Gary Averbach

Brier fêtes supporters

Event co-chairs Lee Simpson, left, and Helen Pinsky. (photo by Pat Johnson)

Celebration and admiration were the overriding emotions Sept. 5 at the Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation’s first community social event since the pandemic.

The festive occasion, which took place at Heritage Hall on Main Street, brought together supporters of the foundation and highlighted five individuals who have made profound contributions to the community. The question each was asked was “How do you do it?”

Emceed by Ayelet Cohen Weil, executive director of Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation, and hosted by co-chairs Helen Pinsky and Lee Simpson, the evening featured plenty of shmoozing over a kosher buffet.

Pinsky wandered the room, posing questions to individuals who have made a range of contributions to philanthropic life, beginning with Gary Averbach, who raised $600,000 for cancer research by walking from Calgary to Vancouver in weather that ranged from snow and slush to 40 degrees Celsius. His answer to the question “How did you do it?” was straightforward.

“One step at a time,” he said.

photo - Gary Averbach — Gary Averbach *(photo by Pat Johnson)*

Averbach walks every day, and it struck him that he could string a lot of days together and make a major trudge across two provinces to raise money for a good cause. When a beloved cousin was diagnosed with cancer, Averbach took the opportunity to do good. His advice to people about getting involved in charitable causes was equally frank.

“I don’t know anybody who gets involved who hates it,” he said, insisting this is true even when the task at hand is something one doesn’t think they like.

“I never really enjoyed fundraising but apparently I was good at it,” he said. “It was always easier for me to write a cheque rather than ask for it. But I enjoyed the camaraderie, being with people, allegiances that were the same as mine. It was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life.”

He deflected the idea that his fundraising walk was selfless.

“I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t enjoyed it, so it was a really selfish thing,” he said.

photo - Marie Doduck — Marie Doduck *(photo by Pat Johnson)*

Marie Doduck, who published A Childhood Unspoken, her memoir of being a child survivor of the Holocaust and the life she made in Canada, was asked how she did it.

“It took me 40 years to write this book,” she said. “I’ve been fighting antisemitism my whole life. Since I came to Canada as a child, antisemitism was here. Survival is something survivors do. We have no other choice, so we do it.”

Since the book was released, as part of the Azrieli Foundation Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program, Doduck has been traveling extensively speaking about the book, her life and the lessons to be learned from her experiences.

“The book is still in demand,” she said. “It’s coming out in French. [Doduck’s first language]. And the most surprised person alive is me. Why are people reading my book when it was a personal thing to do for my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren?”

She called her decades of community volunteering, “a love affair” and acknowledged that, like Averbach, there are parts she doesn’t enjoy but she does them because she can.

“Fundraising makes me ill, but I’m very good at it,” she said.

Yvette Porte said she does what she does because she is inspired by the examples of others.

photo - Yvette Porte — Yvette Porte *(photo by Pat Johnson)*

“I feel that I get my inspiration from all the people I’ve met, the people who have come before me,” she said. “My mom always wanted to learn. Just before she passed away, a month before, she said, ‘I think I want to learn how to play mah jongg now.’ She was so interested in everything that went on around her.

“My dad, who believed family was the most important thing in the world, that we always had to stick together and support each other – I learned that from him. My kids, they always learned about giving, about supporting the community…. It’s inspiring to be with everyone and I hope to pass on an example of supporting your community and supporting your family to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”

Sylvia Cristall spoke of the lesson she gained from her family growing up in Winnipeg.

“I couldn’t afford a lot growing up, but whatever we had, my dad said, even if you have $10, $5, you give it if you can,” she shared. “When you get older and you’re earning money, every bit counts. That’s how I grew up.”

photo - Sylvia Cristall — Sylvia Cristall *(photo by Pat Johnson)*

After moving to Los Angeles and then meeting and marrying Lorne Cristall, the couple started a family in Vancouver. A newcomer to the city, Sylvia asked Lorne as they were driving by 41st and Oak what that building was. He told her it was the Louis Brier Home and Hospital and that they do superb work.

“That was when we were very young,” she recalled, “and he had this feeling for the elderly. He always did. I knew that one day he would be doing something for it.” And he did. The late Lorne Cristall served as president of the Louis Brier, as well as of Vancouver Talmud Torah elementary school and Congregation Beth Israel. She is especially proud, she said, that her children have followed in their parents’ philanthropic footsteps.

Ken Levitt, the former chief executive officer of the Louis Brier and a current director on the board of the Weinberg Residence, was the last one to whom the question “How do you do it?” was posed.

“I wanted to make a difference,” he said. Levitt spoke of his earlier career, which was a two-decade stint in child welfare.

photo - Ken Levitt — Ken Levitt *(photo by Pat Johnson)*

“I loved it,” said Levitt. “I worked my way from a protective worker to a senior manager.”

When he was looking for a change, he considered becoming the children’s guardian for southern Alberta but the other opportunity that presented itself was at the Louis Brier. “I fell in love with Louis Brier,” he said.

“I folded laundry and I stacked dishes for the dishwasher,” he recalled. “I got to know our residents – probably hundreds, maybe thousands, that I got to know. People who are Holocaust survivors, doctors and lawyers, people who were janitors, every walk of life. Everyone had a special story to tell because they were all special.”

And, he added: “We had a balanced budget for 16 years.”

Cohen Weil welcomed the audience, explaining that the event was a thank you to donors who have made the organization’s successes possible. While the evening was celebratory, she took a moment to recognize the pain the community has experienced since the Oct. 7 attacks and credited “our peculiar resilience as a people,” Jewish positivity, hope and compassion.

“This evening was to say thank you,” she said. “We all hope our lives will be long and independent. However, for those of us who are not so fortunate in that regard, the Louis Brier is there. We continually strive to be a better, more caring and more compassionate place for those who live here.”

The event also featured video greetings from Dr. David Keselman, CEO of the Louis Brier and the Weinberg, who was out of town, and a video featuring residents evoked the spirit of the home.

Harry Lipetz, president of the Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation, thanked the sponsors, who ensured that no foundation funds were expended for the gathering. These included Cristall Group Investments and the Cristall family, ZLC Financial Group, Porte Communities, the Simpson family, the Marsid Family Foundation, and WestCana Services, which is the culinary provider to the Brier.

The co-chairs, Pinsky and Simpson, spoke emotionally of the contributions the Louis Brier makes to the lives of elders in the community.

BI celebrates building’s 10th

At the 2012 groundbreaking, left to right: Catherine Epstein, Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, Stuart Gales, Sylvia Cristall, Michelle Gerber, Gary Averbach, Sam Hanson, Shannon Etkin and Alfonso Ergas. Obscured from view is Elliot Glassman. (Robert Albanese Photography)

On June 9, Congregation Beth Israel will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its new building at the sold-out Gerry and Ruby Gales Be the Light Gala. The event will honour the synagogue’s visionary leaders – the Lutsky, Gales, Averbach, Cristall, Glassman and Porte families – and the capital campaign’s co-chairs, Gary Averbach, the late Lorne Cristall and the late Hershey Porte, as well as building chair Alfonso Ergas, Burn-the-Mortgage chair Lee Simpson and former BI executive director Shannon Etkin.

“This new building will be built as a place for our synagogue community to grow and thrive,” Lorne Cristall told the Independent in a 2010 interview, as the capital campaign was starting up.

The new building, designed by Acton Ostry Architects Inc., would give the synagogue an east-facing sanctuary (towards Jerusalem), where it used to face north, and allow the congregation to host High Holiday services under one roof. The plan was to raise enough money that there would be little or no mortgage.

“The campaign began for $10 to $12 million plus about $2 to $3 million for an available piece of land on the southeast corner of the property that Shaughnessy Hospital had expressed a strong interest in purchasing,” Gary Averbach told the Independent in an interview earlier this week. “Even then, while running the numbers, it became quite difficult to see how … we could reach the $10 million mark, let alone the $12 million one.”

That became even more concerning, he said, once the designs were costed out, and the final tally was going to be closer to $18 million.

But the visionary donors being honoured, and many others, gave “unexpectedly generous gifts,” said Averbach, thanking Simpson and Bette-Jane Israels for their help raising the funds, and to Etkin, “who took over after we got the initial pledge.”

Averbach said, “Although we had been incredibly successful in our fundraising, having reached close to $20 million on the day we opened, the final price tag looked to be just over $25 million, and the lot had still not been sold.”

Etkin had found a potential buyer, but, when that deal looked as if it would collapse, Averbach called Gordon Diamond, who had earlier expressed interest in buying the land for possible Vancouver Talmud Torah expansion. It was a long process, said Averbach, “but, finally, thanks to Gordon and Leslie Diamond’s insisting that they find a way, the deal was done.

“There was a final Burn the Mortgage campaign with Lee, Bette-Jane and me. And, under Shannon’s leadership, we were able to pay off all but a little over a million dollars of the final cost of just over $25 million. I believe all that debt has been paid off now.

“An important note is that, of the almost $22 million raised, only two donations, totaling $118,000, came from non-members – and both those had a family history at the BI,” added Averbach.

“I suppose I could talk about all the important roles the Beth Israel synagogue, our shul, my shul, plays in our community, in our personal lives and in our spiritual lives,” Gerry Gales told the Independent about why he and his wife Ruby stepped up. “The answer is not complicated. There was a need. I was asked. I said yes. There was never a second thought in my mind. I do believe we are all here to help one another, to do what we can with what we have.”

He said, “Ruby and I find great comfort in being in our house of worship, our shul…. We know that we are a part of a great tradition, with roots that were planted thousands of years ago. It’s a tradition that will continue long after we are gone. When I think of all the people who have gathered together under this roof, I feel that I am but a small part of something so much larger than me and I feel that I am never alone.

“Then there is the practical role the shul plays in the unfolding of our lives,” he added. “The shul is a place where we come for prayers and to pray, the shul is the place where we can send our children to learn all our traditions and to be educated, the shul is a place where we come to celebrate, where we come to mourn, where we launch our children into adulthood.”

Simpson agrees. “I believe all synagogues play an important part in our Jewish lives. They are a place to gather, pray, gain spiritual renewal, comfort and peace. All so important to our mental and, therefore, physical being – even more important in our world today,” she said. “Plus, they give a sense of community. Seeing familiar faces, sharing a lunch or meal after services, all so important. They are also a place of learning and expanding our knowledge, answer our questions, gain wisdom from others.”

She said it was an honour for her and her husband Bernie to support Beth Israel.

“Beth Israel has been our synagogue for all of our married life – we were married there by Rabbi [Wilfred] Solomon,” she said. “Our children were named there, bat and bar mitzvahs were there and our grandchildren were also named and our grandson’s bar mitzvah has been there, and more to come. I was twice chair of the board of directors and involved in the building campaign.”

As for her involvement in the campaign, Simpson said, “For me, the final straw was at my son’s aufruf [being called to the Torah the Shabbat prior to the wedding]. The auditorium filled with family and friends was also filled with buckets to catch the rain coming in from the roof and windows. We needed more than Band-Aids.”

At the new building’s groundbreaking in 2012, Etkin cited a report from 1988 about a renovation being one of the shul’s “very important priorities.” He spoke about several efforts to move redevelopment forward, with the one that resulted in the new building starting eight years before construction was completed in 2014.

photo - Then Beth Israel executive director Shannon Etkin lifts the Torah during the dedication of the new building in 2014 — Then Beth Israel executive director Shannon Etkin lifts the Torah during the dedication of the new building in 2014. *(Adele Lewin Photography)*

Acknowledging that he stood on the shoulders of Cristall and Porte, who “had been involved as co-chairs in various incarnations of the rebuilding of the Beth Israel Synagogue since at least the early 1990s,” Averbach said, “I had always taken an interest in the project, but it wasn’t until I joined the board around 2008 that I started to take an active interest. My interest was based on the fact that the existing building, besides being arguably halachically incorrect, was also in very sad disrepair.”

Cristall and Porte took Averbach out to lunch and asked him to deal with donors under the age of 55.

“After a few days, I agreed, and a couple of weeks later, Hershey passed away, and the ‘triumvirate,’ with me as junior partner became Lorne and me as co-chairs,” said Averbach. “Given Lorne’s serious illness, I knew my job had expanded many times.”

With the help and work of many people, and with the commitment of the congregation, the redevelopment finally happened.

“Since we opened our doors to our new and very beautiful building 10 years ago, we have seen significant increases in every aspect of synagogue life. Our membership is growing, and our program participant numbers have increased,” BI Senior Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, told the Independent. The clergy now includes Assistant Rabbi Adam Stein, Ba’alat Tefillah Debby Fenson and youth director Rabbi David Bluman.

“Since our new building project was completed, it has literally opened many doors for our congregation,” said Infeld. “We have had the blessing of hosting many large community events including this year’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration. We have had the flexibility to do many great programs that utilize all our spaces and meet the needs of many different age groups. The High Holidays are a perfect example of when we use almost every inch of the building. We have nearly 2,000 people come to our various High Holiday services each year and the space is a true blessing for all of us.” It also allows for more varied services and programs on Shabbat, said the rabbi.

“We are really looking forward to our sold-out gala this year, which will celebrate a decade of success because of the hard work and dedication of the people who helped make the dream of a new building possible,” he said. “I am so happy that there will be so many people present to say thank you to our visionaries and builders. Jacci Sandler and the gala committee have done a fabulous job already.”

The gala committee is Jennifer Apple, Kerry Benson, Samara Bordan, Chana Charach, Shannon Ezekiel, Shannon Gorski, Carol Konkin, Samantha Levin, Juliette Sandler, Paige Swartz and Leatt Vinegar. Sandler, head of development at Beth Israel and the creator of the Be the Light Gala, spoke with the Independent about this year’s event, which will feature, among others things, a concert by American-Israeli rapper/singer Nissim Black and a menu created by Israeli Chef Yaniv Cohen, owner of restaurant Jaffa Miami, and the Perfect Bite. Howard Blank will be the auctioneer and Sandler’s husband, Brett, will be master of ceremonies – he has a long history of fundraising in the community and chaired the JCC Sports Dinner twice.

For the main act, Jacci Sandler wanted an internationally known Israeli artist. Black fit the bill, and more.

“Not only are Nissim’s songs all about Judaism but they are filled with messages of spirituality, about hope, victory, friendship, belief, admiration, being lifted and much more,” said Sandler. “At the time we are in now, the Jewish community wants to be lifted and, at the Be the Light Gala, Nissim, with his beautiful words, will do just that. I received approval of this concept by my outstanding gala committee and executive director Esther Moses.

“With the occurrences in Israel this year, we wanted to celebrate the 10th year with an Israeli meal,” Sandler continued. “But we wanted a concept out of the box from the traditional options in Vancouver. Ricci Smith teamed up with Yaniv Cohen to do a Miami-style version of our Israeli meal… Our meal will be incorporating seven Israeli spices that represent kindness, strength, beauty, perseverance, splendour, foundation and royalty.”

Shannon Chung, with whom Sandler has worked before, will perform at the donor reception, which will be hosted at the house of Mark James.

“Beth Israel Synagogue is an essential part of who we are,” said Gerry Gales. “It serves the spiritual and human needs of us, the congregants. It is a focus for our Jewish community that allows us to come together and share our lives, for better or for worse, with each other. And our synagogue plays a role in making us a visible part of our larger community, the Vancouver community.

“In these stressful times, with war in our homeland and revival of old evils and antisemitism around us, we need a place where we can come together, where we can stand together. This is that place. The synagogue needs funding to be what we need it to be, and it needs our participation. If we do not fund it, if we do not make it work, who will?”

Averbach had a message for BI’s future generations.

“Just as I and many others worked long and hard at the renovation of the JCC between 1988 and 1995 and, just over 20 years later, we need to rebuild, so it will be with the BI,” he said. “Maybe it’ll be 30 years, but just remember – never underestimate the generosity of Greater Vancouver’s Jewish community!”

Averbach back home

Supporters join Gary Averbach as he completes his walk from Calgary to Vancouver. (photo from Instagram @bobswalkforcancer)

When Gary Averbach told friends and family he was going to raise money for cancer research by walking from Calgary to Vancouver, they asked him if he was joking or crazy. His podiatrist urged his kids to get him to rethink his scheme. But when he strolled into Vancouver Aug. 11, he was greeted with a hero’s welcome at Jack Poole Plaza by those same people and plenty more who joined his cause.

The 79-year-old Averbach was inspired to raise at least $500,000 after he suffered the loss from cancer of four people close to him in a mere seven weeks last year. First, his cousin, business partner and friend Robert (Bob) Golden passed away. Averbach decided to do the fundraising walk in Bob’s honour. He connected with the B.C. Cancer Foundation and the planning for Bob’s Walk for Cancer was set in motion. Sadly, Averbach would soon find himself walking in memory and honour of three more people – cousins Ronnie Onkin and Darlene Spevakow, as well as his longtime and beloved housekeeper, Angelita Tica.

“At that point, I said, I can’t just do this walk for Bob,” Averbach told the Independent while taking a break from his walk in British Columbia’s Shuswap region last month. “I’ve got to include them as well because they are just as worthy of being included as Bob. Although it’s called Bob’s Walk, I made it clear that I’m walking for the four of them and everybody I’ve lost and anybody that has lost loved ones to cancer. There isn’t a family that that hasn’t happened to.”

The name of the campaign caused a little confusion on the road. As he trod along highways and byways, people yelled out encouragement to “Bob.” Averbach gave up correcting well-wishers.

“For awhile there, I was maybe correcting people but I thought, let me be Bob. It doesn’t matter, as long as they’re supporting me.”

What he didn’t get used to was the outpouring of support. All along the way, from the very first day of his trek, passersby sent shouts, honks, thumbs up and words of encouragement.

The cancer foundation helped Averbach set up a fundraising and information website, where people could follow his progress. He also blogged his journey, including interesting or thoughtful reflections on what had taken place that day or things that had popped into his head during his long, solo trek across the province.

Walking has always been a favourite pastime for the Vancouver businessman and philanthropist.

photo - Gary Averbach’s fundraising journey took him from Calgary to Vancouver over several weeks — Gary Averbach’s fundraising journey took him from Calgary to Vancouver over several weeks. *(photo from Instagram @bobswalkforcancer)*

“I love sports and I wish I could be a good athlete but I was born with one eye weaker than the other,” he said. “Because I do not have good depth perception, I cannot be a good athlete. But one thing I always knew was that I had good stamina and I could walk for hours. I walked all through Israel when I was in my 20s and I’ve always enjoyed walking as a way to keep fit.”

Padding through some of North America’s most dramatic scenery was an experience, he said. Although he had been on the route many times, it was always at 100 kilometres an hour. The majesty of the Rockies, the rivers, streams, waterfalls and wildlife led him to change the theme song of his venture from “High Hopes” to “What a Wonderful World.”

“Watching closely like you do when you’re walking, it does make you realize not just how beautiful it is – you can’t do that when you’re driving – but also how amazing it is, how everything works together, like the water starts with a glacier and ends up being a river going out to the Pacific. Everything follows its path. And the flora, the way it changes here.”

He was in Banff National Park on Canada Day, but noticed that every day seems like Canada Day in some rural areas. The maple leaf flies frequently in small towns, he said.

“I think there’s a level of patriotism in the countryside that doesn’t exist in the big city,” he remarked.

He also noticed signs of the times. The pandemic and its associated labour shortages have led even the legendary 24/7 diner Denny’s to reduce its hours, and some of the motels his team stayed at along the way were short-staffed.

On foot, Averbach was also more aware than he might have been behind the wheel that the road system is not uniformly modern.

“It is so piecemeal,” he said. “There are some sections of the Trans-Canada that would not even be rated a good country road, especially going through some of the towns. It’s a disgrace in some cases.”

He had some trepidation about wildlife he might encounter – bears, obviously, were a worry – but infrastructure, more than luck, may have prevented any interactions with Smokey or Yogi. Wildlife-protecting fences have been installed along much of the country’s highway system, with overpasses for animals to safely get from one side to the other.

“I didn’t see a single bear,” Averbach said – not even from a distance. Mosquitoes, beetles and grasshoppers, on the other hand, were plentiful.

“If I was an entomologist, it would be fascinating,” he said.

Averbach was assisted by a team of two, Bart Zych and Alex Krasniak.

“Alex primarily drives the van behind me, he follows me like a puppy dog,” joked Averbach, noting that people undertaking adventures like this are required to have a vehicle adjacent for traffic safety. The usual schedule was to walk five hours, rest for a bit and then continue for another three or four hours.

“Bart is the person who does all the logistics. He arranges the hotels before we go from one place to the other. He even does my laundry much better than I do,” Averbach said. “He meets us and he brings us sandwiches.”

Averbach is a warm weather guy – he trained for the walk in Hawaii and Palm Springs – and didn’t appreciate the cold mountain weather in the early days of the walk. Even near the end, he encountered rain, despite it being the height of summer. On the other hand, he also traipsed through Canada’s desert zone.

“If I had my druthers, I’d rather be in hot temperatures than the really crappy weather we had in the mountains,” he said.

When he first spoke with the Independent, Averbach was worried about meeting his target of $500,000.

“For awhile there, it slowed down at about $320,000, $330,000,” he recalled. “I started to think, am I going to be able to reach my goal, which is a half-million?”

As of his arrival in Vancouver, he had surpassed his minimum goal of $500,000 and now has his sights on more.

“According to commitments and some of the cheques that are in the mail, we are probably somewhere around $570,000,” he said. The campaign will continue and the website will stay active until his 80th birthday, on Oct. 10.

He offers special thanks to friends in the Jewish community – donations in multiples of $18 are a sure sign of Jewish philanthropy.

“Over two-thirds of the donors, maybe even three-quarters of the actual donors, were from the Jewish community,” Averbach said. “The Jewish community really came out and supported me.”

While he is happy to be in his own bed and will continue pushing to raise more funds until his birthday, at least, he is not resting on his laurels or basking in the accolades.

“Been there, done that,” he quipped. “My 15 minutes are over.”

He was touched, though, by the crowd of about 200 who greeted him as he completed his journey.

“It was very heartwarming,” he said.

Averbach reaches Kamloops

Day 17: Gary Averbach at Sicamous, a resort town about halfway between Calgary and Vancouver.

At press time, Gary Averbach had reached Kamloops, completing 23 days of his walk to raise money for cancer research, which started in Calgary on June 25. Averbach is doing the fundraising walk in memory of Robert (Bob) Golden, Ronnie Onkin, Darlene Spevakow and Angelita Tica.

In a June email, he wrote, “’Some years ago, as part of my ‘bucket list,’ I decided that, in my 80th year, I was going to walk from Calgary to Vancouver. But, early in 2021, my dear cousin, business partner and lifelong friend, Robert (Bob) Golden, was diagnosed with a rare and almost always fatal bone cancer, chondrosarcoma. On the eve of his passing, on Aug. 26,, 2021, Bob asked that I do my walk in his memory, to raise funds for cancer research, especially the insidious one that was killing him.

“Of course, I couldn’t refuse. And so I changed the focus from just being a personal bucket list item to cross off my list and instead started planning Bob’s Walk for Cancer Research.

“Then, sadly <\a> in the span of a little under seven weeks <\a> starting early in April, I lost two more cousins, Ronnie Onkin and Darlene Spevakow, and a treasured housekeeper, Angelita Tica, to lung, liver and pancreatic cancer, respectively.

“Because of those tragedies, I have since decided to do this walk in memory not just of Bob, but also in memory of Ronnie, Angelita and Darlene.”

At the end of Day 23, Averbach blogged, “So the challenge facing us today and the weeks ahead is not the ‘walk’ but making sure that we achieve our goal of $500,000, hopefully before I end the walk in August but most definitely by my 80th birthday on Oct. 10. My current projections – depending on the size of the outstanding gifts – has me as high as $425,000 to as low as $385,000.”

To donate, go to bccancerfoundation.com/events/community-event/bobs-walk-for-cancer-research. All donations over $10 will receive a tax receipt from the B.C. Cancer Foundation.

To follow Averbach’s blog, visit polarsteps.com/garyaverbach.

Contemplating the JI – on the occasion of the JI’s 85th

Editorial in the Jewish Independent’s predecessor, the Jewish Western Bulletin, March 20, 1931.

The JI spoke with four friends of the newspaper from longtime Vancouver Jewish community families about the value and future of a Jewish community newspaper: Gary Averbach, Shirley Barnett, Bernie Simpson and Yosef Wosk. We asked each the same four questions and they replied by email. Their responses are printed below.

image - Not only are the community members interviewed here longtime Vancouverites but they have been involved in communal life for decades. The announcement on the right is from 1959, and comments on how a group of youth including Gary Averbach brought “AZA No. 119 back to its strength of a decade before.” — Not only are the community members interviewed here longtime Vancouverites but they have been involved in communal life for decades. The announcement on the right is from 1959, and comments on how a group of youth including Gary Averbach brought “AZA No. 119 back to its strength of a decade before.”

GARY AVERBACH

1. Is it important to have a Jewish community newspaper? If so, what are some of the reasons?

It’s difficult to answer this question because it seems so obvious that having a community newspaper is vitally important. We need a forum and a notice board for opinions and events in the community and, if there was not a publication dedicated to providing that forum and bulletin board, our community would suffer an irreplaceable loss.

2. What do you think the JI/JWB specifically has contributed (contributes) to the community?

For the most part, the JI/JWB has always been a bulletin board for the Jewish community, informing us about major – and minor – events and happenings. Whether they be reports on events that have occurred in the community – including the greater Canadian and worldwide Jewish community – or just informing us of births and deaths, b’nai mitzvahs and weddings, or local upcoming happenings. If not the JI/JWB, where would this come from?

3. In what ways, if any, is having a print version of value, versus only having an online publication?

For the next decade at least there will be a demand – albeit likely a decreasing one – for a printed version of the JI. That isn’t so much to provide for the very few people who still don’t or can’t use a computer, but to those of us who still prefer to hold a newspaper in their hands

4. Do you think that a Jewish community paper will be relevant for your grandkids’ kids?

I don’t even know what my grandchildren will be using to access their news in 10 years’ time, never mind what my great-grandchildren will prefer. But I’m fairly certain it won’t be print media as we now understand it. However, that in no way diminishes the need for a community forum and bulletin board giving a Jewish viewpoint on matters of local, national and international events – specifically items that directly involve Jews and, of course, Israel. So, whether it’s an online version, as we now know it, or some further refinement that we can barely imagine now, there will still be a need to inform our local Jewish community by the JI or some similar outlet.

SHIRLEY BARNETT

1. Is it important to have a Jewish community newspaper? If so, what are some of the reasons?

Yes, for sure. I would like more reporting of issues in the community rather than just of events.

2. What do you think the JI/JWB specifically has contributed (contributes) to the community?

Exactly that – a sense of community and interaction.

3. In what ways, if any, is having a print version of value, versus only having an online publication?

For me, for sure. I like to read it over a morning coffee, and still cut and clip.

4. Do you think that a Jewish community paper will be relevant for your grandkids’ kids?

Probably not.

BERNIE SIMPSON

1. Is it important to have a Jewish community newspaper? If so, what are some of the reasons?

It is extremely important for the Jewish community, which is spread throughout the province, particularly the Lower Mainland, to have a Jewish community newspaper. There is no question that the viability of printed media has been affected by easy access to online papers, however, it is noted that just about every ethnic community in British Columbia still has printed media, which is read primarily by the older generation.

image - This article from 1959 is but one of many recording Bernie Simpson’s participation in Habonim and other community organizations, including the Jewish Western Bulletin. — This article from 1959 is but one of many recording Bernie Simpson’s participation in Habonim and other community organizations, including the *Jewish Western Bulletin.*

For example, in the Indo-Canadian community there are at least one dozen papers, half of which are in Punjabi. However, two of the most prominent papers, the Voice and the Link, have been in existence for more than 30 years, and are able to attract substantial advertising and are thriving within the community.

The Korean community has at least six papers, primarily in Korean. The Vietnamese community has at least four papers. The Chinese community has a countless number of newspapers, which attracts readers from the various regions from where the Chinese community has come, including Taiwan, Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Admittedly, however, those communities have far more significant numbers than the Vancouver Jewish community, and that may be the reason why those papers are more economically viable.

The Jewish community newspaper, by definition, helps promote a community by giving news as to various events that are happening, not only in Vancouver but in outlying areas.

It is also a vehicle to announce important fundraising activities and to give proper recognition to those who are honored in the community.

The reporting of international news particularly as it relates to Israel is important, and also the editorial content. I believe that we are fortunate in having editorial content that is objective. The letters to the editor, by and large, are articulate and represent, on occasion, a different view than the mainstream Jewish community may have, particularly with regards to Israel, and this view should be welcomed as it serves as a catalyst for thoughtful thinking on sensitive subjects.

The stature of the Jewish community would be diminished considerably in the eyes of the non-Jewish community if there was not a Jewish community paper. There is still the view that the Jewish community is well organized, speaks with one voice on contentious issues, is socially active in liberal causes and even responds to tragedies throughout the world, and I would think that the image of the community will be tarnished considerably if a community paper did not exist.

2. What do you think the JI/JWB specifically has contributed (contributes) to the community?

To a certain extent this question is partially answered by my response to Question 1.

I believe that this paper helps keep the community focused and together, and it takes into consideration all aspects of the political spectrum as it relates to the three levels of government and objectively reports what is happening in Israel.

We are indeed fortunate to have the publisher (working with various editors), who is an outstanding journalist as is evident by the many awards that the Jewish Independent has won.

If it would happen in the future that the Jewish Independent did not exist, then that void very well could be filled with a community publication that lacks the objectivity that the present Jewish Independent has. For a brief period of time several years ago, such a paper did exist, and it was quite clear what the agenda of that paper was. In the Jewish Independent’s small way, it does help the debate with regards to the peace process in Israel between the Israelis and the Palestinians and the concept of a two-state solution.

3. In what ways, if any, is having a print version of value, versus only having an online publication?

I think, at this point, the majority of the readership are still of the generation where they don’t naturally gravitate every day to their computer or their mobile to see what news comes out this week in the Jewish Independent.

Longtime members of the community have had ingrained in them that towards the end of the week, the Jewish Independent will arrive. It often stays around the house until the next edition. I would think also that it would be harder to get advertising revenue if you’re only online.

4. Do you think that a Jewish community paper will be relevant for your grandkids’ kids?

Frankly, I’m not terribly concerned about the answer to that question, nor is it really relevant to the present situation. I am a senior member of the Jewish community now; my grandchildren are 6, 3, 2 and 1. It’s impossible for me, who on my best of days has difficulty directing my attention to the immediate past, to focus on whether the paper will be relevant for my grandkids’ kids, which would be around 30 years in the future.

I don’t think that we should be too concerned about that question, but what we should be concerned about is how we can make the Jewish Independent more economically viable.

One obvious answer is an increase in subscriptions. Perhaps, an active volunteer campaign could be conducted by members of the community to try to sign up more subscribers. This will make it easier to get advertising revenue.

It may be that there should be “an advisory board” set up to advise the present publisher as to how to make the paper more attractive to advertisers and to readers.

There is a great deal of talent within the Jewish community (well-known reporters who are still active, retired reporters with national papers, etc.); this is a resource that perhaps should be called upon.

Also, an advisory committee of individuals – businesspeople – can lend help financially, if the situation arises.

RABBI DR. YOSEF WOSK

1. Is it important to have a Jewish community newspaper? If so, what are some of the reasons?

image - Yosef (“Jerry”) Wosk’s decision to donate funds to Vancouver Talmud Torah on the occasion of his bar mitzvah in 1962 drew the attention of editor Sam Kaplan. — Yosef (“Jerry”) Wosk’s decision to donate funds to Vancouver Talmud Torah on the occasion of his bar mitzvah in 1962 drew the attention of editor Sam Kaplan.

Yes, I feel it is important to have a community newspaper. It helps to gather and focus information about the extended family that is the community. It covers diverse topics, such as social events, politics, education, births and deaths, special interest groups, as well as emotional and intellectual concerns.

2. What do you think the JI/JWB specifically has contributed (contributes) to the community?

The newspaper has tried to be a neutral newsgathering and dissemination site. It carries articles that represent the full spectrum of the community, thereby fostering information and conversation.

3. In what ways, if any, is having a print version of value, versus only having an online publication?

The value of a print edition is that it can be read on Shabbat, it is easily accessible to everyone, including technophobes. It is always open and easy to read. Articles can be cut out and distributed. Having a hard copy on your desk or table gives it an immediate physical presence and material voice. In addition, a newspaper or magazine laying around in a public common area or even in a private home will attract readers who may not open an electronic device and search for a particular media address. The electronic edition may provide a number of supplementary links and also be available through a quick search, but it does not negate the value of a printed edition.

4. Do you think that a Jewish community paper will be relevant for your grandkids’ kids?

Who knows? However, newsgathering and dissemination in one form or another has always been of interest to the human condition and, so, I project that a community newspaper will still maintain its value in the future.

Beth Israel is hoping to be home for the High Holidays

Congregation Beth Israel’s former parking lot will be replaced by an underground parking garage with a 200-vehicule capacity. The roof will be an interconnected series of courtyards. (photo from Beth Israel)

This September, when construction is complete and Congregation Beth Israel reopens at Oak and 28th, Vancouver’s oldest Conservative synagogue will join a very special Vancouver membership. The structure will be on the city’s list of green buildings.

Vancouver is pushing to become the world’s greenest city by 2020 and, this year, it began phasing in bylaw changes that would require both residential and commercial construction projects to integrate more environmentally friendly features into their infrastructure. For BI, this means a building that uses less electricity, more natural resources like sunlight and outdoor carbon-reducing green spaces and, wherever possible, partners with neighborhood facilities to reduce energy usage.

BI executive director Shannon Etkin told the Independent that the congregation has known for a couple of decades that it would have to replace the 65-year-old building. “The air conditioning system was shot, the plumbing and electrical systems were very old and outdated and subject to continuous breakdowns, [and] the roof was well past its best-before date,” he said.

In addition to its age and the environmental concerns, the structure no longer fit the needs of the synagogue’s membership.

“We also wanted a space large enough [where] all of the congregation could be under one roof at High Holy Days instead of having to have a second service, or an alternative service for other people because we didn’t have space for them in our main building.”

“The spaces weren’t designed for the way we work with our congregation now,” said Etkin. “We also wanted a space large enough [where] all of the congregation could be under one roof at High Holy Days instead of having to have a second service, or an alternative service for other people because we didn’t have space for them in our main building. We didn’t have lounge spaces for people to gather informally. Some of the rooms were too small and some of the rooms were too big. The auditorium was not large enough for many families who wanted to have functions at the synagogue.”

The new building, said Etkin, will be attractive, as well as serve the needs of the 600-family congregation. “We are going to have a beautiful sanctuary…. It will feel intimate for various-sized numbers of people attending services,” he said, adding that the social hall will be able to accommodate larger wedding and other simchah receptions.

As well, people who want to sit and shmooze after services or while waiting for a class or a presentation will be able to do so. “We have informal spaces for people to lounge in and be able to talk to one another, [and] we will have new technology allowing us to project images in different rooms, a sound system, all those different things we didn’t have in the previous building,” explained Etkin.

BI Rabbi Jonathan Infeld said the changes will make a big difference to the atmosphere and functionality of the synagogue. “One of the other critical components of the building is lighting. The new sanctuary will have a skylight and lighting that will make the whole place bright. Dim, dark lighting like we had in our old building is depressing. Brighter lights are more uplifting and spiritually enhancing,” said the rabbi.

“The building will be extremely friendly for those with physical challenges,” he added. “Not just the bimah, which will be extremely accessible for someone with physical challenges, but washrooms as well.” And, he noted, “[The] heater will work in the winter, and the air conditioner will work in the summer, and not vice versa.”

photo - Gary Averbach, left, and Shannon Etkin at the kick-off of Beth Israel's capital campaign in May 2011. — Gary Averbach, left, and Shannon Etkin at the kick-off of Beth Israel’s capital campaign in May 2011. *(photo from Beth Israel)*

Despite all of the environmental improvements, Infeld said the congregation has decided not to seek LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification through the Canadian Green Building Council, as doing so would cost upwards of another $100,000, and the congregation feels the money could be better spent on projects within the synagogue. However, the new building’s environmental features would allow it to apply for a gold rating as a LEED building. For example, Metro Vancouver’s design guide for LEED buildings points out that using daylight to enhance the brightness of the building’s interior is not only appealing, but energy efficient. Properly applied, it can reduce electricity usage and heating bills – as can the design of the overall structure.

In fact, said Mark Ostry, principal architect at Acton Ostry Architects, Inc. – the new building’s designer – many of the esthetic and functional changes will provide environmental benefits, including the congregation’s decision to keep the building’s original frame; a decision that was also a nod to its 82-year history (the congregation was incorporated in 1932 and completed the structure in 1949).

“Roughly 60 percent of the building area has been accommodated in the original building,” said Ostry. According to a 2012 study by Preservation Green Lab, an arm of the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation, construction retrofits that emphasize green techniques are often easier on the environment than new construction.

Ostry said they are also looking into BI joining a district energy system (DES) that would be run by the nearby B.C. Women’s and Children’s hospitals complex. Hooking up to a DES would mean that BI could reduce energy usage further. Shaughnessy Hospital introduced an earlier version that shared service with the Oak Street hospital complex back in the 1980s, and the proposed DES upgrade would allow BI to benefit from that network.

Ostry said other environmentally beneficial features include the landscaping that is going to serve as the roof to a shared underground parking lot.

“This [will allow] the synagogue to be wrapped with a network of interconnected courtyards,” said Ostry. “In addition to promoting biodiversity, the soft-planted landscaping contributes to storm water management…. Equally important, these courtyards establish a strong connection between the synagogue and the outside. Landscape areas have been designated to accommodate a gaga pit, chuppah, sukkah, outdoor services and various informal activities – all of which enhance the meaningfulness of the natural world in Judaism.”

BI’s reconstruction started in 2012 and, according to Etkin, it is expected to be complete in time for this year’s High Holy Day services. Almost all of the funding has been raised through donations, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver has contributed for a preparatory security review. He said the support from both congregation members and the larger community is what has allowed the redevelopment to move forward. With only $2 million of the targeted $18 million cost still to raise, BI’s new home is almost complete. And, in this new home, the “building will finally face east, toward Jerusalem,” said Infeld. It has been a long-term goal and, now, he said, “It will finally be correct.”

Jan Lee’s articles have been published in B’nai B’rith Magazine, thedailyrabbi.com and Voices of Conservative and Masorti Judaism. She also writes on sustainable business practices for TriplePundit.com. Her blog can be found at multiculturaljew.polestarpassages.com.