Category Opinion

CANCELED Play should not be canceled

photo - Christopher Morris as Jacob in The Runner

Christopher Morris as Jacob in The Runner. (photo by Dylan Hewlett) Since this article was published, PuSh has canceled the production. For the statement, click here. The Belfry Theatre in Victoria has removed Christopher Morris’s play The Runner from its 2024…

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.…

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…

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…

Writing in praise of neoteny

photo - Campers being silly at Rockbrook Camp for Girls

Campers being silly at Rockbrook Camp for Girls. (photo from rockbrookcamp.com) Today, the word of the day is neoteny. It’s really a term from evolutionary biology, but it describes the retention of childlike attributes in adults. You might think of a…

A time for miracles

Hanukkah is a reminder that darkness can be transformed into light, and that miracles are possible. With so much conflict, misery, anxiety and hopelessness in the world, we need some miracles. There have been a few rays of hope in…

The omission of antisemitism

Many Jewish students are worried to go to campus in view of threatening and hateful messages and even open hostilities at some Canadian campuses. These are taking place within a wider context of antisemitic incidents in the wake of the…