News – Page 2

Indigeneity and Zionism

Pat Johnson and Dr. Sheree Trotter at the University of Victoria on June 14, hosted by the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island. (photo by Janet Dirks)

“What we’ve seen happen in New Zealand with our indigenous movement is that Palestine has been held up as a way to fight against what’s happening in our country with our indigenous people,” New Zealand writer and academic Dr. Sheree Trotter told those gathered at the University of Victoria on June 14.

“So, what we do is that we identify with the Palestinians and we see them as brown, oppressed indigenous people; we see Israel as the Western foreign colonizers.” In this context, she said, the antizionist argument is reduced to one of settler colonialism, despite the differing histories of places like New Zealand, Canada and Palestine.

At the Victoria event, which was hosted by the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island, Trotter, who is of Te Arawa iwi origin, spoke on the topic Indigeneity and Zionism Versus Settler Colonialism.

“Each of these topics could be a whole university course,” Trotter acknowledged at the outset. Before talking about Zionism, she explained its standard definition: the right of self-determination and statehood for Jews in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel.

Trotter said there have been several streams of thought that have led to the current antizionist movement, including the views of the Nazis, who saw Jews as conspiratorial subversives, and Soviet antizionism, which depicted Zionism as a global and racist conspiracy. Added to the mix, Trotter said, are Arab nationalist and Islamic movements and, more recently, Western settler-colonial theory.

Settler colonialism, Trotter said, is an ideology that has developed within academia as a particular kind of colonialism. The key feature of it is an imperial power that has sent its people to a foreign land to settle permanently.

“In this way, you create this binary that you’ve got two classes of people. You may call it the oppressor and the oppressed, the colonizer or the colonized, these sorts of ideas. This binary erases complexity. It’s not accurate. It’s not true to history,” Trotter said.

Using the example of the Māori in New Zealand, Trotter explained some of the problems in the settler-colonialist argument.

“There’s no room for nuance or complexity, no room for indigenous agency – the fact that, in my case, Māori embraced many of the new things that came, new technologies, modernity, certainly literacy,” she said. “In embracing Christianity, Māori turned away from tribal warfare, from cannibalism, from slavery, because they adopted a new way of thinking. Under settler colonialism, you don’t get to hear any of the good things that might have happened. It’s all just labeled as oppression and bad.”

More broadly, she argued, the settler-colonialist theory does not fully consider that many of the people who arrived in places like Canada and New Zealand were poor immigrants who do not fit the settler-colonialist power paradigm.

Regarding Israel, the settler-colonial standpoint is a tremendous stretch, said Trotter, because Jews, with more than 3,500 years of continuous connection to the land, are not foreign to Israel.

“In Māori thinking, we have a concept called ahikā, which means keeping the fires burning. If a tribe wanted to keep their connection to a piece of land, it would keep a fire on that land. It’s symbolic of the idea that somebody stayed on the land, even in small numbers,” she said. “Now, we’re finding the fact that there’s always been a Jewish presence in the land. Even though very small at times, they’ve kept ahikā, they’ve kept the fires burning, they’ve kept a continuous connection.”

Trotter is the co-founder, with former member of New Zealand’s House of Representatives Alfred Ngaro, of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem and the Indigenous Coalition for Israel, nonprofits established to provide representation in Jerusalem for indigenous peoples from around the world. Her latest book, Zionism at the Ends of the Earth: A Story of Humanitarianism and Identity, chronicles the social history of the Zionist movements in New Zealand to 1948.

Following her talk, Trotter sat down for an interview and to answer audience questions with journalist Pat Johnson, a member of the Jewish Independent editorial board and founder of Upstanders Canada, an organization working to encourage non-Jewish Canadians to take a stand against antisemitism and antizionism.

The event attracted some protest. According to organizers, the technician who was scheduled to work that evening walked off the job before the event started because of their objection to the subject matter. And, in the middle of Trotter’s talk, a few members of the Jewish Faculty Network of Vancouver Island held up signs rejecting claims of Jewish indigeneity in the Middle East and protesting Israel’s military actions; the group was escorted out of the auditorium without incident.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Rule of law broken: councilor

Panelists Rabbi Philip Bregman, left, and Aron Csaplaros. Toronto city councilor James Pasternak spoke via remote link. (photo by Pat Johnson)

A Toronto city councilor, speaking via remote link at an event at Richmond’s Beth Tikvah Synagogue, slammed Canadian society and leaders for permitting – even encouraging – antisemitism.

James Pasternak told the June 23 event that the rule of law has broken down in Canada.

“It’s mostly a result of timid policing, the refusal to physically engage protesters, spineless politicians who are either scraping the barrel for a few extra votes or simply afraid to speak out and, of course, a broken judiciary that has weak bail conditions and drops a lot of the charges,” said the councilor, who is Jewish and is seeking reelection this fall in the York Centre ward, which has a significant concentration of Jewish voters.

Pasternak said anti-Israel protests have cost Toronto police more than $50 million, and yet activists continue intimidating people in Jewish neighbourhoods, harassing shoppers, interfering with subway commuters, and blocking major thoroughfares and rail lines.

“We have seen attacks on synagogues and threats against Jewish daycares and schools, against summer camps. We have seen the shooting up of a Jewish girls’ school, the firebombing of a Jewish-owned grocery store and the arrival of hateful mobs coming up to the area I represent, at Bathurst and Sheppard, every Sunday to harass the Jewish community,” he said. “There are no embassies there. There are no consulates. There are no government buildings. There’s no town square. They are up there to harass the local Jewish community.”

Pasternak directed special condemnation at elected officials who exacerbate the situation by warning that Israel’s prime minister should be arrested if he came to Canada, by diplomatically recognizing Palestine, “and spreading the tropes that the war in Gaza was genocide.”

He named Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow as one who “spreads that same trope … making a bad situation worse.”

Chow has alienated the Jewish community, said Pasternak.

“She didn’t show up to the … anniversary of Oct. 7. She didn’t show up to Walk for Israel. She didn’t show up to the Israel flag-raising. Anything to do with Israel is like a no-go zone. And she’s pandering to these groups that she feels she needs to remain in office,” said Pasternak.

He said he had a conversation with the mayor in which she told him, according to Pasternak, “Any time I take a step to help the Jewish community speak up, I get clobbered.”

“So I said, ‘Oh, clobbered by the crazies?’” Pasternak recounted, “And her answer was, ‘Yeah. Yeah, clobbered by the crazies. The crazies vote for me.’”

A spokesperson for Chow told the Independent via email the mayor hosts an annual Passover reception at City Hall and attends several public menorah lightings and High Holidays receptions. They said Chow toured the Nova Exhibition, joined memorials for the Bibas family, and attended the opening of the Toronto Holocaust Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum’s recent Auschwitz Exhibit. She also visited Congregation Chasidei Bobov, a Toronto synagogue whose congregants were targeted in a hate-motivated assault.

Joining Pasternak on the panel was Aron Csaplaros, BC regional manager for B’nai Brith Canada, who referenced his organization’s most recent annual audit of antisemitic hate crimes.

According to the 2025 audit, Canadian Jews experienced a record 6,800 reported antisemitic incidents last year – an average of 18.6 per day – representing a 9.3% increase over 2024 and a 145.6% increase since 2022. Harassment accounted for 95% of incidents, the vast majority taking place online. There were 299 reported cases of vandalism and 10 violent attacks.

“The one main theme that I keep hearing again and again and again is that Jews feel excluded. They feel unwelcome. They feel unheard,” said Csaplaros, who shared an anecdote about a unionized work environment where coworkers spoke of Zionists stealing, lying and violently killing people. When a Jewish employee reported it to human resources, they were told it was merely a political disagreement.

“That’s just an example,” said Csaplaros, “but that’s something that we hear time and time again – or teachers not understanding what it means to collectively blame all Jews for the actions of a single government.”

He welcomed Bill C-9, which just received royal assent, creating a standalone hate crime offence, among other steps against hate. He also said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s statement that confronting antisemitism requires a “whole-of-government” approach is positive, but still may not reflect the breadth required. Csaplaros said the federal government makes the laws, the provinces oversee Crown prosecutions and municipalities run law enforcement.

“So you can see how there could very easily be a breakdown where maybe the laws exist on the federal level, but, if the province isn’t doing its job in charging these crimes, and if the city isn’t encouraging the local police to make these arrests in the first place, then we’re not going to get anywhere,” Csaplaros said.

Rabbi Philip Bregman, the third member of the panel, recounted experiencing antisemitism during childhood in rural Ontario and at university in Toronto, then, on Jan. 25, 1985, when his synagogue, Temple Sholom, here in Vancouver, was destroyed in a firebombing.

“Today, in the Lower Mainland, we are spending over $100,000 a month on security for our [Jewish] institutions,” Bregman said.

The rabbi reflected on things he’s experienced in the expansive interfaith work he has undertaken, especially since retiring from the pulpit at Temple Sholom. For example, a United Church of Canada minister told Bregman that he reviewed his notes from divinity school in Toronto.

“My God, the antisemitism was right below the surface, right there,” Bregman recalls the minister telling him.

The rabbi credited the Catholic archdiocese of Vancouver with developing very strong relations with the Jewish community, and also commended Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.

“I may not necessarily agree with all of his policies, but Ken Sim has been there for us,” said Bregman.

Like the other panelists, Bregman did not identify a great many reasons for optimism. Jewish Canadians seeking a Plan B, a place to flee if the situation here gets intolerable, might consider Panama, which he has heard is very welcoming to Jews.

The event was co-hosted by Stan Goldman and Lonnie Belfer.

Football and its roles

On June 24, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre hosted The Dual Role of Football During the Holocaust, an online conversation with Paul Salmons, Kevin E. Simpson and Liz Berger, three scholars on sport and its place in modern Jewish history.

photo - Paul Salmons — Paul Salmons *(photo from vhec.org)*

Salmons, an historian and curator, began with a grim chapter in football’s story: the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Upper Austria, where, from 1938 to 1945, some 200,000 prisoners were held and 100,000 died.

Immediately outside the camp, said Salmons, a football (soccer) field was constructed through the labour of the prisoners. SS soldiers formed a team that played league games on the pitch from 1943 to 1945.

Players, fans and officials would have had a clear view of the camp’s infirmary, where sick and dying prisoners were quarantined to prevent the spread of disease. There are reports, Salmons said, that the dead were taken out of the infirmary, past the field while a game was being played and up a pathway towards the gates of the camp. Additionally, he said, there were reports that the stench of burning bodies from the crematoria permeated the surrounding areas for the period of the camp’s existence.

“This is a very visible picture of the atrocities that are going on while they are cheering on their team, while they are celebrating those goals,” Salmons said. “What does that do in terms of the attitudes or the opinion of the footballers themselves? These members of the SS, this team of murderers, are being cheered on by the local people. Maybe in the pub that night they’re being bought a drink, maybe people are patting them on the back for the goals that they scored.”

photo - Kevin E. Simpson — Kevin E. Simpson *(photo from vhec.org)*

Simpson, an author and professor of psychology at John Brown University, discussed the prisoner experience at Terezin, north of Prague, a camp that housed Jews prominent in science, the arts and sports, and was used by the Nazis to deceive the outside world into thinking prisoners were treated well.

Football participation at the camp was so widespread that prisoners were able to create a league, Liga Terezin, and teams were formed by the nationality of the player or the particular job they were assigned, explained Simpson.

Female prisoners at the camps would design kits for the players; games were wildly popular and tickets were highly in demand, as photos from the camp illustrate. Hundreds of matches were played during a season, he said. With the liquidation of Terezin in October 1944, many of the players, like the rest of the prisoners, would be sent to Auschwitz, where they would die.

Among the professional players who were imprisoned at the camp was a standout Czechoslovakian goaltender, Jirka Taussig. Simpson cited an interview with Taussig, a survivor who later moved to the United States and would also be known as George Tesar. Of the games, Taussig said, “We were the stars of Terezin. Every Sunday afternoon, 3,500 fans came to watch the league matches. The youth saw us as a model to imitate.

“We gave them hope, and we represented life. In all the misery and suffering, hope was a rare thing,” said Taussig. “We played for them because we knew that shortly they would be sent east, and we felt that we gave them a little spark of light before their death.”

photo - Liz Berger — Liz Berger *(photo from vhec.org)*

Berger, a research consultant with UNESCO, spoke about the postwar period to the present, examining what sport has meant to Jewish communities and what the consequences are when that meaning is denied or weaponized.

“Sport is never just athletic competition. It’s one of the main domains through which societies talk about and express and sometimes form their deep values,” she said. Sport is a powerful tool for “communal recovery, identity transmission and the assertion of continued presence and vitality,” she noted.

At the same time, sport can be used as a venue for antisemitic or racist expression. Antisemitism in sport can be viewed as an indication of a society’s broader tolerance for antisemitism.

“Antisemitism in sport is not a lesser form of antisemitism. It’s not minor. It’s a manifestation of how a society relates to their Jewish communities if they have them or their concept of who Jews are if they don’t,” she said.

Berger pointed to football fandom, particularly in Europe, which is organized around tribal loyalties, class identities and historical memories. Fan support in Europe is frequently an expression of who a person is ethnically, historically and politically.

Meanwhile, Berger said, some European clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur in England or Ajax in the Netherlands, are seen as Jewish teams, despite what might seem at times tenuous connections to the Jewish community. These teams have been the target of antisemitic hostility from the opposing fans and, conversely, demonstrate a form of solidarity with the Jewish community from supporters.

The day of the VHEC webinar happened to be a notable one in Canadian football. A few hours earlier, the men’s national team advanced beyond the preliminary round of the World Cup for the first time in its history. They were eliminated later in the tournament.

The VHEC will host two more football-related events: Football, History and Society, an online discussion with journalist Simon Kuper, on Aug. 25, and Holocaust Education in the Modern Stadium, a conversation at the Italian Cultural Centre, on Oct. 27. To watch the June 24 webinar, go to vhec.org/football_during_the_holocaust.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

The burden of defence

Haredi demonstrators protesting the arrest of draft-dodgers block traffic in Bnei Brak on June 17. (photo by Eitan Elhadez-Barak/TPS-IL)

When I celebrated my bar mitzvah in Toronto in 1968 by reading parshat Shelach Lecha about the 12 spies Moses sent to scope out Canaan, my hometown was flooded with US draft-dodgers who had crossed from Buffalo, NY, to Fort Erie, Ont., to avoid being shipped off to Vietnam. As documented in John Hagan’s 2001 book Northern Passage, for those 50,000 Americans, Canada was the promised land of freedom. Most remained in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver even after Jan. 21, 1977, when President Jimmy Carter granted an unconditional amnesty to the young men who refused to fight in the Vietnam War.

Two things were furthest from my mind when I was 13 – that I should ever heed the age-old urging of Joshua bin Nun and Caleb ben Yefuneh to make aliyah, and that another flood of draft dodgers would arise in my new homeland.

Nearly daily this summer, clashes have taken place between Israel Police and some of the 80,000 Haredi men aged 18-24 who refuse to report to

Israel Defence Forces induction centres. Highways and tram routes are routinely blocked, causing massive traffic jams. In a riot on June 3, scores of ultra-Orthodox protesters stormed the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg and his wife Meira in Alon Shvut, a town in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem. Sixty-two Torah students were arrested. Four were indicted on charges of rioting and trespassing with intent to commit an offence. According to the indictment, the rioters threw stones at the villa and tried to break in while the judge and his wife were at home; the rioters chanted slogans like “Nazi” and carried Israeli flags with the Star of David replaced by a swastika.

Police subsequently transferred 19 of those arrested into IDF custody after ascertaining they were draft dodgers. This triggered a new wave of violent protests outside Neve Tzedek Military Prison in the IDF’s Gur base, near the city of Kfar Yona.

As I write this article, the IDF is being crippled by a labour shortage. After three years of conflict in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran, reservists are carrying an impossible burden. The number of soldiers wounded or incapacitated by post-traumatic stress disorder is staggering. Suicide among the ranks is soaring. Even as soldiers have reached their breaking point, the yeshiva study halls are packed with those who have illegally ignored their call-up notice.

One needs some historical background to understand how Israel arrived at this situation.

Dov Yosef, the Montreal-born military commander of Jerusalem when the city was besieged by the Jordanian and Egyptian armies, wrote in his memoirs, The Faithful City, of a meeting in May 1948 with Rabbi Mordechai Weingarten and other Haredi leaders. The rabbis urged Yosef to surrender to avoid further hardship for civilians. Yosef responded, you do what you please and I’ll do what I wish, to which the rabbis asked, and what is it your excellency wishes to do? Yosef responded: to shoot deserters.

Indeed, Haredim participated in the War of Independence. Notably, Rabbi Shmuel Tukachinsky, a son of Haredi leader Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, was killed by Arab Legion shellfire while fighting for Jerusalem in 1948.

As Israel absorbed more than one million Holocaust survivors and Jews from Arab lands, the labour shortage was somewhat alleviated. Thus, on Oct. 20, 1952, David Ben-Gurion, the founding prime minister of the Jewish state, held a meeting in the Haredi city of Bnei Barak with Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (1878-1953). Known as the Chazon Ish, the Belarussia-born sage was one of the Jewish world’s foremost Haredi leaders. Settling in Mandate Palestine in 1933, he held no official post yet was a global address for guidance in Jewish law. While Ben-Gurion was a socialist and atheist, he had a deep if nostalgic sympathy for the lost world of the Eastern European shtetl he had left nearly half a century earlier.

A blog from the National Library of Israel’s The Librarians magazine (blog.nli.org.il) explains what happened, beginning with an entry from Ben-Gurion’s diary: “This morning I went to Bnei Brak for a meeting with the Chazon Ish…. I asked him the question to which I have yet to receive a sufficient answer from my observant friends. We are divided in different ways; in the matter at hand, we are divided by our views of religious tradition. There are Jews like you and like me, how do we live together? How will we become a unit?”

The Chazon Ish cited the talmudic parable (Sanhedrin 32b) about two camels traveling down a narrow path, one carrying a large burden and the other carrying nothing. The rabbi explained that the unburdened camel was to make way for the one carrying the burden. The Chazon Ish said the ultra-Orthodox community bears the burden of the Torah and its commandments; therefore, the non-religious Zionists must defer to them and move out of the way. Ben-Gurion replied: “And what of the absorption of immigrants? What of security? What of establishing the state? Are these not burdens?”

Though Ben-Gurion acknowledged the importance of Torah study, he wanted the ultra-Orthodox to become integrated with the modern state being forged. The Chazon Ish was appalled at what he saw as the desecration of the Sabbath and the Zionist rejection of the yoke of the commandments – a burden shared by every practising religious Jew. He believed that recreating the world of Torah that was annihilated in the Holocaust was the only way to save the Jewish people.

After that October 1952 meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office issued the following statement: “PM D. Ben-Gurion met privately with Rabbi A. Y. Karelitz (the Chazon Ish) in Bnei Brak yesterday. The purpose of the visit was to exchange general views regarding the following issue: How can observant and non-observant (Jews) live together harmoniously in the state of Israel? The question of recruiting women (to the army) was not discussed, and the visit had no relation to current political matters.”

According to the blog, “Contrary to the report, the meeting was much more than a ‘general exchange of views.’ The prime minister made a gesture towards the ultra-Orthodox community by agreeing to continue the exemption of a limited number of Torah scholars from military service. As early as February 1948, before the state of Israel had even been formally established, a limited number of young ultra-Orthodox men were exempted from being drafted into the armed forces, which were already fighting in what would come to be known as Israel’s War of Independence. On Jan. 9, 1951, the prime minister ordered the Israeli army’s chief of staff to exempt yeshiva students from regular service. Ben-Gurion’s meeting with the Chazon Ish did not set the ground for the current ultra-Orthodox exemption from military service, but it did give the controversial early arrangement a substantial political boost and, equally significant – symbolic support.”

When Ben-Gurion called for army exemptions for the 400 yeshiva students in 1949, he could not have known the number would grow to 80,000 by 2026, triggering resentment among their fellow citizens. Nor could he have envisioned that the detainment of even a token number of draft dodgers would set off rioting in the country’s Haredi enclaves.

The Haredi refusal to help relieve the burden of defence has resulted in the attorney-general and the courts reducing the financial benefits that ultra-Orthodox formerly received. In April, the High Court of Justice ordered the state to take concrete steps to revoke key financial benefits from draft dodgers and to move toward criminal enforcement against Haredi men who evade military service. In mid-July, the government’s subsidized national housing program restricted participation in the real estate lottery to those with IDF discharge papers.

A moment of truth is approaching with the Oct. 27 election. If Naftali Bennett forms a centrist coalition, his new government could revoke all benefits for draft dodgers. Short of jail time for 80,000 draft dodgers, these steps could include not issuing passports, driver’s licences and other government documents to those over the age of 18 who don’t have an IDF release form.

Gil Zohar is a journalist and tour guide who lives in Jerusalem.

Fish Café returns after fire

Marcus Stiller was prepping for the Fish Café’s reopening when the Independent chatted with him. (photo by Lauren Kramer)

The Fish Café – a beloved Kerrisdale institution for more than two decades – was set to open this week after an almost two-year hiatus.

Last month, as preparations continued, I met owner Marcus Stiller at a Kerrisdale coffee shop to reflect on his career as a chef, a career the 65-year-old began when he enrolled in hotel school in South Africa in the early 1980s. As we chatted, other customers kept coming over to greet Stiller and find out when the Fish Café would be open again. It was clear that the restaurant’s closure – due to an electrical fire in September 2024 – had left a literal and figurative hole in the neighbourhood.

“It’s nice to know there’s still that longing for people to return to the Fish Café, and that they remember it as a comfortable, welcoming environment,” he said.

The fire destroyed the restaurant and Stiller wrestled with its future until December 2025, when he began preparing for its new iteration. Since the interior was a shell, it meant ordering a new version of everything – flooring, seating, tables, decor, equipment and all the nuts and bolts that come with operating a restaurant. The new space, which came at a price tag of about $375,000, is bright and polished, with seating for 32 and fish art on the walls. It features a revised menu, offering the grilled fish staples diners crave, along with seasonal salads, soups, starters and small plates.

Stiller moved to Vancouver in 1996 and opened the Fish Café in 2000. His inspiration was a South African restaurant chain called Ocean Basket and, originally, he intended to franchise. In the early 2000s, he was running three cafés: on 41st Avenue, 4th Avenue and Yew Street. The logistics of managing so many locations became onerous. “I’m a micromanager,” Stiller said. “I know how I like things done, and three locations was just too much for me.”

He closed two of them, keeping the flagship café in Kerrisdale. As the years ticked by, the restaurant’s popularity grew. In part, that’s because Stiller knows how to prepare great food. But it’s also his personality, and the way he makes people feel welcomed. He estimates at least 50% of his diners are Jewish.

“I do all the cooking myself and, by now, I know individual customers’ preferences – for example, who doesn’t like onions on their salad,” he said. “Back in hotel school, I knew I’d be good at this because I’m not shy about talking to people. But I never imagined what running a restaurant would be like. Today, I realize I’m in the hospitality business.”

Stiller recalls well the months after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. At that time, the Fish Café felt more like a community centre, a place filled with solidarity and support.

“Yids came out of the woodwork to eat at the restaurant, and I had an Israeli flag hanging in the window,” he said. “Sure, there were people opening the door and screaming abuse, but there were many more coming in to support us – Jews, non-Jews.”

In June, as he put the final touches on the interior and waited for his business licence and occupancy permit to be issued, Stiller was excited to get back into the kitchen and reestablish the Fish Café as a favourite destination, open six days a week for lunch and dinner.

“Looking back, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved here as a family, since we left South Africa,” he said. “We managed to keep our kids in independent schools, educate them through university and own a home. The whole family unit has been there to support me and provide help when it’s needed. Some immigrants get transferred to Canada by their companies, but that wasn’t my story.”

Almost ready to open the Fish Café’s doors again, Stiller said, “I’m excited to welcome customers who have become good friends, and see them enjoy my food and the refreshed environment.”

The Fish Café is located at 2053 West 41st Ave. The phone number is 604-563-3474.

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.

Camp offers holiday retreat

Camp Solomon Schechter hosts a first-of-its-kind mahjong retreat Sept. 4-7. Canadians get a discount! (photo from Camp Solomon Schechter)

Mahjong enthusiasts and curious beginners alike are invited to experience a unique Labour Day weekend getaway at Mahj & More, taking place Sept. 4-7 at Camp Solomon Schechter’s Stampfer Retreat Centre in Tumwater, Wash.

Designed for adults ages 18 and older, the weekend welcomes players of all backgrounds and skill levels. There will be guided mahjong instruction for beginners, open play and organized games, as well as strategy sessions for experienced players.

Guests will enjoy kosher meals, evening entertainment and social gatherings. Other activities available include boating, arts and crafts, sports, nature walks and more, as well as welcoming Shabbat together and having time to relax.

“Mahjong is about so much more than the tiles,” said Melissa Bloom, retreats and events manager at Camp Solomon Schechter. “It’s about friendship, laughter, learning and community. Mahj & More brings all of these elements together in a beautiful retreat setting where people can disconnect from everyday stress and reconnect with themselves and others.”

The retreat is being led by a volunteer committee of mahjong enthusiasts from across the Pacific Northwest, including co-chairs Lisa Altow (Vancouver), Marilyn Corets (Seattle), Jane Rosenstein (Seattle) and Melissa Matterazzo (Portland). Together, they have helped shape a weekend designed to bring people together through a shared love of mahj, friendship and fun.

The weekend features a special partnership with Portland-based Malka Diamonds, which recently launched its mahjong-inspired jewelry collection. A portion of proceeds from select purchases supports Camp Solomon Schechter and its mission of creating transformative Jewish experiences for people of all ages. Malka ships to Canada (malkadiamonds.com).

Unlike a traditional tournament, Mahj & More focuses on multiple aspects. Participants can spend as much – or as little – time playing mahjong as they wish, balancing gameplay with camp activities, relaxation and social opportunities.

Registration for the weekend is now open, with early-bird pricing available through July 10. Canadians get 20% off automatically to help with the exchange rate. For more information and registration details, visit campschechter.org/mahj.

– Courtesy Camp Solomon Schechter

Students and mentors inspire

Solomon Leadership Program fellows and mentors celebrate the completion of the 2025-2026 program. Applications for the next session are open till the end of August. (photo by Alan Katowitz Photography)

When Riki Oirechman first read about the Solomon Leadership Program two years ago, she knew she needed to do everything she could to bring it to Vancouver. Geared to high-achieving, community-oriented Jewish students in grades 11 and 12, the year-long program aims to foster participants’ growth as leaders, thinkers and engaged members of their communities. The Ohel Ya’akov Community Kollel undertook the initiative, under the direction of Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu, with Oirechman as coordinator of the local chapter.

The Solomon Leadership Program pairs student participants with local volunteer mentors, members of the Jewish community who have excelled in a variety of industries. Among them are doctors, a tech innovator, a judge, business executives and entrepreneurs. The mentors are assigned a small group of student participants, and there are meetings twice a month to listen to hosted speakers and discuss various issues.

“I love this curriculum, which explores topics such as leadership, character, communication, tolerance, vision, empowerment, persistence, strategy and judgment,” Oirechman said. “It encourages students to develop confidence, resilience and a strong sense of purpose, but it also creates meaningful connections between generations. Students have an opportunity to build relationships with successful professionals and community leaders, expanding their personal and professional networks.”

Daniel Friedmann, a director at Solutum Technologies, which develops sustainable materials, is one of the mentors. “When I saw the amazing course material and the incredible speakers on the roster, I knew I wanted to participate,” he said. “Any time you mentor a completely different age group, you learn a lot. As a mentor, I get to see the world through the eyes of the students and learn about their issues, concerns and what they’re struggling with. But I also get the benefit of listening to the speakers, who are not paid public speakers, but individuals working at the top of their respective industries.”

He gave an example. “One of our speakers was Howard Chow, senior deputy chief of the Vancouver Police,” said Friedmann. “And though his speech was months ago, it was mind-boggling and I’m still thinking about what he said. We had many diverse speakers for each of the core topics, and they all brought something unique to that topic.”

The program’s website lists the other 2025-2026 mentors: Itamar David, co-founder of Update Capital, Inc.; Dr. Gabriel Hirsch, who works in physical medicine and rehabilitation; Mark James, president of MJG Brewery Restaurants, Red Truck Brewing Co., and Triple F Investments Corp.; Dr. Neil Pollock, surgeon and director of Pollock Clinics; Barry Rivelis, a board director and executive in diverse organizations; and Sunni Stromberg-Stein, a retired judge, who presided at all three levels of the BC courts.

Pollock has been a mentor in the Solomon Program since 2024 and also supports it philanthropically. “I was drawn to this program because it invests in the future of our youth and helps prepare the next generation of leaders. It’s been a privilege to be part of it,” he said.

“The program brings together a remarkable group of young people who are curious, thoughtful and eager to learn, grow and make a positive impact on the world and in their communities. And it offers something that is increasingly rare: meaningful conversations where students are exposed to leaders from diverse professional backgrounds and are encouraged to think critically about character, resilience, communication, responsibility and the importance of personal growth and leadership.”

photo - Mentoring hour in action, as fellows connect with their mentors for conversations and guidance — Mentoring hour in action, as fellows connect with their mentors for conversations and guidance. *(photo by Alan Katowitz Photography)*

While he shares some of the lessons he’s learned over the years, Pollock said he’s learning a lot from the students, too. “I am continually inspired by the students’ perspectives and creativity. They ask thoughtful questions and challenge us to think about the future in new ways. Working with them gives me confidence that the next generation is well equipped to lead.

“One of our greatest responsibilities is to help develop the next generation of leaders,” he continued. “Strong communities don’t happen by accident, they are built by people who are willing to invest their time, experience and resources in young people. I support the Solomon Program because I have seen firsthand the difference it makes and how the relationships formed, the confidence gained and the opportunities created can have a lasting impact on a young person’s life.”

Friedmann said he wishes he could have been a student in the program when he was a teen. “It would have changed my life,” he said. “Students in the Solomon Program have access to really good, fundamental information on leadership that you just can’t get otherwise, knowledge that they use to figure out where they’re headed and why. They become better public speakers and develop good bonds with other students in the program.”

Rotem Eilon Kfir was one of the students who participated in the 2025-2026 program and her mother, Rachel Eilon Kfir, witnessed her daughter’s growth as a result. “She began the program as someone who was afraid to stand in front of people and talk and, over the year, she developed more confidence and grew considerably. She connected and related to her mentor, loved the guest speakers and found the program genuinely interesting,” Eilon Kfir said of her daughter’s experience. “I strongly recommend it to anyone who has a chance to attend, because it builds confidence and adds a strong sense of community.”

Pollock agrees. “I’d encourage parents to see the Solomon Leadership Program as an investment in their teenager’s future,” he said. “It gives students the opportunity to learn from accomplished mentors, build meaningful relationships and develop skills that can’t easily be taught in a classroom. It also helps strengthen their connection to the Jewish community and encourages them to think about the role they can play in shaping its future. If your teenager is willing to learn, grow and challenge themselves, this program is an exceptional opportunity that can influence not only what they do, but the kind of person they become.”

Applications for the 2026-2027 program are open now through the end of August. Prospective participants are interviewed, and must demonstrate academic excellence and volunteerism, and provide references. The program accommodates a maximum of 30 students, and costs $500. Upon successful completion, participants earn three university credits. For more information, visit solomonprogram.org.

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.

100 dancers, one heart

The executive of the Vancouver Israeli Folk Dance Society at their annual BeLev Echad event, which took place May 29-31 this year. (photo by Galit Lewinsky)

Over the weekend of May 29, the Vancouver Israeli Folk Dance Society hosted their annual BeLev Echad (With One Heart) event. This year’s gathering brought dancers from across North America: Toronto, Chicago, Halifax, Boston, Portland and San Francisco. Workshop director Nona Malki was joined by instructors Marcelo Marianoff (Argentina) and Dror Davidi (Israel).

The workshops culminated in a party on Saturday night, attended by more than 100 guests. Beginning with a Havdalah service, the party was DJ’d by local dance teacher Yael Levy Morantz, announcing the tunes, many of which were played by request.

The evening was filled with almost nonstop dancing and singing. A buffet table of snacks and treats was on offer. While some of the dances were energetic and fast-paced, there were also couples and line dances. Giant fans kept the dancers cool.

Dancers took a short break to watch a phenomenal tap dance solo by 11-year-old Li-Ya Atia, who had come up from Washington with her dance teacher parents, Ohad and Victoria. An accomplished dancer with a repertoire covering five different styles, she also studies musical theatre. Li-Ya’s mom threw in a couple of split-jumps in the middle of one dance.

According to longtime VIFS member Arthur Weinstein, Israeli folk dance is a terrific example of cultural growth and conservation. “Anyone can choreograph a dance to a song they have chosen and register the steps with an agency in Israel,” he said.

photo - VIFS T-shirts — *(photo by Galit Lewinsky)*

New dances are sourced from the agency and shared at events like BeLev Echad, with teachers memorizing the steps to bring home to their students. This way, an international group can gather anywhere in the world – and dance together, in unison. It’s a great way to stay connected to the global Jewish community, exercise and enjoy good music.

The evening also featured a silent auction for a unique set of wind chimes. While Israeli hostages remained in Gaza, many VIFS members wore “Bring Them Home” dog tags to keep them front of mind. When all the hostages were finally returned to Israel, VIFS members removed their dog tags but, rather than hiding them in a drawer, the tags gained new meaning as a piece of collaborative art created by Glenda Leznoff, Rina Vizer and Dave Smith. (See jewishindependent.ca/a-chime-of-metal-tags.) Avi Malki made the winning bid.

Music included traditional favourites like “Hine Ma Tov” (“Behold How Good”), familiar Israeli songs like “Naama” by Ofra Haza and contemporary mixes. There was also an offering from Chava Alberstein (1992), “Shir Megaresh Et Hachoshech” (“A Song Dispels the Darkness”), which it certainly did.

Many VIFS members are passionate about dance and loyal to their roots. Esti Livne has been coming consistently for 30 years. The only time she missed it, she said, was when her son was graduating from Yale University.

The goal of VIFS is to ensure that Jewish culture is both accessible and affordable. Thanks to donations by local sponsors, VIFS can offer these inclusive programs. Indeed, the party welcomed visitors from all over the Lower Mainland, not all of whom were Jewish. The inclusivity was also apparent from the playpen in the corner of the hall, which allowed young parents to dance without excluding the rest of the family. During his visit to Canada, Marianoff took the time to teach wheelchair folk dance at Louis Brier Home and Hospital, and gave classes on Vancouver Island.

According to teacher Levy Morantz, “every part of the weekend was filled with joy.”

For more information about VIFS, contact Pam Wolfman at 604-839-3931, Malki at 778-834-3488 or Levy Morantz at 604-993-0223. You can also visit vancouverisraelidance.com.

Shula Klinger is an author and journalist living in North Vancouver.

Money for the sciences

At the Weizmann Canada gala in Montreal on May 26, guests heard from Weizmann Institute professors Asaph Aharoni, left, and Ron Milo. Former CBC broadcaster Heather Hiscox hosted the event. (photo from Weizmann Canada)

On May 26, Weizmann Canada held a sold-out national gala in Montreal that raised $9 million net of expenses for scientific research on environmental sustainability.

Seeding Hope: The National Gala to Empower a Sustainable Tomorrow, presented by the Dr. Joseph Lebovic and Dr. Wolf Lebovic foundations, brought more than 300 Weizmann Canada supporters together from across the country. Held at Windsor Station, it was a celebration of research focused on climate change, alternative energy, food security and nutrition.

Speaking at the gala, Weizmann Canada chief executive officer Susan Stern expressed gratitude for the science and those who support it. This fundraising effort comes at a time when the climate crisis is accelerating, from extreme weather and biodiversity loss, to rising pollution and global food insecurity. The Weizmann Institute of Science has made environmental sustainability one of its priority areas of research.

The focus on environmental science at Weizmann began through the leadership of Canadians. Decades ago, Canadians funded early solar energy research that has now expanded into a multidisciplinary powerhouse of more than 60 labs dedicated to sustainability.

At the gala, guests were treated to an immersive, multi-sensory event in which the science took centre stage. They heard from professors Asaph Aharoni and Ron Milo.

In his lab, Milo has been able to genetically engineer bacteria that feed off carbon dioxide rather than sugar. He described how he is now developing new ways to use solar energy to fuel the fermentation process that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air, with the goal of improving the efficiency of food and fuel production.

Aharoni is focused on engineering plants and microbes to fight world hunger and malnutrition. His work looks for ways to improve crop nutrition and resistance to disease, drought and other harsh conditions. His discoveries have also led to environmentally sustainable alternatives to the harmful chemicals in food, textiles and other materials.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Aharoni. “We are doing all kinds of stuff that will make our world more sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly.”

Former CBC broadcaster Heather Hiscox hosted the event and recognized Canadian visionaries whose generosity has had a global impact. There was a special tribute to the legacy of Tom and Mary Beck and their early support of environmental research at the Weizmann Institute.

Other honourees were Nathalie and Laurent Amar; Rochelle Rubinstein, representing the families of H&R; Darlene Switzer-Foster and Bill Foster, honouring the memory of Sam Switzer; and Linda Cherry Soudack, honouring the legacy of Sigmund (Siggy) Soudack. Danielle Bitton received the Marvelle Koffler Award for Women of Distinction in recognition of her exceptional dedication to community leadership and philanthropy.

Several West Coasters were in attendance, including Weizmann Canada’s Vancouver chapter president Moira Stillwell; Telus chief executive officer Victor Dodig; and former Vancouverites Cheryl Brownstein and Rick Schweiber.

– Courtesy Weizmann Canada

Have a cookie, schnitzel too

If you want cinnamon twists and schnitzel for dinner – yes, in that order – go for it. Life’s short. (photo by Shelley Civkin)

Nothing screams Jewish baking quite like kichel (aka nothings), kuffles and rugelach. Unless it’s cinnamon twists. My friend Debbie graciously brought over a fabulous selection of her pastries one day and I immediately fell in love with her Bubby Florence’s Twists (aka cinnamon twists). Begging for the recipe, Debbie offered to show me firsthand how to make them. Naturally, I jumped at the chance.

We had a bake-a-palooza date, banished our hubbies (they went out for brunch), donned our Donna Reed aprons and got to work. We made two different kinds of cookies that day: cinnamon twists and shortbread. Both über-yummy. Full disclosure: no calories were spared in the making of these treats.

I’m still getting used to my new induction stove and convection oven, so there continues to be some trial-and-error involved. I know that my oven underheats by 10 to 15 degrees, so I cranked up the temp. The cookies turned out a bit darker than Debbie said they should be, but they were perfect for me. I’ll let you decide what to set your oven at, but the recipe calls for 350˚ F.

CINNAMON TWISTS

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar (approx.)
2 tbsp cinnamon

Mix the brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl, and mix the baking powder, baking soda and flour in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and then put the mixture into the fridge for about one hour. (This is just a rough guideline.) After it’s chilled, form the batter into little “logs,” about the size of your baby finger, but slightly longer.

On a flat plate, mix the white sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the “logs” in the cinnamon and sugar until they’re well coated, then twist them into little twisties.

Bake at 350˚ F on a parchment-lined cookie sheet till the cookies are golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Remove them onto a wire rack to cool – pour yourself a glass of milk and stuff your face until you feel like you’re going to explode. Wait an hour, then repeat. The recipe makes approximately 58 cinnamon twists. They freeze beautifully and they’re super-delicious with all that cinnamon sugar adorning them. Dipping in milk, coffee or tea is also recommended.

DEBBIE’S SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 cup butter or margarine (I used vegan)
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups flour

Cream together butter or margarine and icing sugar. Add vanilla, cornstarch and flour, mixing for three to five minutes. (You can refrigerate the dough at this point if you want to make the cookies the next day. Up to you, but not necessary.)

When ready, spoon out half tablespoons of the dough and roll them into small balls. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten with a fork.

Bake at 350˚ F until golden brown on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Could it get any easier?

After our bake-a-palooza was over, we sat down with a big glass of milk for me and a strong cup of coffee for Debbie, and gorged ourselves silly. Soon after, our hubbies got home from their male-bonding experience over panini and lattes. Laying their eyes on the bounty before them, they forgot they were stuffed from lunch. Need I state the obvious? Within seconds, each of the guys had wolfed down at least four of each cookie. And, once again, said they were stuffed. That lasted for 15 minutes. Our 100 cookies soon became dozens fewer. My friend’s suggestion for how to ensure that our husbands don’t eat the rest of the cookies in the future is to put them in a white container in the freezer and label it “Calf’s liver.” Pretty clever, don’t you think?

My next act was to make a recipe I found on Instagram by Shanie Amir, called Crispy Oven-Baked Eggplant Schnitzel. Simple, scrumptious and sort of healthy. Not.

CRISPY OVEN-BAKED EGGPLANT SCHNITZEL

1 eggplant
2 eggs
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups golden breadcrumbs (or Panko)
salt & pepper

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and mayonnaise together.

Slice the eggplant into half-inch rounds and peel it so stripes of the skin show. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

photo - Eggplant schnitzel — Eggplant schnitzel *(photo by Shelley Civkin)*

Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture, then coat them well in the breadcrumbs. Put the pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spraying both sides with avocado oil.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 400˚ F, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy. Make a dip to go with it. I like Ranch dressing, but a tahini dip would be delish. You’re welcome.

On a completely different note … I turned 70 years old awhile ago, and I’ve finally reached the stage of life where I’m gaining some perspective. I grew up with a mother who always told me to “Save it for good,” which translated to “Save it for when you go out somewhere fancy” or “Save it for when you have a nice dinner party” or “Save it for when you lose some weight.”

“Save it” was an exhortation to be careful, be cautious, be thrifty and, most of all, be scared of living in the moment, be scared of having too much fun, of throwing caution to the wind. As a result, I have fancy clothes in my closet that I’ve never worn, because I’ve been “saving them for good.”

I finally have realized that “good” means now. I don’t have to wait to go somewhere fancy just so I can wear my new dress. If I want to, I can wear it out grocery shopping. Turning 70 means not waiting for a better day. Today is the best day – for anything and everything.

I think I’m going to wear my fancy white blazer tonight. Because I can. And, if I feel like eating cookies, and eggplant schnitzel with dip for dinner, I will. Turning 70 has its advantages. My advice to you is this: have fun now – this is not a dress rehearsal!

Shelley Civkin, aka the Accidental Balabusta, is a happily retired librarian and communications officer. For 17 years, she wrote a weekly book review column for the Richmond Review. She’s currently a freelance writer and volunteer.