In February, Jewish Addiction Community Services (JACS) appointed Rabbi Joshua Corber as its new director. The Vancouver-born Conservative rabbi spent the last 10 years as a congregational rabbi in Calgary, Vaughan, Ont., and Louisville, Ky., before returning home in July 2023.
“Practically the entire time I was serving congregations, I was in recovery,” Corber said. “Prior to that, I was in active addiction. I’m in a unique position to serve the Jewish community in this way because I have the personal experience of having suffered from addiction, but I also have experience from my congregational service with pastoral counseling and, in particular, people going through severe life trauma. That will be of immense value to me in serving this community.”
Rabbi Joshua Corber is the director of Jewish Addiction Community Services Vancouver. (photo from JACS)
Corber noted that the Jewish community faces an acute risk when it comes to substance abuse. One reason is the misconception that Jews are immune to addiction, but another is the prevalence of alcohol in traditional religious observance. “There’s no religion other than Judaism in which alcohol is so present in almost all aspects of religious life,” he said.
“Alcohol is prescribed, sanctioned and encouraged in Judaism, and not just on Purim,” he continued. “There’s always a Jewish excuse for a l’chaim. For me, as a rabbi, that posed a unique danger because I could always justify it. Though halachic authorities strongly discourage drunkenness, that message won’t be absorbed by the addict, who will make a beeline for the l’chaim table – every single time.”
Corber’s polysubstance addiction, including alcohol, became acute during the pandemic. He said the most concerning addictions, that pose the most immediate threat to life, are opioids and fentanyl.
But, just as Judaism presents a risk in terms of addiction, it also has resources for recovery, the rabbi noted.
“Most of the recovery world, such as 12-step programs and AA, consider an addiction to be a spiritual problem, and spiritual problemsrequire spiritual solutions. I have a deep knowledge of the ways in which Jewish tradition and Jewish wisdom teachings can be leveraged as a critical aid in recovery.”
Corber’s first community event will be held on April 15. The Third Seder: Understanding Addiction and the Path to Freedom is a communal, seder-like meal where the rabbi will discuss the connection between addiction, recovery and spiritual freedom.“We’ll leverage and focus the Haggadah around addiction and recovery,” Corber said, adding that “everyone should come.”
“This is not just for people who are in recovery or struggling with addiction,” he said. “It’s really important that the whole community be involved in the conversation around addiction. It can’t be that shivas are the only place that we’re talking about addiction.”
When Jewish Addiction Community Service was established in 2016, its role was to help members of the community suffering from addiction. Eight years after its inception, in 2024, the organization came under the umbrella of Jewish Family Services, meaning that, operationally, it will be under the auspices of JFS.
“We needed infrastructure and clinical support, so this is a big operational shift that integrates addiction-related services with other services that JFS provides,” said Tanja Demajo, chief executive officer at JFS. “When a client comes to JFS or JACS for support, we examine their needs holistically and connect them with different resources based on their needs. Going forward, it means people can get the support they need in one place instead of going to two.”
Demajo and her team hope the new development will remove barriers to service access and eliminate the shame and discomfort associated with requests for support, because the need is certainly there, she said.
“The percentage of people impacted by addiction in the Jewish community is very similar to the wider community: we know that every third community member is impacted by someone affected by addiction. But there’s a lot of stigma and judgment, so it’s not easy to ask for help,” Demajo told the Independent. “Education and awareness are things JACS and JFS really need to work on, to normalize the need to ask for help. The more conversations we have, the more it normalizes the need for help.”
JACS has hired Corber as a full-time director, and is relying on eight therapists contracted through JFS. Demajo said, as community needs shift and change, the organization will examine taking on additional therapists if needed. “We’re at the early stage of building a full program and bringing new energy to it,” she explained.
Demajo added that she’s deeply grateful to Howard Harowitz, the founder and chair of JACS, who advocated for addiction services in the Jewish community for years.
JACS’s mission is to increase education and awareness, provide community direct service, and offer guidance and referrals. For more information, visit jacsvancouver.com.
Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, left, with Leslie and Gordon Diamond. (photo from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver)
To recognize their exceptional leadership and philanthropic impact in Vancouver and across the nation, Vancouver City Council unanimously agreed to bestow the Freedom of the City upon Leslie and Gordon Diamond. They were awarded the honour on Dec.12, 2023, and the award presentation was held Oct. 29, 2024.
“Leslie and Gordon have devoted their lives to the people of Vancouver,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “Their remarkable work in health care, affordable housing, community services and beyond has made a lasting impact, shaping not only our city’s history but also its future.”
An Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, Gordon Diamond founded the Diamond Foundation in 1984. Leslie, who is also a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, has worked alongside Gordon in driving initiatives that support affordable housing, social and seniors’ services, community development, education and health care.
The Diamonds’ philanthropic vision has catalyzed critical initiatives addressing health and substance use. Their contributions include landmark donations of $20 million each to Vancouver General Hospital’s Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre and to the St. Paul Foundation’s Road to Recovery substance use disorder initiative.
As champions for the arts, the Diamonds have enabled countless underprivileged youth to access and enjoy the cultural fabric of the city. Their substantial support for the new Vancouver Art Gallery stands as a testament to their vision for arts accessibility and patronage.
“We are truly honoured to be recognized by the city we love,” said Leslie and Gordon Diamond. “To receive an award for doing what we love doing is humbling. Thank you.”
Some 130 women came out to play mahjong, bridge or canasta at National Council of Jewish Women Canada, Vancouver section’s Games Day on Feb. 15, raising almost $8,000 for the Israeli nonprofit ALUMA Counseling Centre. (photo by Adele Lewin Photography)
Last month, 130 women gathered for a Games Day Fundraiser for Israel, hosted by National Council of Jewish Women Canada, Vancouver section. Almost $8,000 was raised for the Israeli nonprofit ALUMA Counseling Centre.
The afternoon event on Jan. 21 was held at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and featured mahjong, bridge and canasta, offering participants a chance to connect with one another, while raising funds for ALUMA, so that help can be provided to the many families who need to start the healing process from the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
ALUMA, also known as IFCA, Israel Family Counselling Association, was established in Tel Aviv in 1954 and joined forces with NCJWC in 1973, said NCJWC national president Linda Steinberg.
“Golda Meir had the idea of twinning Israeli organizations needing financial assistance with women’s organizations abroad,” explained Steinberg. Dorothy Reitman, as president of NCJWC at the time, was contacted and this twinning was arranged through Carol Slater, who then lived in Israel. Slater was the chair of NCJWC’s Israel project ALUMA for 15 years.
ALUMA is a centre for counseling and treatment of couples, families and individuals, regardless of their place of residence, origin, religion or economic circumstances. It was a pioneer institution, the first such centre in Israel, said Steinberg. Most people receiving therapy pay what they can, if anything, and the professional therapists are volunteers, receiving little if any remuneration.
Steinberg noted that ALUMA is dependent on donations and NCJWC is the only Canadian organization providing financial support for the nonprofit. National members have supported ALUMA through fundraising teas, brunches and other events, and by yearly contributions as NCJWC members.
Oct. 7 has increased the need for trauma support in Israel and ALUMA has developed several models to meet this growing need, said Steinberg. “Most recently, their therapists have been training and mentoring new volunteers to help.”
Left to right are event co-chairs Lisa Boroditsky, Juleen Axler, Jordana Corenblum (NCJW Vancouver president) and Sandy Hazan. (Co-chair Jane Stoller is missing from photo.) (photo by Adele Lewin Photography)
Gadi Lifshitz, NCJWC’s contact and spokesperson for the staff at ALUMA, wrote a letter to Lisa Boroditsky, who was one of the chairs of the local games day event, along with Juleen Axler, Sandy Hazan, Lola Pawer and Jane Stoller. NCJWC Vancouver’s president is Jordana Corenblum.
“Dr. Orly Rubin, the director of the institute, and, on my own behalf, I want to thank your wonderful community for the continued contribution and support of ALUMA,” wrote Lifshitz. “First, I will tell you about a treatment process in which Dr. Rubin and I provided a group therapy to five friends in their 30s who, on that cursed Sabbath, simply decided to go to the kibbutzim that were under attack and help as much as they could,” wrote Lifshitz. “Without weapons and without orders from any official authority, they decided that they are going to help. During those hours, they witnessed terrible sights, helped evacuate the wounded and dead, and all this while helping each other and supporting each other.
“About two weeks after the events, they contacted us for help. We quickly developed for them a trauma intervention model for a group therapy. We accompanied them through several group and personal meetings until we felt that their emotional state had stabilized and that they could return to their day-to-day ‘life.’
“It was a very powerful process, which required a lot of commitment, sensitivity and thought from all of us,” wrote Lifshitz. “This is just one of the many examples of the effort we invest in ALUMA in supporting all the many trauma victims who contact us.
“We need your continued support in our journey to expand our services to those, the many, who need them and us today.”
Natalie Portman, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen (photos from Variety)
On Feb. 25, 1-5:30 p.m., the 58th annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon will be broadcast on Global BC. The fundraising event will feature celebrity guests, including appearances by Natalie Portman, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen and others, as well as musical performances by renowned artists. Viewers will hear directly from the children and families that have been supported by Variety and the impacts the organization has had on their lives.
“Variety is committed to stepping in for families who need urgent support and specialized care when there is nowhere else to turn,” said Andrea Tang, chief executive officer of Variety BC. “The essential programs, services and resources made possible by our generous donors not only transform daily realities for children – they change the trajectory of their future and positively affect entire communities across the province.”
Every donation made during the Variety Show of Hearts campaign will be matched, allowing donors to make twice the impact in a child’s life. Donors who join Variety’s monthly giving program or make a one-time donation of $169 or more will receive a limited-edition poster of Robert Bateman’s “Northern Reflections – Loon Family.” This artwork was commissioned in 1981 by the Government of Canada as a gift for HRH the Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) on his wedding.
To donate, visit variety.bc.ca or call 310-KIDS (5437) toll-free. To make an automatic $25 donation, text the word KIDS to 45678.
A full list of Variety Show of Hearts guests and performers can be found online at variety.bc.ca.
Carol Ann Fried as herself, and as Groucho Marx. Fried presents the program Laughing Matters at the May 28 Jewish Seniors Alliance Spring Forum. (photos from Carol Ann Fried)
Carol Ann Fried helps people find their “joy spot.” When she brings her interactive presentation to the Jewish Seniors Alliance Spring Forum May 28, she promises: “My goal is it’s going to be the most fun meeting they’ve ever attended.”
Fried is a Halifax-raised, Montreal-educated, Vancouver woman whose Friedom Training and Coaching Services include keynote speeches, workshops and meeting facilitation. She is also chief executive officer of Playfair Canada, which offers noncompetitive adult play experiences, especially to first-year students on Canadian campuses.
The joy spot is found in many ways, but it always involves connecting people with one another, she told the Independent.
“I do it by getting people to interact in creative and fun ways, toward some kind of end, if it’s a theme or team-building or fun at work or fun at home,” she said. “This can happen in various ways, but the way I do it is to get people up moving, usually, interacting with each other, talking with each other, doing some kind of activity.”
Typically, she does this with businesses, organizations and teams. In her program with the Jewish Seniors Alliance, laughter will be a core objective.
While members of the JSA may be longtime friends or acquaintances, Fried promises that, by attending her program, “They are going to get to know each other in new ways. They are going to make new connections, they are going to laugh. There will be laughter.”
After growing up in Halifax and studying at Dalhousie University, Fried got a master’s degree in counseling at McGill University in Montreal and eventually made her way west. She has served on the board of Or Shalom synagogue and is currently the chair of the membership committee.
If she has one piece of advice for people – attending her program or not – it is “Be courageous.”
That can mean something as simple as being willing to play.
“In our world, people somehow have the idea that play is for children and that we have to get serious when we get taller,” Fried said. “The idea of it is pooh-poohed by a lot of people. But my work is about getting them to do it before I tell them what they’re going to do.”
In corporate settings, she calls this “Managing to have fun.”
“I love jazzing up meetings,” she said.
Fried also has an affinity for doing programs with food.
“You can do a lot of things around food – Jewish people and food,” she said. “You can have a bag and in the bag are a variety of implements that are anything but cutlery. One of them could be the egg beater, the carrot peeler, a salt spoon, the things that you find in that drawer where you throw everything. People pull a ribbon and they have to eat their whole meal with that one thing. There are no forks, knives or spoons in there. It’s super-fun and it would be great for one of these family meals where you’re worried about how people are going to get along.”
Another idea is a “backwards meal” – spoiler alert: it’s eating dessert first.
“I really believe that shared laughter and play are essential to a healthy lifestyle,” said Fried. “When we are playful, all sorts of good things happen in our body, all those horrible hormones decrease and all the good ones increase. It affects morale, it affects creativity, all very positively. They’re going to experience each other in different ways than they otherwise would or that they are used to or that they have at other times.”
JSA’s Spring Forum takes place May 28, 2 p.m., at the Peretz Centre. Fried’s program is titled Laughing Matters. Call 604-732-1555 or email [email protected] for more information.
The Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation announces David Zacks, KC, as chair of the 2023/24 The Brier, Their Home campaign.
David Zacks (photo from Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation)
Born and raised in Vancouver, Zacks has been an active member of the Jewish community for more than five decades. He practised banking and finance law and was recognized globally for his professional achievements. He is a Life Bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia and was appointed King’s Counsel in 2002. In his retirement, Zacks is devoting time and energy to a variety of charitable causes, including the Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation. He is most proud of his two sons and their spouses and his five grandchildren.
The Louis Brier Home and Hospital is the home of 32 Holocaust survivors. The Brier understands the depth of the complexity of care to be delivered in providing clinical, spiritual and psychological attention to this sector of our community. Most residents come to Louis Brier older, frailer and with more complex health needs than ever before. Holocaust survivors are an especially fragile group because of their cumulative trauma. Aging, for them, can often be a time of severe crisis, and presents the risk of retraumatization.
The Brier is one of the most important and resource-demanding establishments in the Vancouver Jewish community. For more than 60 years, 24/7, 365 days a year, the home and hospital cares for the most susceptible and often extremely ill members of our community with both clinical and emotional support. They are carefully guided through their most vulnerable and difficult times by the staff, who know that caring for this generation means not only providing critical clinical care, but equally providing opportunities for enjoyment and engagement – the Brier strives to be a joyous place for elders to live.
The Brier campaign takes place every two years. It is the main source of funding, and the Brier Foundation’s main fundraising endeavour. The funds raised cover the basic annual needs of the home that are not funded by government. The needs of a Jewish home extend far beyond the basic human requirements provided – every Jewish component of the Louis Brier Home and Hospital is completely reliant on community donors. Examples include having a chaplain/chazzan, a fully kosher facility, a shul, Holocaust education for staff, and the celebration of all Jewish holidays. The Brier Foundation also supports extras that most other long-term care facilities cannot, such as full-time infection control, quality-and-risk practitioners, security, medical equipment, music, art, physio, rehabilitation, and occupational therapy.
It is thanks to the commitment and consistency of community donors that Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation provides the Brier with stability of funding that provides the best possible quality of life for residents, one of dignity and happiness. The board members and executive director of the Louis Brier Foundation, Ayelet Cohen, are acutely aware of the immense responsibility they hold, and thank everyone for sharing this responsibility with them over the years.
May 1 marks the start of this year’s campaign – The Brier, Their Home – which runs until June 16. The Brier Foundation, together with the leadership of Zacks, hopes to raise $1.8 million to keep up with the home and hospital’s needs. This amount will just allow the Jewish home to cover expenses through 2023/24. Over the last six years, the Brier Foundation’s funding responsibility has more than tripled in an evolving healthcare environment. It takes immense resources to manage such an operation. The needs are great and ever increasing.
The Brier Foundation works to fulfil these essential needs, but cannot do this without the community’s help. If it is not done as a community, there is the risk of losing the ability to provide a dignified and gratifying end-of-life process for Jewish seniors. It is our collective duty to care for our elders, those who built our community for us.
* * *
Chabad Richmond depends on a devoted team of volunteers. From delivering Light of Shabbat meals to assisting with programs, assembling Pesach packages, and so much more, Chabad’s cohort contributes not only their time but their enthusiasm. Leading the charge, along with Chabad Richmond co-directors Rabbi Yechiel and Chanie Baitelman, is the new board of directors, comprised of lay leaders who bring a multitude of talents to the table and have an ambitious vision for the future of Chabad.
New president Ed Lewin takes over from past president Steve Whiteside, and welcomes Phil Levinson as first vice-president and Jeff Wachtel as second vice-president and secretary. New recruits Gayle Morris and Brent Davis join existing board members Sheldon Kuchinsky, Shelley Civkin, Shaun Samuel (treasurer), Louise Wright and Yael Segal.
Lewin was born and raised in Vancouver, the middle child of Holocaust survivors. An avid sportsman and community worker, he has served on many nonprofit boards in the Jewish community and is past president of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. He is proud to have represented Canada in basketball three times at the Maccabi Games in Israel, winning two bronze medals. He recently sold his business law practice in Vancouver and is currently associate counsel with Arora Zbar LLP. He moved to Richmond in 1987, and has been married to Debbie for almost 42 years. The Lewins have two children, both married, and a 1-year-old grandson, all of whom call Richmond home.
The board of directors supports Rabbi Baitelman’s dream of an expanded Chabad Centre in Richmond, recognizing the potential for growth in a community whose Jewish population is close to 4,000.
“The vision of a larger Chabad centre with increased capacity and a variety of amenities for all ages is on the horizon. With board and community support, it will become a reality,” said Lewin.
Chabad Richmond recently launched a young professionals group for 19-32-year-olds, and is expanding several of its programs.
“Education, community outreach and gathering as a community to celebrate Jewish holidays and lifecycle events are only part of what we currently do,” said Rabbi Baitelman. “We want to expand our reach and nurture every Jew in every way we can. We have much work ahead of us, but we’re blessed to have a steadfast and conscientious board who works to help us grow. Each one of them brings their unique talents to assist us in realizing our mission.”
People are living longer and, ideally, they’d be living longer at home. Pragmatically, this means that they and their primary caretaker(s) would need support not just for medical care, but for errands and companionship, as well. Enter Rona Goodman and her small business, Bubbymobile.com.
“Bubbymobile.com is a senior concierge service that offers a multitude of non-medical services to families. They include companionship, lunch, errand running, grocery shopping, accompanying to medical appointments and check-ups, transportation, walks and more,” Goodman told the Jewish Independent.
Rona Goodman (photo from Bubbymobile.com)
Goodman thought of the concept for Bubbymobile.com a few years ago but waited until the pandemic subsided and it was safe to launch.
“I would say it’s been around a year since I started, and it is going very well,” she said. “It’s growing organically and that’s the way I wanted it. Mostly word of mouth and recommendations, and that’s the best advertising you can get. I would love to meet more families in the community.
“The concept came to fruition when I was visiting my friend’s mom who was in a seniors home. I would take her for walks and be her companion. I met several people in the facility who didn’t have anyone visit them or assist with their non-medical needs. After researching, I thought this service would be a great resource to complement what is already out there.”
Goodman named her business after her maternal grandmother.
“My bubby was the best and the matriarch of our family,” said Goodman. “I’m from Montreal and grew up with a close family because of my bubby and zadie. Every Friday night since I can remember, we would have dinner at their house with my family, aunts, uncles and cousins. We all grew up together and I wanted to honour my bubby with the name.”
Goodman said she had two wonderful grandmothers, but “my dad’s was my grandmother…. Both were lovely but I did spend more time with my bubby cause of Friday night dinners. But we (me, my brother and sister) did visit my grandmother and would take her out for drives and lunches/dinners and had lovely visits. She made the best coleslaw…. Both of my grandfathers passed when I was pretty young. Everyone has had a bubby or grandmother or grandfather, so it’s really in honour of them all!”
For Goodman, two of the best things about being Jewish are family and giving back. “You take care of the ones you love and give back to others who may not be as fortunate,” she said. “There was always an extra plate for dinner at Bubby’s house for drop-ins and friends. You also must be compassionate, patient, a good listener, understanding, kind and giving to do this kind of work. That’s how I walk through this world and this service is a natural fit for me. I also do volunteer work for VCDS (Vancouver Cancer Drivers Society), a wonderful organization that involves transportation.”
In addition to Bubbymobile.com, Goodman is a musician and a public-relations professional.
“My professional life has always been about passion, creativity and being of service,” she said about the common threads that tie her diverse endeavours together. “I’ve worked in the music industry for over 25 years in many areas of the business. From record labels, musician, songwriter to sales, marketing and publicity. As a PR person, I’ve learned a lot about communication, understanding people’s needs, listening to their stories and reaching out and engaging community – I think it brings out the kid in me and keeps me vibrant and young. These qualities are important when working with seniors, as it’s parallel in many ways.
“As a composer, songwriter and producer, I tell stories through music, lyrics and composition,” she added. “Music is a healer and there is nothing better to lift the soul. To be a composer, you need to write about life’s experiences and adventures. That’s why I love hearing the stories shared by my seniors. What a gift to be in their presence really. I would happily pick up my guitar and sit and play some music for someone that I’m working with. It’s fun and I’m grateful that I can give that little extra service to my clients. There is nothing better than to share the love of music.”
Ultimately, Goodman would like to be able to offer Bubbymobile’s services in every community in the province.
“In the long term,” she said, “I would like to build the business so it can develop into a franchise opportunity across Canada. The more I talk with people, the more excited they are that I’m doing this and how much it is needed. As we grow older, we are living longer, and I find it does provide some relief for families looking for that extra support. I’ve talked with families who may not be living in Vancouver who need extra assistance for their loved ones. Many are also too busy with work and raising families to visit during the week. That’s why I’m here – for that extra support.”
Katherine Matlashewski is creator, performer and co-producer of Disclosure, which “explores the struggles of a survivor searching for pathways toward healing in an adversarial medical system.” (photo from Disclosure Productions)
“Disclosure was inspired by a true story that focuses on the process of healing,” explained Katherine Matlashewski, creator, performer and co-producer of the production that will see several performances during the Vancouver Fringe Festival, Sept. 8-18.
“The way in which trauma affects the mind and body is complex and unique to each individual,” Matlashewski told the Independent. “Through movement, spoken word, soundscape and humour, Disclosure explores the struggles of a survivor searching for pathways toward healing in an adversarial medical system.”
An interdisciplinary artist, Matlashewski is a graduate of Studio 58. She has trained with Arts Umbrella and the Arts Club, and has performed with several companies, including Theatre Replacement, Metro Theatre, Stage 43 and Royal City Musical Theatre. The award-winning theatre artist is an instructor at Carousel Theatre for Young People and Arts Umbrella.
“Prior to attending Studio 58,” she said, “my training was based in movement and musical theatre. In musical theatre, when a character does not have the words to express themselves, they sing. When singing is not enough, they dance. I do not always have the words to describe how I am feeling, so I naturally turn to creating interdisciplinary works. While I was developing Disclosure, I realized that combining multiple disciplines could be utilized to convey what could not be communicated through text.”
Every Fringe performance of Disclosure will include a 10-minute post-show discussion facilitated by a representative from WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre.
The first iteration of the one-person show was presented at Studio 58 as part of Matlashewski’s graduation solo performance this past spring. “With the hopes of expanding Disclosure to a wider audience,” she said, “I applied for the 2022 Vancouver Fringe Festival. After my performance at Studio 58, I was approached by director Jane Heyman about developing my show further. After being selected as a Vancouver Fringe Festival lottery finalist, I reached out to Jane about directing the show for the Fringe and I was overjoyed when she accepted! I then began building a creative team of local emerging and early career artists.”
Heyman is also a member of the Jewish community, and she was already attached to the production when creative producer Natasha Zacher came on board.
“Katherine and I connected in May 2022, after Disclosure was accepted into the Vancouver Fringe Festival,” said Zacher. “However, we have known each other for a few years, since working alongside each other on a (very!) different Vancouver Fringe Festival show in 2015. Katherine reached my way as she knew a good deal about my professional journey, integrating work as an independent theatre-maker and a mental health clinician. We reconnected quickly on the premise and hopes for the production, and I was very glad to join the team.”
As a producer, Zacher said, “My primary focuses are on seeking funding for the show (grants, sponsorships, donations), creating and managing our budget, coordinating timelines for marketing and promotions initiatives for the show … contracting artists, liaising with the Vancouver Fringe team regarding production needs and, recently, developing and facilitating COVID-19 safety plans.”
Given the nature of the production, there are additional safety plans.
“It is important to take the time to create a safe, inclusive and accessible rehearsal and performance space,” said Matlashewski. “Part of my artistic practice is to create a ‘room agreement.’ This is a living document, written by the artists involved in the production. In our room agreement, we include boundaries and guidelines about how we will communicate and conduct ourselves in the rehearsal process. Something I value is taking the time to include a check in and out at the beginning and end of each rehearsal day.
“In addition,” she said, “to promote self-care, the artistic team has decided to stagger rehearsals, and also observe Shabbat by not rehearsing on Fridays.”
The seriousness of the material does not mean Disclosure is devoid of lighter moments.
“There are many ways to heal from trauma. Humour is one of them!” Matlashewski said. “Having witnessed and experienced generational trauma, I have come to understand that humour can help create distance from a difficult incident. In addition, sometimes humour is more palatable for an audience. For me, the journey to healing is like a rollercoaster. It is not linear in any way. Even in the most challenging of times, humour can facilitate healing.”
Disclosure will be presented at the NEST on Granville Island during the Fringe Festival. For anyone wanting to support the show, there is a GoFundMe campaign. “Funds raised will go directly to production costs and compensating the artists involved for their time, energy and expertise,” said Matlashewski.
“I am looking forward to seeing how the audience responds to the performance,” said Zacher. “I don’t have any expectations, and want to walk into the experience of getting the show on stage as an open book. I hope the audience feels empowered to take with them whatever supports them to feel seen and heard.”
In Volume 28 of the Jewish Seniors Alliance’s Senior Line magazine, JSA members Kenneth Levitt and Larry Shapiro debated some of the arguments for and against for-profit long-term-care facilities. They offered their personal opinions in the debate, as JSA does not have a position on this topic. Their views are reprinted here, with permission.
For-profits here to stay by Kenneth Levitt
The COVID-19 pandemic with its various mutations has caused a justified focus on long-term care (LTC) in Canada. Organizations such as the B.C. Health Coalition, the NDP, unions and other left-leaning activists or progressives, as well as some physicians, have called for the abolition of all for-profit (FP) facilities, recommending that they be taken over by provincial governments or government-approved not-for-profits (NP). This will not happen in the near future. For-profits (FP) are here to stay and, furthermore, provincial governments support them with LTC operating agreements.
The two main issues are profit and quality of care. In British Columbia, there are 27,000 persons in LTC. Approximately one-third are in each of government-operated, NP and FP facilities. When an FP builds or upgrades a facility, there is no government capital fund support. Capital funds for FPs come from investors and shareholders, whereas NPs depend on governments and their own fundraising efforts. FPs have saved governments billions of dollars in capital costs.
In general, residents are financially responsible for their room and board. Their care is paid for by the local funding authority. Should residents pay from their assets (as in the United States) or continue to pay based on income testing? Should residents who are capable contribute more for their room and board? Many NPs raise funds to subsidize care; others permit paid companions to provide extra care for residents. Should investors who put up their own risk capital (with government “ipso facto” approval) be permitted to make a profit? Is it immoral?
FPs did not do well in terms of COVID-19 deaths. Horrendous stories from Ontario and Quebec came to light that noted the squalor and the shameful living conditions of many vulnerable residents. In British Columbia, a number of NPs and FPs had too many COVID infections and deaths. Staff were not exempt from contracting COVID. How do we account for this? When we factor in those facilities with two or more residents per room, the number of COVID-19 infections, complications and deaths increase dramatically for NPs and FPs. In most cases, staff and visitors were responsible for importing the virus. Governments/health authorities were totally unaware, at the outset of the pandemic, of the extent of the problems. However, most care homes planned well, had few infections with a high percentage of vaccinated staff, and are faring well during the pandemic.
It is not just a move to single beds that will solve the problem of COVID and seasonal flu outbreaks, it is the design of the facilities. We need new and upgraded buildings now. It is also imperative that all staff be vaccinated, and that they be supported by management to better prepare for future health crises.
Canada needs FPs. FPs have the capacity to provide needed accommodation for older adults who qualify, and can build more LTC beds faster than governments. They can provide improved efficiency and greater innovation than NPs. The naysayers want to nationalize all private-sector nursing homes in Canada. The National Institute on Aging at Ryerson University in Toronto recently noted, “Some of the FPs are doing well because they have deeper pockets and much better planning procedures than NPs. It is not clear that one class of ownership is better than the other.”
In an April 2021 report, Isobel McKenzie, B.C. Seniors Advocate, criticized FPs for apparently short-changing the number of direct care hours for which they were paid and making a profit by doing so. At the same time, McKenzie noted that capital costs (building maintenance) is one area where FPs outperform NPs.
There is one FP LTC operator in Ontario, Schlegel Villages, that is at the cutting-edge of services and programs for their residents. Schlegel is a family-owned company that has about 5,000 residents and about 5,000 staff in 19 villages. It did not escape COVID-19, but they have excelled in what is known as “best practices”:
Their philosophy: a purposeful life for each resident.
Each village is accredited.
Staff are unionized and pay is the same as at NPs.
Owners are committed to providing exceptional care, and are good corporate citizens who are involved in and contribute to the communities they serve.
Newer villages are 60% private rooms and 40% with two persons per room. Moving forward, all new construction will be single rooms with ensuites.
Each resident has two bathing opportunities per week.
Villages have several neighbourhoods, with 32 residents residing in each self-contained neighbourhood that is well-supported by seven staff with a variety of skills.
Each village has programs and space open to outside community organizations and they encourage locals to hold events in the available space.
How can we move forward in a constructive way that includes government-operated facilities, not-for-profits and for-profits?
The federal government, in partnership with the provinces, needs to develop and to legislate a set of standards of care and service that will be enforced with consequences. This can be done through accreditation, which is currently voluntary. Once the feds have placed standards of care and service into law, each province should enact similar legislation to require that all LTC facilities be accredited. A provincial accreditation body would be responsible for accrediting, monitoring and enforcing standards.
Accreditation would ensure every LTC facility is delivering the hours of care and support for which they are receiving funds.
Wages and benefits for full-time staff should be uniform for all LTC facilities and part-time staff should be equally entitled to the same wages and benefits.
Hours for home care and Better at Home need to be increased. The financial threshold needs to be lowered to allow more persons in need to take advantage of such a service. This has the potential to put less strain on waitlists for LTC admissions.
When an FP is for sale, give preference to a quality NP to purchase it or allow a local (new) society to purchase and operate it.
Require all LTC facilities that plan to expand to have only single rooms with ensuites.
Develop a timetable and a budget for NPs to upgrade/replace current outdated institutional/hospital-style buildings.
Healthcare leaders, their boards of directors and seniors should be the ones who are advocating and pushing for changes. The status quo is not acceptable.
To eliminate FPs is specious and politically and/or ideologically motivated and is a short-sighted non-pragmatic position. Canada’s Parliament last year voted against such a proposal put forth by the NDP. The issue is not between the NPs or the FPs. The issue is how to ensure that the interests of the residents come first.
The billions of dollars that would be required to eliminate the FPs can better be used for increased and quantifiable quality programs and services. This would be the best and the most ethical way to honour those lost in the pandemic and to ensure it will never happen again. The issue is how we treat our most vulnerable older adults. After all, is it not a matter of human rights and choices?
My goal in this debate is to paint a comprehensive picture illustrating conclusively why many of the for-profit long-term-care facilities (LTCFs) are squandering public funds, with little transparency or few accountability requirements to honour any predetermined set of standards in the areas of quality of service, accountability and profit. We need to see profit taken out of long-term care and need new investments in public and nonprofit beds so that we can reduce our dependence on the private, for-profit sector.
Decades of budget cuts, underfunding and privatization by successive governments have resulted in the catastrophic state of the many private care facilities that have been the sites of the loss of a great number of our loved ones. Nobody should be profiting from the care of our senior citizens. Policy decisions going back 20 years have encouraged raising the profits of private LTCFs by replacing union staff with contract workers, which has resulted in personnel shortages, declining working conditions and less access to public funding. The centre of most COVID-19 outbreaks in British Columbia and throughout the rest of the country have been in our LTCFs.
Let us examine the causes and effects of some of the common characteristics of for-profit LTC facilities that negatively affect the quality of care being dispensed to our seniors. Statistically, 67% of LTC in British Columbia is supplied by both nonprofit and for-profit organizations with the remaining 33% being supplied directly by provincial health authorities. The practice of sub-contracting care services occurs when service providers like LTCFs and assisted living facilities, which are contracted by regional health authorities to provide care, proceed to sub-contract with other companies that offer care workers, kitchen staff and maintenance crews.
These sub-contractors are able to bid lower than qualified unionized staff would cost, all to the detriment of the senior residents who are being served by these workers who are receiving lower wages and poorer benefits and who enjoy fewer full-time positions. The prevalence of sub-contracting in elder care began about 22 years ago, when the B.C. government, by virtue of Bills 29 and 94, stripped out no-contracting and job-security provisions from the collective agreements governing healthcare workers. These laws resulted in the loss of 8,000 jobs by the end of 2004. These laws (which were repealed in 2018) provided health-sector employers, including private LTCFs, with unprecedented rights to lay off unionized staff and hire them back as non-union workers through sub-contracted companies. Predictably, this negatively impacted wages and working conditions.
Reduced funding for and access to publicly funded seniors care, from the early 2000s, resulted in the rationing of care. This meant that access to publicly funded care is limited to those with more acute needs, leaving seniors with less complex needs without access to support services that could keep them from deteriorating and requiring institutional care. So, as staffing levels have declined, the care needs of many LTC residents have increased. More of the publicly funded services are being delivered by for-profit companies, often in LTCFs that combine publicly funded and private-pay beds. The latest data shows that more than 35% of beds are run by the for-profit companies. The health authorities pay for the services through block funding, which accounts for the direct care hours that each resident is to receive per day, and the cost of other services and supplies such as meals. There are no restrictions on how operators spend these dollars and health authorities do not perform payroll or expense audits to ensure public funds are actually spent on direct care.
A report from the Seniors Advocate exposed the fact that most direct care (67%) is delivered by care aides, the lowest paid care workers. For-profit care companies generate profits by underpaying the workers who provide most of the direct care, despite receiving funding based on the assumption they pay union rates contained in the master collective agreement (industry standard). Operators are not monitored to ensure that they are providing the number of care hours for which they are being paid. Without adequate oversight and reporting, companies also make profits by understaffing, which impacts the amount and quality of care that residents receive.
Many LTCFs have a combination of publicly subsidized and private-pay beds, but the co-located private-pay beds are not consistently included in the calculation of care hours delivered. This practice results in publicly funded care hours used to cross-subsidize the care of private-care residents who pay out-of-pocket (for the generation of greater profits) and, at the same time, exacerbates staffing shortages, as companies use the same staff to cover both publicly funded and private-pay beds, which should have their own dedicated staff.
Notwithstanding that the last period for which data is available is 2017-2018, it is noteworthy that while receiving, on average, the same level of public funding, contracted not-for-profit LTCF operators spent $10,000 more per resident per year than did for-profit providers. In addition, and not surprisingly, the for-profit LTCFs failed to deliver 207,000 funded direct-care hours while the nonprofit LTCFs exceeded direct-care hour targets by delivering an additional 80,000 hours of direct care beyond what they were funded to deliver.
Low staffing levels and resulting poor working conditions deteriorate the quality of care, as low staffing places both workers and residents under increased stress and reduces the amount of time care workers can spend with residents. The combination of low pay and understaffing makes it difficult to recruit and retain staff. There is adequate proof that staffing levels and staffing mix are key predictors of resident health outcomes and care quality, and that care provided in for-profit long-term care facilities is generally inferior to that provided by public- and nonprofit-owned facilities.
The B.C. government’s long-standing reliance on attracting private capital into the seniors care sector has benefited corporate chains with the ability to finance and build new facilities. In the decade between 2009 and 2018, British Columbia invested less than one half of one percent of the total healthcare capital spending (which is not very much money). More than one-third of all publicly subsidized and private-pay long-term care and assisted living spaces are controlled by large corporations, while the balance is owned by either nonprofit agencies or health authorities.
Corporate chain consolidation in seniors care has become popular among investors in this sector because the business is real estate-focused, resulting in care facilities being treated and traded as financial commodities. This being the case, the care chains are prone to engage in risky business practices. These chains are routinely bought and sold after using debt-leveraged buyouts, ultimately leaving the chains with debt-servicing costs that revenues, including the government funding, cannot cover, resulting in financial crisis and creating disruptions that undermine the quality of relational care due to high staff turnover.
The evidence is clear: profit-making has no place in seniors care. Public dollars are flowing into profits not into frontline care as intended.
Let us strive to provide the care and support for our parents, grandparents, siblings and others who gave us so much and for whom we care so much. Nobody should be profiting from the care of our seniors and that, dear readers, is why profit should be eliminated from long-term care.
Kenneth Levitt is a past president of Jewish Seniors Alliance, former chief executive officer of Louis Brier Home and Hospital, and a past chair of Camp Miriam. In 1985, he co-edited, The Challenge of Child Welfare, the first textbook on child welfare in Canada. Larry Shapiro studied accounting and worked at major firms as well as with the federal government. In 1977, he studied real estate and opened his own business. Since moving from Montreal to Vancouver, Shapiro has been an active member of the JSA board.
Judith Anderson speaks at the Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society’s Raoul Wallenberg Day event last month. (photo by Masumi Kikuchi)
This year’s commemoration of Raoul Wallenberg Day took place April 10 at Congregation Beth Israel because COVID-19 restrictions prevented the gathering in January. The event honoured the courage of B.C. frontline healthcare providers during the pandemic.
Hosted by the Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society, Judith Anderson welcomed attendees. She asked them to take a moment of silence to think about Ukraine and “all the victims of this humanitarian crisis, and to thank the countries welcoming refugees, especially Ukraine’s closest neighbours – Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova and Hungary. In addition, let’s remember the many organizations and volunteers who are stepping forward to help.”
Anderson spoke about gratitude. “We are blessed to live in a peaceful society, where threads of various cultures are woven together to make a fabric that is stronger and warmer than any of the threads would be alone. Let’s recognize two special qualities of that fortunate fabric that we are thankful for today.
“First, we appreciate our shared land. Here in Vancouver, we are meeting on the unceded territories of Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people. We thank them for sharing, and for having cared for these lands and waters for thousands of years.
“Second, we are thankful for our health care. Modern medicine has developed from diverse cultural threads, including science, people skills, systems management and the professional commitment of thousands of healthcare providers. Our routine expectations of health and longevity could scarcely have been imagined, just 100 years ago.
“And today,” she continued, “we are thankful, in particular, for the civil courage of those who have provided health care to British Columbians during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have faced a new, deadly, communicable disease with unknown risks to their own and their families’ health. They have worked to exhaustion under the most stressful conditions, saving lives and comforting families. Then, when vaccines became available, healthcare workers extended themselves yet more to immunize us all. Unfortunately, as some people have tired of public health restrictions, medical workers have been subjected to harassment and threats. And still they are there for us when we need health care, whatever the problem might be.”
Deputy Mayor Christine Boyle read the Raoul Wallenberg Day proclamation from the City of Vancouver, recognizing Jan. 17 as the day of its commemoration.
The Civil Courage Society’s Alan Le Fevre introduced the three speakers: Barb Nederpel, president of the Hospital Employees Union of British Columbia; Sherri Kensall, board chair of the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia; and Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh, president of the Doctors of British Columbia. They described the challenges and courageous responses of hospital workers, nursing professionals and doctors during the COVID pandemic.
The one-hour documentary Zero to Zero was screened at the event. Filmed over 15 months, it offers an unfiltered look at what it’s like to be a healthcare worker during the COVID-19 pandemic. It follows the staff of a hospital from the moment they admit their first patient in June 2020, till after the third wave. Filmed by a healthcare worker with unprecedented access to the hospital frontline, it deals with patients during life-and-death situations, but the focus remains on the indomitable strength of the human spirit.
After the screening, the guest speakers fielded questions from the audience about what they thought of the documentary, about long-COVID in healthcare workers and about the harassment they faced and how they responded to it.
The annual commemoration is held in memory of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat and humanitarian, who became Sweden’s special envoy to Hungary in summer 1944 and, at great personal risk, saved tens of thousands of Jews from deportation and death. He disappeared into Soviet captivity on Jan. 17, 1945, and his fate remains unknown.
Wallenberg has been made an honorary citizen of Canada, the United States, Hungary, Australia and Israel. In 2000, the Canadian government proclaimed Jan. 17 as Raoul Wallenberg Day.
The event is also in memory of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who served as vice-consul in Lithuania during the Second World War. He chose to act, at clear professional and personal risk to himself and his family, issuing transit visas that allowed about 2,000 Jews, more than 90% from Poland, to escape almost certain death.
Both Wallenberg and Sugihara have been designated by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations.
The Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society, said Anderson, defines “civil courage as an act entailing personal risk or sacrifice, intended to improve or save the lives of others who endure misfortunes attributable to social context. In even the best-managed societies, some people may suffer from conflict, injustice or threats to health and well-being – such as the COVID pandemic – that are intimately tied to our social structures. And those who help despite personal risk, show the same inner strength as wartime role models like Wallenberg and Sugihara.
“In 2006,” she continued, “the former honorary Swedish consul to Vancouver, Anders Neumuller, began Vancouver’s annual commemoration of Wallenberg Day. He later envisaged a nonprofit society dedicated to honouring acts of civil courage. And so the Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society was formed in 2013 by members of the Swedish and Jewish communities in Vancouver.”
The Civil Courage Society honours the legacy of Wallenberg and Sugihara by acknowledging British Columbians who have demonstrated civil courage and by promoting civil courage.
“To that end, each year, we formally recognize a person or group of people who have displayed civil courage in British Columbia,” said Anderson. “We also screen a film intended to get the audience thinking about the importance of civil courage and how to encourage it.”
For more information, including photos and video of the commemoration, visit wsccs.ca.
– Courtesy Wallenberg-Sugihara Civil Courage Society
