Category: Local

Showtimers wow audience

JCC Showtime’s cowgirl dance was an audience favorite. (photo by Binny Goldman)

The duet sung by Maurice Moses and Debbie Cossever, “Teach the World to Sing,” set the tone for the entire afternoon performance by JCC Showtime at the last of this year’s JSA Snider Foundation Empowerment Series, which had as its theme, “A Smile on Your Face, a Song in Your Heart.”

Toby Rubin, executive director of Kehila Society of Richmond, welcomed the crowd of 100 who gathered June 29 at Congregation Beth Tikvah for the Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver and Kehila event.

Rabbi Howard Siegel, who led the Hamotzi, joked with those assembled that the reason there was no clock on the wall was because it would not suffice to record the length of his sermon (which he said he was about to deliver), as his would require a calendar.

After the BBQ lunch catered by Stacey Kettleman – and just before a huge cake honoring all the volunteers was served – Rubin called up a number of those volunteers from her various committees and presented them with certificates.

Rubin said that, in the audience, there were people from the Louis Brier Home and Hospital, L’Chaim Adult Day Centre, JSA, Angels There for You, CARP and seniors from Beth Tikvah, as well as people who had heard about the event through publicity.

The program began with “Happy Opening“ and showcased the talents of the JCC Showtime performers, accompanied on piano by Muriel Morris and with Gary Zumar as sound technician.

photo - Arnold Selwyn leads other JCC Showtimers in a song
Arnold Selwyn leads other JCC Showtimers in a song. (photo by Binny Goldman)

Each number presented new and charming scenarios, which included quick and clever costume changes. Some crowd favorites were the duets “Together” and “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” by Arnold and Nassa Selwyn; the guest appearance of “Dolly,” Marshall Berger dressed as a woman; Cossever belting out “Can’t Get a Man with a Gun”; Moses engaging the crowd with “Beautiful Morning”; and the striking cowgirl dance, as well as “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” Two of the last songs, “Tzena Tzena” and “Hava Nagila,” led by Moses and Arnold Selwyn, took the crowd to Israel as they sang along.

Complex choreography and the blink-of-an-eye costume changes were all conceived and created by the founder of JCC Showtime, Beryl Israel, who immigrated in 2002 from South Africa, where she had been involved with a similar program.

photo - Videographer Stan Shear, left, and performer Maurice Moses
Videographer Stan Shear, left, and performer Maurice Moses. (photo by Binny Goldman)

Rounding out the Showtime lineup were Sara Bernstein, Rona Black, Lisa Conn, Andria Engel, Tamar Glaser and Susan Goldstein.

Just as the performers were about to leave the stage, Berger was handed the microphone and asked to sing “Happy Birthday” to his wife, Marilyn Berger, president of JSA, who was celebrating her birthday that afternoon. He was joined by all the performers in the singing of a touching rendition of the song.

Marilyn Berger thanked the performers for a wonderfully joyful afternoon that traveled down memory lane and she also gave a short talk about JSA, highlighting its advocacy and its peer support program. She then handed out gifts for each of the cast, helped by Kenneth Levitt, one of JSA’s vice-presidents.

Stan Shear, with Karon Shear, JSA coordinator, by his side, made a video of the performance, which will be posted at jsalliance.org.

It was an afternoon that definitely put smiles on faces and songs in hearts.

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

 

Giving is a way to live well

Graduates of the Jewish Seniors Alliance peer support program, and teachers. (photo by Binny Goldman)

On June 11, I walked into a room filled with givers – of themselves. It was the special occasion of the graduation ceremony of the fifth class of peer counselors, which took place at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture.

They were 13 men and women of various ages who had met as strangers and quickly become an extended family of friends. Through 11 weekly five-hour sessions in which interactive role-playing was used, they were taught how to listen, comprehend and use their newly acquired techniques.

Charles Leibovitch, coordinator of peer support services, warmly welcomed those gathered – family and friends of those receiving certificates and members of the board of the Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver. He introduced himself and Grace Hann, trainer and supervisor of the peer counseling program, then credited the founder of JSA, president emeritus Serge Haber, for being instrumental in initiating the program and working diligently to ensure that it thrived through continuous and crucial funding issues to meet the ongoing needs of our growing senior community.

Leah Deslauriers, coordinator of seniors at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, informed the audience of the many and varied activities open to all people (Jewish or not) at the centre for a nominal fee. She encouraged all to visit and partake in yoga, swimming, card playing and just general socializing. Expressing the wish for further partnering with the JSA, she extended a mazel tov to the graduates.

Barb Kirby of Community Resource Network said that, in both a personal and professional capacity, she had seen many gaps in the care of seniors over the years. “One of the greatest gaps we see is lack of support causing social isolation of seniors and that is why your job is so important. Your training and expertise provides a lifeline to those who truly are in greatest need,” she said.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child. I believe it take a village to care for the elderly and it takes a special kind of person to care for the elderly. You are that caring voice or the person sitting next to someone who truly needs a caring human connection or to go one step further to help get the further supports they might need.” One individual, organization or government cannot do it alone, said Kirby. “Speaking up, sharing knowledge and best practices will help make our communities a safer, more enjoyable place for those who need our support.”

She thanked Haber and JSA president Marilyn Berger “for providing all the invaluable services to bring awareness through education and support to our communities.”

Becky Herrmann of Angels There For You noted that people want to be needed, sought after and validated. She recommended the book Give to Live, and said there were no side effects to giving of oneself, urging everyone to try doing so. Larry Shapiro, one of the graduates, countered with, “There are side effects, but no negative ones.” Herrmann later presented each of the graduates with a gift.

Shapiro spoke next, sharing with the audience that, having completed the course, he felt prepared to go out and serve as a counselor. He proceeded to give a little history of peer support counseling in British Columbia, which has been present since the 1980s, addressing social isolation and other daily issues affecting seniors. Shapiro felt the course had taught him empathy, as well as the skills and techniques necessary to offer others methods of self-help.

Fellow graduate Neveen Hossameldin said that, as an immigrant, what one missed most were the friendships left behind, and that she didn’t have another 55 years to forge new ones. Yet, after 55 hours as part of this group, she had indeed made new, lasting friendships. Hossameldin appreciated that Haber had told the class that they were not working for JSA but were part of JSA. Echoing what others had said, she praised Hann for making the sessions pleasurable and warm.

Hann, laughing, said that since Shapiro had stolen a good chunk of her speech, she would just thank JSA and its founder, Haber, who deserved a special tribute for his vision, without which the program would not exist. She underscored that self-absorption kills empathy, that focusing on ourselves makes our world contract whereas giving to others broadens our world.

Leibovitch spoke of the ongoing need for peer support services and of the graduates who go out in the community to help combat the loneliness he sees daily. He said that phone calls to the office are often by those who have been guided by others to use the peer services, and that this essential, relevant help has become very valuable in the community. Karon Shear, coordinator of JSA, and Rita Propp were thanked for their constant commitment to excellence and giving of themselves.

Haber said, “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you,” a teaching found in other religions as well. Giving of yourself – so necessary both to the giver and the receiver – helps to alleviate loneliness, isolation and perhaps even remove the tarnish from the gold quite often present but hidden in the “golden years.” JSA is very proud of this program, he said, adding that he, too, had taken the course to familiarize himself with what was being offered and that he, too, had learned to really listen and hear what was being said. He concluded with the wish that all the graduates would go out and spread good will.

Certificates were handed out along with a rose to each graduate, as was a hug from both Hann and Leibovitch.

Ruby Boychuk, one of the graduates, presented Hann with a bouquet of yellow roses, explaining that yellow roses symbolized love and appreciation.

Family and friends proudly took photos of the celebration, while Stan Shear took a video that will be posted on the JSA website. Refreshments shared by all helped bring the evening to a close, leaving a sweet taste in our mouths and in our hearts. Mazel tov, graduates. Mazel tov, JSA.

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

Restoring sacred space

The process of restoring headstones comprises many steps. (photos from J.B. Newall Memorials Ltd.)

photo - Among the headstones restored in the Jewish section of Mountain View Cemetery was that of Bessie Rosenberg.
Among the headstones restored in the Jewish section of Mountain View Cemetery was that of Bessie Rosenberg.

Last month, the restored Jewish section of Mountain View Cemetery was rededicated in a public ceremony that was the culmination of three years of work undertaken by a group of volunteers headed by Shirley Barnett and others. Among the contributors to the project was J.B. Newall Memorials Ltd.

“The restoration project in the Jewish section at Mountain View Cemetery was a very special project for us,” Meghan Newall told the Independent in an email. “Knowing that many of these pieces were designed and created by the Newall family over the past decades gave us a sense of honor and pride to be able to work on them once again. A great deal of work went into the cleaning, restoring and re-stabilizing of the markers and monuments, as each piece is unique and required a number of different methods and procedures (and patience!).”

photo - John Brodie Newall established J.B. Newall Memorials in 1909
John Brodie Newall

Newall’s great-grandfather, John Brodie Newall, established J.B. Newall Memorials in 1909.

Described as “an accomplished poet, scholar and master mason,” on the company’s website, the history reads that he “parted with his family in 1905 from the town of Dalbeattie, Scotland. He left his brother David the family business – a granite quarry and monumental works company that gave birth to the town of Dalbeattie in 1820 – which continues to produce today.”

Shared his great-granddaughter, “We are (unfortunately) unsure why he decided to leave the granite business in Scotland to start over in Vancouver but are happy he did!”

She added, “I recently had the opportunity to visit the town in Scotland where our family started out and even saw one of the original quarries that is still in operation today, though it is now a sand and gravel quarry operated by a different company.”

scan - One of the first ads run by J.B. Newall in the Jewish Western Bulletin. This one appeared Aug. 8, 1933. The company stills supports the community paper.
One of the first ads run by J.B. Newall in the Jewish Western Bulletin (Aug. 8, 1933). The company stills supports the community paper.

Eventually, her great-grandfather arrived in Vancouver. “He set up shop here, at our current location in 1909, where his son Nathan Newall continued the tradition,” explained Meghan.

Grandson Alan, his wife Rosemarie and their children, Meghan and her brother Brodie, “continue to create memories out of stone,” said Meghan. “Our works can be seen throughout British Columbia cemeteries as well as civic projects throughout the city.”

For more information about the cemetery restoration project, search jewishindependent.ca for “Mountain View Cemetery.” For more information about J.B. Newall Memorials, visit jbnewall.com.

photo - J.B. Newall has been in the same location since its establishment in 1909.
J.B. Newall has been in the same location since its establishment in 1909.

Hebrew in Tri-Cities

A photo from Aleph in the Tri-Cities’ Facebook page about their Hebrew classes.

Three years ago, a group of parents, all members of the Facebook group Aleph in the Tri-Cities, decided to create their own Hebrew Sunday school. It took more than a year of preparations before everything fell in place, but last September, the Tri-Cities Hebrew School began serving 14 elementary schoolchildren from Burnaby, Richmond and Coquitlam. They recently completed their first year.

The educational program was designed by Limor Friedman, a former IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) foreign correspondent. “We wanted to provide language and culture to our children, not only prepare them for a bar mitzvah. Our program was designed for children to learn about Israel through songs, books, reading and writing. The children were introduced to Israeli poets and authors that expanded the experience beyond the regular aleph-bet. We celebrated the Jewish holidays with emphasis on Israeli tradition, not just the Jewish perspective. One of my favorite classes was for the children to learn the map of Israel and to recognize which city or town their parents came from – it was a great way to discover their own roots and learn about their own personal background.”

The three-hour weekly class was led by Noa Marnin Gilad, who was a teacher in Israel, with the help of 19-year-old Ram Alexaiev; story time was led by Dovrat Vitis. Yossi “Joe” Dagan was the administrator, whose vision helped establish this new venture.

“Our Facebook group went through major changes over the last year,” explained Dagan over the phone. “We are now officially a registered not-for-profit organization with a mission statement to provide Jewish experience to the growing Jewish population of the Vancouver suburbs. It’s a challenge to build a budget based on donations but we love what we do and our community members love what we do, so it keeps us motivated for the future.”

Friedman’s proudest moment of the school year came over the Passover dinner table. “Seeing my daughter singing all of the Passover songs brought tears to my eyes. Our guests were amazed, too. That is the greatest benefit of group learning. Some parents think it’s better to teach Hebrew in the privacy of their own home, but then the child feels alone and he is insecure about the whole experience. In a group, children feel that they are not alone, that this is not something that only their own parents care about. The power of the group turns it into a positive lesson and it becomes important for them to do well, not just for us, but for themselves as well, and that is priceless.”

Aleph in the Tri-Cities’ Hebrew school will resume in late August before the High Holidays. For more information, email [email protected].

Shahar Ben Halevi is a writer and filmmaker living in Vancouver.

Hang out, learn or engage

Hillel BC’s home on the University of British Columbia campus, the Diamond Foundation Centre for Jewish Campus Life. (photo by ThosGee via panoramio.com)

It’s been a tumultuous year on the University of British Columbia campus for Hillel BC, one filled with victories, but also with some disappointments. The Jewish Independent interviewed Hillel BC’s executive director, Rabbi Philip Bregman, on the challenges his organization has faced to date and on what is yet to come.

JI: What has the past year been like at Hillel?

PB: We’re seeing a resurgence of antisemitism the likes of which have not been seen for many years, and we’re seeing it right across the board of the 550 Hillels across North America. It has come primarily as a result of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. While incidents in the past would come and go, this one is a much more organized attack against Jews and Israelis on campus. And it’s not about boycotting products. The BDS movement is about three Ds: the demonization of Israel, the delegitimization of Israel, and the double standard that’s used with regard to Israel and the rest of the world. In this regard, the BDS movement has been fairly successful. On campuses in particular it’s created a real angst, a real discomfort for Jews, for Israelis. That’s its purpose.

JI: Can you talk about the recent referendum on campus, wherein the SPHR (Students for Palestinian Human Rights) asked students to vote on whether or not they supported their student union in instituting BDS on campus?

PB: Again, it wasn’t about boycotting products. They didn’t even let the students know what products needed to be boycotted. It was just a blanket statement that was absolutely absurd. When SPHR did mention a couple of products, it became obvious that it was absurd that any of those would go forward. For example, SPHR said they were going to boycott Caterpillar, because its machinery has destroyed Palestinian homes. I pointed out to them that the new Student Union Building at UBC was excavated with Caterpillar machinery. Should that then be boycotted? They didn’t answer. The second product they said they wanted to boycott was Motorola Solutions. I pointed out that this company is responsible for the operating systems of all Androids, and asked, “Are you telling the student body and AMS [Alma Mater Society, the student union] that no one on campus can use anything but iPhones?” The third product was Sabra Hummus. I told them that, in 2000, the Strauss Dipping Co., which owned Sabra Hummus, sold 50% of its shares to Pepsi Cola, and that over 60% of the vending machines in the Student Union Building are Pepsi products. Again, they didn’t answer.

Initially, before it was circulated, we appealed the referendum on the grounds that it was creating toxicity on campus. The AMS ombudsperson agreed with us that it was a terrible resolution, but the AMS board didn’t even comment on her report, which was tremendously disappointing. So, the referendum went out to the student body, and there was a lot of intimidation with regard to signing it. Later, the AMS found a number of signatures on the ballots were illegal….

At the end of the day, the SPHR fell short of the quorum they needed to pass the referendum. They needed 4,100 signatures, which represents eight percent of the eligible voters at UBC. They got about 3,500 votes. However the anti-BDS movement got 2,700 votes, which was more than double the number of votes in the rest of Canada, voting against BDS.

This BDS movement that we’ve had to deal with this past year was all-consuming. I have a magnificent staff and some magnificent student leaders who really were in the trenches day in and day out. I was in constant contact with the UBC administration about this, letting them know that the BDS movement is not an issue of free speech but one of hate speech.

JI: What kind of relationship does Hillel UBC have with Muslims on campus?

PB: When I first introduced myself to the representative from SPHR and suggested we start a dialogue, she told me, “We have a no dialogue policy with you people. If we talk to you, we will be condoning your murderous and genocidal ways.” We have been successful in reaching out to other Muslim groups on campus, however, including the Muslim Students Association and the Pakistani Students Association. We’ve had all sorts of collaborative programs, some light and some heavy. The idea is dialogue, not agreement.

JI: How are Jewish students at UBC responding to the BDS movement?

PB: At Hillels across North America, probably no more than five percent of the Jewish students on any campus really get into this fight. But we have a Jewish student population of about 1,200 and half of those voted against the BDS referendum.

JI: Going forward, who are you most likely to reach out to on campus?

PB: In fighting this resolution, we quickly realized where we should spend our limited time, energy and manpower: with graduate students, science students, law and medicine. Most of the statements in favor of BDS were coming from students in liberal arts backgrounds, and we were not going to win their hearts and minds. We were looking for people who would look at this referendum critically and understand what it was really about – the demonization and elimination of the state of Israel.

In general, the greatest group of students on campuses today tends to be those that are apathetic. I believe in a vote there would absolutely be more people opposed to us than supporting us. But I think that because we were out tabling every day, sharing and distributing information, we got some of those people who thought of voting yes, but voted no. And most of it was respectful dialogue.

JI: What kind of place is Hillel at UBC today?

PB: Hillel is a big tent, a place where individuals come in and just hang out. Some want to learn and engage in other types of conversation, and there’s a vast array of opportunity no matter where you are on the spectrum of Jewish life. It’s also a place of fantastic food, so people come for our Wednesday hot lunches, known to be the best meal on campus. You don’t have to be engaged in any type of politics to be involved at Hillel, although last year that was very much a part of what we were doing. Hillel is also the place of dialogue with other groups, such as the UBC chaplaincy, which holds meetings in our facility every second week for ministers, priests, rabbis, imams and Buddhists. And we encourage other clubs to come and program with us.

JI: What are your fears going into the next academic year?

PB: My fear is that this issue will continue to come back. Birthright is only getting a fraction of the younger Jewish generation in their 20s and 30s to Israel. In various reports that have come out, when they’ve asked Jewish university students if it mattered to them if Israel did not exist, 50% said no, it did not matter. This group is buying into what they see about Israel in the media and what they hear on campuses from fellow students and professors.

So, I wonder, what’s the responsibility we have as parents, teachers, mentors to a younger generation? To allow something like BDS to run its course when you know it’s not in the best interest of student life, because it’s under the rubric of “free speech”? Where is the limit, the line? This is not about trying to shut down criticism of the state of Israel.

Still, I’m hopeful. Our tent at Hillel is big, we have phenomenal student leadership and we’re there to hear all sorts of opinions as long as they don’t endanger individuals on one side, or call for the eradication of the state of Israel. There’s a huge area in between. Our task is to continue to attempt to raise Jewishly proud, courageous, knowledgeable mensches.

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

JNF park named after Baird

Left to right: Josh Cooper, Frank Sirlin, John Baird, Avi Dickstein and Ilan Pilo. (photo from Jewish National Fund, Pacific Region)

On June 7, the Jewish National Fund, Pacific Region, hosted the 2015 Negev Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in honor of Canada’s former minister of foreign affairs, John Baird.

In his speech, Baird summed up Israel and Canada’s friendship, saying, “Canada doesn’t stand behind Israel, but rather, walks shoulder to shoulder with Israel.”

Ilan Pilo, JNF Jerusalem emissary and executive director of JNF-PR, said, “Mr. Baird is a man of integrity and a true friend to Israel. JNF was grateful to honor him for his leadership on the world stage, for years of devoted service to the citizens of Canada, his dedication to the Jews of Canada and to the state of Israel. Thanks to John Baird’s outstanding leadership, Canada has become Israel’s most unwavering ally.”

photo - Left to right: Rafael Barak, John Baird and Josh Cooper
Left to right: Rafael Barak, John Baird and Josh Cooper. (photo from Jewish National Fund, Pacific Region)

Among the 350 guests at the dinner were Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton, representing the province, representatives of major Jewish institutions, as well as many community rabbis. Also in attendance were Rafael Barak, Israel’s ambassador to Canada; Josh Cooper, chief executive officer of JNF of Canada; and Avi Dickstein, executive director of the research and development division of KKL-JNF. All three dignitaries spoke of the uniquely warm relationship between Canada and Israel.

Proceeds from the dinner will support the creation of the Sderot Memorial Park in Israel, which will be named after Baird. This multi-functional urban park will host sports, leisure and recreation activities, as well as community events, and will provide children and their families with playground and fitness facilities. The new park will lift the morale of the residents of the city, which has been the ongoing target of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip since 2001, as well as provide a venue for community activities and contribute to improving the quality of life for residents.

Celebrating 30 years

Among those celebrating L’Chaim’s 30th anniversary were original board members, left to right, Sylvia Gurstein, Gloria Hendin and Marion Poliakoff. (photo from L’Chaim)

More than 70 people gathered recently in the L’Chaim Lounge at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver to celebrate the 30th anniversary of L’Chaim Adult Day Centre, which provides a “day out” for usually home-bound elderly Jews.

The audience was welcomed by Annica Carlsson, L’Chaim administrator, and Claire Weiss, acting president of L’Chaim, who described its growth. Originally offered at Beth Israel Synagogue, the program had to move to larger quarters at the J in 1995. It now provides programming three days a week, adding up to more than 1,900 client days a year for older adults who can still function with some degree of independence, but are unable to attend other community activities. L’Chaim also initiated a program for Jewish seniors in Richmond, which was taken over five years ago by Chabad of Richmond.

Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration were three of the program’s founders: Sylvia Gurstein, Gloria Hendin and Marion Poliakoff. Poliakoff described how she represented National Council of Jewish Women in the beginning, enlisting a partnership with the late Irma Zack, who was acting on behalf of the Jewish Family Service Agency. Other present and former board members told anecdotes about their involvement, praising the staff and programming.

At L’Chaim, speakers on timely topics, music and exercise have always been program highlights. Current activities also include the use of iPods and headphones, which were purchased with a donation in memory of Dr. Betty Horodesky. This donation also financed the purchase of new lift chairs and a commercial cooler.

L’Chaim participant Ekatarina Chernyavskaya, 92, gave a heartfelt speech about how the program is her “home away from home” and enables her to stay connected with the Jewish community.

Celebrants also enjoyed “nibbles” provided by L’Chaim’s cook and a birthday cake baked by Nava Creative Kosher Cuisine. Annette Wertman entertained on the piano.

For more about L’Chaim, visit lchaim.ca.

Moishe House moves

Ben Groberman outside of Moishe House’s new location in the 41st and Granville neighborhood. (photo from Ben Groberman)

The Vancouver chapter of Moishe House has found a new home. It will be the third location since the local branch started here three and a half years ago.

Vancouver Moishe House is part of an international nonprofit organization. Originally started in Oakland, Calif., in 2006, the organization’s mission is to provide a gathering place for young Jewish students and professionals who are looking to engage with their peers in a non-formal setting. The houses are run by three to five local students – in Vancouver, it’s generally been four students – who get rent subsidies in exchange for planning and organizing weekly events. Currently, there are 77 chapters of Moishe House around the world. While more than 50 of them are in the United States, there are houses in 16 other countries, including two in Israel (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv) and two in Canada, the other house nationally being in Toronto.

The Vancouver house started in 2011 in East Vancouver, where it was active for two years, then it moved to Point Grey, gaining popularity with nearby University of British Columbia students. It’s now located in the Granville Street and 41st Avenue area.

One of the current residents, Ben Groberman, believes that the new location will offer opportunities to the house and its residents.

“We are very happy with our move,” said Groberman over the phone while unpacking boxes in his new room. “Most of our community members live along the Granville and Oak corridor; it will be convenient for them to join in.

“It also provides us with great opportunity to work with our community partners on some new ideas and programs that will draw new people to our events. We had a wonderful time at Point Grey, we had good connection with Hillel and the UBC students; now we hope to reach new people and engage with some new crowd.”

The new house also will allow the addition of another member to the core group and, in the coming weeks, there will be a change in residents. Two incoming members from Ontario will replace current residents returning to that province and the fifth member, who will join the house from California, will move in next month.

After settling in, Groberman promises to be in full action for the summer and beyond.

“The best way to join the events is to contact one of the house members over Facebook or join our email list,” he said. “We have events for all kinds of people, from Shabbat dinner, Sunday brunch, movie nights, feeding the hungry; we have Havdala parties on Saturday nights, BBQs, going to museums, galleries, watching sports together. It’s always changing, and you get to meet so many people, it’s an amazing experience. I feel very privileged to take part in it and love to share the experience with others.”

Moishe House is designed for Jewish people in their 20s and 30s but others are invited to join their activities by emailing [email protected].

Shahar Ben Halevi is a writer and filmmaker living in Vancouver.

Retiring from the JCC

In her retirement, Jocelyne Hallé plans to keep working as a photographer. (photo by Rachel Lando)

Members of the Vancouver Jewish community know Jocelyne Hallé. For years, she has been the official photographer of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, taking pictures at gala dinners and art presentations. As well, her smiling face and helpful optimism have enhanced the centre’s membership desk and greeted many members, new and old, whenever they enter the building. But, after June 25, she will no longer be there. She is retiring.

“I came to work at the JCC in 2001,” Hallé said in an interview with the Independent. “Before, I used to work for several engineering firms, as a translator or executive assistant, but, by 2001, I grew unhappy with my job. I wanted a change, so I applied to an employment agency.”

She had never thought about a job at the JCC. “My agent took me for an interview but she didn’t tell me where she was taking me,” Hallé recalled. “She just said it would be a new environment for me and that I would like it. She brought me to an interview with Gerry Zipursky [executive director of the centre at the time]. The interview lasted for two hours, the longest interview of my life, and, after that, he hired me to be his personal assistant.”

When she started her new job, Hallé didn’t know anything about the local Jewish community or Jewish culture, or even about working at a community centre in general.

“I asked him why he hired me, a non-Jew,” she said, wondering aloud. “But he said he only wanted his assistant to be competent and sensitive to the situation in the Middle East. I guess I was both, although I don’t remember talking much during the interview. He did most of the talking.”

She admitted that the adjustment period wasn’t easy. “I had to learn so much. But the more I learned about the community and the Jewish culture, the more I fell in love with it. When, in 2005, I went with the others for a working trip to Israel, I felt very comfortable, as if it was home.”

The year 2005 was a milestone for her in many respects. She took thousands of photographs in Israel, and the experience propelled her lifelong passion for photography to a new level. Her photos of Israel adorned an entire wall of the JCC atrium for three years. Her affection for the country and the people reverberated through the images she captured. “It was so gratifying to see people standing in front of that wall, looking at my pictures,” she said. (In 2009, Hallé landed a show at the JCC’s Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery. “My friends told me that if they didn’t know better and only judged by my photos, they would’ve thought Israel a green country,” she confided happily.)

Another, sadder event also happen in 2005 – she was diagnosed with breast cancer soon after she returned from Israel. “Cancer changed me, in a good way,” she said. “Contrary to everyone’s expectations, it was a positive experience. I realized what was important in life. I learned who was a real friend and who wasn’t. Before, I was working too much, always tired and heading for depression, but my illness gave me leave to take care of myself.”

She took time to recover and, after two years, returned to the JCC. Her former boss was no longer there, so she started working at the membership desk. “It was a different environment,” she explained. “I finally met many community members and I was away from all the politics. I loved it. Everyone was very friendly and helpful; I felt almost a part of the family.”

She continued learning about the community, immersing herself in the culture and traditions. “By now, I know so much about Jewish ways, people often ask me questions. I explain to them about Rosh Hashana and Shabbat and other celebrations. Many are surprised to learn that I’m not Jewish. To tell the truth, sometimes I feel that I’m kind of Jew-ish. We joke about it.”

In January this year, Hallé turned 60, and decided it was time to retire.

“In the last couple of years, a few of my friends died,” she shared. “It was very upsetting, but I’m alive. I’m ecstatic to be 60. I want to travel, to take some class, to work more on my photography. Recently, I went to Nicaragua for a month; I worked there as a volunteer and I want to do it again. I want to visit Galapagos and Kenya. I might volunteer with the JCC Seniors.”

Hallé is sure that her work for the JCC created an opportunity for her to develop as an artist photographer. With the support and encouragement of her colleagues and friends, she continues to explore her chosen art form. “I have nine photographic events booked this summer, right after I retire,” she said. “I’ll do a bar mitzvah, a wedding, a fundraiser, even a dance festival.”

Hallé’s plans are still in flux, but they expand every day, perhaps enough to fill the next 60 years.

To learn more about Hallé, the photographer, visit her website, jocelynehalle.com.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

A party for Hebrew Free Loan’s 100th

Hebrew Free Loan Association president Michelle Dodek, second from the right, with, left to right, past association presidents Errol Lipschitz, Diane Friedman and Mannie Druker. (photo by Dan Poh)

One hundred years of anything in Vancouver is fairly unusual. On May 7 at the newly rebuilt Beth Israel, the Vancouver Hebrew Free Loan Association celebrated the remarkable milestone of 100 years since it was originally founded.

In January 1915, the year that the Vancouver Millionaires won the Stanley Cup, a group of Jews gathered for the first meeting of the Vancouver HFLA. Designed to give interest-free loans to Jewish people starting out in the community, the association played an integral part in helping establish many early Jewish businesses and getting people settled here.

The HFLA Centennial Celebration reflected its grassroots beginning with a relaxed, different kind of evening. Casual picnic-chic décor and a picnic-style menu went with the fact that the event was held on Lag b’Omer. Greeting the guests were actors and musicians from the volunteer troupe Kol Halev. They were dressed in period costume and introduced themselves in character, sharing “their personal stories” as the founders of Jewish lending in Vancouver.

These actors provided an interactive beginning to an evening that was designed to raise the profile of HFLA. Through a multi-media approach, the event managed to educate those in attendance about the valuable role that interest-free loans play in Vancouver’s Jewish community.

photo - Members of the Kol Halev performance troupe, who represented the Jewish community at the time of Hebrew Free Loan Association’s founding 100 years ago
Members of the Kol Halev performance troupe, who represented the Jewish community at the time of Hebrew Free Loan Association’s founding 100 years ago. (photo by Dan Poh)

The program began with a short d’var Torah by Beth Israel Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, touching on the relationship between Lag b’Omer and interest-free lending. HFLA president Michelle Dodek followed the rabbi’s comments by explaining the three objectives of the event: to raise awareness in the community by sharing what HFLA does, to honor the donors and board members who have made the work of the organization possible, and to look to the future. She recognized the multi-generational links of those in attendance, including the remarkable fourth-generation connection of the three Krell sisters (Shoshana Lewis, Simone Kallner and Michaela Singerman), whose great-grandfather, David Davis, was a contributor to the original Vancouver HFLA kitty in 1915 and served as a trustee in 1931. Their grandfather, Charles Davis, was one of the founders of the re-creation of the organization in 1979.

Dodek’s speech was followed by a short video featuring two former borrowers, Mihael Mamychshvili, a prominent shiatsu therapist and Barbi Braude, a graphic designer. Joe Segal and Shirley Barnett shared their historical perspectives and goals for the organization.

Guests then heard from four borrowers whose lives were changed by the loans they received from HFLA. Successful entrepreneurs Zach Berman and Ryan Slater began their business, the Juice Truck, with help from HFLA. Val Lev Dolgin used an education loan to earn her master’s in counseling psychology; she now helps children who have survived physical and sexual abuse. George Medvedev, a neurologist, shared how he and his wife, a hematologist, used a loan to help them when they first arrived in Canada from the USSR almost 20 years ago.

Another story was read by a volunteer to respect the anonymity of the borrower because of the sensitive nature of her situation, while the story of former borrower Maxim Fomitchev was shared by his friend, Tobi Lennet. Briefly, Fomitchev, a deaf mime, while touring with his troupe of mime artists from the USSR in 1991, defected, accompanied by his performing partner. The two found themselves volunteering for Jewish Family Service Agency and, within two years, Fomitchev borrowed money for a car to get from one mime gig to another. He has since achieved one of the pinnacles of success for a mime – he is the head clown in Cirque de Soleil’s Las Vegas show, Zarkana.

The evening’s program ended with the educational element of the night, the stories of four “typical” borrowers: parents of a child needing counseling, a retired woman needing dental work, someone between jobs in a stressful situation and parents borrowing to finance a modest bar mitzvah. All of these stories served to drive home the significance of HFLA.

The HFLA Centennial Celebration was a chance to celebrate a significant milestone in the community, raise awareness of an organization that is “the best kept secret” in Vancouver while recognizing donors and volunteers who make it all happen. The message for the future is that HFLA is looking for borrowers. For more information on how to apply for a loan, to watch the HFLA video or to find out about how the organization works, check out its newly revamped website at hfla.ca.