Technion-Israel Institute of Technology doctoral candidate Alona Shagan and assistant professor Boaz Mizrahi have developed a technology that enables drugs to be delivered and released only to the diseased tissue that a drug is targeting. Researchers designed the one-of-a-kind delivery method to release under long wave light (near-infrared, NIR). The light warms the gold nanoshells, melting the polymer packaging, and releasing the drug. The primary advantage of NIR light is its ability to penetrate bodily tissues without harming them. The researchers believe this new technology can be used for a variety of other applications, such as the sealing of internal and external injuries, temporary holding of tissue during surgery, or as biodegradable scaffolds for growing transplant organs.
הרב אדם שאייר מנהיג קהילת ‘שער השמים’ במונטריאול יוצא נגד הרבנות הראשית. (צילום: מקהילת שער השמים)
הרב הראשי של קהילת ‘שער שמיים’ במונטריאול, אדם שאייר, יוצא בחריפות נגד פעילותה של הרבנות הראשית בישראל, שלדבריו פסלה אותו. הרב שאייר ביקר בישראל לאחרונה ואף השתתף בישיבת ועדת העלייה, הקליטה והתפוצות של הכנסת, כדי לשטוח את טענותיו הקשות נגד התנהלות הרבנות. הרב שאייר הוא הרב הבכיר הנמנה על “הרשימה השחורה” של הרבנות הראשית, הכוללת 160 רבנים מעשרים וארבע מדינות כולל ארה”ב, קנדה, אנגליה ודרום אפריקה. בהם רבנים אורתודוכסים בכירים ביהדות החרדית, ומחסידות חב”ד. הרבנים שנמנים על “הרשימה השחורה” לא הוכרו על ידי הרבנות לנושאי בירור יהדות ומעמד אישי.
דבר “הרשימה השחורה” שפורסמה בחודש יולי אשתקד עורר תגובות נזעמות בארץ ובחו”ל. יו”ר ‘עתים’ (עמותה המסייעת למי שנתקל בקשיים מול הממסד הדתי), הרב שאול פרבר, אמר כי “הרשימה השחורה” היא תעודת עניות להתנהלותה של הרבנות הראשית, מול יהדות התפוצות. הוא הוסיף: “אני תוהה מי הסמיך את הרבנות להחליט שרב של קהילה מסויימת בחו”ל אינו מקובל, ולפיכך חברי קהילתו אינם יהודים. הרבנות מנסה להפוך את עצמה לסמכות הבלעדית, והתנהגות זאת מביאה את העולם היהודי כולו לחשוש מן הבאות, ולגנות בתוקף את המגמה הפסולה הזו”.
הרב שאייר אמר בישיבת הוועדה: “אין לי אישור מהרבנות לחתן כיוון שהיא פסלה אותי. הרבנות גורמת לחלול השם. הם לא אמרו לי כי נדחתי, ורק שלחו לי מכתב שאולי אני לא יהיה מאושר. אני רב אמיתי והסמכתי לגיטימית. נפגעתי אישית מזה שהרבנות דחתה אותי ואת ההסמכה שלי. היא פוגעת ביכולת שלי לשרת את העם היהודי. המצב הקיים גורם לחוסר אמון ביני כמנהיג קהילה גדולה, לבין חבריה, החוששים לעלות לישראל ולהתחתן בה, מחשש שלא יוכרו בה כיהודים. זה פוגע במעמדי ובמוניטין שלי. הדבר הגיע לידי כך, שרבנים אחרים ממלצים לזוגות שלא לפנות אלי לעריכת חופה”. בדיון נכח גם מנכ”ל הרבנות הראשית לישראל, משה דגן. הרב שאייר הטיח בו: “בפעם הבאה לפני שאתם שוללים אותי, אני מזמין אתכם לבקר בבית הכנסת שלי. זו בהחלט תהיה חווית למידה”.
דגן אמר בתגובה כי הרבנות לא יצרה כביכול “רשימה שחורה” של רבנים בחו”ל. הוא הוסיף: “הדמגוגיה הזו שכביכול יצרנו רשימה של רבנים לא מוכרים, זה דבר שקר. הרבנות ובתי הדין אישרו את הרב שאייר, אך הם מחוייבים לבדוק את אמיתות המסמכים שהוצגו להם מטעמו. לא הספקנו לפנות לרב שאייר כיוון שיש לנו עומס עבודה רב. למחלקת האישות והגירות מגיעים כשלושת אלפים אישורים מדי שנה, ורק עובד אחד ושני סטודנטים מטפלים בכל הבקשות”. מנכ”ל הרבנות ביקש להוסיף עוד: “ההחלטות של הרבנות הוצאו מהקשרן. אני מיצר על פגיעה ברבנים כתוצאה ממה שהוצג על ידי אחרים “כרשימה שחורה”, ומתנצל על פירסומה. הטיוטה והקריטריונים להכרה ברבני חו”ל כבר גובשה, והיא נשלחה לארגוני הרבנים בעולם. לאחר קבלת התייחסותם, כמתחייב, הם ידונו ויאושרו במועצת הרבנות הראשית”.
הרב שאייר המשמש גם סגן נשיא ועד רבני קנדה, נחשב למקורב לראש ממשלת קנדה, ג’סטין טרודו. הוא אף ביקר עם טרודו באתר מחנה ההשמדה אושוויץ לפני כקרוב לשנתיים. הרב שאייר שימש גם כרבו של הזמר ליאונרד כהן, אף הוא חבר בקהילתו שנפטר אשתקד.
קהילת ‘שער שמים’ האותודורכסית נוסדה בשנת 1846 בווסטמאונט מונטריאול והיא מונה כיום כאלף וארבע מאות משפחות. הקהילה מחזיקה בבית הכנסת האותודוכסי הגדול ביותר בקנדה.
אירוע מיוחד לזכרם של אדית ומייקל סימס התקיים החודש בבית הקפה שלהם צ’יזקייק. (צילומים: Roni Rachmani)
דן סימס (ביחד עם אשתו פטרישיה, הילדים סאם ופיטר ושאר בני המשפחה) קיימו ביום ראשון לפני כעשרה ימים (ה-18 בפברואר), אירוע לזכרם של הוריו, אדית ומייקל סימס, הבעלים של הקפה המיתולגי צ’יזקיק אצטרה. למעלה ממאה ושלושים חברים, ידידים, עובדים, שכנים ובני משפחה הגיעו לאירוע המיוחד שהתקיים בבית הקפה ברחוב גראנוויל.
האירוע שנמשך כארבע שעות תמימות כלל הופעות אין ספור של חברים, ששרו לזכרם, בליווי רביעייה של נגני ג’אז טובים. לא נישאו נאומים לבקשת הבן דן, אך רבים דברו בשבחם של הזוג הנעים שהביא לוונקובר הרבה שמחה, אושר וטוב לב. בשיחות בין האורחים עלו זכרונות מהעבר, מתי פגשו בהם לראשונה ואירועים בהם השתתפו ביחד עם אדית ומייקל. אצל כולם המוות הפתאומי של השניים היכה בהלם ללא רחמים והרבה הרבה שאלות נשארו ללא מענה.
בבית הקפה (שהיה סגור לקהל הרחב בזמן האירוע הפרטי) הוצגו תמונות של אדית ומייקל ושאר בני המשפחה, אלבום תמונות עב קרס מהבר מצווה של מייקל, וכן קטעי ווידאו מחתונתם, אירועים בהם השתתפו, נסיעות ועוד.
מותם הפתאומי של אדית ומייקל סימס שהחליטו לסיים את חייהם ביחד (אדית הייתה בת 77 ומייקל היה בן 79), ביום שני ה-27 בנובמבר, השאיר כאמור רבים בהלם. בחיים כמו במותם השניים תמיד היו ביחד: הם גרו ביחד, עבדו ביחד, טיילו ביחד, נפשו ביחד, נפגשו עם חברים ביחד, שהו עם המשפחה ביחד, הופיעו כמעט לכל אירוע ביחד, החזיקו במחשב אחד, באימייל אחד ובמכשיר סלולר אחד.
רבים רבים בוונקובר ובמקומות אחרים הצטערו לשמוע על מותם הפתאמי של השניים. לא תמצא אף אחד שיגיד משהו רע עליהם. עשרות הגיבו על פרסום הידיעה בעיתון הוונקובר סאן על מותם. כולם כתבו דברים טובים והביעו צער עמוק על הפרידה מהזוג האהוב. להלן חלק מתגובות הגולשים: “אדית ומייקל היו זוג נפלא ותמיד קיבלו בברכה, באהבה ובנוחות את הלקוחות”. “כמה היו נחמדים ונדיבים”. “איזה זוג מדהים. אבידה גדולה”. “זוג כל כך נחמד, אני שבור לשמוע את החדשות הרעות”. “צ’יזקייק היה מקום נפלא לעבוד בו בגלל אדית ומייקל”. “אהבתי את האווירה והמוסיקה. מאוד מאוד עצוב”. “אני בהלם לשמוע את החדשות הנוראיות. אדית ומייקל היו זוג כל כך נחמד, נעים וחם”. “הם היו נשמות יפות, נדיבים, מתוקים וטהורים. חיו בדרכם והיו מאוד מיוחדים”.
צ’יזקייק הזכיר בית קפה בפאריז בשל האווירה הרומנטית, האורות הנמוכים, התמונות בשחור לבן, הקירות באדום והנעימות ששררה במקום. מייקל ניגן נפלא ואהב לאלתר ג’אז. אדית אהבה לשיר וקול זהב שלה הזכיר מאוד את קולה של הזמרת הצרפתית הידועה אדית פיאף.
השניים היו יהודים: אדית ילידת סקוטלנד שגדלה בטורונטו ומייקל אמריקני יליד בוסטון. הם הכירו בישראל בשנת 1961 והתאהבו במבט ראשון. לאחר שנה הם החליטו להינשא בטורונטו. ולאחר מכן הזוג עבר לבוסטון ואחרי שנולד בנם יחידם דן, הם החליטו לעבור לוונקובר, שהפכה לביתם במשך כארבעים השנים האחרונות.
יום אחד בשנת 1979 אדית ומייקל מצאו חנות להשכרה ברחוב גראנוויל ובמקום נפתח קפה צ’יזקייק אצטרה. לאט לאט הקפה החל להתמלא ורבים באו לשמוע את מייקל מנגן ושר עם אשתו, ונהנו לאכול עוגת גבינה ברוטב תות שדה או שוקולד. תוך תקופה קצרה צ’יזקייק הפך לשם דבר והמקום שימש לעלייה במשך שנים וגם כיום – זה קרוב לארבעים שנה.
An aerial view of the proposed redevelopment of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver site, looking south. (image by Acton Ostry Architects Inc.)
On Feb. 7, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver was packed with community members, as well as some area residents. For the three-hour open house hosted by the City of Vancouver, visitors worked their way through the crowded atrium, reading the numerous poster boards about the proposed redevelopment of the centre site, and how that redevelopment fits in with the massive changes proposed for the Oakridge neighbourhood.
While it is still early in the process, the City is looking for public feedback by March 30 on the rezoning application it has received for 950 West 41st Ave., i.e. the JCC.
The proposed redevelopment comprises a nine-storey building to replace the current JCC, a 13-storey replacement for the Louis Brier Home and Hospital and a 24-storey residential building.
The rezoning application proposes that the redevelopment starts with the building of most of the new JCC on what is now the existing centre’s parking lot, then moves to the construction of the underground parking, followed by that of the new Louis Brier Home and ending with the residential tower and the rest of the JCC. (image by Acton Ostry Architects Inc.)
According to the rezoning proposal, the new JCC would include “recreation space, including pools and gyms; ground-level commercial space; an Early Childhood Education Centre, including 104 private daycare spaces; cultural arts, auditorium and theatre space; [and] nonprofit office space.”
The new Louis Brier would have “266 senior assisted living, complex care and memory care beds,” and the residential building would have “160 secured market rental units,” including 64 studios, 40 one-bedroom units, 40 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units. “Underground parking, with 693 vehicle parking spaces and 250 bicycle parking spaces, is proposed.”
The rezoning application is being considered by the City under the Oakridge Transit Centre Policy Statement.
The City of Vancouver explains on its website that the Oakridge Transit Centre, across from the JCC, “was formerly home to 244 trolley and 182 diesel buses, and employed over 1,200 transit staff including drivers, mechanics and administrators…. With the completion of the Vancouver Transit Centre on the Eburne Lands in 2006, almost all services moved out of the OTC” within several years and TransLink determined that the OTC was no longer required as a transit centre. TransLink approached the City about the redevelopment of the site: “Council approved a cost-recovered planning program to create a policy statement for the site in February 2014 and the program was publically launched in June 2014.”
The statement was approved in December 2015, after “an 18-month process involving community engagement at key points, and technical planning and design work.” It guides “the rezoning and redevelopment of the Oakridge Transit Centre,” as well as that of the JCC, the Petro Canada Station at the corner of 41st and Oak, and Oakmont Medical Centre (809 West 41st).
The JCC rezoning application was coordinated by Acton Ostry Architects Inc., the JCC and the Louis Brier Home. In the application, which is on the City’s website, Acton Ostry explains that the “surrounding context is in a state of transition and transformation from a low-density semi-urban neighbourhood to a high-density urban centre. Transit is a driving force at the heart of the new town centre with the Canada Line on Cambie Street and a new B-line proposed for West 41st Avenue.” The document notes that King David High School, which is east of the JCC, on Willow Street, uses and “shares many spaces in the existing JCC and is intended to have a dedicated gym in the proposed new JCC, in addition to access and use of many other activity spaces.”
How the space in the three proposed new buildings might be used. (image by Acton Ostry Architects Inc.)
According to the timeline on one of the posters at the February open house, there was a pre-application open house in November 2016 and the rezoning application was submitted in December 2017. With the City-led open house now having been held, there will be a public hearing, “pending staff review and feedback,” followed by a council vote, again “pending staff review and feedback.” If the rezoning is approved, “the proposal becomes a development application.”
Development and building permits would take months to years to procure, and the construction itself would also take a few years. Since the JCC cannot be non-operational for that long, the project is envisioned in phases. The existing JCC would remain in place as the main building of the new JCC is built on what is now the centre’s parking lot, followed by the construction of the new underground parking lot. Once the new JCC was operational, Phase 2 would start with the new Louis Brier Home, to be located at the opposite end of the development site, then move to the construction of the residential tower and the rest of the JCC, located in between the main JCC and Louis Brier.
The entire rezoning application can be found at rezoning.vancouver.ca. Feedback can be submitted online.
At Share the Journey on Feb. 6, before the official program started, left to right: Carmel Tanaka, Leamore Cohen, Penny Gurstein, Shane Simpson, Alisa Polsky, Tammy Kalla and Clark Levykh. (photo from JCC inclusion services)
“Inclusion is the framework for our community’s future,” said Shannon Gorski, executive member-at-large of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver board of directors, at Share the Journey: An Evening of Inspiration. “The JCC was my second home volunteering since childhood,” she said in her opening remarks. “We want to make sure the JCC grows to support all who depend on its presence.”
The Feb. 6 event at the Rothstein Theatre was one of several initiatives being led by the JCC during Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). It featured a few speakers, including Shane Simpson, provincial minister of social development and poverty reduction, as well as the screening of a video of the Bagel Club’s trip to Israel last year and of the film My Hero Brother.
The Bagel Club is a JCC inclusion services program. According to the website, the group is “a social club for adults with diverse needs that focuses on social and recreational activities while promoting Jewish heritage, education and community engagement.” Activities include yoga, Israeli dancing, arts and crafts, outings and music appreciation. The Bagel Club also runs a community kitchen focusing on creating “delicious and nutritional kosher-style meals” together. Eleven Bagel Club participants were present on the night of Feb. 6, with Lyle Lexier offering a few remarks on the use of language regarding differing abilities and David Benbaruj introducing the film screening.
Left to right: Kathleen Muir, Harriet Kositsky and Shannon Gorski. (photo from JCC inclusion services)
Many at the event, including Simpson, when he took to the stage, were wearing the black T-shirt the JCC made for JDAIM, which says, “Labels are for clothes,” on the front. In his remarks, the minister spoke about the importance of inclusion and diversity work throughout all of the communities of British Columbia and highlighted the work of his own department, which focuses on community-building and poverty reduction within its greater mission.
Simpson shared some of the results of the fact-finding mission his ministry had recently undertaken in 28 communities in British Columbia. He highlighted the urgent situation in the province with regard to poverty and inequality: “678,000 people live in poverty in British Columbia,” he said, “which is 15% of the population. Forty percent of those are the working poor; one in five children live in poverty. If you are indigenous or have special needs, you are twice as likely to be poor.”
The minister said “social isolation is a key piece” that needs to be addressed throughout the province. “After people with disabilities in this province tell me they don’t have enough money, they tell me they want a job, they want to contribute,” he said. “When employers reach out and hire a differently abled employee, they tell me after they made the fit, they got a remarkable employee.”
Leamore Cohen, inclusion services coordinator at the JCC, introduced the video on the Bagel Club’s Israel trip. As Omer Adam’s “Tel Aviv Habibi” pulsed in the background of the video, the audience clapped to the beat.
Tammy Kalla and Penny Gurstein then read a list of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver Inspiring Inclusion grant recipients. Congregation Beth Israel was given funds to hire a tutor so that children with learning challenges could learn to read Torah; Beth Tikvah to hire the appropriate professionals to enable children and youth with invisible disabilities to participate fully alongside their peers in a range of programs; the JCC for a new program called Family Yoga Fundamentals; Richmond Jewish Day School to offer a fully inclusive music program; and Vancouver Hebrew Academy to instal a wheelchair ramp to the playground equipment that has been specially designed for children of all abilities.
The evening concluded with the 2016 Israeli film My Hero Brother, directed by Yonatan Nir. It follows a number of Israelis whose siblings have Down syndrome, as they take their brothers and sisters hiking in the Indian Himalayas. In introducing the screening, Benbaruj spoke beautifully about love, community and his wish that the inclusive communities we had learned about throughout the night could be a model for the world.
Matthew Gindinis a freelance journalist, writer and lecturer. He writes regularly for the Forward and All That Is Interesting, and has been published in Religion Dispatches, Situate Magazine, Tikkun and elsewhere. He can be found on Medium and Twitter.
Mamatefet’s first Mom and Babe Circle. (photo from Mamatefet)
Meirav Galili and her husband Itai moved to Vancouver with their two children from Israel five years ago. When their third child was born here, the family received lots of support from friends, something that helped make up for the fact that they have no extended family here.
When she heard about a plan to create a network of Israeli moms and moms-to-be, she was one of the first to sign up with Mamatefet.
Mamatefet, which has grown exponentially almost exclusively through word of mouth, is a mash-up of “mama” with the Hebrew word “maatefet,” which is a wraparound or embrace. The group welcomes those who want to be an otefet, an embracer, or a ne’etefet, an embracee. Except, the terms are not mutually exclusive.
“Sometimes it’s our turn to give and sometimes it’s our turn to get some help,” said Galili, adding that the success of the group surprised all involved.
“It was amazing because many, many people said, ‘me, me, me, me, me,’ and quickly we established something,” she said. Understanding the added burden of having and raising children without parents, aunts, sisters-in-law or other family around inspired many women to step forward.
Thanks to Mamatefet, one phone call or a WhatsApp message can put a team into action.
“The woman doesn’t need to ask even,” Galili said. “Everything is being done for her. She just needs to tell a friend, ‘My child is sick with me’ or ‘I have to stay at the hospital for tonight,’ and we’ll take it from there, and when they get home they have everything. It’s a very strong, warm feeling that we are not alone and we have this supportiveness.”
That is exactly what Rotem Regev had in mind when she and four friends conceived of Mamatefet in late 2016.
“It was one of those nights,” Regev recalled, “a few friends got together sitting around the coffee table chatting, recounting their individual – which we then realized were quite collective – stories of transition, to Vancouver, to motherhood, and how that intersected. What became really crystal clear to all of us is that we were feeling quite a bit of loneliness at that time, whenever that transition was, coming to Vancouver either pregnant or with a very little one, when there is not a school yet or any sort of structure to fit into…. To top that off, you would also be facing an extra challenge being away from your family and friends in a country that doesn’t yet quite feel like home and a language that doesn’t quite feel like home and a healthcare system that feels very, very different.
“We didn’t want any woman to feel the loneliness that we felt,” she said.
Mamatefet offers moms like Osher Cohen support, including the occasional homemade meal, and friendship. (photo by Lior Noyman)
When they decided to share their idea, they thought maybe five more women would join, perhaps seven. A few months later, they had 70 embracers and more than 40 embracees.
“The word spread out like wildfire really, because I think the need was so great,” said Regev, who is a clinical psychologist. There are a couple of similar groups in Israel and something sort of like Mamatefet in San Francisco and another in New Jersey, but, considering the evident need, it is a surprisingly rare initiative.
Regev and her Mamatefet co-founders Tamara Halamish, Yael Pilo Raz, Yael Mayer and Matti Feigelstock, have now seen their project expand from Vancouver to teams in Richmond, Ladner, Surrey, North Vancouver and East Vancouver-Burnaby, with a new team gearing up in Langley and the Tri-Cities.
In general, Mamatefet volunteers will deliver food, often including a Shabbat meal. There are regular meet-up groups for pregnant women and another for new moms. They are also on call in case of a crisis, like a miscarriage or a stillbirth.
But it’s the informal friendships that organically develop that are as important, said Marina Ingel. Being able to arrange play dates, exchange kids’ clothes, have a coffee with other new moms – this is an important outcome too, she said.
One of the reassuring things is talking to other moms about how the medical system in Canada differs from that in Israel.
“Here it’s totally different. Everything,” said Ingel. “In Israel, every time you’re going to the doctor, you’re doing an ultrasound. Here, you have maybe two the whole pregnancy. A bunch of things that they’re checking in Israel, they’re not doing this at all. But then you realize it’s fine and, if you have any problem, they will check it. Everything is OK, but the thing is that you’re worried about it, because it’s new to you.”
For Galili, cooking is both a hobby and a way to support other new moms.
“They send a message saying there is a woman who is about to come home with a baby and [asking] who is willing to participate,” she said. “I thought, OK, I need to prepare something anyway so I’ll just prepare something extra.”
Baking, homemade granola and yogurt, soups and a main dish, comfort food like chicken and rice, are the sorts of things she preps for new moms.
“If her mother were here, this is what she would probably make for her,” said Galili.
The Schara Tzedeck Cemetery Board has appointed its board of directors for 2018, and is planning more facility upgrades for the coming year.
The cemetery board is co-chaired by Jack Kowarsky and Arnold Silber. Other members of the board are Shirley Barnett, Harvey Dales, Joshua Hauser, Dr. Mark Schonfeld, Gary Segal, Herb Silber, Isidor Wolfe, Rabbi Yosef Wosk and Barrie Yackness. Honourary board members are Charles Diamond and Joseph Segal. Howard Kallner, president of Congregation Schara Tzedeck, also serves on the board in an ex-officio capacity.
The board has made significant improvements to the chapel in New Westminster over the past two years. Constructed in the early 1990s to house the chevra kadisha, as well as to provide a chapel at the New Westminster cemetery, this building was in need of repairs and upgrades. This $600,000 project was completed last year with the generous contributions of many in our community.
Other improvements to the New Westminster cemetery included beautification initiatives and projects to help manage the organization more efficiently, including developing a grave-finding system that people can instal on their mobile devices, a GIS (geographic information system) to better track records and land use at the cemetery, and the implementation of a system that broadcasts funerals on the internet so that those unable to attend in person can view the funeral. (This service is available at cemeteryboard.com.)
This year, the board is planning to move ahead with another key project. The community cemetery located in Surrey has about 2,500 plots, and began having burials in 2008. To date, there is little infrastructure at that location, only a small handwashing station and a portable building.
Plans are being developed for the construction of a chapel building that will allow the cemetery to better serve those who choose this location. The chapel will seat between 40 and 50 people, provide a private space for families to gather prior to a funeral service and have two accessible washrooms. It will also provide facilities for cemetery board groundskeepers to store equipment. Part of this project will include improvements to the fencing of the cemetery, as well as improving the gardening and landscaping to make the cemetery a more welcoming place.
The cemetery board provides its services to the entire community. Members and non-members of Congregation Schara Tzedeck may purchase plots in any of the cemeteries. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and those involved with congregations associated with other Jewish movements, all use the chevra kadisha, which is comprised of diverse members of the greater Jewish community. Funeral directors Rev. Joseph Marciano and Howard Jampolsky (who also serves as the executive director) are available anytime to answer any questions, and to provide more information about the availability of burial plots in all three of the community’s cemeteries – New Westminster, Surrey and the Jewish section of Mountain View. They are also available to provide information about pre-planning funerals in order to relieve family members of this task during the difficult time when a loved one passes away. They can be reached at 604-733-2277.
To learn more about the board or to contribute to the current Surrey Chapel Project, call Jampolsky at 604-733-2277 ext. 204, or email [email protected].
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the Munich Security Conference. (photo by Amos Ben Gershom IGPO via Ashernet)
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, which took place Feb. 16-18, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu holds a piece of an Iranian drone shot down over Israel last week. Netanyahu warned that Israel could strike the Islamic Republic. Looking directly at Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Netanyhau asked, “Mr. Zarif, do you recognize this? You should, it’s yours. You can also take back with you a message to the tyrants of Tehran – do not test Israel’s resolve!” The drone, which entered northern Israel from Syria near the Jordanian border, was shot down by an Israeli attack helicopter. In response to the drone incursion, the Israeli Air Force attacked the mobile command centre from which it was operated. During the operations, one of the Israeli jets was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed; its pilot and navigator were able to parachute out of the plane and land safely in Israel.
Rebecca Fannin, founder of Silicon Dragon, at the event in Tel Aviv on Jan. 29. (photo from silicondragonventures.com)
Perhaps unlikely partners – 6,000 kilometres away from each other – Israel and China are cooperating and collaborating on business and investment deals worth billions of dollars. But it’s a not-so-hidden secret that China has been falling in love with Israeli start-ups, entrepreneurs and high-tech in general. And the feeling’s mutual.
The phenomenon was discussed Jan. 29 at an event called Silicon Dragon Israel, held at WeWork Sarona in Tel Aviv. Silicon Dragon events have occurred around the world since 2010.
Forbes contributor and author Rebecca Fannin is founder of Silicon Dragon, which boasts a 30,000-strong network of executives, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and angel investors. She recently noted in Forbes that “several mega-funded Chinese tech startups are poised to go public this year or next,” with a potential combined worth of a quarter-trillion dollars.
There are likely to be Israeli fingerprints in some of those, and other recent, deals, given how Royi Benyossef, developer relations manager of Samsung Next, explained, “They’re mesmerized by Israel and their technology-exporting capabilities…. The idea that it’s a ‘start-up nation’ leads the Chinese to believe this is a place they want to invest in.”
Benyossef was on the panel discussing how key Asian corporations are leveraging Israel tech knowhow. He was joined by the director of investments of Singtel Innov8, Gil Prashker.
In another panel, moderator Simon Weintraub of Yigal Arnon and Co. explained the best way to cooperate with investors, especially when dealing with cultural barriers. As Yahal Zilka, managing partner and co-founder of Magma Venture Partners, explained, “In one word, building trust…. That doesn’t happen in one day.”
By way of example, Zilka said the GPS mapping app Waze “failed twice, miserably” in China. “And it all had to do with trust, nothing else. It clearly is a different interaction, pace and activity.”
Avishai Silvershatz, managing partner, Infinity Group, added, “The short answer is, be careful. Nothing in your experience will give you the experience to enable you to understand it. You have to have local partners, and be careful with them as well – it takes … years to understand. You have to be smart. There’s a lot of money to be made, because there’s as much money to be made as lost.”
One jolt for which most investors were unprepared was a recent government intervention. Weintraub said that, in 2016, business interaction from China was at an all-time high, until the authorities there “cracked down on the outflow of currency.” He said, “It caused tremendous uncertainty for 2017 … but now they’ve eased some of those restrictions.”
Zilka noted that the bureaucracy in China is comprised of “very complex structures.”
“In the same way that [Donald] Trump says ‘America first,’ the Chinese are saying ‘China first,’” explained Silvershatz. “They want investments to go towards their own strategic interests and goals. This is the ‘party line.’ It’s government, then corporate … so long as the government has their way.”
This panel also included Ehud Levy of Canaan Partners Israel, Aaron Mankovski of Pitango Venture Capital and Nathan Low of Sunrise Israel Tech Capital.
Independent of the event, some academics weighed in on why the Israel-China business relationship works so well.
“It’s different in organizational culture,” Daniel Galily, a former lecturer at Beijing-Geely University, told the Jewish Independent. “The educational system in China places great emphasis on discipline and obedience to superiors, while the Israeli educational system and the Israeli army encourage students and soldiers to think about new ideas and to solve problems in situations of uncertainty. The Chinese understand that, and so they strive to integrate the Israeli creativity to their economy, and also strive to learn how to combine creativity in to their economy.”
Dave Gordonis a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications around the world.
David Grossman at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, August 2014. (photo from Ashernet)
Israeli author David Grossman will be awarded the highest Israeli civilian honour, the Israel Prize, which is presented on Yom Ha’atzmaut (April 19) in Jerusalem.
Grossman is one of Israel’s most celebrated and prolific authors; his books have been translated into more than 35 languages.
Born in Jerusalem in 1954 and educated at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Grossman has always been connected to the Israeli peace movement. He and his wife lost one of their sons in 2006 during the Lebanese War – Uri, a tank commander, was killed by an anti-tank missile shortly before the ceasefire.
Speaking about Grossman following the announcement of the prize, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said, “David Grossman is one of the most exciting, profound and influential voices in Israeli literature. With deep wisdom, sensitivity to fellow human beings and a unique linguistic style, he has become an internationally renowned artist. We are honoured that he is one of our own.”
– Edgar Asher, Ashernet
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Is there an inspiring newcomer in your life? Do they have a story that should be heard and celebrated? Canadian Immigrant and RBC are now calling on nominations for the 10th annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards. This will be the fourth year there is an Entrepreneur Award and the second year for the Youth Award. New this year is the Settlement Agency Award, for agencies excelling in helping newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada.
A nominee can be anyone who has immigrated to Canada and has since contributed to the success and uplifting of this country and/or its people. Achievements can be professional or personal. Nominees must hold landed immigrant (permanent resident) or citizen status in Canada, and must reside here.
Nominations can be made at canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25 until Feb. 26, 11:59 p.m. EST. A list of 75 finalists will be announced in March, after which all Canadians can vote for their favourite nominees. The 25 winners will be announced in June.
