News – Page 53

A new generation of leaders

Howard Kallner is being honoured at Schara Tzedeck’s MOSAIC gala on June 4 (photo by kenneth88/wikimedia)

“I have been very lucky in my life to be surrounded by lifelong volunteers and builders of community, both my parents, my in-laws and multiple other role models, and it just seemed natural to volunteer and be involved,” Howard Kallner told the Independent.

Kallner is being honoured by Congregation Schara Tzedeck at MOSAIC, the synagogue’s annual gala, on June 4.

“The first thing that came to my mind was discomfort,” said Kallner about finding out he was being recognized. “I was hesitant to accept because there are so many long-time shul volunteers, donors and community-builders who would be deserving of being honoured.”

Kallner has been a part of the congregation since he was 13 years old.

“My family had emigrated from South Africa when I was very young and their synagogues in South Africa were very similar to Schara Tzedeck,” he explained. “My parents, and now my family, have been members for over four decades. On my wife’s side, her great-grandfather, David Davis, was a founding member of Schara Tzedeck, and her grandfather, Charlie Davis, was a past president.”

photo - Howard Kallner — Howard Kallner (photo from Howard Kallner)

For his part, Kallner was on the board for seven years before becoming president. He served three years as president and three more as past president, for a total of 13 years. He was serving as president when the pandemic hit.

“When the COVID pandemic hit, we needed to pivot immediately to online programming, online services where applicable, continue live services with restrictions and make sure our community members, particularly our vulnerable ones, were connected and taken care of,” he said of how his role was affected. “One of the programs that came out of this was Shabbat in a Box. We recognized a need amongst our members and others in our community and delivered over 450 meals a week at the height of the pandemic. For the Jewish holidays, we were delivering over 650 meals accompanied by holiday-specific items so they could celebrate the holidays.

“Additionally, Schara Tzedeck, being an Orthodox synagogue, could not have Shabbat services online,” said Kallner. “With the exception of a few weeks when the government would not allow any public gatherings, we continued services in person with some significant modifications. When limited to 50 people per gathering, we moved services outside, in a tent in our parking lot. At times, services were held in sub-zero temperatures, with most attendees wearing ski jackets, toques and gloves. For the High Holidays that year, we had nine services a day for a maximum of 50 people. We had to find three sets of Torah readers, shofar blowers and leaders of the services.

“While, during COVID, it was undoubtedly the hardest I worked as president of the shul, it was also the most rewarding,” he said.

Now officially “just” a member and supporter of the synagogue, Kallner continues to be part of the Schara Tzedeck Cemetery Board and is a governor of the Jewish Community Foundation, as well.

“Giving back to a community that has given me and my family so much was very important,” he said. “With different experiences in my life and my relatives’ lives, including immigrating to a new country with little means and losses during the Holocaust, strong Jewish institutions ready for whatever the world would throw at them seemed crucial, and I wanted to do my part.”

Schara Tzedeck’s senior spiritual leader, Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt, described Kallner as representing the beginnings of a new generation of leadership. At the time Kallner was getting involved, said the rabbi, “There weren’t a lot of people in their 40s who were stepping up to the highest levels of leadership at Schara Tzedeck.”

Kallner helped take the synagogue from being a 20th-century organization into being a 21st-century organization, said Rosenblatt.

”The backbone of an Orthodox synagogue, certainly in the Pacific Northwest, certainly in Vancouver, is people who have come from much more traditional Jewish communities,” he explained. “For example, Schara Tzedeck has a lot of Holocaust survivors. These are people who came from very traditional Eastern European communities, but you could also have people from Winnipeg or Toronto or Montreal, New York, those places you associate with very traditional, very committed Jewish communities. For a long time, we were able to be a community of people who grew up in that kind of tradition, but there was a recognition at Schara Tzedeck that we needed to be able to be a place which translated to people who did not have that kind of traditional upbringing.”

Kallner had the analytical, organizational and people skills to help the synagogue do that, said Rosenblatt, highlighting Kallner’s leadership during the pandemic.

“He was practically a paid member of the staff at that point, in terms of generating and developing policy,” said the rabbi. “He was involved in helping us make sure that we were operating on the next level. And he also understood that our organization had to be structured in a way where we could have the manpower to be able to do that, and that outreach. Part of that was that the information technology had to be updated.”

Describing Kallner as “a very humble person but also very hard working,” Rosenblatt said, “one of the things that he was strongest at was helping us transition into a place where we were reaching out more…. One of the programs we developed under his watch was Shabbat in a Box. There were some pre-iterations before that, but it came to its full maturity under him.”

Among the other programs that will benefit from the funds raised at MOSAIC are the synagogue’s education initiatives, some of which reach beyond the shul to the broader Jewish community, such as the series Rosenblatt gave on the history of the Marranos.

“I recognize,” he said, that “one of the great sources of inspiration in Jewish identity is Jewish history.”

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks and the subsequent war, his education efforts have been more focused on Israel.

“When Oct. 7th hit, and people started to hear immediately just garbage about colonialization, I realized that there was just so much that people didn’t know or understand,” he said.

The Zionist story most of us have been taught is the inspirational one, he said. “Not that it’s wrong, it’s just not complete, and all histories have complexities. I didn’t want people to be caught flat-footed on these things and be surprised by them.”

He gave the example of a sign he saw on an overpass on the way into Whistler Village recently.

“It says there can be no peace on stolen land. And I’m thinking to myself who stole the land from whom? At what point do you decide that the land belongs to someone? Are you willing to say that 638 is where we’re going to start everything, when Omar ibn al-Khattab conquered Jerusalem, is that the right time? Should we ask ourselves when the Abbasids or the Fatimids or the Umayyads, which one of them? Were the Ottoman Turks? Which one becomes the real owner? At what point do you decide that these things happen? People don’t know – maybe now they do more, but certainly on October the 8th they didn’t know – when was Israel first called Palestine, when did Muslims come to Jerusalem, when were Jews forced out, which empires conquered it … what really happened at Deir Yassin, what were the stages of the War of Independence, what happened? These things, there are a lot of resources on them … and, I thought, Jews didn’t know these things – not to mention that there are libraries full of evidence on Jewish indigenous life in Israel that is far, far older than anything having to do with the name Palestine, and I wanted Jews to be able to know that. I wanted Jews to be able to articulate it. I want Jews to understand a stronger connection to Israel. And I think that has been something that has been a real value added to people’s knowledge base.”

The congregation has several individuals who have gone to do military service in Israel. “They are primarily Israelis who are here for various purposes, as shlichim [emissaries] or for educational reasons, and we’ve had real success in having them share their experiences and stories over the past number of months,” said the rabbi.

These types of programs have been a priority, said Rosenblatt, “to make sure that our community really stays close and understands the nuances and the issues. Every time we have the opportunity to give further insight, we do that.”

One of the people from Schara Tzedeck who has gone to serve was Assistant Rabbi Ishay Gottlieb. “He’s a major in the reserves in the IDF, and he left on Oct. 9th and wasn’t really back until the beginning of January,” explained Rosenblatt. “You’re essentially funding a staff member, like many Israeli organizations [are having to do], but there’s lots that had to be compensated for in that context.

“In some ways,” added Rosenblatt, “we’ve doubled our programming – run a regular program plus an Israel program. Not that we’re that different from the other synagogues [in that respect] but everything costs money and this is part of a case for giving. Since Oct. 7th, we really have been prioritizing the connection with Israel.”

He said, “When you walk into Schara Tzedeck, we want you to feel like you’re in a little embassy of Israel in this building. And participating in MOSAIC means that’s what you’re doing, you’re helping to support that – you’re helping to support a branch of Am Yisrael that is in Vancouver.”

To attend MOSAIC, RSVP by May 28 to 604-736-7607 or rachael@scharatzedeck.com.

New JFS scholarship fund

Fay and Ken z”l Golden, whose support has allowed Jewish Family Services to offer two education scholarships. (photo from JFS)

Thanks to the generosity of Fay and Ken (z”l) Golden, Jewish Family Services Vancouver has introduced the Fay and Ken Golden Annual Scholarship fund, aimed at supporting the educational endeavours of individuals entering accredited post-secondary institutions.

“We are delighted to support the educational aspirations of Canadian students through the Fay and Ken Golden Annual Scholarship Fund,” said the Goldens. “Education is a cornerstone of personal and societal growth, and we hope these scholarships will empower talented individuals to pursue their academic dreams.”

JFS will offer two scholarships yearly, each valued up to $2,500. These funds will be disbursed as a one-time lump sum per academic year, providing financial assistance to qualified recipients.

The 2024 application period started May 15 and goes until June 30. Successful applicants will be notified no later than Aug. 1, 2024.

To be considered for the Fay and Ken Golden Annual Scholarship Fund, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.

• Be 40 years old or younger at the time of application.

• Be a first-time post-secondary student.

• Have an annual household income below $60,000.

• Currently be attending or planning to enrol in a post-secondary academic program provided by an accredited, certified educational institution in Canada.

This yearly scholarship fund embodies JFS’s commitment to fostering education and opportunity within the community. JFS is grateful for the Goldens unwavering support and belief in education. For application instructions, visit jfsvancouver.ca/golden.

– Courtesy Jewish Family Services

Pushing back against antisemitism

With antisemitism rising in British Columbia, professionals from three sectors – health care, post-secondary education and K-12 schools – have started organizing so incidents of hatred in their workplace are challenged at every opportunity.

The Jewish Academic Alliance of British Columbia and the Jewish Medical Association of British Columbia have launched in the past few months, while BC Teachers Against Antisemitism has grown more active since the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Antisemitism is reaching crisis levels in BC, and we are proud to be able to support the important work of these newly formed groups at this critical time for our community,” said Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.

“I am in awe of all of our community members and allies who are stepping up to address what is a clear crisis at workplaces across the province – particularly since employees are uniquely positioned to address workplace issues with their employers,” noted Nico Slobinsky, vice-president, Pacific Region, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

“We have seen an incredible increase in worrying activities – from terror-affiliated organizations like Samidoun setting up an encampment at UBC to teachers making inappropriate comments towards Jewish students in the classroom, to troubling behaviour in our healthcare system. Yet, we have seen little by way of new activity by government,” said Slobinsky.

“The rise of antisemitism inside health care has been chilling. In a profession dedicated to healing people, we’ve witnessed hateful words and actions that have some fearing for their safety,” said Sharon Gershony, clinical instructor, pediatric nuclear radiologist, BC Children’s Hospital. “The Jewish Medical Association of BC is a supportive community for Jewish physicians, trainees and allied healthcare professionals. Together, we will create safe workspaces by confronting antisemitism with engagement, education and promotion of respect and greater tolerance.”

“Post-secondary institutions across BC have been a focal point of antisemitic activities and actions, some of these threatening the safety of faculty, staff and students. There is no place for this in BC,” said David Silver, a University of British Columbia professor who is helping form the Jewish Academic Alliance of BC. “By bringing together Jewish professors, educators and staff from across campuses, the Jewish Academic Alliance of BC will work to ensure that hate is confronted and campuses are again a place where Jews can feel safe.”

“Since Oct. 7th, some horrible things have happened in classrooms and in schools – to teachers and students alike, who have been singled out because they are Jewish and only because they are Jewish,” said Ginaya Peters, founder of BC Teachers Against Antisemitism. “We have had to become more active and will continue to push back against the hatred and discrimination and create a safe learning environment for all.”

– Courtesy Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

Keeping Jewish history alive

Janice Masur and her daughter, Liora Freedman, on March 3, after unveiling the memorial plaque in Nagoya village near Mbale, Uganda. (photo from Janice Masur)

I have just come back from Uganda, where my family used to live, in the Jewish community that existed from 1949 to 1961. My daughter, Liora, had returned 10 days earlier, as planned. I had to stay longer because my passport had been stolen two weeks previously, off my lap while sitting in a slow-moving car. Thankfully, after Liora involved my local member of Parliament, my temporary Canadian passport, processed in Nairobi, Kenya, finally arrived in Kampala, and I was able to leave.

Although still essentially an agricultural economy, Uganda is touted to visitors as the most entrepreneurial country in Africa. Most people in the countryside have a small plot to grow their own food and sell the surplus. Large-scale plantations of sugar cane, tea, coffee and bananas are grown for export. The Pearl of Africa is rich in mineral deposits and China is beginning to drill for oil on the edge of Murchison Falls National Park.

I could not find my way around Kampala anymore. It used to be a self-contained town situated over seven hills. Now it sprawls and spreads in all directions with Ugandan street names I can barely pronounce. My old house has a high fence and a guard at the gate, with a gun slung across his shoulder, who wouldn’t let us enter. I was charmed to find the same small five-petaled purple flowers floating down like tiny propellers, strewn on the driveway just as they had done in my childhood. Across the rutted road, there was a new modern hotel instead of modest houses.

We drove up Kibuli Hill to see Kibuli Mosque. In my day, the mosque was a friendly looking place of worship. I was shocked to see how fortress-like it had become, painted grey instead of white, with the words “None shall be worshipped but Allah. Muhammad is his prophet.”

I tried to find my bearings on Tank Hill – named for the three extremely large round water tanks in the neighbourhood – where we had once lived but couldn’t. Instead of being given help, I was told not to take photos, or I might be thought to be spying on an army unit. Important ministers travel in cars with armed guards seated outside of the cars facing sideways, guns at the ready.

photo - Kasubi Tombs on the Hoima Road, Kampala, Uganda — Kasubi Tombs on the Hoima Road, Kampala, Uganda. *(photo from Janice Masur)*

I visited the Kasubi Tombs, where the kabakas, or kings, have been buried since pre-Christian times. I had never known about this sacred UNESCO site when I lived in Uganda. A steep thatched roof, reaching almost to the ground covered intricate woven designs in the inner ceiling of one of the tombs. It was my absolute luck to have Prince Joseph as my tour guide. When I showed him a photograph, he told me proudly that he was the grandson of Edward, the brother of the kabaka, Mutesa II or Freddy, who was one of the two Ugandan men in the picture.

My purpose for traveling to Uganda was to unveil two memorial plaques for my Jewish community, which had been there from 1949 to 1961. None of the community infrastructure exists today, not even the cemetery, now submerged under real estate.

We placed a plaque in the Nagoya village near Mbale, where the Abayudaya, who converted to Judaism in 1921, live. Conservative Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and his wife, Tziporah, and others in the community were so welcoming and warm, helpful and supportive. We had a wonderful Shabbat evening, with lots of music and drumming, and Shabbat lunch under two large mango trees, with stunning views of Mount Elgon.

On Sunday, the whole community was invited to the unveiling of the plaque. We ambled down to a lower flat piece of land after morning minyan in the synagogue. There were speeches by Rabbi Sizomu and by Rabbi Netanel Kaszovitz, a young Orthodox rabbi visiting from Nairobi, who is responsible for administering to all the Orthodox Jewish communities in East and West Africa. The plaque glowed in the dappled sunlight. Two newly planted mango trees and two benches were nearby, offering enough room for a minyan, at Rabbi Sizomu’s request. The white lettering on the black granite looked impressive; beautifully supervised by Ariel Okiror Eyal.

photo - Rabbi Gershom Sizumo and Janice Masur with the Kampala plaque that will be held in storage — Rabbi Gershom Sizumo and Janice Masur with the Kampala plaque that will be held in storage. (photo from Janice Masur)

I experienced all sorts of conflicting emotions, as you might imagine. At long last a plaque to commemorate the help that my Uganda Jewish community had given the Abayudaya last century was installed. Nothing had marked the presence of the once-vibrant, secular, 23-family Jewish community, which functioned without a rabbi, a Torah or a synagogue. Who would have guessed that, in 2024, a Conservative and three Orthodox Black Jewish communities would exist, interspersed with Muslim villages?

As for the other plaque I hoped to place, it was for the Jews who were buried more than 60 years ago in the Jewish cemetery just off the Kampala-Jinja Expressway, abutting the Christian cemetery. It is not common knowledge that the Jewish cemetery here had been destroyed and Speke Apartments, built by Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, lies on top of where it had been. After many months of trying to contact Ruparelia I finally succeeded while in Kampala. In reply to my request to place a plaque somewhere in the vicinity of the apartments, in a discreet corner or on a less important wall, he said “No! None.”

photo - Speke Apartments in Kampala, which is built alongside an unkempt Christian cemetery and on top of the Jewish cemetery — Speke Apartments in Kampala, which is built alongside an unkempt Christian cemetery and on top of the Jewish cemetery. (photo from Janice Masur)

Perhaps I could mount the plaque at the edge of the unkempt Christian cemetery? It requires a Ugandan minister’s permission to approve a location near the 1972 Entebbe Raid plaque at the difficult-to-access old Entebbe Airport. Maybe at the Uganda Museum? The garden of the Chabad compound was also considered. Unfortunately, none of these placements have materialized.

I traveled to Uganda to place two memorial plaques, but my mission was not fully accomplished, and the second plaque lies in storage with Rabbi Sizomu. The Chabad Rabbi in Kampala, Moshe Raskin, said he would try to place it somewhere, perhaps in the future grounds of the new plot of land they will buy for Chabad, because Rabbi Moshe says Chabad is in Kampala to stay.

That I couldn’t find a place to mount the second plaque greatly saddened me. In many parts of the world, history is important and physical spaces or buildings are repurposed and feature plaques to show that a mikvah is buried here or a synagogue was once there. Today, few Ugandans know their local history, including that former governor (1952-1957) Sir Andrew Cohen was a British Jew. He was the first governor not to plunder Uganda’s wealth and he encouraged education and self-rule.

Now it is my task to contact my East African friends and perhaps schools and associations because Albert Kasozi, executive director of Buganda Heritage and Tourism – to whom Prince Joseph introduced me while we drank African tea at my hotel – would like as much 19th-century Bugandan history collected as possible for a new museum that has just been built in Kampala and will be formally opened soon. The banner exhibit I created, Shalom Uganda, will find a home in this new museum and I am very happy about the prospect. And the Kampala memorial plaque? To be determined….

Janice Masur is a Vancouver author and speaker. Her book, Shalom Uganda: A Jewish Community on the Equator, tells her story of growing up in the bygone Ashkenazi Jewish community of Kampala from 1949 to 1961.

Community milestones … Labowitz, Lederman, Schwartz & Lipovetsky

Rabbi Arik Labowitz (photo from Or Shalom)

Rabbi Arik Labowitz will step forward as Or Shalom’s rabbi when Rabbi Hannah Dresner retires.

Rabbi Arik is presently serving as the congregation’s half-time assistant rabbi and has signed a two-year contract as full-time rabbi, beginning Nov. 1. Rabbi Hannah’s partnership with Rabbi Arik will facilitate a smooth transition of leadership as Or Shalom navigates renovating their building while maintaining the congregation’s vibrancy.

The synagogue has already enjoyed Rabbi Arik’s breadth of Torah learning, the depth of his davening and meditative offerings, his musicality, his sensitive pastoral manner, his delight in children, his commitment to intergenerational programming and the new enrichment he brings, focusing on the spirituality of the congregation’s Cascadian outdoors.

As Jewish Renewal’s oldest synagogue, it is meaningful that Rabbi Arik is a second-generation Renewal rabbi and that his presence ties the congregation back to the rabbis who raised and schooled him, including Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Reb Shlomo Carlebach. Born into a legacy of Jewish Renewal, with parents Rabbi Phil Labowitz and the late Rabbi Shoni Labowitz z”l, Arik’s formative years were enriched by learning from Reb Zalman and his early students during weekend retreats at his family’s South Florida home.

Eager to delve deeper into his spiritual path, Arik journeyed to Israel to immerse himself in traditional life and studies, spending transformative years at Yeshivat Machon Meir and Darche Noam/Shapells in Jerusalem from 1995 to 1997. Returning to North America, he continued his studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, embodying a commitment to a diverse and enriched understanding of Jewish tradition.

Over the past two decades, Rabbi Arik has played pivotal roles in various Jewish leadership capacities. From 2007 to 2021, he served as the spiritual leader of Congregation Eitz Or, and as a regular visiting leader for several communities along the West Coast.

Rabbi Arik, along with his wife, Aliza, and their two sons, Judah and Noah, recently relocated to Vancouver, drawn by the desire to be closer to family as well as the beauty of the water and mountains.

* * *

photo - Marsha Lederman, winner of this year’s Max Wyman Award for Critical Writing — Marsha Lederman, winner of this year’s Max Wyman Award for Critical Writing. *(photo from Max Wyman Award)*

Arts and culture critic and commentator Marsha Lederman is the winner of this year’s Max Wyman Award for Critical Writing.

The annual award celebrates critical commentary on the visual, performing and literary arts in the province of British Columbia. The winner receives a prize of $5,000 and a gold and emerald pin designed by Vancouver artist Robert Chaplin. A mentee, named by the laureate, receives a $1,000 prize. This year’s mentee is Ming Wong, an emerging writer and illustrator.

The award was established in 2017 by philanthropist Yosef Wosk to honour the career and lifetime contributions of the Vancouver author, arts critic and commentator Max Wyman. It recognizes writers who have amassed a significant body of work. Eligible subjects of criticism include the visual arts, architecture and design, theatre, literature, dance, music, film and television, as well as more general cultural commentary.

Lederman is an award-winning journalist and author. She has been with the Globe and Mail since 2007. For 15 years, she served as its Western arts correspondent, covering visual art, theatre, music, dance, books and publishing, film and architecture. In 2022, she became a full-time columnist for the newspaper, but continues to write about arts and culture. Her memoir Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed, was published by McClelland & Stewart in 2022. It was a national bestseller and last year won the Western Canada Jewish Book Award for biography or memoir. She has won several journalism awards, including the 2019 National Newspaper Award for Arts and Entertainment, and the inaugural Webster Award for Arts and Culture Reporting in 2023. Before joining the Globe, Lederman held a variety of positions with CBC Radio, including national arts reporter. Born and raised in Toronto, she has lived in East Vancouver since 2007.

“Marsha Lederman’s writings over the years have provided a consistent and powerful demonstration of what she has called ‘good journalism’s power to inform, guide and potentially change the world’ – precisely in line with the aims of this award, which seeks to honour informed and compelling writing that stimulates critical thinking and demonstrates the value of creative commentary in our understanding of the world around us,” said Wosk. “I am delighted that she has been chosen as this year’s laureate.”

The jury citation reads: “Marsha Lederman has made significant contributions to the field of journalism and literature through her extensive writings on social issues seen through the lens of arts and culture and social justice. The jury is unanimous in its appreciation of her ability to engage and inspire her readers, through lively and accessible writing that opens eyes and minds to fresh insights and creative thinking.”

photo - Ming Wong is this year’s mentee — Ming Wong is this year’s mentee. (photo from Max Wyman Award)

Wong is an art director, graphic designer and journalist at the Globe and Mail, where she produces and edits visually-driven stories for print, online, social and beyond. Her design work has been recognized by the Society of News Design and the Digital Publishing Awards. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Burnaby, she currently lives in Vancouver.

“I began working with Ming Wong as a mentor in 2022,” said Lederman. “She was particularly interested in writing about pop culture. And she has been fantastic, showing enormous creativity, drive and dedication as a writer. She is curious and smart, and writes interesting, intelligent and highly readable pieces about popular culture from her millennial perch. I can’t wait to read more from Ming over the years.”

Previous winners of the Wyman award are critic and educator Jerry Wasserman; Dorothy Woodend, arts editor of the Tyee; freelance art critic Robin Laurence; and author, critic and former University of British Columbia gallery director Scott Watson. Previous mentee award winners are Paloma Pacheco and Angie Rico.

* * *

photo - Ellen Schwartz’s Galena Bay Odyssey has won a 2024 Historical Writing Award — Ellen Schwartz’s Galena Bay Odyssey has won a 2024 Historical Writing Award (photo by William Schwartz)

Galena Bay Odyssey: Reflections of a Hippie Homesteader by Ellen Schwartz (Heritage House, 2023) has received a 2024 Historical Writing Award, presented by the British Columbia Historical Federation.

On May 4, the recipients were announced and acknowledged at the BC Historical Federation annual conference and awards dinner, where author Ellen Schwartz was in attendance to receive the honour.

Galena Bay Odyssey traces Ellen’s journey from a born-and-raised Jewish urbanite from New York who was terrified of the woods to a self-determined homesteader living on a communal farm in the Kootenays. Throughout the memoir, Ellen reflects on what her homesteader experience taught her about living more fully, honestly and ecologically. (For a review, see jewishindependent.ca/a-hippie-homesteader-in-b-c.)

Schwartz is an award-winning author of more than 18 books for children. In addition to writing books, she works as a corporate writer and editor and as a freelance magazine writer. She and her husband live in Burnaby.

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The Arts Club Theatre Company has commissioned six new scripts as part of their Silver Commissions program, celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary. Founded in 2006 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first world première of a Canadian play at the Arts Club, the Silver Commissions program is designed to foster the creation of new Canadian scripts. Through this initiative, the Arts Club has commissioned, developed and produced 20 new plays.

The 2024/25 Silver Commissions includes Beware the Glunkus: A Christmas Musical, by Ben Elliott and Jewish community member Anton Lipovetsky. The other commissions are An Enemy of the People by Colleen Murphy, Fan Tan Alley by Jovanni Sy, Florida Social by Bronwyn Carradine, Little Darling by Amy Lee Lavoie and Omari Newton, and Murder on the Pacific Spirit Express by Frances Koncan.

The story of the Glunkus is a legend that Joe’s dad used to tell him as a kid about a mischievous gnome that hates Christmas. Once a heartfelt artist, Joe now exclusively makes corporate jingles and generic reality TV soundtracks. But when Joe’s niece discovers his unproduced musical in a drawer and stages a reading with his neighbours in the living room, Joe’s distaste for the holiday spirit goes big – and he starts to transform into a Glunkus (complete with pointy ears and an elf-like voice). With the help of Bella and his dad, he must open his heart before it’s too late!

Elliott is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist living in Vancouver. When not working in the theatre, he writes, records and performs his own music, animates his own music videos and composes for film, TV and radio.

Lipovetsky is a songwriter, actor, musical director, sound designer and educator based in Vancouver. He has performed on stages nationwide and his original musicals have been shortlisted three times for a Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award.

Together, Elliott and Lipovetsky have written the musicals The Park (with Hannah Johnson) and The Best Laid Plans (with Vern Thiessen).

בונדס ישראל בקנדה גיוס כספים למען ישראל

מפעל בונדס ישראל בקנדה מגייס כספים למען ישראל כאשר כלכלה ניזוקה קשות לאור המלחמה הארוכה בעזה

הבונדס שהוא בעצם מפעל מלווה העצמאות והפיתוח עוסק במכירת איגרות חוב של מדינת ישראל ליהודים ברחבי העולם, ובעיקר בארצות הברית וקנדה. מפעל הבונדס הוקם בשנת אלפים תשע מאות וחמישים ביוזמת ראש ממשלת ישראל דאז, דוד בן גוריון. לפרוייקט היו שותפים גם שר האוצר דאז אליעזר קפלן, גולדה מאיר ושמואל רוטנברג

עד כה גייס מפעל הבונדס כחמישים מיליארד דולר (אמריקני) והכספים מיועדים בעיקר לתקציבי הפיתוח של ממשלת ישראל. בין הפרויקטים שהוקמו בישראל בכספי הבונד: המוביל הארצי, מיפעלי ים המלח, תחנת הכוח אורות רבין בחדרה, פיתוח נמלי הים בחיפה, אשדוד ואילת, עזרה בעלייה הגדולה מברית המועצות, הרחבת נמל התעופה בן גוריון, שיפור תשתיות כולל של רכבת ישראל

קיים ויכוח מתמיד בין התומכים במפעל הבונד ובין השוללים אותו. התומכים אומרים כי בונדס ישראל נחוץ לקיים את הקשר והזיקה בין היהודים בעולם רוכשי אגרות החוב לבין מדינת ישראל. ואילו השוללים טוענים כי הריבית של בונדס ישראל גבוהה מאוד והיא מהווה נטל בלתי מוצדק על תקציב מדינת ישראל

נשיא הבונדס בשלוש השנים האחרונות הוא דני נווה (שמונה על ידי שר האוצר לשעבר איווט ליברמן) ועל מועצת המנהלים בקנדה נמנים: מייק פלורנס, ג’ורג’ כהן, אורה סלוטוביץ’, רוברט אייסמן, עליזה פגן ורחל צפתי. ואילו המנהלים של בונדס ישראל בקנדה הם: וורן קייל (באזור מטרו טורונטו), לן שפירו (באזור מערב קנדה), הרב אהרון פלנצ’ריק וברנלי גלאס. לבונדס יש ארבעה משרדים ברחבי קנדה שנמצאים: בטורונטו – לאזור מטרו טורונטו, במונטריאול – לאזור קוויבק, באוטווה – לאזור מזרח קנדה ובוונקובר (בבניין הג’ואיש קומיוניטי סנטר) – לאזור מערב קנדה

:להלן הריביות לאגרות הבונדס השונות

אגרות ג’ובילי (מינימום השקעה עשרים וחמישה אלף דולר): שנתיים – 4.83%, שלוש שנים – 4.74%, חמש שנים – 4.98%, עשר שנים – 5.25% וחמש עשרה שנים – 5.50%

אגרות מכבי (מינימום השקעה חמשת אלפים דולר): שנתיים – 4.68%, שלוש שנים -4.60%, חמש שנים – 4.83%, עשר שנים – 5.10% וחמש עשרה שנים – 5.35%

אגרות סברה (מינימום השקעה חמשת אלפים דולר): שנה – 4.88%

אגרות סברה (מינימום השקעה אלף דולר): שלוש שנים – 4.87%

אגרות מזל טוב (מינימום השקעה מאה דולר): חמש שנים – 5.17%

אגרות מזל טוב (מינימום השקעה שלושים ושישה דולר): חמש שנים – 5.27%

אגרות שלום (מינימום השקעה מאה דולר): שנה אחת – 4.88%

אגרות שלום (מינימום השקעה שלושים ושישה דולר): שנה אחת – 4.98%

מאז תחילת המלחמה של ישראל בעזה גייס הבונדס למעלה ממאתים מיליון דולר (אמריקני) בעיקר בארצות הברית. מרבית הסכום (כמאה וחמישים מיליון דולר) גוייס ממוסדות שונים בהן מדינות ורשויות. היעד של הגיוס השנתי עמד אשתקד על כמיליארד דולר (אמריקני) והוא הושג במלואו ואף יותר מכך. יו”ר דירקטוריון הבונדס בארה”ב הווארד גולדשטיין אומר: “המסר שלנו לאחינו ואחיותינו בישראל הוא חד-משמעי. עמדו חזק, אתם לא לבד. אנחנו כאן איתכם ותמיד נהיה איתכם. אנו עומדים לצד ישראל עכשיו יותר מתמיד. ארגון הבונדס הוכיח שוב כי הוא מרכיב מכריע בעמוד השדרה הפיננסי של ישראל”

בישראל נשמעת לא מעט ביקורת על מפעל בונדס ישראל שהפך למקור לג’ובים למקורבים, עם הוצאות תפעול גדולות בארצות הברית וקנדה. עלות תפעול הבונד מגיעה לכשלושים וחמישה מיליון דולר קנדי בשנה

Past echoes in present

Child survivor Lillian Boraks-Nemetz speaks at the community’s Yom Hashoah Commemoration May 5. (Rhonda Dent Photography)

The pogrom of Oct. 7 and the hurricane of antisemitism that has swirled since then added resonance to commemorations of Yom Hashoah this week.

Around the world, Jewish communities united in different ways to mark the annual Holocaust remembrance day. Sunday night, May 5, the local commemoration at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver featured child survivor Lillian Boraks-Nemetz, who reflected on the unmistakable parallels across time, of “Broken families, broken bodies and minds and the poor frightened children and much more.”

Recently, said Boraks-Nemetz, she heard the words of Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilan Erdan, who reflected on how a sunny Shabbat morning in Israel turned, in a matter of seconds, into hell.

“On just such a sunny morning, in Warsaw, I lost my childhood,” said Boraks-Nemetz, who was introduced Sunday night in a touching tribute by her son, Stephen. “The day Nazis invaded Poland, I remember German bombers flying low over my head against an innocent blue sky and as World War Two began on Sept. 1, 1939, I had to become an adult at the age of 6.”

In the war that began that day, she said, 1.5 million Jewish children were murdered. She suffers guilt and questions around her survival when so many, including her little sister, did not live.

“Some of us were younger than others. Some older,” she said. “Nevertheless, we were all traumatized – as our brothers and sisters are today, in Israel, and in a world that won’t learn history and its lessons. We don’t feel safe anymore around our world. Thousands protest against us as they have always done, just looking for a reason to express their hate for Jews.”

Boraks-Nemetz shared parts of her Holocaust history, from the earliest time, when her mother took her to a favourite café only to find a sign declaring Jews were forbidden from entering – signs that then proliferated in parks, recreation areas, theatres, streetcars and elsewhere.

“We were beginning to lose our humanity,” she recalled. “Thousands protested against us with words such as ‘Death to Jews,’ ‘Final Solution’ and more.”

Today, she said, similar words are directed at Jews.

“This is being allowed to flourish unpunished, using our freedom of speech for their purposes,” she said. “But surely there are red lines where free speech ends and hate speech begins that must be punishable by law.”

She recalled seeing the wall around the Warsaw Ghetto being constructed, higher and higher, as she watched.

“I asked my father what this wall means,” said Boraks-Nemetz. “I asked many questions. I was almost 7 years old. This wall, he replied, will eventually enclose a part of Warsaw where we will be forced to live.”

That day came when, through a window, she saw a long car with officers and a bullhorn ordering Jews to enter the ghetto or suffer severe consequences.

“From the day I and my family entered our one room within these close, shabby quarters, I felt as if I had stepped out of sunlight into darkness,” she said. “I felt as if I was being stifled and the feeling of being stifled stayed with me as a memory and a trigger all of my life. The wall meant confinement, exclusion, isolation, fear, hunger and quarantine of a disease called typhus.”

Boraks-Nemetz shared the story of how she was to be smuggled out of the ghetto by her father, who had bribed a non-Jew but, when the day came, she was ill and instead her sister was sent out, never to be seen again.

“The streets were treacherous, with children dying of hunger and disease, poor and starved people peddling what little they had for a few potatoes and stealing what they couldn’t buy,” she said.

While smuggling a child out of the ghetto was a life-threatening act for all involved, so was remaining in the ghetto, she said. Eventually, thanks to an enormous bribe, young Lillian was passed through the gate of the ghetto, where she survived on the outside in the care of her grandmother, who had secured a false identity.

“That day, I felt as if I had lost my family, my home and any degree of safety I had felt,” she recounted. “I became numb and frozen. As a child, I didn’t understand why was I being sent away, alone, into a hostile world. I felt I wasn’t wanted by family or society. That day, I lost my identity as a Jew and a human being, a daughter.”

A forged piece of paper gave her a new, false name, false parents, a false age.

With a small blue suitcase in hand, she walked the short distance from her father, past the bribed guards, who looked the other way, into the care of a waiting stranger who would whisk her to a new, still very hazardous, life outside the ghetto.

“Although it was a very short distance, today I think of it as the longest walk, from impending death to the possibility of life,” she said.

Eventually, she started a new life in Canada, married at 19 and took on the role of a typical Canadian housewife, she said. At 40, she had a crisis, during which she was forced to confront the realities of what she had experienced, a struggle she has addressed ever since, through poetry, sharing her story with students and other means. For her, and for so many others, she said, Oct. 7 brought back from the mists of time the collective consciousness and memory of the past.

“We are still persecuted, blamed, hated,” she said.

Rabbi Carey Brown, associate rabbi at Temple Sholom, spoke earlier in the evening, expressing the need to be careful in drawing parallels between historical events, but acknowledging that the traumas of the past inform reactions to the present.

“It is difficult to distinguish between remembering the past and living in the present,” she said. “It feels inseparable.”

The current generation, said Brown, owes it to the memory of those who perished in the Shoah, as well as to the generations yet to come, “to take seriously and be steadfast in our commitment to ‘Never again.’”

photo - Singers Erin Aberle-Palm, left, and Cantor Shani Cohen and cellist Eric Wilson were part of the music program produced by Wendy Bross Stuart — Singers Erin Aberle-Palm, left, and Cantor Shani Cohen and cellist Eric Wilson were part of the music program produced by Wendy Bross Stuart. (Rhonda Dent Photography)

The solemn ceremony began with Holocaust survivors in a procession escorted by King David High School students who are descendants of survivors.

Shoshana Krell-Lewis, a member of the board of directors of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and a daughter of the centre’s founding president, Dr. Robert Krell, welcomed the audience and acknowledged elected officials and survivors. In recognition of survivors from the former Soviet Union, Irena Gurevich translated into Russian.

Sarah Kirby-Yung, deputy mayor of Vancouver, represented the city.

Cantor Yaacov Orzech recited El Moleh Rachamim.

A moving musical program by artistic producer Wendy Bross Stuart featured Eric Wilson on cello and singers Erin Aberle-Palm, Cantor Shani Cohen, Lisa Osipov Milton, Matthew Mintsis, Kat Palmer and Lorenzo Tesler-Mabe.

The program was presented by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, funded through the Jewish Federation annual campaign and by the Province of British Columbia, and supported by the Gail Feldman-Heller & Sarah Rozenberg-Warm Memorial Endowment Fund, Temple Sholom Synagogue and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.

Rally carries added meaning

The rally for the hostages at the Vancouver Art Gallery on May 5. (photo by Pat Johnson)

The weekly rally for the hostages at the Vancouver Art Gallery carried added resonance Sunday, May 5, hours before the world marked Yom Hashoah. Myer Grinshpan, a survivor of the Holocaust, spoke, as did his son, Roy Grinshpan. Anna Mae Wiesenthal, a scholar of the Holocaust, and Stephen Lowy, whose father, Leo Lowy, was a “Mengele twin,” also spoke. Rabbi Yitzchok Wineberg, Vancouver’s longest-serving rabbi, shared reflections on the Holocaust and current events and recited the Mourner’s Kaddish.

Online harms mooted

A federal bill to address online harassment, bullying and hate has aspects to admire and others to cause concern. What happens in the committee process will determine the success of the proposed law.

That is the take of two experts – including one who had a hand in drafting the legislation. The devil, as always, is in the details of balancing free expression with the right to be free from threats and harassment.

Dr. Michael Geist, the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, who also serves on the advisory board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, was joined in a recent online panel by Dr. Emily Laidlaw, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity Law and associate professor in the faculty of law at the University of Calgary. Her recent work includes projects on online harms, misinformation and disinformation, and she co-chaired the expert group that advised the federal government on the development of the Online Harms Bill, which is known as Bill C-63. The virtual panel, on April 17, was presented by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and moderated by Richard Marceau, CIJA’s vice-president, external affairs, and general counsel. More than 850 people registered for the event, indicating what CIJA board chair Gail Adelson-Marcovitz indicated is a depth of interest, and perhaps concern, about the bill.

Geist explained that the new bill is a result of years of work, following the federal government’s withdrawal of an earlier attempt at addressing the problem of online harms.

Bill C-63 is really three separate concepts rolled into one. It would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, as well as introduce a new Online Harms Bill. Together, the components would codify currently inconsistent approaches to the problems.

The bill would redefine “hatred” in the Criminal Code and define a new crime of “offence motivated by hatred.” That offence, as well as advocating or promoting genocide, could lead to life imprisonment.

Amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act would add the “communication of hate speech” via the internet or other telecommunication technology as a discriminatory practice. Individuals would be empowered to bring a complaint before the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which could penalize offenders up to $50,000. The law, if passed, would affect public communications, like social media posts, not private messaging or emails.

Separate components of the bill would make it easier and quicker to address specific offensive content, such as “revenge porn” and posts that could harm children, encourage suicide or bullying or otherwise endanger young people.

A digital safety commissioner and ombudsperson would help guide individuals through the process of dealing with bullying or other issues related to the law.

image - On April 17, Dr. Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa spoke as part of a CIJA panel discussion on the Online Harms Bill — On April 17, Dr. Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa spoke as part of a CIJA panel discussion on the Online Harms Bill. *(screenshot)*

Geist said many legal experts who seek to balance freedom of speech with freedom from abuse “breathed a sigh of relief” after the federal government abandoned earlier efforts and relied for the new bill on expert advice.

“It’s a pretty good starting point,” Geist said. “We know the broad brushstrokes of what that might include but there is a lot of uncertainty still, so it’s easy to like it when we don’t know the specifics.”

Geist and Laidlaw agreed on most points but had some differences around oversight. Geist said the bill appears to grant enormous powers to a new digital safety commissioner. The idea of life imprisonment for an online comment, he added, may be a sticking point. “I find that hard to justify,” he said.

Laidlaw said the new office of ombudsperson is an important step in helping individuals navigate online hate and harassment. The ombudsperson would be able to pass specific information on to the digital safety commission, whose mandate includes education and research supported by a digital safety office.

The bill would also place new obligations on corporations that run online platforms, like social media companies. At present, Laidlaw said, some companies, notably X (Twitter), are not taking the problem very seriously.

While Jewish advocacy organizations have long advocated for legal responses to hate speech, Geist warned of a double-edge sword.

“Could somebody who is supportive of Israel will be accused of promoting genocide?” he asked.

Geist upended the binary assumption of harassment and free expression, noting that the idea that limits on hate speech could chill expression ignores the existing, difficult-to-measure effects of online (as well as offline) harassment and bullying.

“There is already a chilling effect for anyone in our community and, frankly, in a number of communities, that speaks out on these issues,” he said. “The backlash that you invariably face causes, I think, many people to [reconsider] whether they want to step out and comment, and it’s not just online. There’s a chilling effect offline as well. These issues are very real and many of them will not be solved by legislation no matter what the legislation says.”

He fears a barrage of complaints, many vexatious, from all sides of many contentious issues.

While there is a needle-in-a-haystack challenge in addressing online harms, Geist said, addressing the problematic major players could have a broad impact, though no one believes online hate and bullying can be completely eradicated.

“The legislation talks about mitigating these harms, it doesn’t talk about eliminating them,” he said. Social media platforms, he believes, are looking for guidance on these issues and will be amenable to adhering to legislation. Moreover, he said, Canada’s proposals are somewhat belated responses that would put us roughly in line with the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions.

image - Dr. Emily Laidlaw of the University of Calgary, who joined the CIJA panel discussion on April 17 — Dr. Emily Laidlaw of the University of Calgary, who joined the CIJA panel discussion on April 17. (screenshot)

The inability to erase hate and harassment is not an excuse to do nothing, Laidlaw said.

“Enforcement has always been an issue,” she said. “But I don’t think it’s a reason not to pass laws.”

Laidlaw took exception to criticism that the new bill would represent government censorship. The proposed digital safety commissioner would be an independent body comparable with the existing privacy commissioner.

“Where there is some risk is in the fact that, in the end, government appoints the individuals,” she said. Still, the appointees would need to be approved by Parliament, not just the government in office.

“And remember,” she added, the commissioner’s “oversight is of companies, not of individuals. They’re not making individual content decisions or holding individuals accountable here.”

The commission would not be subject to legal rules of evidence, making it possible to immediately take down things such as child porn, encouraging suicide or other especially egregious posts.

Geist said this significant power demands that the government spell out more clearly the limitations of the commission.

“At a minimum, it seems to me that it is incumbent on the government to flesh out in far more detail where the limits, where the guardrails, are around the commission, so that we aren’t basically adopting a ‘trust us’ approach with respect to the commission,” said Geist.

Parliament is expected to take up consideration of the bill in committee soon and Laidlaw argued that some aspects deserve speedy passage while others require far more sober consideration.

“The Online Harms Bill could be passed with minor tinkering,” she said. The Criminal Code provisions, she said, give her serious concerns and deserve major revisions or complete scrapping. She also struggles with changing the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Geist agreed on taking the bill apart.

“I would separate out the bill,” he said. Criminal Code and Human Rights Act amendments deserve much deeper consideration, he said. The online harms piece, he said, could be tidied up and passed with tweaks.

BI celebrates building’s 10th

At the 2012 groundbreaking, left to right: Catherine Epstein, Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, Stuart Gales, Sylvia Cristall, Michelle Gerber, Gary Averbach, Sam Hanson, Shannon Etkin and Alfonso Ergas. Obscured from view is Elliot Glassman. (Robert Albanese Photography)

On June 9, Congregation Beth Israel will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its new building at the sold-out Gerry and Ruby Gales Be the Light Gala. The event will honour the synagogue’s visionary leaders – the Lutsky, Gales, Averbach, Cristall, Glassman and Porte families – and the capital campaign’s co-chairs, Gary Averbach, the late Lorne Cristall and the late Hershey Porte, as well as building chair Alfonso Ergas, Burn-the-Mortgage chair Lee Simpson and former BI executive director Shannon Etkin.

“This new building will be built as a place for our synagogue community to grow and thrive,” Lorne Cristall told the Independent in a 2010 interview, as the capital campaign was starting up.

The new building, designed by Acton Ostry Architects Inc., would give the synagogue an east-facing sanctuary (towards Jerusalem), where it used to face north, and allow the congregation to host High Holiday services under one roof. The plan was to raise enough money that there would be little or no mortgage.

“The campaign began for $10 to $12 million plus about $2 to $3 million for an available piece of land on the southeast corner of the property that Shaughnessy Hospital had expressed a strong interest in purchasing,” Gary Averbach told the Independent in an interview earlier this week. “Even then, while running the numbers, it became quite difficult to see how … we could reach the $10 million mark, let alone the $12 million one.”

That became even more concerning, he said, once the designs were costed out, and the final tally was going to be closer to $18 million.

But the visionary donors being honoured, and many others, gave “unexpectedly generous gifts,” said Averbach, thanking Simpson and Bette-Jane Israels for their help raising the funds, and to Etkin, “who took over after we got the initial pledge.”

Averbach said, “Although we had been incredibly successful in our fundraising, having reached close to $20 million on the day we opened, the final price tag looked to be just over $25 million, and the lot had still not been sold.”

Etkin had found a potential buyer, but, when that deal looked as if it would collapse, Averbach called Gordon Diamond, who had earlier expressed interest in buying the land for possible Vancouver Talmud Torah expansion. It was a long process, said Averbach, “but, finally, thanks to Gordon and Leslie Diamond’s insisting that they find a way, the deal was done.

“There was a final Burn the Mortgage campaign with Lee, Bette-Jane and me. And, under Shannon’s leadership, we were able to pay off all but a little over a million dollars of the final cost of just over $25 million. I believe all that debt has been paid off now.

“An important note is that, of the almost $22 million raised, only two donations, totaling $118,000, came from non-members – and both those had a family history at the BI,” added Averbach.

“I suppose I could talk about all the important roles the Beth Israel synagogue, our shul, my shul, plays in our community, in our personal lives and in our spiritual lives,” Gerry Gales told the Independent about why he and his wife Ruby stepped up. “The answer is not complicated. There was a need. I was asked. I said yes. There was never a second thought in my mind. I do believe we are all here to help one another, to do what we can with what we have.”

He said, “Ruby and I find great comfort in being in our house of worship, our shul…. We know that we are a part of a great tradition, with roots that were planted thousands of years ago. It’s a tradition that will continue long after we are gone. When I think of all the people who have gathered together under this roof, I feel that I am but a small part of something so much larger than me and I feel that I am never alone.

“Then there is the practical role the shul plays in the unfolding of our lives,” he added. “The shul is a place where we come for prayers and to pray, the shul is the place where we can send our children to learn all our traditions and to be educated, the shul is a place where we come to celebrate, where we come to mourn, where we launch our children into adulthood.”

Simpson agrees. “I believe all synagogues play an important part in our Jewish lives. They are a place to gather, pray, gain spiritual renewal, comfort and peace. All so important to our mental and, therefore, physical being – even more important in our world today,” she said. “Plus, they give a sense of community. Seeing familiar faces, sharing a lunch or meal after services, all so important. They are also a place of learning and expanding our knowledge, answer our questions, gain wisdom from others.”

She said it was an honour for her and her husband Bernie to support Beth Israel.

“Beth Israel has been our synagogue for all of our married life – we were married there by Rabbi [Wilfred] Solomon,” she said. “Our children were named there, bat and bar mitzvahs were there and our grandchildren were also named and our grandson’s bar mitzvah has been there, and more to come. I was twice chair of the board of directors and involved in the building campaign.”

As for her involvement in the campaign, Simpson said, “For me, the final straw was at my son’s aufruf [being called to the Torah the Shabbat prior to the wedding]. The auditorium filled with family and friends was also filled with buckets to catch the rain coming in from the roof and windows. We needed more than Band-Aids.”

At the new building’s groundbreaking in 2012, Etkin cited a report from 1988 about a renovation being one of the shul’s “very important priorities.” He spoke about several efforts to move redevelopment forward, with the one that resulted in the new building starting eight years before construction was completed in 2014.

photo - Then Beth Israel executive director Shannon Etkin lifts the Torah during the dedication of the new building in 2014 — Then Beth Israel executive director Shannon Etkin lifts the Torah during the dedication of the new building in 2014. *(Adele Lewin Photography)*

Acknowledging that he stood on the shoulders of Cristall and Porte, who “had been involved as co-chairs in various incarnations of the rebuilding of the Beth Israel Synagogue since at least the early 1990s,” Averbach said, “I had always taken an interest in the project, but it wasn’t until I joined the board around 2008 that I started to take an active interest. My interest was based on the fact that the existing building, besides being arguably halachically incorrect, was also in very sad disrepair.”

Cristall and Porte took Averbach out to lunch and asked him to deal with donors under the age of 55.

“After a few days, I agreed, and a couple of weeks later, Hershey passed away, and the ‘triumvirate,’ with me as junior partner became Lorne and me as co-chairs,” said Averbach. “Given Lorne’s serious illness, I knew my job had expanded many times.”

With the help and work of many people, and with the commitment of the congregation, the redevelopment finally happened.

“Since we opened our doors to our new and very beautiful building 10 years ago, we have seen significant increases in every aspect of synagogue life. Our membership is growing, and our program participant numbers have increased,” BI Senior Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, told the Independent. The clergy now includes Assistant Rabbi Adam Stein, Ba’alat Tefillah Debby Fenson and youth director Rabbi David Bluman.

“Since our new building project was completed, it has literally opened many doors for our congregation,” said Infeld. “We have had the blessing of hosting many large community events including this year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. We have had the flexibility to do many great programs that utilize all our spaces and meet the needs of many different age groups. The High Holidays are a perfect example of when we use almost every inch of the building. We have nearly 2,000 people come to our various High Holiday services each year and the space is a true blessing for all of us.” It also allows for more varied services and programs on Shabbat, said the rabbi.

“We are really looking forward to our sold-out gala this year, which will celebrate a decade of success because of the hard work and dedication of the people who helped make the dream of a new building possible,” he said. “I am so happy that there will be so many people present to say thank you to our visionaries and builders. Jacci Sandler and the gala committee have done a fabulous job already.”

The gala committee is Jennifer Apple, Kerry Benson, Samara Bordan, Chana Charach, Shannon Ezekiel, Shannon Gorski, Carol Konkin, Samantha Levin, Juliette Sandler, Paige Swartz and Leatt Vinegar. Sandler, head of development at Beth Israel and the creator of the Be the Light Gala, spoke with the Independent about this year’s event, which will feature, among others things, a concert by American-Israeli rapper/singer Nissim Black and a menu created by Israeli Chef Yaniv Cohen, owner of restaurant Jaffa Miami, and the Perfect Bite. Howard Blank will be the auctioneer and Sandler’s husband, Brett, will be master of ceremonies – he has a long history of fundraising in the community and chaired the JCC Sports Dinner twice.

For the main act, Jacci Sandler wanted an internationally known Israeli artist. Black fit the bill, and more.

“Not only are Nissim’s songs all about Judaism but they are filled with messages of spirituality, about hope, victory, friendship, belief, admiration, being lifted and much more,” said Sandler. “At the time we are in now, the Jewish community wants to be lifted and, at the Be the Light Gala, Nissim, with his beautiful words, will do just that. I received approval of this concept by my outstanding gala committee and executive director Esther Moses.

“With the occurrences in Israel this year, we wanted to celebrate the 10th year with an Israeli meal,” Sandler continued. “But we wanted a concept out of the box from the traditional options in Vancouver. Ricci Smith teamed up with Yaniv Cohen to do a Miami-style version of our Israeli meal… Our meal will be incorporating seven Israeli spices that represent kindness, strength, beauty, perseverance, splendour, foundation and royalty.”

Shannon Chung, with whom Sandler has worked before, will perform at the donor reception, which will be hosted at the house of Mark James.

“Beth Israel Synagogue is an essential part of who we are,” said Gerry Gales. “It serves the spiritual and human needs of us, the congregants. It is a focus for our Jewish community that allows us to come together and share our lives, for better or for worse, with each other. And our synagogue plays a role in making us a visible part of our larger community, the Vancouver community.

“In these stressful times, with war in our homeland and revival of old evils and antisemitism around us, we need a place where we can come together, where we can stand together. This is that place. The synagogue needs funding to be what we need it to be, and it needs our participation. If we do not fund it, if we do not make it work, who will?”

Averbach had a message for BI’s future generations.

“Just as I and many others worked long and hard at the renovation of the JCC between 1988 and 1995 and, just over 20 years later, we need to rebuild, so it will be with the BI,” he said. “Maybe it’ll be 30 years, but just remember – never underestimate the generosity of Greater Vancouver’s Jewish community!”