Children at camp age
Grade 10 girls at camp. The author’s kids came back from camp inspired by the Jewish teens leading and caring for their group and wanted nothing more than to be ensconced in that same atmosphere the following year. (photo from…
Op-Ed
Perspective gained at camp
On a logging road near Smithers, B.C., the Unist’ot’en people occupy their traditional land in order to stop work on the 11 pipeline projects that would run through the area. Located beside Wedjin Kwa (Morice River), the camp is one…
Denkmal
This is not about Dachau, although these things happened there. When my son and I visited the Denkmal, as the Germans refer to Dachau, it was late afternoon, and it was deserted. The weather was rainy and cool. Vancouver weather:…
Comparing refugee response
While American political discourse around whether to accept Syrian refugees smolders under the embers of xenophobia, Canadians have been opening their hearts and their wallets to bring in Syrian refugees. Canada is one of the only countries with a private…
Are food banks here to stay?
In March 2013, 833,098 persons were served by food banks in Canada. Food bank use remains high and many Canadians depend on food banks for weekly, semi-monthly or monthly grocery items in order to put food on the table. One-half…
Remain open to discussion
As hot as things have become in Israel and the West Bank over the last many weeks with escalating violence, here in North America a chill is palpable. It comes in the form of silencing within and across communities –…
Kohelet and Kristallnacht
“Vanity of vanities. All is vanity.” The day of remembrance for Kristallnacht was this week. Looking at what’s happening in Israel and globally, I’m reminded of the Preacher. By the Preacher, I mean Kohelet, traditionally thought to be King Solomon,…
Need different view of Jerusalem
Sirens always make me pause. I fall silent and count one off, praying that there won’t be another. Because two sirens, as we used to say, are not women in labor. Distant memories from the Intifada segue into those of…
Learning from the Holocaust
The following remarks have been slightly modified from the original address given at the closing session of the interdisciplinary conference Global Connections: Critical Holocaust Education in a Time of Transition, which took place at the University of Victoria Sept. 1-3.…
From Israel to Poland
Dor Brown wrapped in the Israeli flag as he approaches Treblinka death camp. (photo from Dor Brown) Israel’s Journey to Poland – the equivalent of the Diaspora’s March of the Living, but without the Israel portion – is organized by…
