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CANCELED Statements on The Runner

The Jewish Independent received the following statements regarding the play The Runner after the Belfry Theatre in Victoria canceled the scheduled March performances of the play, which is set to run as part of the PuSh Festival in Vancouver Jan.…

Prof: “no choice but to resign”

photo - Dr. Ted Rosenberg

Dr. Ted Rosenberg (photo from BC College of Family Physicians) Ted Rosenberg has stepped down from his post as a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine, citing an unsafe environment, following his repeated attempts…

Celebration of courage

screenshot - A still from the documentary Passage to Sweden, which will screen as part of the annual Raoul Wallenberg Day for Civil Courage event on Jan. 21

A still from the documentary Passage to Sweden, which will screen as part of the annual Raoul Wallenberg Day for Civil Courage event on Jan. 21. This year’s annual Raoul Wallenberg Day for Civil Courage gathering, on Sunday, Jan. 21,…

Peer support’s long history

The Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver has invited Honoré France, a scholar on aging and expert on peer support, to speak via Zoom on Jan. 22. He will discuss the topic Discovering the Essential Importance of Seniors Supporting Seniors.…

Pinsky pens family memoir

In his ambiguously titled book Ordinary, Extraordinary: My Father’s Life, Vancouver lawyer and community leader Bernard Pinsky shares the biography of Rubin Pinsky. As the pages turn, the reader realizes that ordinariness and extraordinariness really do describe the tale of…

Ventanas return to city

photo - Tamar Ilana & Ventanas play at the Rothstein Theatre Feb. 3

Tamar Ilana & Ventanas play at the Rothstein Theatre Feb. 3. (photo by Ali Wasti) The Chutzpah! Festival and Caravan World Rhythms co-present Tamar Ilana & Ventanas on Feb. 3, 8 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre.  Founded in 2011, Ventanas interweaves flamenco,…

What is life’s purpose?

image - In her graphic memoir, Artificial: A Love Story, Amy Kurzweil tackles many existential questions, framed around her father’s quest to resurrect his father using artificial intelligence. Kurzweil participates in the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival Feb. 12

In her graphic memoir, Artificial: A Love Story, Amy Kurzweil tackles many existential questions, framed around her father’s quest to resurrect his father using artificial intelligence. Kurzweil participates in the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival Feb. 12. The purpose…

Judges slap down Knesset

Israel’s government pushed the country’s Supreme Court into a corner – but instead of weakening the judicial system and putting more power into the hands of the government, which was the aim of the coalition’s judicial reform package, the gambit…

Learning, living coexistence

photo - Hand in Hand (Yad b’Yad) is a group of Israeli schools where Jewish and Arab students learn together. Its co-founder, Lee Gordon, was in Vancouver last month

Hand in Hand (Yad b’Yad) is a group of Israeli schools where Jewish and Arab students learn together. Its co-founder, Lee Gordon, was in Vancouver last month (photo from Hand in Hand) Lee Gordon, co-founder of Hand in Hand (Yad…

Focus during distracted times

As a freelancer, I often find interesting work opportunities that don’t pan out. I spent time in December applying for an editor gig that involved editing summaries of literature to provide students with educational support. I used to think these…

Pride in being “just a Jew”

There is an age-old question that frequently nags at us along our journey of life: “Who am I?” I’ve struggled with it, and perhaps you have as well. When you ask yourself “Who am I?” you probably start by listing…

Most magical place on earth

photo - Mairav Robens-Paradise, right, has found her community, and so much more, at Camp Miriam. Her closest, deepest relationships are the friendships she has made through camp

Mairav Robens-Paradise, right, has found her community, and so much more, at Camp Miriam. Her closest, deepest relationships are the friendships she has made through camp. (photo from Camp Miriam) Last summer was my 11th year at Camp Miriam. Even…

Building teen togetherness

photo - Yachad activities in summer 2023 included one where campers were given a large box, tape, bubble wrap and scissors and told to make a functioning boat

Yachad activities in summer 2023 included one where campers were given a large box, tape, bubble wrap and scissors and told to make a functioning boat. (photo from Camp Hatikvah) In the summer of 2023, Camp Hatikvah introduced a new…

Three essential life lessons

photo - Time at summer camp is an incredible gift to give kids and teens

Time at summer camp is an incredible gift to give kids and teens. (photo from Camp Kalsman) In a world where children and teens are met with a barrage of external pressures telling them who they should idolize, what they…

הגנה על סטודנטים יהודים באוניברסיטאות קנדיות ועוד חדשות

חמישה חברי פרלמנט ליברלים בקנדה שלחו מכתב לראשי עשרים וחמש אוניברסיטאות במדינה, בו ביקשו מהם להצהיר האם קריאה לרצח עם נגד יהודים או חיסול ישראל מפרה את מדיניות האוניברסיטאות שלהם שאלה דומה שהופנתה כלפי ראשי שלוש האוניברסיטאות היוקרתיות בארה”ב נתקלה…

גידול משמעותי באנטישמיות נגד יהודים וישראלים בקנדה

 לאור אירועי המלחמה בין ישראל לחמאס בעזה נרשם גידול משמעותי באנטישמיות בקנדה, נגד יהודים וישראלים. זאת, בדומה לגידול באנטישמיות בארצות הברית הסמוכה ומדינות אירופה השונות. בקנדה יש לזכור קיים הריכוז של היהודים מהגדולים בעולם (מחוץ לישראל) בשכונת פורסט היל בטורונטו…

Vigils spotlight women, children

Weekly vigils calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza continue weekly at the Vancouver Art Gallery. On Nov. 26, the vigil spotlighted female victims of the atrocities and emphasized the hypocrisy of many groups, including UN Women, an…

Omnitsky Kosher Deli sold

photo - Eppy Rappaport with daughters Aviva, left, and Lauren before the opening of Omnitsky’s

Eppy Rappaport with daughters Aviva, left, and Lauren before the opening of Omnitsky’s. (photo from Eppy Rappaport) Omnitsky Kosher Delicatessen, which, since 1910, has fed generations – first in Winnipeg and, from 1995, in Vancouver – is entering the next…

Creating light in dark times

photo - Hundreds attended the lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah on the first night of Hanukkah Dec. 7, where politicians from all levels of government offered holiday greetings and support

Hundreds attended the lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah on the first night of Hanukkah Dec. 7, where politicians from all levels of government offered holiday greetings and support. (photo by Pat Johnson) Hundreds gathered outside the Vancouver Art…

Inspiration is nearby

Light amid darkness is a common theme in the winter festivals of many wisdom traditions. As befitting a Jewish holiday, the meanings of Hanukkah are many and varied, among these the resilience of the Jewish people and the imminence of…

Torts and the Jewish holidays

I’m that grown-up who jumps to catch a kid who is about to fall off a playground slide, even if the kid isn’t mine. I’m saying, “Hey, be careful!  You don’t want to hurt your bum,” or whatever concern is…

Supported by paper, by fragility

Inbal Ben Haim in Pli, which will be at the Vancouver Playhouse Feb. 2-3

Inbal Ben Haim in Pli, which will be at the Vancouver Playhouse Feb. 2-3. (photo by Loic Nys) Imagine flying through the air on … paper?! That’s just what the circus artists do in Pli, which is being co-presented by the…

Imagination flies free

I was driving home from work the other day. Left the office early to reduce driving time in the evening hours. Hamas likes their 6 p.m. missile barrage and I’m honing my missile-avoidance routine. I was listening to talk-radio, but…

Rx for antisemitism?

A resident doctor in Vancouver was confronted by a fellow medical student demanding to know why Israel is exchanging three or more Palestinians for each Israeli hostage kidnapped by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip. Is an individual Palestinian…

JFS buys new home

photo - Jewish Family Services of Vancouver has purchased a building at 2929 Commercial Dr

Jewish Family Services of Vancouver has purchased a building at 2929 Commercial Dr. (photo from JFS) Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Vancouver has purchased a commercial building at 2929 Commercial Dr. to serve as its headquarters and services hub. “After…

Housing as a human right

A tent city in Vancouver’s Oppenheimer Park, 2019. Canada has some of the lowest stock of social housing – about 3.5% of total housing stock, compared with 16% or 17% in the United Kingdom, and 7.5% across the European Union.…

More funds to Israel

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver has made its third transfer of funds – just under $1.6 million – to Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The latest transfer brings the total transferred from Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign to…

Dialogue to empower women

photo - Caroline D’Amore, left, Hussein Aboubakr Mansour and Emily Austin spoke to an audience of more than 550 at Congregation Schara Tzedeck Nov. 26 for the event Women United

Caroline D’Amore, left, Hussein Aboubakr Mansour and Emily Austin spoke to an audience of more than 550 at Congregation Schara Tzedeck Nov. 26 for the event Women United. (photo by Kyle Berger) Some 550 Vancouver women packed the sanctuary at…

Stories of resilience shared

A family fleeing war, aided by acquaintances from a lifetime of hospitality. A person’s choice to be the light in a dark world after a loved one was murdered. The creation of a vital medical resource as a tribute to…