News – Page 257

Focus on community safety

How safe is our community? That’s a question all of us ask from time to time, some of us on a daily basis as we come and go from our synagogue or community centre, or drop our kids off at school.

On April 4, dozens of members of the Jewish community across Canada participated in a webinar called Protecting Our People and Places: Redefining Risk, presented by insurance and risk management firm Arthur J. Gallagher Canada, which works internationally and has a significant presence in Canada. Speakers included Nir Maman, a krav maga expert with a background in security and policing in North America, Israel and elsewhere; Max Hazin of Northern Force Security; and Sam Feldman, Vishal Kundi, Justin Priestley and Paul Bassett of Arthur J. Gallagher. The webinar promoted the company’s insurance and risk management services, but also provided basic risk management information and a variety of community resources.

All of the speakers stressed that Canada is not immune to terrorist attacks and active shooter incidents of the kind seen in the United States and Israel. However, the webinar began with statistics that put the warnings into perspective: Between 2000 and 2006, Israel had suffered 27,905 terror attacks killing 1,116 Israelis and injuring 8,800; from September 2015 to the webinar date, 34 people have been killed in terror attacks and 400 injured.

Total casualties: 1,150 killed and 9,200 injured. Since 1973 until 2016, there have been 38 Islamic extremist terror attacks in the United States. Total casualties: 3,282 killed and 9,285 injured. Since December 1999, there have been four plots to carry out intended terror attacks in Canada and three perpetrated terror attacks. Total casualties: two killed and three injured.

Topics in the webinar included how to make a physical location an unattractive target to terrorists, how to create levels of resistance to a threat and how to handle an active shooter situation. Maman was critical of the security in place at most Jewish organizations as being more symbolic than effective, and stressed the need for training and education so as to empower people to protect and, if needed, defend themselves and their communities.

In his weekly email message on April 15, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver chief executive officer Ezra Shanken noted, “Over the past two years we have seen a rise in terrorist activity worldwide, some of which has targeted Jewish communities, such as in Paris and Copenhagen. While there has not been and is not currently an increased threat to our community, we should not assume that these types of events could never impact us.

“For many years, our Federation has taken a proactive approach to community safety and, in that vein, we have established the Community Security Committee, chaired by Bernard Pinsky, which is focused on identifying and assessing opportunities to enhance our collective safety. The committee will update the community about any security concerns, and will ensure community institutions have the appropriate protocols and technology in place to ensure maximum safety.”

Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom told the Independent after the webinar that security is a way of life for modern Jewish communities, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. “This is just the way it is now,” he said. “In Europe, this type of security has long been the status quo. I remember one visit where you couldn’t enter a synagogue without someone in an orange jacket asking you what your bar mitzvah parashah was.

“Despite the lower risk level in Canada,” he continued, “cameras, security guards and security measures need to be in place both to deter attackers and to give people peace of mind. Many communities, like ours, have security committees, which receive training and actively protect the community. Many, some of whom have a background in the Israeli army or police training, see this as a sacred duty, as their calling in the community.”

For those who would like more information on safety protocols for the Jewish community, a number of useful resources can be found at chesedfund.com.

Matthew Gindin is a Vancouver freelance writer and journalist. He blogs on spirituality and social justice at seeking her voice (hashkata.com) and has been published in the Forward, Tikkun, Elephant Journal and elsewhere.

Recording testimony

As every year passes, more firsthand accounts of the Holocaust are lost. Carleton University has launched a new initiative to help preserve these important accounts for future generations.

Led by Mina Cohn, director of the Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship (CHES) within Carleton University’s Zelikovitz Centre for Jewish Studies, this initiative is hoping to raise $7,500 using Carleton’s Futurefunder crowdfunding platform to record and preserve the testimonies of Ottawa Holocaust survivors as oral histories.

The project will ensure the preservation of Ottawa Holocaust survivors’ accounts and their experiences before, during and after the Holocaust. These recorded testimonies will become a powerful pedagogical tool to be used in any educational institution or setting and will allow Carleton professors and students to explore online the unique power of survivors’ memoirs. The recordings and associated educational materials will form the basis of a special Ottawa-based Holocaust memorial project and will become a public resource freely accessible on the CHES website.

Each survivor has a unique and personal story to tell. These eyewitness accounts unite personal experience with the history of the period in a powerful way, creating a feeling of immediacy to the events, and there is an urgent need to record and preserve survivor accounts before it is too late. CHES is in contact with local Holocaust survivors and is already working with those interested in participating in this project.

The $7,500 to be raised will help cover the cost of producing, editing and arranging a public launch of the video testimonies of Ottawa Holocaust survivors. In the first round, CHES will record up to 10 different survivor testimonies, in a professional studio environment with the help of professional videographers. If sufficient funding is available, it will produce thematic videos on associated topics, such as life before the Holocaust in certain locations, camp experiences, child survivors, Jews in hiding, etc. Recording is scheduled to start in June 2016.

The unedited recording and videotapes will serve as resources for scholars, students, educators and the public, and provide glimpses into the individual lives during the Holocaust that cannot be obtained from documents or written records. Such testimonies are also an excellent resource for the development of anti-racism educational materials.

To learn more, visit futurefunder.carleton.ca/project/ottawa-holocaust-survivors-testimony.

Where do Messianics fit?

Last month, the Jewish Independent received an email from a reader concerned about a new group for Messianic Jews being organized via meetup.com.

While the organizer did not respond to requests for an interview, the Independent followed up on the issue of Messianic Jews with, among others, Daniel Nessim, whose father, Elie, is the leader of Kehillath Tsion, a now 30-year-old Messianic centre in East Vancouver. His father, who is 84, has been handing over more of the leadership responsibilities to Nessim, who recently returned from 10 years in the United Kingdom.

“Our community consists of about 100 people, and around 80 show up every Shabbat for services,” he told the Independent in a phone interview. “Our congregation consists of both Jews and gentile Christians who are seeking to connect with Yeshua’s [Jesus’] Jewish roots.”

Members of the community observe the Sabbath, keep kosher, wear tefillin and tzitizit, and observe Jewish holidays in their way. The younger Nessim seeks to make his congregation “a more welcoming place for Jews.” Asked about the Jewish community’s general aversion to evangelizing, he replied, “God created us as Jews and intended us to remain as Jews. If I’m correct that Jesus is the messiah sent by God, He would want us to acknowledge that, but not to leave our Jewishness or our communities or synagogues. I’m happy even if a Jewish person doesn’t believe in messiah as I do, but becomes a better Jew in their own community.”

Most Jews do not see Messianic Judaism as a reasonable Jewish option, however. Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, director of Inter-Religious Studies at Vancouver School of Theology, explained that different Jewish communities have differing levels of comfort about welcoming Messianics as Jews in their synagogues. “There are also theological issues,” she said. “Someone who affirms Jesus as a teacher or a messianic figure might not be beyond the pale as a Jew, even though other Jews might disagree with them. If they affirm Jesus as divine, or God incarnate, however, then, for most Jews, they have crossed a line into unacceptable beliefs for a Jew.”

Most Orthodox Jews view Messianic Jews as retaining their Jewishness, but as apostates who have lost their right to synagogue membership or participation in other aspects of Jewish community and ritual practice. The Conservative Rabbinical Council has ruled that Messianic Jews are still Jews, but should be considered “apostate Jews” and denied synagogue membership, participation in Jewish ritual and burial in a Jewish cemetery. The Reform movement also considers Messianic Jews as apostates, not to be excluded from “services, classes or any other activity of the community, for we always hold the hope that they will return to Judaism and disassociate themselves from Christianity. But they should be seen as outsiders who have placed themselves outside the Jewish community…. Such individuals should not be accorded membership in the congregation or treated in any way which makes them appear as if they were affiliated with the Jewish community, for that poses a clear danger to the Jewish community and also to its relationships with the general community.”

Several Jewish organizations work to combat the evangelization of Jews, notably Jews for Judaism. Based in Toronto, its stated mission is to respond “to Christian missionaries, cults, eastern religions and many other challenges to Jewish continuity, and connecting Jews to the spiritual depth, wisdom, beauty and truth of Judaism.”

While a 2013 PEW study showed 34% of American Jews as accepting of Jews who believe in Jesus as the messiah – a large percentage but half that of those accepting of Jewish atheists – the struggle against Messianic Jews has sometimes become violent. In Israel, for example, according to the Messianic organization Anachnu Israel, Orthodox Jews have threatened and even assaulted Messianic Jews and their families. And, in Toronto, there have been incidents where Messianic Jews have faced protests, jeers and insults, thefts, vandalism, as well as bomb and death threats.

Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok, a British Reform rabbi and Jewish theologian, recently wrote a book-length treatment of Messianic Judaism and its place in the Jewish community, called Messianic Judaism: A Critical Anthology. In it, Cohn-Sherbok explains that Messianic Jews are bewildered by their exclusion from much of the Jewish community: “If Conservative Jews deny the belief in Torah MiSinai [the divinely revealed nature of both written and oral law…], Reform Jews reject the authority of the law, Reconstructionist Jews adopt a non-theistic interpretation of the faith and humanistic Jews cease to use the word ‘God’ in their liturgy, why should Messianic Jews alone be universally vilified?”

Cohn-Sherbok argues for the inclusion of Messianic Judaism within the pluralistic Judaism of today, writing that the continued rejection of Messianics “makes little sense”: “Messianic Jews are regarded as having committed the ultimate ethnic and religious betrayal. Yet, we have seen, Messianic Jews do not see their acceptance of Yeshua as a form of treachery. They enthusiastically embrace Jewish identity, which they inculcate in their children at home and in synagogues. They remain loyal to the Jewish people, even though they are universally rejected and condemned. They are vociferous supporters of the state of Israel. By their very way of life, they continually challenge the claim that accepting Yeshua as messiah is equivalent to abandoning Jewishness.” Cohn-Sherbok claims that, “in many respects, Messianic Jews are more theistically oriented and more Torah-observant even than their counterparts within the Conservative and Reform movements.”

New York-based Jewish Renewal Rabbi David Evan Markus welcomes Jews who have joined other religions to worship and learn with his community. Asked about Messianic Jews, he said, “I haven’t had to deal with that question yet. I think that if they came to the synagogue to learn about Judaism, to worship Jewishly, they would be welcomed, just as all authentic and respectful seekers are welcome. It’s a core mission of [our] spiritual community, and our roles as Renewal rabbis, to encourage spiritual engagement from a place of authenticity and integrity for all. The essential factor would be that they be committed to not proselytizing in the community. They would have to come in good faith to learn and worship with us as a Jewish community.”

There is a range of views in the Messianic community about proselytization. Nessim said he would be “very pleased” if the Jewish community accepted Messianic Jews into community life on the condition of refraining from active, organized proselytization within the Jewish community. “I think it would be ideal to aim for an agreement like that, as the fruit of respectful dialogue,” he said.

Diagnosing, treating ADHD

Why are boys three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than girls, when studies have repeatedly shown that girls are just as likely to have it? According to psychiatrist Dr. Doron Almagor, this may be due to how it manifests differently in girls than it does in boys.

Almagor treats ADHD throughout the lifespan. He is also the president of the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA), which is a Canadian body of physicians that sets the standards for treatment of ADHD in the country.

Dr. Doron Almagor *(photo from Doron Almagor)*

Originally from Israel, Almagor moved to Canada with his parents when he was 10 years old. During his training in child and adolescent psychiatry, Almagor became exposed to kids with ADHD.

“I found out, as I did my practice, that there was a really wide need for it,” he said. “It’s a very underserviced, under-recognized, underappreciated area within the Canadian health-care system and worldwide as well. I could see changes happening very quickly for people who may have been suffering for years and were then able to turn their lives around. So, that is something I became more involved in.

“I then became more involved with education over the years and really tried to promote the message that it’s something that’s under-recognized and easily addressed. Compared to other treatments in psychiatry, it tends to be much more effective, but underappreciated for being so.”

According to Almagor, one of the myths is that ADHD kids are hyperactive. The reality is that there are different types of ADHD, some of which have no hyperactivity associated with them at all. These used to be referred to as ADD (attention deficit disorder).

“When people hear ADHD, they may not identify themselves as having it or their children or family as having it, because they think hyperactivity has to be there,” said Almagor. “But, there are types of ADHD with no hyperactivity – that’s a more silent type and even more underappreciated.

“The problem with ADHD and all types of ADHD is that they’re defined by symptoms with attention, focus, and with the hyperactive-type problems, with hyperactivity and impulsivity. But these aren’t the real issues ADHD causes. The real issues are things like school failure, low self-esteem, social problems – things that evolve into other issues like depression and anxiety. It’s really the secondary effects of ADHD that are the real problems, rather than the pure attention or hyperactivity issues.

“If a child has ADHD and that causes self-esteem issues, they can’t focus, keep up with their peers, [they] have teachers who are negative about them, and people may say that they’re just being lazy and making careless mistakes. That’s going to be internalized into the child’s character. That will be part of their image of themselves. That’s going to affect how they relate to the rest of the world…. That’s going to be harder to fix as they get older. The earlier it can be addressed, the better.”

Learning disabilities often go together with ADHD. According to Almagor, when someone has been diagnosed with a learning disability, they should also be screened for ADHD, as 50% of those with a learning disability also have ADHD and vice versa.

If a parent is concerned about their child, his or her teachers are in a very good position to be able to gauge where the child is at, as they see them in a context of 30 other kids their age, he said.

“Often, parents may have a 7-year-old who can’t focus, but they may not know if that is the same as or similar to other 7-year-olds. Teachers are always consulted before making a diagnosis.

“Another good first step,” he continued, “is the child’s pediatrician, as many pediatricians are trained in the diagnosis and recognition of ADHD. Pediatricians may be able to diagnose it themselves or may have consultants they rely on, whether that is a child psychiatrist or specialist pediatricians (developmental pediatricians).”

Further testing may be needed to confirm an initial diagnosis, but this testing is covered by the public health-care system when prescribed by the child’s doctor. Psychiatric treatments may not be covered.

Another common misconception concerning ADHD is that medication is the only option, yet, that is only one of the potential treatments.

“Parents need to make sure the pediatrician is open and knowledgeable about ADHD,” said Almagor. “There are still some who don’t believe there is such a thing as ADHD or they’ll do a very quick assessment ruling ADHD out too soon without a full assessment.”

One of CADDRA’s missions is to educate physicians in making proper diagnoses, and providing proper treatment or referring people to the appropriate resources and experts.

CADDRA’s website provides a list of symptoms that people can access that might be helpful in trying to determine if you have a child with ADHD, but Almagor cautioned that these are all just initial screening tools that can only give an indication that further trained assessment may be needed.

“We can’t expect a 10-year-old to focus as well as a 19-year-old,” said Almagor. “Besides initial symptoms, like trouble focusing, secondary symptoms can include being very hesitant about being in school, being withdrawn about school and having low self-esteem about their abilities. These types of things are softer. They’d be good alerts that the child needs further assessment. Being behind in school is another one. But, it might not be ADHD. It might be a learning disability or something else, like depression.

“Girls tend to have the more silent type of ADHD – the inattentive type – so, not as visible. Inattention is internal – hesitancy, being withdrawn and being unsure of their abilities. These are often missed and that’s why girls are only diagnosed later in life.

“Often, when mothers bring in their daughters for assessment, they read about the diagnoses and they self-identify. I see a parent who will say, ‘Now that I’ve learned more about ADHD, my child has it and I realize I have it, too.’ It’s common as well because ADHD is about 80% genetic. So, often when there’s a child that has ADHD, one of the parents has it, too.

“I always ask and try to determine who else in the family might have ADHD and maybe encourage that they also seek out treatment, too. It’s important, as, if a parent is having ADHD symptoms themselves, it may make it harder for them to parent effectively and may make the child’s ADHD worse.

“Even when girls are hyperactive,” he continued, “they’re still often under-treated. They tend to be chatty girls in class and can’t sit still. Recent research from Denmark is showing that girls with ADHD have higher rates of effects of it than boys. So, they have higher rates of drug use and higher death rates, which may be because they’re not being treated.”

In early childhood, boys diagnosed with ADHD outnumber girls four to one, but the number of adult men and women are about equal. Overall, the number of people with ADHD has been steady for the past 30 years, according to Almagor, at around five percent. And, although Almagor said he sees many Jewish patients, he does not attribute this to there being higher percentages of Jews with ADHD as compared to the general population. Rather, he feels Jewish parents’ attentiveness to what is going on may be the cause of them bringing their kids in more often for treatment.

The way in which the condition and its treatment are perceived by the public, said Almagor, is one of the main problems, and it is a problem that may be causing harm to kids.

“I think people avoid treatment or avoid addressing it because of stigma, or they think the only option is medication,” he said. “They need to be aware that treatment for ADHD is what we call ‘integrated.’ We look at psychotherapy as well as medication choices. It can also be addressed without medication, which is often very helpful for the long-term well being of the child.”

Psychotherapy treatments may include a focus around self-regulation in cases with hyperactivity and impulsivity, or being able to learn to think before acting via exercises that include mindfulness and other ways to help children control their impulses. Other treatments for ADHD can include helping with executive functioning to improve organization, focus and the sequencing of tasks. For more information, visit caddra.ca.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

JNF hosts Israel’s Rasnic

At the Jewish National Fund, Pacific Region, Negev Dinner on April 10, left to right, are Ruth Rasnic, dinner honoree Shirley Barnett and B.C. Premier Christy Clark. (photo from JNF Pacific Region)

When many people think of feminism, it’s likely they connect it with the second half of the last century – names like Germaine Greer and Betty Friedan, who garnered followers in the 1970s for their discussion of equality and freedom.

Some will think of the suffrage movement at the beginning of the past century, which struggled to get women the vote.

But feminism for Ruth Rasnic means safety from harm, respect at home.

Rasnic is a much-decorated social activist recognized in her home of Israel for the work she started in the 1970s creating the organization No to Violence Against Women. She was also a founding member of Ratz, a political party that focused on human and civil rights, and, in 2008, she was appointed by former prime minister Ehud Olmert to his advisory council for women’s stature. She was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement in 2009, joining the ranks of Golda Meir, Abba Eban and Amos Oz.

Established by Rasnic in 1978, No to Violence Against Women provides emergency housing for victims of physical or psychological abuse. It also runs a 24-hour hotline and advocates for women’s rights.

Rasnic was in Vancouver recently to promote the collaboration between No to Violence Against Women and the Jewish National Fund, Pacific Region (JNF) to raise funds to rebuild a shelter in Rishon Le Zion. The goal is $1.5 million Cdn.

“By building shelters like the Rishon Le Zion shelter, giving women and children a safe haven, support, empowerment, legal aid, we enable them to carve a different future for themselves and their children,” Rasnic said.

The shelters provide victims of domestic violence with a safe environment in which to get a fresh start. They are provided with clothing, access to therapy, employment and assistance in finding new housing. A 24-hour housemother ensures that someone is with the women all the time. To ensure security for the women and their children, they are housed in a shelter that is not within their own city.

“Most women are in shock when they come to the shelter,” said Rasnic. “They have nothing. They may be haggard, malnourished, suffering from PTSD. Within a week, they are physically changed.”

Israel particularly faces challenges servicing victims of domestic violence because many women are new immigrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan, and don’t speak common languages. Many have no national status and are not medically insured.

“These are some of the harrowing things we have in the shelters,” she said. “Seven to eight percent of our residents are women, with children often, who are stateless and have no status in Israel. We are now working with the government to ensure that while these women are at the shelter, they can get medical aid.”

Rasnic said that legislation around this problem should be passed after Passover.

Rasnic was a guest of honor at the JNF Negev Dinner on April 10, and the next day visited King David High School to speak to the students. She is adamant that education has to be a key factor in making any difference in abuse toward women.

“No male baby is born a violent man. No female baby is born a victim,” she told the audience at the Negev Dinner. “These are societal norms learned in the home, school and army.”

She has even produced a book, The Shelter is My Home, which is written looking at life in a shelter through a child’s eyes.

“Nobody can take out an insurance policy for their daughters,” Rasnic said. “This is our joint responsibility.”

Beyond the issues for which she’s best known, Rasnic also feels strongly about other social issues in her hometown of Herzliya. She has worked on no-smoking campaigns, which included a free course for those wanting to quit; she has worked to get better access for people with disabilities to public areas in city; and she helped transform a kindergarten space into a drop-in health centre for teens.

At a national level, Rasnic is troubled by laws still on the books that require a woman to get her husband’s signed agreement in the case of abortion or a get (Jewish divorce document).

“Oh, talk about the get,” Rasnic said, her whole body seeming to stiffen at the thought. “Rabbis have to find a solution to the get. They must do it. My own daughter’s husband wouldn’t give her a get for three years.”

While in Vancouver, Rasnic remarked on the federal government’s new cabinet, which comprises 50% women, and Christy Clark being British Columbia’s premier.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “I think it will make a better society. I don’t think women are cleverer than men – I think we’re sensitized to different issues that men have simply ignored.”

No to Violence Against Women has three shelters in Israel, in Hadera, Herzliya and Rishon Le Zion. The fundraising efforts spearheaded by Rasnic are to rebuild the shelter in Rishon Le Zion, to be renamed the Vancouver Shelter. The cause was chosen as the beneficiary of the Negev Dinner by this year’s honoree, Shirley Barnett. To donate to the campaign, visit jnf.ca/index.php/vancouver/campaigns/negev-campaign.

Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer and media trainer in Vancouver. Her consulting work can be seen at phase2coaching.com.

RJDS student mitzvah

Students Tomer Berko Gabay (student council president), Liam Greenberg (secretary) and Nathan Tourvieille (treasurer) with Heartly, aka Karen Pasqua, senior events coordinator, Howard Blank, Reesa Pawer and Julie Kendell. Student Tal Pretli (vice-president) was absent when the photo was taken. (photo from Richmond Jewish Day School)

Until last year, Richmond Jewish Day School did not have a student council. That was when Reesa Pawer, education assistant at the school, decided it was time to make some changes and do something “for school spirit.”

Not only were students given an opportunity to vote in their council, but they cast their votes at the same time as their parents were participating in the federal election. Said an enthusiastic Pawer, “There were lineups to the ballot boxes! The votes were counted and the student council was elected, as they would be in a real election.”

Class representatives were then chosen by teachers and students. Since then, the council has gone from handing out hot chocolate at recess to coordinating an impressive fundraising program.

The students have targeted three charities to support, said Pawer. “They wanted a global charity, so they picked Variety Club. They wanted a local charity, so they chose the Richmond Animal Shelter, who received a cheque last term. And they wanted to support a Jewish charity, so they’re raising funds for the Jewish Food Bank.”

The project involved students from grades 1 through 7 and, said Pawer, the student council “did the legwork.”

To raise funds, students sold flowers, including gerbera daisies and roses, for local families’ Shabbat tables. They also sold cakes and contributed $2 on non-uniform days, which take place monthly on Rosh Chodesh, to raise funds for Variety.

On April 11, RJDS welcomed Howard Blank, president of Variety in British Columbia, to the school. After a short video presentation about the work of Variety, the students presented Blank with a donation. School council president Tomer Berko Gabay spoke at the assembly, saying that the student group felt “honored to give this $1,000 cheque to Variety – The Children’s Charity.”

The students had a chance to meet Heartly, Variety’s mascot, and were shown a video by Richard O’Shaughnessy, Variety’s events coordinator, about a young man who has benefited greatly from the generosity of Variety supporters. Born with only one hand, Drew now has a robotic hand, which allows him to complete even the most intricate tasks. His passion is making jewelry and, thanks to the robotic hand, he is now able to operate the tools required to do so. The RJDS kids watched the video in rapt attention, exclaiming “Cool!” when they heard about the “bionic” hand from Blank.

Blank praised the students for their community spirit and hard work. He described the “wonderful mitzvah” they had performed. “You’ve given a young boy or girl a new wheelchair or a special bicycle,” he said. “You guys really helped make sure that every kid gets a fair chance, and we think that’s right.”

RJDS principal Abba Brodt also applauded the students. “I am really proud of you,” he said. “You did something special – and so did your families.”

Asked how this fundraising program contributes to the students’ academic programs, Brodt described the integration of the school’s Jewish studies with the government-mandated B.C. curriculum.

“It was the perfect way to teach tikkun olam, to bring beauty to Shabbat tables and bring beauty to the wider world. It’s the perfect way to tie what’s out there in the world with what’s in here,” he said, putting his hand on his heart.

He added, “Reesa went above and beyond. This is a remarkable achievement for the student council. She gave the kids her full support.”

Blank took the time to answer questions from the group assembled, bringing the kids’ attention back to familiar experiences. He also reminded them to help kids in wheelchairs feel included when they meet them at playgrounds. “They don’t just want help, they’re just like you, they want friends,” he said.

RJDS students will present a cheque to the food bank in June, said Pawer. “This is the first year we’ve done such a big project,” she said. “We’re hoping to keep it going.”

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

Or Shalom hosts ALEPH tour

The Or Shalom board of directors with Rabbi Hannah Dresner, second from the left in the front row. (photo by David Kauffman)

Most Jews would agree that usually rabbis do the bulk of the talking and congregants the listening. That’s been reversed for the Listening Tour currently underway among rabbis of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. The tour is making 13 stops in North America, as well as listening via video and Skype to Renewal communities all around the world. On March 25, the tour stopped in Vancouver, where it was hosted by Or Shalom.

Rabbis Rachel Barenblat and David Markus, ALEPH co-chairs, have embarked on the tour to hear from the breadth and depth of the community, including those not technically affiliated with the Renewal community but “aligned in method, intention and heart.”

“Every stop on the ALEPH: Jewish Renewal Listening Tour is different, and every one has been amazing in its own way. But I suspect that our weekend in Vancouver may stand out in memory as one of the most memorable experiences in a year-plus of remarkable experiences,” wrote Barenblat on her blog, the Velveteen Rabbi.

“Maybe that’s in part because we traveled such a very long way to be there. Maybe it’s in part because we were visiting such a storied community, one of the largest and longest-standing Jewish Renewal communities in the world. Maybe that’s in part because the people at Or Shalom welcomed us with such open hearts.”

“When ALEPH decided to go on a listening tour, it initially was to take the pulse of the Jewish Renewal movement, but it has come to mean for us and for stakeholders in the broader renewing of Jewish life so much more than that,” said Markus. “There is a yearning in Jewish life today that reaches through all the denominations … we are seeing a global consciousness arise about the need to reconnect Jews with the heart and soul of tradition, to experience the riches of spiritual life, and to address emerging social and ecological challenges.”

photo - Rabbis David Evan Markus and Rachel Barenblat, co-chairs of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal — Rabbis David Evan Markus and Rachel Barenblat, co-chairs of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. *(photo by David Kauffman)*

Markus explained that Jewish Renewal has grown organically, and was not created on the basis of strategy or design. “The time has come,” he said, “to introduce an element of design.” How should the Renewal movement take its rightful place in ecosystem of Jewish life? What does Jewish life need now? How to meet the needs of millennials? Summing up, Markus said, “How are we relevant for the 21st century and beyond?”

Speaking of the tour in a recent Or Shalom newsletter, the congregation’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Hannah Dresner, wrote, “They were here to gather information for their own discernment as they shape the next iteration of the ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. But we had a bit of our own agenda, and that was to speak and hear the stories, challenges and hopes of Or Shalomniks for the flourishing of our home community and for our collective and personal senses of belonging, contentment and inspiration…. I listened very carefully, and my heart ached with the poignancy and beauty of the nostalgia, the hurts, the longings and the aspiration I heard spoken.”

On the Friday evening, the visit commenced with davening, followed by dinner, after which those gathered heard some of the origin stories and histories from Or Shalom’s almost 40 years of existence, starting with the early years as a chavurah in Rabbi Daniel Siegel and Rebbetzin Hanna Tiferet Siegel’s living room.

On the Shabbat, there were diverse sessions of listening at which different segments of the community were invited to speak and be heard. Younger members of the community expressed their desire for open, free dialogue, deep ecumenicism and freedom from xenophobia; members of the community who felt marginalized had a chance to tell their stories; elder members spoke of their desire to keep the best of Or Shalom alive and their anxiety to pass the torch to the next generation. Many other voices were heard, and the rabbis listened. “By being listened to,” Markus told the Independent, “people feel empowered to do the work that this era demands.”

Dresner was particularly moved around finding solutions for those who feel marginalized. “What can we do to optimize a young mother’s spiritual experience when she comes to shul with very small children?” she asked. “And how can we create a cohort for her? How can we offer community to individuals who remain single as couples form and begin to have babies? What will it take to go beyond friendliness in developing a deeper queer consciousness?”

The weekend unfolded over what Barenblat called “meetings and meals and meetings over meals,” including a trip on Sunday to the Vancouver vegetarian institution that is the Naam restaurant.

The Vancouver leg of the tour wound down Sunday evening, and so came to an end the ninth stop the rabbis have made so far. “It’s an honor and a privilege,” wrote Barenblat on her blog, “to get to sit with people and hear their yearnings and hopes for what ALEPH and Jewish Renewal might become.”

Matthew Gindin is a Vancouver freelance writer and journalist. He blogs on spirituality and social justice at seeking her voice (hashkata.com) and has been published in the Forward, Tikkun, Elephant Journal and elsewhere.

שובה של האלמנה השחורה

מליסה אן שפרד נעצרה שוב לאחר הפרה את תנאי השחרור שלה מהכלא והשתמשה באינטרנט (צילום: CBC)

האלמנה השחורה של האינטרנט לא מרפה וחוזרת שוב לחדשות. האישה המסוכנת ביותר בתולדות קנדה, מליסה אן שפרד, בת השמונים מהליפקס נעצרה שוב על ידי המשטרה והועברה למעצר. זאת כיוון שהיא הפרה את תנאי השיחרור החמורים שלה מהכלא, ונתפסה בזמן שהשתמשה בשירותי האינטרנט של הספרייה הציבורית בהליפקס.

אחד מהשוטרים המקומיים של המשטרה האזורית של הליפקס תפס את שפרד, בזמן שהיא יושבת בספרייה מול אחד המחשבים וגולשת להנאתה באינטרנט. היא נעצרה מייד והובאה למעצר. בבדיקה ראשונה נמצא על גופה מכשיר שמאפשר לה גישה לאינטרנט. במשטרה לא מציינים בשלב זה מה חיפשה שפרד באינטרנט, אך לאור העבר הפלילי העשיר שלה הוחלט שלא לקחת סיכונים מיותרים. היא הואשמה בהפרת שלושה מתנאי השחרור שלה מהכלא לפני כחודש. שפרד תעמוד למשפט ב-24 במאי ובשלב זה עדיין לא ברור לאיזה עונש היא צפויה. עם זאת יש לציין שהיא נחשבת לעבריינית עם סיכון גבוה ולכן הפרת תנאי השחרור שלה נחשבת לעבירה חמורה ביותר. לכן אגב המשטרה עקבה אחריה מרגע שיחרורה מהכלא.

שפרד נולדה בעיר קטנה בניו ברנזוויק ב-1935, ישבה בכלא הנשים ‘טרורו’ שבהליפקס בשלוש השנים האחרונות, ושוחררה ממנו ב-18 במרץ. מייד עם שחרורה, המשטרה הוציאה הודעת אזהרה לציבור הרחב על כך שהעבריינית עם סיכון גבוהה שוחררה. המשטרה המליצה בעיקר לגברים מבוגרים ובודדים להיזהר מפניה ולא ליפול ברישתה. תנאי השיחרור הנוקשים שלה כללו: איסור מוחלט של גלישה באינטרנט, חובת דיווח למשטרה על כל מערכות יחסים שהיא תנהל עם גברים (כדי שהם יוזהרו מפניה) וכן עדכון המשטרה בכל פעם שיא תשנה את המראה החיצוני שלה.

שפרד ריצתה כבר עונשי מאסר בארה”ב ובקנדה לאור פעילותה הפלילית הרבה מאוד בארבעים השנים האחרונות, שכללה מעשי רמיה, התחזות, התעללות, הרעלה וגרימה למותם בדרכים שונות של חלק מבני זוגה, תוך שהיא גונבת את כספי חסכונותיהם. שפרד נחשבת לשקרנית פתולוגית, היא שינה את צורתה ושערה פעמים רבות בשנות חייה, החליפה את שמה (בין היתר למסילה אן וויקס, מליסה אן פרידריך, מליסה אן סטיוארט) וכן שינתה את מקום מגוריה פעמים רבות. היא אף פעם לא סיפרה לגברים שבחייה על עברה הפלילי העשיר. רק בעלה הראשון ראסל שפרד לא היה קורבן של מעשיה הפליליים. בסך הכל היא ישבה בבתי כלא שונים למעלה מעשר שנים על יותר משלושים עברות חמורות.

שפרד ריצתה עונש מאסר בן שלוש שנים בהליפקס לאחר שהורשעה בהרעלת בעלה הרביעי והאחרון, פרד וויקס (76). היא ביצעה את זממה בעת שהשניים היו כבר בירח דבש ובסופו של דבר הוא ניצל. היא נתפסה ב-2012 והועברה למעצר.

ב-1992 הורשעה שפרד ברצח בעלה השני גורדון סטיוארט (44) שגם אותו הרעילה ולאחר מכן היא אף דרסה אותו במכוניתה פעמיים. היא נכלאה לשש שנים בכלא ולאור התנהגות טובה שוחררה לאחר שנתיים. ב-2000 הרעילה שפרד את בעלה השלישי רוברט פרידריך (73) שנפטר, והיא נשארה עם סכומי כסף גדולים שלו. המשטרה התקשתה להוכיח את אשמתה במקרה זה.

ב-2005 עברה שפרד לגור בפלורידה. היא הכירה את אלכס סטרגטוס (84) והרעילה אותו, לאחר שהצליחה לרוקן את חשבון הבנק שלו. הוא ניצל ממוות והמשטרה לא הצליחה להרשיעה בנסיון להרעילו. אך היא כן הורשעה בגניבה וזיופים וריצתה עונש מאסר בן חמש שנים בכלא האמריקני.

Hillel BC to Rwanda, Israel

The Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, centre, addressed Project Tikkun participants at Hillel BC on March 13. (photo from Hillel BC)

As the academic year winds down on university campuses across the province and students gear up for exams and summer jobs, 15 student leaders from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University are also preparing for a totally different experience: a 16-day experiential learning and service trip to Rwanda and Israel.

Project Tikkun was developed by Hillel BC to challenge students to “understand the essence of hate by breaking down stereotypical thinking.” It is a yearlong program of learning that allows participants to explore the root causes of racism and antisemitism, culminating in a service trip to Rwanda and Israel between May 3 and 18.

The overseas component will enable participants to bear witness to how the diverse citizenry of two relatively young nation-states have grappled with a legacy of genocide. It will provide a firsthand examination of conflict resolution and reconciliation through the humanitarian work and activism pursued in each country to build durable and bonded communities.

According to its website, Project Tikkun brings together “undergraduate students of different ethnic backgrounds, religious practices, sexual orientation and personal beliefs to establish a caring and committed community of change-makers.”

Rebecca Recant, program director at Hillel BC, noted that the intent of the project is also to “build a local community of allies that can support each other when a [hateful] incident comes up, no matter which community.”

Student interest in the program exceeded the limited number of spaces and, last fall, a diverse group of 15 participants was selected. The group includes students of Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Korean, Persian and Rwandan backgrounds and a mix of the Jewish, Sikh, Baha’i and Christian faiths. The religious affiliation of the Jewish students varies – some come from secular homes whereas others were raised Orthodox; some have visited Israel and, for others, this will be their first trip to Eretz Yisrael.

Over the course of the year, the participants have been getting to know each other and examining their biases through intensive group learning sessions in which they have explored the history of Canada, Rwanda and Israel. A number of guest speakers, ranging from academics to community activists, have facilitated discussions. Of note, Dr. Andrew Baron, an assistant professor of psychology at UBC whose research examines the cultural and cognitive origins of unconscious bias, structured tests for Project Tikkun participants based on the Harvard Implicit Bias Test that he helped create. Jordana Shani, managing director of Hillel BC, explained that the testing of participants’ level of bias takes place at three different intervals: at the outset of the program, prior to departure and one to two months after return to Canada. The testing provides a way “to measure what we’ve done and how effective the program has been,” she said.

Certainly, much time, effort and money has been channeled into the program, especially the service trip. The journey begins in the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali, where local guides will accompany the students on a tour that will highlight the many landmarks and memorials of the 1994 genocide. The students will then travel to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV), where they will spend the bulk of their time. Established in 2008 as a residential community-home to protect and nurture Rwandan children who were orphaned during and after the genocide, ASYV now cares for approximately 500 of Rwanda’s most vulnerable high school-aged students. It is modeled after Yemin Orde, an Israeli youth village founded in 1953 to care for orphans of the Holocaust, and it provides a family-like environment for at-risk youth.

The Rwandan students “grow up in this youth village hearing about the youth aliyah village in Israel that [ASYV] was based on,” said Recant. “It’s an Israeli model that is part of the connection between the two countries. They even know Hebrew words, like tikkun olam.”

At the youth village, Project Tikkun participants will learn and live side by side with the ASYV students and volunteer in the classrooms, on the farm and in the kitchen. They will accompany the ASYV students during their foray into town to fulfil a weekly community service commitment.

Libia Niyodusenga, a second-year UBC economics and geography student who was raised at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, is looking forward to returning to Rwanda as part of Project Tikkun. “I think the country itself has the best ways and methods of teaching people through so many organizations that are based in Rwanda and so many history-based sites that you can learn from,” he said.

From Rwanda, Project Tikkun participants will travel to Israel, arriving on Yom Ha’atzmaut, where they will celebrate Israel’s independence in Jerusalem. Later, they will commemorate the victims of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem, tour the Old City and observe Shabbat before moving on to explore other parts of the country, including the Yemin Orde Youth Village. All the while, participants will learn from and volunteer with Israelis who are committed to combating intolerance and inequality – political, religious, ethno-cultural and socio-economic – to effect positive change within Israeli society.

The Israel portion of the trip will demonstrate that complex issues – both regional and domestic – defy the simplistic characterizations often portrayed by the media and that “you can love the country and be critical of it at the same time,” said Shani. The participants, she added, “will meet with people who believe in the right of Israel to exist and who are engaged to make it a better place.”

Jasmeet Khosa, a fourth-year student of international relations at UBC whose Sikh parents immigrated to Canada from Punjab, India, said: “I know that this project focuses on Rwanda and Israel as case studies [for conflict resolution and activism], but what I’ve learned so far is that this extends far beyond – [the message] is universal.”

By all accounts, Hillel BC is pleased with the results of the project thus far. Participants are inspired to help create positive change both at home and abroad and have developed a profound sense of strength through their diversity. As Khosa observed, “… the great thing is that we come from such different backgrounds – academically, culturally, religiously – that everyone brings their own perspective and we get a really great mix in that everyone has something unique to contribute to discussion and friendships, in general.” Niyodusenga added that the connections between program participants are already “deep and intimate.”

In reflecting on the many experiential learning and service trips that she participated in during university and how integral they were to forming her identity, Recant said, “Trips like this are life-changing.”

Shani and Recant are grateful for a grant from the Diamond Foundation that made Project Tikkun possible. While participants will pay a fee, the cost of the program is heavily subsidized to ensure that finances do not pose any obstacles. However, because of the decrease in the value of the Canadian dollar, Hillel BC is continuing to seek financial support for the program. For more information about Project Tikkun, visit projecttikkun.hillelbc.com; to make a donation, call 604-224-4748.

Alexis Pavlich is a Vancouver-based freelance reporter.

Bleak future for Israel

Raphael Hoult, winner of the inaugural Barry Rubin Prize Essay Competition. (photo from Raphael Hoult)

“A Game of Clocks: An Analysis of the Situation in the Middle East and Its Effects on Israel” by Winnipeg’s Raphael Hoult is the winner of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ inaugural Barry Rubin Prize Essay Competition.

Hoult, a physics major at the University of Winnipeg in his second year of studies, conjured up a mind-bending theory about the stability of Middle East security and consulted expert sources for his essay.

In physics, Hoult’s interests lie in the field of quantum gravitation, which attempts to combine two major theories – those of general relativity and quantum mechanics.

“These two theories don’t play well together,” said Hoult. “They conflict in places. The biggest place they conflict is in that every force in the universe has been quantized, meaning that we’ve found a very small, discrete package of it in the universe. For example, electromagnetism is delivered by something called a photon. The other forces have something that delivers them, as well. But, with gravity, we’ve found no such thing yet. What we say is we haven’t been able to quantify it, though there are a lot of theories out there for how to solve that problem. There’s string theory. Another is loop quantum gravity, that attempts to bring some parts together.

“I want to help look for a theory of quantum gravity, so we can finally resolve this dilemma … combine the two theories into one bigger theory, a more complete theory. And, hopefully, that will give us a lot more insight into the way gravity works and allow us to do more with our understanding of gravity – to utilize it more, similar to the way our deeper understanding of electricity and magnetism has allowed us to do more intricate electronics in the past couple years.”

According to Hoult, this reconciliation of quantum mechanics and general relativity has been the Holy Grail of physics for the past 50-some years, and solving it will be huge for physicists and the world as we know it.

“The proposed theoretical messenger particle for gravity is the graviton, which is something we’ve not yet observed at all,” he said. “Quantum mechanics requires there to be a graviton…. General relativity in no way makes reference to a graviton.

“The main thing is quantum mechanics works really well with very small things, general relativity works really well for really big things. Things with a lot of mass are usually very large. The problem comes when you have things that are very massive and also very small, such as neutron stars or black holes. These are very dense, have a lot of mass and exert a lot of gravitational force, but they are also very small. In the case of a black hole, they are actually on the atomic level. So, quantum mechanics is very important to the way they work, but general relativity also is in play. When our two theories don’t work and they are supposed to be working at the same time, that’s a problem and something we want to fix.”

In addition to his knowledge of physics, Hoult is also well-versed in Israeli politics. “I’ve actually never taken a political science course at university,” he acknowledged, “but I went to Gray Academy [of Jewish Education in Winnipeg], so I had a very strong basis in knowledge about Israel. I had a good grounding there. I also read the Times of Israel and Haaretz every day.”

When Hoult saw an advertisement for the Barry Rubin Essay Competition on Facebook, it piqued his interest. The contest topic was, “What does the current regional turmoil in the Middle East mean for Israel?”

In his essay, Hoult said, “The three main critical points I talked about were the constancy of Hezbollah, Hamas and Daesh (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria [ISIS]). I wrote about the fact that Hezbollah is involved in the war in Syria, specifically as affiliates of Bashar Al-Assad. They support him and are fighting on behalf of him. On the flipside, a branch of ISIS, called Al-Wilayat Sinai, is operating in the Sinai Peninsula desert against the Egyptians, making their lives very difficult. They’ve also struck up an alliance with Hamas.”

According to Hoult, the main three players in regards to Israel involve Hezbollah in the north, Hamas in Gaza and Al-Wilayat Sinai (Daesh) in the south. Hoult does not delve into the Iranian threat in his essay, apart from Iran’s role in supporting these groups.

“My hypothesis was that these three forces are connected to one another,” he said. “And, because of the ongoing campaign against ISIS, my hypothesis is that, as soon as that campaign succeeds and breaks down ISIS, all hell will break loose for Israel.”

Hoult explained that this theory takes into account Hezbollah’s huge military arsenal, which is estimated at around 100,000 rockets, and their ability to hit every point in Israel from Metula to Eilat, combined with the southern threat from Hamas and from the Al-Wilayat Sinai, which, so far, has been mainly fighting the Egyptians.

“Once ISIS collapses in the north, the Al-Wilayat Sinai … will suddenly be like a tentacle that has been cut off from the squid,” he said. “It will have no control and will be in desperate throes to stay alive, making it likely that it will involve at least a couple cross-border raids. If those involve any Israeli deaths, it will force Israel to respond, which is an issue, due to the fact that Israel can’t cross the border without Egyptian permission.

“There is also the fact that Hamas is having another military build-up,” he added.

Hoult predicts this will likely lead to another war in 2017 and, once that war is over, he said Hezbollah would have had ample time to gather its troops and possibly attack Israel from the north. “This is not a good thing for Israel, as Hezbollah is dead set on destroying Israel if they can,” he said.

As to why Hoult thinks his essay was selected as the winner, he said he is not sure, although he imagines it may have “had something to do with all the sources cited, creating a compelling likelihood of my hypotheses coming true.”

One of his many concerns is that “the primary backer of Hezbollah and Hamas is Iran. Iran has just had billions of dollars unlocked, due to the nuclear deal … which I’m not going to condemn or support, though I’m a little bit skeptical of whether or not unlocking those funds was a good thing.”

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.