Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver executive director Ezra Shanken, left, and Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Pacific region vice-president Nico Slobinsky were in Buenos Aires last month. (photo from Jewish Federation) Nico Slobinsky was a 15-year-old high school student…
Left to right are Rachel and Ezra Shanken with their children, Vancouver city councilors Sarah Kirby-Yung and Mike Klassen, and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver board chair Lana Marks Pulver. The City of Vancouver proclamation designated June 25, 2024, as…
In the journalism biz, summer is generally considered slow news season. That’s why our publishing schedule takes a bit of a hiatus. Then there are years like this one. Rarely in political history has anything so upended American politics than…
Israel needs to adopt a long-term objective in its response to Hamas’s attack of Oct. 7. Israel’s immediate objective is the defeat of Hamas. The question becomes what is to happen not only to Gaza but also to the West…
This summer, our main event was a road trip. My husband had a conference at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Since we met at Cornell as undergrads 30 years ago, we thought it might be worthwhile to make this a…
UBC student Zara Nybo, a non-Jewish ally, holds a poster of Rom Braslavski, as she speaks of his heroism before he was taken hostage to Gaza on Oct. 7. (photo by Pat Johnson) As negotiations continued in Doha, Qatar, for…
Vancouverite Gail Mattuck volunteering in Israel after Oct. 7. She found her placements with the help of the Sword of Iron – Israel Volunteer Opportunities Facebook group. (photo from Gail Mattuck) They’re coming from around the world, taking a leave…
Lance Davis, chief executive officer of JNF Canada. (photo from JNF Canada) The Jewish National Fund of Canada is fighting the Canada Revenue Agency over the revocation of the organization’s charitable status, accusing the federal taxation department of “blindsiding” them…
Band-aids – check. Bottled water – check. Tinned foods – wait. No sooner do I buy canned tuna, pickles, corn and peas and they’re eaten. Need to refresh that one. Flashlight – check. Portable radio – check. Now, this is…
Last month, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver transferred $9.3 million from its Israel Emergency Campaign. Additionally, the allocations committee approved a further $1.4 million for transfer. It has been more than 10 months since Oct. 7, and the situation in…
CHW Vancouver Centre’s opening luncheon on Sept. 22 honours longtime members and contributors Bev Corber, left, and Dolly Jampolsky. (photos from CHW) This year’s CHW Vancouver Centre opening luncheon on Sept. 22 will honour Bev Corber, a past CHW Vancouver…
Every year, more Canadian teenagers die by suicide than by all medical diseases combined, including cancer, diabetes, asthma and infections. Dr. Yaron Finkelstein, a professor of pediatrics, pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto and a staff physician at…
Dr. Seth Goldsweig (photo from KDHS) The start of the school year is always a time of fresh beginnings. This is especially true at King David High School this year. On Sept. 3, Dr. Seth Goldsweig will welcome new and…
Syd Belzberg, left, founder of Stable Harvest Farm in Langley, and farm manager Kristjan Johannson. (photo by Cynthia Ramsay) The Jewish Independent visited Syd Belzberg at Stable Harvest Farm in Langley last week, taking a tour of the 65-acre property…
Left to right: Anne Yu, school board president, Pythagoras Academy; Michael Bouchard, head of school, Pythagoras Academy; Sabrina Bhojani, head of school, Richmond Jewish Day School; and Michael Lipton, school board president, Richmond Jewish Day School. (photo by Briana Bolt) As…
If you’re asking, “What can I do for Israel?” consider joining Israel Connect, a program where local adult volunteers connect, one-on-one, via Zoom, with Israeli high school students who want to improve their English conversation and reading skills. The program…
Lisa Gelberman (photo courtesy) Over the years, Toronto-based educator Lisa Gelberman saw a consistent problem with the education system: it did not address the fact that a third of students in North America have various reading difficulties. “When kids struggle…
Gary Segal was one of 12 people appointed to the Order of British Columbia this year. The province’s highest honour celebrates people who have distinguished themselves and excelled in their field of endeavour. Segal was recognized in the category of…
Jem Rolls’ The Kid Was a Spy is part of this year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival, which runs Sept 5-15. Other Jewish community members with shows include Rita Sheena, with Everybody Knows: Leonard Cohen Dance Theatre, and Theatre Terrific artistic director…
קנדה מעניקה לישראלים ויזה הומנטרית בעקבות השבעה באוקטובר והמלחמה המתמשכת. לפי הערכות מאות ישראלים ניצלו אופציה זו והם מהגרים בחודשים האחרונים לקנדה. מיכל הראל שהקימה אתר לישראלים הרוצים להגר לקנדה אומרת כי קנדה מציעה חיים נוחים בחברה פלורליסטית וקוסמופוליטית, עם…
חברת התעופה הקנדית, אייר קנדה, שחידשה את טיסותיה לישראל בשמונה באפריל לתקופה קצרה, והפסיקה את טיסותיה בעקבות המתקפה האיראנית, והודיעה כי היא צפויה לחדש את טיסותיה בשישה באוגוסט. חברת התעופה הקנדית חזרה בה מהודעתה הקודמת והחליטה להמשיך עוד את השעיית…
![photo - Aviva Rathbone, chair of JQT Vancouver, finds hope in the fact that “[t]here are lots of people in the community coming together right now and finding connections to heal what they can in what is a very broken world and what is a very broken situation”](https://www.jewishindependent.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jul-26-cov.26.JQT-report_Aviva-Rathbone-courtesy-IMG_9184.jpg)
Aviva Rathbone, chair of JQT Vancouver, finds hope in the fact that “[t]here are lots of people in the community coming together right now and finding connections to heal what they can in what is a very broken world and…
Alon Sariel is Early Music Vancouver’s artist in residence for this summer’s festival. (photo by Suzette Vorster-Van Acker) ‘We are thrilled to offer audiences an adventurous program of some of Bach’s seminal works, but with a twist,” said Early Music…
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited Washington this week, coincidentally in the aftermath of US President Joe Biden’s decision to not seek reelection. There is certainly no shortage of topics on their minds – and there are doubtlessly some unspoken subtexts.…
Our short Canadian summer is full of wonder. We try to spend lots of time outdoors, finding things to marvel at on dog walks and even on errands. While we might not be out in the bush too often, we…
Simon Fraser University assistant professor Dr. Lilach Marom gave a lecture May 27 called Where is Antisemitism in EDI Discourses in Canadian Higher Education? How Did We Get Here, And How Can We Move Forward? Prevailing trends in equity, diversity…
Upstanders Canada held a nationwide webinar last month to introduce a toolkit aimed at confronting antisemitism in the various forms it may manifest – particularly in the inherent biases people may not be aware they carry. At the June 23…
Jewish Addiction Community Services (JACS) and Jewish Family Services (JFS) have accepted bylaw changes allowing for service integration, in order to expand addiction support and services within the Jewish community. “JACS and JFS have a long history of collaboration in serving…
The JFS Moishe Farm Project garden at Richmond Jewish Day School. (photo from RJDS) Richmond Jewish Day School and Jewish Family Services have embarked on a new initiative, the JFS Moishe Farm Project. At the back of the school, there…
Novelist Milan Kundera said of Jews in the 20th century that they “were the principal cosmopolitan, integrating element in Central Europe: they were its intellectual cement, a condensed version of its spirit, creators of its spiritual unity. That’s why I…
