Vancouverite Vida Sussman (centre) was among those who pounded the pavement at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village to raise disability awareness at ADI’s first annual Race for Inclusion, which took place Dec. 29. (photo from ADI) On the morning of…
Richmond Jewish Day School held a week of activities revolving around Tu b’Shevat. (photo from RJDS) Richmond Jewish Day School held a weeklong event celebrating the holiday of Tu b’Shevat, which fell this year on Jan. 17. Tu b’Shevat has…
Temple Sholom treasurer Daniel Gumprich, left, president Melody Robens-Paradise and Rabbi Dan Moskovitz. (photo from JCF) Temple Sholom has a new $1 million endowment fund that will provide the congregation with stable, long-term income for the synagogue in perpetuity. “We…
Ben Mink is one of the musicians featured in Under the Radar, by David Eisenstadt. (photo from sonicperspectives.com) *** Under the Radar: 30 Notable Canadian Jewish Musicians, which I wrote with Alan L. Simons (editor), takes an historical approach, covering musicians…
בחודש פברואר הקרוב ימלאו שבעה שנים לחיים שלי בוונקובר. קשה להאמין שבפברואר אלפיים וחמש עזבתי את תל אביב לצמיתות בדרכי לוונקובר. מאז אני חי כאן ואפילו באותה שכונה יפה – הווסט אנד הערב סיפרתי לבת הזוג שלי (שגרה כאן למעלה…
Dara Horn and David Baddiel open the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival on Feb. 6. (photos from JBF) Early in her new book, People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present, Dara Horn reflects on a controversy at…
Governor General of Canada Mary Simon welcomed Ronen Hoffman as Israel’s new ambassador to Canada during a formal presentation ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Dec. 7, 2021. (photo from Government of Canada) Israel’s new ambassador to Canada, Ronen Hoffman,…
Tomorrow is Black Excellence Day. The day is adjacent to the birth date of Martin Luther King Jr. and is being recognized in at least 20 B.C. school districts. Founded last year to draw attention to the lack of Black…
When it was warmer, back in the fall, I met an older friend outdoors for coffee. A third person was there, someone she wanted me to meet. She couldn’t imagine how I’d never met them before. Winnipeg is like this,…
Rachel Rose, left, and Ami Sands Brodoff take part in the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival on Feb. 8. None of us knows what lies ahead. We might think we do, but a lack of awareness one moment can…
Robert Silverman is one of the musicians featured in Under the Radar, by David Eisenstadt. (photo from Robert Silverman) *** Under the Radar: 30 Notable Canadian Jewish Musicians, which I wrote with Alan L. Simons (editor), takes an historical approach,…
Do you sing? I’ve always fancied myself as one who had a good singing voice. I love to sing. I’m always ready to join in when there’s a sing-song, particularly if I know the tune and especially if I know…
Last summer, given COVID’s continued presence and restrictions, campers were especially happy to be at camp. (photo from Camp Hatikvah) Prior to 2020, Camp Hatikvah was experiencing unparalleled success. With enrolment maximized, the organization was in the position to focus…
Judah Altman, left, Daniel Fine and Marina Levy all packed up for the bus. (photo from Camp Miriam) Returning to Camp Miriam every summer is like going home. The kids shouting and laughing for joy, the bright smiles of the counselors,…
In these uncertain times, JCC Camp Shalom set out to continue to be a constant source of fun and a safe environment for the whole community. For the second year, the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic demanded that the…
At summer camp, kids build community, take on challenges, become independent and develop leadership skills. (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter) There’s a place where kids can simply be themselves. Where they build community, take on challenges, become independent and develop…
Camp Kalsman has almost 300 acres, perfect for a wide range of activities. (photo from Camp Kalsman) Rabbi Ilana Mills, director of URJ Camp Kalsman, started attending camp when she was 8 years old. “I remember being uncertain what the…
Tu b’Shevat is a popular day to go into the fields and plant saplings. (photo from usa.jnf.org) ‘In Israel, just before the Hebrew month of Shevat, the landscape begins to change. It has been winter; the fruit trees bare, their…
Methuselah’s roots go back to the time of Masada, and even earlier. (photo from Arava Institute) For many years, in anticipation of Tu b’Shevat, I have written about a date palm tree in the Arava that fascinates me – Methuselah. Methuselah’s…
Michael Gliksberg, left, and Prof. Gil Levkowitz are among the researchers who have discovered that oxytocin in a developing zebrafish brain determines later social behaviour. (photo from Weizmann Institute) Whenever we decide to throw a party, invite in-laws to dinner…
Prof. Etta Livneh (photo by Shay Shmueli/BGU) Most everyone on the planet has now heard of mRNA, thanks to the vaccines against COVID-19 from Pfizer and Moderna, which are based on messenger RNA. But, before mRNA was used to address…
הרופאה המומחה החליטה שעלי לעשות בדיקת אם. אר. איי. לאזור הצוואר שלי לאור מוגבלות מסוימת שאני חש בו. בדיקת הסי. טי. שעשיתי בבית החולים סנט פול לא הייתה מספיק טובה מבחינתה, והיא התעקשה על בדיקת אם. אר. איי. שהיא הרבה…
King David High School student and Climate Education Reform British Columbia member Sara Bauman (photo from Sara Bauman) Weather events like the recent floods across British Columbia and last summer’s record fire season are prompting questions about how to plan…
Markus Spodzieja, owner of the Bikery, the first and only certified kosher bakery on Vancouver Island. (photo from the Bikery) Victoria’s Jewish community and area foodies received welcome news for their taste buds this summer. For the past four months,…
Last week, a cluster of protesters, including at least two medical doctors, demonstrated on the lawn of the B.C. Legislature, reciting the now-boring litany of justifications for putting others at risk by refusing to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Griping…
David Granirer (photo from David Granirer) Vancouver counselor and comic David Granirer has been standing up for mental health, literally, for nearly two decades. His brainchild, Stand Up for Mental Health, is a program that has helped hundreds of people…
In her new book, Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan Kaplan explores lessons for humans from the animal world. Good things come in small packages. A thin volume by Vancouver rabbi, philosopher and academic Laura Duhan Kaplan packs ancient and modern wisdom…
Debbie Setton Tabenkin sees travel, genealogy and fun with grandkids in her future. (photo by Jocelyne Hallé) Debbie Setton Tabenkin, one of the most familiar faces to anyone who has frequented the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver in the…
Carmel Tanaka has many diverse community projects on the go. (photo by Heather McCain) Community engagement professional Carmel Tanaka gave a talk entitled A Day in the Life of a Queer, Neurodivergent, Jewpanese Millennial to a Zoom audience on Dec. 5.…
Inspired by Story and Song – this was the topic of the JSA Snider Foundation Virtual Empowerment Series session held on Dec. 2, in partnership with the Louis Brier Home and Hospital. Jewish Seniors Alliance co-president Gyda Chud welcomed the…
