Several Vancouverites traveled to Siberia to see members of the Jewish community, which the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver helps support. (photo from Michael Moscovich)
Last September, a group of seven travelers
representing the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver set off on an
expedition to the far east of Siberia. Jews going to Siberia? Had to be a very
good reason. And there was.
For more than a decade, the Jewish Federation,
in partnership with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), has
been contributing to the support of Jews in need, wherever they may live in the
world. Federation’s Israel and overseas committee chose to help the closest
Jewish communities in abject poverty and those are in Siberia’s far east.
Khabarovsk is the main city in the area and Birobidzhan is the capital of the
Jewish republic, or oblast, of Russia. Jewish republic! Long story.
The Russian city of Khabarovsk. (photo from Michael Moscovich)
Khabarovsk is about the size of Winnipeg and
the winters are about the same, only a little colder – when we were there in
the fall, it was generally above 20°C. Birobidzhan has a population of only
about 75,000 and both cities are located by very large rivers. Each has a new
synagogue/community centre.
The synagogue in Birobidzhan. (photo from Michael Moscovich)
In Siberia, the younger people have jobs and
seem to do well, but the pensioners are lost. Their pensions may have been
adequate 20 years ago but the ruble has fallen to two cents. Their income is
maybe $20 to $40 a month. Their choice is to feed themselves, heat their home
or buy their medicines. Through the JDC, Federation makes it possible to do all
three by supplementing their monthly income. It also supports people with
disabilities who are unable to work.
I am a founding member of Federation and its
Israel and overseas committee, and have visited Jewish communities in Poland,
western Russia, Austria, Morocco and Cuba. No Vancouver representative had
visited our Siberian partners before to see what we’re helping to accomplish.
The trip was very rewarding. We saw signs of the rebirth of Siberian Jewish
life.
The Russian city of Khabarovsk. (photo from Michael Moscovich)
Biribojan, in Yiddish. (photo from Michael Moscovich)
Most of the people we met were not English
speakers, but we had enough interpreters that language was never a problem. We
were also bonded by Yiddishkeit, though the community had had no Jewish
education or ceremonies for decades, since Stalin decided to ban the Jewish
part of the Jewish republic. No one even spoke a word of Yiddish – this in a
place where there was a thriving Yiddish-based culture until the 1950s. But the
street signs in Birobidzhan are still written in Yiddish and there are other
symbols of Jewish life, such as a menorah on the monument at the train station.
During our visit, we joined in baking challot
and delivered them to elderly widows. Upon entering one home, our hostess
staggered and almost collapsed. Subsequently, whenever she looked at me she
blanched and teared up. I asked what was the matter and she said I looked so
much like her father it was like seeing a ghost. She showed me pictures of him
and, indeed, he was a handsome devil and doppelgänger.
There are maybe 15,000 Jews left in the area.
All have the option of relocating to Israel and most have. However, one guy
returned, as there was no ice fishing in Israel. Another returned as a Chabad
rabbi to lead the Birobidzhan congregation. A young woman came back to be with
her grandmother. So many stories.
The elderly spoke to us of the war and
survival. I asked what happens to the non-Jewish people in similar
circumstances with no outside support. They just died, was the reply. We are
truly saving lives.
Video Interaction Project coach Jenny Arevalo in action. (photo by Andy Reichsman/Ames Hill Productions)
With the ever-increasing number and variety of
screens and gadgets grabbing our attention, pediatricians are asking us to take
a step back. Some are even leading a counter-movement, warning parents and
caregivers of the harm these technologies are inflicting on children.
Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, a general and
developmental behavioural pediatrician, is an associate professor of pediatrics
and population health at New York University’s School of Medicine and Bellevue
Hospital Centre.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics published a
statement designed to help pediatricians and parents think about toys for their
children, in an era where toys have really evolved,” Mendelsohn told the Independent.
“A very significant concern is that toys with bells and whistles, so to speak –
with electronic gadgetry on the one hand or apps designed to engage children on
the other – are likely to have very limited, if any, benefit to very young
children.”
Mendelsohn has been working to use the
pediatric primary care centre to support parenting activities most likely to
help children’s development and school readiness. This has led to other
programs, like Reach and Read and the Video Interaction Project, both of which
teach parents the importance of reading and playing with their kids.
“We still have the same kinds of toys we’ve had
in the past – simple, pretend kinds of toys,” said Mendelsohn. “But, at the
same time, digital toys have become a high level of focus and priorities for
many families. And, that’s in part as a result of the extensive messaging taking
place about how electronics can be so important for children, and how apps and
computers are going to help children learn.”
Dr. Alan Mendelsohn (photo courtesy Alan Mendelsohn)
According to Mendelsohn, there is limited or
possibly even no good scientific evidence that screens can be beneficial for
children under the age of 2 – with the possible exception of video chats in
which the screen is functioning as an opportunity for interaction with family
members that otherwise would not take place.
At the same time, he said, there is extensive
data documenting that electronic add-ons, and screens more broadly, have a
great deal of potential for harm.
“This is true for children of all ages, but
it’s especially true for very young infants, toddlers and children who have not
entered school yet … for whom that screen time … not only can lead to
developmental challenges … but it can actually interfere with play and with
parents being able to engage together with their children in the kind of rich,
language-based interaction that advances children’s development,” said Mendelsohn.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
that children under 2 have no screen time, other than the aforementioned video
chats. For children 2 and older, they recommend limiting screen time to one
hour or less, and having that screen time be high-quality, i.e. educational,
programming.
“This limited screen time should be used as an
opportunity for interacting, rather than viewing it as an opportunity for
babysitting, which is how it’s often used and viewed by parents,” said
Mendelsohn.
“Parents using screen time as a distracter is
not necessarily a bad thing…. The academy recognizes, and I think the
pediatric community recognizes, just how hard it is to be a parent, especially
of a young child. Parents spend the day working and come home to chores,
housework and all kinds of things. Obviously, screen time can be very helpful
to parents in that way. But, it’s important that parents realize the potential
for harm to their children – recognize that screen time is unlikely to be
beneficial for their children.”
Mendelsohn recommends that parents find
opportunities to play with their kids and read books with them, as these
activities are likely to improve their child’s development and help create a
positive parent-child bond.
“The important thing here is that excessive
screen time, regardless of age, has the potential to lead to problems and
challenges for children by interfering with their capacity to pay attention
once they start school, as well as by causing challenges with their capacity to
regulate their own behaviour and learn in school,” said Mendelsohn.
Schools are using more and more screens and
technology, and Mendelsohn doesn’t condemn the use of screens and technology in
an educational, monitored setting. Rather, monitored use should extend into the
home.
“Parents face a great deal of challenges as
they seek to do that,” he said. “The important thing is for parents to be aware
and to work, particularly as their children get older, to monitor their
children’s screen time and to interact with their children when screen time is
taking place, especially higher quality kinds of programming.
“Equally important is for parents look for
opportunities to turn the screen off … to have those opportunities every day,
whether through reading books together or playing together – always aiming to
have quality time.”
Electronic games are not all created equal and
those that are engaging and interactive, that foster playing with others –
qualities many board games possess – are likely not harmful and might even be
good.
“There are not clear answers,” said Mendelsohn.
“But, what is clear is that screen time can be overwhelming in time, and that
parents have difficulty limiting it. Limiting and monitoring it is the key to
having screen time be one of many components of a child’s life as she or he
grows into school age versus becoming the most prominent part of the child’s
life.”
Mendelsohn suggested that parents ask their
pediatricians for advice.
“Pediatricians are there as a resource for
parents,” he said. “Parents should raise these issues with their pediatricians,
and they’ll enjoy the conversations and guidance they receive.”
Milk
and Honey Distillery was established in 2012. (photo by Dave Gordon)
The Milk and Honey Distillery’s first
three-year-old batch of whisky is about to be officially tapped, to appear in
150 locations across Israel, as well as the Netherlands, Belgium and
Luxembourg. And plans are in the works to bring the product to North America.
Current output is estimated at about a million bottles.
Milk and Honey’s founders sought to piggyback
on what appears to be a trend of people wanting to try certain drinks from
places that are not typically known for making them.
“Whisky consumption is seeing a big shift
happening all over the world now,” Milk and Honey chief executive officer Eitan
Attir told the Independent.
For decades, four countries have ruled the
whisky industry – Ireland, Scotland, United States and Canada. But many
customers are seeking uniqueness.
“It’s what we call a ‘new world’ whisky,” said
Attir. “So, now you can find more and more countries, that never had a history
of whisky, doing it.”
Proof of Israel’s new world whisky popularity was
evident even before the first ounce of Milk and Honey’s product was officially
available. In 2017, the distillery filled 391 bottles with its initial
three-year-old whisky single malt. Head distiller Tomer Goren created the batch
in his workshop, and it was aged in the distillery.
Bottles numbered 1 through 100 were sold on the
Whisky Auctioneer website and more than 30,000 people bid on the bottles. The
“number one” bottle was bought for $3,000 US and number two, about $2,500 US.
The rest were sold for about $750 US each. Stock sold out in three months.
“That was a huge surprise, not only
business-wise, but also the attention it got,” Attir said. Several media took
notice: the New York Times, Boston Herald, CNBC and NBC, among others.
Fast forward a year to 2018, and the company’s
“triple cask” – a combination of previously red wine, bourbon and Islay
barreled whisky – won best in show and second place at Whisky Life Tel Aviv.
Its competitors were 15-, 18- and 20-year-old beverages from many different popular
brands.
How Milk and Honey got there was as much a
blend of perfect ingredients as a premier blended whisky.
In 2012, the company was started by Gal Kalkshtein, Milk and Honey’s owner, and five friends, all previously in the Israeli tech and startup industry. With their million-dollar investment, the friends turned a former bakery into a distillery in 2014. (For more on the distillery, see jewishindependent.ca/israels-first-whisky-distillery.)
“We were the first ones here, so there really
was no one to ask about how to build a distillery. So, they traveled all around
Scotland and studied a lot,” said Gal Levin, manager of the visitor centre, who
oversees business development.
Then came the parts: a tailor-made whisky pot
still and a vintage still, each constructed in accordance with Scottish
coppersmith tradition. The wash drum was found online, on a German website – it
was sitting in a barn in Romania (Transylvania, to be exact).
“The guys traveled all the way there to see it
and buy it,” said Levin. “They weren’t sure it was going to work. They bought
it, brought it here, and fixed it. We still don’t know who made it and for
what. It’s mysterious. It’s working, and that’s the most important thing.”
During renovations, they began tinkering with
what recipes to use. In 2013, they hired two professionals. One was Scottish
master distiller Dr. James Swan, who guided the company on research and
development. His experience included advising distilleries and brands all over
the world, from Jim Beam to Chivas. As well, he had expertise in aging and
distilling in other hot climates, like Taiwan and India.
The second person hired was Goren, who was
studying for his master’s distiller degree in Scotland. (He is also a judge at
international whisky competitions.)
“We chose to adopt very strict regulations of
the Scottish method, that allows us to connect with the Scottish tradition, and
also so our whisky will be considered ‘whisky’ in many places around the
world,” said Levin.
Milk and Honey Distillery makes whisky, gin and a liqueur. (photo by Dave Gordon)
Whisky, by definition, is made with four
ingredients: malted barley, yeast, water and the barrel. Milk and Honey
maintains the tradition, with no added ingredients. Barrel selection included
casks previously used for bourbon, a collection of new oak barrels, and former
wine barrels (all kosher).
“We are aging for a minimum of three years
before we call the product ‘whisky.’ That’s an important rule. Of course, in
Scotland, the whisky is called ‘scotch.’ We don’t do that,” said Levin.
As an added plus, Israel’s climate allows for
relatively quicker fermentation, up to two and a half times faster than that of
Scotland, according to Milk and Honey. That means an Israeli three-year bottle
might taste like a six-year bottle from the Highlands.
And Milk and Honey doesn’t only make whisky –
they also produce gin and a liqueur.
The gin is spiced with and inspired by Israeli
ingredients. The Levantine gin, for example, contains za’atar, orange slices,
lemon peels, black pepper, cinnamon, chamomile and lemon verbena. The Roots
liqueur has typical Holy Land flavourings: almond, savory, coriander, jasmine,
tarragon, thyme and cardamom.
With all of this deliciousness, that’s
something to say “l’chaim” to!
Dave Gordonis a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications around the world.
Union for Reform Judaism will be
closing down their summer camp for teen leadership development: Kutz Camp, in
Warwick, N.Y. (photo from onehappycampernj.org)
It’s that time of year again – when it’s too
cold in Winnipeg sometimes to go to synagogue. For many folks, this never
happens! For others, they never intended to go in the first place. Others would
like to attend, but aren’t well enough to leave home when it’s frigid.
Once, my twins, age 2, wanted to go to a
Shabbat family service when the temperature was ridiculously cold. With wind
chill, it was below -40. We bundled them up, got outside (we don’t have a garage),
seat belted them in and, though the cars were plugged in, car #1 wouldn’t
start.
Our hands were stiff with cold as we took off
our mitts, got the twins out of their car seats and into the other car, and
then? Car #2 wouldn’t start either. Dang.
We grabbed the kids, rushed back indoors, and
they screamed. No services. What would we do? We streamed a service from my
parents’ Virginia congregation online. The screaming stopped. The kids were
transfixed.
Sometimes, streaming services at home is the
only answer. However, it’s not the same as being there. No one knows whether
you stand up and sit down. And if you sing along? You’re all alone doing it. If
the streaming has a hiccup, well, I’ve been known to give up. (I’d only “give
up” in person if my kids disrupted things.)
So, it’s fair to say that technology offers
amazing benefits, but it’s not being there in the flesh. There are rabbinic
discussions on why streaming doesn’t fulfil certain mitzvot and, of course, it
certainly doesn’t abide by the traditional things you can “do” on Shabbat.
Why bring this up? I recently learned that the
Union for Reform Judaism will be closing down their summer camp for teen
leadership development: Kutz Camp, in Warwick, N.Y. In the press release
announcing its reluctant close, the Reform movement noted that, in its 54
years, the camp has been a living laboratory. Some of the best and most
innovative Reform Jewish experiences happen there. However, today’s teens seek
experiences closer to home, and at different times during the year.
As a camper for two years and a staff member
for one, Kutz offered me the opportunity both to learn a marketable skill and
to wrestle deeply with Jewish music, texts and tradition. The marketable skill,
song leading, allowed me to earn money teaching music at summer camps, at
religious schools and in adult education classes for years. It helped cover
expenses during my undergraduate and graduate degrees. It offered me a great
deal of joy and spiritual meaning. I helped create kid communities who sang
their way right through services together.
I also joined a program called Torah Corps,
which allowed me to study and learn Torah and commentary every camp day with
other similarly motivated teenagers. It was a meaningful endeavour, and it gave
me an opportunity to feel less alone about my passion for both Jewish text and
prayer.
The people who attended Kutz Camp over the
years went on to be real leaders, not just in their congregations, but also in
the larger Jewish community and beyond. Every so often, I hear a name pop up
and I remember someone from summer camp. These are people who make change in
the world far beyond a single summer experience. For instance, Debbie Friedman
(z”l), the famous song leader and Jewish musician, got her start at Kutz Camp.
Dr. Andy Rehfeld, the newly appointed president
for the Reform movement’s seminary and graduate school, HUC-JIR, was an admired
mentor and song leader of mine at Kutz Camp. For years, I toted around cassette
tapes that recorded the entire NFTY Chordster, an encyclopedic “real
book” for Reform Jewish song leaders. I used a Walkman, boom box and car
stereo. I learned every single melody that Andy sang into that recording.
When I Googled Andy’s name, three or four other
names from camp popped up – all are now rabbis, cantors, educators or other
leaders. Kutz Camp was an incubator. It attracted teenagers from all over the
United States, Canada, England, Israel and elsewhere. Through Kutz Camp, I had
contacts all over the continent (and beyond) for quite awhile. When I went far
away from home to attend Cornell University in upstate New York, I wasn’t
alone! I went with several dear friends from camp.
I’m sad that Kutz Camp will close. It’s sited
in a beautiful place, though the buildings were falling down even when I was
there, around 30 years ago. However, just as online streaming has changed our
options when it comes to attending services or Jewish learning online, it has
also taken away the need for some families to send their kids away to camp.
But those face-to-face leadership incubators –
Jewish summer camps – are priceless. I met people from all over the world at
Kutz, just as I knew teenagers who did the same at USY, Habonim Dror and other
camps.
We give up some things when we stay home. Maybe
it’s the casual exchanges at shul that we miss. Or that we can’t hear everyone
singing harmonies around us in the Kutz Camp congregation. Or perhaps it’s
missing a lifelong friendship or even a spouse you might have met at camp.
Sometimes, it’s just better to be there in person. (Assuming your car will
start!)
Joanne Seiffhas written for CBC Manitoba and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. See more about her at joanneseiff.blogspot.com.
BaMidbar students hike in all weather conditions, learning to live and care for themselves in outdoor environments. (photo from BaMidbar)
When she was 15 years old, now-camp director
Jory Hanselman had some family members who were struggling with mental illness
and addiction. At the same time, a couple of close friends passed away in
pretty quick succession. Hanselman was struggling to cope, until her parents
sent her to a wilderness therapy program.
“It was an extremely transformative experience
for me,” Hanselman told the Independent. “I was there over Passover and
so, while the program I was at was not in the least bit Jewish, my identity as
a Jew was really central to what I experienced and got from it.
“I really connected it to the narrative, and
thinking about finding my freedom from narrow places and overcoming obstacles
I’ve faced in life. So, I looked into how I could become more involved in
wilderness programs.”
In college, Hanselman spent summers at Ramah in
the Rockies and saw firsthand the beautiful integration of Jewish learning via
meaningful, outdoor-based experiences. And, when Ramah in the Rockies started
exploring the idea of opening a Jewish wilderness therapy program, their
director reached out to Hanselman, knowing that she had been working in the
field. Hanselman was asked to provide input on how to build a therapy program.
“They decided they would move forward and
officially create BaMidbar and so I came on board at that time, in September
2016, to help move the program from a space of ideas to implementation and actuality,”
she said.
One great thing about its location – literally,
in the wilderness – is that it’s only an hour-and-a-half drive from Denver,
Colo. However, said Hanselman, “To give you a perspective, we are an hour drive
from cell service in any direction.”
The therapy retreat is for Jews from 18 to 28
years old who are struggling with mild to moderate social and behavioural
challenges, including depression, general anxiety, social anxiety and more. The
young adults in the program have reached the tipping point where the issues are
getting in the way of their being able to fully engage with the people and
things around them in life.
“We also see lots of folks who have
co-occurring substance abuse disorders, who are also using substances in
addition to working through challenges associated with other mental health
challenges,” said Hanselman.
Staff member Cliff Stockton teaches primitive fire building skills to students at BaMidbar. (photo from BaMidbar)
“The idea of wilderness therapy (WT) is using
wilderness- and adventure-based experiences as the vehicle for therapy, to
grow. So, we joke a lot in the WT industry that it’s not about doing therapy in
the wilderness, it’s about doing wilderness-based therapy. It’s not just going
out and meeting with a clinician in a wilderness-based setting; it’s really
using that experiential environment as a vehicle for working through different
therapeutic concepts.”
The BaMidbar program involves the whole family.
While students work with an individual therapist, their family is having weekly
phone meetings with the therapist who, in turn, also works with the field staff
to implement a treatment plan.
“So, our students are learning how to, for
example, build a fire with friction, and they use this opportunity to build
primitive skills to challenge themselves,” said Hanselman. “They learn what
tools they need to work through and understand what they’re capable of.
“Wilderness-based experiences are used as
metaphors and storytelling to support our students in connecting what is
happening in the wilderness environment to life outside the program.”
The small-group environment at the camp is used
as a way to help campers learn and rebuild communication skills and other
tools.
“We provide feedback and strong support for
them, as they determine how to have healthy emotional responses to different
stressful situations, or anger management strategies, and things like that,”
said Hanselman.
While there are many WT camps, BaMidbar is
possibly the only one that uses a Jewish lens and framework in everything they
do, including using the Jewish calendar as an opportunity to look at topics
that are thematically relevant to campers.
“To give an example, for Passover last year,
every day we had a theme we focused on that tied to the Passover narrative, as
well as our student therapeutic journey,” said Hanselman. “Day One, we focused
on our narrow place. Day Two, we talked about the story of Nachshon Ben
Aminadav … jumping into the unknown and what it might look like to take a
leap of faith and know that you need to change your situation, even if you
don’t know what the future holds. Day Three, we looked at manna in the desert
and talked about what sustains you physically, metaphorically, spiritually. Day
Four, we talked about receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai and did a summit hike,
talking about our personal value systems, what we live by, things like that.”
With BaMidbar being a kosher camp, Shabbat is a
break from the routine, which, in this case, is wilderness. On Shabbat, they
spend time in a cabin, while still studying texts through the lens of how they
are relevant to one’s life. This is the perfect time, said Hanselman, to talk
about family. For instance, “because, throughout Genesis, that revolves around
challenging family dynamics…. I always joke that Abraham was the first
wilderness therapy participant. He leaves everything he’s familiar with and
goes off into the wilderness on this journey of self-discovery. So, we do a lot
of programming around Shabbat.”
BaMidbar’s program is rooted in Jewish ritual. Here the BaMidbar community celebrates Havdalah. (photo from BaMidbar)
BaMidbar (which means “in
the desert” in Hebrew) is non-denominational and the organizers are dedicated
to meeting every student where they are in their unique journey, recognizing
and honouring that it can be very different for each individual.
“We are very dedicated to making sure that
students understand that our goal is to explore meaning, values and purpose
through a Jewish lens – not to tell them how to live Jewishly or what that
ideal Jewish life might look like,” said Hanselman. “That’s not our goal. Our
goal is to look at the wisdom Jewish tradition provides and to support students
for whole health wellness.”
Participants can expect 10 to 12 weeks in the
wilderness (Shabbat in a two-room cabin). Groups are small, with a current
maximum of eight individuals, and the program runs year-round.
In winter, said Hanselman, “We fully outfit our
students, so they receive all their gear from us. We make sure they have what
they need to be safe and warm in a wilderness environment. We have a lot of
staff practices around safety and support in that winter environment, and then
we have tents that have wood stoves in them when it gets below a certain
temperature.”
The camp fee is around $3,500 US per week. A
nonprofit, the BaMidbar program offers scholarships and works with every
family, regardless of their financial situation. Currently, about 75% of
students receive scholarships provided mainly by private donors and
foundations.
While BaMidbar has received many inquiries from
Canadian families, they have not had any Canadian participants. “But, we can
work with them – from Canada, or Israel, or other countries,” said Hanselman.
“We just haven’t yet.”
קרן הקיימת בקנדה הפסיקה להעביר תרומות
לפרוייקטים צבאיים בישראל לאור חקירה מתמשכת של רשות המיסוי הקנדית (סי.אר.איי). זאת
עלי פי תחקיר של רשת השידור הטלוויזיה של קנדה (הסי.בי.סי).
רשות המיסוי הקנדית בודקת מזה מספר שנים את פעילותה
של קרן קיימת קנדה, לאור מידע שהתקבל לידיה כי הארגון עבר על כללי המס הקנדי למתן
תרומות מצד קרנות צדקה. קרן קיימת קנדה כך התברר תרמה כספים לפרוייקטים הקשורים
לצה”ל בניגוד לכללי המס בקנדה. במקרה כזה קרן קיימת קנדה לא זכאית לפטור במס,
וכן גם התורמים שלה עצמם לא זכאים לפטורים במס.
יש לציין כי קרן קייימת קנדה לא העבירה תרומות
לרכישת ציוד צבאי לצה”ל, אלה תמכה בעיקר פרוייקטים ותשתיות צבאיות, לשיפור הביטחון
וחיי הקהילה של החיילים במדים ובני משפחותיהם, אך לפי חוקי המיסוי בקנדה גם זה
אסור. מנכ”ל קרן קיימת קנדה לאנס דיוויס לא ענה על בקשתי באמצעות אימייל, לקבל
את תגובתו בנושא המדובר.
דיוויס כן הודיע לכתב חדשות של רשת השידור
הקנדית כי קרן קיימת קנדה הודיעה לתורמיה, כי היא הפסיקה לתמוך בפרוייקטים צבאיים
בישראל כבר לפני כשנתיים. זאת, לאחר שהתברר לארגון כי הוא נמצא תחת ביקורת של רשות
המיסוי הקנדית.
לפי מסמכים ופרסומים רבים של קרן קיימת קנדה,
הארגון תמך לאורך השנים בפרוייקטים רבים הקשורים בצה”ל וחייליו. ובהם: פיתוח
של בסיס הדרכה בנגב. פיתוח של כיתות לימוד, אולם אירועים וחדר הקרנות בסיס של חיל
הים בבת גלים. שיפוץ והרחבת אולם אירועים ומועדון לחיילים בבסיסי חיל האוויר
בפלמחים ונבטים. הקמת מגרש משחקים עבור ילדים (שמתגוררים עם בני משפחותיהם) בבסיס
חצרים של חיל האוויר. שידרוג מרכז מבקרים, שיפוץ הכיכר המרכזית והמרכז ארצי
לאימונים בבסיס צאלים. הקמת מתקני נוחות לחיילים בשדה תל נוף של חיל האוויר. עזרה
בהקמת כביש ביטחוני בקדש ברנע (ליד הגבול המצרי) לשיפור הנגישות לכוחות הביטחון של
ישראל. עבודות לשיפור כבישים ביטחוניים של כוחות הביטחון באזורי הגבול בנגב
המערבי. בניית נקודות מפגש ירוקות בבסיסים צבאיים לאפשר לחיילים לראות את בני
משפחתם בנוחות. וכן עזרה ותמיכה בצעירים בבתי הספר התיכוניים במסגרת הכשרתם הקדם
צבאית (פרוייקט גדנ”ע).
עוד מתברר שקרן קיימת קנדה תמכה אף בפרוייקטים
ששנמצאים מעבר לקו הירוק. ממשלת קנדה מתנגדת לבנייה ישראלית של התנחלויות כשטחים הכבושים
לדבריה, שהן הפרה של אמנת ג’נבה הרביעית. עוד קובעת ממשלת קנדה כי:
“ההתנחלויות הישראליות בשטחים הן המכשלון חמור להשגת שלום כולל, צודק ובר
קיימא”. בית המשפט בקנדה קבע כי ארגוני צדקה קנדיים לא יכולים לפעול בניגוד
למדיניות הציבור.
בין פרוייקטים בשטחים שמעבר לקו הירוק שקרן
קיימת קנדה תמכה בהם: פיתוח החפירות הארכיאולוגיות של האולם המרכזי במנהרות הכותל
בירושלים, העברה של תרומות לפני כארבע שנים לרכישת כלים להכנת הקרקע לבניית מאחז בגבעת
עוז, שהוגדר אפילו על ידי ממשלת ישראל כבלתי חוקי. ופיתוח הפרוייקט הגדול ביותר של
הארגון הקנדי בישראל – פארק קנדה ליד לטרון. רופא קנדי (בפנסיה) שנולד באחד הכפרים
הפלסטינים עליו נבנה פארק קנדה, התלוננן פני רשות המיסים הקנדית על תרומות של קרן
קיימת קנדה לפרוייקט.
יצויין כי במאי לפני כשנתיים ביקרה בישראל משלחת
של קרן קיימת קנדה, ברשות דיוויס. חברי המשלחת ביקרו בין היתר בבסיס צה”ל
בצהלים ובבסיס משמר הגבול במכמש, שאליהם הועברו תרומות מהארגון.
סיפור מעצרה של סמנכ”לוואווי מנג וואנג’או שמואשמת בקנוניה להונות מוסדות בינ”ל גורם למשבר ביחסי סיןעם ארה”ב וקנדה. (צילום: Roni Rachmani)
סיפור מעצרה של סמנכ”ל הכספים של וואויי,
מנג וואנג’או, בשדה התעופה הבינלאומי של ונקובר בראשון לחודש, זכה לכותרות נרחבות
בכל רחבי העולם. מעבר לכך הוא גרם למשבר ביחסים של סין עם ארה”ב וקנדה.
לאחר שלושה ימים של דיונים משפטיים ארוכים בבית
המשפט העליון של מחוז בריטיש קולומביה, הצליחה וואנג’או (בת הארבעים ושש) לקבל
שחרור על תנאי. עתה היא ממתינה לדיון המשפטי בבקשת ארצות הברית להסגירה לידיה.
לאמריקנים יש חודשיים ימים להגיש את הבקשה. צפוי שהדיון המשפטי בסוגיה זו ימשך
חודשים ארוכים ואולי אף שנים. וואנג’או שהופכת עתה שלא ביוזמתה להיות תושבת של
ונקובר כנראה לתקופה ארוכה מאוד, מתעדת לעשות בזמן החופשי הרב שצפוי לה דוקטורט
באוניברסיטה של בריטיש קולומביה ואולי אף לכתוב ספר.
תנאי השחרור על תנאי של סמנכ”ל הכספים של
ענקית התקשורת הסינית וואווי וסגן יו”ר מועצת המנהלים, לא פשוטים כלל ועיקר.
היא חוייבה להפקיד בבית המשפט ערבות גבוהה בגובה עשרה מיליון דולר. כן היה עליה
להפקיד את כל הדרכונים שבידיה. וואנג’או תוכל לנוע רק באזור מטרו ונקובר אך נאסר
עליה להתקרב לשדה התעופה הבינ”ל. מוצמדת לה אבטחה מרגע שהיא עוזבת את ביתה היוקרתי
בצד המערבי של ונקובר. וזאת במימון שלה כשלפי הערכה מינימלית מדובר בלמעלה מאלף
דולר ליום בודד. כן הוצמד לרגלה צמיד אלקטרוני. על וואנג’או להישאר במעצר בית בכל שעות
לילה, החל מאחת עשרה ועד שש בבוקר שלמחרת. בנוסף יש חמישה אנשים שהתחייבו אישית שהיא
לא תברח לסין, בהם בעלה, הבעלים של חברת האבטחה שתלווה אותה וסוכן הנדל”ן שלה
בוונקובר.
(צילום: Roni Rachmani)
התביעה בניו יורק הוציאה צו מעצר לוואנג’או (בתו
של מייסד וואווי הביליונר רן זנפיי) באוגוסט, בטענה שהיא עקפה את הסקנציות
האמריקניות על איראן, ועשתה עימה עסקים באמצעות חברת מדף מהונג קונג בשם סקאי.קום,
בשנים אלפיים ותשע-אלפיים וארבע עשרה. זאת תוך שהיא מציגה מצג שווא לבנקים
האמריקנים שסקאי.קום כביכול היא חברה נפרדת מוואווי, למרות שלטענת האמריקנים מדובר
באותה חברה. התביעה הקנדית ציינה שוואנג’או נמנעה מלטוס לארה”ב לאחר שהבינה
שיש חקירה פלילית בעניינה. היא נעצרה בוונקובר לבקשת האמריקנים, עת החליפה מטוס
בטיסה מהונג קונג למקסיקו. באם תורשע וואנג’או בארה”ב היא צפויה לעונש מאסר
של עד שלושים שנים.
פרשת וואנג’או יצרה משבר גדול ביחסי ארה”ב וסין על רקע בעיות המסחר
בין שתי המדינות שרק הולך מתעצם. הסינים מצידם החליטו בשלב זה לפגוע בקנדה והם
עצרו את הדיפלומט הקנדי לשעבר, מייקל קובריג, שעבד בעבר בשירות הציבורי הקנדי כעשר
שנים (שכלל את הקונסוליה בהונג קונג, בייג’ינג וכן שימש כחבר במשלחת קנדה
לאו”ם בניו יורק). הוא שימש יועץ לראש הממשלה ג’סטין טרודו, עת ביקר בהונג
קונג לפני כשנתיים. כיום משמש קובריג אנליסט ואסטרטג של פוליטיקה בינלאומית, בצומת
של תקשורת, פוליטיקה כלכלה וביטחון גלובלי.
נשיא ארה”ב דונלד טראמפ, שפועל כהרגלו בניגוד לכל מה שמנהיג במעמדו
צריך לעשות, הזדרז להכריז כי יתערב בפרשת וואנג’או וידאג שתשוחרר לחלוטין, אם הדבר
יעזור לארה”ב להשיג הסכם סחר חדש עם סין. זאת בניגוד גמור לעמדת ממשלת קנדה כפי
שנמסרה לממשלת סין, שפרשת וואנג’או קשורה למערכת המשפט בלבד, והמערכת הפוליטית לא
מעורבת בה כלל כיאה לכל מדינת חוק. אך טראמפ כמו טראמפ מצפצף על כולם וגם על החוק.
Marianne Hladun, second from the right, and fellow delegation member Melanie McConnell (chair of Women of Steel committee for USW Local 7619, Kamloops, B.C.), fifth from the right, at the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity in 2016. The other women are volunteers who work to promote unions in the factories, and health and safety. (photo from NCJWC Winnipeg)
The Winnipeg section of National Council of Jewish Women of Canada is opening Canadians’ eyes to yet another critical, yet often overlooked, worldwide dilemma – that of garment workers’ working conditions.
Part of its focus on fair trade, NCJWC partnered with Congregation Shaarey Zedek Sisterhood to bring a national expert on the topic to Winnipeg for a speaking engagement on Dec. 13 at the synagogue. Event organizer Sharon Graham and guest speaker Marianne Hladun, regional executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, spoke with the Jewish Independent before that talk.
Originally from Toronto, Graham moved to Winnipeg 12 years ago, and joined the local NCJWC in 2016, serving as the volunteer secretary.
“I became interested in this topic around 2017,” she said. “There were a lot of reports in the news and radio about a new union-led report on supply chain transparency in the garment and footwear industry.”
Large retailers like Canadian Tire, Sport Chek and many others have made it hard for consumers to know where the products they sell are made, said Graham. It is a common tactic of most large retailers, so that individual manufacturers can’t dictate prices and product availability. However, there are other impacts.
A factory in downtown Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2016. (photo from NCJWC Winnipeg)
“This way, you don’t really know where their items are made. And, because you don’t know which factory they’re made in, there’s no way to tell under what conditions they’re made,” said Graham. “So, I wrote a letter to Canadian Tire and, to their credit, they sent me the name and I looked them up online. There are websites you can look up online to see manufacturers – what kind of record they have for labour rights, or for transparency about labour rights, like, if they allow outsiders into their factory.”
For Graham, the subject is also personal. “If you’re an Ashkenazi Jew,” she said, “you probably have an ancestor or ancestors who’ve worked in the garment trade. For me, it was my grandfather and great-grandfather on different sides. And, for both those men, the garment trade brought them a good living. My great-grandfather did really well in furs and my grandfather had a good living as a patterner in the garment trade.”
In her capacity at PSAC, which is a federal union representing about 180,000 members across Canada, Hladun said, “I represent about 21,000 members in the Prairies and, as part of that responsibility, I was able to participate in a mission to Bangladesh in February 2016, following the Savar plant collapse disaster, which was on April 24, 2013.”
The Savar building was a workplace for thousands of garment workers. In the collapse, 1,134 people died and approximately 2,500 were injured.
Following the tragedy, a legally binding accord was drawn up on fire and building safety in Bangladesh. The accord was an agreement between global brands, retailers and trade unions, and set for five years, after which time, the operations and oversight would be transferred to the government.
“Coming from a country like Canada, where we do have a true democracy, corruption doesn’t come to our mind first and foremost when we’re talking about government and workers,” said Hladun. “But, when you go to a country like Bangladesh, you realize very quickly that their parliament is basically garment manufacturer factory owners. So, there seems to be no one that’s working for the workers. That was something that a lot of us had a hard time really comprehending – that no one has your back.”
During the visit in 2016, Hladun found that, in factories of brands that had signed the accord, changes were being made. But, the factories that had not signed it were continuing with business as usual.
“Keep in mind that very few factories are actually part of the accord,” said Hladun. “But, the ones that were part of it had started remediation. They had done the inspections and, basically, if the certified building inspector there on behalf of the accord says a factory doesn’t have a fire sprinkler system and needs to instal one, they will tell them so.
“Then, the brand is responsible to work with the factory owner, and the brand is actually taking responsibility by funding the remediation. And, we’re starting to see some of that work happening. It was slow, as it took awhile to get the inspections done. But, it was starting to happen [in 2016]. I think there were about 1,400 factories covered, out of about 5,000, at that time.”
According to Hladun, the Bangladesh high courts are now forcing the accord to close their main office in Dhaka. The plan was to have a transition accord wherein, over the next couple of years, the office would aim to transfer everything to the government and a national agency would continue this work. But, as a result of a lot of political pressure, it appears that the government would rather eliminate the accord.
“There is a lot of pressure,” said Hladun. “Canada’s high commissioners sent a letter in October to several of the ministers in the Bangladesh government, urging them to override the court and to legislate that the accord stay in place until the transition to the government body is done … because the work is nowhere near ready.”
If the accord is eliminated, she said, the situation would return “to conditions pre-Savar building collapse.”
The accord’s website, bangladeshaccord.org, shows the brands that have signed onto the accord. Hladun urged Canadians to contact the brands and ask them to advocate with the government to continue with the program. She also suggested that interested Canadians contact their federal MP and ask them to pressure the Bangladesh government to continue the accord.
Hladun strongly advised against lobbying for a boycott, saying “that is the worst thing we can do. Basically, the garment industry is 4.2 million workers in Bangladesh. That industry is the only thing that provides income for workers in Bangladesh. They do not want to see a boycott. They want to see support for better working conditions.”
Another way to show support is with your wallet, by shopping and supporting factories and brands that have signed onto the accord or are treating their workers ethically regardless.
Left to right: Caryl Kochen, Darcy Billinkoff and Caron Bernstein were three of the many Operation Warmth volunteers over the years. (photo from JWI-BC)
More than 40 years ago, Sylvia Handlesman, one of our B’nai B’rith Women (now Jewish Women International-B.C.) members, brought us a wonderful service project she remembered from her earlier years in England – providing home-baked refreshments, tea, coffee and juices to visitors and staff at hospitals on Christmas Eve and Day.
On checking with the B.C. Children’s Hospital, Sylvia learned that the only cafeteria serving visitors and staff was closed over Christmas to allow staff to celebrate the holiday with their families. The hospital assigned us a small room with a fridge, long table and a number of carts to be loaded with home-baked goodies and beverages that added to the festivities of the season. Even Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and their helpful elves enjoyed the repast.
The heart-warming project – Operation Warmth – was both a service and a social gathering for members and family members who volunteered for three-hour shifts, while enjoying coffee, a snack and greeting and visiting with other volunteers as they came during shift changes. Some, who could not walk the halls, stayed in the room filling trays, loading carts and making coffee.
Originally, our members only served refreshments to the visitors and personnel in the children’s wards – due to dietary restrictions, patients were always excluded.
Because of the success of Operation Warmth, the hospital soon requested that our members also cover the B.C. Women’s maternity section.
Since then, on Christmas Eve and Day, JWI-BC family members and community volunteers have traveled through the halls of these wards with loaded carts. A table on the main floor in the area close to the elevator was also kept supplied with goodies for visitors and staff. With time, the original coffee and home-made baking was supplemented with fruit juices, mandarin oranges and other treats donated by local stores and bakeries.
It is impossible to express the appreciation the volunteers received from the hospital personnel, visitors whose children were unable to go home and expectant or newly delivered mothers who were also hospital bound for the holidays. The only years when Operation Warmth was not provided took place when Christmas fell on Shabbat or a snowstorm made travel too dangerous.
With time, most of our original volunteers were no longer with us and, with them, has gone much of the fantastic home-baked cookies and squares that once filled the plates on the carts.
For a number of years, Operation Warmth was organized by Zmirah Rosenthal, with the invaluable assistance of her longtime friend, Ena Salamon. Although Ena was not a JWI-BC member, she was responsible for a major share of the planning that made this project so successful. One year, she even organized the two-day program completely on her own.
Last October, the new Teck Acute Care Centre opened at B.C. Children’s Hospital. As well, hospital staff make every effort to get patients and families home, if only for the day or two, over the holidays. And patients on the maternity wards also have a much shorter hospital stay. As a result of all of these changes, the Operation Warmth program is wrapping up after four decades.
“It has been a privilege and honour to work with the B’nai B’rith Women, now Jewish Women International, in the planning and delivery of this annual event,” said Pat Gillis, manager, volunteer resources, B.C. Children’s and B.C. Women’s Hospital. “My sincere thanks to Zmirah and Ena, who have been the driving force for an event that brightened the days of families from all across British Columbia for so many years. As our facility changes, we want to take this time to thank the many community volunteers who have been a part of our history on Oak Street.”
JWI-BC is also appreciative, and thanks the staff and volunteers of the hospitals and the many individuals and their families who helped make Operation Warmth a success for so many years.
Jerusalem sculptor Israel Hadany’s modern interpretation of the First Nations beacon. (photo from Jerusalem Foundation)
The Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit and Yupik peoples of the Arctic region of Canada, Greenland and Alaska built inukshuks with granite boulders to warn against danger, mark a hunting or fishing site, or stand as a direction marker. Like the traditional inuksuit erected in the treeless tundra, Jerusalem sculptor Israel Hadany’s modern interpretation of the First Nations beacon serves as a marker symbolizing friendship, family and hospitality, humankind’s responsibility toward one another.
On Oct. 17, Hadany’s four-metre-high limestone inukshuk sculpture was installed at the entrance to Canada House in downtown Jerusalem’s Musrara neighbourhood.
Hadany was the winner of a design competition celebrating 50 years of the reunification of Jerusalem, since the 1967 Six Day War. Toronto lawyer Lewis Mitz, president of the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada, initiated the challenge as part of a $4 million renovation of the Canada House community centre on Shivtei Yisrael Street, a location that is becoming increasingly popular with film and art students. Four other Israeli artists were invited to participate: David Gershoni, Ruslan Sergeev, Yisrael Rabinowitz and Ellia Shapiro. The competition jury that selected the winning design included representatives from the Jerusalem Municipality, the Israel Museum, the Jerusalem Foundation and local residents.
Toronto lawyer Lewis Mitz, president of the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada, who initiated the art competition. (photo from Jerusalem Foundation)
“The inukshuk is a communication structure. Providing vital information for people to survive in the frozen Arctic; it isn’t merely a statue, rather an enchanted entity that guides man and seals his fate,” explained Hadany in a press release. “The sculpture tries to create a fascinating synthesis between the primordial and the innovative, between the formulated esthetics and magic.”
Inukshuk, he explained in his remarks at the unveiling of the sculpture, means “helper.”
The sculptor and environmental artist insisted his inukshuk be positioned alongside the street rather than in the courtyard of Beit Canada to increase its visibility. Initially reluctant to appropriate another culture’s symbol, Hadany came to understand that, rather than being decorative in the Western context of art, an inukshuk is “an information-giving object in the space. Emphasizing a religious space, directing people to where there is good fishing. It’s actually a language. It’s sculpture that creates a language in space.”
The judges wrote in their decision that Hadany’s proposal was a “classic sculpture that is suited to and connects with its environment. The artist presents an interpretation that respects the original without copying it. It is obvious that a great deal has been invested in planning and in the use of proportion, materials, light and shade.”
The sculpture was dedicated during the Jerusalem Foundation’s international conference in October in the Canada House garden. The playground around the inukshuk, which is still being landscaped, was a gift of the Joffe family of Calgary, Alta.
