:איש צבא בכיר לשעבר שמשתייך למחנה השמאל בישראל אומר על בנימין נתניהו
זה כמעט שנתיים לא השיגה ישראל הכרעה במלחמתה נגד ארגון טרור המצויד ב”טנדרים וכפכפים”, כדברי ראש הממשלה, למרות שכבר הרגה כשני אחוז מתושבי הרצועה. אבל אל דאגה, האיש הזה החליט לפצות אותנו על הכישלון בחזית הקטנה בפתיחת חזית נוספת, ראויה ללביאים שכמותנו, בפותחו במלחמה נגד מדינה ששטחה גדול משטחנו פי 66 ואוכלוסייתה מונה פי עשר מאוכלוסיית ישראל, כולל ערבים וחרדים שלא נושאים בנטל הבטחוני, וממעטים לשאת (שלא באשמתם) בנטל הכלכלי והטכנולוגי
ישראל שיכולה הייתה לסיים את המלחמה בעזה כבר לפני שנה, לשחרר את כל חטופיה ולהיכנס, תחת חסות אמריקאית, להסכמי נורמליזציה, בריתות צבאיות וכינון יחסים דיפלומטיים עם המדינות הסוניות המתונות, לו רק הסכימה לקדם את פתרון שתי המדינות, החליטה להעדיף את החזון המשיחי, את העליונות היהודית, את הגזענות, את האפרטהייד ואת מלאכת השמד והגירוש של תושבי הרצועה
ישראל שהפכה עבור הפלסטינים את רפיח וג’יבאליה למה שסטלינגרד מסמלת לרוסים, ומרד גטו ורשה ליהודים, מעניקה עכשיו לאיראנים על מגש של כסף את מה שהעניקו היפנים לאמריקאים בפרל הארבור: מוטיבציה מטורפת להשיב מלחמה שערה המוזנת על ידי עלבון צורב. התלכדות פנימית, ונחישות סבלנית וארוכת טווח לפגוע בנו אנושות
התבונה המדינית המינימלית מחייבת לנטרל איומים אפשריים ולחזק בריתות אזוריות בבואך להבעיר חזית חדשה גדולה ומאיימת. אבל אנחנו, סרבנים אולטימטיביים שכמותנו לכל פשרה, לכל הסדר, העדפנו להעצים את ההתלקחות האזורית, כי זו הייתה הדרך היחידה לשמר את לכידותה של הממשלה, להשכיח את מחדל העוטף ואת החטופים, וללכד שוב את עדר הכבשים הפבלובי על ידי השמעת רעם תופי המלחמה. עובדה, כולם מריירים
המלחמה שפתחנו נגד איראן בשורת חיסולים המזכירה מלחמת כנופיות יותר מאשר מלחמה בין אומות לא תשיג הכרעה. היא אולי הצליחה להנחית מכה ראשונית מכאיבה, אבל מהר מאוד היא תהפוך למלחמת התשה והקזת דם שעלולה להימשך שבועות, חודשים ואפילו שנים, וזאת בשעה שאורך הנשימה שלנו, בכל מובן אפשרי קצר יותר מזה של האיראנים
כדאי להיזכר במלחמת איראן עיראק שנמשכה 8 שנים גבתה קרוב למיליון הרוגים, חיילים ואזרחים, איראניים, מעל למיליון נכים, שני מיליון עקורים ואומה שמשננת עד היום בהתלהבות את הסיסמה ‘ג’נג, ג’נג תא פירוזי’ (מלחמה, מלחמה עד הניצחון)
המוטיבציה להשיג נשק גרעיני ולהגיע למאזן אימה מול ישראל שכבר מזוינת בנשק כזה רק תתחזק, והנזקים שאנחנו נסב לפרויקט הגרעיני יתוקנו תוך חודשים או שנים מועטות
אני רוצה להאמין בכל לבי שמישהו סביב שולחן מקבלי ההחלטות לקח בחשבון את התסריט ההגיוני הזה ואולי מישהו הרגיע אותו שמיתקפה מוצלחת תערער את המשטר ותביא להפלתו. אולי. אין לדעת. כרגע מסתמן שהסולידריות של אזרחי איראן עם המשטר דווקא גדלה תחת רושם המהלומה הראשונה
אז יצאנו למלחמה להשיג מטרה מוגבלת מבלי לקחת בחשבון שאולי היא תתרחב לעימות מתיש וארוך. לא צריך אלפי טילים ביום כדי להכניס את מדינת ישראל לטרפת, לסגור את נמלי התעופה והים שלה ולגרום לה נזקים כלכליים, נפשיים ולאומיים חמורים
מספיק כמה עשרות שיגיעו למטרות מדי שבוע כדי לסגור את המרחב האווירי, לשבש את שגרת החיים, לחבל אנושות בכלכלה המקרטעת ובמוסדות החינוך, להפוך את המציאות כאן לבלתי אפשרית, לפחות לאלו שלא מצוידים במקלטים אטומיים
אז יצאנו למלחמה להסיר סכנה עתידית שנויה במחלוקת וקיבלנו סכנה מיידית שלא ברור עד כמה אנחנו מוכנים להשלכותיה
Since Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitism and intimidation have been rife on campuses, including the University of British Columbia, where there have been numerous incidents of graffiti and personal attacks on the university’s president, among others. (photo from Hillel BC)
Jewish university students and their allies are reflecting on a challenging year at British Columbia’s postsecondary institutions. Activists continue to make life difficult – but leaders at the campus organization Hillel BC are emphasizing the resilience of students and the unity of the community.
The first full academic year since the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the ensuing war wrapped up recently. In some ways, it was less chaotic than the previous year, but more intense, according to Ohad Gavrieli, executive director of Hillel BC.
“If we could summarize this year,” Gavrieli said, “it would be that there were fewer fires but they blazed with greater intensity.”
Last year, campuses across North America, including at the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University, were occupied by anti-Israel protest encampments.
“Last summer, the encampment occupied the campus, literally and figuratively, for months, demanding responses and counter-narratives that detracted from our primary work,” said Gavrieli.
Those disruptions ended before the new academic year, but 2024-’25 began with a flurry of hostility from anti-Israel activists. UBC’s main Point Grey campus seems to be the locus of the activism, with other campuses showing similar but reduced agitation commensurate with their size, he said.
At UBC, the activists’ scattershot tactics have been honed into more targeted protests, boycotts and campaigns, he said. At the same time, Hillel, Jewish students and a significant group of allies are more prepared than they were when the explosion of anti-Israel – and often overtly antisemitic – activism roiled campuses beginning in October 2023.
The 2024-’25 school year opened with vandalism, including a pig’s head being mounted on a gate near the home of the university’s president in a protest that apparently targeted the RCMP, Israel and the UBC administration. The head was accompanied by a sign reading “Pigs off campus.” The incident, for which anti-Israel activists took credit online, was an apparent reference to the surname of UBC’s president, Benoit-Antoine Bacon, but, in online discourse, Israelis, Zionists and Jews are often depicted as pigs.
The UBC campus, and others, were swathed in anti-Israel graffiti as students returned to school last September.
Anti-Israel activists have targeted UBC’s president Benoit-Antoine Bacon in various ways. (photo courtesy Hillel BC)
In October, a conference featuring an Israeli archeologist had to be relocated from UBC’s Green College after the facility’s windows were smashed and hateful messages were spray-painted on the building during the night before the scheduled event.
In November, a coordinated “Strike for Palestine” was organized, including an occupation of UBC’s Global Lounge, the office where students access international academic exchanges. Anti-Israel groups also gathered outside the Buchanan Building, the main arts complex, demanding UBC’s financial divestment from Israel.
In December and January, the campus was blanketed with posters accusing UBC’s board of governors of supporting genocide. Graffiti and harassment continued, with some students reporting they no longer felt safe in class.
In February and March, UBC saw a student referendum campaign calling for divestment from Israel. This was followed by another “Student Strike for Palestine.”
When Vancouver and Whistler, including UBC, hosted the Invictus Games, an international adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans, protesters homed in on the presence of Israeli soldiers and veterans, causing disruptions and engaging in further extensive vandalism.
As the school year ended, convocation ceremonies were targeted, with protesters and some graduates wearing keffiyehs or other symbols and carrying or unfurling signs, disrupting numerous graduation events throughout the province.
Despite these and many more challenges, Gavrieli said, Hillel continued to serve as a refuge of safety, belonging and Jewish pride.
“We continued to host weekly Shabbat dinners, hot lunches and holiday celebrations across our campuses, including new programming at UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University,” he said.
The campus organization has seen significantly increased interest in their programs and expanded involvement over the past two academic terms, as students, faculty and staff converged on Hillel for emotional and practical support. These programs include significantly enhanced mental health services, said Gavrieli, as well as building organizational capacity empowering students to advocate for themselves and their community.
The achievements of Jewish students and their allies were marked at a Night of Resilience, held at Hillel UBC on March 27.
Looking back at the year past, Gavrieli emphasized the high points, especially the strength of Jewish students who have “risen with courage, dignity and pride.” He also cited continuing healthy dialogue with university administrators and other stakeholders, though he expressed the wish that university leadership were more vocal in condemning hate-motivated language and acts, and addressing abuse of podium. Many professors and teaching assistants have pressed their personal political opinions on students, Gavrieli said, including instances in which the subject matter was not remotely related to the instructors’ disciplines.
Relations with campus security and the respective police services have been universally positive and constructive.
“We have received nothing short of exemplary cooperation from all areas of security and policing,” Gavrieli said.
Other achievements include a “We Are Here” toolkit, an online resource that helps students file formal complaints and access support. This technological response systematized reporting procedures to make intelligence gathering more effective and to ensure easy and immediate access for students needing supports.
Hillel staff successfully assisted several students in navigating institutional processes, according to Gavrieli, including challenging biased grading. They condemned the disruption of academic spaces, voiced concerns to the administration and stood with students who felt abandoned.
Gavrieli expressed gratitude to individual and organizational allies in the Jewish community, who have ensured that the campus organization has the resources it needs to respond as best as they can to the situations arising on campuses province-wide.
Roman Chelyuk is one of a small but increasingly visible group of non-Jewish allies who have coalesced around Hillel in recent years. Growing up in Ukraine, Chelyuk had Jewish peers and family friends, and has traveled twice to Israel. He was supposed to travel there again last month with the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee but the conflict canceled that mission.
Roman Chelyuk was one of the non-Jewish allies honoured at the event Night of Resilience, held at Hillel UBC on March 27. He is pictured here with Ishmaeli Goldstein, Hillel’s campus advocacy specialist. (photo courtesy Hillel BC)
He first connected with Hillel when the Ukrainian students’ club did a joint program with the Jewish students and he hung around, partly motivated by the isolation he was seeing among his new Jewish friends.
Chelyuk, who just graduated in international relations, was treasurer and, for a time, interim president of the Israel on Campus club.
One of the clearest signs he sees of the changed situation on campus is that Jewish students are challenged in making connections with other affinity and interest groups like the one through which he was first introduced to Hillel. Joint initiatives with other student clubs have largely dried up.
“That was easy to organize before Oct. 7 and it was not after,” he said. “It’s generally heartbreaking.”
Sara Sontz, who expects to graduate next spring in sociology, was president of UBC’s Jewish Students’ Association this past year.
“It’s definitely still been challenging,” she said, citing protests on campus, professors derailing topics by discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict when it is unrelated to the discipline, even singling out students with Jewish names and asking for their opinions on current events.
“I find it really frustrating because students are there to learn on a specific topic for their degree and it’s frustrating when Jewish students are then forced to almost hide their identities because they don’t want to be called on or put into an awkward position within the class,” she said.
“We haven’t let all the hate and all the protests affect how strong we feel about ourselves and our community. I think that’s the most important thing.”
– Sara Sontz
“I’ve always been open about my Jewish identity,” said Sontz, “but, after Oct. 7, I and many other Jewish students stopped wearing our Magen David necklaces or, for some, they stopped feeling comfortable even going to class – and some stopped going to class – just because of the safety concerns and the emotional discomfort.”
There are silver linings, Sontz said.
“I always try to look for the bright side,” she said. “The one thing I found is that the community got stronger after Oct. 7, due to the necessity of having to have a unified front, to have a community to go to when you have such difficult problems and having your fellow Jewish students, or Hillel and Chabad on campus, really provided that safe space.”
She hopes for better things in the new academic year, though her optimism has limits.
“It’s constant,” she said. “It’s never-ending.… But we haven’t lost hope. We are a really strong community.… We haven’t let all the hate and all the protests affect how strong we feel about ourselves and our community. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Warren Kinsella, left, and Ben Mulroney at Montreal’s Beth Israel Beth Aaron Synagogue June 19. (photo by Dave Gordon)
In 1980, when Warren Kinsella was in Calgary performing with his punk rock band, one of his friends tapped him on the shoulder to say some men in the crowd were giving a Nazi salute.
“I didn’t believe him. I didn’t think it was possible,” said Kinsella, now a Toronto Sun columnist, at a recent talk. “There, in fact, were three big guys, shaved heads, T-shirts, jeans, suspenders, Doc Martin boots, coloured laces, and they were making Nazi salutes.”
Kinsella confronted one of them, twice asking him to stop the salutes, and was greeted with an expletive and the word “Jew.” As the Irish-Catholic Kinsella tells it, a fist came his way, he hit back – a fight involving his buddies and the skinheads erupted. Eventually, the “skinheads retreated, battered or bruised,” said Kinsella. After the show, one of them pointed at Kinsella, saying, “We’ll be back.”
“And the truth, my friends, is they never really left.”
On June 19, at Montreal’s Beth Israel Beth Aaron Synagogue, Kinsella was joined by syndicated radio host Ben Mulroney, who acted as the moderator of the event called Weaponizing Genocide: Exposing Propaganda and Hate in the Age of Misinformation. It was a fundraiser for the Foundation for Genocide Education, which was founded in 2014 by Heidi Berger, a child of Holocaust survivors. The nonprofit aims to ensure that the subject of genocide is taught in North American high schools.
Since that incident 45 years ago, Kinsella has battled Jew-hatred as a lawyer and as a journalist – at times with rifles jammed in his chest, police protection, bomb threats and death threats.
“I’ve seen lots of hate, but I have never seen it as bad as it is,” he said at the June event. What the Jewish people are fighting is not only a seven-front military war, but a propaganda war “we are losing,” he said.
Kinsella, the author of 10 books, will soon publish The Hidden Hand: The Information War and the Rise of Antisemitic Propaganda, along with an accompanying documentary.
Exactly 18 months before Oct. 7, 2023, social media profiles started popping up all around the Muslim world, Kinsella said. They had “very few followers” and were filled with “stuff about soccer matches and celebrities and pictures of kittens.” On the morning of the seventh, as Hamas and its allies were attacking Israel, thousands of these social media profiles came to life, he said, noting those that had just a few followers suddenly had half a million.
“They pushed out lies,” he said, such as “there had been no murder, no rapes.”
“It was an indication of how sophisticated and how effective these guys were, as they were able to get that word out into the stratosphere,” said Kinsella.
“Antisemites,” he added, “know that … this is the greatest political, cultural and economic revolution of our lifetimes,” with Generation Z’s primary source of information being TikTok, “one of the principal platforms for antisemitism on the planet.”
After the event, Berger told the Jewish Independent that social media literacy for students is critical, to “learn when the term genocide is being used to manipulate their views and their emotions.”
In his remarks, Kinsella said some three million members of Gen Z in Canada believe Israel should be wiped off the map and that Hamas was justified in its actions. Weeks before Israel sent troops into Gaza, he said, young people across Western democracies were chanting the lies that they had seen online.
These were organized campaigns of protests, with professionally made signs, and the “disrupting and terrorizing of Jewish neighbourhoods with military precision,” said Kinsella. “They had talking points. They had food, drink, transportation. They even had legal representation for free….And many of them were being paid to show up.”
He said, “It was principally a campaign to seize the sympathies of our young. And it’s a campaign that’s winning.”
Kinsella, president of Daisy Consulting Group, who has worked for various high-profile US and Canadian political campaigns, noticed that protesters used pithy phrases “very much like what political mainstream parties do,” such as “from the river to the sea” and “free Palestine.”
“Who’s against freedom?” he asked. “It’s nice.”
Media, government and nongovernmental organizations continue to take Hamas at its word, said Kinsella, citing an early example. On Oct. 17, 2023, when the Gazan Health Ministry declared that Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City had been bombed by Israel and that 500 people were dead, it made headlines around the world. “The bombing was cited as evidence of Israel’s genocidal war,” yet evidence later showed it was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket that hit the parking lot, and perhaps a few dozen were killed.
The day of the Montreal talk, Iran bombed Soroka Medical Centre in Beer Sheva, Israel – a war crime that almost no media reported on, said Kinsella.
“The line I always use with politicians: facts tell, but stories sell,” said Kinsella. “That’s why they try to overwhelm us, because they know if our story gets heard, if it gets seen, if it gets read, they will be defeated, because, at the end of the day, their story is a litany of hate.”
Dave Gordonis a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications around the world. His website is davegordonwrites.com.
The move of Omnitsky Kosher to Fraser Street has been a positive one overall, says owner Richard Wood. (photo byDavid J. Litvak)
Omnitsky Kosher recently reopened on Fraser Street in East Vancouver. Forced to move from its Oak and 41st location because of redevelopment, the deli’s owner, Richard Wood, took advantage of the situation to rebrand Vancouver’s longest operating kosher butcher and deli, which has its roots in Winnipeg’s North End.
Eppy Rappaport, who bought Omnitsky’s from William Omnitsky in 1983, brought the deli from Winnipeg to Vancouver almost 30 years ago. It’s a Canadian institution, having been established by William Omnitsky’s father, Louis, in 1910. Wood took over the business just over a year-and-a-half ago.
When the deli opened on Fraser Street two weeks before Passover, it was only selling Passover products. It’s now back in full operation, and bigger than ever.
The new store is significantly larger than the old one. Divided into two sections, one half is basically a grocery store with an array of kosher products, ranging from meat, poultry and cheese, to grape juice, challahs, pickles, herring, crackers, cookies, and many more kosher items. The other half is a dining area that seats 40 to 50 people for breakfast, lunch, snacks and shmoozing.
“Everyone,” said Wood, “loves the spaciousness, the openness, the décor and the feel of the new dining area.”
He hopes that, eventually, the restaurant will be open for dinner as well, so that Jews who keep kosher “can enjoy a dinner out.”
Other than the larger dining room, Wood notes other differences between the Oak Street store and the one on Fraser: longer operating hours, additional kosher products and, in response to customer requests, more takeout meals.
Wood has started a WhatsApp group to let customers know about specials and to inform them about new products being offered, such as chicken wieners and salamis.
Omnitsky’s hosted its first event in April. The event itself was a first-ever in Vancouver: a third Passover seder, organized by Jewish Addiction Community Services Vancouver, which was led by Rabbi Joshua Corber, JACS’s director of addictions and mental health services. According to Wood, it was a rousing success that attracted more than 50 people.
Wood is open to hosting other after-hours events, like parties, book launches, poetry readings, musical performances, etc. He welcomes people’s suggestions, as he envisions keeping the restaurant open longer hours to accommodate the dinner crowd as well as bar and bat mitzvah parties.
When Omnitsky’s first opened, it was only selling goods for Passover. Now, the store is offering a full selection of kosher products and the restaurant a full menu. (photo by Cynthia Ramsay)
In addition to serving dinner on a daily basis, Wood said, “We want to offer some different menu items, like salmon or steak, to give our customers some affordable dining options, because going out for dinner is not cheap.”
Wood’s long-term plans for Omnitsky’s include employing a baker a few times a week to make bagels, pastries and other treats.
The deli is doing well in its new location, attracting new – and different – customers than it did on Oak Street.
“A majority of our clientele and regulars have returned, but we are seeing an increase in younger families coming in from the neighbourhood and younger Jewish families who are coming in for lunch on Sundays, which has been a popular day, and this is a major change from the old store,” said Wood. “In addition, we are having a broader increase in non-Jewish clientele coming in.”
This growth will require some innovative thinking to maintain.
“The challenge with the non-Jewish clientele is that the price of kosher food is substantially more expensive than non-kosher food and, therefore, some of our new non-Jewish customers in the neighbourhood find Omnitsky’s to be pricey,” said Wood.
While he is offering some value-added combos – for example, a hotdog, fries and a drink for $9.95 and a sandwich with fries and a drink for $24.95 – to make things more affordable for customers, he said, “the price of meat is something we have no control over.”
Another challenge for Omnitsky’s is that some customers of the previous store, which was in the heart of the Jewish community, find it difficult getting to the new location. To address this issue, the deli offers free delivery on orders over $50.
Wood is open to suggestions from customers about how to improve the menu or any aspect of the store.
“I am always open to feedback either positive or negative,” he said.
While there have been some growing pains, including staffing and equipment issues, the move of Omnitsky’s to Fraser Street has been a positive one overall, said Wood, who would like his customers to see the deli, which also offers catering, as more than just a place to buy kosher food.
Jewish life “revolves around family, food and prayer,” said Wood, and he would like the Jewish community to view Omnitsky’s as a meeting place where they can shmooze, bump into their friends and be proud to be Jewish. A place where they can say “Am Yisrael chai,” have a kosher meal, do their Shabbat or holiday shopping or order takeout – even order shiva platters, which can be prepared on short notice.
“We want Omnitsky’s to be there for our customers through good times and bad times, for simchas and in times of mourning,” said Wood.
For more information on the deli, check out omnitskykosher.com or head to 3435 Fraser St. and grab a bite, something to eat in or take home.
David J. Litvakis a prairie refugee from the North End of Winnipeg who is a freelance writer and publicist, and a mashgiach at Louis Brier Home and Hospital. His articles have been published in the Forward, Globe and Mail and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His website is cascadiapublicity.com.
Samuel Elkind, head librarian at Vancouver’s Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, will be joining the team at Richmond Public Library later this month. (photo by Anne Lerner)
As head librarian at Vancouver’s Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, Samuel Elkind oversees everything from daily operations to long-term planning – curating collections, developing programs and building systems designed to serve the community. He put it plainly: “If I were hit by a bus tomorrow, I want the library to run without a hitch.” His core belief is that a library should be resilient, community-rooted and built to thrive beyond any one person.
Elkind’s approach leaves the Waldman in a secure place, as he soon moves on to Richmond Public Library. He will remain on the on-call list for the Waldman and assist through volunteering when he can, he said, in keeping with his “goals of guaranteeing the long-term continuity and stewardship of the Isaac Waldman Library.”
“It is my intention to stay on long enough to train my successor,” Elkind told the Independent. This is something that he, his boss, Hila Olyan, senior director of programs at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, and Eldad Goldfarb, the JCC’s executive director, planned from the beginning, he said.
“I want to make sure that whoever replaces me receives training comparable to that which they would receive in a larger system, which I was so fortunate to have,” he said of his start at the Waldman this past January. “The master’s of library and information studies prepares you very well for the job, but there are some things that can only be learned in the field.”
Elkind didn’t begin his career in a library, but he built one, even before becoming a librarian.
At a summer arts camp in New Jersey, he came across a neglected shelf labeled “library.”
“It wasn’t a library,” he recalled. “So, I built shelves, gathered books and set up a simple lending system. I had no idea what I was doing, but the kids needed stories – and that was enough.”
Even as his career moved in other directions, the idea of building spaces for stories stayed with him. Years later, while working in university admissions, he began to question his path. “I couldn’t figure out why I felt off,” he said. “But, after talking with colleagues and friends, I realized I was drawn to information access and protection, especially the preservation of stories that define who we are.”
That clarity led him to the University of British Columbia, where he completed a dual master’s degree in archival studies, and library and information studies. When the opportunity to lead the Waldman Library arose, he was ready. “I went to JCC camp. I taught at synagogues. It just felt like everything was falling into place,” he said.
Elkind came to the Waldman from Vancouver Public Library, where he worked a contract position as a children’s librarian. At the Waldman, he modernized the space – digitizing decades of program data, updating signage, rethinking the floor plan, and overhauling internal workflows. He also expanded the library’s public-facing programming, from weekly storytimes to Sunday Lego Stay and Play sessions, which align with the JCC’s activity schedule. “What do you do before or after swim lessons?” he asked. “Go to the library!”
“Our library is a bustling place, and has been becoming busier,” confirmed Olyan. “The library tends to service older adults and young children during the daytime hours but, come 3:30 in the afternoon, it is packed with school-age children reading books, playing games, doing crafts and checking out the computer. Sundays are busy with families and creative young people who take part in our weekly Lego club.”
To Elkind, these aren’t side projects – they’re core to what makes a library matter. His philosophy is grounded in third place theory – the idea that, beyond home and work, people need a third space to simply be. “Libraries are one of the last third spaces,” he said. “There aren’t many places left where you can just exist without spending money.”
That value is embedded in the library. “We’re providing space – quiet corners, conversation, presence – and those things are deeply needed,”he said.
Elkind’s inclusive lens extends beyond the JCC. He sits on the board of Out on the Shelves, Vancouver’s oldest queer library, established in 1983. He is also the founder of Gaming Without Othering the Self (GWOOTS), a tabletop RPG (role-playing game) initiative fostering queer community through collaborative storytelling.
“Role-playing games are group storytelling. More than just role play, it’s one of the most ancient human experiences. It’s about identity, imagination and connection,” he said.
GWOOTS runs weekly drop-in sessions across Vancouver with a focus on accessibility and community. “It started because I just wanted to run games for other grad students,” he said. “But I saw how many people were using RPGs to process experiences, explore identity and build relationships.”
For Elkind, GWOOTS and the Waldman are two different expressions of the same purpose. “At Waldman, I want to create space for the Jewish community. At GWOOTS, I want to create space for the queer community. But you don’t have to be Jewish or queer to feel welcome.”
Elkind’s commitment to belonging is shaped by lived experience. The day after the 2016 US election, he was sitting alone in a pizza shop near where he lived in California when two men entered wearing swastikas and began to spew antisemitic threats loudly. A waiter, sensing the danger, calmly ushered him out the back door.
“That’s one end of the spectrum,” Elkind said. “But I’ve also experienced radical acceptance in places I never expected.”
He gave the example of walking into a game store in Maryland and spotting a sign that read, “This is a radically inclusive space. If you have a problem with that, leave.”
His version of inclusion is not passive. “Tolerance implies I’m gritting my teeth and allowing it,” he explained. “I don’t grit my teeth for anything. I believe in acceptance.”
Storytelling, in every form, is central to Elkind’s work. “Whether you’re building a library, running a game or telling a story, you’re shaping memory,” he said. “And that’s sacred work.”
When asked what he’d say to someone who’s never stepped foot in the Waldman Library or joined a GWOOTS game, he doesn’t hesitate. “Come,” he said. “We want you here. We want you to feel accepted and loved. We want you to be part of something.”
“Our librarian ensures a safe, welcoming space for everyone,” said Olyan, who has started reviewing applications to fill the vacancy made by Elkind’s departure. She said the JCC is looking for someone who has both “the professional qualifications and experience to service our community to the highest standards. And, we’re looking for someone who holds the same cultural and community values of the JCC.
“So, what we mean is that a strong candidate ideally holds a master’s degree in library sciences and experience working in a community or school library. They also have a strong sense of community, responsibility and excellence. They love helping people (especially children and older adults) and they are knowledgeable about Jewish culture and/or literature.”
The Waldman is the only Jewish public library on Canada’s West Coast, said Olyan. “It brings people together and connects them with Jewish history, culture and tradition. The library hosts a collection of approximately 17,000 books, mostly by Jewish authors and relating to Jewish topics, including a vast number of Hebrew books. It offers computers, iPads, space to read and work, games and toys.”
The library opened in 1994, “thanks to the dedication of local community members and volunteers,” she said. “Its name honours the late Isaac M. Waldman, who worked as a structural and civil engineer, and was an ardent volunteer and generous supporter of local Israeli and Jewish nonprofit groups. Mrs. Sophie Waldman donated the funds that enabled the library to open, in memory of her husband.”
The library is run by the head librarian with a small team of library technicians, cataloguers and dedicated volunteers, said Olyan. “We’re always looking for volunteers who can support everyday operations, run special programs (including for children and older adults), and people willing to join our planning committee.”
For his part, Elkind said he has “absolutely cherished” his time at the JCC.
“I cannot recall a time that I have ever felt so appreciated in a position, or where I have been so able to see the positive results of my work,” he said.
“Over my time here, I have been fortunate to gain rare experience in library management, and have quickly become practically acquainted with aspects of the library field well outside of children’s and teen services, some of which might have otherwise taken decades for me to encounter. I make the move to RPL comfortable in my ability to operate in libraries of all sizes, and in any number of roles therein.”
At Richmond Public Library, Elkind will be working as a librarian on the children’s team, a role that includes providing information service and patron assistance to library-goers of all ages. When asked what he was most looking forward to at RPL, he said, “Is it weird to say that I am looking forward to receiving a performance review? I am still early in my career and have a lot of growth and learning ahead of me. It is important to seek that out in many forms.
“I have definitely grown in my current position, as a librarian and as an administrator, and I am so lucky to have had this opportunity – I do not wish to sell that short by any means. Having another librarian to supervise me allows for a different type of growth, and an opportunity to learn the things that I do not know that I do not know.”
Uriel Presman Chikiar is a student at Queen’s University and serves as executive vice-president of external relations at Hillel Queen’s.
On Sept. 7, the Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation, Western Region, presents A Special Evening Marking 50 Years of Supporting Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem, featuring former prime minister Stephen J. Harper.
The event, moderated by Gordon Campbell, raises funds for Shaare Zedek Medical Centre’s Incubators Drive.
In 2024, more than 20,000 babies were born at Shaare Zedek’s Wilf Woman and Infant Centre – three times that of BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Of those, 1,100 required intensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit. The NICU operates 70 state-of-the-art infant stations, offering 24/7 care with specialized staff and cutting-edge equipment. The goal of the campaign is to raise enough money to purchase additional Giraffe Incubator Carestations, each costing $50,000, to meet growing demand and save more lives. Thanks to a matching donor, every dollar donated will be matched up to $118,000.
Marla Gordon and Justin Segal are emcees of the Sept. 7 event. Herb Silber and Eli Konorti are corporate committee chairs, while Carol Segal and Yael Segal are dinner chairs. The Jewish Medical Association of BC is the evening’s educational sponsor and the Dr. Harry and Ruth Frackson Speaker Series has contributed to the event. Community partners are the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Congregation Schara Tzedeck and the Jewish Independent.
Tickets for the VIP meet-and-greet are a minimum gift of $1,800, which includes tickets for two guests. Admission to the VIP cocktail dinner is $250 per person, and the price to only attend the moderated presentation is $36 per person. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Ilan Pilo, Western Canada director of CSZHF, at [email protected] or 778-858-8748.
– Courtesy Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation, Western Region
At the JFS Innovators Igniting Change event May 27, Arnold Silber, left, presented the Lighting the Way Award to his lifelong friend, Syd Belzberg. (photo by Rhonda Dent Photography)
The JFS Innovators Igniting Change event May 27, presented by Shay Keil, was a celebration of community, generosity and the drive to create lasting impact. The event raised more than $505,000 that will go directly toward providing food, counseling and emergency support to individuals and families in need. It will go a long way in ensuring that vulnerable members of the community have access to critical resources during times of hardship.
One of the most moving moments of the evening came with the premiere of a client video, sharing stories of resilience and hope. The video offered a reminder of the lives touched by Jewish Family Services Vancouver’s work and left few dry eyes in the room. It was a call to action, showing that, together, we can build a stronger, more caring community.
Shay Keil, presenting sponsor of the JFS Innovators event, with JFS Vancouver chief executive officer Tanja Demajo. (photo by Rhonda Dent Photography)
Another moving moment was when Arnold Silber presented the Lighting the Way Award to his lifelong friend, Syd Belzberg. It was a deeply personal tribute to a man whose quiet generosity and steadfast vision have helped shape a more compassionate community.
Silber reflected not only on Belzberg’s decades of dedication, but also on the enduring friendship between two people who share a deep belief in tikkun olam, repairing the world.
Stable Harvest Farm, a project close to Belzberg’s heart, stood out as a shining example of how one person’s passion can blossom into something that nourishes and uplifts so many. It was a reminder that behind every act of kindness is a person who chooses to care – and that choice can change lives.
As with any successful event, the Innovators Igniting Change evening wouldn’t have been possible without the support of its sponsors and community partners. Their contributions were integral.
Richmond Jewish Day School and ORT Canada’s first-ever Pickleball & Pastrami fundraising event was held June 23. (photos from RJDS)
On June 23, the gymnasium of Richmond’s Belvedere Club was filled with the sounds of laughter, cheers and paddles in motion as Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS), in partnership with ORT Canada, hosted its first-ever Pickleball & Pastrami fundraising event. What began as a simple idea to bring families and community members together through sport evolved into a high-energy, heartwarming event that raised critical funds to enhance student access to technology.
The event began at 9:30 a.m. as guests arrived and checked in before heading onto the eight indoor courts. Players scanned QR codes posted throughout the venue to view the game schedule, locate their assigned courts, and meet their doubles partners. For those not playing, there was plenty to enjoy, including student STEM displays created in partnership with ORT, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction.
The auction raised more than $1,000, and many donors stepped up with pledges towards the purchase of a class set of iPads, which will allow for enriched learning experiences in coding, research, presentation and creative expression in both general and Judaic studies classrooms.
Following two hours of pickleball, guests gathered for a deli-style pastrami lunch. The room buzzed with conversation as people enjoyed food and connected with fellow parents.
Members of the organizing committee – including Marie Doduck, Jeff Topp, Mindy Zimmering, Beverly Pinsky, Mary Tobin, Jordan Sukkau and Sabrina Bhojani – spoke, expressing gratitude to attendees, sponsors and volunteers. Winners of the auction and 50/50 draw were announced, bringing a close to the formal portion of the day.
“This event truly captured everything RJDS stands for, including joyful learning, meaningful connection and community support,” said Bhojani, principal of RJDS. “We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make this day such a success, from our committee and volunteers to every person who donated, played or simply showed up in support of our students.”
The fundraiser was not only a financial success but also a reminder of what’s possible when community comes together around a shared purpose. RJDS is still accepting contributions toward its iPad initiative. Donations can be sent via etransfer to [email protected] with “iPad” in the message.
To learn more about RJDS and its programs, visit rjds.ca or follow the school on Facebook and Instagram.
Former Montrealers Shmarya and Lainie Richler opened their first Muffin Boutique in Jerusalem in 2014; their second, in 2023. (photo by Adina Horwich)
My interview with Muffin Boutique owners Lainie and Shmarya Richler took place on the afternoon following the US airstrike on Fordow and other Iranian nuclear facilities. It was 2 o’clock on Sunday and the couple took time out from their breathlessly busy schedule to sit with me at their Talpiot location, minutes from Haas Promenade, aka Tayelet Armon Hanetziv, in Jerusalem.
I have been coming to this coffee shop almost every Tuesday afternoon for almost a year. As a participant in the Anglo Women’s group, which was initially supported by the local community centre, we are encouraged to meet and eat. Facilitated by Helena Flusfeder and Rachel Beenstock, we enjoy a hot or cold beverage, salad, bagel with a variety of spreads, a slice of cake or a muffin, good company and laughs. Another of the members is native Montrealer Paula Dubrow, Lainie’s mother.
A Canadian flag flies beside the province of Quebec’s fleur-de-lis. (photo by Adina Horwich)
The café, which has indoor and outdoor seating for about 30 people, was busy, while the rest of the city felt deserted. I introduced myself, sharing my own Montreal experiences as an adolescent from 1969 to 1975. While the younger Richlers used to live in the very Jewish neighbourhoods of Côte Saint-Luc and adjacent Hampstead, I had lived in the suburbs, with a much smaller Jewish presence.
Shmarya hails from the large and prominent Richler family, most famous of whom was his first cousin, author Mordecai Richler. Shmarya’s mother, a survivor from Hungary, immigrated after the Second World War. Lainie’s paternal grandmother was English, as was my paternal grandfather.
We discussed their decision to make aliyah. It was always in the cards, they said, both having been raised in Modern Orthodox and Zionist homes. They studied at Jewish day schools and attended Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Synagogue in Montreal. As teens, both were active in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, which is where they met and later started dating. Lainie studied and completed a master’s in psychology, while Shmarya majored in commerce. They married and had three children.
In 1995, they moved to Israel, living at first in Beit Shemesh, later and currently, in Efrat. Two more children were born here.
Lainie had intended to work in her field, but, as is wont to happen for immigrants to many countries, ran into the profession’s licensing body demands that, for her credentials to be recognized, she would need to take further studies. Since Lainie was trying to acclimatize to life’s challenges with a newborn, she preferred to shift her focus to that and raising the other children.
She became involved in various exercise classes, giving them at community centres and other venues around Gush Etzion. Nutrition was a subject that had captured her interest, too, so she delved into that, taking a training course and becoming a certified alternative nutrition counselor.
Shmarya worked at first for a foreign company, then at a few Israeli startups, in high-tech, but the sector was continually growing and the jobs became increasingly demanding.
Needing to support a family of five kids, while coping with the everyday adjustments of aliyah, the couple began to wonder what to do. Their vision for retirement had been to run a B & B in the Galil or Golan. They thought, why not bring that idea forward, adapting it to their current situation.
Friends and family were skeptical, saying they were unrealistic, out of their depth; many a naysayer told them it would never work. But Lainie was determined to give it a go. She had always loved baking and cooking, informally making and selling muffins to friends and neighbours. She improved by testing many a recipe and soliciting feedback.
Shmarya was reluctant at first, but soon agreed. He took agovernment-sponsored course at MATI (Jerusalem Business Development Centre), which trains and assists people interested in starting a small business. He was mentored by someone who took a serious interest and fully backed the couple’s plans, believing they could and would succeed.
A Quebec licence plate – sporting the Quebecois nationalist slogan “Je me souviens” (“I remember”) – is prominently displayed behind the counter. (photo by Adina Horwich)
Their first shop opened in 2014 on Jerusalem’s fashionable and ever-popular Ben Yehuda Street, a key menu component being Montreal-style bagels. And the store is replete with Canadiana. A Quebec licence plate – sporting the Quebecois nationalist slogan “Je me souviens” (“I remember”) – is prominently displayed behind the counter. It brings a half-smile to my face.
The second location, where I was conducting my interview, opened nearly two years ago. Scheduled to open Oct. 10, 2023, just days after the tragic events of Oct. 7, the opening was delayed – but only by a couple of weeks. When the doors opened on Oct. 23, the Richlers could barely keep up with the crowds. Locals warmly welcomed a chance to reaffirm their lives.
Ever since, this has been the local go-to café – the place is open 11 hours a day. Behind the register, a Canadian flag flies beside the province of Quebec’s fleur-de-lis.
Both Muffin Boutiques prominently features the Richlers’ Canadian roots. (photo by Adina Horwich)
Shmarya runs between the two branches, overseeing operations, keeping an eye on inventory, dealing with suppliers, expenses and all matters related to the running of the business.
Lainie is in charge of getting the daily, on-site baking up and running, with the help of a dedicated and hardworking staff. The restaurant serves coffee and breakfast from 8 a.m., while also accepting orders from their dairy menu for events, be they an office party or a family simcha. This aspect of the business comprises some 30% of its income. Everything is prepared fresh daily, using only natural ingredients, under Lainie’s expert watch and Badatz Mehadarin hechser (kosher certification).
Many employees have worked at both of the locations, most are native or near-native English speakers. This is vital, as the clientele is largely Anglo olim (immigrants).
Every effort is made to maintain a family atmosphere – two of the Richlers’ children regularly work the counter – with friendly, personal service.
When you come to Jerusalem, do pay a visit to the Muffin Boutique, either at 16 Ben Yehuda or 13 Daniel Yanovsky, and have a nosh. Tell them Adina sent you!
Adina Horwichwas born in Israel to Canadian parents. In 1960, the family returned to Canada, first living in Halifax, then in a Montreal suburb. In 1975, at age 17, Horwich made aliyah, and has lived mostly in the Jerusalem area. She won a Rockower Award for journalistic excellence in covering Zionism, aliyah and Israel for her article “Immigration challenges.”
שירו הגאוני של של שלום חנוך, מחכים למשיח, שנכתב בשנת 1985, מתאים למה שקורה בישראל היום לא פחות מאז. כותב חנוך בשירו: “תאונה למי שואל ארציאלי הבן. תאונה למדינה עונה השוטר המסכן. הבורסה נפלה, אנשים קופצים מהגג, גם משיח קפץ והודיעו שהוא נהרג. הכל אבוד, בוכה עזרא דהן הקבלן. משיח בשמיים ואנחנו בלי הכסף כאן. וירדנה היפה ממלמלת זה לא ייתכן. משיח לא בא משיח גם לא מטלפן. דצמבר המר זעקו כותרות בעיתון. ושר האוצר נתן במבט ראיון. הציבור מטומטם ולכן הציבור משלם, מה שבא בקלות באותה הקלות יעלם. האזרח הקטן נאלץ לשלם בגדול ואותי מעניינת ירדנה יותר מהכל. הולך למילואים וסופר את הכסף שאין. משיח לא בא. משיח גם לא מטלפן”
חנוך הסביר בשעתו את הרקע לכתיבת מחכים למשיח: “כעסתי על הציבור שנתן לאנשים ברמה בלתי מתקבלת על הדעת להנהיג אותו. כעסתי על כך שהעריצו דמגוגים טיפשים, שכל מה שמעניין אותם זה הפוזה בטלוויזיה. נדבקו למישהו והפכו אותו לגדול בשעה שצריכים היו לדרוש ממנו מקסימום של אמינות, אמת, אחריות, רמה מוסרית ושכלית. חיינו במדינה מטורפת, והראשון שצריך היה ללכת הביתה היה בגין עצמו. אבל הוא הבין רק כשהגיע בנפילה הגדולה שלו לקרקע. אין בעיני דבר נורא יותר מאנשים שעושים החלטות קלות לגבי החיים שלנו בשם הדמוקרטיה. כעסתי ואני אכעס עוד הרבה על ההפסד הגדול של המלחמה. על כך אין כפרה ואין סליחה”
היום בישראל המצב עוד הרבה יותר חמור מהמצב לפני ארבעים שנה. מנהיג דיקטטור נוכל, בנימין נתניהו, יושב על כיסא כמלך כבר יותר משבעה עשרה שנה. נתניהו לא מתכוון ללכת הביתה ומתכנן להמשיך ולשלוט בישראל עוד שנים רבות. רבים ממתנגדיו טוענים כל העת שהנה הוא כבר הולך הביתה וכל פעם הם מתבדים מחדש. מדהים לדעת עד כמה בישראל הציבור מטומטם כפי שאומר חנוך במחכים למשיח, וממשיך לתת לנתניהו וחבריו המושחתים להמשיך ולנהל את ענייני ישראל, שהולכת ושוקעת. בעולם ישראל נחשבת כיום לאחת המדינות המבודדות השנואות ביותר. לא פלא שהאנטישמיות כלפי ישראלים ויהודים בעולם מגיעה לשיאים חדשים כל הזמן. כלפי פנים: מדינת ישראל מפורקת לחלוטין בין מחנה מתנגדי נתניהו לבין חבורת המעריצים העיוורים שלו. אין סיכוי לגשר בין הפערים שנוצרו והשנאה הפנימית עברה כבר מזמן את הגבול. נתניהו האחראי הראשי לפציול החברתי בישראל, כמו גם לבידוד של ישראל בעולם, לא יקח שום אחריות על מעשיו והפאשלות הגדולות שלו לאורך כל ימי שלטונו. כמו ראש ארגון פשע בעולם התחתון, נתניהו מעולם לא לקח אחריות על מעשיו שגרמו לישראל נזק קשה ביותר, שקשה להאמין שאפשר לתקנו
בשיחות שלי עם בני משפחה וחברים בישראל, הם אומרים לי כל העת כי מרבית העם שונא את נתניהו וימיו כראש ממשלה ספורים. כך הם אמרו לי מיד לאחר השבעה באוקטובר, כך אמרו לי שוב לקראת סוף שנה שעברה, ולאחר מכן לפני מספר חודשים בעת אישור התקציב החדש בכנסת. עכשיו הם טוענים כי בעת הזו נתניהו הולך הביתה. אז חלומות לחוד ומציאות לחוד
האופוזיציה לנתניהו וממשלתו הנוראית היא חלשה עד גיחוח והיא איננה מסוגלת לארגן את השורות, לאחד את כל המפלגות המתנגדות לו, לארגן הפגנות ואספות עם, להשבית את המשק ולהפעיל את כל מה שניתן כנגדו. המצב בישראל וקשה ולנתניהו לא אכפת כלל כל עוד הוא יושב על כיסא המלך
