp BB Riback)
Let me start by saying how grateful I am my son has returned from his first three-week camp experience clean, smiling and with a head full of exciting stories!! Thank you Stacy Shaikin, Jordyn Wright and the staff for making this first year back memorable.
Today, in the joyful chatter of the reunions with our kids, we feel it in our hearts and bones: Camp BB Riback must continue to survive and thrive in Alberta.
As my son unpacks his duffle bag, he unpacks his memories not yet knowing they will remain with him for a lifetime. It is a very special role Camp BB plays in our children’s lives, providing a summer full of social, physical and cultural experiences unique to the Jewish community.
Camp BB’s influence and lifelong impact on our kids individually and collectively informs the future of Jewish communities in our cities, province and beyond. I am grateful to have strong leadership in Stacy and a supportive board of directors from both Edmonton and Calgary, some of whom have given years of service.
I give props to the photographer who captured absolute joy and excitement while appeasing the anxious parents at home. I often found myself playing “Where’s Waldo?” – happily, searching for my kid in the background because he was busy living his best camp life … completely neglecting his duty to send a thumbs up or other such emoji so mom and dad could be OK! His actions in the background spoke louder than his hand signals ever could.
A highlight of the photo gallery was seeing the action in and around the newly refurbished pool. Stacy and the board worked tirelessly to fund that project during COVID. The dedication and generosity of everyone involved is translated onto the faces of every happy camper that leapt, dove, flipped, slipped and eased their way into that pool this summer and for every summer hereafter.
(photo from Camp BB Riback)
We wouldn’t be enjoying the gallery photos or stories shared by our kids tonight if it weren’t for the extraordinary outpouring of generosity that kept Camp BB Riback’s doors open during the unprecedented two-year shut down. I had the privilege of serving on the board and stewardship committee during that time, working and witnessing the unity of our community as we championed to save Camp BB Riback – it was and continues to be an exhausting amount of work.
So, today, I hope we (camp parents and families) will find it in our hearts and budgets to donate right now to support the continued revitalization of old and outdated structures and fund new projects at camp.
(photo from Camp BB Riback)
My family’s favourite way to donate is through the monthly auto-donation subscription plan and the Skip the Depot program. It is a small amount each month for us that, over time, builds to a lasting impact at camp.
More importantly, I know, in my heart and bones, that through our regular support of camp we are building a legacy of philanthropy in our family so that, one day, when our kids are grown, they will support camp in their own way … and the cycle of nourishing our community, the Jewish community, continues.
Today please consider the gift of memories and lifelongfriendships (see what I did there?!) for future generations.
Thank you Camp BB Riback and everyone you have touched. Until next summer.
Counselors last summer learning the words and moves to Israeli pop music so they can teach the campers. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)
As Israel prepares to celebrate its 75th birthday, Camp Hatikvah looks back fondly at its long and meaningful connection to the Jewish state.
Established by members of the Young Judaea youth organization, Camp Hatikvah was Western Canada’s first Zionist summer camp. Developed in the aftermath of the Holocaust, Hatikvah was created to “produce proud, happy Jewish youth who were earnest and sincere in their beliefs” and committed to the rebuilding of the Jewish people and homeland. Activities offered included arts and crafts, drama, music, athletics, singing and dancing, but the basis of the program was designed around providing campers with a strong background and knowledge of Jewish and Zionist affairs.
One of the original goals of the camp was to promote aliyah and many of the camp’s participants have indeed gone on to join a kibbutz, study in Israel, serve in the Israel Defence Forces or raise their families in Israel. However, the camp leadership eventually realized that mass immigration was unlikely and began focusing on another important task – ensuring that Canadian Jewish youth truly understood the importance of the Jewish state and their role in nurturing and protecting it.
For campers of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, programming was focused around concepts of pioneering and perseverance. Israel was still so young and so vulnerable and participants united in their shared passion not only for its success but its survival. The counselors were impassioned leaders who created meaningful opportunities for learning. Education was key and advocacy was a responsibility.
Israeli dancing in the early 1960s at camp. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)
By the 1980s, things were changing. The campers of that era were used to the idea of a strong Israel and much of the Jewish state’s impressive accomplishments felt like distant “history” to many of the young campers. This created a challenge for the camp but one to which they rose. Rather than sitting the campers down and lecturing them, Hatikvah used the uniqueness of the camp setting to provide active education. Field games were used to teach about geography, history and conflict, with campers learning a great deal without even knowing it (that’s the best kind of education).
The early 1990s were a time of great hope. With the Oslo Accords having been signed, it was an exciting time for Israel and for Hatikvah but, unfortunately, it was short-lived.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Israel was shaken by one horrendous terrorist attack after another. While our community stood in solidarity with our mishpachah (family) in Israel, many Hatikvah families were not comfortable sending their children on Biluim Israel, a sister program that runs an Israel experience for Hatikvah’s campers the summer before they become counselors. The result was that, for several years in a row, Hatikvah had very few counselors on staff who had ever been to Israel. This reality created a radical shift in the camp’s Israel education strategy.
Joanna Wasel, current board president, was the program director at Hatikvah at the time. She recalled, “since our participants were no longer going to Israel, we knew we had to bring Israel to them.”
The focus of Hatikvah’s Israel education shifted from the past to the present. While campers still learned about important historical figures and events, most of the programming began to focus on culture.
“It was important to us that our campers saw beyond what was in the news,” said Wasel. “We didn’t want them to think of Israel only in terms of conflict. We wanted them to see the beauty and uniqueness of this truly special and resilient country.”
Campers in the early 1960s learning the Hebrew words for their activities. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)
Thankfully, the situation in Israel eventually stabilized and campers once again returned to Israel, bringing back their knowledge and passion when they became counselors the following year. But the affinity towards more modern Israel programming stuck, and the focus at the camp remains based on building bridges between Canadian and Israeli cultures.
“Friday nights at camp are amazing,” shared Liza Rozen-Delman, camp director. “After prayers and a traditional Shabbat dinner, our campers spend the evening dancing to Israeli pop music. It is incredible to see. They know all the words – which are in Hebrew – and the fun dances their peers in Israel are doing. It’s so natural and so beautiful.”
These programs are facilitated by young Israeli shlichim (emissaries), who continue to be an important part of Hatikvah’s program. “With the exception of 2022, when COVID restrictions were in place, Hatikvah has always had Israeli shlichim,” said Rozen-Delman. “The experience is so meaningful both for them and for us.
“Hatikvah was founded to promote the dream of an independent Jewish state and so it is really special for us, some 75 years later, not only to celebrate how far Israel has come but to also recognize how important our partnership was both then and now,” she concluded. “As we say at Camp Hatikvah, may they – and we – continue with chazak ve’ematz (strength and courage).”
Summer camp helps foster grit, creating space for kids to develop independence and author their own stories. (photo from URJ Camp Kalsman)
As a parent of three, I know how hard it is to balance the overwhelming desire to make sure my kids “have it all” – diverse extracurricular activities, best schools, quality family time, etc. – and, at the same time, to know when to let go (and actually do it!) so they can experience the power of paving their own way. Skinned knees, bruised egos, broken hearts and all.
As a summer camp director, I also know that parents like me are not alone. In fact, there is a whole army of incredibly kind and passionate young adult role models, often dressed up in silly costumes, ready to be my partner in this “gritty journey” of adolescence and the teenage years.
Ask anyone who grew up at overnight summer camp – Jewish or otherwise – and most will tell you it felt like their second home. At Camp Kalsman, where my children and I have spent the past six years, we welcome campers and staff members “home” each summer. But what does this really mean and why is this important for fostering grit in our kids and teens?
I’d argue that home, a place of true belonging, is prime real estate for failure, learning and growth – home is where grit is born. Often, when we think of home we think of being safe and protected, perhaps shielded from the real world. I would argue that home is more of a safety net, giving a child the reassurance that not only is failure OK but that, when they do ultimately fail at something, we’ll be there to catch them and help them bounce back, stronger and more resilient.
What are the top three reasons why you, as a parent, guardian or loving adult, need summer camp, too?
1. Creating space to deepen connection. I’m going to say something that might make some people uncomfortable – your kids need a break from you just as much as you need one from them. Camp gives you the chance to create that space, knowing that you have a trusted partner to create that same safety net for your child. Absence makes the heart grow fonder is a cliché and it’s also a deeply true statement. By creating (physical) space for a finite period of time, your child has the chance to broaden their perspective, test everything you’ve taught them, try something on their own and learn from other trusted adults. When a camper has a temporary moment of sadness at camp (sometimes referred to as homesickness), that feeling is validated – “how wonderful is it that you have such great folks at home who love you, believe you can do this and know you will be safe and cared for at camp?” Camp simultaneously builds a sense of self separate from the family unit and strengthens the roots of that family tree from afar.
(photo from Camp Kalsman)
2. Declaration of independence. How often do you wish your kid would make their own lunch for school, make their bed without you asking, pick up those socks that have been next to the couch for what seems like days? At camp, where “nagging” parents are replaced with super-cool counselors who are the perfect combination of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins, kids learn a sense of communal responsibility, pride in keeping their space clean, and come to understand how their action (or inaction) can have ripple effects on those around them. At the beginning of the summer, they will have contributed to creating a cabin covenant (at Camp Kalsman, we use the Hebrew term brit kehillah), a shared understanding, co-created by their bunkmates and counselors, about how they will live and play together for the camp session. Campers have to navigate social situations without adult or teacher intervention (those cool counselors are also trained in conflict-resolution and will help out, of course). The ownership children and teens feel about their time at camp helps foster confidence and self-awareness and helps calibrate their inner moral compass for when they return home and to school.
3. Sharing the stories. It may happen in the car-ride home, over that first “real-world” meal after so many days of camp food, or a few days after they get home and have had time to process, but your child might just freely and willingly tell you stories about the summer. It won’t be like their one-word answer when you ask about school. With their new-found independence and confidence (see #2!), they might tell you about the friends they made, the new food they tried, the counselor they loved, maybe even the silly dance they made up. And, after you’ve listened intently, controlling your need to ask 1,000 follow-up questions, and instead basking in their joy and nostalgia, you’ll say, “Wow, that sounds like one incredible summer!” You will have given your child the gift of summer camp, and they will have given you the gift of sharing in their joy and confidence and gratitude.
While there are many, many more reasons that we all need summers at camp (a second home), the combination of creating space, developing independence and authoring their own stories is, at its core, the secret sauce of raising a gritty and resilient generation of children, teens and parents!
Rabbi Ilana Mills is camp director, URJ Camp Kalsman. If you are interested in learning more about the camp, visit campkalsman.org or contact Rabbi Ilana at [email protected].
Making friends and challenging oneself are just two of the things kids love about summer camp. (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)
Jewish camping can be an integral part of children’s lives and their development. Involving them in Jewish summer camps leads to brighter Jewish futures and a stronger Jewish community as a whole. Camp helps Jewish youth feel proud of their heritage and can lead to stronger friendships and relationships, campers finding their true passions, and discovering the joy in Jewish life. We spoke to several Camp Solomon Schechter campers about what camp means to them and how it’s made an impact on their lives.
Ruby Lipsky (1st year): “[Camp friends are special] because you can just do whatever you want with them and they make you feel like [you’re] home and, if you’re sad, they help you and it’s just nice to have somebody here to be with you. You’re living with some new people in your cabin that you’ve never met before and I made very good friends with them because I treated them nicely. If you treat them how you want to be treated, then it just makes camp so much more fun.”
Izzy Drazin (2nd year): “You’re just welcome to anything you want to do. I feel like I’ve been more excited whenever I come to camp. Instantly something clicks in my head to be happy, have fun, try new things. I want to bring back some of the energy that I have here, some of the ruach, happiness, and this new sense of self.”
Orli Kalman (7th year): “Out of camp I have learned so many new values of kindness and working with others. It’s a really great opportunity because you’re constantly surrounded by people and sometimes that’s a lot, but you deal with it and learn how to prioritize yourself and take time for yourself when you need it. Then, you can go back and make friendships and value the time that you get to spend with others.”
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“My friendships at camp are the most important thing to me and that is one of the main reasons that I come back to camp. I get to see the same people every year that I love and that I get to grow with and learn more about every summer. We have so many similarities but at the same time so many differences, I’m constantly learning new things about my friends. It’s great that we are able to start right back where we left off and just keep growing these friendships and making them stronger.”
(photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)
Bella Robinson (8th year): “At home, I have a few Jewish friends but going to camp, where everyone is Jewish, is such a magical thing. All the aspects of my life tie into me being Jewish and, at home, I find that I may not relate to my other non-Jewish friends because they don’t share some of the same aspects of their culture or religion or keeping Shabbat and they may not know about some of the traditions I keep close to my heart. When I’m at camp, constantly practising Judaism and I’m with all my Jewish friends, those friendships are just so much stronger than any other ones at home.”
Josh Kittay (15th year, counselor): “The biggest thing about camp that makes it so special is those memories for me. I love to tell stories and, when I go home, I get to tell all my family and friends those stories that happened, whether it’s your new friend you made or something really funny you did on the aqua park or an amazing shot you made on the basketball court. You get to really find out who you are here and you get to be that person you want to be, whether you’re extra goofy here or you wanna change a little bit who you see yourself as. You get to do that here ’cause no one’s gonna judge you.”
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“It’s so important to be somewhere that is so inclusive. We are judged as a Jewish community, we are judged for just being Jewish, and being able to not only be Jewish here with tons of other Jews … you also get to be how you want to be and you better come up with your own story about who you wanna become. You don’t have to go along with the rules, go along with the set laws of what we call the ‘real world.’ You get to be who you wanna be, you get to choose who that person is. What we like to say is you get to try on new clothes. If you wanna become someone else, go for it. This is the place where no one is gonna judge you, everyone wants to do the same thing, so find out who you are.”
Daniel Shalinsky being interviewed and filmed as part of White Rock South Surrey Jewish Community Centre’s oral history project, which will form part of the community’s Feb. 5 Tu b’Shevat Gala, along with singer Tania Grinberg, speaker Karen James and more. (photo by Helen Thomas Mann)
The White Rock South Surrey Jewish Community Centre Tu b’Shevat Gala will take place on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 5, the start of the holiday. With the theme “Strengthen Our Roots,” a main component of the event will be community members’ oral histories.
“The idea for the project came about in a very multidirectional way,” Helen Thomas Mann, WRSSJCC president, told the Independent. “First, we wanted to host an annual fundraising event and, with our membership drive being around the High Holidays, Tu b’Shevat seemed like a good time for it.”
Tu b’Shevat, the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, is the New Year of Trees.
“Naturally,” said Thomas Mann, “the theme for a Tu b’Shevat event would be trees, so we began focusing on our ‘tree of life’ as a community. But we were coming back together after a three-year lull from the pandemic – we needed people to remember why this place is important, and why it should continue to exist. The ideabecame, let’s honour our roots, our history as a community of nearly 30 years; remember the branches that connect us to our Jewishness and the WRSSJCC, and celebrate our leaves, the future of our community.
“As a new president and newer member of the community,” she said, “I felt sensitive to the fact that, although I was playing a leadership role in the organization, there were many people who had worked hard before me to create this warm Jewish space. Our new board didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. I made it my mission to learn those stories.”
A therapist by profession, Thomas Mann is naturally interested in people’s stories, she said. “I had a conversation with Alysa [Routtenberg] from the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia, and that’s where collecting life stories of people in our community came about. She provided me with a recording device. Then it occurred to me that these life stories and the stories of the JCC itself could be incorporated into our celebration.
“I was scrolling the WRSSJCC Instagram account, and I saw a person we follow, and who follows our organization back, who had beautiful fine art photos. Their website said they were passionate about storytelling. I took a chance and reached out, and the person happened to be Yaacov Green, who participated in the JCC as a child and whose father was a president of the JCC for many years! Yaacov generously offered to donate his time to record and edit these interviews to make a short presentation for the Tu b’Shevat event, and a longer version to be submitted to the Jewish Museum and Archives of B.C.”
During the project, Thomas Mann said, “Marcy Babins from the museum mentioned this may be the first representation of Jews from our outlying community in the archive, so I’m thrilled we will be represented. There’s such a rich history here of creative, scrappy and very grassroots Jewish community-building efforts. It’s been very inspiring to learn about. We have interviewed 23 people so far, plus we are having two make-up days…. We are also completing a few Zoom interviews for those who are no longer local.”
Everyone in the community was invited to participate, whether new to the community or having been a part of it for a long time. One of the participants was Daniel Shalinsky, who was interviewed for the project by his grandmother, Helen Lynn Lutterman.
“He attended Hebrew school at the JCC and spent lots of time there as a child,” said Thomas Mann. “There are pictures of him as a child with a hammer, literally building our WRSSJCC alongside his family. His parents are Hertha and Steve Shalinsky, who we are honouring at the Tu b’Shevat event. Their family, including Steve’s brother and his wife, Ken and Andrea Shalinsky, were integral in acquiring our physical space. Steve was a president for many years. For more on the fascinating story of how the space was acquired, you will have to attend the event to find out!”
In addition to the community histories, award-winning Yiddish singer Tania Grinberg will be featured at the celebration. And the night’s keynote speaker will be Karen James, who will share the story of her experience at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. James was there with the Canadian Olympic swim team, and witnessed a group of people climbing over the wall of the Olympic village. Only later would she find out that those people held hostage and then murdered 11 Israeli athletes. “She will share how witnessing this event impacted her life, her connection to her Jewish identity, and her relationship with the WRSSJCC,” said Thomas Mann of James’ presentation.
The Tu b’Shevat fundraiser is for specific programming, as well as operating expenses of the WRSSJCC.
“We are fundraising to generally pay our bills, and our hope is to be able to hire a part-time employee to support our admin needs and flourishing programming,” Thomas Mann explained. “We also have a list of ‘wishing tree’ items that range in dollar amounts from new oven mitts to computer monitors, and open amounts for specific purposes such as donating towards a child in need’s Hebrew school tuition. Long term, we would love to be able to find a new building space where we could have a stand-alone building, as opposed to being in a strip mall, with an outdoor area for a sukkah and community garden. That would be our pie-in-the-sky donation! We are a 100% volunteer-run organization, so every contribution counts.”
The entire community is welcome to the Feb. 5 event, which will be held at the White Rock South Surrey Jewish Community Centre, 32-3033 King George Blvd., in Surrey. “We considered the ease of hosting in a different location for space restrictions, but it seemed too important to centre the space,” said Thomas Mann. “Plus, our tree of life is on the wall, and we will be unveiling the newadditions at the event.”
