Dovid Rosenfeld

Measure of a community

Several hundred people came to the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza to participate in the annual lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah. (photo by Lior Noyman Productions)

In some places in the world, the sun shines on Hanukkah. It’s warm and inviting, and people gather at the lighting of a public menorah. But the real measure of a community is when hundreds turn out despite the cold and snow, to celebrate Hanukkah in a spirit of camaraderie and festivity. Such was on the first night of Hanukkah in Vancouver, when several hundred people came to the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza to participate in the annual lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah.

photo - Left to right: Ezra Shanken, Arnold Silber and Rabbi Yitzchak Wineberg try to keep warm at the lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah Dec. 18 — Left to right: Ezra Shanken, Arnold Silber and Rabbi Yitzchak Wineberg try to keep warm at the lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah Dec. 18. (photo by Lior Noyman Productions)

Members of Parliament, of the legislature and of city council brought greetings from their respective governments. The current patriarch of the Silber family, Arnold Silber, delayed his vacation to warmer climes in order to be at the ceremony. His son, Steven Silber, spoke on behalf of the family, and noted that this year marked exactly 95 years since the family’s former patriarch, the late Fred Silber, landed in Canada from his native Poland, with almost nothing to his name. He built a beautiful family and a legacy to the Jewish and wider community.

photo - Lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah Dec. 18 — Lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah Dec. 18. (photo by Lior Noyman Productions)

Rabbi Yitzchak Wineberg, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of British Columbia, noted in his short address that the lesson of Hanukkah did not lose its impact on Fred Silber. The Maccabees were very small in number, against a mighty army of the Assyrian Greeks, who were well versed in the art of war. Hanukkah teaches us never to be deterred by challenges. Fred Silber may have arrived here with little but he left this world having left much for future generations.

Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld read a letter from the Lubavitch Rebbe (Menachem Mendel Schneerson) z”l that explains the importance and value of public menorah displays, and the attendees enjoyed a choir performed by students of the B.C. Regional Hebrew Schools, of which Rosenfeld is a co-director with his wife, Chaya Rosenfeld.

Chabad Lubavitch BC gratefully acknowledged the support of Arnold Silber in making this event possible.

– Courtesy Lubavitch BC

Judaism’s differing practices

Burquest Jewish Community Centre has invited a series of local Jewish leaders to visit the centre and discuss their approach to Jewish practice. A Coat of Many Colours: Conversations about Jewish Practice takes place every other Sunday, through Dec. 11. It started Oct. 16.

Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan – rabbi emerita of Or Shalom (Renewal), volunteer at Beth Israel (Conservative) and director of inter-religious studies and professor of Jewish studies at Vancouver School of Theology – began the series with a talk called An Integrative Spirituality.

On Oct. 30, 1:30 p.m., Congregation Har El’s Rabbi Philip Gibbs speaks on The Conservative Synagogue and the Modern Jew.

“As a Conservative rabbi, I believe that Jewish law develops over time so that even a deep commitment to live according to Jewish values, traditions and rituals can fit with modern sensibilities,” he said. “At the same time, as a community leader, I also recognize that not every person wants to or is able to follow the discipline of an observant life. The synagogue acts as a spiritual toolbox with the many rituals and values that can add meaning to your life. The tension between an individual’s interest and the communal practice is both a challenge to create a welcoming space and an opportunity to explore the deeper meaning of our tradition. We will look at a few examples of how a synagogue could approach rituals like kashrut, prayer and Shabbat.”

Rabbi Tom Samuels of Okanagan Jewish Community Centre, Beth Shalom Synagogue, will give the Nov. 13, 1 p.m., talk, on the topic From Synagogue to Home.

Samuels, who does not identify with any singular Jewish denomination, institution, theology, pedagogy and the like, said, “My session will explore the idea of relocating the North American model for ‘doing Jewish religion’ from the synagogue building to the home. In response to the destruction of the Second Temple, a new Judaism emerged called Rabbinic Judaism. The ancient rabbis established a new locus of Jewish identity and connection to the home, and specifically, to the shulchan, the Shabbat table. Using the model of the Chassidic tish (or botteh, or what Chabad Lubavitch call the farbrengen), we will experience the seamless tapestry of Torah learning, tefillah (prayer), singing and eating that could be replicated by Jewish communities, with or without a local synagogue, throughout North America.”

On Nov. 27, 1 p.m., Temple Sholom’s Rabbi Dan Moskovitz will speak on These Are The Things – 10 Commandments for Living a Purposeful Life.

“Reform Judaism in general emphasizes the moral ethical commandments as being obligatory while the spiritual ritual commandments are more subjective to the individual worshipper with the autonomy to make meaningful, informed choices in their personal practice,” said Moskovitz. “My current rabbinate as senior rabbi of Temple Sholom is shaped by an emphasis on finding meaning through Jewish custom and practice, social justice work, inclusion, outreach to the unaffiliated and developing a relational community.

“I will present a passage from the Mishnah called Elu Dvarim, which details 10 commandments that, if followed during your life, receive reward now and for eternity…. I will present and we will discuss how the application of these particular commandments to your life, regardless of your faith tradition or whether or not you even have one, is one answer to the eternal question what is the meaning of life.”

Rounding out the presenters will be Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, Chabad Lubavitch, on Dec. 11, 1 p.m., with a topic to be announced.

Further information on presentations and presenters is available under events at burquest.org.

Building connection to Israel

Grade 2 and 3 students of the B.C. Regional Hebrew School in Coquitlam with teacher Shifra Rabiski. (photo from Lubavitch BC)

In time for the upcoming school year, Lubavitch BC, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, is launching a new curriculum for B.C. Regional Hebrew Schools. There is a need to engage Jewish children with a connection and pride for Israel and its central role in the Jewish past, present and future, and B.C. Regional Hebrew Schools has developed a program that does exactly this. Israel Quest is an immersive curriculum that enables children to form attachments to the Holy Land on practical, emotional and spiritual levels.

Using educational tools such as virtual reality, topography, theatre, filmmaking, STEAM activities and more, students relive the journey of the Jewish people in the land of Israel, from the time Jews entered the land, led by prophets and kings, until the untimely destruction of the Holy Temples. They discover the secret to the Jewish people’s eternal survival as a nation with tools established to keep Judaism thriving in the Diaspora.

Of the new program, Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, director of the Hebrew schools, said, “Education is at the core of everything. What we teach children in their formative years creates an indelible impact and foundation for their entire adult lives. And not only are the students themselves transformed, but the positive impact of their learning extends to their families, friends, classmates, communities and beyond.”

B.C. Regional Hebrew Schools is an affiliate of the Chabad Children’s Network (CKids), which has chapters in 26 countries and engages 25,000 children each year. Currently operating in three locations throughout British Columbia, it is gearing up for another year of Hebrew and Judaic learning, starting Sept. 1. Online registration is available at lubavitchbc.com/hebrewschool. More information can be found by calling 778-878-2025.

– Courtesy Lubavitch BC

Instiling Jewish values

The 46th summer season of the Phyliss and Irving Snider Camp Gan Israel of British Columbia ended with tears, hugs and good resolutions. (photo from CGI)

Tears, hugs and good resolutions capped off a unique camp experience in Vancouver on an emotionally charged Friday, Aug. 13, as campers, staff and parents said farewell at the end of the 46th summer season of the Phyliss and Irving Snider Camp Gan Israel of British Columbia (CGI).

Despite two years of unprecedented challenges facing camps and schools due to COVID-19, co-director Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld said CGI continued to grow. And he anticipated registrations to keep climbing, as families experience firsthand the positive effects of a Jewish summer camp experience. In the words of parent Danica David, “In one week, Camp Gan Israel took my son from a frightened child determined to hide his Judaism at public school, to a proud Jew who wears a kippah and takes pride in his davening prowess!”

photo - When asked which activity was their favourite, campers had a hard time narrowing it down — When asked which activity was their favourite, campers had a hard time narrowing it down. *(photo from CGI)*

“Our staff are the real secret to our success,” said co-director Chaya Rosenfeld. “They approach this job as a personal mission: to bring the warmth and love of Judaism to every child through a fun and impactful camp experience. We see each child not just as a camper, but as a special member of the tribe. We love everyone equally because inside we are all the same, defined by our Jewish soul.”

For the six weeks of camp, every activity of every day was imbued with Jewish energy and content. In addition to daily learning that brought home the message of camp, there were crafts, carnivals, shows, games and songs, all with Jewish themes that reinforced the concept of unconditional love (Ahavat Yisrael) and Jewish values. Campers were encouraged to search within themselves to find the sparks of holiness that lie within each person and object, thereby bringing more light and goodness into the world.

When asked which activity was their favourite, campers had a hard time narrowing it down. “I loved everything!” said Rose C., a 9-year-old camper who commuted from Langley every day. “But the water activities and hot lunch were my favourites!”

Other campers pointed to the art classes (which were led by professional artists) as their highlight of the summer, while still others were enthusiastic about the weekly shows that were performed over the summer, including The Magic of Yeeri, Cinemazoo Petting Zoo, Juggling with Matt and In the Company of Fairies.

photo - Camp Gan Israel kids — Camp Gan Israel kids *(photo from CGI)*

“The carnivals were the best!” said Sarah F. “I loved the face-painting, bouncy castles and races.”

A definite highlight was the trip to Playland, where campers from the youngest 3-year-olds to the oldest teen campers got to spend a day on the rides.

To end off the summer, CGI’s Rabbi Rosenfeld introduced the CGI Mitzvah Campaign. Campers chose one mitzvah that they learned at camp that they would focus on throughout the year. Submitting 10 reports to the camp office on how they’re doing in practising the mitzvah nets them a prize, carrying the camp experience of fun and Jewish values into their home and throughout the year.

“The best part of camp for me was my surroundings,” said counselor-in-training Eliana R., age 10. “I was surrounded by warmth, happiness and laughter between everyone. That’s what elevated it from just a normal, basic camp to an extraordinary experience. I can’t wait to go next year!”

For more photos of CGI, visit @vancouvercgi on Instagram. Email [email protected] for more information.

– Courtesy Camp Gan Israel