News – Page 34

Oct. 7 heroes support Team Israel-Premier Tech

Oct. 7 survivors Sharon Shabo, left, and Avida Bachar lead Team Israel-Premier Tech riders in the team’s final training session before the Tour de France started on June 29 in Florence, Italy. (photo by Noa Arnon)

Three injured heroes from the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks came to support Team Israel-Premier Tech at the Tour de France. As well, they held signs bearing the names of hostages, some of whom are their close friends, and called for their release. Alongside them stood Israel-Premier Tech owners Sylvan Adams and Ron Baron.

“My friends from the kibbutz are suffering there. We can’t wait another moment,” said Avida Bachar. He lost his son and wife, who were murdered in their shelter in Be’eri on the morning of Oct. 7, while he himself was severely injured and lost his leg. Despite adapting to his prosthetic, Bachar insisted on riding his bike for the first time since his injury to lead the Israeli team in their final training session. “It was an immense moment, one of the most emotional of my life,” he said.

Joining Bachar was his good friend Sharon Shabo, who was seriously injured in a Hamas ambush on the morning of Oct. 7 while riding his bike, and 20-year-old Oded Gelbstein, a young combat engineer soldier who was critically wounded in Gaza and is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Florence.

“Avida and Sharon will be our great inspiration at the Tour de France,” said Adams to the team riders before the race started.

The Tour de France lasts three weeks, during which the riders cycle more than 3,400 kilometres. Twenty-two teams are taking part in the 21-stage race, which culminates in Nice, France, on July 21.

– Courtesy Team Israel-Premier Tech

Team Canada wins cup

Team Canada and Team Israel at Softball City July 3 to compete for the Canada Cup International Softball Championship, Women’s division. (photo by Cynthia Ramsay)

The Canada Cup International Softball Championship, Women’s division, took place June 28-July 7, with Team Canada winning the competition in a game against TC Colorado (7-0) on the last day of the tournament.

This year, 12 women’s teams competed for the cup: Saskatchewan 222s, TC Colorado, Team Australia, Team Canada, Team Chinese Taipei, Team Czechia, Team Greece, Team Hong Kong, Team Israel, Team Mexico, Team New Zealand and Team Philippines.

Team Canada and Team Israel played each other July 3 at Softball City, and attendees cheered on both teams, despite the presence of anti-Israel protesters outside the stadium. While Team Israel scored the first two runs of the game, Team Canada went on to win 10-3. In all, Israel won four of its seven games and Canada won all its eight games, which included the final.

For more about the annual event, visit canadacup.com.

Enjoy a glass of Israeli wine – the award-winning industry has struggled since Oct. 7 attacks

According to historian and former ambassador Michael Oren, on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the terror group Hamas’s brutal assault on southern Israel, the following things happened: 80% of Israelis volunteered to help in any way they could, 360,000 Israelis reported for military duty and thousands of Israelis who were not in Israel on Oct. 7 returned to defend their country.

This remarkable resilience and dedication have also been apparent in Israel’s wine industry. Workers from wineries that could finish their 2023 harvests went to other wineries to help with harvesting and winemaking. A poignant example is the support for Kibbutz Nir Oz’s winery. When Kibbutz Nir Oz was attacked, Hamas murdered the winemaker, Gideon Fauker, z’l, and took his two partners captive to Gaza, where they remain today. In a recent Israel21c article, Andrea Samuels recounts how people in Israel’s wine industry came together to turn Nir Oz Winery grapes into wine and save the vintage, to honour their Nir Oz colleagues.

Jews have been making wine in the land of Israel for more than 3,000 years, a fact confirmed by archeological evidence. King David had vast vineyards and kept large stores of wine, and wine was a major export and economic mainstay for Jews during the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Even when outsiders invaded the land and mandated pulling out the vines many centuries later, a limited number of vines remained to produce wine for sacramental purposes. Viticulture was reintroduced in the late 19th century and, by the end of the 20th century, Israel was garnering international recognition for the quality of its wines. Today, there are more than 300 wineries of all sizes in Israel, and a well-established wine culture.

Since the massacres and kidnappings by Hamas on Oct. 7, the wineries have faced tremendous obstacles due to the ensuing war with Hamas in Gaza and daily rocket and missile attacks on northern Israeli land and communities by the terror group Hezbollah. There are labour shortages, as Israelis are repeatedly called up for reserve duty and many foreign workers have left the country. In the north, some employees who have been evacuated because of the Hezbollah attacks can’t get to the wineries. Any work at the wineries and vineyards in this prized Galilee viticulture region remains a dangerous proposition and there is concern for the 2024 vintage. Vineyards in the north and south have been damaged by rockets and some in the north are inaccessible in closed military zones. Domestic wine sales, on which the wineries heavily rely, plummeted after Oct. 7 and, although they have recovered somewhat, a tourism decline and restaurant and bar closures have exacerbated the sales slump. And, of course, there is the human cost as the wars and threats continue and as many in Israel’s wine industry have lost family, friends and co-workers.

Despite these challenges, the people of Israel’s wine industry have shown classic Israeli resilience, determination, collaboration and commitment to the country and to one another. Samuels’s article noted that, since Oct. 7, Alex Haruni and his Dalton Winery team have been making Shabbat dinners for soldiers posted at the nearby Lebanon border. And, in his article “A taste of total victory,” Adam Montefiore, a 38-year veteran of Israel’s wine industry, wrote about Tom Carbone and his Be’eri Winery.

Carbone and his friend Dror Or, z’l, the Be’eri Dairy cheesemaker who was murdered by Hamas when they attacked the kibbutz, had a dream of collaborating to make Kibbutz Be’eri a food and wine tourism destination. Carbone is working to fulfil that dream for both of them, commuting to Be’eri from the hotel he and his family now live in at the Dead Sea. So far, he has produced an outstanding Be’eri Chardonnay and is continuing his friend’s work at the dairy.

We in Canada can support Israel in many ways, including by buying and enjoying the beautiful wines of her irrepressible wineries. Israeli wines available in British Columbia are highlighted below with tasting notes.

GALIL MOUNTAIN WINERY

Established in 2000 as a joint venture between Golan Heights Winery and Kibbutz Yiron, Galil Mountain Winery (galilmountain.co.il) has five vineyards in the Upper Galilee mountains, with topographical and climatic conditions well-suited to growing grapes of the highest quality for wine production.

Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2022: A young, refreshing character with accentuated fruity aromas. No barrel aging. The wine was stored in stainless steel tanks after fermentation to preserve its fruity character.

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Colour: deep opaque purple

Aroma: pure ripe raspberry and blueberry primary fruit character, with hints of herbs and tobacco leaf

Taste: a medium-to-full bodied wine with delicate tannins; the finish is long and firm

Food: best served at 64°F (18°C) to accompany a wide range of meat dishes

Galil Mountain Rosé 2021: A dry, light rosé with refreshing acidity. A combination of two winemaking techniques – skin contact followed by cold fermentation.

Varietal: a blend of Sangiovese, Barbera, Pinot Noir

Colour: bright pink

Aroma: scents of strawberry, pomegranate and ripe nectarine with notes of blooming wildflowers

Taste: presents characters of flowers, strawberry and pomegranate; a joyful wine with invigorating and well-balanced acidity

Food: try with a fresh summer salad, with sushi or as an aperitif on its own

Galil Mountain Alon White 2020: The grapes are carefully selected at harvest, pressed gently, and half of the blend is fermented and aged in French oak barrels for three months.

Varietal: blend of Chardonnay, Viognier

Colour: pale lemon

Aroma: citrus blossom, alongside hints of fresh mint

Taste: ripe citrus, stone fruit and a hint of herbs on the palate, with refreshing acidity, light body and a lingering finish

Food: pairs beautifully with grilled fish and fresh salads

GOLAN HEIGHTS WINERY

Golan Heights Winery (golanwines.co.il) gained international recognition after releasing its first wines in 1984 and led a winemaking revolution that put Israel on the world wine map. The Golan Heights, a volcanic plateau with rich basaltic soil, is the coldest region of the Galilee appellation and considered the best for viniculture.

Mount Hermon Indigo 2022: Made from classic varietals, a young medium-bodied wine full of flavour.

Varietal: blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah

Colour: deep indigo-purple

Aroma: black currant, tobacco and smoke

Taste: medium bodied with notes of raspberry and black cherry, characters of aniseed and cocoa, and hints of flowers and earth

Food: beef brisket, grilled lamb shanks or a barbecued beef burger

TEPERBERG 1870 WINERY

Teperberg 1870 Winery (teperberg1870.co.il) is located in the foothills of the Jerusalem Mountains with vineyards in several growing regions. It is one of the oldest wineries in Israel, founded in Jerusalem in 1870 and, for a time, known as Efrat Winery. Efrat remains a label of Teperberg 1870. The Teperberg and Efrat wines listed are mevushal, wine that has been flash pasteurized.

Teperberg Malbec Vision 2021: The Malbec Vision undergoes stainless steel fermentation and is aged in French and American oak for five months prior to release.

Varietal: Malbec

Colour: deep red with purple hints

Aroma: black fruits and spices

Taste: a deep and layered wine that combines a wealth of fruit with vibrant acidity

Food: beef dishes, charcuterie, beet salads

Teperberg Efrat White Blend 2022: Fermentation in insulated chilled stainless steel tanks for two weeks before the final blend is composed. To retain its crispness, the wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation.

Varietal: blend of Riesling, Semillon, French Colombard

Colour: light, pleasant yellowish

Aroma: mainly citrus aromas

Taste: fresh, balanced with pleasant acidity and medium body

Food: fried or grilled fish

Efrat Judean Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Argaman 2022: Fermentation in insulated chilled stainless steel tanks.

Varietal: blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Argaman, Carignan

Colour: purple

Aroma: fruity aromas with black and red fruit

Taste: balanced, rich, medium-bodied with a long finish

Food: lamb dishes or pasta in meat sauce

Visit bcliquorstores.com to find a store near you with Israeli wine. L’chaim!

Rochelle Golumbia is an advocate of supporting Israel through Israeli wine and initiated Vancouver’s first Israeli wine festivals.

המצב בישראל משפיע על מה שקורה בקנדה

החברה הלאומית של קנדה אייר קנדה תחזור לטוס לישראל רק בחודש הבא. החברה הקנדית שהחלה לטוס לישראל רק בעשרה באפריל הפסיקה את טיסותיה לתל אביב ארבעה ימים לאחר מכן, לאור סגירת נמל התעופה בן גוריון לאור המתקפה האיראנית. באייר קנדה מעדכנים כ הטיסות יחודשו בין קנדה לישראל רק החל מהשישה באוגוסט

אייר קנדה נוסדה בשנת אלף תשע מאות שלושים ושבע ובסיסה בעיר מונטריאול. לחברה נוכחות מסיבית גם בנמלי התעופה הבינלאומיים של טורונטו, ונקובר וקלגרי. לאייר קנדה ארבע חברות-בנות והיא מפעילה כיום כשלוש מאות ושישים מטוסים הטסים לכמאתיים יעדים שונים ברחבי העולם. הכנסות החברה אשתקד עמדו על כעשרים ושתיים מיליארד דולר (קנדי)

צעדת התמיכה הגדולה ביותר בישראל התקיימה בקנדה בחודש יוני האחרון בטורונטו בהשתתפות כחמישים אלף איש. במצעד בטורונטו הניפו המשתתפים דגלי ישראל וקנדה, קראו עם ישראל חי ותחי ישראל ויחי צה”ל, אל מול מפגן תמיכה קטן של מפגינים פרו-פלסטינים. בצעדת התמיכה בישראל השתתפו גם איראנים מתנגדי משטר של האייטולות

בכל שנה, הצעדה למען ישראל היא האירוע היהודי הגדול ביותר בקנדה ואחת מצעדות הסולידריות עם ישראל הגדולות בעולם. חגיגה ידידותית למשפחה זו כוללת צעדה סימבולית בטורונטו ולאחריה פסטיבל לחגוג את התרבות הישראלית והיהודית

אנחנו נרגשים מהתמיכה העצומה בצעדה השנה מהקהילה שלנו ומהחברים והשכנים שלנו ברחבי טורונטו רבתי. לראות השתתפות שיא השנה מדברת רבות על הגאווה, החוסן והנחישות של הקהילה שלנו להראות לעיר שלנו מי אנחנו ועל מה אנחנו עומדים. כך אמור יו”ר אגון הגג של הפדרציות היהודית של קנדה, ג’ף רוזנטל. ואילו נשיא ומנכ”ל של הפדרציות היהודיות של טורונטו, אדם מינסקי, הוסיף כי בזמן שנאה חסרת תקדים המופנית כלי הקהילה היהודית בטורונטו, הצעדה ששברה שיאים שולחת מסר ברור שאנחנו חזקים, מאוחדים וגאים. האירוע היום הוא הפגנה חזקה לכך שיש רבים שתומכים בנו, בעד הדמוקרטיה, החברות והזכות של הישראלים ושל הקהילה היהודית לחיות בשלום ובביטחון, הוסיף עוד מינסקי

כאירוע גיוס כספים למטרות צדקה, כל התרומות לצעדה תומכות בשירותים חברתיים ומאמצים הומניטריים בישראל המסייעים לתושבי ישראל הפגיעים ביותר. השנה הכספים שנתרמו יעזרו לישראלים להתאושש מהטראומה הגדולה של השבע באוקטובר, כולל תמיכה בתוכניות לעזור לקורבנות הטרור ולאה הנאבקים בבעיות נפשיות

לאחר הצעדה, המשתתפים התכנסו בקמפוס שרמן של פסטיבל הסולידריות שכלל פעילויות ידידותיות לילדים, אוכל והופעות. האירוע כלל גם הזדמנויות לשלוח מסרים של תקווה לישראל וכיבוד קורנות השבעה באוקטובר. כן נבנתה חומת התקווה שהיא מיצג הזיכרון של פסטיבל נובה שגבה קורבנות רבים

לאור עלייה באנטישמיות בטורונטו, המשטרה הייתה נוכחת בצעדה במספרים חסרי תקדים. בקהילה היהודית בטורונטו מעריכים מאוד את המאמצים הבלתי הנאלים של משטרת טורונטו להבטיח חוויה בטוחה בצעדה

מנכ”לית הפדרציות היהודיות של קנדה בישראל, שרה מלי, אמרה שיש משהו מיוחד במינו בצעדת למען ישראל של פדרציית טורונטו השנה, מעבר להשתתפות המרשימה של חברי קהילה, תומכים ונבחרי ציבור צעדו כדי לחגוג ולתמוך בישראל. הסיבה לכך שזה כל כך יוצא דופן היא שמאז השבעה באוקטובר, הקהילה היהודית הקנדית נתונה לאנטישמיות גוברת ומתפשטת בקמפוסים ובמרחבים הקהילתיים היהודיים, ובו בזמן גייסה את סכום הכסף המשמעותי ביותר לנפש מכל הקהילות בעולם. לכן, הצעדה השנה, לא רק שהיא הגדולה ביותר, היא מייצגת את המחויבות של הקהילה היהודית בטורונטו לישראל כנגד כל הסיכויים ולכן יש לה חשיבות סמלית שאין כדוגמתה

Team Israel plays for cup

Catch a championship game at Softball City June 28-July 7. Team Israel plays Team Canada and other elite international teams for the Canada Cup. (photo from Team Israel)

The Canada Cup Women’s International Softball Championship will run from June 28 to July 7 this year at Softball City, in Surrey. The 2024 event has more than 1,500 elite athletes confirmed to compete, including the Israeli national team.

“In these challenging times, the importance of our team participating in international tournaments cannot be overstated,” said Ami Baran, executive director and general manager of Israel Softball National Teams. “Competing on the global stage not only showcases our talent and dedication but also strengthens our community’s presence and solidarity. It provides a platform for cultural diplomacy, where we can celebrate our identity and contribute to a broader understanding and appreciation of our traditions and values.”

photo - Team Israel batting — *(photo from Team Israel)*

In addition to Team Israel, some of the world’s best teams will take part, including Canada, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Greece, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines and TC Colorado. The event includes five divisions: Women’s International, Futures Select (U19), Futures Gold (U19), Showcase Select (17U) and Showcase Gold (17U).

Team Israel will play Hong Kong on July 1, at 10:30 a.m.; Mexico on July 2, at 6 p.m.; Philippines on July 3 at 10:30 a.m.; Canada, also on July 3, at 6:30 p.m.; and New Zealand on July 4, at 3:30 p.m. The playoffs take place July 5-7 with the gold medal final on July 7, at 6 p.m.

photo - Team Israel fielding — *(photo from Team Israel)*

The Canada Cup, which is operated by the Canadian Amateur Sport Society, provides young, high-calibre, female athletes the opportunity to expand their potential and ability by fielding elite level fastpitch teams, which offer spectators an entertaining, fun-filled sporting experience. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit canadacup.com.

– Courtesy Team Israel

Tour for Humanity bus visits

Left to right: Andrew Abramowich, Larry Goldenberg, Gordon and Leslie Diamond, Jill Diamond, Lauri Glotman and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre’s Michael Levitt. (photo from FSWC)

The Tour for Humanity, a human rights educational bus organized by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC), made an inaugural visit to British Columbia May 27 to June 7, with stops at several schools across the Lower Mainland, including Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, Surrey and Langley Township. In all, the bus visited eight different schools, reaching 1,170 students.

On May 29, in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, FSWC hosted a special gathering and an exclusive viewing of the Tour for Humanity.

“The reception in Vancouver was very positive, especially considering this visit marked our first-ever journey to the West Coast,” said Michael Levitt, president and chief executive officer of FSWC. “The Tour for Humanity presented a new educational experience for the students in a technologically advanced and inspiring learning environment, with students feeling immediately captivated upon entering the bus.

“Every student walked away from the bus with newfound knowledge, whether of the Holocaust or human rights issues right here in Canada,” he said. “Teachers and administrators shared with us how much they admired the program and would like to have the bus return to their schools.”

The Tour for Humanity bus is a 30-seat, state-of-the-art, wheelchair-accessible education centre that teaches students, educators, community leaders and front-line professionals through workshops about the Holocaust, genocide and Canada’s human rights history. The aim, in the words of FSWC, is “to help inspire and empower people of all ages and backgrounds to raise their voices and take action against hate, intolerance and bullying and to promote justice, human rights and a more inclusive society.”

photo - In the Tour for Humanity bus — Inside the Tour for Humanity bus. (photo from FSWC)

Levitt noted that, since Oct. 7, there has been an increase in requests from schools for the Tour for Humanity workshops, given the rise in antisemitism and the divisions playing out online, on city streets and in schools.

“Teachers and administrators are recognizing the importance of this education to ensure students understand the dangers of hate and the role they play in combatting it,” Levitt said.

The tour’s visit to Vancouver in late May and early June coincided with, among other events, the arson attack against Congregation Schara Tzedeck and the decision by the BC Teachers’ Federation to deny funding to a specialist Holocaust education group.

“What we are seeing is a frightening escalation of antisemitic incidents across BC and the country. Most concerningly, Jewish institutions, including places of worship and schools, are being targeted and violently attacked at an unprecedented rate in Canada,” Levitt said. “Words of condemnation from our public leaders are no longer enough. Concrete measures must be taken to fight this scourge of antisemitism before it escalates even more and someone gets seriously hurt.”

Since it began – with one bus, in 2013 – the Tour for Humanity has visited more than 1,300 schools and reached more than 220,000 people. A second bus was added in September 2022, thanks to support from the Goldenberg family. The two buses have traveled a combined total of more than 200,000 kilometres.

Before coming to British Columbia, the bus visited schools in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and, also for the first time, Alberta. The tour has traveled widely through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Both buses are currently in Ontario, visiting a few last schools for the academic year. The buses only travel throughout Canada, though the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in the United States has a similar program in several American cities.

According to Levitt, the 2024/25 schedule for the Tour for Humanity is already filling up, as Canadian schools have been reaching out and requesting workshops ahead of the upcoming academic year. There is going to be a third bus ready to hit the road in 2025, offering further opportunities to visit more schools across the country. In the meantime, FSWC educators will continue to offer virtual workshops to schools.

“We’re looking forward to having a more active presence in Vancouver and throughout BC in the near future,” Levitt said, “including a return of the Tour for Humanity at the earliest possible time, as we know it takes an all-hands-on-deck approach from the Jewish community to deal with the current conditions.”

Levitt stressed that FSWC is working to deliver Holocaust education to Metro Vancouver students alongside other Jewish organizations, such as the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, ensuring that young people gain a deeper understanding of the history and horrors of the Holocaust and learn its lessons.

“Students must learn that history can repeat itself, and each of them has a responsibility to stand up against hate in their community and make a positive change,” Levitt said.

“We are thankful for the warm welcome our Tour for Humanity received in BC and grateful to Gordon and Leslie Diamond and the Diamond Foundation for sponsoring the bus’s first-ever journey to the West Coast,” he said. “We are eager to return soon to reach more students.”

For more information, visit fswc.ca/tour-for-humanity.

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

Hate on many BC campuses

An X post about an antisemitic takeover of the Simon Fraser University library downtown, named after Jewish philanthropists Samuel and Frances Belzberg. Khalida Jarrar is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which Canada listed as a terror entity in 2003. (screenshot)

More than 250 members of the Jewish community gathered at Congregation Beth Israel last week to learn more about antisemitism occurring on BC campuses. The discussion was led by a panel of Jewish students representing the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University, as well as educators and a spokesperson from Hillel BC. Panelists spoke about how pro-Palestinian activists have created an environment that has made Jewish students and educators feel unsafe, and that their concerns are, by and large, not being taken seriously by university administrators.

“Hillel has shifted from being a place where students explore their identity to being an emergency room for antisemitic incidents,” said Ohad Gavrieli, executive director of Hillel BC. “What we’re encountering is unprecedented, and our main role has been to protect and defend Jewish identity.”

Hillel is focused on safety, education, programming and advocacy, said Gavrieli. It is assisting students as they try to file complaints about antisemitism, while continuing with events like Shabbat dinners and bagel lunches, critical components that allow for the continuity of Jewish life during this crisis.

Gavrieli said universities’ approaches to antisemitism have been very ineffective.

“While they understand we’re hurting as a community, they’re politicians and they care about their institutional reputation. They want to please both sides,” he argued. “So, when we talk with them about the encampments, they tell us to be patient, that they’re working on it and will come up with a solution.”

Member of the Legislative Assembly Selina Robinson described a similar “deafness and silence” when she spoke about antisemitism with her political colleagues.

“I heard stories from Langara students who were afraid to leave the bathroom because there was marching in the hallways. I got calls from students whose instructors were telling them they needed to participate in a march, and from educators whose administrators were involved in BDS [boycott, sanction and divestment] activity,” she recalled. “I felt I needed to say something, so I said lots – to the attorney general, the solicitor general, the chief of staff. And I got silence, or responses like, ‘we’re looking into it’ – but nothing happened.”

For Aria Levitt, a Jewish student leader entering her second year at UVic, the campus environment is daunting.

“When an encampment was established in the Quad at UVic, the university issued a statement that overnight camping there was not allowed. But the encampment is still there, and they’re not doing anything about it, which is a statement in itself,” said Levitt. “I heard the marches, protests and chants and it was very scary. I don’t feel proud to wear a UVic sweater,” she added.

At Simon Fraser University, Rachel Altman, an associate professor, said the Faculty for Palestine group has been relentless about holding anti-Israel events, and that those events even count towards the educators’ professional credit. “I attended one of their events and I was shaking by the end of it, it was so deeply unsettling,” she confessed.

“The hatred in the room was palpable,” said Altman. “They were clearly talking about me and my colleagues, misrepresenting my responses and not giving me a chance to defend myself. I felt hated by colleagues who have never spoken to me face-to-face. One person made a claim that Israel is stealing organs. This group is large and it’s having an impact on the general climate at SFU.”

Altman is trying to get her faculty association to adopt a neutrality policy and to develop institutional neutrality. Dr. Estie Ford, a professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, is working with her colleagues to establish the Jewish Academic Alliance of BC, with the goal of being a face for Jewish faculty who are not anti-Zionist, across the province. “This is a new time when people are coming together and there’s so much amazing work being done,” Ford said.

Gavrieli fields calls from Jewish parents wondering how safe BC campuses are for their children. He tells students to continue to hold their heads high, to not be afraid and to tackle the issues head-on.

“Antisemitism right now is being driven from campus and it’s rooted on campus,” he said. “Any parent with a child entering university should encourage them to engage in Jewish life on campus, to make it more vibrant and to deal with this issue fearlessly, because this is the time to fight.”

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

Not such a great divide

Co-authors Raja G. Khouri, left, and Jeffrey J. Wilkinson in a conversation at Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace June 13. (photo by Pat Johnson)

To bridge a divide between peoples, Jews and Palestinians need to listen and understand one another’s stories of trauma, according to two authors who spoke in Vancouver June 13.

“Not only do we not know each other’s narrative, we don’t want to know each other’s narrative,” said Raja G. Khouri. “We are resistant to the other’s narrative. Palestinians need to understand Jewish suffering and Jews need to understand Palestinian suffering.”

Khouri, founding president of the Canadian Arab Institute, is a Palestinian-Canadian. With Jeffrey J. Wilkinson, a Jewish American who lives in Canada, he wrote The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know About Each Other.

The two men have been engaged in ongoing dialogue around trauma and other topics related to Israel and Palestine. Their book was released four days before the Oct. 7 terror attacks.

Jewish trauma from the Holocaust and Palestinian trauma from the Nakba, or the “Catastrophe” of the 1948 war, replay in various ways among the peoples today, said Wilkinson, an educator who works on issues of trauma.

“It’s not about amount of loss,” said Wilkinson. “Six million Jews died, 750,000 Palestinians [were] displaced. That impact is not about the numbers. That impact is about that loss, that something being taken from you, that feeling of anger, resistance.”

The conversation, at Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace, was sponsored by Vancouver Friends of Standing Together, in partnership with several other organizations. Standing Together describes itself as “a progressive grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the occupation and for peace, equality and social justice.”

The authors acknowledge the chasms between the consensus Israeli and Palestinian narratives, while carefully noting that they did not claim to speak on behalf of their respective peoples.

“Zionists are saying 1967, 1967, 1967,” said Wilkinson, referring to the war that marks the beginning of what many consider “the occupation.”

“Palestinians are saying 1948, 1948, 1948. The two-state solution does nothing to address 1948,” Wilkinson said.

A two-state solution is not something either author views as a reasonable proposition, said Wilkinson – unless it is as a waystation to an alternative that neither author spelled out explicitly.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad solution and you can’t support it,” Wilkinson said of the idea of two states. “But I want you to frame it from the perspective of justice, and it does not address the injustice of Palestinians.”

While the evening – and the book – were billed as a conversation across barriers, the divide was not as big as advertised. Both authors view the existence of Israel as a problem to be solved.

“I believe that Zionism and my Judaism are not compatible,” Wilkinson said. “That does not lessen my compassion for the vast majority of my community who are somewhere on that journey but not where I am, and I embrace you as you walk through that.”

Wilkinson explicitly denounced the extremist rhetoric heard in some anti-Israel protests, such as calls to destroy Tel Aviv and telling Jews to “go back to Poland.”

Khouri said Palestinians believe that “the antisemitism label” has been misused to silence them.

“We both know that antisemitism is real and it’s dangerous,” he said. “But, to Palestinians, it is a weapon that has been used to silence criticism, or at least that’s what we believe. And it’s important to get that.”

Both men believe there is a misunderstanding around definitions of terms.

Israelis and their allies might hear the word “apartheid” and reject it.

“Lens the word from the person who is speaking,” Wilkinson advised, outlining how he views separate treatment of Palestinians as equivalent to the racist regime of 20th-century South Africa.

“Likewise with terms like genocide,” said Khouri. “We both avoided using the term for the longest time. But I can tell you there isn’t a Palestinian I know who isn’t convinced that this is absolute genocide because of the mass killing that is happening. Whether it meets the legal definition of genocide or not, it feels very much like genocide.”

The defensiveness that comes around these terms, they said, is a barrier to the peoples’ understanding of each other.

The flexibility of definitions extends to the term “intifada.”

“When you hear someone, say, we’re calling for intifada, ask them what they mean by this,” said Khouri. “Do you mean going and blowing up cafés and buses?”

Neither author offered their interpretation of the term.

The Oct. 7 attacks took place in a particular context, they said.

“If you fixate on Oct. 7 only, then you’re missing a big part of the picture,” said Khouri.

“That doesn’t mean you grieve less for the victims of Oct. 7,” Wilkinson said. “It doesn’t mean that.”

Avril Orloff, representing Vancouver Friends of Standing Together, emceed the event. Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, director of inter-religious studies and professor of Jewish studies at the Vancouver School of Theology provided a land acknowledgment and contextualized the discussion in the context of Shavuot, which was ending as the event began.

Tri-Cities community grows

Co-directors of Chabad of the Tri-Cities Rabbi Mottel and Nechama Gurevitz with their children. (photo from Tri-Cities Chabad)

Since he arrived just under two years ago, Rabbi Mordechai (Mottel) Gurevitz has had a very active and wide-ranging schedule. He’s been organizing programs and events and, most importantly, building community in the Tri-Cities (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody).

Gurevitz, co-director of Chabad of the Tri-Cities, gave the Independent a few examples of the growth he has witnessed. This year’s Passover seder brought in nearly 50% more attendees compared to 2023. There was a similar increase in attendance for a Ten Commandments reading and ice cream in the park gathering during Shavuot.

For Lag b’Omer on May 26, the largest Jewish event in Tri-Cities history was held at Rocky Point Park. Hundreds of people came out in the rain for a day filled with music, featuring Vancouver band Tzimmes, dancing, art, a marketplace, a magic show, bouncy castles and, of course, mouthwatering food.

Gurevitz, a Brooklyn native, arrived in the Tri-Cities in November 2022 with his wife, Nechama, who hails from Portland, Ore. In a recent interview, he told the Independent that he adores the region and is very happy and amazed to see the interest in the Jewish community for Jewish activities – and, he added, he regularly has to replenish his supply of mezuzot.

“We feel grateful for where we live,” he said. “It is such a beautiful, growing community. Geographically, it is a beautiful place with beautiful people. I feel privileged to be in this position to lead. It is not something I take lightly. I am really happy that we are here.”

The goal of Chabad of the Tri-Cities programming is to raise the Jewish profile and increase the sense of Jewish community in the area, Gurevitz explained. He gets the most joy, he said, when he hears from community members about connections they have made through his efforts, such as two sets of parents arranging a play date for their children after meeting at a Chabad event.

“One of the challenges of the Tri-Cities is that it is geographically spread out. Organically, there is a challenge for a community to grow because people are all over. What we are finding is that, by creating infrastructure, it is blossoming,” he said.

The region’s population comprises people of all ages, and many young families. As a result, there are programs to meet the needs of various demographics, from teen activities to special groups for men and women, in addition to a Hebrew school, weekly Torah classes and Kabbalat Shabbat meals. The programs have been well received, Gurevitz said, and have created a space for people to come together.

“All of these are cogs in the machinery. Each of them is important on its own, but, in the greater picture, what is emerging is a vibrant Jewish community. Jews are hanging out with other Jewish people. There is a place to celebrate our traditions, connect and meet new friends,” Gurevitz said.

On March 10, Tri-Cities Chabad celebrated the milestone of completing a sefer Torah. Along the way, there was great excitement, as members of the community dedicated letters and chapters for the new scroll.

photo - Rabbi Mottel Gurevitz writes the final letter of the Chabad of Tri-Cities community Torah — Rabbi Mottel Gurevitz writes the final letter of the Chabad of Tri-Cities community Torah. *(photo from Tri-Cities Chabad)*

“There is something very unifying about a community writing a Torah,” Gurevitz said. “The energy in the room that day was something so special, with the joy and the celebration and people of all ages kissing the Torah. That was a real monumental event this year.”

Gurevitz, who also teaches at Vancouver Hebrew Academy, jokes that he has two full-time jobs. A typical day might have him teaching in Vancouver in the morning and returning to the Tri-Cities in the early afternoon to have meetings, run programs, prepare for events and reach out to people.

“As a rabbi, I believe our first priority is our fellow Jews’ physical well-being, then we can care for their spiritual well-being. I am being there for people, helping however we can. The part I like most is meeting people and making those connections,” he said.

On July 2, at 7 p.m., Chabad of the Tri-Cities will put together an event to mark the 30th yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Titled An Evening of Inspiration, the event will feature Rabbi Meir Kaplan, leader of Chabad of Vancouver Island.

“Our very existence in the Tri-Cities, a boy from Brooklyn walking around looking like a rabbi in Coquitlam, is to the Rebbe’s credit. We are gathering to pay tribute to the Rebbe. What was unique about him is that he made leaders and empowered individuals,” said Gurevitz, pointing to the 5,000 Chabad centres currently operating in more than 100 countries. “We will reflect on how the Rebbe’s legacy could inspire us to live a more meaningful and purposeful life.”

For more information, visit jewishtricities.com.

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

Ways to defy dementia

Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation. (photo from baycrest.org)

On June 5, National Council of Jewish Women Canada (NCJWC) welcomed Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation as the featured speaker in the Zoom webinar titled Defy Dementia: Learn How to Reduce Your Dementia Risk.

photo - Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation — Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation. (photo from baycrest.org)

Sekuler is the Sandra A. Rotman Chair of Cognitive Neuroscience at Baycrest’s research institute and the president and chief scientist at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education. She is known for her foundational research in perception, cognition and brain function, as well as her clinical and translational work on age-related sensory and cognitive decline. She is the inaugural Canada Research Chair on Cognitive Neuroscience and has received numerous national and international honours, including being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network in 2019.

The recent webinar began with an introduction from Monica Simon, chair of NCJWC’s ageism committee. Then, with the help of AI-generated images, Sekuler presented attendees with an optimistic view of what she hopes the future holds. “We want to see a world where every single person is living a life of purpose, fulfilment and dignity,” she said.

Baycrest is at the forefront of a new field called predictive neuroscience for precision aging – an individualized approach that examines one’s brain, body and environment to detect the best ways to prevent the onset of dementia or delay it for as long as possible. This approach not only encompasses the pre-diagnosis stage, but helps medical professionals and loved ones navigate caring for someone with dementia.

“If you think about what precision medicine has done for cancer, that’s what we want to do for aging, brain health and dementia,” said Sekuler.

Through innovations in predictive neuroscience, the Baycrest team is working toward a goal of no new cases of preventable dementia being diagnosed by the year 2050 – currently, 750,000 Canadians are living with dementia, and that figure is expected to more than double by 2050.

“What we want to do is nip that in the bud as much as possible,” Sekuler said, acknowledging that, while they cannot entirely eradicate the condition, they can do more to decrease the risk for those who do not already have dementia. Research suggests that, if the onset of dementia can be delayed by even five years, the prevalence of the condition can be decreased by 50% worldwide, she said.

While there are several risk factors – such as age, sex and genetics – that cannot be controlled, Baycrest’s Defy Dementia program raises awareness of the lifestyle changes people can make to reduce their dementia risk and improve their cognitive health.

“At least 40% of the risk factors for dementia are things that we can change by changing our lifestyle,” said Sekuler.

On the podcast Defy Dementia, co-hosts Sekuler and Jay Ingram, one of Canada’s leading science journalists, cover a different risk factor every month. Each episode features a guest with lived experience with dementia and an expert on the risk factor under discussion, such as stress, sleep, diet, exercise and environment.

There are currently 12 episodes available on the website defydementia.org, or any streaming platform. Many episodes have accompanying infographics and minute-long videos summarizing the topic at-hand, also available on defydementia.org.

“Whether you like to listen to things, read things, watch things or look at things, we’ve got you covered,” Sekuler said.

Sekuler gave a high-level overview of the risk factors, sharing how each correlates to one’s dementia risk and what one can do to manage them. She reminded attendees that genetics are not the be-all and end-all, but, rather, a piece of the puzzle that can often be counteracted by managing the risk factors.

Regarding sensory loss, Sekuler explained how strains on one’s hearing and/or vision can negatively impact cognitive abilities. She pointed to tools such as Baycrest’s free online hearing test and the importance of regular check-ups for hearing and vision loss. Further, she explained that loneliness has been proven to increase dementia risk by 50%, and that social engagement in any form is key to maintaining cognitive health. She emphasized that a healthy balance of diet, exercise and sleep helps, as does lowering stress as much as possible and embracing opportunities to try new activities and learn new things.

Sekuler also turned the group’s attention towards the vital role of caregiver. She shared that “one in every two people” will assume this role, if they do not get dementia themselves. However, caregivers often sacrifice a healthy diet, proper sleep and social engagement, she said, making them six times more likely to develop the condition. Sekuler stressed that “a caretaker cannot take care of someone else if they are not taking care of themselves,” and that inviting more professionals, caregivers and loved ones into the equation lessens the burden on one individual and may be a saving grace for that person’s health.

During the question-and-answer period, which was moderated by NCJWC’s Rochelle Garfinkel, Sekuler was asked what organizations like NCJWC can do to fight dementia. She highlighted the importance of sharing information and resources widely, and encouraged involvement in dementia research wherever possible. As well, she said, promoting tools like Baycrest’s online cognitive assessment test to “get your baseline” – as one would do with a regular vision test – is crucial for early detection.

According to Sekuler, when it comes to protecting your cognitive health, “everyone can make these changes. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to start somewhere.”

Alisa Bressler is a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer and will be pursuing a master’s of journalism at Boston University in the fall. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and was the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.