More than one in four Canadians aged 15 and older, about 27% of the population, are living with a disability, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. That’s an increase from 22% in 2017, and the numbers are expected to continue rising as our population ages and mental health challenges become more prevalent.
This isn’t just a statistic. It’s a reality for more than eight million people. Yet, despite these numbers, many of us in the disability community still find ourselves on the margins of Canadian society – overlooked, underestimated and too-often excluded.
I am neurodiverse. I have a cognitive disability, and I am a self-advocate for the disability community. I speak from experience and from the heart because I know what it feels like to be left out.
One of my earliest and most painful memories happened nearly 30 years ago, but it still lingers. In elementary school, there was a class camping trip I’d looked forward to for weeks. I stayed up all night baking chocolate chip cookies to share with my tentmates. But, when I got to school, I learned no one wanted to share a tent with me. That night, I slept alone in a tent that flooded during a rainstorm. I was soaked, cold and humiliated.
It wasn’t an isolated experience. I remember birthdays where I was the only classmate not invited, weekends without playdates, and watching other kids plan sleepovers I was never part of. These moments left marks, not just as a child, but as an adult working to change things for others.
I share these stories not to seek sympathy, but to urge action, because these experiences are still happening. Many of us with disabilities face uncomfortable, unkind or dismissive attitudes simply because we are different.
While some people make a sincere effort to be open-minded and inclusive, others respond to our presence with unease or judgment. We are frequently excluded from mainstream media,social spaces and cultural narratives. When we are represented, it’s often through inaccurate, stereotypical or tokenizing portrayals. This must change.
We need a cultural shift in how Canada understands, engages with and includes people with disabilities. That starts with honest conversations and with listening. Are you assuming what we need instead of asking? Are you speaking for us rather than with us?
There’s a powerful phrase within the disability rights movement: “Nothing about us without us.” It means decisions that affect our lives must include our voices. That should be the standard in education, policy, health care, the arts, employment, everywhere.
The next time you interact with someone who is different, pause. Consider your assumptions. Choose empathy, choose respect and choose inclusion.
Remember: more than a quarter of Canadians have a disability. We are your neighbours, your co-workers, your classmates and your friends. We are part of Canadian culture. We belong.
חברת הלואו קוסט הקנדית אייר טרנזיט החלה לטוס ישירות בקו טורונטו ברלין. קו זה מאפשר לישראלים שמגיעים לברלין להמשיך בטיסה ישירה לטורונטו. הקו החדש יופעל בשלב זה רק בחודשי הקיץ: מטורונטו לברלין בימים חמישי וראשון ומברלין לטורונטו בימים שני ושישי
הקו החדש הוא בשורה טובה לישראלים שרוצים לטוס לקנדה. זאת, לאור העובדה שאל על הפסיקה את הטיסות הישירות שלה בין ישראל לקנדה לפני כשלוש שנים. ואילו חברת התעופה לאומית של קנדה אייר קנדה לא טסה כרגע לישראל לאור המצב הבטחוני המסובך
למי שבוחר לטוס באייר טרנזיט לטורונטו יש אפשרות גם לקחת טיסות המשך בשיתוף החברה הקנדית הנוספת ללואו קוסט אייר פורטר, ליעדים נוספים בקנדה בהם: מונטריאול, ונקובר, קלגרי, אדמונטון והליפקס. או להגיע בטיסות המשך מטורונטו ליעדים בארה”ב ובהם: לאס וגאס
הטיסות של אייר טרנזיט מטורונטו וברלין ובחזרה מתקיימות באמצעות מטוסי איירבוס החדישים שכוללים מאה שמונים ושבעה מקומות במחלקת תיירים, שמונים ושבע מקומות במחלקת הפריום ועוד שנים עשר מושבים במחלקת העסקים. אגב משך זמן הטיסה בין ברלין לטורונטו נאמד בכתשע שעות
הטיסות של אייר טרנזיט מברלין לטורונטו מאפשרות גם גישה נוחה לקנדה לנוסעים ממדינות נוספות באירופה בהן צרפת, בלגיה, הולנד ושוויץ
אייר טרנזיט שמתמחה בעיקר בחבילות נופש ליעדים באירופה, ארה”ב והאיים הקריביים נבחרה לאחת החברות הטובות בתחום זה בשנים האחרונות
ואילו חברת התעופה הלאומית של איחוד האמירויות איתיחאד שחידשה לאחרונה את טיסותיה לישראל, כחלק מההתעצבות הגלובלית שלה, חנכה לאחרונה קו טיסות ישיר בין אבו דאבי לטורונטו. קו זה מאפשר לישראלים לטוס ישירות לאבו דאבי ומשם להמשיך ישירות לטורונטו. הקו החדש בין אבו דאבי לטורונטו באמצעות מטוסי איירבוס החדישים מגדיל את הקיבולת של החברה של איחוד האמירויות בכשלושים אחוזים. ובכך החברה מגיעה ללמעלה ממאה יעדים בעולם תוך שימוש בצי מטוסים מתקדמים. מדי חודש החברה מטיסה קרוב לשני מיליון נוסעים בקווים השונים שלה
צי המטוסים של חברת איתיחאד מונה כיום מאה במספר כולל חמישה מטוסי מטען
איתיחאד כידוע טסה ישירות לישראל ומאפשרת לישראלים להגיע למגוון רחב של יעדים ברחבי העולם, באמצעות טיסות המשך משדה התעופה של אבו דאבי
הקו החדש בין אבו דאבי לטורונטו של איתיחאד כאמור מאפשר לנוסעים מישראל אפשרות להגיע לטורונטו, בדומה לאפשרות להגיע לברלין ומשם להמשיך באייר טרנזט הקנדית לטורונטו
כידוע לחברת התעופה של אחיד האמירויות איתיחאד יש מחלקת עסקים מפוארת ביותר שכוללת תאים פרטיים סגורים עם חדר שינה, מיטה פרטית וכורסה אישית ומקלחת
קנדה תכיר במדינה הפלסטינית
ראש ממשלת קנדה, מארק קרני, הודיעה לאחרונה כי קנדה מתכוונת להכיר במדינה הפלסטינית במושב השמונים של האו”ם שיערך בספטמבר. הוא הוסיף כי הכוונה להכיר במדינה הפלסטינית כרוכה במחויבות של הרשות הפלסטינית לבצע רפורמות נחוצות ומשמעותיות ביותר, לקיים בחירות כלליות בשנה הבאה ללא החאמאס, ולפרק את המדינה הפלסטינית מצבא. קרני ציין עוד כי קנדה עובדת יחד עם מדינות נוספות לקיים את פתרון שתי המדינות, ישראל ולצידה מדינת פלסטין, שהוא הולך ונשחק מול עיננו
זאת לאחר שבמהלך ועידת שתי המדינות שהתקיימה לאחרונה במטה האו”ם בניו־יורק ביוזמת צרפת וסעודיה, הכריזו מדינות נוספות על כוונתן להכיר במדינה פלסטינית, במסגרת העצרת הכללית של האו”ם הצפויה להיערך בספטמבר הקרוב. קנדה מצטרפת אפוא למדינות נוספות שהחליטו להכיר במדינה הפלסטינית ובהן צרפת, בריטניה,מלטה, ספרד, אירלנד ונורווגיה
“Delible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)” is on display at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria until Oct. 26, as part of the Architectures of Protection exhibition. (photo by Toni Hafkenscheid, courtesy Susan Hobbs Gallery)
Beth Stuart’s “Delible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)” is part of the Architectures of Protection exhibition, which opened at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) on May 24 and ends Oct. 26.
In each of the five “Delible” pieces, a black ledge has replicas of food items on top of it and a length of black mesh suspended below. Stuart used plaster, iron oxide pigment, dyed silk, steel and Sumi ink to create the works. The replicas are casts of halved walnuts, pizza crusts, poppy hulls, blackberries and watermelon seeds. According to the artist, each original mold was made from the source itself, except for the watermelon seeds, which were cast from clay originals.
On a wall leading to the five pieces, there is a several-square-foot textual display featuring more than 1,600 words, written entirely in capital letters, with the thoughts seeming to randomly jump from one topic to another; there are no paragraphs, but the words cover five columns. The text, an integral element of the overall artwork, was hand-stenciled by Stuart and relates to the physical pieces.
Beth Stuart’s “Delible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)” installation comprises a wall of text and five structures. (photo by Mike Andrew McLean, courtesy Art Gallery of Greater Victoria)
The text begins with mention of the Himalayan blackberry, an invasive species in British Columbia, and then moves to Luther Burbank, an American botanist, horticulturist and eugenicist, before discussing the Armenian Genocide (1915-16) and Canada’s residential schools.
In the middle portion of the textual display, Stuart describes what she sees as the plight of Gazans and the attitudes of certain Israelis.
“AS I WRITE, THERE HAS BEEN NO AID OF ANY KIND FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS AND EVERY WATER DESALINATION PLANT HAS BEEN BOMBED,” Stuart writes. “IN EARLY 2024 THERE WAS A CLIP CIRCULATING FROM ISRAELI CHANNEL 14, OF A PUNDIT SAYING EVERY PALESTINIAN OVER THE AGE OF FOUR YEARS IS A POTENTIAL TERRORIST AND A NECESSARY TARGET OF WAR. SINCE THEN TWO KNESSET MEMBERS HAVE DECLARED PUBLICLY THAT EVEN INFANTS ARE TERRORISTS. THE DELIBLES BAGS ARE APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A BAG OF FLOUR OF THE TYPE THAT SOMETIMES ARRIVES IN GAZA, AND ALSO COULD CONTAIN THE BODY OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILD.”
Stuart then talks about tree-planting, which she apparently did in university, then writes: “THIS IS THE FOURTH VERSION OF THIS TEXT I HAVE WRITTEN OVER THE PAST 20 MONTHS. THIS WEEK THERE ARE MASSIVE WILDFIRES NEAR OCCUPIED JERUSALEM. THEY ARE BURNING IN AYALON CANADA PARK, A SEVEN SQUARE KILOMETER PARK LOCATED IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE. THERE HAD BEEN THREE PALESTINIAN VILLAGES ON THIS LAND IN 1948. AND APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED OR EXPELLED FROM THE AREA AND THE VILLAGES RAZED.”
She talks more about “THE ORGANIZATION THAT FUNDED THE PARK” without naming it and then raises the issue of the Canadian government’s involvement with Israel and, specifically, its military.
“BETWEEN OCTOBER 7TH 2023 AND THE FIRST WRITING OF THIS TEXT, MY GOVERNMENT HAD SENT 30 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MILITARY SUPPORT TO ISRAEL,” she writes. “ON SEPTEMBER 10TH 2024 THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER SENDING ANY ARMS TO ISRAEL. IN FACT, WHILE CONTRACTS FOR ARMS SALES ARE NOT BEING OFFERED, ONLY 12% OF EXISTING CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED, AND MANY PARTS, RAW MATERIALS AND MUNITIONS ARE BEING SOLD TO THE U.S. AND THEN SENT TO ISRAEL. CANADA ALSO BUYS ARMS AND SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY FROM ISRAEL.”
The text moves into Stuart’s comments on residential schools before she concludes with the sentence: “FOR THE SECOND SPRING SINCE OCTOBER 7, 2023 THE BLACKBERRY HEDGES ARE BLOOMING.”
To at least one member of the Victoria Jewish community, Stuart’s work is an example of “artfully coded antisemitism – all the more reprehensible for its coyness.”
“In itself, ‘Delibles’ are very beautiful, evocative works,” Maurice Yacowar, a professor emeritus (English and film studies) of the University of Calgary, wrote in a letter to the art gallery that was also sent to the Independent.
“What renders the work problematic is the full-wall text – in spectral grey – that accompanies the sculptures,” Yacowar said.
He said,“As a whole, the work contrasts the self-renewal of nature’s produce with humans’ murderousness. Unfortunately, the art is undermined by the artist’s ignorance and prejudice in its Palestinian references.”
He said Stuart misrepresents Israel and its media by choosing to reference a news outlet “that even in Israel is considered extremist.” And, he argues,“She omits the Oct. 7 context. A Hamas spokesman flatly stated, ‘There are no civilians in Israel’ – ie., only targets in war.”
Stuart’s exhibit does not include the word “Hamas.”
In a statement to the Independent, the AGGV said:
“The gallery is aware that some members of the community disagree with the subject matter of a current work of art on display. We are always interested to hear how the public, and our members, respond to our exhibitions. We also embrace learning, new ideas and critical perspectives.
“At the AGGV, we respect the artists and curators who work with us to create exceptional exhibitions. As an arts institution, our role is to amplify artists’ voices and create space for conversation and learning. We encourage an exchange of ideas that results in meaningful dialogue and understanding through art.”
The Architectures of Protection exhibition, in the synopsis posted by the AGGV, is supposed to reflect “on ideas and modes of protection and refuge – with regards to oneself, to community, knowledge, culture, identity and land. What are these spaces and practices? What is protection for some and not for others?
Together, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the current global social and political climate, the artworks in Architectures of Protection direct critical attention towards systems and structures that shape and impact everyday and sacred environments and encounters, alongside individual and collective relationships with the land.”
The exhibit also features the artwork of Dana Claxton, Jessica Karuhanga, Emilio Rojas and France Trépanier.
Sam Margolishas written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
On Aug. 5, B’nai Brith Canada hosted an online discussion on the crises affecting Druze communities in Syria and the Iranian people, with a focus on the impact on these diasporas in Canada and potential actions by the Canadian government.
The speakers were Kiumars Rezvanifar, president of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association and founder of the Iranian Canadian Cultural Fellowship, and Jamal Sehnawi, an advisor to the Supreme Druze Council and a member of the Canadian Druze Society.
Rezvanifar said the recent violence in Syria’s Suwayda (Sweida) governorate could have resulted in “hundreds of thousands” of Druze deaths if the Israel Defence Forces had not intervened. He said the attacks included the killing of civilians and kidnappings, highlighting the case of a 5-year-old girl who was kidnapped, assaulted, and her family killed, allegedly by members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). He lamented that major Arab media outlets like Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya have downplayed the crisis, a silence he called “a moral issue.”
Independent casualty figures vary. The Washington Institute reported more than 800 dead and 900 injured. Reuters-verified footage and the Syrian Network for Human Rights cited more than 1,000 deaths, mostly Druze, including women and children. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented 182 executions by government-affiliated forces as of July 19. Le Monde reported 1,311 deaths, while Anadolu Agency cited at least 321 killed, including six children and nine women.
These attacks have deeply shaken Canada’s Druze community, said Rezvanifar, who estimated the Druze population in Canada at about 50,000, mainly in Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton.
Sehnawi described the violence in Suwayda as “ethnic cleansing,” attributing it to the Syrian Ministry of Defence and Interior and to foreign fighters. He said the Druze community’s requests were for peace and recognition similar to that afforded to other communities worldwide.
Throughout the discussion, Sehnawi spoke about historical and cultural ties between Jewish and Druze communities, referring to Druze as “direct descendants to the sons of Jacob (Israel)” and noting traditions of service and community support.
The online conversation also addressed the situation in Iran. Rezvanifar spoke about decades of repression by the Iranian government, citing executions, censorship and the suppression of protests. He criticized European countries for “prioritizing economic interests over human rights,” noting that international attention often came “too late to effectively help the Iranian people facing brutal repression.”
In the face of internet blackouts and censorship, Rezvanifar praised citizen journalists, saying, “The Iranian population is tech-savvy and educated, constantly finding ways to circumvent restrictions.”
Rezvanifar alleged that Iranian regime operatives live openly in Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Richmond Hill (part of the Greater Toronto Area), claiming “thousands of visas may have been issued to regime members” and “fewer than 10 deportations have occurred in the past five to eight years.” These figures have not been independently confirmed.
He commented on the fact that it took repeated calls before Canada designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization in 2024. The measure had been sought by various groups since the January 2020 downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, which killed 176 people, most of them Canadian citizens or residents. Both speakers called for Canada and the international community to take action in support of affected communities.
“In real estate, it’s all about location, location, location,” Sehnawi concluded. “In this situation, it’s all about information, information, information.”
Uriel Presman Chikiaris a student at Queen’s University and serves as executive vice-president of external relations at Hillel Queen’s.
Writer Adina Horwich only met Yehuda Miklaf and his wife Maurene in Jerusalem, even though both Adina and Yehuda are from Nova Scotia. (photo by Adina Horwich)
So, this guy walks into my Yiddish group one fine Sunday in Jerusalem – this is not the beginning of a joke. In the group, we welcome anyone who is into Yiddish, with any background, and, on that day, Yehuda was introduced to us. We went around the room asking him questions. I asked where he hailed from. Little could I have anticipated his answer: Nova Scotia.
“I don’t believe it!” I said. “So do I!” Then, “From where, exactly?”
“Annapolis Valley.”
“Oh,” I paused, thinking to myself, I’d be hard-pressed to find any Jews there.
Later, Yehuda’s story was revealed when the teacher matched us up to work together.
Yehuda, an Esperanto speaker and aficionado, has only recently started to learn Yiddish, while I have been at it for 15 years. I started off with little but the smattering I heard as a child. Yehuda happened upon it by the by, via a friend in the hand-printing scene, where he is an active, prominent member. With the characteristic zeal that he tackles so many projects, and lots of gumption, he has taken to Yiddish very well.
The sight and sound of us two old-time Bluenosers (nickname for Nova Scotians) hacking a chainik in Yiddish, is too precious. But, most of all, I like when Yehuda slips into the down-home accent I grew up with. That is when I really kvell.
Né Seamas Brian McClafferty, Yehuda was born in the mid-1940s to a father with Irish roots and a mother with origins in Quebec. The youngest of eight, he had an idyllic childhood, as a small-town Catholic youngster in Annapolis Royal, which today has a population of only 530.
In his last year of high school, Yehuda attended a Fransciscan seminary in upstate New York, his first foray away from home. With his fellow students, he passed a building with Hebrew letters, which intrigued him. A friend he asked about these unfamiliar markings promptly replied: “That’s just Hebrew.” Yehuda had never seen, much less met, any Jews.
He completed his last year of high school and then spent a year of silence and meditation at the novitiate in the Adirondacks. The following year, he furthered his studies towards the priesthood, commencing a rigorous and intense program that sounds like a yeshiva govoha (Torah academy of higher learning).
Discipline and training, mostly in silence, hours of meditation and living under austere conditions, Yehuda carried on through to the second of four years. He heard a lecture about the Torah, which was demonstrated by a small model scroll, and delved deeply from then on, backed by the church’s ecumenical approach of spirituality and faith. He availed himself of the library to his heart’s content and took to reading the Hebrew Bible over and over again. He didn’t know it at the time, but his first steps towards life as an Orthodox Jew were taken, while he was encouraged to become a scholar of the “Old Testament.”
Over the four years of study, Yehuda began to have rather different ideas about how he wanted to live his life.
Returning to Canada in the mid-1960s, he spent time in Toronto and in Nova Scotia, taking road trips home to tend to his father who had taken ill. Things grew clearer.
Yehuda absorbed every mention of things Jewish. It was an emotional attachment. In 1966, after having left Christianity, he discussed his evolving beliefs with a Jewish friend, who said: “You sound more Jewish than me. I’m surprised that you haven’t converted.”
The conversion process was long but not arduous. Yehuda took a class in Toronto and eventually went to the mikvah.
He and his wife Maurene – who he met through his roommate in Toronto – visited Israel, as tourists, for an extended vacation. They had not intended to make aliyah, but, smitten with Israel, as so many of us are, did so three years later.
After making aliyah, Yehuda had to “rinse and repeat,” so to speak, as often happens with conversion. Israeli rabbinic courts do not automatically accept even the most stringent diaspora Orthodox ones, and Yehuda had to go through it again, studying for a year and then going to the mikvah. The converting rabbi gave him the option of choosing a name and Yehuda suited him, since that’s where the word Jew comes from. Miklaf (literally, “from parchment”) was a good abbreviation of McClafferty, he thought, and could not have been more fitting for his chosen profession of printer and bookbinder.
Like most new immigrants at the time, they started out at an absorption centre and had a routine klita (absorption/integration), including Hebrew language studies at ulpan. Maurene got a job in high-tech and Yehuda opened a studio. He started out by binding the original of David Moss’s My Haggadah: The Book of Freedom, and branched out into printing.
The couple attends an Ashkenazi shul but try not to be pigeonholed as being from one background (Sephardi or Ashkenazi). Early on, Yehuda tasted some traditional Ashkenazi delicacies and learned how to make potato kugel, for which he’s now famous, along with kneidlach.
Yehuda still has two siblings in Nova Scotia and visits his longtime friends in Annapolis Royal.
Our paths from the Atlantic led us to meet in Jerusalem, where we raised our families. The Miklafs have two children and several grandkids. Their daughter was a high school friend of my daughter’s, and both women have been living in the same community, and they see each other now and again.
Ma’aseh avot siman l’banim – the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children – or, in this case, Ma’aseh horim siman l’banot, the deeds of the parents are a sign for the daughters.
Adina Horwichwas born in Israel to Canadian parents. In 1960, the family returned to Canada, first living in Halifax, then in a Montreal suburb. In 1975, at age 17, Horwich made aliyah, and has lived mostly in the Jerusalem area. She won a Rockower Award for journalistic excellence in covering Zionism, aliyah and Israel for her article “Immigration challenges.”
Before Passover, a relative of ours in New Jersey asked if we would have problems getting Manischewitz wine. I told her all would be fine. Even though US alcohol had been taken off Manitoba’s shelves, we would just buy other brands of kosher wine instead, I said.
I felt confident about this possibility until I marched to the kosher section of the wine shop and saw the notification. The store encouraged us to buy whatever was available “right now” because all kosher wine, no matter where it is made, is imported through the United States. We were fine for Passover and, to be honest, my family is more flexible about wine the rest of the year, so the situation didn’t worry me too much.
A Manischewitz joke from my mom, visiting from the States, made me wonder about how much kosher wine is available now in Manitoba, and I did some googling. Between the provincially run Liquor Marts and the private wine shop that caters to those who keep kosher, I saw about six wine varieties available.
Then, my husband told a story he’d heard from someone attending minyan. Their family kept kosher. To get the kosher wine they wanted during Manitoba’s ban on US alcohol, they placed a special order with Happy Harry’s liquor store in Grand Forks, ND. The dad drove from Winnipeg, crossed the border, picked up two cases of wine, paid the duty at the border and drove home again. It was a 470-kilometre round trip, more or less, to resolve the issue.
You don’t think a lot about this when supply chains function between countries, but, in the absence of kosher wine imports, you have whatever odds and ends are left – and Kedem grape juice, which is still available.
Plenty of Jewish Canadians may be asking what they will drink on the holidays. This made me think about the Babylonian talmudic tractate I’ve just started studying, Avodah Zara. This tractate, compiled by about 500 CE, concerns how one lives alongside idol worship. It considers issues like whether Jews should do business with non-Jews before their festivals, because the money they earn might go towards ritual sacrifice to idols.
It gets more specific though. Jews lived in diverse places, with many different cultures around them. The rabbis wondered, what if there were a water fountain and the water spurted out of a Greek god or an idol? Jews may not drink “from Zeus’s lips.”
The rabbis then suggest a more concerning health issue about these fountains with pipes. There was danger, they posit, because these pipes brought water from ponds or rivers. You might swallow a leech. Medical suggestions about what to do if you swallow a leech (or, heaven forbid, a hornet) follow. Apparently, one is allowed to boil water on Shabbat to deal with this problem, or swallowing vinegar might help.
This discussion on Avodah Zarah, page 12, examines how to deal with many issues in communities where we Jews interact with others, working and living together, specifically mentioning Gaza and Bet She’an. Yes, those two locations have been in the news … funny how little changes.
This tractate page describes how to cope with another even more difficult dilemma. During this period – the Mishnah was compiled by about 200 CE, and the Gemara was added by 500 CE – some people believed that Shavrirei, a water demon, came out at night. If you got thirsty at night, you must wake up someone else to accompany you, as the demon would only be a problem if you were alone. However, if you were alone and thirsty, there was another solution. One knocked on the jug lid and recited an incantation: “shavrirei verirei rirei yirei rei.” Maybe reducing the name of the demon at each repeat results in causing the demon to disappear, too?
To most modern thinkers, this whole approach will seem bizarre. An entire tractate is devoted to avoiding idol worship, since Jews believe in only one G-d. Yet, at that time, Jews also seemed to believe that dangerous demons existed, swallowing leeches could be resolved by consuming hot water, and a person would die from swallowing a hornet but might delay their demise by drinking vinegar. Worldviews are complicated, and full of contradictions.
These days, Jews, both in Israel and the diaspora, live in community with non-Jews. We must cooperate and get along even when our traditions don’t jibe. Further, we must consider when our actions are meaningful and when they’re tokenism. Some examples of avoiding idol worship suggest that Jews should avoid even the appearance of worshipping idols. For instance, if you get a thorn in your foot near an idol statue, don’t bow down there to pull out the splinter! It looks bad.
From the outside, sure, Jews in Canada can stand behind our country’s counter-tariffs and the choices made by our country and provinces to deal with trade issues. It’s within the rights of provinces to pull US alcohol from our shelves. That said, how then do Jewish families who require kosher wine to say Kiddush, celebrate Shabbat or weddings or holidays? According to at least one household, it requires crossing the border, paying the duty and getting on with things.
It’s not clear whether the counter-tariffs, lack of US alcohol sales or decreased Canadian tourism to the United States will make any difference in the Canada-US trade relationship. Like the incantation to get rid of the demon Shavrirei, perhaps reducing the names of those who bother us makes them disappear. Maybe it’s just a ritual that makes us feel better. We can’t tell from here.
Over time, our priorities differ. Sometimes, we’re scared of a water demon. Other times, we’re feeling thrashed about by trade talks with an “orange” ruler of a different sort. In both cases, we might respond with token acts or incantations, which mostly don’t change things. Yet, the rabbis point out, water is essential to life. We must drink, so we come up with hopefully safe solutions to quench our thirst. Wine is a little less necessary, but we bless it multiple times a year, so does the kosher wine shortage matter more now? The issue creates discord between our Canadian and Jewish identities, as we live in the diaspora.
Perhaps all will be resolved when Canada’s internal trade between provinces improves. Maybe we’ll think less about this when the weather cools and we’re not quite so “thirsty.” Here we are, almost 2,000 years after these issues were first discussed, still wondering the best ways to live in diverse societies, meet our needs and get along with our neighbours.
Joanne Seiff has written regularly for the Winnipeg Free Press and various Jewish publications. She is the author of three books, including From the Outside In: Jewish Post Columns 2015-2016, a collection of essays available for digital download or as a paperback from Amazon. Check her out on Instagram @yrnspinner or at joanneseiff.blogspot.com.
Susan Inhaber, president, Na’amat Canada (left), with Dalia Margalit-Faircloth, president, Na’amat Vancouver. (photo by Heather Freed)
Na’amat Canada and NA’AMAT USA came together last month to celebrate a milestone: 100 years of community work.
The Centennial Celebration, held in Toronto May 16-18, brought together leaders, members and supporters for a weekend filled with joy, reflection and renewed purpose. The program featured tributes, performances and presentations from Na’amat International leaders. Together, participants honoured a century of activism and achievement while charting the course for the work ahead.
Na’amat was “the first and last women’s organization for which I ever worked,” said the late Golda Meir, national secretary (president) of Na’amat in the 1930s, decades before she became Israel’s prime minister.
Founded in 1925, Na’amat Canada is a Jewish nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of women, children and families in Israel and Canada through education, advocacy and social services.
“From our humble beginnings as a single organization to the growth of two vibrant organizations dedicated to empowering women and children in Israel, we can take great pride in our rich and storied history,” said event co-chairs Jan Gurvitch (NA’AMAT USA) and Susan Inhaber (Na’amat Canada). “This celebration honours not only the trailblazers who came before us but also the dedicated individuals who continue to give their time and energy to carry our mission forward.”
The weekend began with welcomes and candlelighting, continued with performances and storytelling, and culminated in atribute to Na’amat’s past national presidents, women who helped shape the organization’s direction for generations. Attendees also heard from Na’amat Israel leaders Hagit Pe’er and Shirli Shavit, who shared updates on urgent needs and inspiring progress on the ground.
“Today, as we honour this remarkable milestone, we celebrate not only the achievements of the past but also the enduring partnership that continues to drive our mission forward,” said Pe’er, president of Na’amat Israel and Na’amat International. “Together, we have built a legacy of resilience, compassion and progress that will inspire future generations.”
The event captured the deep sense of community that defines Na’amat: from singing and dancing, to laughter and reflection, to sharing dreams for the next 100 years.
Kanot Youth Village
After wrapping up the centennial, the occasion served as the launchpad for Na’amat Canada’s next major initiative: a fundraising campaign to equip a brand-new middle school building at Kanot Youth Village, a life-changing boarding school for at-risk youth in Israel.
“We help children cross the bridge – from being lonely to being socially connected, from failing in school to succeeding, from mistrust and alienation to belonging, connection and pride in being part of society,” said Dr. Hezi Yosef, director of Kanot, who is an expert in cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy and lectures at educational institutions and organizations in Israel and worldwide.
Founded by Na’amat in 1952, Kanot today serves 700 students, many of whom face poverty, trauma or loss. The new building – a collaborative project between Na’amat Canada, donors and Israel’s Ministry of Education – is nearly complete but, to open its doors in September 2025, it must be fully furnished and equipped.
Na’amat aims to raise $180,000 CAD to provide classroom furniture, lab tools, creative arts supplies and technology to transform the space into a vibrant learning environment.
To learn more about Na’amat’s impact or to support the Kanot campaign, visit naamat.com or call 1-888-278-0792.
בחודשים האחרונים לא מעט ישראלים שעברו לקנדה עקב המלחמה, בעקבות אירועי השבעה באוקטובר, חוזרים בחזרה לישראל. קנדה הפעילה תוכנית מיוחדת עבור הישראלים עקב המלחמה, ואיפשרה להם לקבל רישיון עבודה לשלוש שנים. לאחר מכן יתאפשר להם במקרים מסוימים לקבל תושבות קבע ואזרחות. כמה עשרות אלפי ישראלים ניצלו אפשרות זו ועברו לקנדה בשנה וחצי האחרונות. מרביתם מטבע הדברים עברו לגור בטורונטו שבה יש את הריכוז הגדול ביותר של יהודים וישראלים בקנדה
עתה המצב התהפך ורבים מישראלים אלה חוזרים הביתה לאחר שלא הצליחו להתאים את עצמם למגורים קבועים בקנדה. זאת, בעיקר כיוון שלא תכננו נכונה מראש את החיים הצפויים להם במדינה הקנדית. לפי הערכה כחמישים אחוז מאלה שעברו לקנדה בגלל השבעה באוקטובר יחזרו בסופו של דבר לישראל
רוב הישראלים שחוזרים לישראל אמרו לעצמם נעבור לקנדה ואז נזרום, וזאת כמובן לא תוכנית טובה. רובם הבינו רק בדיעבד שלא תהיה להם אפשרות להישאר בקנדה מעבר לשלוש השנים של קבלת רישיון העבודה. אם הם היו קוראים מידע לפני המעבר או מבררים באתרים ייעודיים, הם היו חוסכים לעצמם עשרות או מאות אלפי שקלים. ישנם גם ישראלים שגילו בדיעבד שבמקום שבו הם נחתו בקנדה – הם לא יוכלו לקבל תושבות ואחרי ששכרו בית, רשמו את הילדים לבית הספר ומצאו עבודה, הם נאלצים לעבור לגור באזור אחר.
ישנם מקרים קיצונים יותר של ישראלים שלצערם לא הצליחו למצוא עבודה, ונאלצו לבקש מחברי הקהילה היהודית עזרה במגורים ומזון. במקרים כאלה הומלץ להם לחזור מייד לישראל, להתארגן מחדש ולנצל את רישיון העבודה שלהם בעתיד
קבוצות הפייסבוק מהוות מקום בו אפשר לשאול ישראלים אחרים את כל השאלות שמטרידות אתם לפני המעבר, אך הבעיה מתחילה כשמקבלים עשר תשובות שונות ורובן אינן נכונות ואף מטעות. כשמתכננים מהלך כזה מורכב, חובה לקבל תשובות מקצועיות, המתאימות למצב האישי של השואל ולא להסתמך על מידע שניתן מאנשים, שחלק מהם היגרו לפני שנים רבות כשמערכת ההגירה היתה שונה והתנאים בקנדה היו שונים. ישנם גם יועצים מטעם עצמם ובעלי אינטרסים כלכליים, שמסתובבים בקבוצות השונות ומחלקים עצות בחינם – גם במקרה הזה חינם עלול לעלות הרבה כסף בטווח הארוך
חלק מסוים מאלפי הישראלים שהגיעו לקנדה ארזו מזוודה, ובהחלטה של רגע הזמינו כרטיס טיסה ועברו. ישנם צעירים, ששמעו מחברים שעברו לקנדה ללא שום תכנון מראש. אך לאחר כמה חודשים בקנדה הבינו שמכיוון ואין להם אפילו תעודת בגרות ולכן יהיה להם קשה לקבל את תושבות הקבע, ועל כן חזרו לישראל
יש ישראלים שחזרו לישראל מקנדה למרות שקיבלו רישיון העבודה והתחילו לעבוד, אך לאחר כמה חודשים הבינו שהחיים בקנדה אינם נוצצים כפי שדמיינו. הם הרגישו מנותקים מהמשפחה והחברים והתקשו להתאקלם בתרבות החדשה. אחרי מספר חודשים, החליטו לחזור לישראל ולהתחיל את חייהם מחדש
המעבר לקנדה כולל גם הסתגלות לשוני תרבותי נרחב. רבים מהישראלים גילו כי התרבות הקנדית שונה באופן משמעותי מזו הישראלית. הקנדים ידועים ברוגע שלהם לעומת הפלפליות הישראלית. כמו כן, הנורמות החברתיות וההתנהלות היומיומית בקנדה שונות מהותית מאלו שבישראל. ישראלים רבים חושבים שכמו בישראל הם יתארחו בבתי חברים וגם ילדיהם יוזמנו על ידי החברים שלהם לאחר יום הלימודים ולחלופין. אך זה לא קורה, כיוון שבקנדה קובעים פגישות חברתיות כולל בין ילדים, מספר ימים או אפילו שבוע מראש, ואין מקום לספונטניות הישראלית
