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Beth Israel celebrates 90th

Beth Israel celebrates 90th

The new Beth Israel building welcomes people from 28th Avenue, while the original building (below) had its entrance on Oak Street. (photos from Beth Israel)

Congregation Beth Israel celebrates its 90th anniversary with a gala on June 12. It will feature “a walk down memory lane through each of the past nine decades,” as well as music, cocktails, dinner and other activities.

While the congregation’s history began in the 1920s, it wasn’t formally established until 1932. In a feature article in The Scribe (2008), community historian Cyril Leonoff, z”l, quotes an Oct. 9, 1931, editorial in the Jewish Western Bulletin, the predecessor of the Jewish Independent. A meeting had been held at the Jewish Community Centre, which was at Oak Street and 11th Avenue in those years, to discuss the possibility of a new congregation. The editorial commented:

“There can be no doubt in the minds of anyone that there is a distinct need for a Conservative or semi-Reform congregation in Vancouver. There are hundreds of Jews and Jewesses and their children who are so far removed by environment and training from the strictly Orthodox service that they have no inclination or desire to attend the synagogue now in existence here. The absence of [such a] synagogue carrying the services at least partly in English, has created a void in the religious life of many of our Jewish people…. The consensus of opinion in the community is … that a new congregation will be welcomed.”

The Jewish Community Centre was considered the best location initially, as the synagogue’s founding was during the Great Depression. Leonoff again cites that Oct. 9, 1931, editorial: “That the Community Centre, situated, as it is, convenient to all residential districts, would be the ideal place in which to set up the new congregation until such time as there are sufficient funds available for the erection of a separate building.”

photo - The original building, dedicated in 1949
The original building, dedicated in 1949. (photo from Beth Israel)

It wasn’t until the end of the Second World War that the land along Oak Street between 27th and 28th avenues – where the synagogue still stands – was bought. As Beth Israel’s website notes, “by the late 1940s, both a rabbi (David Kogan) and a building site – at 27th and Oak – became available and, in 1949, Beth Israel’s synagogue was dedicated.”

photo - The June 2, 1968, graduation class
The June 2, 1968, graduation class photo and the caption on the back (below) were given to the Jewish Independent for this article. (photo from Beth Israel)

The congregation grew over the years and, for three of those first several decades, the synagogue was led by Rabbi Wilfred and Rebbetzin Phyllis Solomon, Cantor Murray Nixon, z”l, and Ba’al Tefillah, Torah reader and teacher David Rubin z”l.

Programs increased, as did the participation of women, beyond a bat mitzvah ceremony. According to the BI website, “In the late 1980s, it became clear that women, now well-educated in Jewish ritual and study, were ready to move up to the bimah and take their place as full participants in synagogue ritual. By 1989, women were called to the Torah for their own aliyot, were counted in the minyan and acted as sh’lichat tzibbur (prayer leader). Beth Israel was the first major Canadian Conservative congregation to become fully egalitarian.”

photo - The notation “3 Cols ‘Beth Israel’” would have been written by Jewish Western Bulletin staff probably, as the announcement in the paper ran over three columns
The notation “3 Cols ‘Beth Israel’” would have been written by Jewish Western Bulletin staff probably, as the announcement in the paper (below) ran over three columns. (photo from Beth Israel)

The synagogue’s current senior spiritual leader, Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, and his wife Lissa Weinberger came to Beth Israel in 2006 via Ohev Shalom Synagogue in Marlboro, N.J. He told the Independent at the time: “We are very excited about moving to Vancouver, taking on an exciting challenge and being part of this community. I didn’t really know much about Beth Israel when we visited Vancouver, but after doing some research, I realized what a wonderful synagogue with a rich history it was.”

image - The June 7, 1968, Jewish Western Bulletin article announcing the year's graduates from Beth Israel.
The June 7, 1968, Jewish Western Bulletin article announcing the year’s graduates from Beth Israel.

“It has been a pleasure working with Beth Israel as its rabbi for almost 17 years,” Infeld told the JI last week. “I remember the first day I walked into the synagogue. The congregants were wonderful. They were kind and welcoming. But the building was dated and literally falling apart. Everyone knew that we needed a new space for our spiritual home. After a few years, we were able to build an incredible and beautiful new synagogue that will last us for generations. We built a synagogue building for a new millennium…. Beth Israel has always been at the heart of the Vancouver’s Jewish community. I am proud to be part of that. I am sure that the spirit of Beth Israel will be strong for at least another 90 years. I look forward to helping to nurture it for many years to come.”

Construction on the current building began in 2012 and it was dedicated in September two years later. Along with Infeld, Beth Israel is currently led by Rabbi Adam Stein, Ba’alat Tefillah Debby Fenson and youth director Rabbi David Bluman.

“According to Mishna Pirkei Avot,” said Infeld, “a person is strong at the age of 80 and bent over at the age of 90. Beth Israel certainly has shown that 90 is the new 80. We are stronger than we have ever been. We are a synagogue built on the shoulders of giants. Many great women and men have dedicated their time, sweat and tears into building Beth Israel to be the synagogue that we are today. We greatly appreciate that. We could not be where we are today if it were not for them. And we greatly appreciate all of the people who continue to support us so that we can continue to grow and serve the Vancouver Jewish community. Ninety years is a big milestone in the life of synagogue. We really look forward to celebrating our 100th anniversary in 10 years.”

The 90th anniversary gala chair is Dale Porte and committee members are Howard Blank, Alexis Doctor, Jean Gerber, Myrna Koffman, Debby Koffman, Alan Kwinter, Debbie Setton, Leatt Vinegar and David Woogman. To purchase tickets to the June 12 celebration, call the synagogue office at 604-731-4161 or visit bethisrael.ca.

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Cynthia RamsayCategories LocalTags Beth Israel, gala, history, Jewish life, Jonathan Infeld, synagogues
Honouring volunteers

Honouring volunteers

Shabbat In a Box preparations. Left to right are Jenny Rivera, Moshe Maurice King (from JFS), Rachael Lewinski, Michelle Pascua and Freddie Santiago. (photo from Schara Tzedeck)

At this year’s Mosaic gala May 29, Congregation Schara Tzedeck will celebrate the team that oversees and orchestrates the synagogue’s In the Box meal program – the people who “have sustained and nurtured our community through the pandemic.”

Just over two years ago, as the pandemic started in March 2020, Schara Tzedeck launched In the Box. The program delivers meals to congregants and other community members in an effort to provide support for those living alone and those in need.

Every week before Shabbat, as well as during the holidays – Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Passover – 32 drivers set out from the synagogue’s Oak Street location and deliver kosher meals to 250 households throughout the Greater Vancouver area.

“In an extraordinary partnership with Jewish Family Services, our donors and members, together with our staff and volunteers, have delivered more than 25,000 meals since the program’s inception in March 2020. Through the holiday and Shabbat In a Box initiative, we have not only nourished our shul family and wider community with hearty Jewish cooking, we have nourished them with constant personal connections,” Schara Tzedeck president Jonathon Leipsic wrote in a message to congregants.

In recognition for their efforts throughout the pandemic, volunteers and drivers will receive a challah board made especially by Schara Tzedeck spiritual leader Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt.

photo - Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt making one of the challah boards that will be given to honour In a Box volunteers
Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt making one of the challah boards that will be given to honour In a Box volunteers. (photo from Schara Tzedeck)

The 2022 Mosaic gala coincides with Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), a national holiday in Israel that commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City following the Six Day War in June 1967. As such, this year’s gala will have an Israeli vibe, or, more precisely, the feel of “the shuk,” the Jerusalem marketplace. Food will consist of Moroccan salmon, kebabs, burekas and other delicacies that would be sold by vendors in the Holy City. There will also be candy stations, dried fruits, a spice market and fresh breads.

“This is the first gala since the pandemic started, and it is an interesting twist that what started as a program during a time when we were far apart from one another in terms of spacing is now bringing us back to the same physical space,” said Rachael Lewinski, facilities director at Congregation Schara Tzedeck, which had been hosting in-person Mosaic galas for more than a decade before COVID-19 struck.

Juleen Axler will be one of the drivers who will be honoured at the gala. Axler, who has been delivering meals to seniors and those with low incomes since the beginning of COVID, gets to the synagogue around noon on Fridays. She then takes the meals – consisting of a starter, an entrée, a dessert and a challah – to eight or nine homes each week.

The meals, Axler said, vary from week to week and, at holiday times, contain food symbolic of the occasion. For example, during Hanukkah, a box is certain to carry potato latkes.

“It’s an extremely rewarding process to be helping and to be doing my part during COVID. It has not been easy for many seniors to get a meal made and to have human connection for two years. Even now that is easier to move around and gather, seniors are still isolated. And, for my part, it is nice to witness the appreciation people have and to establish a relationship with them,” Axler said.

Despite the pandemic, Schara Tzedeck created a memorable event in 2021 through Zoom with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as their featured speaker. The evening also included footage of Shulem, the Orthodox singer; Rabbi Naftali Schiff, chief executive officer and founder of Jewish Futures; and a pre-recorded conversation between Rosenblatt and Leipsic.

Now back in person for the first time since 2019, this year’s Mosaic starts at 6:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased, and donations can be made, by visiting scharatzedeck.com.

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

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Sam MargolisCategories LocalTags gala, In a Box, Jonathon Leipsic, Juleen Axler, Mosaic, Rachael Lewinski, Schara Tzedeck, tikkun olam, volunteers
Celebrating Richmond

Celebrating Richmond

Doors Open Richmond is organized by the Richmond Museum Society and the museum will welcome event attendees. The Kehila Society will be participating as an online site. (photo from Richmond Museum)

The Richmond Museum’s 15th annual Doors Open Richmond (DOR) returns next month as a free hybrid event. All in-person activities will take place June 4-5, and will be complemented by virtual content available June 2-5. This year’s edition features 35 sites representing the city’s cultural diversity and rich heritage, including 21 that will welcome visitors in-person. There are five new sites that are participating in DOR for the first time, including the Kehila Society of Richmond.

“This is the first year that the Jewish community of Richmond has been involved and for us it is a milestone to be included,” said Lynne Fader, co-executive director of the Kehila Society, which has been in operation since 1999. “Richmond has the second largest Jewish population in B.C. and yet sometimes we are a hidden gem in this city. Kehila has worked hard to bring the Jewish community to the forefront and increase awareness of our culture. To be included in such a diverse cultural event that showcases all the multi-ethnic groups in our community is an honour.”

The Kehila Society will be participating as an online site. The Doors Open Richmond team has worked closely with the society to produce a video that introduces the organization. The video will be available to view from June 2 on the event website, richmondmuseum.ca/ doors-open.

“Richmond is one of the most diverse cities in Canada, with more than 60% of residents born outside of the country,” said Jaeden Dela Torre, vice-chair of the Richmond Museum Society. “Doors Open Richmond is a chance to celebrate this diversity and a way to bring together the many communities that comprise the city. The event offers the public an inclusive platform to become more familiar with our local businesses, organizations, museums, places of worship, and more. Doors Open Richmond celebrates the very essence that makes this city a welcoming place to live.”

The in-person program offers visitors a range of activities. Saint Germain Bakery, another of the new sites this year, will give tours of their central facility where cakes and pastries are produced; tours will conclude with sample tastings. Richmond Media Lab will show how to bring drawings and figurines to life using the magic of stop-motion technology. Visitors can experience a day in the life of a firefighter at Fire Hall #1, Richmond’s largest and busiest fire hall, with hands-on activities and demonstrations. Family-run restaurant Anar Persian Cuisine will offer an introduction to Persian food, customs and traditions.

photo - Anar Persian Cuisine will offer Doors Open Richmond attendees an introduction to Persian food, customs and traditions
Anar Persian Cuisine will offer Doors Open Richmond attendees an introduction to Persian food, customs and traditions. (photo from Anar Persian Cuisine)

A special shuttle tour will be available on June 4, taking visitors to various places of worship along No. 5 Road, also known as the “Highway to Heaven.” The tour will stop at the Az-Zahraa Islamic Centre, Lingyen Mountain Temple and the Richmond Jamia Mosque.

Among the many other participants are Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, Richmond Art Gallery, Richmond City Hall, Richmond Public Library, Richmond RCMP, Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia, London Farm Heritage Site, Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple, Richmond Olympic Experience and SUCCESS Richmond Service Centre.

photo - London Farm Heritage Site is one of 35 sites participating in this year’s Doors Open Richmond
London Farm Heritage Site is one of 35 sites participating in this year’s Doors Open Richmond. (photo from London Farm)

The local event is part of the Doors Open Canada program supported by the City of Richmond, Public Art Richmond, Richmond Heritage Commission, the B.C. Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. The event is organized by the Richmond Museum Society.

Most in-person programs require advance registration, with a select number of sites offering drop-in activities. Visitors can plan their weekend in advance by visiting richmondmuseum.ca/doors-open for more information.

– Courtesy Doors Open Richmond

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Doors Open RichmondCategories LocalTags Doors Open Richmond, Kehila Society, Lynne Fader
Maus not too graphic

Maus not too graphic

Students in Anna-Mae Wiesenthal’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies class at King David High School discuss the graphic memoir Maus. (photo by Pat Johnson)

In January, the school board in McMinn County, Tenn., voted to remove the graphic novel Maus from its eighth grade curriculum.

The book by Art Spiegelman won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 under a special category created specifically for Maus. The two-volume collection of previously serialized comic-style narratives was viewed at the time as revolutionary for its approach to a subject like the Holocaust in a medium more commonly associated with superheroes and humour.

In the books, racial and national identities are represented through anthropomorphized animals. Jews are depicted as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs, Americans as dogs, British as fish and so on. In each instance, the characters have the bodies of humans and the heads of the respective animals. This form has been criticized by some critics over the decades as overly simplistic but has caused particular discomfort to many Poles, who do not appreciate being depicted as pigs.

Spiegelman, the author, called the McMinn County decision “Orwellian,” but has seen sales of his books skyrocket since the ban thrust the works back into the spotlight.

The Independent joined in a class discussion with the five students in the Holocaust and Genocide Studies course at King David High School, led by teacher Anna-Mae Wiesenthal. Discussing the Tennessee book banning, students questioned the sincerity of the school board’s grounds for opposing the book.

In a graphic memoir dealing with the attempted annihilation of a people and which touches on history’s most horrific acts of inhumanity, students found it “absurd” that the board’s primary concerns appeared to be a couple of instances of mild profanity and the depiction of a nude cartoon cat.

The book follows the true journey of the author in pressing his father, Vladek, to share his Holocaust experiences openly for the first time.

Nitzan Berger, a great-granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, observed that many survivors hesitated to share their narratives and that the graphic novels capture the challenges of the younger generation in approaching the subject, as well as the reticence on the part of the older generation to relive the horrors of their past. While the passing down of these stories is important, it can be painful for both generations.

“It’s interesting for us to hear about the stories, but we don’t think about the other side,” she said.

Ethan Dreyshner was struck by the speed with which an entire society, down to its youngest members, could be transformed.

“It just really shows how this whole society was changed to think the Jews were terrible people,” he said. “Six years earlier, Jews were regular citizens. It’s crazy to think that a whole society, a whole population, can just turn on their neighbours that quickly.”

Noting that young people need to begin learning about this challenging subject at some point, students contrasted Maus with Anne Frank’s diary, which for generations has been an entry point to discussion of the topic.

Olivia Levsky said a graphic novel that is intense but not particularly long may be a good starting point as well, especially for young people who rebel against assigned readings.

“It’s a very interesting way to learn something that’s very important to learn,” she said. “I didn’t feel like it was incredibly graphic or too much when I was reading it. It was graphic at times, but the Holocaust was graphic. I didn’t feel it was overly triggering or traumatizing. I didn’t feel it was inappropriate.”

Levsky also noted that Spiegelman, in some respects, depicted the national groups through the eyes of the victimizer.

“He drew each character and each race in the way that the Nazis saw them,” she said, noting particularly the Nazis’ association of Jews with vermin. “I imagine toward the end [of the war], the Americans felt like threatening dogs to the Nazis.”

image - cover of Maus I by Art SpiegelmanStudents concurred with Wiesenthal that there also may have been a practical purpose to depicting each group as a type of animal. It made each character’s identity more immediately understandable to the reader without having to repeatedly point out the race or nationality of each individual – in one instance, a Jew (mouse) hides in plain sight with the mask of a pig (Pole).

Wiesenthal noted that the second volume, which the class has not read together, is somewhat more explicit in its violence.

The teacher also stressed that the book tells the story of the Holocaust experience and intergenerational trauma through one family.

“We often talk about numbers – six million – which can serve to depersonalize what is really an impossible number to grasp,” the teacher said. “I think that we need to remember each of them had a name, each of them had a family. It’s very impersonal, often, the way we attach the number to the Holocaust.”

Maus includes situations in which non-Jewish people assisted in the survival of Jews. While it is not addressed in the book, students discussed the fact that Yad Vashem’s criteria for designation as Righteous Among the Nations excludes people who received compensation for their often-life-endangering efforts.

Shai Rubin noted that, in some cases, Jews may have given valuables voluntarily as gratitude to their rescuers. He also noted that, in addition to risking their lives, many non-Jewish helpers were experiencing economic destitution due to the war and what small amount of food they could provide to Jews in hiding may have come at a great price to their own families.

Of one woman in the story, Rubin said: “There’s a difference between doing something for money and doing something and getting money for it. She did it out of the goodness of her heart.”

In what was a shocking sequence for students, Art, the author, discovers that his father has burned the diaries of Art’s mother, Anja, who committed suicide. In response, the son lashes out at his father: “Murderer!”

This opened a discussion of what Wiesenthal called “the murder of memory” and raised the quote by Elie Wiesel (not mentioned explicitly in the book), who said of the Holocaust and its victims, “If we forget, the dead will be killed a second time.”

The Grade 12 students analyzed the content, style and medium of Maus. They observed that, often when the wrought iron gate to Auschwitz is pictured, the focus is on the words themselves, Arbeit Macht Frei, while, in this book, the eye is drawn to the individual people in the frame, a reminder that the Holocaust can often be depicted in broad strokes but it is, ultimately, about the killing of individuals.

On the medium itself, all the students concurred that it is an effective avenue for conveying challenging material.

“I think this is a really effective form of teaching the Holocaust, especially to kids,” said Dreyshner. “Something like the diary of Anne Frank, you might feel a little disconnected, you can’t see it, you can’t understand it because it’s hard to show actual images of the Holocaust to children. I think a graphic novel really does the job because you can see what happened, you can get a sense of what happened, without seeing the horrific things exactly.”

Richard Helper agreed, but subtly criticized those who are concerned about the graphic nature of the book.

“This is easily digestible, it’s effective, it has quite a bit of information on the specifics of the Nazis’ war machine as well,” he said. “While some people, I think, try and attack it for being either too simplistic or too graphic, we’re teaching a book on the Holocaust.… It’s the Holocaust.”

Wiesenthal, who has a master’s in Holocaust and genocide studies and is pursuing a PhD in the same field, pioneered the course three years ago. Until then, the Holocaust was dealt with as part of the larger Jewish history curriculum.

She acknowledged that most King David students come to the subject with some familial or other knowledge of the subject, whereas non-Jewish students, such as those in places like Tennessee, might have no knowledge of the history.

“It’s important to contextualize it,” she said.

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Pat JohnsonCategories LocalTags Anna-Mae Wiesenthal, book banning, censorship, education, Ethan Dreyshner, Holocaust, KDHS, King David High School, Maus, Nitzan Berger, Olivia Levsky, Richard Helper, Shai Rubin

Honouring those who’ve died

Four decades ago, Chaya Harel was approached by one of the teachers at her son’s Jerusalem high school. The son, Yuval, who was in his final year of school, had come to the teacher seeking advice. He was in love with Sigal, but knew the importance of succeeding in the upcoming matriculation exams. How should he allocate his time?

The teacher asked the mother for her advice and promised to pass it along as coming from the teacher, rather from Yuval’s mother, Chaya.

The mother’s advice was to spend more time with Sigal. Yuval, she reasoned, could always improve his grades later.

Tragically, Yuval Harel was killed in 1982, during the First Lebanon War. Later, in grief, Chaya Harel would say, “I had some comfort knowing it was my best advice.”

The story was shared May 3 by Geoffrey Druker at Vancouver’s annual ceremony marking Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s official day of remembrance for those fallen in war and victims of terror attacks.

Yuval Harel was one of two young men of the same name who died in the same war, a few days apart. They were two of more than 24,000 killed over 74 years, whose memories were honoured at the Vancouver event and at similar ceremonies worldwide.

“This year, as in previous years, we remember our fallen,” said Druker, who is chair of Vancouver’s Yom Hazikaron committee. “And the list painfully keeps lengthening. These past months, Israelis and foreign citizens, Jews and non-Jews, men and women, were killed on the streets, in the pubs, gas stations [and] shopping strips in Israel by terrorist attacks. Fifty-six people were added this year to the list and 84 injured soldiers [who] passed away are recognized as fallen soldiers.”

This year’s ceremony also marked 25 years since the deadliest crash in the history of the Israeli Air Force. (See jewishindependent.ca/25-years-since-deadly-crash.)

Druker shared the story of Yigal Amster, a son of Holocaust survivors who lived with asthma.

“When he joined the army, he tried to hide it,” said Druker. “He asked to join the tank corps. He wished to become an officer.” When his commanders noticed his difficulty breathing in poor air quality, Amster was assigned to a medic course.

“When the Yom Kippur [War] broke out, in 1973, he was sent to help the troops in the Suez Canal. While in an armoured vehicle, he was hit and later died from his injuries. He was 20 years old.”

Amster’s cousin, Vancouverite Charlotte Katzen, read Yizkor in his memory and in memory of all the fallen.

“May the nation of Israel remember its sons and daughters, faithful and courageous,” Katzen read the prayer in English. “The soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces, members of the undergrounds, members of the intelligence community, security and policemen, who fell in the wars of Israel, and all of whom that were killed – within Israel and outside of Israel – by terrorists. May the people of Israel keep them in their memory and be blessed with their seed; mourn the splendour of youth, the altruism of valour, the dedication of will and the dignity of self-sacrifice, which came to an end in the heavy battles. May our fallen be sealed forever within the hearts of all Israel, in this generation and forevermore.”

Michael Balshine read Yizkor for his father, Avigdor Balshine, a member of the Haganah and a pioneer in Israel’s water sector. On Feb. 23, 1948, while working with Mekorot, the national water company of Israel, Avigdor Balshine and his colleague Mark Feigin were ambushed and killed in Wadi Milik. Michael Balshine was 6 years old.

Ilene-Jo Bellas lit a candle in memory of her cousin, Fern Rykiss, who was a 17-year-old from Winnipeg who was murdered on a bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 1989.

Tamara Frankel lit a candle in memory of her family member Amnon Shapira.

Photographs were projected of family members and friends of members of the Vancouver community whose lives are among those lost in the past 74 years.

Idit Shamir, consul general of Israel in Toronto and Western Canada, sent video greetings.

“On this day, Israelis and Jews around the world remember the pain the bereaved families carry with them every day,” said Shamir. “We remember that our independence has come with a heavy price. We bow our heads with eternal gratitude to those who have paid the price, Jews and non-Jews, Israeli-born and immigrants, all those who have fallen for the state of Israel. We know that we are here because of them…. We thank the fallen sons and daughters who have protected us. We embrace their families and all the bereaved families who have sacrificed so much. We promise that their immense sacrifice will never be in vain and we pledge to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the privilege they have given us, we will give to others, to our children, their children and to the countless generations to come, the privilege of standing tall. The privilege of standing proud. The privilege of standing strong. The privilege of being a free people in our land.”

In attendance at the ceremony was Commander Robert D’Eon of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Posted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Pat JohnsonCategories Israel, LocalTags commemoration, Geoffrey Druker, Israel, memorial, Yom Hazikaron
Debating profit vs. nonprofit

Debating profit vs. nonprofit

(photo from Humber Valley Senior Citizens Club)

***

In Volume 28 of the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s Senior Line magazine, JSA members Kenneth Levitt and Larry Shapiro debated some of the arguments for and against for-profit long-term-care facilities. They offered their personal opinions in the debate, as JSA does not have a position on this topic. Their views are reprinted here, with permission.

For-profits here to stay
by Kenneth Levitt

The COVID-19 pandemic with its various mutations has caused a justified focus on long-term care (LTC) in Canada. Organizations such as the B.C. Health Coalition, the NDP, unions and other left-leaning activists or progressives, as well as some physicians, have called for the abolition of all for-profit (FP) facilities, recommending that they be taken over by provincial governments or government-approved not-for-profits (NP). This will not happen in the near future. For-profits (FP) are here to stay and, furthermore, provincial governments support them with LTC operating agreements.

The two main issues are profit and quality of care. In British Columbia, there are 27,000 persons in LTC. Approximately one-third are in each of government-operated, NP and FP facilities. When an FP builds or upgrades a facility, there is no government capital fund support. Capital funds for FPs come from investors and shareholders, whereas NPs depend on governments and their own fundraising efforts. FPs have saved governments billions of dollars in capital costs.

In general, residents are financially responsible for their room and board. Their care is paid for by the local funding authority. Should residents pay from their assets (as in the United States) or continue to pay based on income testing? Should residents who are capable contribute more for their room and board? Many NPs raise funds to subsidize care; others permit paid companions to provide extra care for residents. Should investors who put up their own risk capital (with government “ipso facto” approval) be permitted to make a profit? Is it immoral?

FPs did not do well in terms of COVID-19 deaths. Horrendous stories from Ontario and Quebec came to light that noted the squalor and the shameful living conditions of many vulnerable residents. In British Columbia, a number of NPs and FPs had too many COVID infections and deaths. Staff were not exempt from contracting COVID. How do we account for this? When we factor in those facilities with two or more residents per room, the number of COVID-19 infections, complications and deaths increase dramatically for NPs and FPs. In most cases, staff and visitors were responsible for importing the virus. Governments/health authorities were totally unaware, at the outset of the pandemic, of the extent of the problems. However, most care homes planned well, had few infections with a high percentage of vaccinated staff, and are faring well during the pandemic.

It is not just a move to single beds that will solve the problem of COVID and seasonal flu outbreaks, it is the design of the facilities. We need new and upgraded buildings now. It is also imperative that all staff be vaccinated, and that they be supported by management to better prepare for future health crises.

Canada needs FPs. FPs have the capacity to provide needed accommodation for older adults who qualify, and can build more LTC beds faster than governments. They can provide improved efficiency and greater innovation than NPs. The naysayers want to nationalize all private-sector nursing homes in Canada. The National Institute on Aging at Ryerson University in Toronto recently noted, “Some of the FPs are doing well because they have deeper pockets and much better planning procedures than NPs. It is not clear that one class of ownership is better than the other.”

In an April 2021 report, Isobel McKenzie, B.C. Seniors Advocate, criticized FPs for apparently short-changing the number of direct care hours for which they were paid and making a profit by doing so. At the same time, McKenzie noted that capital costs (building maintenance) is one area where FPs outperform NPs.

There is one FP LTC operator in Ontario, Schlegel Villages, that is at the cutting-edge of services and programs for their residents. Schlegel is a family-owned company that has about 5,000 residents and about 5,000 staff in 19 villages. It did not escape COVID-19, but they have excelled in what is known as “best practices”:

  • Their philosophy: a purposeful life for each resident.
  • Each village is accredited.
  • Staff are unionized and pay is the same as at NPs.
  • Owners are committed to providing exceptional care, and are good corporate citizens who are involved in and contribute to the communities they serve.
  • Newer villages are 60% private rooms and 40% with two persons per room. Moving forward, all new construction will be single rooms with ensuites.
  • Each resident has two bathing opportunities per week.
  • Villages have several neighbourhoods, with 32 residents residing in each self-contained neighbourhood that is well-supported by seven staff with a variety of skills.
  • Each village has programs and space open to outside community organizations and they encourage locals to hold events in the available space.

How can we move forward in a constructive way that includes government-operated facilities, not-for-profits and for-profits?

  • The federal government, in partnership with the provinces, needs to develop and to legislate a set of standards of care and service that will be enforced with consequences. This can be done through accreditation, which is currently voluntary. Once the feds have placed standards of care and service into law, each province should enact similar legislation to require that all LTC facilities be accredited. A provincial accreditation body would be responsible for accrediting, monitoring and enforcing standards.
  • Accreditation would ensure every LTC facility is delivering the hours of care and support for which they are receiving funds.
  • Wages and benefits for full-time staff should be uniform for all LTC facilities and part-time staff should be equally entitled to the same wages and benefits.
  • Hours for home care and Better at Home need to be increased. The financial threshold needs to be lowered to allow more persons in need to take advantage of such a service. This has the potential to put less strain on waitlists for LTC admissions.
  • When an FP is for sale, give preference to a quality NP to purchase it or allow a local (new) society to purchase and operate it.
  • Require all LTC facilities that plan to expand to have only single rooms with ensuites.
  • Develop a timetable and a budget for NPs to upgrade/replace current outdated institutional/hospital-style buildings.
  • Healthcare leaders, their boards of directors and seniors should be the ones who are advocating and pushing for changes. The status quo is not acceptable.

To eliminate FPs is specious and politically and/or ideologically motivated and is a short-sighted non-pragmatic position. Canada’s Parliament last year voted against such a proposal put forth by the NDP. The issue is not between the NPs or the FPs. The issue is how to ensure that the interests of the residents come first.

The billions of dollars that would be required to eliminate the FPs can better be used for increased and quantifiable quality programs and services. This would be the best and the most ethical way to honour those lost in the pandemic and to ensure it will never happen again. The issue is how we treat our most vulnerable older adults. After all, is it not a matter of human rights and choices?

No place for profits
by Larry Shapiro

photo - Policy decisions have encouraged raising the profits of private long-term care facilities by replacing union staff with contract workers, which has resulted in creating personnel shortages, declining working conditions and less access to public funding, argues Larry Shapiro
(photo from cdc.gov)

My goal in this debate is to paint a comprehensive picture illustrating conclusively why many of the for-profit long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) are squandering public funds, with little transparency or few accountability requirements to honour any predetermined set of standards in the areas of quality of service, accountability and profit. We need to see profit taken out of long-term care and need new investments in public and nonprofit beds so that we can reduce our dependence on the private, for-profit sector.

Decades of budget cuts, underfunding and privatization by successive governments have resulted in the catastrophic state of the many private care facilities that have been the sites of the loss of a great number of our loved ones. Nobody should be profiting from the care of our senior citizens. Policy decisions going back 20 years have encouraged raising the profits of private LTCFs by replacing union staff with contract workers, which has resulted in personnel shortages, declining working conditions and less access to public funding. The centre of most COVID-19 outbreaks in British Columbia and throughout the rest of the country have been in our LTCFs.

Let us examine the causes and effects of some of the common characteristics of for-profit LTC facilities that negatively affect the quality of care being dispensed to our seniors. Statistically, 67% of LTC in British Columbia is supplied by both nonprofit and for-profit organizations with the remaining 33% being supplied directly by provincial health authorities. The practice of sub-contracting care services occurs when service providers like LTCFs and assisted living facilities, which are contracted by regional health authorities to provide care, proceed to sub-contract with other companies that offer care workers, kitchen staff and maintenance crews.

These sub-contractors are able to bid lower than qualified unionized staff would cost, all to the detriment of the senior residents who are being served by these workers who are receiving lower wages and poorer benefits and who enjoy fewer full-time positions. The prevalence of sub-contracting in elder care began about 22 years ago, when the B.C. government, by virtue of Bills 29 and 94, stripped out no-contracting and job-security provisions from the collective agreements governing healthcare workers. These laws resulted in the loss of 8,000 jobs by the end of 2004. These laws (which were repealed in 2018) provided health-sector employers, including private LTCFs, with unprecedented rights to lay off unionized staff and hire them back as non-union workers through sub-contracted companies. Predictably, this negatively impacted wages and working conditions.

Reduced funding for and access to publicly funded seniors care, from the early 2000s, resulted in the rationing of care. This meant that access to publicly funded care is limited to those with more acute needs, leaving seniors with less complex needs without access to support services that could keep them from deteriorating and requiring institutional care. So, as staffing levels have declined, the care needs of many LTC residents have increased. More of the publicly funded services are being delivered by for-profit companies, often in LTCFs that combine publicly funded and private-pay beds. The latest data shows that more than 35% of beds are run by the for-profit companies. The health authorities pay for the services through block funding, which accounts for the direct care hours that each resident is to receive per day, and the cost of other services and supplies such as meals. There are no restrictions on how operators spend these dollars and health authorities do not perform payroll or expense audits to ensure public funds are actually spent on direct care.

A report from the Seniors Advocate exposed the fact that most direct care (67%) is delivered by care aides, the lowest paid care workers. For-profit care companies generate profits by underpaying the workers who provide most of the direct care, despite receiving funding based on the assumption they pay union rates contained in the master collective agreement (industry standard). Operators are not monitored to ensure that they are providing the number of care hours for which they are being paid. Without adequate oversight and reporting, companies also make profits by understaffing, which impacts the amount and quality of care that residents receive.

Many LTCFs have a combination of publicly subsidized and private-pay beds, but the co-located private-pay beds are not consistently included in the calculation of care hours delivered. This practice results in publicly funded care hours used to cross-subsidize the care of private-care residents who pay out-of-pocket (for the generation of greater profits) and, at the same time, exacerbates staffing shortages, as companies use the same staff to cover both publicly funded and private-pay beds, which should have their own dedicated staff.

Notwithstanding that the last period for which data is available is 2017-2018, it is noteworthy that while receiving, on average, the same level of public funding, contracted not-for-profit LTCF operators spent $10,000 more per resident per year than did for-profit providers. In addition, and not surprisingly, the for-profit LTCFs failed to deliver 207,000 funded direct-care hours while the nonprofit LTCFs exceeded direct-care hour targets by delivering an additional 80,000 hours of direct care beyond what they were funded to deliver.

Low staffing levels and resulting poor working conditions deteriorate the quality of care, as low staffing places both workers and residents under increased stress and reduces the amount of time care workers can spend with residents. The combination of low pay and understaffing makes it difficult to recruit and retain staff. There is adequate proof that staffing levels and staffing mix are key predictors of resident health outcomes and care quality, and that care provided in for-profit long-term care facilities is generally inferior to that provided by public- and nonprofit-owned facilities.

The B.C. government’s long-standing reliance on attracting private capital into the seniors care sector has benefited corporate chains with the ability to finance and build new facilities. In the decade between 2009 and 2018, British Columbia invested less than one half of one percent of the total healthcare capital spending (which is not very much money). More than one-third of all publicly subsidized and private-pay long-term care and assisted living spaces are controlled by large corporations, while the balance is owned by either nonprofit agencies or health authorities.

Corporate chain consolidation in seniors care has become popular among investors in this sector because the business is real estate-focused, resulting in care facilities being treated and traded as financial commodities. This being the case, the care chains are prone to engage in risky business practices. These chains are routinely bought and sold after using debt-leveraged buyouts, ultimately leaving the chains with debt-servicing costs that revenues, including the government funding, cannot cover, resulting in financial crisis and creating disruptions that undermine the quality of relational care due to high staff turnover.

The evidence is clear: profit-making has no place in seniors care. Public dollars are flowing into profits not into frontline care as intended.

Let us strive to provide the care and support for our parents, grandparents, siblings and others who gave us so much and for whom we care so much. Nobody should be profiting from the care of our seniors and that, dear readers, is why profit should be eliminated from long-term care.

Kenneth Levitt is a past president of Jewish Seniors Alliance, former chief executive officer of Louis Brier Home and Hospital, and a past chair of Camp Miriam. In 1985, he co-edited, The Challenge of Child Welfare, the first textbook on child welfare in Canada. Larry Shapiro studied accounting and worked at major firms as well as with the federal government. In 1977, he studied real estate and opened his own business. Since moving from Montreal to Vancouver, Shapiro has been an active member of the JSA board.

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Kenneth Levitt & Larry ShapiroCategories LocalTags healthcare, Jewish Seniors Alliance, JSA, long-term care, private sector, public sector, Senior Line
Community milestones … B.C. lieutenant governor visits, Diamond invested into OC, Belfer a Star of Richmond

Community milestones … B.C. lieutenant governor visits, Diamond invested into OC, Belfer a Star of Richmond

Left to right: Ezra Shanken (Jewish Federation), Tanja Demajo (Jewish Family Services), B.C. Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, Simone Kallner (JFS board member) and Nico Slobinsky (CIJA). (photo from Jewish Federation)

Earlier this month, B.C. Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, honorary patron of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, spent a full day getting to know the Metro Vancouver Jewish community.

Austin visited the Kitchen at Jewish Family Services, Schara Tzedeck Synagogue, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, and Hillel House at the University of British Columbia.

photo - Ezra Shanken, left, with Lt. Gov. Janet Austin and Schara Tzedeck Synagogue’s Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt.
Ezra Shanken, left, with Lt. Gov. Janet Austin and Schara Tzedeck Synagogue’s Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt. (photo from Jewish Federation)

It was an opportunity to talk together about the strategic work that Jewish Federation and its partners are doing. The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia, Shelley Rivkin and Daniella Givon gave presentations about the community.

The visit to Hillel was an opportunity to see not just their good work, but how Jewish students are dealing with antisemitism on campus. They are singled out in ways other students and groups simply are not, including students connected with countries that are wrestling with difficult issues within their borders, or are led by dictators, or have dismal human rights records.

The dichotomy is shocking, and it is part of why Jewish Federation continues to push for local and provincial governments to follow the federal government in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.

For more photos of the day, visit facebook.com/jewishvancouver.

– Taken from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver chief executive officer Ezra S. Shanken’s weekly email update (May 6)

***

photo - Gordon Diamond
Gordon Diamond (photo from gg.ca)

On May 6, Governor General of Canada Mary Simon invested 10 Officers (OC) and 13 Members (CM) into the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. Vancouver Jewish community member Gordon Diamond, OC, OBC, was among the honourees:

“Gordon Diamond has upheld the family’s exceptional legacy in philanthropy and business. Chair and owner of West Coast Reduction Ltd. and Austeville Properties Ltd., he has built them into two of Western Canada’s largest family-owned businesses. As one of our country’s leading philanthropists, he and his eponymous foundation focus on health care and social services. He is noted for his landmark donation to a major Vancouver outpatient health centre, and his support for Jerusalem’s Shalva National Centre for disabled persons and the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance.”

– From the website of the Governor General of Canada

 ***

Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives presented the 2022 Volunteers Are Stars Awards virtually on April 27, during National Volunteer Week. Tammi Belfer was one of the four winners.

image - screenshot of Tammi Belfer shares some of the reasons she volunteers in a video on the awards website
Tammi Belfer shares some of the reasons she volunteers in a video on the awards website. (screenshot)

The 18 individuals and groups who were nominated all made a meaningful difference in the Richmond community. Collectively, they’ve contributed thousands of hours to dozens of causes, enhancing the lives of residents. Their volunteer work has impacted children and youth, seniors and families, and those experiencing poverty and homelessness. In short, every one of them is a star, and their light makes our community shine so much brighter.

Belfer was honoured as a Star of Richmond for excellence in nonprofit leadership. Li Qing Wang of Richmond Women’s Resource Centre was Shooting Star Award Winner (outstanding youth volunteer); South Arm United Church Outreach Committee was the Constellation Award Winner (outstanding volunteer group); and Dawn Thomson, Special Olympics B.C.-Richmond and Salvation Army Rotary Hospice House was the Nova Star Award Winner (outstanding individual volunteer).

Belfer has been volunteering for nearly five decades, often in leadership roles.

From 1974 to 2000, she served as a board member with the Organization Through Rehabilitation and Training (ORT). Rooted in Jewish values, the organization enhances the economic prospects of individuals and communities by providing them with employment and entrepreneurial skills.

Through much of the 1980s, Belfer was a board member with the Richmond Aquanaut Swim Club, which later merged with the Richmond Racers to become the Richmond Rapids Swim Club. During her time there, she served as treasurer, supported membership development and regularly volunteered at swim meets.

She also served eight years on the board of Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives, back when the organization was known as Volunteer Richmond Information Services. Here, too, she volunteered as treasurer. She remains involved with the organization’s Richmond Christmas Fund program, volunteering each holiday season to assist families in need.

Since 2015, Belfer has served as board president of the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre, where she’s had a transformational impact. She’s played a key role in developing the organization’s board, recruiting a diverse group of new members – including many young people – who are passionate about helping women build connections and thrive in their community.  She also volunteers as project manager for the organization’s annual International Women’s Day event, which is both a community gathering and a major fundraiser, complete with an auction and raffle. Recently, she helped lead the Resource Centre in drafting a five-year strategic plan and, in 2019, was a key voice in the organization’s rebranding effort, which resulted in a new logo created in consultation with the community.

During COVID, Belfer worked with the organization’s executive director to bring all of its programs and services online, so they would remain accessible throughout the pandemic.

Speaking of programs, it’s another area where Belfer has had a substantial impact. She helped create many of the Resource Centre’s most popular initiatives, from Hot Ink, a creative writing program for teenage girls, to Work Ready, which supports women in developing employment and job-search skills.

Belfer is also a current board member of the Jewish Seniors Alliance and of Beth Tikvah Synagogue, where she actively participates on committees and generously shares her knowledge and experience, so both organizations can better serve their constituents.

Through her decades of service, Belfer has left an indelible mark on the Richmond community, and improved thousands of lives. She’s still giving her time, and still making a difference, even as she mentors young volunteers on their way to becoming community leaders. She’s one of the giants on whose shoulders they’ll stand.

Belfer shares some of the reasons she volunteers in a video on the awards website, rcrg.org/vas.

– Courtesy Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Community members/organizationsCategories LocalTags Gordon Diamond, Janet Austin, Jewish Federation, Order of Canada, Richmond Cares Richmond Gives, Tammi Belfer
Bat mitzvah’s 100th birthday

Bat mitzvah’s 100th birthday

(photo from myjewishlearning.com)

March 18, 2022, marked the 100th anniversary of the first bat mitzvah ceremony in the United States.

Judith Kaplan, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, became the first woman to publicly celebrate the traditional Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. Becoming a bat mitzvah, or “daughter of the commandments,” signifies that a young woman has attained legal adulthood under Jewish law.

A bat mitzvah is based on the centuries-old ritual of bar mitzvah, or “son of the commandments,” the ceremony for 13-year-old boys. Today, it typically involves months or years of study, chanting Torah in front of the congregation and giving a reflection on the week’s Torah reading.

Since that day in 1922, coming-of-age ceremonies for Jewish girls have gradually become more popular, especially in more liberal branches of Judaism.

As someone who studies how legal and social changes intersect to advance the rights of women in religious communities, I see bat mitzvah as having a transformative impact on the rights of women in Jewish life, one that continues to reverberate in important ways today.

Growing equality

For many years, the significance of becoming a bat or bar mitzvah was very different. For boys, it marked the moment when they took on all the privileges accorded to adult men in the tradition, including the right to be counted in a minyan, the minimum number of people required for community prayers; to be honoured by being called up to give blessings over the Torah reading; and to read from the Torah itself. For girls, meanwhile, it often marked a celebration of maturity, but did not necessarily bring along the rights to full and equal participation in synagogue rituals.

It is only in recent decades that the rituals enacted and the rights bestowed for boys and girls have become substantially equivalent, and only in more liberal movements.

Indeed, because of controversies over whether women should be permitted to read aloud from the Torah, Judith Kaplan was not given the honour of being called up to read from a Torah scroll – part of the ordinary routine for bar mitzvah boys. Rather, she spoke after the service had formally concluded, reciting prayers and reading selections from the biblical passages out of a book.

Even today, bat mitzvah girls in some communities read passages from sacred texts after services on Friday night or Saturday morning, instead of during the standard Saturday morning service. But the bat mitzvah ritual, in varying forms, has become widespread in all movements within Judaism. It is widely practised in Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist – a branch of progressive Judaism later founded by Kaplan’s father – communities and is increasingly popular in the Orthodox world.

The introduction of bat mitzvah was a steppingstone to expanding roles for women in every part of the Jewish world. In the Conservative movement, for example, women’s inclusion in bat mitzvah created tensions with their exclusion from other aspects of ritual life and leadership. Girls and women who were educated alongside boys and celebrated their bat mitzvah in similar ways later found themselves excluded from adult roles.

Jewish studies scholar Anne Lapidus Lerner summed it up this way: “The bar mitzvah ceremony marks a young man’s entrance into adult Jewish responsibility and privilege – the first, it is hoped, of many such occasions. But a bat mitzvah would mark a young woman’s exit from participation. It would be the only time she was permitted to go up to read the Haftarah,” selections from the biblical books of the prophets, read after the Torah portion each Sabbath.

The push to resolve this inconsistency led to an expansion of women’s roles within Conservative Judaism, including the ordination of women as rabbis.

Orthodox women continue to push boundaries around bat mitzvah. Many Orthodox synagogues have special programs devoted to girls coming of age and host celebrations marked by lighting Sabbath candles and sharing their learning about sacred texts in a speech to the community. Some Orthodox communities host women-only prayer groups where girls read from the Torah, while families in other communities host ceremonies in their homes.

New directions

As the ritual of bat mitzvah became more widely accepted, adult women who had been denied opportunities to study for it as children have sought out bat mitzvah as well. They may choose adult bat mitzvah because they seek to become more involved in ritual leadership in their synagogue community, or to enhance their skills so that they can guide their children when it becomes time for them to begin training for their own bar or bat mitzvah. Becoming an adult bat mitzvah may also provide a public forum to mark important transformations in one’s Jewish identity.

Project Kesher, an American nongovernmental organization that fosters Jewish women’s leadership in the former Soviet Union, supports programs for adult bat mitzvah. These initiatives allow women who were forbidden to receive a Jewish education by antisemitic state policies to reclaim their identities.

Sometimes, the ritual of adult bat mitzvah celebrates a more personal journey. In a recent episode of And Just Like That, the sequel to Sex and the City, the character Charlotte faces a crisis when her child does not want to participate in their Jewish coming-of-age ceremony. Charlotte saves the day by using the occasion to have her own bat mitzvah, to celebrate her own Jewish identity as a “Jew by choice,” after converting to Judaism years ago.

The TV episode also highlights another emerging innovation around the ritual of bat mitzvah: the adoption of more gender-neutral terms “b’nai mitzvah” or “b-mitzvah.” In many contexts, the rituals of bar and bat mitzvah have become identical, but the names of the ritual are still sexually differentiated: “bar mitzvah” for boys and “bat mitzvah” for girls. Some congregations, like Charlotte’s, have moved to using the term “b’nai” – children of the commandments (though b’nai literally means “sons,” it is also used to describe gender-mixed groups) – or simply “b-mitzvah” as a term that embraces all children, including those who identify as non-binary. (The Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture uses the term p’nei [faces of] mitzvah.)

So, when North American Jews celebrate the 100th anniversary of bat mitzvah, they not only celebrate a momentous occasion in the life of one young girl, but an innovation that has paved the way for wider inclusion of generations of women, children and those previously excluded from a central ritual of Jewish life.

Lisa Fishbayn Joffe is director of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and director of the Project on Gender, Culture, Religion and the Law, which explores the tension between women’s equality claims and religious laws. Her research focuses on gender and multiculturalism in family law and on the intersection between secular and religious law. She is a co-founder of the Boston Agunah Task Force, devoted to research, education and advocacy for women under Jewish family law. This article is republished from The Conversation, and the original can be found at brandeis.edu/jewish-experience.

Format ImagePosted on May 20, 2022May 19, 2022Author Lisa Fishbayn JoffeCategories WorldTags bat mitzvah, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, history, Judaism

שבע עשרה שנים בוונקובר בצל מותה של אמי

בדרך כלל אני זוכר היטב את היום בו נחתי בקנדה לאחר שעזבתי את ישראל, אך השנה לאור מות אמי, התאריך הזה לא בדיוק עבר בראשי. אני נחתתי בוונקובר בחמישה עשר בפברואר אלפיים וחמש ומאז אני כאן. מדובר כבר בלמעלה משבע עשרה שנים

כאמור לא “חגגתי” השנה בשבעה עשר בפברואר את יום השנה של בואי לונקובר, כיוון שאמי נפטרה בשישה בפברואר. הגעתי בטיסת חירום לישראל כדי להיות עימה בבית החולים, ולמחרת הגעתי היא נפטרה. כאילו חיכתה רק לבואי

לאחר השבעה בה הגיעו עשרות חברים, מכרים של אחי אמיר ושלי, וכמובן בני משפחה וכן חברות רבות של אמא ושכנות שלה, נזקקתי ליום מנוחה לעקל את כל מה שעבר עלי. ואז בשבוע השני והאחרון שלי בתל אביב, התחלתי לארגן את דירת אמי לקראת הפינוי. עברתי על אין סוף מסמכים, ספרים, חפצי אמנות ובגדים, כדי לבדוק מה חשוב ומה לא. מה להמשיך ולשמור ומה לתרום. לפיכך לא היה לי זמן ומקום לחשוב על השבעה עשר בפברואר – שכאמור הוא “יום השנה” שלי כאן בוונקובר

השנתיים וחצי האחרונות בוונקובר ובכלל היום קשות מנשוא ומאוד מאוד מסובכות. הקוביד שיבש לנו את החיים והפכנו כמעט לאסירים בבתים ובאזור. בראשית שנה שעברה איבדתי את אבי שמת בגיל תעשים וארבעה חודשים, מסובכים של קוביד. אבא היה חולה מאוד וידענו שהסוף מגיע. לא יכולתי להגיע להלוויתו בגלל מגבלות הקוביד, ולפיכך ראיתי אותה באמצעות זום

אחי ואני חשבנו אמא תוכל לחיות עמנו עוד שנים רבות לאור כך שמצב בריאותה היה מצויין, לאשה בגיל תעשים ושתיים. היא הצליחה להתאושש ממותו של אבא וזה דבר לא פשוט לאחר שבעים ואחת שנות נישואים. אמא חזרה לשגרת החיים שלה שכללה מפגשים עם הרבה מחברותיה, עם בני המשפחה, ספורט כמעט כל יום וקריאת ספרים

באחד הימים (בשני לפברואר) היא ירדה מדירתה לאכול סלט, נחנקה בפתאומיות מתפוח שהיה בו והסיפור שלה נגמר מהר מאוד. היא הועברה לבית החולים איכילוב ולאחר ארבעה ימים נקבע מותה

ועתה כשאני משחזר את מה שעבר עלי בשנים האחרונות ובעיקר בשנה האחרונה, בה נפרדתי תחילה מאבא ולאחר מכן מאמא, קשה לי לחזור לשגרת החיים הרגילה, ולחשוב על שבעה עשרה השנים שלי כאן – בונקובר

כל צורת החיים שלי השתנה עת עברתי מתל אביב לוונקובר. קודם כל בישראל עבדתי במשרה מלאה כעיתונאי בתחום התקשורת, וכיום כאן זה תחביב בלבד. בשמונה השנים האחרונות אני עובד בחברה שמספקת הלוואות למי שלא יכול לקבל אותן מהבנק, ותפקידי הוא המבקר

בארץ הייתי מוקף בני משפחה חברים וכמובן היו לי בנות זוג לתקופות ארוכות בחיי. השהגעתי לוונקובר היכרתי כאן רק חבר אחד שעזב את תל אביב מספר שנים לפני. לאט לאט הצלחתי להכיר אנשים וכיום יש לי גם כן (כמו בתל אביב) מספר חברים טובים, בהם ישראלים, יהודים קנדים ומקומיים

ומהיבט האישי: מזה ארבע שנים ושמונה חודשים, יש לי בת זוג קבועה שהגיעה לוונקובר מסין. וואנווי גרה כאן כשמונה שנים ובשנתיים האחרונות היא עובדת בממשלה הפדרלית. יש לנו חיי אהבה ושותפות טובה, קירבה גדולה והרבה עניין משותף – בעיקר בתחומי האמנות והתרבות. החיים שלנו ביחד טובים מאוד ואנו רק מצפים להמשך של עוד ועוד

לסיכום: אין לי על מה להתלונן בשבע עשרה השנים שאני גר בבית בוונקובר

Posted on May 18, 2022May 4, 2022Author Roni RachmaniCategories עניין בחדשותTags Canada, COVID, death, family, immigration, Israel, הגירה, ישראל, מוות, משפחה, קוביד, קנדה
Celebrating 25 years

Celebrating 25 years

Chabad Richmond honours Rebbetzin Chanie and Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman at June 19 gala. (photo from Chabad Richmond)

“The goal of the Freilach25 gala goes beyond just a thank you to me and Chanie,” said Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman, who is being honoured with his wife Chanie next month.

“It’s about promoting the Rebbe’s mission,” he said. “And, if Chanie and I can help do that, OK. We’re dedicated to doing the Rebbe’s work, to bringing the warmth of Yiddishkeit and the warmth of Torah and Chassidus (Chassidic philosophy) to as many people as we can, in whatever ways we can.”

Freilach25, which marks Chabad Richmond’s 25th anniversary and celebrates the Baitelmans’ many contributions to the community, will take place on June 19 at Schara Tzedeck Synagogue. The keynote speaker at the event will be human rights advocate Natan Sharansky, who will talk on the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Jews from both sides of the Iron Curtain in the struggle for the release of Soviet Jewry, as well as the urgency of building and strengthening Judaism in our community.

In a recent interview with the Baitelmans, they spoke about their 25-year journey with Chabad Richmond, which began in October 1993.

Lubavitch BC’s Rabbi Yitzchak Wineberg brought the young couple out to Vancouver to be shluchim(emissaries) of the Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994). Rabbi Yitzchak and Henia Wineberg were, and still are, their “supervisors,” but, in 2000, the Baitelmans went out on their own, when people asked for a Chabad centre in Richmond. Nonetheless, for the first 10 years, they maintained some of their duties and responsibilities for Lubavitch BC in Vancouver – programs, summer day camp, etc.

“Our kick-off event in Richmond was during Hanukkah,” said Rabbi Baitelman. “We put the word out and had parties at our home over a couple of nights. In fact, we held a lot of programs in our home – Sunday morning Minyaneers Club, classes, and other programs. We weren’t holding services yet, but we began expanding our programs.”

Chabad has had a presence in Vancouver for a long time. Not so for Richmond. “One of the biggest struggles we have in Richmond is getting the word out that we exist, what we do, and the welcoming atmosphere we have,” said the rabbi.

The Richmond Jewish community has evolved over the years and, he said, “There are different ways of measuring the changes. There are certain areas where we see incredible success and growth, in terms of the number of people participating and supporting Chabad. And financial support is an important measure of how much the community appreciates us, and the value they put on the work that we do. Thank G-d, our budget has grown every year, and we’ve been able to offer more programs and activities. When we first moved to Richmond, we were still getting a salary from Vancouver, we were just raising money for our programs. Today, all our funds come from what we raise. The financial ties with Vancouver are long over.”

Asked what it’s been like for their family being on shlichus here, Rebbetzin Baitelman said, “Our kids are very proud of us. It’s nice to hear that from your own children. It was hard because we didn’t have a lot of family here. So, our kids didn’t get to grow up with cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. But they learned a lot and got ‘voluntold’ to do lots of different jobs – cooking and set-ups and welcoming – so they’re like my assistants.”

Rabbi Baitelman spoke warmly of growing up in the Rebbe’s neighbourhood, being at his farbrengens (Chassidic gatherings) and seeing the energy, the love of every Jew, and the Rebbe’s commitment to the spiritual well-being of each Jew.

“It was an amazing inspiration, seeing the selflessness of the Rebbe,” he said. “My grandparents also had a big impact on me. My maternal grandparents were shluchim of the previous rebbe. All my aunts and uncles (my mother’s siblings, the Gordons) are all on shlichus. My parents were on shlichus until I was 2 or 3 years old. They considered themselves the unofficial embassy of Gordon shluchim around the world. Anyone inspired by the Gordon family would come to our home for Shabbos or after Sunday Dollars [every Sunday outside his office, the Rebbe would hand out a dollar bill to people who came to receive his blessing].

“And, of course, Rabbi Wineberg inspired us by giving us the opportunity to come out here – he guides us a lot. Rabbi Lipa Dubrawsky was also a significant role model for how to inspire and engage people. And, of course, my uncle Rabbi Josh Gordon impacted my life tremendously. He was a shaliach in California who accomplished great things. He turned out to be a very influential, dedicated powerhouse of a man, in terms of leadership.”

As to how they ended up in Metro Vancouver, Rabbi Baitelman said, “When Chanie and I met, we discussed shlichus and we knew this was something we wanted to do, to make it the focus of our life. We knew what being shluchim would entail, although I must say that being young and a little bit naïve helped. Being shluchim in North America fits with our talents and abilities.”

Chanie Baitelman had confessed to her husband that she had only one hesitancy. She said she asked him: “Wherever we go … could they please speak English, because I’m terrible at languages? Yechiel has a love for everything Russian, and he spent a couple of stints in Russia, and I was petrified we were going to end up there.

“Living here,” she said, “Henia Wineberg has been beyond inspirational. She took me under her wing and taught me how to navigate everything, even how to cook. When I got married, I knew how to cook three things, and one of them was cream of wheat, and only for a crowd. I was 21 years old when we came here and Henia would introduce me as ‘the new rebbetzin’ and I almost went through the floor.

“When I was younger,” she continued, “my goal was to go to seminary in Australia, which I did. My parents were always very involved in our community, so we followed along and worked with them. Our grandparents and aunts and uncles were on shlichus, and extremely devoted to the Rebbe, so it was almost by osmosis that we took it on. It was something we aspired to. We lived in a little suburb of Detroit, Mich., and we grew up very wholesome. Family was our primary example to follow.”

While her parents were not on shlichus when she was growing up, she said, “My father was a teacher in a Jewish (non-Chabad) day school and we were active in the Chabad community. My mother was also an educator. But now my parents are shluchim. They’ve been shluchim for 21 years, so they went out on shlichus after us.”

Both of the Baitelmans expressed gratitude when asked what message they’d like to impart to the community.

Chanie Baitelman said: “Thankfulness and gratefulness for allowing us to be part of your community and supporting and befriending us all these years. I’ve learned something from everyone I’ve met here.”

Her husband contemplated for a moment before answering. “First thing, gratitude is very important – gratitude to the Rebbe and all the people who inspired us to be shluchim, and who mentor us. I’m so grateful to those people who opened their doors to us when we were an unknown commodity, a young couple new to the community. I try to always remember to say thank you to them for their belief in us, for their friendship and their support.

“I believe there’s still so much to do, both in terms of our personal growth, and in terms of communal growth,” he added. “Our best days are ahead of us. We have challenges, but they bring out the best in us. I invite everybody who wants to be part of this to bring their talents, experience and energy forward to join us. We’re honoured and privileged to be on the journey with this community and, together, we should bring the Rebbe a lot of naches, and fulfil his dream and vision of the times of Moshiach, of a perfect world, when everybody will have what they need, and everyone will be happy and healthy and strong. And the beauty inherent in Hashem’s world will be visible and obvious to everybody.”

The Baitelmans are the conduits through which many in the community connect with the Rebbe and his mission.

“We’re just the channel,” Chanie Baitelman stressed. “It’s not the easiest job, you have to work hard, but we’re doing something meaningful. Really, it’s a privilege. That someone would pay us to do meaningful work, is just beyond. Like our kids say: ‘So, basically, Mom, you got your dream job. You’re living your dream.’”

The Rebbe often used the metaphor of light – the power of light is that you can ignite an infinite number of flames from one light.

“In a sense, we are all shluchim, we’re all doing the Rebbe’s work in one way or another,” said Yechiel Baitelman. “Some do it as their career, some do it through volunteering or financial support, but having so many people involved in this army of goodness and kindness, all inspired by the Rebbe, that’s so rewarding. I never really understood why people wanted to volunteer with Chabad, then I realized it’s because others inspire them to get involved.”

The Baitelmans aren’t people who seek out honours. However, said the rabbi, “If, by telling our story and being part of the Freilach25 gala, we can advance the Rebbe’s mission for the betterment of the community, then do whatever you need to do. It’s not really about us, but we’re very grateful. Just please remember that there’s a bigger goal beyond the thank you and acknowledgement. Something has to come from this, whether it’s supporting Chabad or getting more involved, whatever it might be. Over the next 25 years, there’s a lot more we need to accomplish, so please have that in mind.”

Tickets for the gala are limited. They can be reserved at chabadrichmond.com/freilach25.

Shelley Civkin 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.

Format ImagePosted on May 6, 2022May 4, 2022Author Shelley CivkinCategories LocalTags Baitelman, Chabad Richmond, Freilach25, gratitude, Judaism, milestone, Rebbe

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