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When my father died in 2014, I was already familiar with the notion that mourning progresses in stages. These include denial, anger, grief, bargaining and, finally, acceptance, and they are widely recognized by the therapeutic professions. Two years after my…
There is a wise Jewish saying: “A little hurt from a kin is worse than a big hurt from a stranger.” (Zohar, Genesis 151b) Why is that? Strangers come and go in our lives. Some remain to become friends, others…
“The power above is set in motion by the impulse from below, even as vapor ascends to form the cloud. If the community of Israel did not first give the impulse, the One above would not move to meet her,…
Machzikei Hadas can be found on Rathmore Villas in Dublin. (photo from jewishgen.org) When my bride and I lived in Dublin, we were strangers in a foreign land. Our refuges were the synagogues of the tiny Jewish community. It was…
This is Part 2 of a two-part series. The first examined Oberlin College’s “Jewish problem.” When Nathan Heller’s “Letter from Oberlin: The Big Uneasy” appeared in The New Yorker (May 30) his sub-headline asked: “What’s roiling the liberal-arts campus?” At…
Let me start by saying that I grew up a secular Jew. As I’ve gotten older, my desire for more Yiddishkeit has increased tenfold. Long story short, I went from being a “High Holidays-only Jew” to someone who lights candles…
In the last federal election, Mira Oreck was the NDP candidate for the riding of Vancouver Granville. (photo from Mira Oreck) Nearly one year after the Canadian federal election, I had a chance to sit down with Mira Oreck (by…
“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return / And come with song unto Zion.” (Isaiah 35:10) Seville, Spain, summer 1480 “The fire is painful to the flesh, but kind to the soul,” said the man in red velvet robes…
There’s no use in pretending it doesn’t bother me. The woman has invaded my sacrosanct space and time! But what can I do about it? Let me explain. I have a precious and brief time that I dedicate to enhancing…
Robert Krell, left, and Elie Wiesel. (photo from Robert Krell) I met Prof. Elie Wiesel in 1978. I was 38 years old. He was 49. Elie, as he insisted I call him, came to Vancouver to speak at a commemorative…
