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Jewish students staying strong

Since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism and intimidation have been rife on campuses, including the University of British Columbia, where there have been numerous incidents of graffiti and personal attacks on the university’s president, among others. (photo from Hillel BC)

Jewish university students and their allies are reflecting on a challenging year at British Columbia’s postsecondary institutions. Activists continue to make life difficult – but leaders at the campus organization Hillel BC are emphasizing the resilience of students and the unity of the community.

The first full academic year since the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the ensuing war wrapped up recently. In some ways, it was less chaotic than the previous year, but more intense, according to Ohad Gavrieli, executive director of Hillel BC.

“If we could summarize this year,” Gavrieli said, “it would be that there were fewer fires but they blazed with greater intensity.”

Last year, campuses across North America, including at the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University, were occupied by anti-Israel protest encampments.

“Last summer, the encampment occupied the campus, literally and figuratively, for months, demanding responses and counter-narratives that detracted from our primary work,” said Gavrieli.

Those disruptions ended before the new academic year, but 2024-’25 began with a flurry of hostility from anti-Israel activists. UBC’s main Point Grey campus seems to be the locus of the activism, with other campuses showing similar but reduced agitation commensurate with their size, he said.

At UBC, the activists’ scattershot tactics have been honed into more targeted protests, boycotts and campaigns, he said. At the same time, Hillel, Jewish students and a significant group of allies are more prepared than they were when the explosion of anti-Israel – and often overtly antisemitic – activism roiled campuses beginning in October 2023.

The 2024-’25 school year opened with vandalism, including a pig’s head being mounted on a gate near the home of the university’s president in a protest that apparently targeted the RCMP, Israel and the UBC administration. The head was accompanied by a sign reading “Pigs off campus.” The incident, for which anti-Israel activists took credit online, was an apparent reference to the surname of UBC’s president, Benoit-Antoine Bacon, but, in online discourse, Israelis, Zionists and Jews are often depicted as pigs.

The UBC campus, and others, were swathed in anti-Israel graffiti as students returned to school last September.

photo - Anti-Israel activists have targeted UBC’s president Benoit-Antoine Bacon in various ways — Anti-Israel activists have targeted UBC’s president Benoit-Antoine Bacon in various ways. *(photo courtesy Hillel BC)*

In October, a conference featuring an Israeli archeologist had to be relocated from UBC’s Green College after the facility’s windows were smashed and hateful messages were spray-painted on the building during the night before the scheduled event.

In November, a coordinated “Strike for Palestine” was organized, including an occupation of UBC’s Global Lounge, the office where students access international academic exchanges. Anti-Israel groups also gathered outside the Buchanan Building, the main arts complex, demanding UBC’s financial divestment from Israel.

In December and January, the campus was blanketed with posters accusing UBC’s board of governors of supporting genocide. Graffiti and harassment continued, with some students reporting they no longer felt safe in class.

In February and March, UBC saw a student referendum campaign calling for divestment from Israel. This was followed by another “Student Strike for Palestine.”

When Vancouver and Whistler, including UBC, hosted the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans, protesters homed in on the presence of Israeli soldiers and veterans, causing disruptions and engaging in further extensive vandalism.

As the school year ended, convocation ceremonies were targeted, with protesters and some graduates wearing keffiyehs or other symbols and carrying or unfurling signs, disrupting numerous graduation events throughout the province.

Despite these and many more challenges, Gavrieli said, Hillel continued to serve as a refuge of safety, belonging and Jewish pride.

“We continued to host weekly Shabbat dinners, hot lunches and holiday celebrations across our campuses, including new programming at UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University,” he said.

The campus organization has seen significantly increased interest in their programs and expanded involvement over the past two academic terms, as students, faculty and staff converged on Hillel for emotional and practical support. These programs include significantly enhanced mental health services, said Gavrieli, as well as building organizational capacity empowering students to advocate for themselves and their community.

The achievements of Jewish students and their allies were marked at a Night of Resilience, held at Hillel UBC on March 27.

Looking back at the year past, Gavrieli emphasized the high points, especially the strength of Jewish students who have “risen with courage, dignity and pride.” He also cited continuing healthy dialogue with university administrators and other stakeholders, though he expressed the wish that university leadership were more vocal in condemning hate-motivated language and acts, and addressing abuse of podium. Many professors and teaching assistants have pressed their personal political opinions on students, Gavrieli said, including instances in which the subject matter was not remotely related to the instructors’ disciplines.

Relations with campus security and the respective police services have been universally positive and constructive.

“We have received nothing short of exemplary cooperation from all areas of security and policing,” Gavrieli said.

Other achievements include a “We Are Here” toolkit, an online resource that helps students file formal complaints and access support. This technological response systematized reporting procedures to make intelligence gathering more effective and to ensure easy and immediate access for students needing supports.

Hillel staff successfully assisted several students in navigating institutional processes, according to Gavrieli, including challenging biased grading. They condemned the disruption of academic spaces, voiced concerns to the administration and stood with students who felt abandoned.

Gavrieli expressed gratitude to individual and organizational allies in the Jewish community, who have ensured that the campus organization has the resources it needs to respond as best as they can to the situations arising on campuses province-wide.

Roman Chelyuk is one of a small but increasingly visible group of non-Jewish allies who have coalesced around Hillel in recent years. Growing up in Ukraine, Chelyuk had Jewish peers and family friends, and has traveled twice to Israel. He was supposed to travel there again last month with the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee but the conflict canceled that mission.

photo - Roman Chelyuk was one of the non-Jewish allies honoured at the event Night of Resilience, held at Hillel UBC on March 27. He is pictured here with Ishmaeli Goldstein, Hillel’s campus advocacy specialist — Roman Chelyuk was one of the non-Jewish allies honoured at the event Night of Resilience, held at Hillel UBC on March 27. He is pictured here with Ishmaeli Goldstein, Hillel’s campus advocacy specialist. (photo courtesy Hillel BC)

He first connected with Hillel when the Ukrainian students’ club did a joint program with the Jewish students and he hung around, partly motivated by the isolation he was seeing among his new Jewish friends.

Chelyuk, who just graduated in international relations, was treasurer and, for a time, interim president of the Israel on Campus club.

One of the clearest signs he sees of the changed situation on campus is that Jewish students are challenged in making connections with other affinity and interest groups like the one through which he was first introduced to Hillel. Joint initiatives with other student clubs have largely dried up.

“That was easy to organize before Oct. 7 and it was not after,” he said. “It’s generally heartbreaking.”

Sara Sontz, who expects to graduate next spring in sociology, was president of UBC’s Jewish Students’ Association this past year.

“It’s definitely still been challenging,” she said, citing protests on campus, professors derailing topics by discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict when it is unrelated to the discipline, even singling out students with Jewish names and asking for their opinions on current events.

“I find it really frustrating because students are there to learn on a specific topic for their degree and it’s frustrating when Jewish students are then forced to almost hide their identities because they don’t want to be called on or put into an awkward position within the class,” she said.

“We haven’t let all the hate and all the protests affect how strong we feel about ourselves and our community. I think that’s the most important thing.”
– Sara Sontz

“I’ve always been open about my Jewish identity,” said Sontz, “but, after Oct. 7, I and many other Jewish students stopped wearing our Magen David necklaces or, for some, they stopped feeling comfortable even going to class – and some stopped going to class – just because of the safety concerns and the emotional discomfort.”

There are silver linings, Sontz said.

“I always try to look for the bright side,” she said. “The one thing I found is that the community got stronger after Oct. 7, due to the necessity of having to have a unified front, to have a community to go to when you have such difficult problems and having your fellow Jewish students, or Hillel and Chabad on campus, really provided that safe space.”

She hopes for better things in the new academic year, though her optimism has limits.

“It’s constant,” she said. “It’s never-ending.… But we haven’t lost hope. We are a really strong community.… We haven’t let all the hate and all the protests affect how strong we feel about ourselves and our community. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Omnitsky’s new place

The move of Omnitsky Kosher to Fraser Street has been a positive one overall, says owner Richard Wood. (photo by David J. Litvak)

Omnitsky Kosher recently reopened on Fraser Street in East Vancouver. Forced to move from its Oak and 41st location because of redevelopment, the deli’s owner, Richard Wood, took advantage of the situation to rebrand Vancouver’s longest operating kosher butcher and deli, which has its roots in Winnipeg’s North End.

Eppy Rappaport, who bought Omnitsky’s from William Omnitsky in 1983, brought the deli from Winnipeg to Vancouver almost 30 years ago. It’s a Canadian institution, having been established by William Omnitsky’s father, Louis, in 1910. Wood took over the business just over a year-and-a-half ago.

When the deli opened on Fraser Street two weeks before Passover, it was only selling Passover products. It’s now back in full operation, and bigger than ever.

The new store is significantly larger than the old one. Divided into two sections, one half is basically a grocery store with an array of kosher products, ranging from meat, poultry and cheese, to grape juice, challahs, pickles, herring, crackers, cookies, and many more kosher items. The other half is a dining area that seats 40 to 50 people for breakfast, lunch, snacks and shmoozing.

“Everyone,” said Wood, “loves the spaciousness, the openness, the décor and the feel of the new dining area.”

He hopes that, eventually, the restaurant will be open for dinner as well, so that Jews who keep kosher “can enjoy a dinner out.”

Other than the larger dining room, Wood notes other differences between the Oak Street store and the one on Fraser: longer operating hours, additional kosher products and, in response to customer requests, more takeout meals.

Wood has started a WhatsApp group to let customers know about specials and to inform them about new products being offered, such as chicken wieners and salamis.

Omnitsky’s hosted its first event in April. The event itself was a first-ever in Vancouver: a third Passover seder, organized by Jewish Addiction Community Services Vancouver, which was led by Rabbi Joshua Corber, JACS’s director of addictions and mental health services. According to Wood, it was a rousing success that attracted more than 50 people.

Wood is open to hosting other after-hours events, like parties, book launches, poetry readings, musical performances, etc. He welcomes people’s suggestions, as he envisions keeping the restaurant open longer hours to accommodate the dinner crowd as well as bar and bat mitzvah parties.

photo - When Omnitsky’s first opened, it was only selling goods for Passover. Now, the store is offering a full selection of kosher products and the restaurant a full menu — When Omnitsky’s first opened, it was only selling goods for Passover. Now, the store is offering a full selection of kosher products and the restaurant a full menu. *(photo by Cynthia Ramsay)*

In addition to serving dinner on a daily basis, Wood said, “We want to offer some different menu items, like salmon or steak, to give our customers some affordable dining options, because going out for dinner is not cheap.”

Wood’s long-term plans for Omnitsky’s include employing a baker a few times a week to make bagels, pastries and other treats.

The deli is doing well in its new location, attracting new – and different – customers than it did on Oak Street.

“A majority of our clientele and regulars have returned, but we are seeing an increase in younger families coming in from the neighbourhood and younger Jewish families who are coming in for lunch on Sundays, which has been a popular day, and this is a major change from the old store,” said Wood. “In addition, we are having a broader increase in non-Jewish clientele coming in.”

This growth will require some innovative thinking to maintain.

“The challenge with the non-Jewish clientele is that the price of kosher food is substantially more expensive than non-kosher food and, therefore, some of our new non-Jewish customers in the neighbourhood find Omnitsky’s to be pricey,” said Wood.

While he is offering some value-added combos – for example, a hotdog, fries and a drink for $9.95 and a sandwich with fries and a drink for $24.95 – to make things more affordable for customers, he said, “the price of meat is something we have no control over.”

Another challenge for Omnitsky’s is that some customers of the previous store, which was in the heart of the Jewish community, find it difficult getting to the new location. To address this issue, the deli offers free delivery on orders over $50.

Wood is open to suggestions from customers about how to improve the menu or any aspect of the store.

“I am always open to feedback either positive or negative,” he said.

While there have been some growing pains, including staffing and equipment issues, the move of Omnitsky’s to Fraser Street has been a positive one overall, said Wood, who would like his customers to see the deli, which also offers catering, as more than just a place to buy kosher food.

Jewish life “revolves around family, food and prayer,” said Wood, and he would like the Jewish community to view Omnitsky’s as a meeting place where they can shmooze, bump into their friends and be proud to be Jewish. A place where they can say “Am Yisrael chai,” have a kosher meal, do their Shabbat or holiday shopping or order takeout – even order shiva platters, which can be prepared on short notice.

“We want Omnitsky’s to be there for our customers through good times and bad times, for simchas and in times of mourning,” said Wood.

For more information on the deli, check out omnitskykosher.com or head to 3435 Fraser St. and grab a bite, something to eat in or take home.

David J. Litvak is a prairie refugee from the North End of Winnipeg who is a freelance writer and publicist, and a mashgiach at Louis Brier Home and Hospital. His articles have been published in the Forward, Globe and Mail and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His website is cascadiapublicity.com.

Library a rare public space

Samuel Elkind, head librarian at Vancouver’s Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, will be joining the team at Richmond Public Library later this month. (photo by Anne Lerner)

As head librarian at Vancouver’s Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, Samuel Elkind oversees everything from daily operations to long-term planning – curating collections, developing programs and building systems designed to serve the community. He put it plainly: “If I were hit by a bus tomorrow, I want the library to run without a hitch.” His core belief is that a library should be resilient, community-rooted and built to thrive beyond any one person.

Elkind’s approach leaves the Waldman in a secure place, as he soon moves on to Richmond Public Library. He will remain on the on-call list for the Waldman and assist through volunteering when he can, he said, in keeping with his “goals of guaranteeing the long-term continuity and stewardship of the Isaac Waldman Library.”

“It is my intention to stay on long enough to train my successor,” Elkind told the Independent. This is something that he, his boss, Hila Olyan, senior director of programs at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, and Eldad Goldfarb, the JCC’s executive director, planned from the beginning, he said.

“I want to make sure that whoever replaces me receives training comparable to that which they would receive in a larger system, which I was so fortunate to have,” he said of his start at the Waldman this past January. “The master’s of library and information studies prepares you very well for the job, but there are some things that can only be learned in the field.”

Elkind didn’t begin his career in a library, but he built one, even before becoming a librarian.

At a summer arts camp in New Jersey, he came across a neglected shelf labeled “library.”

“It wasn’t a library,” he recalled. “So, I built shelves, gathered books and set up a simple lending system. I had no idea what I was doing, but the kids needed stories – and that was enough.”

Even as his career moved in other directions, the idea of building spaces for stories stayed with him. Years later, while working in university admissions, he began to question his path. “I couldn’t figure out why I felt off,” he said. “But, after talking with colleagues and friends, I realized I was drawn to information access and protection, especially the preservation of stories that define who we are.”

That clarity led him to the University of British Columbia, where he completed a dual master’s degree in archival studies, and library and information studies. When the opportunity to lead the Waldman Library arose, he was ready. “I went to JCC camp. I taught at synagogues. It just felt like everything was falling into place,” he said.

Elkind came to the Waldman from Vancouver Public Library, where he worked a contract position as a children’s librarian. At the Waldman, he modernized the space – digitizing decades of program data, updating signage, rethinking the floor plan, and overhauling internal workflows. He also expanded the library’s public-facing programming, from weekly storytimes to Sunday Lego Stay and Play sessions, which align with the JCC’s activity schedule. “What do you do before or after swim lessons?” he asked. “Go to the library!”

“Our library is a bustling place, and has been becoming busier,” confirmed Olyan. “The library tends to service older adults and young children during the daytime hours but, come 3:30 in the afternoon, it is packed with school-age children reading books, playing games, doing crafts and checking out the computer. Sundays are busy with families and creative young people who take part in our weekly Lego club.”

To Elkind, these aren’t side projects – they’re core to what makes a library matter. His philosophy is grounded in third place theory – the idea that, beyond home and work, people need a third space to simply be. “Libraries are one of the last third spaces,” he said. “There aren’t many places left where you can just exist without spending money.”

That value is embedded in the library. “We’re providing space – quiet corners, conversation, presence – and those things are deeply needed,” he said.

Elkind’s inclusive lens extends beyond the JCC. He sits on the board of Out on the Shelves, Vancouver’s oldest queer library, established in 1983. He is also the founder of Gaming Without Othering the Self (GWOOTS), a tabletop RPG (role-playing game) initiative fostering queer community through collaborative storytelling.

“Role-playing games are group storytelling. More than just role play, it’s one of the most ancient human experiences. It’s about identity, imagination and connection,” he said.

GWOOTS runs weekly drop-in sessions across Vancouver with a focus on accessibility and community. “It started because I just wanted to run games for other grad students,” he said. “But I saw how many people were using RPGs to process experiences, explore identity and build relationships.”

For Elkind, GWOOTS and the Waldman are two different expressions of the same purpose. “At Waldman, I want to create space for the Jewish community. At GWOOTS, I want to create space for the queer community. But you don’t have to be Jewish or queer to feel welcome.”

Elkind’s commitment to belonging is shaped by lived experience. The day after the 2016 US election, he was sitting alone in a pizza shop near where he lived in California when two men entered wearing swastikas and began to spew antisemitic threats loudly. A waiter, sensing the danger, calmly ushered him out the back door.

“That’s one end of the spectrum,” Elkind said. “But I’ve also experienced radical acceptance in places I never expected.”

He gave the example of walking into a game store in Maryland and spotting a sign that read, “This is a radically inclusive space. If you have a problem with that, leave.”

His version of inclusion is not passive. “Tolerance implies I’m gritting my teeth and allowing it,” he explained. “I don’t grit my teeth for anything. I believe in acceptance.”

Storytelling, in every form, is central to Elkind’s work. “Whether you’re building a library, running a game or telling a story, you’re shaping memory,” he said. “And that’s sacred work.”

When asked what he’d say to someone who’s never stepped foot in the Waldman Library or joined a GWOOTS game, he doesn’t hesitate. “Come,” he said. “We want you here. We want you to feel accepted and loved. We want you to be part of something.”

“Our librarian ensures a safe, welcoming space for everyone,” said Olyan, who has started reviewing applications to fill the vacancy made by Elkind’s departure. She said the JCC is looking for someone who has both “the professional qualifications and experience to service our community to the highest standards. And, we’re looking for someone who holds the same cultural and community values of the JCC.

“So, what we mean is that a strong candidate ideally holds a master’s degree in library sciences and experience working in a community or school library. They also have a strong sense of community, responsibility and excellence. They love helping people (especially children and older adults) and they are knowledgeable about Jewish culture and/or literature.”

The Waldman is the only Jewish public library on Canada’s West Coast, said Olyan. “It brings people together and connects them with Jewish history, culture and tradition. The library hosts a collection of approximately 17,000 books, mostly by Jewish authors and relating to Jewish topics, including a vast number of Hebrew books. It offers computers, iPads, space to read and work, games and toys.”

The library opened in 1994, “thanks to the dedication of local community members and volunteers,” she said. “Its name honours the late Isaac M. Waldman, who worked as a structural and civil engineer, and was an ardent volunteer and generous supporter of local Israeli and Jewish nonprofit groups. Mrs. Sophie Waldman donated the funds that enabled the library to open, in memory of her husband.”

The library is run by the head librarian with a small team of library technicians, cataloguers and dedicated volunteers, said Olyan. “We’re always looking for volunteers who can support everyday operations, run special programs (including for children and older adults), and people willing to join our planning committee.”

For his part, Elkind said he has “absolutely cherished” his time at the JCC.

“I cannot recall a time that I have ever felt so appreciated in a position, or where I have been so able to see the positive results of my work,” he said.

“Over my time here, I have been fortunate to gain rare experience in library management, and have quickly become practically acquainted with aspects of the library field well outside of children’s and teen services, some of which might have otherwise taken decades for me to encounter. I make the move to RPL comfortable in my ability to operate in libraries of all sizes, and in any number of roles therein.”

At Richmond Public Library, Elkind will be working as a librarian on the children’s team, a role that includes providing information service and patron assistance to library-goers of all ages. When asked what he was most looking forward to at RPL, he said, “Is it weird to say that I am looking forward to receiving a performance review? I am still early in my career and have a lot of growth and learning ahead of me. It is important to seek that out in many forms.

“I have definitely grown in my current position, as a librarian and as an administrator, and I am so lucky to have had this opportunity – I do not wish to sell that short by any means. Having another librarian to supervise me allows for a different type of growth, and an opportunity to learn the things that I do not know that I do not know.”

Uriel Presman is a student at Queen’s University and serves as executive vice-president of external relations at Hillel Queen’s.

Harper to speak here

photo - Stephen J. Harper — Stephen J. Harper *(photo from internet)*

On Sept. 7, the Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation, Western Region, presents A Special Evening Marking 50 Years of Supporting Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem, featuring former prime minister Stephen J. Harper.

The event, moderated by Gordon Campbell, raises funds for Shaare Zedek Medical Centre’s Incubators Drive.

In 2024, more than 20,000 babies were born at Shaare Zedek’s Wilf Woman and Infant Centre – three times that of BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Of those, 1,100 required intensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit. The NICU operates 70 state-of-the-art infant stations, offering 24/7 care with specialized staff and cutting-edge equipment. The goal of the campaign is to raise enough money to purchase additional Giraffe Incubator Carestations, each costing $50,000, to meet growing demand and save more lives. Thanks to a matching donor, every dollar donated will be matched up to $118,000.

Marla Gordon and Justin Segal are emcees of the Sept. 7 event. Herb Silber and Eli Konorti are corporate committee chairs, while Carol Segal and Yael Segal are dinner chairs. The Jewish Medical Association of BC is the evening’s educational sponsor and the Dr. Harry and Ruth Frackson Speaker Series has contributed to the event. Community partners are the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Congregation Schara Tzedeck and the Jewish Independent.

Tickets for the VIP meet-and-greet are a minimum gift of $1,800, which includes tickets for two guests. Admission to the VIP cocktail dinner is $250 per person, and the price to only attend the moderated presentation is $36 per person. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Ilan Pilo, Western Canada director of CSZHF, at [email protected] or 778-858-8748.

– Courtesy Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation, Western Region

A night of impact, generosity

At the JFS Innovators Igniting Change event May 27, Arnold Silber, left, presented the Lighting the Way Award to his lifelong friend, Syd Belzberg. (photo by Rhonda Dent Photography)

The JFS Innovators Igniting Change event May 27, presented by Shay Keil, was a celebration of community, generosity and the drive to create lasting impact. The event raised more than $505,000 that will go directly toward providing food, counseling and emergency support to individuals and families in need. It will go a long way in ensuring that vulnerable members of the community have access to critical resources during times of hardship.

One of the most moving moments of the evening came with the premiere of a client video, sharing stories of resilience and hope. The video offered a reminder of the lives touched by Jewish Family Services Vancouver’s work and left few dry eyes in the room. It was a call to action, showing that, together, we can build a stronger, more caring community.

photo - Shay Keil, presenting sponsor of the JFS Innovators event, with JFS Vancouver chief executive officer Tanja Demajo — Shay Keil, presenting sponsor of the JFS Innovators event, with JFS Vancouver chief executive officer Tanja Demajo. *(photo by Rhonda Dent Photography)*

Another moving moment was when Arnold Silber presented the Lighting the Way Award to his lifelong friend, Syd Belzberg. It was a deeply personal tribute to a man whose quiet generosity and steadfast vision have helped shape a more compassionate community.

Silber reflected not only on Belzberg’s decades of dedication, but also on the enduring friendship between two people who share a deep belief in tikkun olam, repairing the world.

Stable Harvest Farm, a project close to Belzberg’s heart, stood out as a shining example of how one person’s passion can blossom into something that nourishes and uplifts so many. It was a reminder that behind every act of kindness is a person who chooses to care – and that choice can change lives.

As with any successful event, the Innovators Igniting Change evening wouldn’t have been possible without the support of its sponsors and community partners. Their contributions were integral.

– Courtesy of Jewish Family Services Vancouver

Event raises spirit, support

photos - Richmond Jewish Day School and ORT Canada’s first-ever Pickleball & Pastrami fundraising event was held June 23 — Richmond Jewish Day School and ORT Canada’s first-ever Pickleball & Pastrami fundraising event was held June 23. *(photos from RJDS)*

On June 23, the gymnasium of Richmond’s Belvedere Club was filled with the sounds of laughter, cheers and paddles in motion as Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS), in partnership with ORT Canada, hosted its first-ever Pickleball & Pastrami fundraising event. What began as a simple idea to bring families and community members together through sport evolved into a high-energy, heartwarming event that raised critical funds to enhance student access to technology.

The event began at 9:30 a.m. as guests arrived and checked in before heading onto the eight indoor courts. Players scanned QR codes posted throughout the venue to view the game schedule, locate their assigned courts, and meet their doubles partners. For those not playing, there was plenty to enjoy, including student STEM displays created in partnership with ORT, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction.

The auction raised more than $1,000, and many donors stepped up with pledges towards the purchase of a class set of iPads, which will allow for enriched learning experiences in coding, research, presentation and creative expression in both general and Judaic studies classrooms.

Following two hours of pickleball, guests gathered for a deli-style pastrami lunch. The room buzzed with conversation as people enjoyed food and connected with fellow parents.

Members of the organizing committee – including Jeff Topp, Mindy Zimmering, Beverly Pinsky, Mary Tobin, Jordan Sukkau and Sabrina Bhojani – spoke, expressing gratitude to attendees, sponsors and volunteers. Winners of the auction and 50/50 draw were announced, bringing a close to the formal portion of the day.

“This event truly captured everything RJDS stands for, including joyful learning, meaningful connection and community support,” said Bhojani, principal of RJDS. “We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make this day such a success, from our committee and volunteers to every person who donated, played or simply showed up in support of our students.”

The fundraiser was not only a financial success but also a reminder of what’s possible when community comes together around a shared purpose. RJDS is still accepting contributions toward its iPad initiative. Donations can be sent via etransfer to [email protected] with “iPad” in the message.

To learn more about RJDS and its programs, visit rjds.ca or follow the school on Facebook and Instagram.

– Courtesy Richmond Jewish Day School

Arab Zionist recalls journey

On June 12, Rawan Osman spoke with Daniel Koren, founder and executive director of Allied Voices for Israel, which brought her to the West Coast. (photo by Pat Johnson)

Rawan Osman, among the most visible Arab advocates contesting antisemitism and anti-Israel ideology, recently brought to Vancouver a bleak overview of hate ideologies across the Middle East and North Africa – but her prognosis is hopeful.

Osman is a Syrian-born, Lebanon-raised, German-based – and soon to be Israeli – accidental activist who shared her experience going from what she said is a characteristically antisemitic Arab into an “Arab Zionist.” She spoke at Temple Sholom June 12, in conversation with Daniel Koren, founder and executive director of Allied Voices for Israel, which brought her to the West Coast.

Osman took Islamic and then Jewish studies at Heidelberg University. After Oct. 7, 2023, she founded a social media channel called Arabs Ask, to combat antisemitism in the Arab world. She is writing a book about her relationship with Judaism and Israel, and is the narrator and central figure in the documentary film Tragic Awakening, about antisemitism after Oct. 7.

“My case is unusual,” she acknowledged. “There aren’t many people born in the Arab world who support Israel.”

She recounted the story of her first encounter with a Jew. She had moved to Strasbourg, France, and found herself living in the Jewish Quarter. She had assumed that the neighbourhood’s name was like the Jewish Quarter in Beirut or Damascus – an historical designation. When she went into a grocery store on her first day there, she stumbled into a kosher grocery and saw real-life Jews for the first time.

She had a panic attack, left her purchases and belongings behind and fled to her apartment. After she recovered and returned to collect her things, she had a life-altering experience.

She made an excuse that she had forgotten her wallet but she is certain the shopkeeper knew what had happened. He asked where she was from and how long she had been in town. He helped her with her groceries and behaved like a human being, not the monster she had been told was the way of the Jew.

“He allowed me to save face and, that day, without knowing it, that gentleman converted me from an enemy to an ally,” she said. “I realized it was the first time in my life that I was sharing the same space with a Jew, the enemy, and it was the first time in my life when I asked, why is the Jew my enemy?”

Osman’s father was Sunni from Damascus and her mother was Shia from the Beqaa Valley, which is the stronghold of Hezbollah.

“I grew up in Lebanon, attending a French Catholic school,” she said. But, negotiating between her family’s dual Muslim identities and Christians in Lebanon, she chose a middle path of atheism.

“They were secular, progressive, relaxed, laid-back,” she said of her family and the broader environment in which she was raised – with one exception. “The only thing everybody hated was Israel and the Jews and the Zionists.”

She said she employs these three terms – Israeli, Jewish and Zionist – interchangeably because that is how they are used in the Arab world.

“They say, I am anti-Zionist, not antisemitic. That’s a farce,” she said. “I grew up in that part of the world and I too believed [they were different things].”

Studying abroad and having access to uncensored information in Europe was a privilege with which she was unaccustomed. The more she explored the history of Judaism and met and interacted with Jews, the more she rejected the antisemitism with which she was raised. Eventually, she moved back to the Middle East and decided to challenge the prevailing narrative.

“After living in the Middle East for awhile, I decided, OK, it’s hopeless,” she said. “I’m going to leave. I’m going to move to Europe. And I did.”

She chose Europe because she identified with Western values, she said, and because, as one person, “what can I change?”

She opted to mind her own business in Germany. Even so, she was alarmed by what she was seeing.

She viewed the notorious gang rapes that took place in Cologne on New Year’s Eve and the early hours of 2016 as a symptom of Arab misogyny imported to Europe. What was more jarring to her was seeing herself in the place of others perpetrating hate crimes. She watched a video of a young Arab man encountering a Jew in Berlin.

“He took off his belt and he was hitting the young Jew with the metal buckle on his head,” she recounted. “This was me. I was the civilized version … I wouldn’t hit a Jew. But I had a panic attack the first time I saw a Jew.”

She did not plan to become an activist. After Oct. 7, it just happened.

“I started speaking on social media and became an accidental activist and influencer,” she said. “I thought influencers made nail designs, baking and makeup.”

She is part of a small but notable group of Arabs who are speaking out against antisemitism and other regressive realities.

“We refuse to continue to raise our children and grandchildren in a world that tolerates what happened on Oct. 7,” she said.

It is something she could not have undertaken if her extended family did not also live abroad, she said. To be known as an activist for Jews and Israel would endanger family in the Arab world, which means even many who live in the West remain silent, she said. But those who have the freedom to do so need to join her, she contended.

Osman receives private messages from Arabs and Iranians lauding what she does. She admires the courage of those who write to her from the Middle East. For those writing from Sydney or Toronto, she has strong advice.

“Those people who are living in the comfort of Toronto or Sydney tell me, I’m proud of you, I wish I could do what you’re doing,” said Osman. “Don’t be proud of me, darling. Do it. Do it. You might lose a friend or two but you will make a thousand more.”

Osman has chosen to convert to Judaism and is making aliyah this summer.

“The thing I love most about Judaism, what’s phenomenal, is that Judaism encourages your imagination. It encourages debate. Two Jews, three opinions. This is the talmudic tradition. It encourages challenging ideas.

“Islamic ideology is exactly the opposite,” she said.

When she decided to convert to Judaism, she got pushback – from Jews.

“Jews will tell me, you have to be a Muslim Arab ally,” she said, noting that some have told her she has a more powerful voice as an outsider. “You’re missing the point. Converting to Judaism is a privilege, my privilege. It’s not my dirty secret. It is time to say, I stand for that.… Your ancestors accepted that mission not because you’re special – you are the chosen people because you accepted that mission.”

Israel is not an easy place, she acknowledged, but the dichotomy of life in the Jewish state amazes her. The Israeli who pushes in front of her in queue and steps on her toes would, conversely, take a bullet for her, she said.

“As soon as there is an alarm, a siren, they have each other’s back,” she said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Osman ultimately is hopeful. The new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara, is a jihadi terrorist turned – apparently – a suit-and-tie-wearing diplomat. Some doubt his sincerity. Osman believes that young Arabs who are drawn to extremism can see his transformation and believe there is an alternative path for them as well.

A billion Muslims are not going anywhere, she said. The only resolution to what she sees as a civilizational conflict is internal reform within Islam. This is already visible in the Abraham Accords – which she is certain that Syria will join – and the small number of activists like her speaking out.

Gabriela Rosenblum, director of education with Allied Voices for Israel, welcomed the audience and thanked Dr. Neil and Michelle Pollock of Pollock Clinics for sponsoring the event. Rabbi Carey Brown, associate rabbi of Temple Sholom, welcomed guests to the synagogue and led a prayer for the redemption of those held captive and a prayer for the soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces.

Bringing joy to people

Ira Pettle, middle, with actors Dave Francis and Cedar Lynn Dobbin. (photo from Ira Pettle)

Laugh Out LIVE! will be hitting the road in the fall. On the list of cities and towns it will be visiting are Pemberton, Squamish, North Vancouver and Bowen Island, with classes on the North Shore coming this winter.

Known as a children’s entertainer for the last 25 years, Ira Pettle began producing Laugh Out LIVE! in December 2021 in Whistler with funny woman and partner, Rebecca Mason.

“Comedy has always been on my radar. Laughter is the best medicine and it lights me up to bring joy to others. Being raised on SNL, In Living Color, and a countless number of comedy films, TV shows, actors and the like, I feel like I’ve always known this was one of the paths for me,” Pettle recently told the Jewish Independent.

Currently, Laugh Out LIVE! brings stand-up, improv and sketch comedy shows to packed houses at various venues in Whistler, including the Maury Young Arts Centre, Rainbow Theatre, Whistler Conference Centre, Dusty’s Bar & BBQ, and the Garibaldi Lift Co. Bar & Grill (GLC). Pettle performs in all three shows.

The Marquee Variety Show is devoted to a mix of different comedic acts and can involve improv, sketch, musical comedy, film and parody. The Improv Battle pits teams against each other weekly “to claim unscripted victory,” and Stand-Up Standoff is a monthly competition where the best comics win $500 in prize money. There are also opportunities for writers, theatre technicians, stage managers and filmmakers on the show’s website.

Pettle began his improv and sketch career at the Second City Conservatory program in Toronto but was drawn to comedy from an early age.

“As a kid, I was always drawn to and fascinated by comedy. Watching The Carol Burnett Show, and SCTV (Second City Television) with John Candy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Rick Moranis … those were the most influential comedy shows for me as a young, aspiring performer,” said Pettle, who lists Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Adam Sandler and Bob Einstein as the Jewish comics he has been most influenced by.

Pettle has a master’s of education and has taught improv, acting and music to thousands of kids, teens and adults. In 2022, his debut children’s album, A Little Bit, co-written with Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter Norman Foote, was nominated for children’s artist of the year at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards. His next record is slated for release this winter.

Known as “DJ Ira” throughout the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, Pettle is a sought-after family entertainer. As a key player in the BC performing arts scene, he was named the 2019 Champion of Arts and Culture at the Whistler Excellence Awards, with another nomination at the 2023 awards.

“I discovered very early in my life that I was a performer,” he said. “An entertainer. I remember as a kid, the joy I felt bringing a smile to someone or soliciting a laugh. In those early days, it was my coming to the dinner table on all fours, pretending I was an ape, making my mom giggle, or going to the Blue Jays baseball game when I was 14 with my buddies and pretending to fall down the stadium stairs, getting 500 people sitting in the stands to simultaneously gasp.”

Today, when he’s not entertaining children or performing comedy, Pettle leads a number of improv, stand-up comedy, public speaking and presentation workshops. He uses improvisation as a tool to “release tension, awaken joy and return to the present moment.”

Many of the performers on his improv stage started out taking classes with him.

Pettle grew up in Toronto and says that learning about Judaism was a huge turning point in his life.

“Having been raised Reform, and being the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, I was always told how important my Jewish roots were,” he shared. “But, because my family’s religious practices were very surface level, I was confused and became deeply confronted by what I was told versus what I was doing in my daily life as a ‘Jew’ and, through a series of divine interventions, became committed, for the first time, to seeking out a deeper understanding of my Jewish roots.”

Pettle eventually found out about the yeshivah Ohr Somayach and studied with them in Israel.

“I felt ready (and passionately interested) in making a clear choice on whether to declare myself Jewish definitively and pursue/develop a more conscious connection to Judaism, or allow my Jewish roots to remain as is, or simply fall by the wayside/disappear. I needed to dive deep into the learning at the source.”

Pettle’s connection to Judaism was affirmed and, with a renewed and more solid understanding of his cultural roots and heritage, he remains, he said, “very honoured to be Jewish.”

To contact Pettle regarding his work as a kids entertainer, go to irapettle.com. For Laugh Out LIVE! inquiries, contact him via laughoutlive.com.

Cassandra (Cass) Freeman is a Vancouver improviser and journalist.

Workshops, shows & more

This year’s Eastside Arts Festival, which runs July 18-27, features an expanded list of unique and affordable art-making workshops. (photo by Wendy D Photography)

Eastside Arts Society returns with an expanded edition of its summer arts event, Eastside Arts Festival, at various Eastside Arts District (EAD) studios, breweries and performance venues, plus an all-day outdoor musical event at MacLean Park, from July 18 to 27.

“We are thrilled to mark our fifth anniversary of the Eastside Arts Festival with our most dynamic and culturally rich exploration of the EAD’s vibrant arts and culture scene yet,” said Jewish community member Esther Rausenberg, who is artistic director of the Eastside Arts Society. “We welcome arts lovers and community members, especially those familiar with our annual Eastside Culture Crawl, to dig deeper – learn about our district’s rich cultural heritage, enjoy a behind-the-scenes art-making experience and soak in a live performance from musicians and dancers who call this incredible community home.”

The festival features an expanded list of unique and affordable art-making workshops, including a series of never-before-offered workshops, such as eco-printing, a natural textile dyeing technique using plant materials, from indigo artist Naomi Yamamoto; goldwork embroidery from textile artist Candice Weber, incorporating metallic threads in intricate designs; and felted mason jar cozy covers from felt expert Chantal Cardinal. These workshops, and many others, will run at artist studios and breweries daily throughout the festival.

In partnership with the Rickshaw Theatre, the festival will include a show by up-and-coming artists Young Friend, Babe Corner, worrywart and Kylie V on July 25 at 8 p.m. Drew Tarves, aka Young Friend, captures the nostalgia of post-adolescence through his indie rock sound, while Babe Corner brings a nostalgic rock vibe with catchy riffs and four-part harmony. They’ll be joined by five-piece band worrywart and lyrical indie-pop innovator Kylie V.

This year’s festival will also introduce more opportunities to explore the district, including guided neighbourhood walking tours from Hogan’s Alley Society and Heritage Vancouver Society, and the 360 Riot Walk – offered through Powell Street Festival Society and created by artist Henry Tsang – on July 19, 20 and 24; the Dance Deck with Belle Spirale Dance Projects on July 19, 20, 26 and 27; and Creative Cultural Collaborations (C3) Big Print Powell Street/Paueru Gai Carving demonstration on July 24.

On July 26, the festival brings back its popular, free all-day outdoor event, this year at MacLean Park, sponsored by Strathcona BIA. The event features live music presented in partnership with the Rickshaw, a festival shop with handmade artworks and goods from local Eastside artists, free art activities for all ages and abilities, food trucks (Midnight Joe’s and Planted Love) and a beer garden hosted by Strange Fellows Brewing. The music lineup includes Janky Bungag, Twin River, ReViberators and singer/songwriter Madelyn Read.

Free afternoon live music returns to MacLean Park on July 27, presented by the long-running MacLean Park Music series and supported by Strathcona BIA and Eastside Arts Festival.

New this year is the Eastside Arts Society Beer Passport. Running July 18-Aug. 4, passport holders enjoy a beer at four different participating Eastside breweries. Patrons who purchase both passport variations can enjoy drinks at all eight local brewery partners: East Van Brewing Company, Luppolo Brewing Company, Off the Rail Brewing, Parallel 49 Brewing Co., Storm Brewing, Strathcona Beer Co., Strange Fellows Brewing, and Superflux Beer Co. All proceeds from the $35 Beer Passport go to supporting artist programs in the EAD.

Art workshops are $35, walking tours are $20, and ticketed performances range from $20 to $60. For a full festival schedule and to purchase workshop, guided walking tours and live performance event tickets, as well as the Beer Passport, visit eastsideartsfest.ca.

– Courtesy Eastside Arts Society

Jerusalem a multifaceted hub

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, left, speaks with Rabbi Jonathan Infeld on June 9. (photo by Pat Johnson)

Against the backdrop of regional and global challenges, Mayor Moshe Lion of Jerusalem brought a message of resilience, innovation and unity to Vancouver this month during a community event co-hosted by Congregation Beth Israel, the Jerusalem Foundation and Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University.

Now in his second term as mayor of Jerusalem, Lion spoke about his vision for one of the world’s most complex and sacred cities. His priorities, he said, include improving the quality of life for all residents, expanding affordable housing, creating economic opportunities, and reinforcing Jerusalem’s role as a city that belongs not just to its citizens but to all people of faith and conscience.

“Jerusalem is not just a city for Jerusalemites,” the mayor told an audience at Beth Israel June 9. “It is the capital of the Jewish people. It belongs to every Jew in the world – and it welcomes people of all backgrounds.”

With nearly one million residents – one-third secular and religious Jews, one-third ultra-Orthodox, and one-third Muslim – Jerusalem is not an easy place to govern, Lion acknowledged.

“Every day is different. Every day brings new challenges,” he said. “But I wake up every morning and say thank you to God for the privilege of being the mayor of Jerusalem.”

A certified public accountant and former chair of Israel Railways and the Jerusalem Development Authority, Lion acknowledges the differences among his population but said he strives to represent all.

“I am the mayor of everyone,” he emphasized. “I don’t agree with everyone, but I must care for them.”

That approach was tested acutely after Oct. 7, 2023, as the entire country reeled from the Hamas terror attacks. Lion acted swiftly to prevent similar violence in Jerusalem.

“My first thought was: how do I make sure that Gaza doesn’t happen in Jerusalem?” he recalled. “And I’m proud to say that despite tensions, we did it. We stayed united. We kept the city peaceful.”

Now, Lion said, he and his administration are focused on building on a 3,000-year foundation.

“The focus is on the future, education, economic opportunity, culture, innovation,” he said. “With the Jerusalem Foundation, we are creating a city where young couples, young families, dreamers and builders can thrive.”

The mayor’s visit to Vancouver coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, founded by such visionaries as Albert Einstein, Martin Buber and Sigmund Freud. Today, its three campuses serve more than 24,000 students from diverse backgrounds – Jewish, Arab, Druze, Christian, religious, secular, immigrant and local – studying side-by-side, noted Dina Wachtel, vice-president, community affairs, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, who emceed the evening’s event.

Lion highlighted the strong partnership between the university and the municipality, including the construction of new buildings, and the development of employment opportunities and research programs.

While some associate Jerusalem with prayer and problematic politics, the mayor wants people to think of it as a dynamic hub of science, culture and coexistence. Lion would like to see Jerusalem become one of Israel’s numerous high-tech hubs.

“It takes time because we have to develop it,” he said, “but we are doing it with Hebrew University.”

Projects like the Bloomfield Science Museum, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, and the Hebrew University Youth Division for the Advancement of Science are touching lives in both East and West Jerusalem, he said.

One standout initiative, Sahi, targets youth at risk. Teen volunteers identify families in need and then participate in programs that assist them anonymously.

“These are the young people who will shape the next Jerusalem,” Lion said. “We are investing in education, in culture, in the power of everyday kindness.”

Lion outlined ambitious infrastructure goals, including high-rise housing to prevent suburban sprawl, expanded light rail networks, and preservation of Jerusalem’s cherished green spaces. Under his leadership, annual housing unit construction has jumped from 2,000 to more than 7,500.

“Jerusalem is undergoing an evolution,” he said. “We are building not just a city, but a future – one where Jews, Muslims and Christians all have a place to thrive.”

From the revitalization of Mahane Yehuda Market – once limited to produce stands by day but now with restaurants and social life at night – to cutting-edge healthcare and high-tech campuses, Lion sees Jerusalem as Israel’s next great engine of opportunity.

Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld interviewed the mayor and posed the historical question: “If you could sit with King David, Jerusalem’s first Jewish mayor, what would you say?”

“I would ask him – are you satisfied?” Lion replied. “After 3,000 years, is this what you hoped for?” He paused. “And I think he would say yes. Jerusalem is a complicated city, but it is united, it is strong, and it is ours.”

The mayor urged anyone considering making aliyah – or who knows anyone pondering the move – to choose Jerusalem as their destination.

The evening featured remarks from Joel Reitman, president and chair of the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada, and Arik Grebelsky, president of the Jerusalem Foundation. Both highlighted Canada’s deep and ongoing investment in Jerusalem’s development and social fabric, including projects that encourage academic excellence, youth empowerment and cross-cultural partnerships.

Reitman lauded Hebrew University’s role not only investing in academic excellence but in helping shape the city’s economic and civic trajectory, and spoke of the contributions made by the Jerusalem Foundation, which was founded in 1966 by the legendary, longtime mayor of the city, Teddy Kolek.

“Together, we are creating a Jerusalem that is smart, inclusive and prepared for the future,” hsaid.

While Grebelsky was in town in his capacity with the Jerusalem Foundation, he could not resist noting another connection. He is the third-generation proprietor of the company that provided the wall of Jerusalem stone behind the Beth Israel bimah, in front of which the speakers sat.

Reitman and Grebelsky traveled with the mayor on a cross-Canada tour that began in Toronto and carried on to Calgary after the Vancouver stop.