Local

Two modern-day Maccabees

On Nov. 24, Chabad UBC invited two former Israel Defence Forces soldiers to the Nest on the University of British Columbia campus to speak about their personal stories and life lessons from serving in the army. Amit Shmuel, a former…

The effects of isolation

photo - How technology can connect people and reduce social isolation was the topic of the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s fall symposium

How technology can connect people and reduce social isolation was the topic of the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s fall symposium. (photo from pixnio.com) At the fall symposium of the Jewish Seniors Alliance, which took place on Zoom Nov. 21, attendees heard…

Finding the goddess in the Torah

photo - woman reading Torah

(photo by Yochi Rappeport) Rabbi Gila Caine of Edmonton’s Temple Beth Ora was the lead-off speaker in November for Kolot Mayim’s six-part 2021/22 series Building Bridges: Celebrating Diversity in Jewish Life. Her talk, Toratah / Her Torah: Women Rabbis Revealing…

Community support valued

photo - Camp Hatikvah donors are not only helping ensure the quality of the camp but its inclusivity

Camp Hatikvah donors are not only helping ensure the quality of the camp but its inclusivity. (photo from Camp Hatikvah) Camp Hatikvah is well known for its program offerings, as well as its facilities and its spectacular natural setting in…

COVID-free camp summers

photo - Camp Miriam offered both day and overnight camping experiences this past summer

Camp Miriam offered both day and overnight camping experiences this past summer. (photo from Camp Miriam) Camp Miriam is celebrating that, for the past two summers, its youth leadership has pulled out all the stops to provide programming for hundreds…

Supporting Jews worldwide

photo - Michelle Pollock, chair of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s Israel and global engagement committee

Michelle Pollock, chair of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s Israel and global engagement committee. (photo from JFGV) For Montreal native Michelle Pollock, chair of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s Israel and global engagement committee (IGEC), love and loyalty to world…

Legacy of the “Ghetto girls”

The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre’s Dr. Abby Wener Herlin, left, interviews author and historian Dr. Judy Batalion at this year’s Kristallnacht commemorative event on Nov. 4. (screenshot) Jewish girls and young women in Poland were uniquely positioned to play major…

Our obligation to remember

screenshot - Isa Milman, a member of the Second Generation, lights a candle of remembrance at the Victoria Shoah Project’s Kristallnacht commemoration Nov. 9, accompanied by grandson Isaac Phelan

Isa Milman, a member of the Second Generation, lights a candle of remembrance at the Victoria Shoah Project’s Kristallnacht commemoration Nov. 9, accompanied by grandson Isaac Phelan. (screenshot) In a Kristallnacht commemoration no less poignant because it was held virtually,…

OJC welcomes rabbi

photo - Rabbi Tom Samuels is Beth Shalom’s first full-time spiritual leader

Rabbi Tom Samuels is Beth Shalom’s first full-time spiritual leader. (photo from OJC) Okanagan Jewish Community’s Beth Shalom Synagogue recently welcomed Rabbi Tom Samuels to be the organization’s first full-time spiritual leader. Established in 1980, the OJC has flourished in…

At the top of his game

photo - Shay Keil with daughter Tali, a student at King David High School

Shay Keil with daughter Tali, a student at King David High School. (photo from Shay Keil) A Vancouver-area wealth manager and philanthropist is celebrating a trifecta of milestones. Shay Keil (pronounced “Shy Kyle”) has just been named one of Canada’s…