Gloria Levi and Michael Lee were honoured by Jewish Seniors Alliance for their contributions to the well-being of seniors in the community, as was Dolores Luber. (photo from JSA)
When you looked around the room at Congregation Beth Israel on Nov. 27, the pandemic of the last two-plus years would not have crossed your mind. The room was filled with more than 100 happy guests enjoying dinner together.
The occasion was the 15th annual general meeting and gala for Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver. Three people were honoured for their contributions to the well-being of seniors in the community: Dolores Luber, Gloria Levi and Member of the Legislative Assembly Michael Lee.
After welcoming the guests, emcee Rabbi Philip Bregman called upon Beth Israel Rabbi Jonathan Infeld to recite the Hamotzi. JSA board member Tony DuMoulin read an inspiring message from Serge Haber, the founder and visionary of JSA.
Dolores Luber was awarded the first JSA Star. She received a collage made up of covers from Senior Line, a magazine she has edited for 10 years. (photo from JSA)
Then, Ken Levitt introduced Luber, the editor of Senior Line magazine. She is the first winner of the JSA Star for her commitment to enriching the lives of seniors through articles, book reviews, film reviews and news. Luber, who has served as the editor of the magazine for 10 years, emphasized the free hand she enjoyed in choosing the topics of the articles, artists’ profiles and other material for the magazine. Her goal was to enlarge the scope of the publication, so that it included people from many cultures and ethnic backgrounds. She was awarded a collage of select covers of Senior Line, with her and her dog, Kesem, in the centre of all the covers, which reflect JSA’s culture of diversity and support.
Levi was introduced by her friend Jane Heyman, who spoke about Levi’s fascination with seniors at the young age of 30, when she worked with the Golden Age Club. Levi went on to develop provincial programs for seniors. She is also the author of six books, most recently the creative memoir The Hotel Keeper’s Daughter, which was published this year.
Levi thanked JSA for the honour, as she received a standing ovation. She spoke lovingly about Haber, who would never take “no” for an answer.
Lee was introduced by Grace Hann, a trainer for the JSA peer support program. He was honoured for his ongoing work with seniors. Elected MLA for Vancouver-Langara in 2017 and 2020, he, along with Andrea Krombein, has launched the South Vancouver Seniors Network. This network has sponsored more than 100 webinars connecting seniors with various topics of interest and with one another.
Lee met Haber and Levitt in 2016. He was impressed with Haber’s passion and commitment and recognized the JSA as a leader in the development of seniors organizations in Vancouver.
Tamara Frankel, co-chair of the event, presented Gyda Chud and, in absentia, Larry Shapiro, with a gift in appreciation of their leadership as co-presidents of JSA over the last three years. A short video by incoming president Tammi Belfer, who spoke from Israel, was screened.
Following the dinner by Nava Catering, the winner of the 50/50 raffle was announced by Frankel – who was shocked to see that she was the winner. Frankel donated her winnings to JSA; the raffle raised more than $1,000.
Tamara Frankelis a member of the board of Jewish Seniors Alliance and Shanie Levin is a JSA Life Governor. Both Frankel and Levin are on the editorial committee of Senior Line magazine.
בנק ההשקעות השוויצי יו.בי.אס פרסם לאחרונה את המדד השנתי שלו של בועות הנדל”ן בעולם. על פי המדד על רשימת עשר הערים המסוכנות ביותר מבחינת בועדת הנד”לן נמנות טורונטו וונקובר מקנדה, וכן תל אביב מישראל.על פי המדד של בועודת הנדל”ן של היו.בי.אס מחירי הדיור בעיר כמעט שילשו את עצמם בין השנים אלפיים ואחת לאלפיים ושבעה עשרה. שכר הדירה שמר על קצב עלייה לצד הגידול במחירי הרכישה, דבר ששיקף מחסור גדול בנכסים לדיור. לדברי עורכי המחקר, אחרי תקופת תיקון קצרה באלפיים ושמונה עשרה, חזר השוק לשלב נפיץ נוסף של קפיצת מחירים. בבנק יו.בי.אס מעריכים כי מחירי הנדל”ן למגורים בעשרים וחמש ערים מרכזיות בעולם, במסגרת הכנת הדין וחשבון, ממחצית שנה שעברה עד מחצית השנה הנוכחית, הואץ קצב הצמחיה הממוצע במחירי הדיור הנומינליים באותן ערים, עד כעשרה אחוזים. מדובר בשיעור הצמיחה הגבוה ביותר מאז שנת אלפיים ושבע
במדד בועות הנדל”ן, הערים טורונטו שבקנדה – ראשונה ופרנקפורט שבגרמניה – שנייה ממשיכות להציג, כמו אשתקד, את רמות הסיכון הגבוהות ביותר בין שוקי הדיור העולמיים. סיכונים לבועה מוגברים נרשמים גם בציריך בשווייץ – שלישית, מינכן בגרמניה – רביעית, הונג קונג בסין – חמישית, ונקובר בקנדה – שישית, אמסטרדם בהולנד – שביעית תל אביב בישראל – שמינית וטוקיו ביפן – תשיעית. למעשה, כל הערים שנבדקו, מלבד שתיים: פריז בצרפת ושטוקהולם בשבבדיה, חוו עלייה משמעותית במחירי הדיור
עורכי המחקר מסבירים כי כתוצאה משערי הריבית הנמוכים, התרחקו מחירי הדיור בעשור האחרון בהתמדה מרמות ההכנסה ומשכר הדירה. הערים השוכנות כרגע בטריטוריית סיכון לבועה חוו בתקופה זו עליות מחירים ממוצעות של כשישים אחוז במונחים מותאמים של הינפלציה, בעוד שההכנסה ושכר הדירה הריאליים גדלו רק בכשניים עשר אחוז נכתב. כעת .יש התחלה של נקודת מפנה בעקבות עליית שערי הריבית, אבל חוסר האיזון בשוקי הדיור העירוניים הגלובליים עדיין גבוה מאוד, שכן בלא מעט ערים המחירים אינם מסונכרנים עם שערי הריבית ההולכים וגדלים בעת הזו
עורכי המחקר מעריכים עוד כי ההאצה בצמיחת המשכנתאות שטרם נפרעו הייתה בולטת כמעט בכל הערים. לדבריהם זו גם השנה השנייה ברציפות שבה החוב הביתי גדל מהר יותר במידה ניכרת מאשר הממוצע לטווח ארוך. בנוסף, שיעורי הריבית למשכנתאות כמעט הכפילו את עצמם בממוצע בכל הערים שנבחנו, מאז נקודת השפל שלהם באמצע אלפיים עשרים ואחת. בשילוב עם מחירי נדל”ן הגבוהים, בנק יו.בי.אס מודים כי האפשרות לרכישת דירה על ידי שכיר בעל הכשרה גבוהה הוא נמוך בממוצע בשליש לעומת המצב לפני מגפת הקורונה שפקדה אותנו לפני למעלה משנתיים
לדברי קלאודיו סאפוטלי, מנהל תחום הנדל”ן במשרד מנהל ההשקעות הראשי ביו.בי.אס, האינפלציה וההפסדים על נכסים, הנובעים מהסערה הנוכחית בשווקים הפיננסיים, מפחיתים את כוח הרכישה של משקי הבית, דבר שמרסן את הביקוש למרחב מחיה נוסף. הכוונה לרכישת דירה נוספת מעבר לזו הקיימת. אי לכך, ענף הדיור הופך כעת לפחות אטרקטיבי כהשקעה כי עלויות ההלוואה בערים רבות עולות על התשואה של השקעות של קנייה לצורך השכרה
לדברי עורכי המחקר, דירוגי המדד לא גדלו בממוצע בהשוואה לשנה שעברה. בנוסף, הכנסות גבוהות וצמיחה של שוק ההשכרה בלמו גידול אפשרי נוסף בחוסר האיזון. מחירי הדיור באיזורים הכפריים צמחו מהר יותר מאשר בערים, זו השנה השנייה ברציפות. בנוסף, צמיחת המחירים הואטה במידה ניכרת במונחים מותאמים של האינפלציה. אך הערכות המחיר הנוכחיות הן גבוהות ביותר. בכל מקרה מציינים במחקר שהשגשוג הגלובלי בתחום הדיור מגיע כעת לסופו
מהמחקר עולה עוד כי בארה”ב, חמש הערים שנבחנו נמצאות בטריטוריית הערכת-היתר, וחוסר איזון נראה במיאמי ובלוס אנג’לס יותר מאשר בסן פרנסיסקו, בבוסטון ובניו יורק. שוקי הדיור בשטוקהולם, פריז וסידני שבאוסטרליה נותרו בהערכת-יתר למרות מגמות צינון מסוימות. שוקי דיור אחרים המפגינ סימני הערכת-יתר כוללים את ז’נבה, לונדון, מדריד סינגפור. סאו פאולו, שנוספה השנה למדד, זוכה להערכה הוגנת, לצד ורשה ומילאנו
בדיקתה לעומק של הנתונים מגלה כי למרות השנה החזקה שעברה על שוק הדיור של דובאי, גם היא שוכנת כעת בטריטוריית ההערכה ההוגנת. לדברי עורכי המחקר, שוק הדיור של דובאי היה רכבת שדים בשני העשורים אחרונים, ככל שהביקוש התאים את עצמו במידה רבה להתפתחות מחירי הנפט. מחירי הנפט המשתנים תדיר, והגידול בכמות ההגירה, הפיחו חיים בשוק בשנה האחרונה. מחירי הדיור צמחו בעשרה אחוזים בין אמצע אלפיים עשרים ואחת לאמצע אלפיים עשרים ושתיים. שכר הדירה בארבעת הרבעונים האחרונים עלה על הצמיחה במחירי הדיור. לפיכך ממשיך השוק ליהנות מהערכה הוגנת
בשווייץ, הביקוש החזק המתמשך להשקעות בסביבה עם שיעור ריבית שלילי היה המנוע העיקרי של מגמת המחירים. מחירי הדיור באיזור עלו בכעשרים אחוז מאז תחילת המגפה. בסך הכול, היחס בין מחירי הרכישה לבין מחירי שכר הדירה יצא מאיזון, והשוק הפך לאיזור סיכון-לבועה. לדברי עורכי המחקר, מחירי הרכישה הגבוהים יחוו בקרוב בוחן מציאות, שמקורו בזינוק שיעורי הריבית של בנק סוויס השוויצרי. אך הודות להמשך צמיחת האוכלוסייה החזקה באיזור הכלכלי של ציריך, ייתכן שתתבצע התאמת מחירים לאורך זמן
פרנקפורט ומינכן בגרמניה מציגות את הסיכונים הגבוהים ביותר של בועת הנדל”ן בקרב שוקי איזור האירו. שתי הערים הגרמניות חוו בעשור האחרון כמעט הכפלה של מחירי הנכסים מבחינה נומינלית, למרות שהצמיחה הנוכחית הצטננה לכדי כחמישה אחוזים בין אמצע אלפיים עשרים ואחת לבין אמצע אלפיים עשרים ושתיים מהרמות הדו-ספרתיות הקודמות שלהן. השילוב של עלויות מימון גדלות ושל סיכויי צמיחה כלכלית נמוכים בשנה שעברה אמור להוציא אוויר ממנוע השפע ששרר בשוק, למרות שיעורי הנכסים הריקים הנמוך מאוד מבחינה היסטורית
הממצאים מראים כי שוק הדיור של אמסטרדם בהולנד הציג צמיחת מחירים חזקה ביותר בשוקי איזור האירו, עם שיעור של כשבעה עשר אחוז בערכים נומינליים, והעיר נמצאת כיום בטריטוריית הסיכון לבועה. במדריד, צמיחת המחירים הואצה גם כן מאז תחילת המגפה. עיר הבירה הספרדית נמצאת כעת בטריטוריית הערכת-היתר, למרות שבממוצע עובד בעל הכשרה במגזר השירותים יכול עדיין להרשות לעצמו את מרחב המחיה הגדול ביותר בקרב שוקי איזור האירו שנכללו במחקר
לצד ההתאוששות הכלכלית ושיעורי הריבית הנמוכים יותר לאחר המגפה, תמריצים לשיפוץ בניינים תמכו בעליית מחירים במילאנו באיטליה לאחר עשור של מחירי סטגנציה. מהצד השני, תחום הדיור בפריז משתרך מאחורי שוקי הדיור של איזור האירו. מחירי הנכסים הנומינליים סבלו מסטגנציה בין אמצע אלפיים עשרים ואחת לאלפיים עשרים ושתיים, ועקב כך נטשה פריז שבצרפת את טריטוריית הסיכון לבועה. אך פריז ממשיכה להיות שוק איזור האירו הכי פחות נגיש מבחינת מחירים במחקר
שוק הדיור בלונדון בבריטניה נמצא בטריטוריית הערכת-יתר. המחירים גבוהים בכשישה אחוזים מהשנה שעברה, כשהם נתמכים על ידי מחסור נכסי דיור מול הביקוש המוגבר שלאחר המגפה. שכר הדירה שם משתנה בחדות, כאשר קונים נתקלים בקשיים במציאת נכסים מתאימים. עם זאת, שיעורי המשכנתאות הגדלים, סיום חופשת מס הבולים בבריטניה והצפי הכלכלי הלא ברור מחלישים את הצפי בנוגע למחירים
לדברי עורכי המחקר, ורשה בפולין נהנתה מהיותה אחד משוקי העבודה החזקים במזרח אירופה, והחוזק הזה משך לשם אזרחים חדשים ומשקיעים מסוג רכישה לצורך השכרה. השוק ממשיך ליהנות מהערכה הוגנת, אך הדיור הפך בהדרגה לבלתי נגיש כלכלית בשל המחירים הגבוהים ושיעורי הריבית המטפסים במהירות. בניגוד לכך, למדיניות מוניטרית הדוקה יותר הייתה השפעה מיידית על שוק הדיור של שטוקהולם בשבדיה. עקב כך אירעה צניחת מחירים של יותר מעשרח אחוזים ברבעון השני השנה, שהקפיצה את דירוג המדד אל מחוץ לאיזור האירו והיישר לטריטוריית הערכת היתר
על פי המחקר, מחירי הדיור בטוקיו ביפן הלכו וצמחו כמעט ברציפות במשך למעלה משני עשורים, תוך שהם נעזרים בתנאי מימון אטרקטיביים ובצמיחת האוכלוסייה. חוסר האיזון הגיע לסף הסיכון לבועה, ככל שהזמינות של רכישת הדירות המשיכה להתדרדר. אך סימני החלשה הופיעו לאחרונה: צמיחת המחירים פחתה בחצי לכדי חמשיה אחוזים לעומת השנה המקבילה, ומשתרכת מאחורי הממוצע הכלל ארצי זו הפעם הראשונה בעשר שנים. המחירים בסידני באוסטרליה השתנו באופן קיצוני ביותר משלושים אחוז באלפפים ועשרים ואלפיים עשרים ואחת, לפני שהידוק תנאי ההלוואות בשנה שעברה והקפיצות האגרסיביות של שיעורי הריבית השנה הפחיתו את הנגישות במידה רבה. עקב כך, המחירים כבר הספיקו לרדת ביותר מחמישה חוזים במהלך הרבעון השני של השנה. השוק נותר עדיין בהערכת-יתר גבוהה
השוק של הונג קונג בסין רשם תיקון של כארבעה אחוזים במחירים הנומינליים בין אמצע שנה שעברה לאמצע שנה זו – שיעור הצמיחה החלש ביותר מכל הערים שנבחנו במחקר. למרות זאת, השוק לא עזב עדיין את טריטוריית הסיכון לבועה. סינגפור נהנית ממיצוב בינלאומי חזק כמרכז עסקים, ומחירי הדיור גדלו באחד עשר אחוז נוספים בין אמצע אשתקד לבין אמצע השנה. המחקר עולה עוד כי ערי ארה”ב חוו צמיחת מחירים חזקה הרבה יותר מאז תחילת המגפה בהשוואה לשנים הקודמות. מיאמי ממשיכה ליהנות מהגירה חזקה פנימה ומעניין רב בקרב המשקיעים. היא רשמה את שיעורי צמיחת מחירי הרכישה ושכר הדירה השנתיים החזקים ביותר, ונדחפה עקב כך עמוק יותר אל טריטוריית הערכת-היתר. גם סן פרנסיסקו רשמה גידולים מרשימים במחירים. לנוכח היחלשות גיוסי העובדים לענף ההייטק והסיכויים להמשך הקיום של מודלי העסקה מרחוק ועבודה ההיברידית, הצפי עבור מחירי הדיור בסן פרנסיסקו הוא עגום למדי
חוסר האיזון בלוס אנג’לס כבר היה גבוה, וגדל אף יותר מאז השנה שעברה, משום שנגישות רכישת הנדל”ן כבר הגיעה קרוב לשיאים של כל הזמנים. בוסטון נהנתה מצמיחת ההכנסות הגבוהה ביותר מכל הערים במחקר, זאת על גבה של כלכלה חזקה ומגוונת. חוסר האיזון נשאר ללא שינוי ניכר לעומת השנה שעברה. מצד שני, ניו יורק הפגינה את צמיחת המחירים החלשה ביותר מאז אמצע אשתקד מכל הערים האמריקאיות שנכללו במחקר. היא ממשיכה להיגרר אחרי ערים ומדינות נגישות יותר וגם ידידותיות יותר מבחינת מיסוי, עסקים ורגולציה
רמות מחירי הנדל”ן בוונקובר ובטורונטו שבקנדה שילשו את עצמן בעשרים וחמש השנים האחרונות, אולם עלייה של שלושים וחמישה אחוז בדרך לרדת. לדברי עורכי המחקר, הזינוקים בשיעורי הריבית האחרונים של בנק המרכזי של קנדה היו ככל הנראה הקש ששבר את גב הגמל ותיקון מחירים מתבצע כבר עתה
שוק הדיור של תל אביב עבר לטריטוריית סיכון לבועת נדל”ן בפעם הראשונה, לאחר שמחירי הנדל”ן בעיר זינקו בכשמונה עשרה אחוז בין מחצית אלפיים ואחת למחצית אלפיים ושתיים – השיעור הגבוה ביותר מאז אלפיים ועשר
Ellen Schwartz, founder of Project Give Back. (photo from LinkedIn)
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s Choices, the largest celebration of women’s philanthropy in the community, takes place Nov. 3 at Congregation Beth Israel. At the event, featured speaker Ellen Schwartz, founder of Project Give Back, will talk about raising a son with a neurodegenerative disease and how her son Jacob helped her “live a more grounded, purposeful and present life.”
Project Give Back is targeted to elementary students in Ontario. Established in 2007 by Schwartz, a Toronto-based teacher, community advocate and mother of three children, it started as a program she created for her fourth grade classroom and it is designed to teach compassion and concern for community. The program, which selects and trains teachers to deliver its specialized curriculum, runs weekly from October to May in partner schools. In it, students help do the teaching by explaining the value of a worthy cause to their fellow classmates. Since its inception, Project Give Back has helped bring awareness to hundreds of charities.
“The beauty about Project Give Back is children teach us about what matters to them, through their involvement with a charity that they or their family are connected to,” Schwartz told the Independent.
Fifteen years after starting the program, Schwartz said many early participants continue to be actively involved in charitable work as they enter into young adulthood.
“We definitely have seen many of our alumni actively giving and making change in their communities,” she said. “Some of our graduates have published books, with proceeds donated to their chosen and personal causes.”
Some of the many grassroots charities to which Project Give Back has recently brought attention are Sending Sunshine, a program directed at curbing loneliness in the elderly population; Nanny Angel Network, which provides free in-home child care in Canada; and the Super Sophia Project, a group whose goal is to offer hope to children and their families battling cancer.
As Project Give Back bases much of its lessons on personal connection and in-class discussions, it, like many organizations, was affected by the pandemic and had to shift its operations accordingly.
“We had to pivot quickly to online learning. All of a sudden, we looked at the windows of the students and we had family members attending lessons as well as pets, grandparents, etc. That was beautiful to see,” Schwartz recalled.
“Unfortunately, there was a tremendous gap in education and, while many schools were able to continue, almost at the switch of a button, others truly struggled. In these schools, often school was a safe place for many children and many didn’t have the opportunity to reset online quickly. We launched Project Give Back Connects during this time. This was a way to connect powerful messages and resources to classroom teachers, which they could access and share with their students.”
For her Vancouver presentation, Schwartz plans to discuss some of the life lessons she learned from her son Jacob, who died in 2019 at the age of 21. Only months after he was born, he was diagnosed with Canavan disease, which damages the brain’s nerve cells. Jacob wasn’t able to walk, talk or see.
“I will share the best piece of advice I was ever given. It was on a folded note left in my mailbox 25 years ago, [and] I still don’t know who left it there,” said Schwartz. “I will touch on tricks and tips to living a life filled with purpose and meaning as well as shaping grief in a manner that allows us to move forward.”
Currently, Project Give Back only operates in Ontario, but Schwartz is eager to investigate operating in Vancouver schools.
“Our plan is to continue to grow slowly and carefully, never compromising on the quality of our program,” she said. “Sometimes, bigger does not mean better. I would rather teach less children and do it well so that spark becomes a flame, rather than teaching more and hoping to ignite a spark.”
Schwartz also co-founded Jacob’s Ladder, Canadian Foundation for the Control of Neurodegenerative Diseases, with her husband Jeff in 1998. In its 21 years of operation, Jacob’s Ladder raised more than $3 million for research, education and awareness of neurodegenerative illnesses, as well as research into treatments.
Ellen Schwartz has written two books: Lessons from Jacob: A Disabled Son Teaches His Mother About Courage, Hope and the Joy of Living Life to the Fullest and Without One Word Spoken. She has been honoured by the Israel Cancer Research Fund, Ve’ahavta, Aish Toronto, Sick Kids Hospital, and Brilliant Minded Women. And she has been awarded a Queen’s Jubilee Medal, a Meritorious Service Decoration by the Governor General of Canada and a Canada 150 Exemplary Canadian Medal.
“I am hoping to make some new friends and inspire your community with a story I am honoured to be able to share,” Schwartz said, when asked about what she expects from her visit.
The community speakers participating in Choices this year are the daughters of Holocaust survivor Robert Krell: Shoshana Lewis, Simone Kallner and Michaela Singerman. They will share how they honour their father’s experience.
Also part of the Nov. 3, 5 p.m., event will be a marketplace including several local vendors.
Tickets for Choices are $60 and include dinner. However, there is a minimum donation of $154 to support the Federation annual campaign and, for first-time Choices attendees, a minimum donation of $36. Register at jewishvancouver.com/choices.
Sam Margolishas written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
Jonathan Lerner, left, Christine Boyle and Dan Ruimy were among the winners in the recent municipal elections. (PR photos)
Municipal elections across British Columbia brought numerous surprises and a number of defeats for incumbent mayors, notably in both of the province’s largest cities.
Ken Sim defeated Kennedy Stewart, Vancouver’s incumbent mayor while, in a far closer race, Surrey’s mayor Doug McCallum was defeated by Brenda Locke.
Most of the community members featured by the Independent Oct. 7 were not successful in their races, with two exceptions.
Jonathan Lerner, a Jewish community member who has worked with organizations including the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Hillel BC and Jewish Family Services, topped the polls on his first foray into elected office. He was elected to district council in Lantzville, which is north of Nanaimo.
Christine Boyle, who asked to be included in our coverage as part of a mixed family, was reelected to Vancouver city council as the sole successful candidate for the OneCity group, withstanding the onslaught of the overwhelming sweep by Sim’s ABC slate.
Former Liberal member of Parliament Dan Ruimy, a son of Jewish Moroccan immigrants to Canada, was elected mayor of Maple Ridge. He was inadvertently not included in our pre-election coverage.
Omnitsky Kosher on Oak Street, just south of 41st Avenue. (internet photo)
There was a time – at least within the lifetime of older readers – when there seemed to be a kosher butcher on every corner of Winnipeg’s old North End. An exaggeration, maybe, but, in the 1930s, there were enough kosher butchers in Winnipeg to form their own shul. The last kosher butcher in Winnipeg – that would be Omnitsky’s – closed in 2008 and, at about the same time, fresh kosher slaughter also came to an end in the region.
Now, Omnitsky Kosher in Vancouver – the offspring of Omnitsky’s in Winnipeg, and the last kosher butcher in Western Canada – is also facing the prospect that the end is near.
“I love my business and the people I am able to interact with,” said Eppy Rappaport, the long-time owner of Omnitsky, “but I am getting tired. I am 65. I would never want to feel that my business is becoming an anchor pulling me down.”
Eppy Rappaport, owner of Omnitsky Kosher, is looking to sell. (photo by Lauren Kramer)
The son of the late Elaine and Rabbi Shalom Rappaport (who is remembered fondly by two or more generations of Rosh Pina Synagogue families) was in Winnipeg the weekend before last for a family simchah and sat down with this reporter to reminisce about growing up in Winnipeg and his career as a kosher butcher, both in Winnipeg and Vancouver.
The Rappaport family arrived in Winnipeg in January of 1967, when Rabbi Shalom Rappaport began his 20-year tenure at Rosh Pina Synagogue.
“I was 10 years old,” Eppy remembered. “We were coming from San Diego. Morley and Shiffie Fenson met us at the airport with parkas, gloves and toques.
“I had been promised that I would have a lot of fun playing in the snow. I was really eager to build my first snowman – but quickly learned that snow in Winnipeg in January was not the right kind of snow for a snowman.”
The third of four siblings, Eppy, on arrival, was enrolled in Grade 4 at the Talmud Torah on Matheson and continued on to Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate at the same location to graduation in 1975.
Eppy has particularly warm memories growing up with members of the Benarroch family. “My brother, Danny, and I were close to all four of the Benarroch brothers – Yamin, Joseph (Yossi), Michael and Albert. They all felt like brothers to us,” he recalled.
“We grew up with the Benarroch kids,” Eppy said of him and his brothers and sister. “Our two families spent a lot of time together because of our shared religious observance. Every Sunday in the spring and summer, the Benarroch clan would spend the day at Birds Hill Provincial Park and we would always be included.
“Generally,” he continued, “I found the Jewish community in Winnipeg to be warm and loving. Even after having been away for 22 years, the social connections I made here remain strong.”
Eppy was studying sociology at university – working on his master’s at the time – when Bill Omnitsky approached Rabbi Rappaport about wanting to sell his kosher butcher shop. “Dad asked me if I would be interested in going into the business,” Eppy recounted. “I was planning on taking a year off from university in any case and decided to give it a try. I never looked back.”
Eppy joined Bill Omnitsky in business in 1973 and bought the store outright in 1983.
“Bill Goldberg was my first customer,” Eppy recalled. “I still have that first dollar from him.”
While the young kosher butcher may have loved Winnipeg, one feature he didn’t like was winter. Thus, in 1995, he turned Omnitsky’s in Winnipeg over to his older brother, Alan, who had previously joined him in business, and moved to Vancouver, where he opened Omnitsky Kosher, the only kosher butcher shop in the city. (Alan Rappaport subsequently ran into health problems and sold the store in 2002.)
“I was ready for my next challenge,” Eppy said of his decision to open a second Omnitsky in Vancouver. “People in Vancouver were welcoming. Many told me how much they appreciated having access to fresh kosher meat.”
While British Columbia’s Jewish population is around 30,000, the religious community, naturally, is much smaller. “Nonetheless,” he said, “people like quality products. Many of my customers aren’t Jewish. There are a lot of Muslims, for example, who shop at our store.”
In 2015, Eppy relocated, moving Omnitsky Kosher to a larger location in what used to be Kaplan’s Deli, which had closed after 55 years in business. In his new premises, Eppy also opened a deli.
While the government-imposed COVID restrictions of the past two years have been challenging for many small businesses, that has not played a role in Eppy’s desire to sell. “Our business actually thrived over the last two years,” he said.
Eppy doesn’t have a timeline yet. He said he doesn’t want to leave his customers in the lurch (that includes some members of the Winnipeg community who have organized to occasionally bring in by truck large orders from the Vancouver butcher shop). However, if he can’t find a buyer, at some point, he will have no choice but to liquidate the business.
While Eppy is contemplating divesting himself from his own business, he is not yet ready to retire completely. “I would like to keep working in the food business in some capacity,” he said. “I may be able to help other businesses from an operational perspective. That I consider my specialty.”
Incidentally, Eppy and his wife Ellen (the daughter of the late Albert and Sheila Lowe) have two daughters, Aviva and Lauren, who are both pursuing careers in the food sector. Aviva, the proud father reported, is working on a second master’s degree at McGill University in the field of dietetics, while Lauren works as a senior scientist for Starbucks in Seattle.
Myron Love is a freelance writer. This article was originally published in Winnipeg’s Jewish Post & News, jewishpostandnews.ca.
B.C. Premier John Horgan speaks at Congregation Emanu-El Synagogue in Victoria on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 19. (photo from Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island)
The Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island and its partners, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, held a farewell reception to honour B.C. Premier John Horgan for his service. They shared their gratitude for the support, partnership and friendship of Horgan and his government. They commended the premier’s friendship with the Jewish community, and his resolve to fight racism and antisemitism, and to preserve the teachings of the Holocaust.
The Diamond Foundation is leading the way in contributing to JWest, with an historic $25 million gift – and community donors have matched this gift with another $25 million.
The Diamond Foundation’s matching gift is the first philanthropic contribution to the project and it is the largest donation ever made by the Diamond Foundation. Completing the match means $50 million toward the JWest capital campaign target of $125-plus million.
Alex Cristall, chair of the JWest capital campaign, had this response: “I want to thank the Diamond Foundation for this transformational gift. A project of this magnitude will not be possible without the tremendous generosity demonstrated by the Diamond Foundation, as well as philanthropic support from the community at large. It is our hope that the Diamond Foundation’s incredible community leadership will serve as inspiration, and we are now calling on others to work with our team to champion this project in an equally impactful way.”
The Diamonds’ gift will have a significant impact on the plans for JWest, providing a social, cultural, recreational and educational asset for all. This is the most extensive project in the history of the Jewish community in Western Canada and it is estimated to cost more than $400 million. Bringing it to life will require philanthropy, government funding and astute financing.
Gordon and Leslie Diamond, who are honorary JWest campaign co-chairs and members of the Diamond Foundation’s board, shared: “We are pleased to be the first family to make a significant contribution to JWest’s capital campaign. Our family has called Vancouver home for almost a century, and we have always believed in contributing whatever we can to ensure there is a bright future for our children and their children.”
The announcement builds on the $25 million funding provided in 2021 by the B.C. government.
“Mazal tov! I’m so pleased that our government’s shared mandate commitment of $25 million and a $400,000 investment in redevelopment planning has been bolstered with philanthropic support from the Diamond Foundation and community,” said Melanie Mark, Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak, minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport. “These generous contributions underscore the importance of a renewed Jewish Community Centre to 22,590 Jews and all people living in this community. It speaks to the power of working together to shine a light on our province’s diversity and inclusion.”
The new space, once complete, will deliver a state-of-the-art community centre, expanded space for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, double the current number of childcare spaces, expanded seniors’ programming, a new theatre, a relocated King David High School and two residential towers that will provide mixed-use rental housing (a portion of which will be below-market rates).
“JWest is the amalgamation of decades of work, and the fact that we saw our gift matched so quickly sends a clear signal that the community stands behind this project,” said Jill Diamond, executive director of the Diamond Foundation. “The Diamond Foundation has had a unifying focus to assist and advocate for initiatives in the Vancouver area that help improve the quality of people’s lives. The impact JWest will have on the Jewish community and the surrounding Oakridge community is undeniable.”
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The Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation has added two new members to its board of directors: Mervyn (Merv) Louis and Michelle Karby. They join an impressive group of volunteers, who for the past decades, have donated both their time and funds to care for the elderly of the Vancouver Jewish community.
Mervyn (Merv) Louis (photo from Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation)
Louis, a certified public accountant, emigrated with his family from South Africa to Canada in December 1978 and joined a small accounting firm in Vancouver. In the summer of 1979, the firm was acquired by Grant Thornton LLP. In 2016, Louis retired as a partner of Grant Thornton LLP, where he worked for 38 years, of which 33 were as a partner specializing in audit, accounting and business advisory services. Louis advised and worked with clients in many different industries, including manufacturing and distribution, real estate investments and construction, entertainment, and professional practitioners.
After his retirement from Grant Thornton LLP, Louis worked as the chief financial officer of Plotkin Health Inc. and MacroHealth Solutions Limited Partnership until retiring again, in August 2020. During these years, he successfully helped merge a U.S. partnership and a Canadian company to form the parent partnership of MacroHealth Solutions Ltd. Partnership, a medical cost management and solutions provider in North America.
Louis has been married for 46 years and has two sons. He and his wife love to travel and are particularly fond of cruises; they have toured North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Southern Africa. Louis is an avid sports fan and, while his playing days are over, he loves watching all sports, notably hockey, golf and rugby.
Michelle Karby (photo from Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation)
Karby is an experienced wills, estates, trusts and corporate lawyer heading up the wills and estates group at Owen Bird Law Corp. She helps clients plan, build and protect their legacies. Prior to developing her expertise in this area, Karby spent many years in and out of a courtroom honing her skills as a commercial litigator.
While born and raised in Vancouver, Karby’s adventurous spirit and love of travel translated into 18 years studying and working in places that included Montreal, Toronto, Israel, Cape Town, Melbourne and Sydney. Now settled in Vancouver with her husband and two teenage sons, Karby enjoys the beautiful natural environment, being close to her family and giving back to the community that she grew up in.
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Kimberley Berger has joined Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver as its new outreach worker in the regional communities. In particular, she will focus on White Rock, South Surrey and New Westminster.
Berger has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years, focusing on community development and family support. She has held many roles, ranging from frontline work to executive director of South Vancouver Family Place. She also dedicates time to supporting parents whose children are undergoing cancer treatment at B.C. Children’s Hospital with the West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation.
Berger believes that a strong sense of connection makes both individuals and communities more resilient. Building relationships is central to her role at Jewish Federation and in her own personal life with her family of four in East Vancouver.
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This year, the Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library raised more than $30,000 for the library. These funds will help it purchase new books and supplies for programs. Thank you to all of the Friends of the Library, and to the volunteers who helped make the fundraising a huge success.
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Boys Town Jerusalem ranked in the top 10% of 838 high schools examined over the 2021-22 academic year. (photo from Boys Town)
The Israeli Ministry of Education has granted Boys Town Jerusalem an Award for Excellence. The school ranked in the top 10% of the 838 high schools examined over the 2021-22 academic year.
In releasing its findings, the Israel Ministry of Education cited Boys Town Jerusalem (BTJ) for reaching outstanding achievements in the academic and social realms, as well as for instilling crucial ethics and values. BTJ principal Yossi Cohen noted that the prize reflects the ministry’s findings of the extraordinary efforts by BTJ instructors to spur students to reach a high academic level, avoid dropout and advance to Israel Defence Forces enlistment and higher education.
This marks the third time in the past decade that Boys Town Jerusalem has been awarded the prize for excellence, and the first time in which the school has reached the top-echelon rank. The Ministry of Education Award for Excellence includes a monetary reward for teachers among the highest-scoring schools.
In saluting BTJ’s instructors, Cohen stressed the COVID-related hardships over the past two years, which have demanded exceptional efforts to keep students focused and excelling despite the increased illness, poverty and strife they face at home.
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Cutting the ribbon, left to right, are Ruvik Danilovitch, mayor of Beer Sheva, Israel Defence Forces Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Ben-Gurion University president Daniel Chamovitz and Avi Jacobovitz, Gav-Yam real estate company director general. (photo from Canadian Associates of BGU)
A ceremony dedicating the new home of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Communications Branch School for Software and Cyber Security was held in August at the Advanced Technologies Park (ATP) located at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).
BGU president Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, IDF chief-of-staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, head of the communications branch Col. Eran Niv, Be’er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich and other officials and guests were in attendance.
The school’s new location will enable collaboration with BGU and the high-tech companies in the ATP. The school is the first of the communications branch units to move south as part of the national move to strengthen the Negev following the government decision to move the IDF south. The branch’s new main base is under construction alongside the ATP.
The move will assist in the preservation, development and empowerment of the technological human-power in the IDF while creating opportunities and a space for new collaborations in the south.
Adrienne Montani and Landon Pearson were honoured this month by the Janusz Korczak Association of Canada as the 2022 laureates of the Janusz Korczak Awards in Child Advocacy.
Jerry Nussbaum, president of the association, described the legacy of Korczak, a Polish Jewish pedagogue (born Henryk Goldszmit) whose final act was to accompany almost 200 orphans to the Treblinka death camp.
“He was devoted to children’s welfare and was a fierce advocate of loving the whole child,” said Nussbaum. “Dr. Korczak was a pediatrician, an educator, pedagogue, author, orphanage director for over 30 years, and a children’s rights advocate. His holistic approach to children’s well-being was at the time groundbreaking…. Korczak’s vision of child well-being embraced such principles as justice, dignity and equality. Korczak placed respect for the child at the heart of his vision to empower children and give them a voice in their own fate.
Korczak treated children with respect and love. This is what is often missing in the lives of children in government care.… Dr. Korczak’s legacy has never been more relevant than it is today.”
Pearson, a former senator and lifelong advocate for children, was awarded the Janusz Korczak Statuette in the virtual presentation ceremony Oct. 18. Prior to her 1994 appointment to the senate, she volunteered with local, national and international organizations concerned with children, including serving as vice-chairperson of the Canadian Commission for the International Year of the Child, in 1979. From 1984 to 1990, she served as president and then chair of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth. She was a founding member and chair of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children.
In May 1996, Pearson was named advisor on children’s rights to the minister of foreign affairs and, in 1998, she became the personal representative of the prime minister to the 2002 United Nations Special Session on Children. In 2005, she retired from the upper chamber, where she was known as the “Children’s Senator.” The statuette is presented under the patronage of the lieutenant governor of British Columbia, Janet Austin.
Pearson called Korczak a hero of hers and lauded the memory of the man who rebuffed the Nazis’ offer to spare his life at the time when the German occupiers came to liquidate the orphanage he ran in the Warsaw Ghetto. Instead, Korczak walked with the 192 children to the deportation site from which they were transferred to Treblinka, where they were murdered together.
“I’m not sure I would’ve had the courage to do that,” Pearson said.
The former senator, who is to turn 92 on Nov. 16, thanked the Korczak Association of Canada for the honour. “The opportunity to be awarded something like this at the end of my long life is deeply moving for me,” she said.
Montani was awarded the Janusz Korczak Medal, which was presented in partnership with the B.C. Representative for Children and Youth.
Montani is the executive director of First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society. Previously, she served as the child and youth advocate for the City of Vancouver, and was an elected trustee of the Vancouver School Board for six years, including three as its chair. She has worked extensively on issues of cross-cultural awareness and racism, women’s and children’s rights and the impacts of social exclusion on children and youth in low-income families.
“Elevating children’s rights to the civil and cultural priority they deserve has never been easy,” Montani told the event after she was presented the medal. “Children in B.C. are a declining portion of the population and don’t get to vote. They rely on us to speak up for them, to remember that they do have special entitlements…. The stakes are very high for them if we fail to give them the care and support they need during their childhoods. Of course, if we teach children that they have rights and [teach] society as a whole about child rights, children will be better equipped to exercise their participation rights. Parents and families will be better equipped to play their role as champions for their children and to claim their own rights, which are also in the UN Convention [on the Rights of the Child], to the supports that they need in child-rearing, whether it is adequate income, quality child care, affordable housing [or other] basic needs.”
Montani said Canada and adults elsewhere have too often come up short. “With the best of intentions, we have created a complex and very fragmented system that is full of barriers, such as waitlists and fee structures and referral systems and narrow eligibility requirements,” she said. “It’s hard for a seasoned service navigator to understand it, let alone a parent in need or in crisis. We have done this not because we want to frustrate parents or deny children services, but because we operate in a social and political environment where values other than giving children first call on our collective resources have gained ascendance. As a community, we have not lived up to our commitments in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to make the best interests of children a primary consideration.”
Lillian Boraks-Nemetz, a child survivor of the Holocaust and a board member of the Korczak association, emceed the event. She read a poem by Korczak, which she had translated into English, called “A Teacher’s Prayer.”
Boraks-Nemetz recounted her connection with the legendary doctor. They were incarcerated together in the Warsaw Ghetto and her father was friends with Korczak and assisted the doctor to obtain food for the orphans. Boraks-Nemetz visited the orphanage with her father one day and, while Korczak was not present on that occasion, she got to know him later in life through his writings, she said.
Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, British Columbia’s Representative for Children and Youth, spoke at the event and participated in the awarding of the medal and statuette. She was joined in the presentations by Dr. Christine Loock, Dr. Anton Grunfeld, Ron Friesen and Nussbaum.
Melanie Mark, B.C. Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, who was the inaugural recipient of the Korczak Medal, in 2016, congratulated the honourees. Mark was the first First Nations woman elected to the B.C. Legislature and remains the only First Nations woman to have served in cabinet. She described how both Pearson and Montani had profound impacts on her life through their shared commitment to fighting sexual exploitation, particularly of young Indigenous women.
The Canadian arm of an Israeli organization that provides volunteers for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is facing a legal challenge to show that it does not violate Canadian law.
Sar-El Canada is slated to go to court in Toronto on Nov. 23 to argue that it does not violate the Foreign Enlistment Act.
The act states that “any person who, within Canada, recruits or otherwise induces any person or body of persons to enlist or to accept any commission or engagement in the armed forces of any foreign state or other armed forces operating in that state, is guilty of an offence.”
Sar-El Canada sends 100 to 150 volunteers a year from this country to Israel, the group’s national president, Jeff Sarfin, told the CJN. He said the organization had received nothing in writing about the legal challenge, and would issue a statement when it does.
Sarfin said those behind the legal challenge “are well-known anti-Israel activists known to cause trouble” and that “we consider this a non-issue.”
The case is the latest salvo from David Mivasair, a Hamilton, Ont.-based rabbi with a long history of activism targeting Israel, who called Vancouver home for many years.
Mivasair is joined on the private prosecution by Rehab Nazzal, a Palestinian-born, Toronto-based artist who was shot in the leg in Bethlehem in 2015 while photographing an IDF “skunk” truck, a non-lethal weapon used for crowd control.
A statement issued Sept. 28, by lawyer John Philpot, claimed that Sar-El Canada “acted as an intermediary to recruit or induce individuals to volunteer in a non-combatant role with the Israeli military. It is further alleged that, once in Israel, volunteers would reside on military bases, wear military uniforms and complete tasks that would otherwise be assigned to soldiers. These tasks allegedly included (but were not limited to) packing food rations or medical kits, cleaning tanks, painting helmets, radio repairs, and gas mask refurbishment.”
On Sept. 22, a justice of the peace approved a private prosecution against Sar-El, compelling the organization to appear in court in November.
“This will be only a first appearance, and there are a number of preliminary stages that the case will need to pass through before a trial date can be scheduled,” Shane Martinez, one of the lawyers representing Mivasair and Nazzal, told the CJN.
Recruiting in Canada for volunteers to assist the Israeli military “ought to be a concern of all Canadians,” Mivasair stated in a press release. He said the matter was brought to the attention of the federal government and the Toronto Police Service and “they both failed to act. We felt obliged to bring this prosecution as a civic duty to ensure respect for the rule of law.”
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
According to the Ontario courts’ website, a private prosecution is a legal process in which a person who has reasonable grounds to believe that someone has committed a criminal offence seeks to have the person charged and brought to court. The Foreign Enlistment Act is not part of the Criminal Code but criminal proceedings arising from it are “subject to and governed by the Criminal Code.” The act sanctions fines and imprisonment for those found guilty.
Sar-El Canada’s parent organization in Israel was established 40 years ago. Sar-El (a Hebrew acronym for “Service for Israel”) was originally set up to provide volunteer labour to farmers who were called up for military service, so their crops wouldn’t fail.
Sar-El operates in more than 30 countries and has to date sent some 160,000 volunteers to Israel to provide “broad logistical support to the IDF,” its website says. Volunteering takes place on IDF bases throughout Israel.
According to Sar-El, programs offer volunteers an opportunity to live and work beside Israeli soldiers and gain an insider view of Israel. Working alongside soldiers and base employees, the “non-combat civilian support duties” encompass packing medical supplies, repairing machinery and equipment; and cleaning, painting and maintaining the base.
The Sar-El program “is a morale booster and motivator for the soldiers,” the group’s website states.
David Matas, senior legal counsel for B’nai Brith Canada, said there “is no particular reason” the complainants in the Sar-El case should bring the matter forward. Typically, victims begin a private prosecution because they feel they have been ignored or turned away by police or the Crown.
The complainants in this case “do not identify as victims of any particular act of Sar-El volunteers. None of them personally claims to have suffered a loss as a result of what a Sar-El volunteer has done.”
The Foreign Enlistment Act, meantime, does not intend to include those who are not members of the armed forces. Sar-El volunteers “do not become members of the Israel Defence Forces [and] do not enlist in the Israel Defence Forces,” Matas told the CJN. “They are non-member support for the forces.”
Matas said the Crown can intervene in a private prosecution to stay a case, and that it would be “appropriate” for that to happen in this matter.
He pointed out that Ukraine has openly called for soldiers from around the world to join the fight against Russia. Oleskandr Shevchenko, Ukraine’s consul general in Toronto, told the National Post that “hundreds” of Canadians got in touch to offer assistance.
Allowing the Sar-El prosecution to proceed “would create an arbitrary situation where help for Israel is prosecuted and help for other states under armed threat is not,” Matas said.
In a related recent development, Canada’s justice ministry dismissed a petition that had called on the Liberal government to prosecute those who recruit and encourage recruiting for the IDF.
The petition singled out the Israeli consulate in Toronto, which had advertised “on several occasions an IDF representative available for personal appointments for those wishing to join the IDF, not just those who are required to do mandatory service.”
The petition was initiated by Mivasair and presented to the House of Commons in August 2021 by Hamilton NDP MP Matthew Green, but it died on the order paper when Parliament was dissolved for the federal election that followed.
Green reintroduced the petition this past June. On Sept. 22, the justice ministry replied that responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of offences under the Foreign Enlistment Act “rests with independent law enforcement and prosecution services.”
The campaign against the IDF’s recruitment of non-Israeli citizens in Canada began two years ago when several groups and some 170 prominent Canadians asked justice minister David Lametti to investigate the issue.
Israel’s Toronto consulate decried the action as part of a campaign “that attempts to smear the state of Israel and undermine [its] steadfast alliance with Canada.”
Israel’s consulate in Montreal at the time noted that consular services it provides are reserved for Israeli citizens and do not apply to non-Israelis who volunteer for the IDF.
At a news conference in October 2020, Lametti said Israeli diplomats serving in Canada “must follow Canadian law.” He referred the matter to the RCMP, which did not return calls and emails from the CJN seeking an update on the file.
Last year, Mivasair and Palestinian activist Khaled Mouammar asked the Canada Revenue Agency to investigate the Toronto-based Canadian Zionist Cultural Association for allegedly supporting the IDF.
Last May, following Israel’s brief war with Gaza, Mivasair was charged with one count of mischief after red paint, meant to symbolize Palestinian blood shed, was dumped onto the steps of the building housing Israel’s Toronto consulate. The charge was withdrawn in January.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity (EWF) in New York is launching a new impact-driven philanthropic strategy to advance human rights around the world.
The foundation, led by Elisha and Marion Wiesel, will adopt a hybrid approach that will not only grant funds but also work with organizations directly as partners, offering access to innovative thinking partners and acting as an emblematic megaphone to champion their cause.
The foundation’s recalibrated grantmaking program will seek to fund organizations that embody Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel’s legacy as an educator and activist. Grants to educators will support moral educational programs inspired by Jewish values. The foundation is seeking to support programs and projects that foster dialogue, especially in engaging ways.
Activist grants, meanwhile, will focus on programs that restore the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population, in keeping with Elie Wiesel’s belief that “sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the centre of the universe.”
The foundation will be awarding one or more grants in each portfolio for its next cycle, ranging in size from $50,000 to $200,000. Applicants must be financially sound 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations or have a U.S.-based fiscal sponsor at the time of application, and be able to demonstrate realistic plans for carrying out the program or project for which they seek funding. Submissions will be reviewed internally through various stages and finalists will be considered by a group of notable names, passionate about the respective value track. Grant applications are being accepted online through the foundation’s website (eliewieselfoundation.org) and are due by Dec. 15, 2022.
“The values my father stood for – combating indifference, educating youth, calling out injustice and defending human rights – continue to be the moral bedrock of the Elie Wiesel Foundation,” said Elisha Wiesel. “We are so excited to announce our new grantmaking program to provide nonprofits that embody those values with the resources to achieve lasting impactful change.”
“Elie Wiesel was my dear friend and trusted partner in the fight for human rights around the world. I think it is very appropriate that his foundation put the fate of the Uyghur people as one of its main priorities and will be focused on delivering resources and moral support to those advocating for the Uyghurs,” said human rights activist and EWF advisory board member Natan Sharanksy. “The free world cannot stay silent about China’s horrific persecution of its Uyghur minority. I know firsthand the power of outside support to those standing bravely against totalitarian regimes. That is why I am glad to serve as an advisory board member at the Elie Wiesel Foundation, dealing with this issue.”
Other members of the advisory board on the Uyghur crisis include Mark Hetfield, president and chief executive officer of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the oldest resettlement organization in the world; and Gulhumar Haitiwaji, the daughter of a Uyghur woman who survived a Chinese re-education camp.
The advisory board on moral educational programs includes neuroscientist, actress, podcast host and author Mayim Bialik, an outspoken activist for mental health and Jewish causes; Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, a professor of religious studies and the director of the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Centre at Manhattan College; and Sarah Idan, the founding chief executive officer of Humanity Forward, a multi-dimensional organization that promotes education and peace.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation was established after Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Under the direction of Wiesel and his wife Marion, the foundation developed, implemented and funded several critical humanitarian programs in Israel, including the Beit Tzipora Centres and the Darfurian Refugee Program. This new direction will allow the foundation to widen its scope through meaningful, action-driven partnerships.
