New CEO for seniors

David Keselman (photo from the Louis Brier)

After an extensive search, the Dr. Irving and Phyliss Snider Campus for Jewish Seniors, comprised of the Louis Brier Home and Hospital and the Weinberg Residence, have appointed David Keselman chief executive officer.

“David is the ideal candidate at this time for the organization,” said Louis Brier board chair Arnold Abramson in a press release. “David’s experience will benefit Louis Brier directly in our commitment to providing quality patient care for residents. We feel that his innovative approach, enthusiasm and leadership style will enable Louis Brier as it moves forward with both our clinical operations and our upcoming site redevelopment.”

Sandra Bressler, chair of the Weinberg Residence, echoed Abramson’s endorsement.

“I plan first to get to know and understand the environment, both clinical, social and political in the organization and in B.C. in general,” Keselman told the Independent. “The relationships with stakeholders (both internal and external) are important, as well as familiarizing myself with the Jewish community and finding opportunities for integration as appropriate.”

Born in Lvov, Keselman was raised north of Haifa, in Kiriyat Yam, and served three years in the Israel Defence Forces. At 21, he followed his high school sweetheart to Toronto and began working at Baycrest, Toronto’s major Jewish home for the elderly. He has a doctorate of health administration from Central Michigan University, and a master’s of nursing and a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Toronto, and he worked in acute care for many years.

In Toronto, the couple had two children, now aged 20 and 17, both of whom attended Jewish day school. They live with their mother but are following in their father’s footsteps – his son is enrolled in the nursing program at Ryerson University and his daughter plans to become a nurse as well.

Coming with his partner to Vancouver from Yellowknife – where he was vice-president of patient services at Stanton Territorial Health Authority – Keselman is looking forward to getting back to a place with a Jewish community. While he admits that he does not connect with the synagogue experience, he feels connected to many aspects of the Jewish community.

“As I get older,” he said, “the affinity and need to get closer to my roots becomes more important. Seeing that I grew up in Israel, keeping our community strong and active is imperative on many levels, not only to ensure that our tradition and culture continue to exist, but also because a strong community here ensures the strength of Israel and its ability to cope with the many adversities it is facing.”

Keselman comes to the campus in the 70th anniversary year of the Louis Brier.

“I am excited about the renewal plans,” he said, “and look forward to a future design that integrates culture, tradition, values with evidence-based and best practices to create a dynamic environment that provides a holistic continuum for patients/residents of the Louis Brier and their families, with an aim of creating a centre of excellence in geriatric care anchored in the philosophy of client- and family-centred care.”

Keselman has a five-year history of involvement with Accreditation Canada, the organization that certifies health-care facilities, where he has gained considerable knowledge in the area of quality improvement and risk reduction. He has held a wide range of executive roles in Ontario and the Northwest Territories, and is an associate instructor at both the Ryerson University School of Nursing and Athabasca University.

“I believe my experiences to date culminate in a progressive, open-minded, transformational leadership style that will support the team, stakeholders and, of course, the residents of the Louis Brier in achieving quality outcomes and satisfaction from the environment and the services delivered in the organization,” he said.

Sounding like a West Coaster already, Keselman said he is looking forward to a very different lifestyle in Vancouver than he had in Yellowknife. Jewish community is a big bonus, he said, but so is the increased opportunity for fitness – Keselman has taught aqua fitness and spin classes for almost 20 years. According to Abramson, Keselman is expected to be on-site at the Louis Brier on Sept. 14.

Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.

Dealing with memory loss

Artwork from a participant in an exhibit by the Society for the Arts in Dementia Care. (photo by Baila Lazarus)

As the population ages, there will be more adult children, caregivers, seniors homes and other centres caring for loved ones or patients whose memories are failing.

For many years, it’s been believed that there is little that can be done to slow such degeneration. We’re told that, if we challenge ourselves with puzzles or other intellectual games, this might have an effect. But, one woman has been investigating a different option – one that started out facing a lot of skepticism by those working in the field but has been slowly gaining acceptance.

Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka didn’t set out to become an expert in the conditions of dementia, but life brought her onto this path, which she embraces with passion … and compassion.

Born in Israel, Gottlieb-Tanaka actually started out in a drafting career with the Israeli navy and studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, where she met her husband, Mineo, who was from the Okanagan. They came back to Canada in 1975 to study at the University of British Columbia, where she did a master’s degree in architecture. The two are both semi-retired now and share their residency between Vernon and Vancouver.

In 1990, Gottlieb-Tanaka volunteered to spend time with a woman living with dementia and that subsequently led to her present occupation. This was a pivotal turning point in Gottlieb-Tanaka’s career.

“I went there and fell in love with this woman. She was so lovely and we could talk about anything in the world,” said Gottlieb-Tanaka.

photo - Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka
Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka (photo from Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka)

Over time, Gottlieb-Tanaka noticed there were situations in which the woman demonstrated a lack of memory and no conception of the consequences of certain actions.

“Then it clicked,” she said. “It’s unpredictable. There are good and bad days.”

She became fascinated and started to immerse herself in the study of what she refers to as a medical condition, not a disease.

She learned that there are 72 different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s affects the largest number of people; that dementia is characterized by confusion and memory loss; and that it can be brought on by stress or depression.

“You can meet people with dementia who are very, very normal, but they might have memory issues,” she explained. “It doesn’t mean they’re mentally ill, and only now people are understanding the difference.”

Eventually, Gottlieb-Tanaka took her studies to UBC, where she completed a PhD in the Institute of Health Promotion Research and the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. In 2011, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the department of psychology.

Her goal was to assess the creative abilities – singing, art, flower arrangement, among others – of people with memory loss to determine how those activities were affected, and whether an increase in those activities could make a difference in staving off the development of these medical conditions.

“So what if someone has memory loss?” she said. “Does it mean they don’t like listening to music?”

Despite a steep learning curve, Gottlieb-Tanaka started to make inroads. She eventually developed the Creative Expression Activities Program for seniors with dementia, for which she won an award from the American Society on Aging. She also founded the Society for the Arts in Dementia Care in British Columbia, which just celebrated a 10-year anniversary.

Among the activities of the society are exhibits of artwork by people suffering from dementia. In its first year, the society’s exhibit was held in North Vancouver and 4,000 people came.

“They were amazed by the results,” said Gottlieb-Tanaka.

The society also runs an annual international conference on creativity and aging, which takes place this year in Vernon, Sept. 8-10.

Trying to pursue her research has been an uphill struggle because Gottlieb-Tanaka was constantly breaking new ground. In some cases, people thought she was crazy. Slowly, however, her ideas are gaining acceptance.

Originally, her work focused on bringing the arts to dementia sufferers; now, she’s looking at how such activities might prevent the onset of those conditions, and she’s showing that such memory loss might be delayed by up to two years.

As her research becomes more known, Gottlieb-Tanaka is trying to pass the torch to those working with people with dementia – nurses, art therapists, music therapists, elder-care facilitators and seniors advocates. That’s the goal of the upcoming conference in Vernon, which offers presentations and hands-on workshops and includes a keynote by Isobel Mackenzie, seniors advocate with the B.C. government. It’s been a 25-year battle, but it seems people are finally starting to take notice.

For more information on the conference, visit cecd-society.org.

Baila Lazarus is a freelance writer and media trainer in Vancouver. Her consulting work can be seen at phase2coaching.com.

Tempest in coffee pot

The BDS movement – which seeks to boycott, divest from and sanction the state of Israel – is having an impact. Though maybe not exactly as they’d hoped.

There was a tempest in a coffee pot recently when an East Vancouver café waded into the topic, angering some customers and, we surmise, perhaps some of the establishment’s own employees and investors.

As we addressed in this space last week, Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, was dismayed by the vote by her party in convention to support the BDS movement. She pondered resigning her position but this week announced that she would remain at the helm and seek to revisit the issue with her party.

A social media feed for Bows & Arrows Coffee, on Fraser Street, declared that May’s lack of support for BDS meant that she “got cowardly” on the issue and “caved.” One online commentator responded that the café’s coffee “tastes a little too antisemitic for my liking.”

After some social media back and forth, the co-owner of the café, which is headquartered in Victoria and only recently opened the Fraser Street location, published a statement acknowledging that he had “tweeted without consultation with staff and business partners.” Seemingly surprised that a simplistic #BDS hashtag and name-calling would elicit strong and equally simplistic reactions, he says that he blocked other posters and deleted tweets. He did these things, he claims, because he “wanted to address real arguments, not stand in a storm of accusers that would not engage or address my criticism of a state.”

Hopefully, he has learned that Twitter is not designed for intelligent and in-depth debate or discussion. More hopefully, perhaps he will now consider the possibility that BDS is not necessarily about “solidarity with oppressed peoples everywhere.”

While BDS supporters, including the one involved in this instance, reject the idea that the movement has any antisemitic elements and insist it targets “Netanyahu’s administration and policies of expansion in the territories,” plenty of evidence exists to suggest that BDS aims to end the existence of a Jewish state and, some would argue, this is perforce antisemitic.

Nonetheless, at least one member of the Jewish community went beyond Twitter and invited the B&A co-owner to discuss the issues surrounding BDS. In his email, the community member included a link to an article by Alan Dershowitz that was published by Haaretz, called “Ten reasons why BDS is immoral and hinders peace.” It can be found on the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ website.

While the brewmaster may contend, as he implies in his statement, that he was a victim of “[t]he silencing that occurs daily via the repetition of the dominant narrative,” what he really experienced was disagreement with his beliefs and a resulting effect on his business. He was not silenced. He voluntarily chose to exit a discussion he started.

In Canada, thankfully, the freedom to speak one’s mind comes with the freedom of others to criticize the views that come from that mind. Such discussions are healthy and can even be enjoyable – especially over a nice cup of coffee.

 

Those who came before us

I was recently in Australia, where I presented at Limmud Oz, a Jewish festival of learning. One thing – among many – that struck me about the community was that, on more than one occasion, Limmud sessions or other parlor meetings opened with a public acknowledgment of the elders of the Gadigal people (in Sydney) and the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation (in Melbourne).

Similar acknowledgments are becoming more common in locales across Canada – references to the Métis Nation at events in Winnipeg; the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh in Vancouver; the Wendat, Anishewabe and Massasagua in Toronto; the Algonquin in Ottawa. But I have only heard this done once in a Jewish context – at a Jewish Voices for Peace event in Ottawa.

Ittay Flescher, a Jewish educator at Mount Scopus Memorial College, a day school in Melbourne, has been one of many educators to call for his school assemblies to open with a similar acknowledgment, and feature signs on classroom walls “acknowledging country,” in Australian parlance. His shul, Shira Hadasha, a partnership minyan, also incorporates such a statement in its Prayer for Australia.

Flescher has gone deeper in raising awareness, having introduced a Grade 9 aboriginal studies course. These students were in kindergarten when the government issued its historic 2007 apology for the Stolen Generations policies, whereby aboriginal children were taken from their parents to be raised by whites – Australia’s version of Canada’s terrible Sixties Scoop.

Named Yorta Yorta Beyachad (beyachad means “together” in Hebrew), the course is anchored in a little-known event that bound Australia’s Jewish community in Shepparton to William Cooper of the Yorta Yorta tribe. Having been one of the first to launch an aboriginal civil rights movement, in 1938, Cooper – a person with no status, no voting rights and no formal citizenship, as was the case among aboriginals in Australia at the time – turned his sights to another oppressed people. Appalled by the events of Kristallnacht, Cooper marched to the German consulate in Melbourne to present a petition denouncing “the cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government of Germany,” an act of protest that stayed virtually hidden until it was discovered by a Melbourne archivist in 2002.

Each year, Flescher takes his students to Yorta Yorta country in partnership with the Australian Jewish social justice organization Stand Up. For three days, they meet with elders, learn traditional dances, discuss issues around identity, and deepen their understanding of aboriginal history. They visit Cummergunja, one of the Catholic missions where aboriginals were forcibly placed in 1889. They even visited Cooper’s grave where they recited Kaddish for the victims of the Shoah. “It was an incredibly moving and humbling experience,” Flescher said.

The Canadian Jewish community is beginning to tackle the issue as well. The CJN reported in May on a Jewish teen cultural exchange to the Nipissing First Nation Reserve. And, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, several Jewish groups, including Ve’ahavta, the Toronto Board of Rabbis, the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism and CIJA, signed a “statement of solidarity and action.” Bernie Farber, former head of Canadian Jewish Congress and now head of Mosaic Institute, has been at the forefront of moves to advance deep and thoughtful discussion about the fate of the First Nations.

These are all encouraging. And, like the dancing of the hands before reciting the Shabbat candle blessing or the kissing of the mezuzah before entering a room, there is something powerful about a ritual-like statement at the beginning of a Jewish gathering to acknowledge who came before us and how we can help repair the wrongs inflicted – even if most of us, or our ancestors, were fleeing our own private horrors when we arrived at the shores of this great country.

Mira Sucharov is an associate professor of political science at Carleton University. She is a columnist for Canadian Jewish News and contributes to Haaretz and the Jewish Daily Forward, among other publications. This article was originally published in the CJN.

From Mideast to the South

Pericles is one of the best Bard on the Beach productions this season. (photo by David Blue)

If the thought of being transported to the mystique and exotic locales of the ancient Middle East appeals to you, then you must see Pericles, which is currently playing on the Howard Family Stage at Bard on the Beach, alternating with Othello.

Director Lois Anderson takes this rarely produced play – only once before in Bard on the Beach’s 27-year history has it been performed, and scholars believe Shakespeare only wrote the second half of it – and creatively turns it into something magical, with puppets, terra cotta figurines, white-faced ghostly creatures and billowy sheets that morph from crashing waves to animals.

As you enter the tent, your breath is taken away by Jewish community member Amir Ofek’s captivating set design: soft desert hues, Corinthian columns, red and gold brocade-tasseled tapestries, woven baskets and blown glass. John Webber’s warm lighting pervades the room. The mood is reinforced by Malcolm Dow’s exquisite sound design; a melodic fusion of traditional Middle Eastern fare. Before it even begins, the play is a visual and aural treat.

Pericles is the tale of the nautical odyssey of a wandering prince, the eponymous hero Pericles of Tyre (Kamyar Pazandeh), as told through flashbacks by narrator and healer Cerimon (David Warburton) in the temple of the goddess Diana to a young woman he has saved from a brothel. As he tells her, it all began with a trip to Antioch 15 years earlier, when our hero hoped to marry the princess of that city but had to flee for his life when he learned the secret of her incestuous relationship with her father.

Pericles’ escape takes him to many ports, culminating with a shipwreck at Pentapolis. There, he wins the hand of the princess Thaisa (Sereana Malani) in a jousting competition and sets sail with his new wife, now pregnant, to reclaim his throne in Tyre. Daughter Marina (Luisa Jojic) is born on the ship and Thaisa dies in childbirth. Pericles throws his wife’s body into the sea and heads to the nearest port, Tharsus, where he leaves Marina in the care of his longtime friend, Governor Cleon (Luc Roderique), and his wife, Dionyza (Jeff Gladstone in an interesting gender-role reversal).

Fast-forward 14 years. Marina has grown into a beautiful young woman. Dionyza, jealous for her own daughter’s betrothal chances, arranges for a servant, Leonine (Kayvon Kelly), to murder Marina. However, pirates kidnap Marina before the dastardly deed can be done. She is sold to a brothel, but keeps her virtue with eloquent talk, and captures the heart of Governor Lysimachus (also played by Kelly).

In the meantime, Pericles returns to Tharsus to reunite with his daughter but is told that she is dead. I stop here so as not to spoil a very surreal ending – you will have to see it to believe it.

All of the cast, many of whom play multiple roles, are outstanding but special mention must be made of Pazandeh, who runs the gamut of emotions from victorious suitor to grieving husband and father; Jojic, who gives the right touch of innocence to Marina; Warburton, with his wizardly tricks; Gladstone as a very creepy Dionyza; and Kayla Deorksen as Bawd, the flamboyant brothel owner.

Costumer Carmen Alatorre’s costumes are spot on with flowing robes of bright, textured fabrics: earth tones to represent the land and shades of blue, the sea; the main characters are contrasted by off-white ghostly spectres.

Pericles was one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays in its time and Anderson’s rendering makes it easy to understand why. The intimate setting of the Howard Family Stage is perfect for this showcase of hope, perseverance, redemption and ultimate reconciliation. I took my 11-year-old niece to opening night and she loved it. Of the four Bard productions, this one topped the list for me and it is highly recommended.

photo in Jewish Independent - Luc Roderique and Kayla Deorksen in Othello
Luc Roderique and Kayla Deorksen in Othello. (photo by David Blue)

Playing in repertory with Pericles on the Howard Family Stage, and featuring most of the same actors, is Othello, set in 1864 Charleston during the American Civil War.

What does it take to drive an intelligent, successful, respected man into a jealous husband capable of a murderous rage? A manipulative villain named Iago – and Othello really is the story of this vile person, who brings tragedy to all unfortunate enough to cross his path.

Directed by Bob Frazer – who played Iago in Bard’s last mounting of this work – this psychosexual drama gives a new perspective to the racism inherent in the testosterone-infused military world in which black Othello (Roderique) lives.

The story revolves around Othello’s rise to power in the union army and Iago’s (Kelly) planned revenge as he is passed over by General Othello for a senior position that is given to Cassio (Gladstone). To get even, Iago plants the seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind as to the fidelity of his new wife, Desdemona (a mixed racial union), accusing her of an intimate tryst with Cassio.

Slowly, Othello is convinced – a handkerchief allegedly found in his good lady’s room the final proof – that Desdemona has been untrue and, in a moment of murderous passion, strangles her in her canopied bed. Emilia (Jojic), Iago’s wife but also Desdemona’s maid and confidante, walks into this deathly scene, tells Othello the truth of the handkerchief and outs her husband for his role in the tragedy. Othello is overcome with grief and remorse and takes his own life.

Iago is a sadistic sociopath who manipulates those around him with his ersatz sycophantic charm. Kelly is sublime in this role – you love to hate him. Tall and slender, Roderique portrays a sympathetic Othello with a quiet sense of dignity and authority that disintegrates as we watch his metamorphosis into uncontrollable and lethal rage. Deorksen is a sweet-tempered but strong-willed Desdemona. Jojic gives a heart-breaking performance as a passionate and loyal servant torn between her duty to her husband and that to her employer. Lesser roles are ably played by Malani (Bianca), Andrew Cownden (Roderigo), Ian Butcher (Gratiano) and Shaker Paleja (Montano).

Costumer Marla Gottler provides crisp navy uniforms for the Union soldiers and gorgeous Scarlett O’Hara-type frocks for the ladies. Music is pure southern comfort with banjos strumming “Dixie.” Unfortunately, the set design is a problem. The same Ofek-designed Pericles set is used, and that Middle Eastern look with its columns and arches seems out of place in a moonlight and magnolias milieu. However, the minimalist use of props – a couple of boxes here, a table there – allows the audience to focus on the powerful words that make Othello one of Shakespeare’s most eloquent works.

This production is good, but it would have been so much better had it made more use of its Civil War setting, other than just to give a perfunctory nod to the fashion and music of the time.

Othello runs to Sept. 20 and Pericles to Sept. 21. For tickets and more information on these shows – and Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor – visit bardonthebeach.org.

Tova Kornfeld is a Vancouver freelance writer and lawyer.

Upgrades at L’Chaim

L’Chaim Adult Day Centre has completed upgrades to its outdoor seating area. Additions include a custom-built overhead awning and new patio furniture. The purchase of this equipment was made possible by a federal grant from Western Economic Diversification Canada’s Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, and a generous donation made in 2014 to L’Chaim in memory Dr. Betty Horodesky.

The infrastructure program was established as part of Canada 150 Celebrates, the federal government’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

“Investing in facilities that support a healthy and thriving community embodies the spirit of our Canada 150 celebrations and honors our diverse and inclusive nation,” said the Hon. Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and economic development and minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada. “By providing funding that enhances access to the outdoor space at L’Chaim Adult Day Centre, our government is helping seniors stay connected and active in their community.”

L’Chaim was established in 1985 and provides social, therapeutic and recreational services to the elderly in a safe, supportive environment. L’Chaim strives to improve the quality of life of its participants by providing a caring and stimulating group experience for those who might otherwise be socially isolated, while also providing support and respite for care-giving families and friends.

The new awning will provide shelter from the elements, allowing L’Chaim participants (and others) to enjoy the fresh air no matter the weather. The seating upgrades will ensure that participants are able to spend more time outdoors. Outdoor activities may now include arts and crafts, Friday Shabbat services, trivia, meals, and more. Recent research has indicated that the majority of adults spend 90% of their time indoors, and this percentage is expected to be even higher for people 65 and over, many of whom are living with mobility limitations. However, spending time outdoors is essential to maintaining good mental and physical health, and to ensuring a high quality of life.

Benefit of weekly fast

Recent studies are again pointing to the potential of weekly intermittent fasting, where one greatly reduces or eliminates calories on a set number of weekdays, to fight disease and prolong life. Jewish tradition has long advocated weekly intermittent fasting, though the practice has become rare today. Maybe it’s time to bring it back.

“Periodic fasting shows the most promise in getting rid of bad cells and making good ones for regeneration and can be applied to all kinds of diseases,” Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at University of Southern California, told the Washington Post.

Variations of periodic fasting have become popular, such as the 5:2 diet, which advocates five days of normal eating and two days of restricting calories by 75%. Studies suggest that such fasting may be beneficial for treating autoimmune diseases, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and even cancer.

The 5:2 diet is associated with Mark Mosley, a BBC journalist who popularized it in the United Kingdom. In the United States, a more restrictive version of the diet, known as the “every other day diet,” which advocates restricting normal calorie intake by 75% every other day, has been studied and championed by Dr. Krista Varady at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Though she cautions that the 5:2 diet will only work if one does not binge on the other five days, an effect she says is avoided more easily on the “every other day” fast for reasons still being studied.

All of this reminds me of the ancient Jewish practice known as the Behab fast. Behab is formed of the Hebrew letters bet-hey-bet, numerically two-five-two, which refers to the second day of the week (Monday), the fifth (Thursday) and again the second (Monday). Without the repetition of the Mondays, the name of the diet is basically the 2:5 diet (5:2 read from left to right, ahem), though there is no known connection between Moses and Mosley.

Despite there being other fast days during the Jewish year, growing up, I had never heard of any fasts outside of the dreaded Yom Kippur deprivation, and my family’s idea of intermittent fasting was restricting oneself to little noshes between fresses. On family vacations, the favorite topic around the restaurant table was where we were going to go for the next meal. If the Behab is correctly thought of as an Ashkenazi custom, my family had long forgotten it.

For centuries, the Behab fast was used in the Ashkenazi world for repenting for inadvertent sins throughout the week – “advertent” sins would get their own specific fasts. The choice of days corresponds to the days the Torah is read, not counting Shabbat, of course, when fasting is not done. The custom of reading Torah Monday and Thursday refers to the belief that those are the days of the week Moses ascended Mount Sinai and descended again, respectively.

Despite the association with Ashkenazi custom, the Behab fast goes back earlier than Jewish settlement in Europe and is probably the fasting mentioned in the New Testament, which Jesus criticized as an attention grab. The early Christian Didache, a manual of discipline that almost made it into the Christian Bible, admonishes its readers not to do as the hypocrites (read “Pharisees”) do and fast Monday and Thursday, but rather to fast Wednesday and Friday! Among Jews, the fast was eventually restricted to periods following Pesach and Sukkot and, in recent centuries, has become obscure.

The original purpose of the Behab fast was not weight loss, of course, but repentance and spiritual purification. Regardless of where one falls on the spectrum of Jewish belief, it’s easy to envision fasting a couple of days a week as an act of repentance in our (culinary) consumer culture, and one of walking more lightly on the burdened earth – and it just might add a few years to our lives.

Matthew Gindin is a Vancouver freelance writer and journalist. He blogs on spirituality and social justice at seeking her voice (hashkata.com) and has been published in the Forward, Tikkun, Elephant Journal and elsewhere.

Mystery photo … Aug. 26/16

Hillel House, University of British Columbia, circa 1990. (photo from JWB fonds, JMABC L.11126)

photo in Jewish Independent - These photos were taken at Hillel House, University of British Columbia, circa 1990
These photos were taken at Hillel House, University of British Columbia, circa 1990. (photo from JWB fonds, JMABC L.11122)

If you know someone in these photos, please help the JI fill the gaps of its predecessor’s (the Jewish Western Bulletin’s) collection at the Jewish Museum and Archives of B.C. by contacting [email protected] or 604-257-5199. To find out who has been identified in the photos, visit jewishmuseum.ca/blog.

גלית ברעם נכנסה לתפקידה

גלית ברעם אמדור נכנסה בראשית החודש לתפקידה החדש כקונסול הכללי של ישראל בטורונטו ומערב קנדה. (צילום: twitter.com/galibaram)

גלית ברעם אמדור נכנסה לתפקידה כקונסול הכללי של ישראל בטורונטו ומערב קנדה

גלית ברעם אמדור נכנסה בראשית החודש לתפקידה החדש כקונסול הכללי של ישראל בטורונטו ומערב קנדה. ממשלת ישראל אישרה בחודש ינואר השנה את מינויה של ברעם אמדור לתפקיד, עם שורה של מינויים בכירים נוספים בשירות החוץ. ברעם אמדור החליפה את די. ג’יי שניוויס, ששימש בתפקיד הקונסול של טורונטו ומערב קנדה מאז 2012.

ברעם אמדור תדבר על האירועים האחרונים בישראל והתוכניות שלה לגבי טורונטו ומערב קנדה, בשיחת ועידה טלפונית לחברי הקהילה היהודית ובעיקר לישראלים, ביום שישי הקרוב (26 בחודש), בשעה 9 בבוקר לפי שעון מחוז בריטיש קולומביה.

לברעם אמדור (שדוברת גם אנגלית ורוסית) ניסיון רב ועשיר במשרד החוץ והיא החזיקה בשורה של תפקידים בכירים בישראל ומחוצה לה. בין היתר: שימשה כמנהלת המחלקה של התחום הפלסטיני ושיתוף הפעולה האזורי במשרד החוץ (במשך כשנתיים וחצי). לפני כן שימשה בתפקיד הקונסול של ישראל ברוסיה, אוקראינה ובלארוס (משך כשנה וחצי), הקונסול של ישראל בשגרירות ישראל בוושינגטון (במשך כשלוש שנים), הקונסול של ישראל בשגרירות ישראל בקהיר (במשך כשלוש שנים), סגן מנהל תחום מרכז אסיה במשרד החוץ (במשך כשלוש שנים), ומזכיר ראשון בשגרירות ישראל במוסקבה (במשך כחמש שנים).

חתונה הפכה לסיוט: צעירה שנערכה להתחתן עם אהובה גילתה שהוא נשוי ויש לו שני ילדים

זוג צעיר בגילאי השלושים מאזור ונקובר נערך למסד את מערכת היחסים ביניהם, ולהתחתן החודש בריצ’מונד. הצעירה הוציאה למעלה מעשרים אלף דולר על מתנות, תכשיטים וכל מה שצריך לחתונה, והזמנות לאירוע נשלחו לאורחים. אך 11 יום לפני החתונה הכלה המיועדת גילתה שבעלה לעתיד הוא בעצם גבר נשוי ויש לו אף שני ילדים.

הזוג הכיר לפני שנתיים באמצעות אתר אינטרנט להכרויות. הם בילו הרבה ביחד ובספטמבר לפני שנה בעת טיול ליפאן, הצעיר הפתיע את אהובתו והציע לה להתחתן והעניק לה טבעת. מאותו רגע החלו השניים לתכנן החתונה במרץ. לאט לאט החלו לצוץ בעיות שונות מצדו של הגבר, אך אשתו לעתיד לא חשבה שיש לכך משמעות. פעם אחת הוא סיפר לה שהוריו שגרים בהודו לא מאושרים כל כך מהחתונה, כיוון שמשפחתה לא מספיק עשירה. לאחר מכן הוא סיפר כי אמו חלתה במחלה חשוכה והמשפחה במצב נפשי קשה. למרות כל הבעל לעתיד ביקש מאשתו לעתיד שלא להפסיק בהכנות לחתונה אלה להמשיכן כמתוכנן.

האמת על מצבו התגלתה לאחר שפגישה מתוכננת בין משפחות שני הצדדים שבועות ספורים לפני החתונה לא יצאה אל הפועל. משפחת הכלה הבינה שמשהו מוזר קורה והחליטה לנקוט מעשה. הוריה, אחיה והיא עצמה נסעו לאבוטספורד לראות את קרוביו של חתנה. את דלת בית המשפחה פתחה אישה שהציגה עצמה כשאשתו של החתן, מזה 13 שנה. הכלה המיועדת שהייתה בשוק ביקשה מאשתו להציג לה תמונות מהחתונה שלהם. פתאם הופיעו בסלון שני ילדיו הקטנים של הבעל (בגילאי 4 ו-10) שכל כך דומים לו, כך שלא היה צריך בהוכחות נוספות להוכחת המירמה. לאחר מספר דקות הגיע הגבר הנשוי שהוא גם החתן המיועד ונאלץ להתמודד עם התקפות הזעם מצד שתי הנשים בחייו. הוא לא הפסיק להתנצל וכמעט כרע על ברכיו, וטען להגנתו שהמניע להתנהגותו נובע מהעובדה שהוא לקה במחלת נפש.

הכלה נערכת בימים אלה להגשת תביעה כספית נגד אהובה הרמאי, בהיקף כ-53 אלף דולר, לכסות את כל ההוצאות הגבוהות שנגרמו לה עקב החתונה שלא יצאה אל הפועל.

Community art for the Zack

(photo from jccgv.com)

The upcoming show at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, which features 45 community artists who have donated their work, is a fundraiser for the gallery.

“The idea for the show belongs to Shirley Barnett,” said gallery director Linda Lando in an interview with the Independent. “We wanted to showcase the works of the people who do art for the joy of it, not professional artists. Shirley also made a donation towards the show.”

Lando explained the process leading to the exhibit, which opens Aug. 31.

“I purchased 45 11-by-14-inch wood panels and sent a group email to the gallery email list. The artists got the panels for free and, if their art sells, they will get a tax receipt. The price for every piece is the same, $125, and the proceeds of all sales will go to the gallery. The theme of this art show is ‘Renewal.’ It’s a very broad theme that allows for many interpretations.”

Jewish Independent photo - Linda Lando, director of the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery
Linda Lando, director of the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery. (photo by Olga Livshin)

Lando doesn’t think that the universal size and shape of the panels limits artists’ creativity. “Just the opposite: it’s a challenge.”

The response to the email was overwhelming. Lando had to turn away people who wanted to participate. The demographics of the show’s contributors are broad.

“A lot of word of mouth helped spread the news about the show,” she said. “Among our participants are people who are involved with the gallery, some who exhibited with us before, while others haven’t. There are several poets from the Pandora Collective, members and non-members of the JCC and some mother-daughter duos. Most of them are not professional artists, but the works that have already started to arrive are amazing and very diverse. I hope we sell most of them.”

The Independent spoke with a few of the exhibit’s artists.

“I have always been interested in arts: painting, poetry, etc.,” said Carl Rothschild, a child psychiatrist with more than 40 years of experience, who is about to retire. “I published two books of my poetry and visual arts.”

Rothschild considers himself an amateur artist but he has already participated in several shows at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and sold a few paintings. When Lando asked him to participate in the fundraiser, he was thrilled. His piece is already at the gallery.

“I decided to participate in this show because I am always painting and because Linda asked me,” he said. “My small piece is called ‘The Backyard Garden in a Box.’ I am endlessly fascinated by the little landscapes around me. My small garden, with crocosmia flowers, attracts a hummingbird each summer. Sometimes, the bird comes with his mate and, on this occasion, as I stood motionless and watched, he came over and hovered for a few seconds about a foot from my head before passing me as safe.”

Another participant, Liz Koerner, retired a few years ago from working in a law office. “I am a professional artist in the sense that I get paid for some of my work, but I started down this path as a hobby,” she said. “Over the past 15 years, I have done dozens of commissions.”

Like the other contributors, Koerner learned about the show from Lando’s email. “I met Linda years ago, when I would take my mother into her gallery, and they always had lively discussions about the paintings and the artists. My mother has since passed on and, at her request, we gave Linda a number of art books from her collection.”

When Koerner decided to participate in Renewal, she chose the theme of spring. “Spring is a wonderful time of renewal and rebirth in nature,” she explained. “My painting is almost done. I needed to leave it while I complete a rush commission, then I will get back to it and finish it soon.”

Sandi Bojm’s piece is also a work in progress. She works part-time as a speech language pathologist and as a therapist, which allows her the time to explore her other interests, including art and writing. “I don’t consider myself an amateur artist; nor am I a professional,” she said. “Perhaps chronically ‘emerging.’”

Over the years, Bojm has taken art classes at Langara College and with private mentors. She met Lando through the Zack Gallery.

“I support the gallery and participated in last year’s community show/fundraiser,” she said. “Linda and I have shared ideas this past year for the next upcoming show, regarding community engagement and participation, and, at the same time, offering a fundraising opportunity for the gallery. It is exciting that it is now coming to fruition.”

Her own piece will be an amalgam of abstract and landscape. “I have just completed an intensive painting workshop on abstraction of the landscape and decided to expand on that,” said Bojm. “I have been intrigued in the past, in my walks through the woods, with the presence of logs and stumps that have nurtured new growth; nursing logs, I believe they are called. This is the image I am exploring in its relationship to renewal.”

A show as a gallery fundraiser is not a new concept. The Federation of Canadian Artists, for example, holds their fundraiser, Paintings by Numbers, annually, but their event is much more expensive for art lovers, and they feature well-known and established artists in their galas.

“Giving the local community artists the opportunity to shine, and making all the paintings affordable to everyone might be unique in Canada,” said Lando. “The idea was not only to engage the community artists but to bring in their families and friends to the gallery, to show them that it is their gallery, too.”

Renewal will run to Sept. 11. There is a free reception at the Zack, with the artists in attendance, on Sept. 8, starting at 7 p.m.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].