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Implant first in world

photo - Cardiologist Gil Bolotin checks patient Robert MacLachlan, the first in the world to receive the CORolla implant, at Rambam hospital

Cardiologist Gil Bolotin checks patient Robert MacLachlan, the first in the world to receive the CORolla implant, at Rambam hospital. (photo by Pioter Fliter/RHCC) A 72-year-old Canadian man has become the world’s first recipient of an Israeli-developed implant to treat…

Can you hear me now?

photo - The black dial phone in the Jerusalem residence of former prime minister Levi Eshkol

The black dial phone in the Jerusalem residence of former prime minister Levi Eshkol. (photo by Sharon Altshul) Around Rosh Hashanah, some of us do this back-and-forth dance, reflecting on things past while looking ahead. As I live in Israel,…

Israel joins the fruit-fly fight

photo - Biofeed’s Nimrod Israely, top centre, with mango growers in Karnataka, India

Biofeed’s Nimrod Israely, top centre, with mango growers in Karnataka, India. (photo from Biofeed via Israel21c) Shortly before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in early July, Indian diplomats in Israel heard about a revolutionary no-spray, environmentally friendly…

A holiday for memories

When it comes to Rosh Hashanah, I’m a big fan. It’s hard not to love a Jewish holiday that’s all about spiritual renewal, deep reflection and heartfelt promises to work harder to present our “better selves” to those around us.…

What kids can teach

photo - This year, instead of seeing your children as a distraction from the path to spiritual preparation for the High Holidays, look to them to guide you towards a year of growth. (photo from IMP Group)

Rosh Hashanah is a time to take stock of the previous year and prepare yourself spiritually for the year ahead. But for those of us with busy families, it can be hard to squeeze time for reflection into the round…

Recipes for a tradition

photo - Pomegranates

(photo by Noa Fisher via PikiWiki-Israel) Pomegranates are referred to in the Bible in many various ways. In the sensual poetry of Song of Songs, we read, “I went down into the garden of nuts … to see whether the…

A rabbi’s dream come true

photo - New York Rabbi Aaron Laine first arrived at Beth El, an Ashkenazi congregation in the Panama subdivision of Paitilla, 23 years ago

New York Rabbi Aaron Laine first arrived at Beth El, an Ashkenazi congregation in the Panama subdivision of Paitilla, 23 years ago. (photo by Lauren Kramer) Imagine being a rabbi at the helm of a community where Judaism is actively…

City overflowing with history

photo - The early 20th-century Casa Bianca is today one of the locations of the Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki (Salonika)

The early 20th-century Casa Bianca is today one of the locations of the Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki (Salonika). (photo by Pappasadrian) When you think Salonika, don’t think old, think ancient. Because of its geographic location on the Via Egnatia…

Charleston’s southern charm

photo - The Orthodox synagogue Brith Sholom Beth Israel

The Orthodox synagogue Brith Sholom Beth Israel. (photo from jsilverman.weebly.com) Charleston, S.C., is one of the most popular travel destinations in the United States. With its perfectly preserved old mansions, Charleston has charm and grace, in addition to genuine human…

Betalains boost resistance?

photos - Unripe (top) and ripe (bottom) tomatoes. Regular tomatoes (far left) start out green (far left top) and turn red when ripe (far left bottom). In contrast, genetically engineered tomatoes assume different shades of red-violet, depending on whether they produce betalains (the column second from left), pigments called anthocyanins (second from right) or betalains together with anthocyanins (far right)

Unripe (top) and ripe (bottom) tomatoes. Regular tomatoes (far left) start out green (far left top) and turn red when ripe (far left bottom). In contrast, genetically engineered tomatoes assume different shades of red-violet, depending on whether they produce betalains…

האופציה הקנדית

photo - In the Trump era, the Canadian option is gaining momentum among Israelis and Americans alike

בעידן טראמפ: האופציה הקנדית תופסת תאוצה אצל ישראלים ואמריקנים כאחד. (צילום: Cynthia Ramsay) בעידן הנשיא האמריקני השערורייתי ביותר בתולדות המדינה, דונלד טראמפ, האופציה לעבור לקנדה תופסת תאוצה אצל אמריקנים וגם אצל ישראלים. כך מסתבר. עיתונאית הארץ, נעמי דרום, שגרה עם…

Meet award-winning artists

book cover - Seeking Refuge

Seeking Refuge, written by Irene Watts and illustrated by Kathryn Shoemaker, has been shortlisted for the 2017 Vine Awards for Canadian Jewish Literature. Published by Tradewind Books, the graphic novel is one of the three finalists in the children’s/young adult…

Sumekh swipes out hunger

photo - Rachel Sumekh is one of five speakers who will participate in FEDtalks Sept. 13

Rachel Sumekh is one of five speakers who will participate in FEDtalks Sept. 13. (photo from Rachel Sumekh) University students with meal plans often end a semester or term with a surplus on their cafeteria swipe card. Whether because they…

Unity, not uniformity, Hillel’s goal

photo - Eric Fingerhut, chief executive officer of Hillel International, will be part of FEDtalks on Sept. 13

Eric Fingerhut, chief executive officer of Hillel International, will be part of FEDtalks on Sept. 13. (photo from Hillel International) There are internal and external challenges facing the Jewish community, said Eric Fingerhut, and their solutions will come from the…

Newcomers settling in

photo - From left to right: Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, Meha Qewas, the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, Hesen Mostefa, Brenda Karp and two of the Mostefas’ children

From left to right: Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, Meha Qewas, the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, Hesen Mostefa, Brenda Karp and two of the Mostefas’ children. (photo from Temple Sholom) “I am not scared,” says Meha Qewas, sitting at her small dining table…

Not a voice for peace

The American organization Jewish Voice for Peace claims as its mission the achievement of “a lasting peace for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis based on equality, human rights and freedom.” As anyone living in 2017 knows, words are occasionally empty vessels,…

Trying to be gracious of spirit

My family recently came back from a trip to Alberta. My husband (a professor) helped run a conference at the University of Calgary. We took our twins and went on vacation, too. I won’t lie. I felt intimidated about managing…

What does future hold?

photo - Jewish community member mia amir is the dramaturg of Wypsa, which is at the Fringe Festival until Sept. 16

Jewish community member mia amir is the dramaturg of Wypsa, which is at the Fringe Festival until Sept. 16. While the plot of Wyspa may bring to mind William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the book was not a direct…

Volunteer to tutor students

photo - Chabad Richmond is looking for seniors to teach English to Israelis

Chabad Richmond is looking for seniors to teach English to Israelis. (photo from chabadrichmond.com) Want to make a difference in the lives of Israeli teens? Consider Israel Connect, a volunteer program where Vancouver retirees engage via Zoom (it’s like Skype)…

Fighting for peace, or to win?

photo - We need to redefine our “opponents.” In the news, it’s whites against blacks, Palestinians against Israelis. But we don’t have to accept these categories. In Pittsburgh, you can find black and white, Jewish and Arab Steelers fans united against the New England Patriots

We need to redefine our “opponents.” In the news, it’s whites against blacks, Palestinians against Israelis. But we don’t have to accept these categories. In Pittsburgh, you can find black and white, Jewish and Arab Steelers fans united against the…

Atheism has a long history

book cover - Battling the Gods

The title of a book review in Biblical Archaeology Review caught my eye, “Ancient atheism.” I read, “A common assumption is that atheism – a lack of belief in gods and the supernatural – is a recent phenomenon, brought on…

שישה סרטים ישראלים בפסטיבל של טורונטו

photo - Montana is the first film of the director and screenwriter Limor Shmil….

“מונטנה” סרט הביכורים של הבימאית והתסריטאית לימור שמילה (שהייתה עד כה מלהקת מוכרת של סרטים). (צילום: tiff.net/tiff/montana) ישראל נמצאת במקום מכובד בעולם מבחינת היצירה הקולנועית. זאת לאור העובדה שלא פחות משישה סרטים ישראלים ישתתפו השנה בפסטיבל הסרטים הבינלאומי של טורונטו,…

Making discourse civil

photo - Rabbi Jay Henry Moses will speak at FEDtalks on Sept. 13

Rabbi Jay Henry Moses will speak at FEDtalks on Sept. 13. (photo from Rabbi Jay Henry Moses) While hate groups and their opponents across North America rally, and sometimes brawl, proponents of civil discourse are teaching people to communicate effectively…

Talmud Torah celebrates 100

photo - Vancouver Talmud Torah’s expanded new campus includes many collaborative spaces

Vancouver Talmud Torah’s expanded new campus includes many collaborative spaces. (photo from VTT) On Sept. 17, Vancouver Talmud Torah will mark its centenary, celebrating “its humble beginnings as an afterschool cheder to the VTT of today – a modern, state-of-the-art…

The making of VTT Onward

photo - Adam Bogoch and Cynthia Ramsay at Main Street Brewery, where they discussed, among other things, Adam’s documentary film about Vancouver Talmud Torah

Adam Bogoch and Cynthia Ramsay at Main Street Brewery, where they discussed, among other things, Adam’s documentary film about Vancouver Talmud Torah. (photo by Adam Bogoch) As I watched filmmaker and writer Adam Bogoch briefly consider jaywalking across Main Street…

How we memorialize the past

The most recent racist conflagration in the United States was ignited, ostensibly, by the removal (or threatened removal) of Confederate commemorative statues and plaques. We say ostensibly because it seemed some people were just itching for a fight and this…

Delving into the past

book cover - Mouth of Truth

Lillian Boraks-Nemetz’s newest book, Mouth of Truth (Ekstasis Editions, 2017) is not an easy, escape-from-reality read, but it’s an interesting and important read. What does it mean to be a survivor? How does one person’s trauma affect those around them?…

Thrilled by community

photo - Rabbi Philip Gibbs is the new spiritual leader of Congregation Har El

Rabbi Philip Gibbs is the new spiritual leader of Congregation Har El. (photo from Rabbi Philip Gibbs) Rabbi Philip Gibbs, who took up the pulpit at Congregation Har El / North Shore Jewish Community Centre in July, had an unusually…