Among the 13 individuals awarded the province’s Medal of Good Citizenship this year is Jewish community member Alan Kwinter.
The honour celebrates individuals, groups and organizations whose generosity and selflessness have made lasting contributions to their local communities. An independent selection committee reviews all nominations and recommends recipients for the medal.
Kwinter was recognized for a lifetime commitment to advancing housing, care and opportunities for vulnerable people. He has given more than 50 years of dedicated service and compassion for the most vulnerable populations throughout British Columbia. Drawing on early experiences shaped by his family’s history, he has dedicated his life to strengthening systems of care for homeless youth, isolated seniors, young families in crisis and survivors of historical trauma.
Alan Kwinter (photo courtesy)
Kwinter founded Hollyburn Family Services in 1990 and served as the executive director for 34 years, guiding the organization into a multi-service agency that now operates across the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley.
In 2004, he established Hollyburn Community Services Society to fill the growing gap in services for youth aging out of care. He volunteered as board chair for 20 years, serving more than 800 individuals annually through programs such as the North Shore Youth Safe House, the Life Success transitional program, Wired 4 Success employment initiative and the Morningstar safe house for at-risk seniors. He and his team partnered with the District of North Vancouver and BC Housing to develop 86 units of affordable rental housing on the Delbrook lands.
Kwinter has also demonstrated profound personal dedication within the Greater Vancouver Jewish community by promoting the expansion of the Jewish cemetery in West Vancouver, traveling globally to show solidarity and advocate against antisemitism and volunteering as incoming president of Congregation Beth Israel in Vancouver.
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Alison Klein received a 2026 Celebration of Families Award, the commemoration of which was created by Gitx’san artist Ryley Jensen Fisk. (photo courtesy)
The Family Support Institute of BC (FSI) announced the recipients of the 2026 Celebration of Families Awards on June 6, 2026, at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus in Kelowna. The event recognized seven individuals and groups who support families of individuals with disabilities in extraordinary ways.
Alison Klein, who was nominated for this award by her co-workers at CFRO Co-op Radio, is a disability self-advocate, best known for producing and hosting the accessibility-focused arts and culture show The Self Advocate on Vancouver Co-operative Radio. She was given a hand-painted platter created by Gitx’san artist Ryley Jensen Fisk from PotteryWorks to commemorate the honour.
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On July 16, Vancouver City Council approved JWest’s rezoning application at a public hearing at City Hall.
The rezoning approval is the outcome of years of consultation with neighbours and close collaboration with city staff. The approved plan provides more options for JWest, including increasing the potential height of the towers and allowing King David High School the potential to expand. Council’s approval reflects the strength of the plan and the years of work that shaped it. It gives everyone who has invested in this project, financially or personally, clarity on what comes next.
More is to be done in the development and building permit process, but the project remains on track to start construction of the new community centre by the end of this year.
On June 26, Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour announced the latest appointments to the Order of Canada, which recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to the country. Among the recipients were two members of the Vancouver Jewish community: Dr. Trevor Hurwitz and Lorne Segal.
Dr. Trevor Hurwitz (photo from UBC)
Hurwitz, a University of British Columbia faculty of medicine clinical professor, was appointed for his contributions to complex brain disorder treatments. Considered the founder of neuropsychiatry in British Columbia, he created the province’s first programs in the discipline, which remain at the forefront nationwide. He is also a patient advocate and advisor on medico-legal and ethical issues in psychiatry.
Lorne Segal (photo from Coast Mental Health)
Segal, president of Kingswood Properties Ltd., was recognized for his decades of leadership in real estate development, as well as his enduring commitment to philanthropy, mental health advocacy, youth empowerment and community service.
As chair of the Coast Mental Health Courage to Come Back Awards for 21 years, Segal has been instrumental in shaping the event into British Columbia’s premier mental health campaign, increasing awareness of the need for more mental health support and raising millions for the cause. Through his involvement, the inspiring recipient stories have reached thousands of people, reminding us all that setbacks do not define us and that courage can transform lives.
For years, Segal has championed the belief that mental health deserves the same attention, understanding and care as physical health. His leadership has helped reduce stigma, open important conversations and create opportunities for people to seek support when they need it most.
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Hannah Marazzi (photo from VHEC)
Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre executive director Hannah Marazzi has been appointed to the international steering board of the newly established Hilda Dajč International Digital Holocaust Memory Award.
Launched through a partnership between Terraforming, a Serbian organization dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance, and the Landecker Digital Memory Lab at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, the award recognizes excellence, ethical integrity and innovation in the digital memorialization of the Holocaust.
The award honours Hilda Dajč, a Jewish architecture student and volunteer nurse who was murdered in 1942 at the Judenlager Semlin (Staro Sajmište) camp in Belgrade, Serbia. Her four letters from the camp are among the most moving and important testimonies of the Holocaust.
The Hilda Dajč International Digital Holocaust Memory Award was created in response to growing concerns about Holocaust distortion and misinformation in digital spaces, as well as the need to strengthen democratic values through education and remembrance. The award seeks to elevate the relevance of Holocaust memory for younger generations, drive innovation in digital remembrance, establish international standards for digital Holocaust education and foster shared responsibility in countering antisemitism and Holocaust denial.
Projects will be evaluated on criteria including technological sophistication and creativity, pedagogical impact and youth engagement, collaborative digital ecosystems and the amplification of marginalized and overlooked Holocaust histories.
Marazzi joins a board composed of experts from institutions including Arolsen Archives (Germany), the Ghetto Fighters’ House Museum (Israel), the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Jewish Heritage Network and European Memory Data Space (Netherlands), iRights.Lab (Germany), the Memorial Centre Staro Sajmište (Serbia) and the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies at Yale University.
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Sarah Mali of JFC-UIA Canada in Israel, left, and Rachel Sachs of the Jewish Federation of BC’s Israel office. (photo from JFBC)
This month, Jewish Federation of British Columbia received the 2026 Tel-Hai Dignitary Award, recognizing the longstanding partnership between our community and the Galilee.
Rachel Sachs, executive director of the Israel office, accepted the award on behalf of the BC community. Alongside Federation, the award was also presented to Prof. Mooli Lahad for his lifelong contributions to trauma and resilience, and Prof. Ran Ziv, whose leadership has helped bring technology companies and employment opportunities to northern Israel.
The award reflects the deep relationship our community has built with Tel-Hai and the Galilee over many years. Federation is grateful to Sachs and Adi Kaye of the Israel office for their leadership, the relationships they have built and their on-the-ground presence.
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Katrina Hermann (photo from VHEC)
In June, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre’s new research and program assistant, Katrina Hermann, presented on the centre’s symposium on the Holocaust – now in its 50th year – at the Association of Canadian Jewish Studies annual conference at York University, Toronto. Through analyzing the early years of the symposium, Hermann demonstrated the important pedagogical innovations of Vancouver’s survivor and educator communities, contributions rarely discussed in academia. She was awarded the Marcia Koven Award for best student paper for her presentation.
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Each year, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre presents the Meyer & Gita Kron & Ruth Kron Sigal Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education to teachers in British Columbia who have demonstrated excellence and sustained commitment to teaching students about the Holocaust. The award was established in memory of the Kron family, Lithuanian Jewish survivors of the Holocaust who reestablished their lives in Vancouver. Through their lifelong involvement in education and community, the family touched the lives of thousands of students.
The VHEC received a record number of applications and nominations for this year’s award, reflecting both a renewed commitment to Holocaust education in the province and a recognition of the important role it plays in helping students understand the challenges facing democratic societies today. The applications were of exceptional quality, and the centre commends the dedication and skill of all those who applied.
This year’s award recipients are Ryan Holly and Hofit Sabi.
Ryan Holly (photo from VHEC)
Holly, an educator at Kelowna Secondary School, enables students to understand the Holocaust not only as history, but as an event with contemporary resonances. He confronts a dearth of education about antisemitism in public school with lesson plans inviting students to analyze the continuity and change of historical antisemitism, as well as an in-depth case study of antisemitic propaganda during the Holocaust. His emphasis on evidence-based learning encourages student engagement with primary sources, particularly survivor testimony. Holly has been involved in professional development activities, attending annual conferences and seeking out self-directed opportunities globally. Students and colleagues alike commend his compassion, care and dedication as he handles this difficult subject with nuance and engagement.
Hofit Sabi (photo from VHEC)
Sabi, a Grade 6 educator at Vancouver Talmud Torah, is recognized for her ability to translate the complexities of Holocaust history into age-appropriate, inquiry-based learning for younger students. Her pedagogical approach is distinguished by its global scope, particularly her development of a pioneering mini-unit on the often-overlooked experiences of Jewish communities in North Africa to challenge single stories of Jewish identity and show how international political dynamics like colonialism and fascism intersected during the war. Sabi’s curriculum prioritizes evidence-based experiential learning, and she empowers students to become informed, compassionate civic stewards.
An honourable mention goes to Diana Weld of Quw’utsun Secondary School in North Cowichan for her leadership in modernizing Holocaust education within her department and her commitment to school-wide professional development. Weld developed a comprehensive Humanities 10 unit from the ground up. Her curriculum bridges historical context with modern media, using survivor memoir, film and literature to help students navigate complex ethical issues like indoctrination, blind loyalty, complicity and indifference.
Lana Marks Pulver receives the 2026 CJPAC Impact Award from Mark Waldman, chief executive officer and co-founder of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC). (Rhonda Dent Photography)
Mayor Ken Sim declared May 11 Lana Marks Pulver Day in the city of Vancouver. Hundreds gathered that night at Congregation Beth Israel for the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee’s Action West event, where Pulver was presented with the organization’s Impact Award.
Current and past elected officials, aspiring candidates, family and friends of Pulver and political junkies gathered as Pulver was described as a person of action, a volunteer, an author, a mother, a wife, businessperson, a mentor, friend, role model, global traveler and community leader.
Pulver has chaired the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, including during and after the events of Oct. 7, 2023, and has led the Federation annual campaign. She serves on the boards of Save a Child’s Heart, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (both nationally and in the BC region), and is on the JWest Foundation board. She is active in YPO, the Young Presidents’ Organization, and devoted 12 years to the board of Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver Foundation. She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, was previously a senior investment advisor, has authored two books, and is actively engaged in entrepreneurship, writing, investing and civic engagement.
“I kind of feel like I’m at my own funeral.” Pulver joked after listening to live and video-recorded accolades. “But I am so moved. I am so floored, seeing so many people that I love and respect say so many words that are so kind.”
The Impact Award is given by CJPAC to recognize individuals who have made a meaningful contribution through political engagement, public affairs, advocacy or strengthening civic participation in Canada, particularly in ways aligned with CJPAC’s mission of building constructive engagement between the Jewish community and Canadian public life.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve been driven by tikkun olam, the notion of repairing the world and wanting to make it a better place for all,” said Pulver. “We’re all humankind, and we all need to treat each other with kindness.”
At the event, she announced she was preparing, with Lorraine Lo and former BC premier Gordon Campbell, to launch an organization called EliminHate Education and Awareness Society, “to work towards combating hate in general in order to make the world a better place for everyone.”
Pulver thanked the current and past elected officials in the room, as well as candidates in this year’s municipal elections across the province.
“In a time when safety can no longer be taken for granted, that commitment matters deeply,” she said.
“Standing up against antisemitism should be no different than standing up against any other form of racism or hatred,” Pulver said. “It cannot be selective. It cannot depend on politics, pressure or convenience. Every citizen deserves equal protection, equal dignity and equal concern.
“You do not need to wait to make an impact,” she continued. “Some of the most meaningful change begins with one person deciding not to be a bystander. So, step forward, use your voice, be the kind of leaders this moment is asking for. Because impact is not this award. Impact is what we do next.”
She spoke of the ordeal Jewish people have endured in recent years.
“Since Oct. 7, our community has lived through grief, trauma, fear and a deeply disturbing rise in Jew-hatred, both antisemitism and antizionism,” Pulver told the audience. “We have seen Jewish institutions targeted, students and families feeling less safe, and people wondering whether they can be openly proud of who they are. That is not the Canada we believe in, and it is not something we can ever normalize. That is why leadership matters. That is why civic engagement matters. And that is why the work that CJPAC does matters so deeply.… CJPAC reminds us that democracy only works when people show up.”
In a testimonial video with many friends and community figures, Pulver says, “I don’t do any of the work I do for recognition, and I’m honestly humbled by it, a little embarrassed by it, but grateful because I do think that the recognition itself serves a purpose. I’m hoping that, by recognizing me and the work that I’m doing, it’s going to inspire the next generation to step up and get involved and start doing things now so that they will be in my chair in years to come.”
The event co-chairs were Pulver’s longtime friends Jill Diamond and Daniel Frankel.
Sim, flanked by Vancouver city councilors, read a proclamation honouring Pulver and declaring it Lana Marks Pulver Day.
“There are very few people that give a damn about a whole bunch of issues and are willing to fight for them, and you stand on principle,” the mayor told Pulver. “I feel incredibly fortunate to consider you a friend, to call you a friend. I look up to you. You’re a role model. You’re a mentor.”
Sim credited Pulver in part for the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism.
Mark Waldman, chief executive officer and co-founder of CJPAC, greeted attendees and congratulated Pulver. Kara Mintzberg, BC regional director for CJPAC, emceed the evening. Rabbi Jonathan Infeld blew the shofar.
“It is a call to action,” he said, explaining the significance of the ram’s horn in Jewish tradition. “It is a call to making this world a better place, and that is exactly who you are and what you do – Lana, thank you for being our shofar.”
Henry Chodos, a Grade 6 student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, won ADI’s sixth annual Make the Change Challenge and received the $1,000 grand prize. (photo from ADI)
In its sixth year, ADI’s Make the Change Challenge STEM accessible design contest drew more than 379 entries from students across North America – and Vancouver Talmud Torah sixth grader Henry Chodos won the contest’s $1,000 grand prize.
Chodos’s award-winning vision is a lightweight and slim-fitting orthopedic brace that automatically adjusts to provide users with rigidity and flexibility as needed.
Having struggled for years with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune disorder that causes muscular weakness and sensory loss in the limbs, Chodos set out to help himself and others by designing NeuroStride, an orthotic with built-in micro sensors that would intuitively correct gait irregularities and allow users to make adjustments via an easy-to-use app, with no medical professional required.
The Make the Change Challenge is run by ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s network of specialized rehabilitative care for those touched by and living with disability, to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. The contest promotes “selfless STEM” (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and encourages students to hack the modern world to help people with disabilities overcome the challenges that hinder their independence and inclusion.
Instead of developing prototypes, entrants were asked to prepare compelling presentations that clearly explain how their solutions would solve the persistent accessibility issues they chose to tackle. In his contest submission, Chodos, who wears braces 24 hours a day, noted that the orthotics currently available are very uncomfortable, take a long time to mold to one’s body, don’t allow for growth and are prohibitively expensive. What’s more, they spotlight his condition and keep him from doing the things he loves.
Henry Chodos’s NeuroStride took ADI’s top prize. (image from ADI)
“When my CIPD flares up, I can’t ride or play basketball with my friends, and I can never sit on the ground in class or during assemblies, because I can’t stand back up in my braces,” he explained. “I don’t like feeling different, and I wanted to create an orthotic that would provide me and others living with CIPD, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and other conditions with the support we need, just without all of the unwanted strain and attention.”
Upon reading Chodos’s presentation, the contest’s judges – which included members of ADI’s professional staff, innovation journalists and specialists in the field of accessible design – were overwhelmed by the young inventor’s maturity, creativity and attention to detail, and inspired by his desire to draw from his own experiences to change the world.
“To be honest, Henry’s presentation left us speechless. We work so hard promoting our ADI Bechinuch disability inclusion programming and helping students develop an empathetic worldview, but Henry flipped the script and became our teacher. His life experience has molded a passionate and compassionate educator and innovator, and he put on a masterclass in perseverance, perspective and vision throughout this competition,” said ADI’s North American director of advancement . “We are thrilled that we were able to provide Henry with a stage upon which to shine, and we truly believe that his brilliant design has the potential to become a reality and make the world a kinder and more accessible place.”
Nearly 50 Jewish schools across North America – including many affiliated with JNF-USA – used the ADI Bechinuch programming last year, employing the in-class activities and disability simulations, virtual tours and STEM contest to encourage the next generation of Jewish leaders to see the world through the eyes of others.
As February ended, ADI’s panel of experts met with the contest’s top five finalists, their parents and their teachers via Zoom to discuss the entries in greater detail. Following some discussion, the proceedings concluded with Chodos being crowned the contest winner and presented with the $1,000 grand prize, a gift from the Avraham and Esther Klein Young Entrepreneurs Fund.
The “Final 5” also included entries from students at the Ramaz School in New York, NY; Brauser Maimonides Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Hochberg Lower School (Posnack East) in Hallandale, Fla.; and the Bornblum Community School in Memphis, Tenn.
To learn more about ADI and to donate, visit adi-israel.org.
Left to right: Lauri Glotman, Leslie and Gordon Diamond, and Jill Diamond.
The Diamond family has donated $7.2 million to the BC Cancer Foundation to expand BC Cancer’s Hereditary Cancer Program – expanding identification and screening for the BRCA gene mutation. This gene mutation increases the risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish decent are 10 times more likely (1 in 40) to carry the gene mutation. Screening for the gene enables early detection and intervention, and even prevention in some cases.
“We’re really proud to partner with BC Cancer because it fulfils one of our most important Jewish values, tikkun olam, which is the obligation to repair the world and make it a better place,” said Jill Diamond.
The Diamond family personally knows the impact of the BRCA gene mutation. “Our grandmother unfortunately died of breast cancer. Had she known she had a BRCA gene mutation, and been screened properly, the cancer could have been caught earlier and we would have enjoyed many more years with her,” Diamond explained.
The family’s gift – one of the largest ever to the BC Cancer Foundation – will fuel three clinical projects to:
• Expand outreach to people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, who are at greater risk.
• Establish a first-in-Canada initiative to directly contact high-risk relatives of mutation carriers to pursue genetic testing.
• Implement immediate genetic testing for breast cancer patients age 60 and under upon biopsy, eliminating the need for a doctor’s referral for screening and removing the burden on patients.
It will also fund three breast imaging fellowships at BC Cancer Vancouver, increasing the centre’s capacity and expertise for specialized breast radiologists.
“The Diamond Foundation’s generous donation is a giant step on the path towards transforming hereditary cancer care across B.C. Not only will this support three critical initiatives now, but it will also provide the groundwork for future programs and greatly increase our impact by reaching more families at higher risk of cancer,” said Drs. Kasmintan Schrader and Sophie Sun, co-directors of BC Cancer’s Hereditary Cancer Program.
“This is for our daughters, for everyone’s daughters,” said Jill Diamond and Lauri Glotman. “It will allow women to continue to be the backbone of their family, their community and society, and – armed with knowledge about their increased cancer risk and the preventative measures they can take – protect and care for future generations.”
The Diamond family has a long history of supporting BC Cancer, including donating the land that the BC Cancer Research Centre stands on in Vancouver.
The Diamond Foundation’s generosity will make BC Cancer a leader in hereditary cancer care, providing the groundwork for future programs, saving lives for generations of families.
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Rabbi Yechiel and Chanie Baitelman receive the Richmond Centre Outstanding Constituent Award from MP Wilson Miao.
Rabbi Yechiel and Chanie Baitelman, co-directors of Chabad Richmond, were recently honoured as recipients of the Richmond Centre Outstanding Constituent Award by Wilson Miao, member of Parliament for Richmond Centre.
Serving their community for more than 25 years, the Baitelmans are known for their compassion, inclusiveness and commitment to bettering the lives of Jews and non-Jews alike. Their mission has been to connect the values and ethics of the Torah and Judaism with the Jewish community and beyond. Together, they created the weekly Light of Shabbat Meal program that feeds both Jewish and non-Jewish households, with 150 meals delivered weekly by volunteers.
This award celebrates the contributions the Baitelmans have made to Chabad Richmond and other organizations in Richmond Centre, including their ongoing outreach, educational and social service programs. The Baitelmans’ hallmark is respect and love for every person, regardless of religious beliefs, social status or education. Generous with their time as well as their talents, they live their life’s mission by serving others.
Both of the Baitelmans sit on a variety of community boards, and the rabbi has served as a chaplain for the Correctional Services Canada prison system and is the chaplain to the local RCMP detachment in Richmond.
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Bea Goldberg was born on April 25, 1923. Yes, that means Bea is 100 years old!! And what she has accomplished in those 100 years!
Bea, born Bernice Gropper, was known as “Bessie” during her school years. She was smart as a whip and graduated University of Saskatchewan by age 20.
She moved out to Vancouver, where she met Myer Goldberg, and the two were married in 1945. The day after returning from her honeymoon, Bea joined Hadassah-WIZO and chaired just about every event the organization had, including the Hadassah Bazaar, and held leadership positions both locally and nationally. She even rewrote (or reorganized) Hadassah-WIZO’s constitution!
Bea Goldberg turned 100 years old on April 25.
Bea was also involved with the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Centre (from when it was on Oak and 11th), the Louis Brier Home and Vancouver Talmud Torah, and supported Hillel BC, the Hebrew University, Jewish Family Services and many others.
Family and community are very important to Bea and she still is a woman who lives by her values and principles.
On Dec. 14, JWest announced a $5 million gift from the Dayhu Group of Companies in association with the Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation. The visionary gift is part of a match that was initiated by the Diamond Foundation’s historic $25 million gift to support the development of the new Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver site.
The Daysons have a long and significant history within Vancouver’s Jewish community. Ben and Esther Dayson both immigrated to Canada from Russia in the 1920s. In 1936, the couple was married in the original Jewish Community Centre in Vancouver, located on Oak and 11th. First settling in Saskatchewan, they moved with two small children to Vancouver in 1949. After a short time running a “15 cent store” in Marpole, Ben Dayson founded Dayhu Investments, which later became a leading real estate investment, development and property management company. The generations that followed Ben and Esther (née Nemetz) have carried on their parents’ and grandparents’ legacies, becoming successful in their own rights and continuing to give back to the community.
Shirley Barnett (née Dayson) and her brother, Philip Dayson, have fond memories of attending the JCC. As teenagers, they attended high school dances, went to youth group meetings, and learned the importance of volunteerism and giving back, all through spending time at the JCC.
“Fundamentally, we believe that the Jewish Community Centre plays an integral role in an inclusive and healthy Jewish community, and it will provide a welcoming social, cultural, recreational and educational asset for all to enjoy,” said Barnett. “Our family has long appreciated the celebratory and community aspects of the Jewish Community Centre. The JWest project is the most important undertaking in the history of this region, and we hope that our gift inspires others to contribute to this space that will be a critical resource for thousands of people of all ages and from all walks of life.”
JWest is a partnership between Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and King David High School. The project will deliver a community centre with expanded space for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, a new theatre and, in the second construction phase, a relocated high school and two residential towers that will provide mixed-use rental housing.
“It was the desire of our parents to support those both within the Jewish community and those in the wider community,” said Philip Dayson. “The Jewish Community Centre is not only the heartbeat of Jewish life in Vancouver, but it also continues to have an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes all. We are particularly thrilled that this project will bring much-needed social housing along with vital programs and services. We’re privileged to be able to support this community and this transformative project.”
“The Dayson family have been pillars in Vancouver’s Jewish community for more than three generations and, through this generous gift, they have demonstrated their continued commitment to Jewish life in Vancouver,” said Alex Cristall, JWest capital campaign chair. “We gratefully acknowledge the support this project has received from the Government of British Columbia, the Government of Canada and community members for this once-in-a-lifetime project.”
Leslie and Gordon Diamond (photo from Jewish Federation)
Gordon and Leslie Diamond will receive the 2023 Yakir Keren Hayesod Award in recognition of their committed leadership and unwavering devotion to Israel and to Keren Hayesod through their generosity and leadership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.
The Yakir Award – Keren Hayesod’s highest honour – is bestowed upon individuals whose sense of mission, dedication and perseverance on behalf of their homeland and their nation have made an outstanding, long-term contribution to the state of Israel, the Jewish people and Keren Hayesod. The Hebrew word yakir means beloved, notable, worthy and, accordingly, the Yakir Award reflects the ultimate devotion and clarity of vision that a community leader can show.
Jewish Federation nominated the Diamonds for the honour and this is the first time in two decades that a Western Canadian leader has been selected for it. The official ceremony will take place in Israel on the country’s 75th anniversary of independence.
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(photo from Facebook)
Shay Keil and his daughter Tali Keil presented a $106,649 cheque to B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation chief executive officer Malcolm Berry in late October. It was Keil’s second annual 30/30/30 campaign, marking his 30-plus years with Scotiabank and the goal of raising more than $30,000 by Sept. 30. He thanked other donors and the Keil Investment Group team: Angela Wadsworth, Vilma Castellani, Claire Brinkworth and Lydia Leung. In November, Keil was chosen by the Globe and Mail Report on Business as one of the 2022 Canada’s Top Wealth Advisors: Best in Province.
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The national board of directors for Ben-Gurion University Canada (BGU Canada) has announced that
Jack Altman (photo from BGU Canada)
is the new national president. He brings a wealth of volunteer leadership experience to his new role, plus a deep passion for philanthropy in the Canadian Jewish community.
Altman is the immediate past president of the Montreal chapter of BGU Canada, where he served for four years. He currently sits on the board of governors of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and is the vice-president of La Société pour les Artistes en Milieux de Santé. He has been involved with many other organizations over the years.
Altman practised as a CPA for 50 years. He retired from his role as partner at Crowe BGK, where he remains as a consultant, and is the president of J. Altman Investments Inc.
BGU Canada thanks Mitchell Oelbaum, immediate past president, for his passionate service and unwavering commitment to the university.
With gratitude to HaShem, mazel tov to Shmuel Hart (King David High School Class of 2016) and Reut Rappoport on their joyous and spirited wedding at Sakoya Gardens (just outside Jerusalem) on June 15, 2021. Elated parents – Alexander Hart and Kathryn Selby of Vancouver, and Rabbi Jason and Meira Rappoport of Alon Shvut, Gush Etzion, Israel – are so very proud of the newlyweds. The couple resides in Jerusalem, Israel, and both are currently studying at Hebrew University.
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Now in its seventh year, the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards recognizes and rewards the finest Canadian writing on Jewish themes and subjects. This year, the awards ceremony, which took place on Oct. 17, was presented on Zoom and is available for viewing on the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards YouTube channel.
The winner in the fiction category was Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy by Gary Barwin (Random House Canada). It follows a wannabe cowboy, Motl, as he and his mother flee Vilna and the Nazis’ massacre of the Jews. The ensuing events, characters and horror are met by Motl with humorous absurdity in the face of tragedy.
Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) by Menachem Kaiser, which tells the story of the author’s quest to reclaim a residential building his family owned in Poland before the Shoah, won for best biography.
Lisa Richter won the poetry prize for Nautilus and Bone (Frontenac House). A reimagining of the unconventional life of Yiddish poet Anna Margolin, this collection also won the 2020 National Jewish Book Award for Poetry, the first time a Canadian poet has ever received the American honour.
For children and youth literature, the winner was Osnat and Her Dove (Levine Querido) by Sigal Samuel, with illustrations by Vali Mintzi. It is based on a true story. Although girls in 15th-century Mosul were told, “Reading is for boys,” Osnat convinces her rabbi father to teach her to read. As she grows older, she asks her father to seek a groom who will allow her to study Torah, and she helps run her father’s religious school while raising her own children. After her father’s death and, later, her husband’s, Osnat becomes the school’s leader, making her the world’s first female rabbi.
For scholarship, the awardee was Survivors: Children’s Lives After the Holocaust by Rebecca Clifford (Yale University Press), which is an exploration of the life trajectories of 100 children who were 10 years old or younger at the time of their liberation in 1945. Through archives found in 12 countries, including Canada, and through personal interviews, the author follows the impact the events of the Holocaust had on their lives, and on those who educated them.
In the category of writing about the Holocaust, the winner was In the Lights of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos (William Morrow) by Judy Batalion. The book points out the lack of recognition and the misrepresentation of women’s roles during the war, the actions they took to fight, as well as their crucial importance.
The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards jury for 2021 was Edward Trapunski, Pierre Anctil, Rona Arato, Miriam Borden, Rita Davies, Alain Goldschläger and Adam Sol.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev student village (photo from CABGU)
Fourteen new buildings have been added to the student village at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel. It will allow more than 1,000 students options from studio apartments to married student housing.
“The student village lets them choose their living quarters in accordance with their personal preference,” said BGU president Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, “while everything they could need is nearby: the north campus and the conference centre, which are in development, a hotel for visiting students and faculty, stores and coffee shops … and the high-tech park, the train station and the university’s country club are just a short walk away.”
The student village offers apartments suitable for religious students and those with disabilities. Any registered student is eligible to apply for a room. The rooms come fully furnished with a smart TV, beds, closets, desks, a full kitchen, a sitting area and a solar water heater. Full maintenance service is offered, as is 24/7 security, a 24-hour service hotline, bicycle rooms, laundry rooms, and more.
“Situated in the country’s southern region, the university is known to be a destination institution,” said Mark Mendelson, chief executive officer of Canadian Associates of BGU. “This means that students who attend the university also live either on campus or in the communities in and around the university, including the city of Be’er Sheva. In addition, almost 60% of the undergraduate student body volunteers in their respective neighbourhoods, which is really something very unique to BGU and has brought outstanding community involvement to the citizens of Be’er Sheva.”
Moderator Greg D’Avignon, left, and newly inducted laureate Gordon Diamond share a laugh at the Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame celebration May 20. (screenshot)
On May 20, Gordon Diamond – chair of West Coast Reduction Ltd. and Austeville Properties Ltd. – was among those inducted into the Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame. The ceremony, which was to have been held last year, took place virtually.
The Hall of Fame was created in 2005 by Junior Achievement British Columbia (JABC) to honour local “business leaders whose efforts have shaped our province and country.” It is housed in Vancouver Convention Centre West.
The evening’s other Hall of Fame inductees were Chief Clarence Joseph Louie, chief executive officer of Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corp., and Arran and Ratana Stephens, co-founders and co-CEOs of Nature’s Path Foods Inc.
Morris Wosk, z”l, was honoured as a Pioneer Laureate. (photo from orderofbc.gov.bc.ca)
Also part of the festivities, in a belated celebration of the hall’s 15th anniversary, was the posthumous induction of 10 Pioneer Laureates. Morris Wosk, z”l, who was president of Liberty Investments Ltd. and M.J. Investment Co., as well as co-founder of Wosk’s Ltd., was so honoured for both his business and philanthropic endeavours. Wosk, who passed away in 2002, “played a significant role in the growth and development of Vancouver” and was a “revered mentor to the next generation of businesspeople.”
The gala included speeches by supporters and representatives of JABC and presentations by some young achievers. There were brief video biographies for each laureate being inducted, and the Hall of Famers spoke with moderator Greg D’Avignon, president and CEO of the Business Council of British Columbia. In that conversation, Diamond pointed to the importance in leadership of building “relationships, trust,” and of being “honourable with the people who work with you, not for you.”
One of the most satisfying aspects of his business at this point, he said, is the people who are running it. “We have family members, we have a team…. I’ll be listening to various meetings and I’m in the background but, if I wasn’t there, what the family and the team has built is that my company will continue without me.”
He said of this legacy, which includes the Diamond Foundation, in addition to the businesses, “You can’t buy that feeling that I have when I look at my plants, when I look at the buildings, and that we’re capable of doing things like this,” he said, referring to supporting JABC and “giving back” to community in general.
The JABC write-up highlights the foundation, which Diamond “set up with his late father, Jack Diamond, in 1984 as a vehicle for his philanthropic aspirations. Since inception, the Diamond Foundation, funded solely by Gordon and his companies, has made donations to hospitals, schools, the arts and other public and charitable causes.”
The International Chidon boasts 5,000 participants from around the world and, this year, there were eight participants from Vancouver: Levi Bitton (Grade 8); Liba Baitelman (Grade 4); Yanki Baitelman (Grade 6); Menucha Prinsloo (Grade 8); Shoshana Prinsloo (Grade 5); Yonatan Prinsloo (Grade 7); Miriam Ora Yeshayahu (Grade 6); and Dovber Zhornitsky (Grade 6).
Tzivos Hashem is an international educational program for Jewish children ages 3-13, founded in 1980 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It focuses on teaching kids about kindness, good deeds and refining their character to become better people and more effective influencers in our community. The program’s goal is to increase Jewish identity and provide children with inspiring and immersive Chassidic Jewish learning through fun, informal activities.
The Vancouver chapter of Tzivos Hashem was established in 2017 as part of Lubavitch BC’s outreach activities and now has approximately 45 children registered in the Sunday morning program. The biggest event of the year and the most highly anticipated part of the program is the Chidon, usually held during a Shabbaton in New York, but virtual this year because of COVID. This event highlights the advanced knowledge and understanding of all 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah, as codified by Maimonides. Kids from around the world compete, and this year’s Chidon took place on May 23. Each of the Metro Vancouver students won a plaque (indicating a grade of more than 80% on the final test) and Levi had the distinction of winning a gold trophy for his grade. He was tested on the fifth book of the Torah, and had the highest mark internationally.
Left to right: Menucha Prinsloo, Shoshana Prinsloo, Liba Baitelman and Miriam Ora Yeshayahu. (photo from Vancouver Tzivos Hashem)
Riki Oirechman, principal of Tzivos Hashem Vancouver and the local Chidon coordinator, said: “The most important thing is that the kids gain a lot of knowledge. By learning the 613 mitzvot in depth, they gain a deep appreciation and understanding of all the mitzvot, resulting in an increased excitement for, and commitment to, fulfilling them. They work super hard and really commit themselves to fulfilling the Rebbe’s direction and vision.”
Oirechman explained that all the kids in the program study and complete the five books of Torah and master the 613 mitzvot over five years. The Tzivos Hashem program uses the Yahadus curriculum created by the Living Lessons Foundation in memory of Sarah Rohr. It’s a series of textbooks explaining each mitzvah, its source in the Torah and its details.
To participate in the Chidon, students must pass multiple tests. If a child gets a 70% average, they are eligible to join the Chidon Shabbaton. The child with the highest mark in their class gets to represent their class and school at the Chidon competition. On the weekend of the Chidon, the international participants take the final test, which includes everything they learned during the year. Winners receive certificates, plaques, medals and trophies.
Left to right: Dovber Zhornitsky, Yanki Baitelman and Yonatan Prinsloo. (photo from Vancouver Tzivos Hashem)
“The Chidon includes not only the incredible game show competition, but also an exciting award ceremony. This year, over 100,000 people watched from around the world,” said Oirechman. The Chidon started in 2014 with 54 finalists and eight staff and has grown to 2,414 finalists and 375 staff this year.
Local supporters of the program include founders of the Vancouver Tzivos Hashem chapter, Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu of the Kollel and Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld of Chabad Lubavitch of BC, as well as a grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and local community donors.
Shelley Civkinis a happily retired librarian and communications officer. For 17 years, she wrote a weekly book review column for the Richmond Review. She’s currently a freelance writer and volunteer, including with Chabad Richmond.
Vancouver City Council has bestowed the Freedom of the City Award on Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, CC, OBC, a pioneer in landscape architecture and a beloved member of Vancouver’s Jewish community. Council approved the award on May 18, 2021, days before Oberlander passed away on May 22 at the age of 99.
“Cornelia Oberlander was one of Vancouver’s most renowned Jewish residents and, during Jewish Heritage Month this May, we honour her outstanding accomplishments in bringing world-class landscape design to Canada, and to Vancouver in particular,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart. “On behalf of council, I extend my deepest sympathies to her family and friends. May her memory be a blessing.”
After escaping Nazi persecution in Germany at the age of 18, Oberlander immigrated to the United States via England, and graduated among the first class of women from Harvard University with a degree in landscape architecture. She later settled in Vancouver and founded her own landscape architecture firm, bringing with her a vision of urban environments with pockets of nature that continues to shape our cityscape.
“Cornelia Oberlander was a true icon of our Jewish community. The Freedom of the City Award honours Cornelia’s lifetime of accomplishments in a month that celebrates the impact that Jewish Canadians have had on society as a whole,” said Ezra S. Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Vancouver.
Vancouver residents and visitors continue to benefit from Oberlander’s dream of “green cities” that infuse rural and urban harmony. Her contributions to Vancouver’s public spaces include logs as seating on our public beaches (1963), Robson Square (1983), the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch rooftop garden (1995) and the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre (2011). She designed landscapes for the Vancouver General Hospital burn unit garden, and the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology and the C.K. Choi Building.
Oberlander also made her mark nationally and internationally. She designed landscapes for non-market housing and playgrounds across the country, helped draft national guidelines for the creation of play spaces in Canada, and worked on major projects like the National Gallery of Canada, and the Canadian Chancery in Washington, D.C.
The Freedom of the City is an honour reserved for individuals who have gained national or international acclaim in their field and brought recognition to Vancouver through their work. The City began granting the Freedom of the City Award in 1936. Recipients have their names inscribed in the Book of Freedoms.
Nominations are submitted by City Council members and must be approved by a unanimous vote of Council. Oberlander’s nomination was supported by the Jewish Federation of Vancouver, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia in honour of Jewish Heritage Month.
