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Dressed for a Dance in the Snow: Women’s Voices from the Gulag by Monika Zgustova (Other Press, 2020) is the first book to focus exclusively on women who lived in the Gulag. It is an intimate look at nine women,…
Yerushalmi kugel by Jamie Geller. (photo from jamiegeller.com) If I’d known the world was going to be locked down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would have stocked up on toilet paper, disinfecting wipes and pasta much sooner. Of course,…
We have two Jewish dogs. When we sing Shabbat blessings, our dogs come over, sit politely, and wait until we’re done with the Hamotzi, the blessing over the bread. Then, they each get a small chunk of challah. This is…
This article was posted on medium.com on May 20 with the title “Bouncing from a COVID funeral,” and is reprinted with permission. I had a loss in my family this weekend. It was not related to COVID. Nonetheless, it has…
When someone suggested this as the title of an article I should write, I roared with laughter. Me, who has been climbing the walls, thinking of taking to drink, or killing myself or others. But, after all, I pride myself…
תושבים נהנים מהשמש החמה בפארק נלסון (רוני רחמני) כבר למעלה מחודשיים שאנו נמצאים בסגר שלא היה כמותו מעולם. המראות מוונקובר ומשאר רחבי קנדה דומים למה שאנו רואים בעולם: רחובות ריקים, תורים ליד חנויות האוכל, הרבה שקט מסביב והטלוויזיות פועלות בבתים…
Toronto actor Jake Epstein hosted Canada’s online Yom Hashoah commemoration on April 20. (PR photo) Days after many Canadian families celebrated Passover remotely using online platforms for virtual seders, Yom Hashoah was commemorated with a virtual ceremony that linked survivors…
Rabbi Dr. Ted Falcon will be joined by Imam Jamal Rahman in a keynote address called Healing at a Time of Polarization, which the public can watch online by registering at vst.edu. (photo from Ted Falcon) When beginning interfaith or…
Without interpretation, the world’s greatest art is little more than a lot of pretty pictures. Similarly, absent interpretation and thoughtful reflection, history is not much more than a litany of names and dates. This month, we are marking many anniversaries.…
Garden City Bakery owner Steve Uy, right, with store manager Monica Flores and fellow baker Richard Caranto. (photo from Garden City Bakery) If you’ve not set foot into Garden City Bakery for some time, you’re in for a surprise. The…
Vancouver Soup Company’s Steven Sloan with his wife Iona Monk and their daughter, Zoe Sloan. (photo by Michelle Dodek) Soup is comfort food; great for lunch or dinner; light or hearty and always satisfying. Steven Sloan certainly thinks so. He…
The Alsidawi family, sponsors and congregants at the Vancouver International Airport, January 2019. (photo by Adele Lewin Photography) Canadian Jews have a long history of standing up for the rights and welfare of refugees. And while Jewish immigrants have often…
The Burying Ground core duo is Woody Forster and Devora Laye, centre. On their newest album, they are joined by, left to right, Clara Rose, Joshua Doherty and Wynston Minckler. (photo by Mary Matheson) The Burying Ground had a busy…
University of British Columbia student Ava Katz has been helping people with errands since the pandemic began. (photo by Paul Joseph/UBC) First-year kinesiology student Ava Katz commutes to the University of British Columbia from Kerrisdale, where her housemates include her 91-year-old…
Left to right are Lynne Fader (Kehila Society), Adam Ben-Dov (Connect Me In), Toby Rubin (Kehila Society), Michael Sachs (with daughter Desi and son Izzy), Monica Flores and Steve Uy (Garden City Bakery). (photo from Kehila Society) The Covid Challah…
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone in our local Jewish community, as it has impacted people around the world. Daily events like school, work, visiting with friends and family, as well as grocery shopping and other errands,…
Dr. Patty Daly and Dr. Eric Grafstein were the featured speakers of Temple Sholom’s May 1 Let’s Talk About It webinar. (photos from Temple Sholom) Temple Sholom began the first of a series of four (possibly five) webinars, called Let’s…
Esther Turan has produced an eclectic range of work. (photo from Moviebar Productions) There is a Hungarian expression that translates roughly as “you are as many people as the number of languages that you speak.” This aptly describes the versatility…
Morning prayers in Gondar’s Tikvah Synagogue. (photo from David Breakstone) Since Dr. David Breakstone, deputy chair of the executive of the Jewish Agency, had to cancel his scheduled talks in Calgary and Winnipeg because of COVID-19, the Jewish Independent reached…
(printed with permission from ©Mount Sinai Health System) To alleviate trauma victims’ suffering, specialists are working to reduce the emotion attached to painful memories. A leader in this field is Israeli-born scientist Daniela Schiller, who has been living in New…
For some, this pandemic has been lonely. For families with children, like mine, it’s a lot of togetherness and work. The offer to listen to deep thinkers from three religious traditions by myself for an hour was a rare chance.…
It’s far too easy to think of all the hardships and sacrifices that have come with COVID-19. They’re ubiquitous and abundant. They’re in our face the second we step outside our front door, turn on the TV or go online.…
In every grouping of humans, there is a leadership structure. That’s the way it works for humans. That’s the way it works for animals, too, when they organize in groups. Generally, for animals, it’s a combination of smarts and strength…
National Hebrew Book Week has taken place every year in June. Its fate for this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, is unclear. (photo from gojerusalem.com) In Israel, you know Shavuot is approaching when you see the grocery stores…
The paper cut “Jerusalem Mizrah” by Yehudit Shadur (1928-2011). (photo from shadurarts.com) Papercuts are created by taking a folded sheet of paper and drawing a design on one side. The folded sheet is then fastened to a wooden board and…
לאור מסע הירי הקטלני בתולדות קנדה: ממשלת טרודו החליטה לאסור מיידית את שימוש ברובי סער. (uk.news.yahoo.com) ראש מממשלת קנדה, ג’סטין טרודו הודיע שממשלתו החליטה לאסור מיידית קנייה, מכירה, שינוע, ייבוא או שימוש של כאלף וחמש מאות דגמים של כלי נשק…
השוטרים איתרו לפנות בוקר (ראשון) את בת הזוג שדיווחה להם, שוורטמן לבש מדי שוטר ונהג בניידת שניראתה כמו ניידת משטרה לאחר שעזב אותה. (RCMP) מקרה הרצח ההמוני הקשה ביותר בתולדות קנדה התרחש בלילה שבית שבת לראשון לפני כשבועיים, עת טכנאי…
Pam Wolfman and Ezra Shanken talk with the JI about how Jewish Federation and our community are facing the challenges of COVID-19. (photos from JFGV) This year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut community celebration will feature international singers, actors, chefs and politicians. And…
