The new Jewish Seniors Alliance Snider Foundation Empowerment Series season began on Oct. 19 with a concert. As usual, the program was co-sponsored by JSA and a community organization; in this case, the Kehila Society of Richmond. Because of the…
Diabetes Canada named Gerri Klein as Diabetes Nurse Educator of the Year, 2020, citing Klein’s dedication and passion for her work. For three years, rain or shine, she led a noontime Walk the Walk program for patients living with diabetes;…
(photo by Alex Dworkin/Canadian Jewish Archives) During the Second World War, 17,000 Jews were enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces, serving their country despite Canada’s “none is too many” Jewish immigration policy. Of these 17,000, at least 279 were women.…
Ryan Beil, left, and Mark Chavez. (photos from Studio 58) Studio 58’s 55th season continues with the world première of Theatre: The Play, a comedic love letter to the art form, written and directed by Ryan Beil and Mark Chavez.…
(Beny Shlevich photo) הצעת חוק החדשה של חברת הכנסת תהילה פרידמן ממפלגת כחול לבן, מעוררת עניין רב בעולם היהודי. לדברי אחד מהבכירים בקהילת היהודים בארצות הברית, דיוויד באטלר, הצעת חוק זו מעלה על הפרק את אחד האירועים המשמעותיים ביחסי ישראל…
Medical myth-buster Dr. James McCormack speaks Nov. 22 via Zoom. (photo from too-much-medicine.com) Dr. James McCormack is a bit of an anomaly as a voice in today’s medical debates. In a politically driven climate where most people tend to stand…
Writer and illustrator Nora Krug spoke with the Globe and Mail’s Marsha Lederman at a virtual event Oct. 27. (photo by DW Deutsche Welle) The first time Nora Krug heard the word “Jew” was in elementary school during religion class, which…
It has been a particularly reflective and momentous week. The U.S. elected Joe Biden as its 46th president and Kamala Harris as vice-president, the first Black woman and first woman of Asian and Indian descent elected to that high office.…
Jonathon Leipsic is chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s annual campaign, and his father, Peter Leipsic, is co-chair of the annual campaign of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. (photo from Leipsics) Father and son, Peter Leipsic and Jonathon…
Ben Caplan opens this year’s Chutzpah! Festival Nov. 21. (photo from Chutzpah!) In the last issue of the Jewish Independent, Chutzpah! Festival artistic managing director Jessica Mann Gutteridge, festival host and stand-up performer Iris Bahr and event comedy closers Jess Salomon…
Livona Ellis rehearses for the Dance Centre performance of Mary-Louise Albert: Solo Dances/Past into Present. (photo by Sylvain Senez) Mary-Louise Albert: Solo Dances/Past into Present at the Dance Centre Nov. 19-21 features Livona Ellis, Vanessa Goodman and Rebecca Margolick performing works…
On Nov. 19, the Jewish Community Centre of Victoria will host a webinar dedicated to Nature Israel (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, SPNI) and the organization’s role in addressing Israel’s environmental challenges. For more than 60 years,…
Madison Slobin wrote a guide on the Jewish ritual of mikvah because she wants to help people navigate and change our world. Madison Slobin appeared in the pages of the Jewish Independent a few months ago for two projects she…
The Ninth Night of Hanukkah begins, appropriately enough, on the first night of the holiday…. Dad has brought pizza for dinner and Max and Rachel and their parents eat it among unopened and partially opened boxes in their new apartment.…
Left to right, Senator Linda Frum, actor Mayim Bialik and BGU president Danny Chamovitz participated in the virtual Big Bang event, hosted by Canadian Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev on Sept. 9. (photo by David Berson) On Sept.…
The finished scarves, each individually packaged, and including a warm message. (photo from Legacy Senior Living) Last month, residents of Legacy Senior Living (the Leo Wertman Residence) gave a gift of warmth to residents of New Beginnings, a temporary housing…
Brad Chenkis shows off a couple Sonovia masks. (photo from Tikva Housing) It all began when Boris Chenkis, owner of After Five Fashions, was watching Israel Daily TV (ILTV) and saw an interview with Liat Goldhammer, the chief technology officer…
Pamela Jeffery, founder of the Prosperity Project. (screenshot) Pamela Jeffery, the driving force behind the Prosperity Project, led an Oct. 7 webinar entitled When Women Succeed, We all Prosper – Don’t Let COVID-19 Hold Us Back, which was part of…
For hundreds of years, the basic rules for making a valid will have been the same: the person making the will has to sign it in the company of witnesses, and the witnesses have to sign, too. How can that…
While our ultimate death is a certainty, when and how we will die is unknowable. And though death is inevitable, it remains a taboo subject for most. None of us knows what the future will bring. It is better to…
I am flipping through one of my social media outlets, as I lie on my bed, cuddling my 7-month-old baby to sleep. A picture catches my eye. Garbage strewn in front of a restaurant. I look closer, puzzled as to…
An item from the Nov. 10, 1938, newspaper in Helen Waldstein Wilkes’ mother’s hometown, Cham, Bavaria. It reads: “In Brief. Jews Taken into Protective Custody. As was the case everywhere in Germany, news of the death of the German Councilor…
Listening to an online class by a Chassidic rabbi, I heard this: “We’re each put on this earth to do something unique, something which no one else can do. No one before you, and no one after you.” A little…
There’s been an uptick in the eating of comfort food in our house since the pandemic began. Cooking and eating are a big deal during stressful times. Now, we were “into” food pre-pandemic. I cook a lot. However, everything went…
(photo by Shai Halevi/IAA via Ashernet) A small pottery jar containing four pure gold coins dating from the Early Islamic period was unearthed during archeological excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), as part of the Jewish Quarter Development…
(image by Zoonar) יום הבוחר: תושבי בריטיש קולומביה במערב קנדה הימרו כי דונלד טראמפ ינצח בבחירות לנשיאות ארה”ב היום, וימשיך בתפקיד לארבע שנים נוספות. אירוע הבחירות יהיה הפופולארי ביותר בהיסטוריה בקרב המהמרים הבחירות לנשיאות ארצות הברית שיערכו היום יום שלישי,…
Featured speakers at this year’s Choices are Hannah Amar, left, and Michelle Hirsch. (photo from Jewish Federation) Hannah Amar wants people to keep in mind two words when they listen to her story: resilience and connection. Toronto-born Amar was 10…
The new artistic managing director of Chutzpah!, Jessica Mann Gutteridge, faced unique challenges in presenting the festival. (photo from Chutzpah!) “This has been a challenging time for all communities. I hope that this year’s Chutzpah! Festival can bring a sense…
It will take about two weeks to verify and count the mail-in ballots from Saturday’s B.C. provincial election. The province saw a 7,200% increase in voting by mail this year, a result of the pandemic and educational efforts to make…
The latest Arab country to normalize relations with Israel is Sudan. It is the third Arab country in recent months to initiate bilateral relations with the Jewish state – and only the fifth in history. In addition to the practical…
