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Tikkun olam a family affair

ORT South Africa Cape chief operating officer Debbie Staniland, right, with Harris Lorie, former education development manager of World ORT and programming co-chair of Limmud UK 2013, and Dr. Lydia Abel, ORT SA Cape director, at Limmud UK in 2013, where they were among the presenters. (photo from ORT SA Cape)

While there are innumerable reasons why people choose to volunteer, children often are inspired by the actions of their parents. Therefore, it is not surprising when two sisters who live on opposite sides of the world are both engaged in tikkun olam, repairing the world.

Linda Steiner is a longtime resident of Richmond and a stalwart at Congregation Beth Tikvah, notably for her leadership role in Isha l’Isha. Formerly known as the Women’s League, Isha l’Isha is a grassroots shul-based organization that promotes friendship and sisterhood through a wide array of programming, including self-improvement activities like Zumba and self-defence. The group also supports the synagogue’s youth program and hosts Shabbat programs that encourage women to find their place on the bimah.

Supported in part by Beth Tikvah’s gift shop, another aspect of the group’s mandate is tikkun olam. The 80 women currently involved contribute to organizations like Covenant House, Dress for Success and Chrysalis, all local charities that help those less fortunate in Greater Vancouver. And, they host speakers, the next of which will be Steiner’s sister, Debbie Staniland, from ORT SA Cape, the branch of ORT servicing South Africa’s Western Cape. On Sept. 15 at Beth Tikvah, Staniland’s topic will be LEGO Robotics for Under-privileged Youth in South Africa: Getting Children Off the Streets and into Enriching Environments.

Staniland explained in a Skype interview with the Jewish Independent that ORT in South Africa and, specifically, ORT SA Cape functions differently from ORT in most of the world. She said that, before the general elections of 1994, which saw the African

National Congress elected with Nelson Mandela at the helm, ORT South Africa was primarily a fundraising organization feeding funds to ORT programs internationally – it had little to do on the local front. In 1994, however, it gained new status as a nonprofit organization and was able to focus on educational programs for students and teachers in South Africa, as a way to build the country one child at a time.

photos - ORT SA Cape director Dr. Lydia Abel has observed, “The kids are instantly enthralled by the LEGO robotics and they soon discover that the only way they can build them is by reading the how-to program and, suddenly, it’s all they want to do.” — ORT SA Cape director Dr. Lydia Abel has observed, “The kids are instantly enthralled by the LEGO robotics and they soon discover that the only way they can build them is by reading the how-to program and, suddenly, it’s all they want to do.” *(photo from ORT SA Cape)*

Staniland is ORT SA Cape’s chief operating officer. When in Vancouver, she will describe the great strides ORT has made in reaching children through after-school education programs, as well as in teacher training. According to Staniland, as ORT helps educate teachers and children in the Western Cape, they are planting the seeds for lasting social and economic improvement. Having worked for ORT first as a volunteer for five years and then as a professional for the past four, Staniland is very familiar with the successes and challenges of the organization.

Her talk will focus on the specialized LEGO robotics programs that ORT SA Cape uses in its after-school education program, which is designed to provide hands-on enrichment in technology, mathematics and literacy. ORT SA Cape director Dr. Lydia Abel said of the program, “The kids are instantly enthralled by the LEGO robotics and they soon discover that the only way they can build them is by reading the how-to program and, suddenly, it’s all they want to do.”

photo - ORT SA LEGO Robotics program — Kids engaged in the ORT SA Cape’s LEGO Robotics program. *(photo from ORT SA Cape)*

Staniland hopes to reach a wide audience when she speaks at Beth Tikvah. She is aware of the significant immigration of South Africans to the Lower Mainland in the late 1980s and 1990s, her sister being one of those immigrants. Staniland hopes that many “ex-South Africans” will be interested in reconnecting and finding out how those who stayed in the country are helping to build a better South Africa. “It’s a way to help those who have immigrated to connect,” said Staniland. “They understand many of the challenges we face and it will be nice for them to know what we are doing.”

Staniland’s lecture on Sept. 15 will start at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 (refreshments will be served) and an RSVP is requested by Sept. 9 to the synagogue office, 604-271-6262 or [email protected].

Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.

Federation’s new CEO

Ezra S. Shanken has been busy since arriving in Vancouver. (photo from Ezra S. Shanken)

“I said at our AGM that I want a Federation today that is with you in your brightest and darkest times, not because of what you give but because of who you are, and I intend to spend my years here using that statement as a driver of my performance.”

A praiseworthy benchmark for Ezra S. Shanken, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s new chief executive officer. Since he began in June, he has been busy, attending the launch of JHub in Richmond, participating in Federation’s June 16 annual general meeting, attending several community events, appearing on the radio show JFSA Voice, helping organize the community response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, joining volunteers at the Surrey Fusion Festival’s first-ever Israel pavilion, visiting various local community institutions, traveling to Israel, the list goes on.

Born in New York City, Shanken grew up in Teaneck, N.J. He is the third generation of Shankens to be involved in Jewish communal service. “For me, this is a family business of sorts,” he told the Independent, adding, “… that is something I take great pride in.”

His father was cultural arts director at the Jewish community centre when Shanken was in nursery school, before becoming an inner city high school teacher. Shanken’s grandfather flew 55 missions over Europe in the Second World War as a bombardier and then became a rabbi; he also participated in the Freedom Rides, which successfully challenged segregation in interstate bus terminals in the American South. “He is a true inspiration and I keep a picture of him and his bomber crew on my wall in my office,” said Shanken.

While Shanken has become a community professional, he admitted in an interview with ejewishphilanthropy.com that his career in this field was unexpected. About his move to Colorado after college, he told the online publisher, “The idea was to go for a year to escape from NYC, but that one year turned into eight years and into the building block to who I’ve become as a Jewish communal professional.”

Needing a job, he applied to the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado. He credits Susan Kramer, now JEWISHcolorado chief development officer, with seeing something in him. “I went from somebody seeing something in me to me seeing something in myself to having an opportunity to see something in other people and help them along,” he told ejewishphilanthropy.com.

Shanken was at JEWISHcolorado for six years, working there in different capacities, ultimately becoming senior manager of the young adult department and major gifts. He also co-founded E-3 Event in Colorado, an organization focused on arts-based events for younger Jews (20s through early 40s). Shanken comes to Vancouver from New York, however, where he directed Emerging Leaders and Philanthropists at UJA-Federation of New York from mid-2011.

Growing up through the public school system – but attending Jewish summer camp (Ramah in the Berkshires) – Shanken did his undergraduate degree in political economics at the University of Hartford, where he was president of Hillel, and his graduate work in nonprofit management at Regis University.

“As a kid, I wanted to be a garbage man, fireman, fighter pilot but by high school I had the experience of going to Washington, D.C., and volunteering during the Clintons’ second inauguration, and that got me on to the idea of being involved in public service,” Shanken told the Independent.

Internships in his “junior and senior years of high school for a local Jewish congressman … connected to internships and experiences far out into the future,” he added.

Now, at 34, he is one of the youngest CEOs in the Federation system. And his approach has reflected that, with Shanken having been an avid user of social media throughout his career.

“I have been a big believer in social media as an outreach tool in Jewish communal work,” he said. “There is no question in my mind that if we want to engage the next generation of Jews, we are going to have to engage in the social media space. I am active on Twitter under the handle @eshanken, Facebook and Instagram. I love to share what I and we are doing every day with my followers and friends because what we do and where I get to be is truly special.”

While encouraging people to follow him on any of these media, he noted that the internet has limitations with respect to its ability to bring people and ideas together.

“To this date, I never turn down an offer to have coffee, and judge the success of my week by how many people I get together with.”

“It is my opinion that, to date, there is not a platform that replaces two chairs, a table and cups of whatever you choose,” he said. “My goal in using online platforms is to move the relationship offline. When I was developing the young leadership department at the Colorado Federation, I found the best thing we did was have hundreds of coffees where we asked young professionals, ‘Under what circumstances could you see yourself getting more involved in the organized Jewish community?’ To this date, I never turn down an offer to have coffee, and judge the success of my week by how many people I get together with.”

Informal and formal discussions will determine Federation’s – and the community’s – future trajectory.

Said Shanken, “We will be entering into a strategic visioning process with the goal of having these types of conversations. The ultimate goal is to move from strength to excellence in each of our fields of practice. For me, personally, I am more interested in the processes over the product. Creating long-lasting change in Jewish communal life is like speeding up the rotation of the earth a little at a time so people don’t fall down.”

About relocating to the other side of the continent? “Rachel and I feel truly blessed to be here in Vancouver,” said Shanken of his and his wife’s move here. “We have been blown away by the beauty of the scenery and the warmth of the community. The biggest challenge for us was figuring out how to sort our garbage at the house but once we figured that out we saw such value in it. Work-wise, my summer has been dominated, like many in our community, by the crisis [in Israel-Gaza]. However, through the crisis, I have seen the community come together in beautiful ways to show their support for Israel and each other during this difficult time.

“This community has one very special thing going for it because of the hard work of those who are around me and came before me,” he said. “We have rabbis who have built relationships across the streams of Judaism and agencies that, on the whole, get along with each other. I take it as a personal mission to keep those relationships strong because with relationships like we have, the sky is the limit to what we can accomplish.”

Food always needed: Project Isaiah

(photo from Jewish Food Bank Report 2013-14)

Project Isaiah is the annual High Holy Day food drive that assists those members of the community who are in need. All donations go directly to the Jewish Food Bank to assist individuals in the community – seniors, families and newcomers.

Sponsored by Jewish Family Service Agency and Jewish Women International-British Columbia, Project Isaiah is inspired by Isaiah 58:7: “… share your bread with the hungry.”

The Jewish Food Bank’s 2013-14 report, released last week, notes that the situation of the Jewish community mirrors that of the larger community, wherein most people living on fixed incomes or earning minimum wage in British Columbia spend 60 percent of their income or higher on housing, leaving 40 percent or less to cover utilities, medication and clothing, as well as food. With the rapidly growing cost of living, and lower economy, more families are having to access food banks for help:

• 12 percent of B.C. residents are unable to meet basic needs and do not have access to adequately nutritious food in sufficient amounts.

• For the past eight years, British Columbia has been ranked as the highest province in Canada for children living in poverty.

• Food bank usage is at an all-time high.

• 7.7 percent of B.C. residents are considered “food insecure” and go without or on reduced food intake.

The Jewish Food Bank supports almost 400 Jewish individuals. Each time clients visit the food bank, they receive approximately two to three days’ worth of food per individual.

All of the households served live at or below the poverty line and 80 percent of all households spend at least 60 percent of their income on rent. All clients are assessed and authorized by a JFSA caseworker. Currently, the food bank helps 55 children and teenagers, 248 adults and 91 senior adults.

Annually, more than 45 volunteers provide operational support to the food bank. The volunteers do the ordering, pick up donated goods, set up, as well as deliver to more than 50 homebound clients. With additional volunteers for its annual food drives, Project Isaiah, and the newly established Project Sustenance in the spring, volunteers contribute close to 3,500 hours of support.

The food bank is fully funded through the generosity of JFSA donors, the fundraising efforts and donors of JWI-BC, gift-in-kind donations of food through various food drive events, such as Project Isaiah and Project Sustenance, and ongoing donations collected by community partners. This past year, it had an operating budget of $149,200, with in-kind donations of food making up a value of $30,000 of the annual budget.

Close to 40 community partners provide ongoing food donations, supplies and space to support the Jewish Food Bank. These partners help lower the cost of operations and play a critical role.

This year’s Project Isaiah is underway, and the food bank is hoping that you will consider sharing your bread with the hungry (now and throughout the year). Take a bag home from a local synagogue or Jewish day school and return it, filled with food. A suggested shopping list includes high-nutrition items such as canned fish (tuna/salmon/sardines), peanut butter (plastic bottles only), canned fruit, canned vegetables, cooking oil (plastic bottles only), whole grain pasta/rice/cereals, legumes (canned or dried), dried fruit (prunes/apricots) and toiletries (includes children’s diapers). Note: check the “best before date” on products, as expired products cannot be accepted.

If you are unable to contribute food, JFSA and JWI-BC gratefully accept monetary donations (and issue a tax receipt).

For more information about Project Isaiah, contact Debbie Rootman at JFSA (604-257-5151, ext. 230) or [email protected], or Sara Ciacci at JWI-BC (604-838-5567).

Filmmakers withdraw from Queer Film Fest over Israeli flag

Over the 11 days of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, which ended Aug. 25, two directors withdrew their films from the program because the festival included an advertisement from Yad b’Yad, a Vancouver-based group that supports the Jewish LGBTQ community. The advertisement depicted an Israeli flag alongside a pride flag and wished VQFF mazal tov on its 26th anniversary.

Jonathan Lerner, chair of Yad b’Yad. (photo from Jonathan Lerner)

“We formed a few months ago and decided to put ads out in the community to let people know we exist,” said Jonathan Lerner, chair of Yad b’Yad. “Our intention was to celebrate pride and congratulate the film festival on 26 years, and we used the two flags to show our solidarity with the community. The ad was not intended to be political.”

Patty Berne, director of the film Sins Invalid, was the first to withdraw from VQFF, on Aug. 14, stating she was “angered and disappointed” that VQFF accepted the ad. The ad, she said, “attempts to portray the state of Israel as a friend to LGBTQ communities, particularly in the current moment as the people of Palestine are living through hell and dying in staggering numbers daily.”

Can Candan, director and producer of My Child, withdrew his documentary a few days later because, he said in an open letter to VQFF organizers, the festival had not taken a “public and vocal stand against the Israeli government’s unacceptable policies.” He cited an obligation to join the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign “as filmmakers and human rights activists with conscience.”

The filmmakers’ withdrawal from the festival was disappointing, said Drew Dennis, VQFF executive director. “We had many conversations encouraging them to keep their films in the festival, so I was saddened that they withdrew, but we want to respect them for the decision they made for themselves.”

image - Yad b'Yad was at the centre of a controversy at this year’s Vancouver Queer Film Festival for its ad, which included an Israeli flag — Yad b’Yad was at the centre of a controversy at this year’s Vancouver Queer Film Festival for its ad, which included an Israeli flag. *(image from Jonathan Lerner)*

Dennis said neither of the two withdrawn films contained any content relevant to the Middle East and insisted that VQFF had no political stance. “We heard from a number of filmmakers who were voicing concerns about the ad, but the festival is a place where we bring people together and allow a diversity of viewpoints. Our mandate is pretty simple: to bring communities together and provide a platform for safe, open dialogue around those films.”

Mik Turje, another director who raised concerns but did not withdraw his film, also issued a statement, as did Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group, a student-run centre. Their statements claimed that ads like Yad b’Yad’s attempt to “pinkwash” Israel’s image by focusing on the state’s gay rights rather than on its treatment of the Palestinians. Turje said although the VQFF has made it clear it has no position on the issue, “I believe that choosing neutrality in a situation of oppression is a form of complicity. The project of pinkwashing dehumanizes Palestinians in our name, it frames Israel as a liberal democracy in our name, and it fuels Islamophobia and racism in our name.”

After concerns about the ad were raised back in July, VQFF decided to donate Yad b’Yad’s $630 in ad revenue to Just Vision, an organization whose stated goal is to use film and multimedia to help foster “peace and an end to the occupation by rendering Palestinian and Israeli nonviolence leaders more visible, valued and effective in their efforts.” Dennis said there’s “concern, compassion for what’s happening in the region right now, but it’s not part of our mandate to look at this, so we chose to make the donation in an effort to contribute in a more productive way.”

That didn’t sit well with Lerner and members of Yad b’Yad. “By treating our ad revenue differently from every other group and ad, they essentially bowed to the pressure, succumbed to the bullies,” he said. “The gay community knows full well what it feels like to be alienated and excluded, but that’s what the VQFF is promoting by treating our ad revenue differently. They’ve made us feel unwelcome because of our religion and our nation of origin.” Lerner said Yad b’Yad was not given a choice about where its ad money would be donated. “I don’t know much about Just Vision, but we don’t support our money being donated. It’s not what we paid for,” he said.

Dennis said the VQFF board would be meeting in the fall to review its policies and practices, and that the controversy over this year’s film festival had raised the fact that “something as complex as this issue is not served by our policy. There wasn’t a large organizational decision around advertisements,” Dennis said. “We focus much more on the films than on the ads, but there’s an opportunity for us to look at that in the fall.”

Lerner told the Independent that VQFF has asked for public input on the issue be sent to [email protected].

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond, B.C. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net.

An overdue unveiling

Sarah Haniford’s granddaughter, Alice Campbell, with Schara Tzedeck Synagogue Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt at the unveiling of Sarah’s headstone. (photo from Jewish Cemetery at Mountain View Restoration Project)

“You live as long as you are remembered.”
– Russian Proverb

Fifty people gathered together on Aug. 3 to remember and honor the life of Sarah Goldberg-Haniford at the Jewish Cemetery at Mountain View. As Alice Campbell, Sarah’s granddaughter, said in her opening remarks to the family and friends there for the unveiling of the headstone, “a bridge to the past is a pathway to the future.”

Campbell shared some of the highlights of her grandmother’s life, which began with her birth in 1878 in Glasgow, subsequent marriage in 1890 to Louis Haniford (Ljeb Hanoft) from Poland, journey to Winnipeg in 1902, then to a farm near Hanna, Alta., in 1907.

photo - Sarah Goldberg-Haniford’s headstone — Sarah Goldberg-Haniford’s headstone. *(photo from Jewish Cemetery at Mountain View Restoration Project)*

Life was very hard for Sarah and Louis, with the harsh climate and work on the farm, to which they were far from accustomed, having been in the watch-making business up until the move. In 1922, Sarah, who had by then given birth to nine children, was in very poor health, and Louis, not knowing what else to do to help her, sent her to St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated and she passed away here, all alone, on Oct. 6, 1922.

As Jewish custom dictated, Sarah was buried in the Jewish Cemetery at Mountain View. After her death, according to Sarah’s wishes, Louis moved his family of the seven surviving children away from the farm, to the town of Hanna. With Sarah’s passing, Judaism disappeared from the Haniford family until October 2012, 90 years later, when Campbell discovered through genealogical research that Sarah was buried at Mountain View Cemetery. Beryl and Christi Cooke, Sarah’s granddaughter who lives in Kelowna and great-granddaughter who lives in Vancouver, went to the cemetery for the first time.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Shirley Barnett had just embarked on her project to restore the Jewish Cemetery at Mountain View and their paths collided. In October 2013, along with 146 other unmarked burials, Sarah’s life and death were recognized, with the placing of a temporary marker as the first step in restoring the Jewish cemetery to its former significance in the community. With this mitzvah, the plan to place a permanent monument was born.

Among those attending the Aug. 3 ceremony were 25 family members, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, none of whom had ever known Sarah – and many of whom had not seen each other in at least 15 years. Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt and Rev. Joseph Marciano, along with members of the Vancouver Jewish community, were witness to the unveiling of Sarah’s headstone. Sarah brought everyone together and, in doing so, helped rekindle her family’s connections to each other and to Judaism.

“Israel is an example”: Premier Christy Clark

Kibbutz Magen member Shunit Dekel speaks via Skype to the almost 800 people who came out to Temple Sholom to show support for Israel. Dina Wachtel, executive director, Western Region, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, is at the podium. (photo from JFGV)

Close to 800 people gathered at Temple Sholom the night of July 27 to show solidarity between Canadians and the state of Israel.

Temple Sholom Rabbi Dan Moskovitz started the evening by leading the crowd in “Am Yisrael Chai,” and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver chair Diane Switzer read aloud a letter of support from Premier Christy Clark who wrote, “The current conflict in Israel and Gaza is of great concern to anyone who believes in democracy and human rights…. At this difficult time, let us remember the values we share with Israel: a vibrant, culturally rich, democratic nation committed to maintaining the rights of its citizens, regardless of gender or religion. Israel is an example not only to the region, but the world.”

photo - Farid Rohani, a businessman, social activist and a board member of the Laurier Institution, speaks to those gathered at Temple Sholom — Farid Rohani, a businessman, social activist and a board member of the Laurier Institution, speaks to those gathered at Temple Sholom. *(photo from JFGV)*

The event featured a number of guest speakers, including Shunit Dekel, a member of Kibbutz Magen, and Farid Rohani, a businessman, social activist and a board member of the Laurier Institution. Dekel spoke via Skype from her home 4.3 kilometres outside of Gaza. Her kibbutz was forced into lockdown three times last week, because of the danger posed by the underground tunnels connecting it with Gaza. Rohani addressed the issue of antisemitism in recent social media. Through his own analysis of Twitter, he concluded that the coverage is remarkably lopsided and that “remaining quiet is a disservice not only to the values that we share as Canadians, but to order and what is right.”

The event was a collaborative effort between several local organizations: Canadian Friends of Ben Gurion University, Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, Magen David Adom, Congregation Beit Hamidrash, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Temple Sholom, Congregation Schara Tzedeck, Hillel BC, Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, Jewish National Fund, Or Shalom, State of Israel Bonds and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Pacific Region.

At the end of the night, community member Bill Levine remarked, “The tone of the evening was respectful, and stressed our desire for a peaceful resolution. It was good to see the community react in the spirit of coming together.”

Hundreds rally in support of Israel

Rally in support of Israel drew a few hundred people to the Vancouver Art Gallery on Sunday afternoon. (photo by Shahar Ben Halevi)

Nearly 300 people gathered around the Vancouver Art Gallery on Sunday, July 27, at noon, to show support for the state of Israel and for peace in the Middle East.

The rally – organized by a Facebook group of Israelis in Vancouver – went peacefully, and there were no apparent counter protests in the area. The supporters carried signs calling for an end to the conflict, and emphasizing that Israel is fighting terrorists and not the people of Gaza.

The rally was covered by several local media representatives, but there were no speeches. The crowd sang together a few traditional Jewish songs and ended the event with Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem.

Maggidah Shoshana Litman entertains at L’Chaim

L’Chaim Adult Day Centre member Shirley Kort, right, and her friend Zoe Oreck, who came to visit, listen to Kort’s daughter, Shoshana Litman, tell a story. (photo from L’Chaim)

I was invited into a very special world on June 30 – that of L’Chaim Adult Day Centre. Described as a therapeutic day centre for home-bound elderly, a place where safe, caring monitoring is provided along with kosher, home-style meals in a happy, embracing atmosphere, with multilingual staff, it is all that and more.

I was asked by Shoshana Litman, a gifted maggidah (storyteller), to come and watch one of her sessions at L’Chaim. After receiving permission to attend from Annica Carlsson, who is in charge of the centre, I arrived in time to see 14 seniors, mostly women, actively enjoying a ball exercise led by Marla Simcoff. When that ended, Litman entered the circle, smiled, introduced herself and explained why she was there, and that I was there to take photographs.

Litman opened with a blessing over the water, which she drank, and then introduced her mother, Shirley Kort, a member of L’Chaim and her mom’s friend, Zoe Oreck, who had come to visit.

The story Litman had chosen was one of Peninah Schramm’s – The Innkeeper’s Wise Daughter – which included riddles and a song. It easily invited audience participation and the listeners were only too glad to do so.

After I listened, enjoyed and participated in Litman’s storytelling, and I heard the various questions and answers, I began to realize the scope of what is accomplished under the watchful eyes of L’Chaim staff and Carlsson, who explained that the wide range of work on cognitive skills is easily managed because of the small size of the group.

In honor of her visit and in her mother’s name, Litman presented a copy of a calendar commemorating the 151 years of Congregation Emanu-El in Victoria. She showed photos of the costumes worn on the anniversary evening last year, as the event included a reenactment of those times. The photos brought back precious memories for one audience member, who was reminded that she had attended that event.

I left with a good feeling, and the others, who were chatting away over lunch with one another, also seemed relaxed and happy. We are fortunate to have this facility in our midst. Let’s grow old together.

Binny Goldman is a member of the Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver board.

More Than Just Mrs. exhibit online

NCJW members unload boxes of toys headed for Israel as part of the Ship a Box to Israel program launched by NCJW Tikvah branch, Vancouver Harbor, 1947. (photo from JMABC L.11998)

Much of the work of Jewish women in Vancouver has occurred, both historically and still today, behind the scenes. The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia is trying to change that with its online exhibit, More Than Just Mrs. Accessible at morethanjustmrs.wordpress.com, the exhibit discusses the history of the National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) and Na’amat, the three predominant Jewish women’s organizations mid-century. It includes audio clips from local women who worked for these organizations and focuses exclusively on the work of the B.C. chapters.

“We’re trying to raise awareness of the Jewish community in B.C. and its history,” said Michael Schwartz, coordinator of development and public programs at JMABC, located in the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture in Vancouver. “When it came to these chapters of the organizations, I knew a few of the stories but wanted to fill in the gaps and learn more. I thought we should look at the organizations in greater detail, at the differences in their philosophies and the influential women who worked for them.”

The website has an introduction and then individual sections on each of NCJW, Hadassah and Na’amat, each one containing letters, certificates and other historical material relevant to the work the organizations performed. There are a total of six audio clips online but those who want to hear entire interviews may visit the Jewish museum offices to listen to them.

The exhibit offers a fascinating glimpse into Jewish life in Vancouver in the 1940s and ’50s: its fashions, the organizations’ priorities and their fundraising strategies. These women were professional volunteers, individuals who were not content to be “just Mrs.,” and insisted on devoting their time and talents to improving and meeting the needs of their local communities and communities in Israel and elsewhere. The name for the exhibit was drawn from an interview with one of the volunteers some 20 to 30 years ago, wherein she mentioned the phrase, “More than just Mrs.,” adding that, for her, doing this volunteer work was an opportunity to step out of her husband’s shadow.

NCJW supported an orphanage in Holland, for example, sending regular shipments of food and clothing to the aid of the 220 destitute war orphans being cared for in Bergstichting. The exhibit includes a letter from the orphanage dated April 1947, describing the difficult conditions at the orphanage. “The physical condition of our pupils being still rather week [sic], we had to fight with a scarlatina [scarlet fever] epidemic during five months,” wrote the director. “Sixty of our people were taken with this illness. But fortunately, your valuable gifts reached us just in those distressful months.”

The online exhibit was launched in September 2013 and some 2,500 people have visited the site since it was launched. Schwartz estimates it takes 60 to 90 minutes to read the material, which was produced by Annika Friedman last summer with the aid of Young Canada Works, a granting program subsidized by the federal government. Schwartz said another online exhibit is being produced this summer under the same program. Called Oakridge: The Final Frontier, it will chart the rise and decline of the Jewish community in the neighborhood. Elana Wenner, a master’s candidate in Jewish studies at Concordia University, will be interviewing community members and gathering photographs, videos and other relevant materials for the new exhibit. To contribute and for more information, Wenner can be reached at [email protected].

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond, B.C. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net.

Okanagan Jewish community small, close-knit

The sanctuary of Kelowna’s Beth Shalom Synagogue, which was founded in 1990. (photo from OJCA)

Kelowna boasts a small but tight-knit Jewish community, with its synagogue, Beth Shalom, located in the Okanagan Jewish Community Centre (OJCC). Although it’s estimated that more than 1,000 Jews live in this region and the surrounding area, only about 60 families are actively involved in communal life, which offers some unique benefits – and challenges.

“We’re not affiliated with anyone, so we cover the entire Jewish spectrum of Jewish identities and religious views, and we all respect each other’s differences,” said David Spevakow, president of the Okanagan Jewish Community Association.

photo - David Spevakow, president of the Okanagan Jewish Community Association. (photo from OJCA) — David Spevakow, president of the Okanagan Jewish Community Association. *(photo from OJCA)*

Spevakow and his wife moved to Kelowna in 2002 and have been very active in the community, which offers Sunday Hebrew school classes, holiday celebrations, a community Passover seder and more.

“It helps that it’s a smaller community,” he said. “When we see each other, everyone knows each other. We’re all friends and family.”

To help attract and keep rabbinic leadership in smaller Jewish communities, there is a new pilot project, called Bridging Mountains, between Beth Tzedec in Calgary and the OJCC, on either side of the Rockies. It offers the OJC community rabbinic leadership, consultation and guidance on religious practices and questions. As part of the project, Beth Tzedec’s Rabbi Shaul Osadchey serves as a mentor to the community, answering questions and visiting the region.

“The rabbi gives us a feeling like we have leadership in a spiritual and rabbinical aspect,” said Spevakow.

A small community

Being part of the close-knit community afforded Jeremy Finkleman, who was born and grew up in Kelowna, with an opportunity to really develop his own Judaism without the outside pressures of strict religious infrastructure.

“I really found who I am as a Jew growing up in that community,” said Finkleman, 31, who now works as a transportation planner in Vancouver. “I was able to forge a Jewish identity for myself completely independent of what people were telling me Jews are supposed to behave like or think like. It really gives you an opportunity to take charge of your own Judaism and take leadership roles, whereas in other communities, you’d sit more on the sidelines.”

Since the community has no Jewish day school, Finkleman’s father taught him Hebrew and Judaic studies for more than 12 years.

“I can’t think of a better way of learning. It’s a lasting bonding experience,” he said. “Just like the commandment says, you should teach it to your sons – he took that very literally. We’d get together twice a week for two hours in the evening and we learned everything from Hebrew language to Jewish history to ritual practice to politics.”

With no Jewish day school, Kelowna Jews like Finkleman were exposed to a variety of different cultures, and were taught from an early age to respect others’ religions and differences.

“Everyone kind of shares in each other’s cultures there. Being part of such a small community, I would go with my best friend to Christmas Eve mass every year and then I would go over for Christmas dinner,” said Finkleman. “It was a cultural sharing experience, and he would come to OJC for the annual Chanukah party. Everybody shares in each other’s experiences and it was all very positive and open-minded.”

Challenges to face

A “tourist hub,” Kelowna’s population almost doubles in the summer, as out-of-towners come to visit the area’s sandy beaches, taste its fresh fruit, tour the wineries and play the golf courses. The city, however, faces many challenges similar to those faced by other small Jewish communities. Although Finkleman noted he probably wouldn’t be as observant as he is today had he not grown up in Kelowna, he said life for an observant Jew is not easy there.

“If you want to have any type of regular observance of things, even regular Shabbat services, there just isn’t the interest to have services once a week,” he said. He noted there isn’t much Jewish infrastructure in Kelowna and so, for example, you can’t purchase kosher meat there either.

“If you were an observant Jew who wanted to live an observant Jewish lifestyle, it is challenging in Kelowna,” he said.

The synagogue, founded in 1990, does have a Torah and does hold services, although not regularly. It was built by families in the community who spent a lot of time and money to acquire the land and build the structure, including Finkleman’s parents. He said his parents held many community events at their house before the synagogue was built and that his father has been involved in leading services at the synagogue for many years.

“We’re very, very proud of it,” said Finkleman. “There was a lot of energy around the building of the synagogue and leading up to it, and immediately following it. After a number of years, however, it started to wane and people started to come and go.”

As the city expands, thanks, in part, to developments at the airport and the new University of British Columbia campus, the city’s demographics have shifted as well, with younger families moving into the region, attracted to the opportunities and searching for a more affordable life than Vancouver can provide. As more professionals and young families move into the region, Spevakow said he is hopeful the community will expand and develop.

“We’re committed to building a growing and evolving Jewish community while enriching Jewish life by providing opportunities for social, cultural and educational development. We’ve got the same problems other small communities have, but I’m optimistic about the direction we’re going in.”

Vicky Tobianah is a freelance writer and editor based in Toronto. Connect with her on Twitter, @vicktob, or at [email protected].