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freelancer

Sanders – both prophet and king?

Bernie Sanders is the first Jew (and first non-Christian) ever to win a presidential primary and be seriously considered as a candidate for the American presidency. Reactions from the Jewish community have been mixed and mostly pretty quiet. Sanders is…

Election bid put into context

photo - U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaking at a town meeting at the Phoenix Convention Centre in Arizona in July 2015. While a Jewish American president would be a first, many other countries have had Jewish leaders

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaking at a town meeting at the Phoenix Convention Centre in Arizona in July 2015. While a Jewish American president would be a first, many other countries have had Jewish leaders. (photo from Flickr user Gage…

Teaching young chefs

photo - Deborah French’s children – Henry, Elisheva, Amariah and Rafaella – about to enjoy the fruits of their labor, having made their first chocolate cake. French published The Cookbook for Children with Special Needs in 2015

Deborah French’s children – Henry, Elisheva, Amariah and Rafaella – about to enjoy the fruits of their labor, having made their first chocolate cake. French published The Cookbook for Children with Special Needs in 2015. (photo from Deborah French) Deborah…

Synagogue more inclusive

photo - At Zemer Hazayit, a Modern Orthodox congregation in Efrat, when the Torah reading is finished, the scroll is passed from the men’s side to a woman who takes it through the women’s side

At Zemer Hazayit, a Modern Orthodox congregation in Efrat, when the Torah reading is finished, the scroll is passed from the men’s side to a woman who takes it through the women’s side. (photo from David Bollag) Ten years ago,…

Golda Meir lived her beliefs

photo - Foreign Minister of Israel Golda Meir meets with U.S. President John F. Kennedy on Dec. 27, 1962

Foreign Minister of Israel Golda Meir meets with U.S. President John F. Kennedy on Dec. 27, 1962. (photo by Cecil Stoughton, National Archives and Records Administration, via commons.wikimedia.org) Few people reach the pinnacle of power in their country of origin. Even fewer…

שרנסקי תומך בפדרציה על החלטתה

photo - Natan Sharansky

נתן שרנסקי (צילום: Nathan Roi via Wikimedia Commons) הפדרציה היהודית של אזור ונקובר ממשיכה לקבל תמיכה רחבה לאור החלטתה לקיים את המופע של הזמרת אחינועם ניני, במסגרת חגיגות יום העצמאות. עתה מתברר שראשי הסוכנות היהודית בישראל שלחו אגרות ברכה לפדרציה…

LEAF works for equality

photo - Michele Landsberg and her daughter, Ilana Landsberg-Lewis

Michele Landsberg and her daughter, Ilana Landsberg-Lewis. (photo from West Coast LEAF) Michele Landsberg and her daughter Ilana Landsberg-Lewis laughed and spoke over each other in an animated joint telephone interview with the Jewish Independent. The two women, who are among…

Miller’s urgency to create

photo - Gallim Dance performs the Canadian première of Wonderland at Chutzpah! March 10-13

Gallim Dance performs the Canadian première of Wonderland at Chutzpah! March 10-13. (photo by Yaniv Schulman) Gallim Dance’s Wonderland premières in Canada at the Chutzpah! Festival March 10-13. It was inspired by artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s Head On, which is an…

Mixed reaction to Nini

photo - Achinoam Nini at the 21st UNESCO Charity Gala 2012 in Dusseldorf, Germany

Achinoam Nini at the 21st UNESCO Charity Gala 2012 in Dusseldorf, Germany. (photo by Michael Schilling via commons.wikimedia.org) The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s invitation to Israeli singer Achinoam Nini (Noa) to perform at the community’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations has received…

Holocaust awareness

photo - The Post-Survivor Exhibit in Mystic Market, one of the busiest spots on campus

The Post-Survivor Exhibit in Mystic Market, one of the busiest spots on campus. (photo by Chorong Kim) The following remarks have been modified from the original address given during Hillel Victoria’s Second Annual Holocaust Awareness Presentation during Holocaust Awareness Week,…

The West Coast style

photo - Oberlander Residence II, Vancouver. Peter Oberlander and Barry Downs, architects, 1969

Oberlander Residence II, Vancouver. Peter Oberlander and Barry Downs, architects, 1969. Photograph by Selwyn Pullan, 1970. Courtesy of West Vancouver Museum. New Ways of Living: Jewish Architects in Vancouver, 1955 to 1975, “focuses on two significant expressions of modernism in…

Join the wedding party

photo - Left to right, Laura Luongo (Mindy), Melanie Preston (Georgeanne), Michelle Weisbom (Meredith), Devon Oakander (Tripp), Christine Reinfort (Trisha) and Yvette Benson (Frances) in Metro Theatre’s production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress

Left to right, Laura Luongo (Mindy), Melanie Preston (Georgeanne), Michelle Weisbom (Meredith), Devon Oakander (Tripp), Christine Reinfort (Trisha) and Yvette Benson (Frances) in Metro Theatre’s production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. (photo by Tracy-Lynn Chernaske) The wedding reception thrown by…

More than physical strength

photo - Leah Goldstein shares her life story in No Limits

Leah Goldstein shares her life story in No Limits. (photo from Leah Goldstein) Leah Goldstein put the “severe” into persevere. The physical demands and rigors she has experienced in her life include being a kickboxing champion, a Taekwondo champion, a…

Barbershop memories

book cover - Christopher Best’s recent book, My Greek Barber’s Diary

Christopher Best’s recent book, My Greek Barber’s Diary, is a biography of George Chronopoulos, told in the barber’s own words. In recent years, Best has been writing about history and people. Not celebrities but regular citizens who have made Canada…

Legacy of caring and giving

photo - Rose’s Angels: Courtney Cohen, centre, is holding two bags, and Lynne Fader is to Cohen’s left. The two women created the group in honor of Rose Lewin, Cohen’s grandmother

Rose’s Angels: Courtney Cohen, centre, is holding two bags, and Lynne Fader is to Cohen’s left. The two women created the group in honor of Rose Lewin, Cohen’s grandmother. (photo by Lianne Cohen) Each Rose’s Angels contributor, supporter and volunteer…

The real purpose of BDS

screenshot - Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has said, “I will not accept a Jewish state.”

While the three stated goals of the boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) movement are an end to Israel’s “occupation” of “Arab lands occupied in June 1967,” equal rights for Arab Israelis and the right of return for Palestinian refugees (bdsmovement.net),…

Investing in Israel’s people

photo - English class at Shaked School in Raanana. The school participates in the Arab Teacher Integration in Jewish Schools program. The teacher’s name is Fatam and she is from the Arab town of Tayibe

English class at Shaked School in Raanana. The school participates in the Arab Teacher Integration in Jewish Schools program. The teacher’s name is Fatam and she is from the Arab town of Tayibe. (photo from Merchavim) In a country of…

Mystery photo … Feb. 26/16

photo - Pioneer Women meeting, circa 1960. Cissie Eppel is sitting second from left

Pioneer Women meeting, circa 1960. Cissie Eppel is sitting second from left. (photo from JWB fonds, JMABC L.12598) If you know someone in this photo, please help the JI fill the gaps of its predecessor’s (the Jewish Western Bulletin’s) collection…

Dementia, cinema’s darling

photo - Julianne Moore as Alice in Still Alice

Julianne Moore as Alice in Still Alice. (photo by Jojo Whilden, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics) Fifteen years ago, the subject of dementia was the “elephant in the room,” a very large issue that everyone is acutely aware of, but…

From Orumieh to Winnipeg

photo - Farhad Sultanpour of the Kurdish Association of Manitoba speaks to members of the Winnipeg Jewish community and others

Farhad Sultanpour of the Kurdish Association of Manitoba speaks to members of the Winnipeg Jewish community and others. (photo by Yolanda Papini Pollock) According to Farhad Sultanpour of the Kurdish Association of Manitoba, Kurds are the largest nation of people…

March of the Living impact

March of the Living International (MOLI) has published a study examining the effects that the program has had on its participants. The educational program takes, on average, 10,000-20,000 students annually to Poland and Israel with the goal of educating and…

Aftermath of trauma

Sometimes there are jokes about how we’re all emotionally damaged to some degree. It’s a serious problem for us, because we all lived through wars and terror attacks,” shared Canadian-Israeli Yolanda Papini Pollock of Winnipeg Friends of Israel (WFI) at…

Safety in home births

With only about five percent of Canadians giving birth at home, one might think the practice is dangerous and that is why the number is so low. On the contrary. Studies show that, as long as the mother is at…

Art therapy kits to families

photo - United Hatzalah of Israel and Artists 4 Israel distributed art therapy kits to families in southern Israel and held a program that included visits by graffiti artists who worked with teens to paint neighborhood bomb shelters

United Hatzalah of Israel and Artists 4 Israel distributed art therapy kits to families in southern Israel and held a program that included visits by graffiti artists who worked with teens to paint neighborhood bomb shelters. (photo from United Hatzalah…

Abrahamic faiths’ traditions

photo - A chuppah in Jerusalem

A chuppah in Jerusalem. (photo by Nikki Fenton) Mazal tov. Mabrouk. Congratulations. No matter one’s religion or language, a wedding is generally a joyous occasion. While there is no apparent consensus, varying reports say that between 60% and 80% of…

התפתחות מפתיעה לגבי המופע של אחינועם ניני

photo - Achinoam Nini

אחינועם ניני (צילום: noasmusic.com) התפתחות מפתיעה לגבי המופע של אחינועם ניני: שגרירות ישראל בקנדה תעניק חסות לאירוע שמעורר הדים התפתחות מפתיעה לגבי המופע של הזמרת אחינועם ניני ביום העצמאות בוונקובר. נציגיה הרשמיים של מדינת ישראל החליטו להעניק חסות למופע של…

Let’s talk about Nini …

screenshot - Noa’s official website, where she shows that she retains a sense of humor towards the press

Screenshot of Noa’s official website, where she shows that she retains a sense of humor towards the press: “Believe half of what you hear and nothing of what you read! :)” Internationally known, award-winning Israeli singer and songwriter Achinoam Nini –…

פרק נוסף בפרשת אחינועם ניני

photo - Achinoam Nini

אחינועם ניני (צילום: Rs-foto via Commons Wikimedia) פרק נוסף בפרשת אחינועם ניני: קק”ל מתנגדת להחלטת השלוחה בקנדה לביטול החסות להופעה בוונקובר הקרן הקיימת לישראל מתנגדת להחלטת השלוחה הקנדית של הארגון לבטל את החסות להופעתה של הזמרת, אחינועם ניני, במופע המרכזי…

Leaving some things hidden

photo - Olga Campbell and Larry Green’s shared exhibit at the Zack, Hidden, is on until March 6

Olga Campbell and Larry Green’s shared exhibit at the Zack, Hidden, is on until March 6. (photo by Olga Livshin) In the new exhibit at Zack Gallery, Hidden, the pieces are united not only by theme but also by media.…

Don’t let the fear overwhelm

photo - Itai Erdal brings A Very Narrow Bridge to Chutzpah! March 5-13

Itai Erdal brings A Very Narrow Bridge to Chutzpah! March 5-13. (photo by Emily Cooper) There’s the family into which you were born, and the families you create yourself. Itai Erdal has built a life in which he is surrounded…