freelancer

freelancer

“Threat” term problematic

When it comes to Israel, many Diaspora Jews harbor a double standard. They want their own countries to embrace pluralism and multiculturalism, owing to the kind of fluid immigration that allowed their own grandparents and great-grandparents to build a better…

At home anywhere in world

photo - Playwright, cyclist and world traveler Ira Cooper. Among his many endeavors has been teaching English in China

Playwright, cyclist and world traveler Ira Cooper. Among his many endeavors has been teaching English in China. (photo from Ira Cooper) “I lust to travel, to see places, to meet people and do theatre,” said Ira Cooper. In everything he…

Rumshinsky operetta rediscovered

image - poster of Joseph Rumshinsky’s Yiddish operetta Di Goldene Kale premièred 92 years ago at Kessler’s Second Avenue Theatre in New York

Joseph Rumshinsky’s Yiddish operetta Di Goldene Kale premièred 92 years ago at Kessler’s Second Avenue Theatre in New York, and was still being performed as late as 1948. The Aug. 5 perfomance at Nicholas Music Centre was the first since…

Student is CEO of tech firm

photo - Iddo Gino at the 2014 World Hackathon Day in Tel Aviv

Iddo Gino at the 2014 World Hackathon Day in Tel Aviv. (photo from israel21c.org) There’s something unusual about one of the startups renting co-working space in the newly opened WeWork building in Herzliya: its CEO is still in high school.…

Reading aloud aids learning

An important tip from Israeli experts: children recall information better when they repeat the material aloud. This is the conclusion of a study conducted at Israel’s Ariel University by Prof. Michal Ichet from the department of communication disorders in collaboration…

סטטיסטיקה של עשירים בעלי מזל

photo - Diana Miller and Peter McCathie

פיטר מקאסי ודיאנה מילר. (צילום: @AL_Lottery) סטטיסטיקה של עשירים בעלי מזל : קנדי שניצל ממכה של ברק זכה במכה של הלוטו כל פעם לפני הגרלת לוטו עם פרס גדול מציינים המומחים לסטטיסטיקה בהרחבה באמצעי התקשורת, שיש סיכוי גדול יותר להיפגע…

תוגברו אמצעי הביטחון

photo - John and Amanda take Mary Kuroda, who planned to blow up the province's legislature in Victoria

ג’ון נוטל ואמנדה מרי קורודי, שתכננו לפוצץ את בית המחוקקים של המחוז בוויקטוריה. (צילום: RCMP) תוגברו אמצעי הביטחון בקהילה היהודית לאור פרשת הזוג נוטל וקורודי שהתאסלמו ותכננו להרוג ילדים יהודים  זוג קנדי שהתאסלם תכנן להסתנן לאחד מבתי בית כנסת יהודיים…

הצגת היחיד

One-man show "My First Sony" with Roy Horovitz

 הצגת היחיד “מיי פירסט סוני” עם רועי הורוביץ. (צילום: Erez Schwarzbaum) הצגת היחיד “מיי פירסט סוני” של בני ברבש עם רועי הורוביץ תשתתף בפסטיבל הפרינג’ בוונקובר הצגת היחיד “מיי פירסט סוני” תשתתף בפסטיבל הפרינג’ של ונקובר בחודש הבא. ההצגה תועלה…

Trudeau talks with the JI

photo - Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau in an interview with Cynthia Ramsay of the Jewish Independent

Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau in an interview with Cynthia Ramsay of the Jewish Independent. (photo by Adam Scotti) Justin Trudeau said he is cautiously optimistic about the Iran nuclear deal, insisted he is committed to fighting ISIS…

Working for climate justice

photo - Left to right, Talia Martz-Oberlander, Stephanie Glanzmann, Erin Fitz, Mike Houliston and Frances Ramsey wait in Wai Young’s office for a meeting with the MP on July 3, as part of a cross-Canada call for action on climate change

Left to right, Talia Martz-Oberlander, Stephanie Glanzmann, Erin Fitz, Mike Houliston and Frances Ramsey wait in Wai Young’s office for a meeting with the MP on July 3, as part of a cross-Canada call for action on climate change. (photo…

Another option?

When the Iranian nuclear agreement was revealed recently, a former Swedish prime minister tweeted: “I think the work of the Nobel committee of the Norwegian Parliament this year just got much easier.” The work of the Nobel committee has not…

Poet chooses politics over love?

In times of protracted conflict, can matters of the heart exist apart from politics? An award-winning documentary from Israeli filmmaker Ibtisam Mara’ana Menuhin left me at once spellbound, uplifted, sad and restless, as I found myself wrestling with this question.…

Reva Stone at ISEA2015

photo - Winnipeg artist Reva Stone is interested in “examining ideas about the mediation between our bodies and the technologies that are altering how we interact with the world.”

Winnipeg artist Reva Stone is interested in “examining ideas about the mediation between our bodies and the technologies that are altering how we interact with the world.” (photo by Harold Stone) The International Symposium on Electronic Art comes to Vancouver…

Come on out to Pride festival

photo - Last year, Yad b’Yad, Hillel BC and others joined the Pride parade. This year, they will host a booth at Sunset Beach, which will allow them to engage more in discussion with festival-goers

Last year, Yad b’Yad, Hillel BC and others joined the Pride parade. This year, they will host a booth at Sunset Beach, which will allow them to engage more in discussion with festival-goers. (photo from Hillel BC) The Jewish contingent…

Making lasting connections

photo - Salome Henry, second from the right, in Jerusalem on her Ambassadors to Poland trip with, left to right, Deborah Stein, Ashley Solomon and Zahava Rothschild

Salome Henry, second from the right, in Jerusalem on her Ambassadors to Poland trip with, left to right, Deborah Stein, Ashley Solomon and Zahava Rothschild. (photo from Salome Henry) The Anne Samson Jerusalem Journey (TJJ) is trying to increase Jewish…

“Like a bolt from the blue”

photo - Louis and Toby Rubinowitz and their son, Israel, are buried together in the Jewish section of Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery, while Toby’s sister Sarah is buried separately

Louis and Toby Rubinowitz and their son, Israel, are buried together in the Jewish section of Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery, while Toby’s sister Sarah is buried separately. (photo by Cynthia Ramsay) “Like a bolt from the blue, and to my profound…

Expanding free trade

photo - On July 21, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that negotiations toward an expanded and modernized Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) had concluded.

On July 21, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that negotiations toward an expanded and modernized Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) had concluded. “Israel is a priority market for Canada and holds great potential for Canadian companies in a variety of…

Mystery photo … July 31/15

Three men eating at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, circa 1965. Rabbi Marvin Hier is sitting on right but the men on the left are unidentified

Three men eating at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, circa 1965. Rabbi Marvin Hier is sitting on right but the men on the left are unidentified. (photo from JWB fonds; JMABC L.11568) If you know someone in these…

רצח מקומי

רצח מקומי: ישראלי נרצח בקנדה קרוב לוודאי על רקע רומנטי גבר ישראלי נרצח בעיר קוקויטלם ביום חמישי לפני שבועיים, קרוב לוודאי על רקע רומנטי. גופתו של הישראלי ביחד עם גופתה של אישה מקומית בת חמישים ושש, נמצאו באותו בית ברחוב אלפין…

A BuzzFeed video master

photo - Allison Raskin, left, produces a weekly webseries, Just Between Us, with her best friend and comedy partner, Gaby Dunn

Allison Raskin, left, produces a weekly webseries, Just Between Us, with her best friend and comedy partner, Gaby Dunn. (photo from Allison Raskin) Tens of millions of online viewers may have learned a little bit more about being Jewish after…

Thirty years and counting

photo - Warren Kimmel as Javert in Arts Club Theatre’s Les Misérables

Warren Kimmel as Javert in Arts Club Theatre’s Les Misérables. (photo by Ross den Otter) This October will mark the 30th anniversary of one of the most adored, reproduced, translated and recorded performances of our time. If you are one…

TUTS takes on light and dark

photo - Dustin Freeland as Link Larkin, Erin E. Walker as Tracy Turnblad, Hannah Williams as Penny Pingleton and ensemble members in Hairspray

Dustin Freeland as Link Larkin, Erin E. Walker as Tracy Turnblad, Hannah Williams as Penny Pingleton and ensemble members in Hairspray. (photo by Tim Matheson) When Theatre Under the Stars announced its lineup earlier this year, I was excited. I’d…

Shakespeare musical

photo - Left to right, Jay Hindle, Josh Epstein and Daniel Doheny in Bard on the Beach’s Love’s Labor’s Lost

Left to right, Jay Hindle, Josh Epstein and Daniel Doheny in Bard on the Beach’s Love’s Labor’s Lost. (photo by David Blue) How do you get more people interested in Shakespeare? Give ’em what they want – music, song, dance,…

Journey is a crucial experience

photo - The Coast-to-Coast March of the Living group, as well as a few Israeli youth, in Israel

The Coast-to-Coast March of the Living group, as well as a few Israeli youth, in Israel. (photo from Talya Katzen) This past spring, I took part in the March of the Living 2015 program – a two-week trip to Poland…

What’s next with Iran deal

Given the copious amount that has been written on the Iran deal, we publish this summary of key points by American Jewish Congress to help readers wade through the various articles and blogs, and form their own opinion about the…

Our right to discussion

Pamela Geller is a bully of global standing. And recently she turned her sights on our community. Geller is an American writer, blogger, activist and president of the American Freedom Defence Initiative, which the respected Southern Poverty Law Centre calls…

Housing groups meet

On June 14, the board and staff members of all the Jewish housing societies met to discuss the progress they have made, the issues they are facing both collectively and individually, and how they can work together to solve them.…

Impromptu interview

image - Socalled Peoplewatching CD cover

After having spent decades trying to visit Wilensky’s lunch counter, made famous by the Mordecai Richler novel and film The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, I finally made it to the weekday-only Mile End joint in Montreal a couple of months…

A solution for cyberbullying

photo - Alon Bar-David, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Red Button

Alon Bar-David, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Red Button. (photo from Red Button) While cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, bullying is as old as human history. From the playground to the office to cyberspace, it is remarkably transferable…