Kiryat Shmona musician Ben Golan will perform at the Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations in Vancouver April 21. (photo from Ben Golan)
“Music for me is a way to say: we are still here, still alive, still building a future. It gives people a place to feel, and also the strength to keep going,” said Ben Golan, who will headline our local celebration of Israel’s 78th Independence Day, on April 21.
Golan is a musician and producer from Kiryat Shmona, a city in our community’s partnership region, the Upper Galilee, in Israel. He is the founder of the initiative Patifon.
“For 17 years,” he said, “I’ve been producing music and running a recording studio in the city. Over time, I realized that my work isn’t just about producing songs. It’s about building something that can sustain a real musical community in the north, giving a stage to local creators and creating a movement that feels connected to this place.”
Patifon, which means record player or turntable in Hebrew, serves as a hub for local artists.
“It all started simply, with jam sessions in the studio,” explained Golan. “People began coming to play, sing, meet and connect. Slowly, it grew, until the gatherings were too big for the studio to handle. There wasn’t enough space, but there was a hunger for music. Then, thanks to the youth centre and the amazing Elad Kozikaro, who gave us a budget and the perfect space, we got a shelter, which, in times like these, is a valuable commodity in the north. We moved in, completely renovated it and turned it into the most beautiful music lounge; a place where you can come and feel at home, even if it’s your first time there.”
The lounge morphed into Patifon.
“We started filming live sessions of artists and bands there, with proper sound and respect for the music,” Golan said. “All the sessions were uploaded to YouTube under Patifon and, over time, it started to catch on and reach more and more people. Suddenly, what began as a small local gathering became a stage watched by people outside the north.
“As the audience grew and we realized this needed more breathing room, we opened a community pub. Students from Tel-Hai College volunteer there as part of a scholarship program and help keep the place alive and running.”
For Golan, Kiryat Shmona is not just where he was born and grew up. He calls the city and the Upper Galilee his “inner language.”
“In this city, I learned what the rhythm of a community really is: people who know each other, who will always help you when you need something. There’s a different kind of air here,” he said.
“I have a stream right by my house. It seeped into my music without me even intending it to – a mix of rough and tender, of truth and esthetics, of wanting to shout and needing a moment of quiet to breathe,” he explained. “The nature here, the open space and the distance from the centre taught me how to really listen – not to the noise, but to what lies underneath it.
“Continuing to create in the north, especially after Oct. 7, is not a romantic choice for me – it’s a stance,” he said. “The region went through a real upheaval: fear, evacuation, uncertainty and, also, a kind of pain that people who don’t live here sometimes don’t fully understand. Out of all of that, creativity becomes a tool for connection and healing.”
Golan chose to stay in Kiryat Shmona out of a sense of mission.
“I believe the periphery holds immense talent, real hunger and stories you can’t fake – it just needs infrastructure, a home and support,” he said. “I want the young people and artists here to feel that they don’t have to leave in order to become something. On the contrary – that this place itself can become a source of inspiration, an opportunity and a creative centre that generates culture rather than just consumes it.”
Coming to Vancouver for Yom Ha’atzmaut, Golan said he brings messages of resilience and hope – and he takes those words seriously.
“Independence, for me, is also the ability to choose to create despite the difficulty, to choose community, to choose light,” he said. “I want to bring the story of the north: people who continue to build, to organize events, to create music and to hold each other up even when reality is complicated. In my music, there is room for both joy and pain, because both are part of our lives – especially in this time.”
On April 21, Vancouver band HaOptziot will also take the stage at the community celebrations, playing covers of various Israeli hits.
For tickets ($36/adult, $12/youth, $75/family pack) to the Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations, go to jewishvancouver.com/yh2026.
Since August 2025, a group of enterprising individuals from the Greater Victoria community has been gathering at various venues to discuss prospects, offer guidance and bounce ideas off one another as part of the area’s Jewish Business Club.
The Jewish Business Club in Victoria offers business owners the chance to create networks and get to know one another. The next gathering takes place Feb. 26. (photo by Joe Mabel / flickr)
The group was guided into its current form by Elvira Molochkovetski, who took on the role of community connector in Victoria last summer. The role is a joint position of the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island (JFVVI) and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. Other community connectors can be found in the Okanagan, Salt Spring Island, the Comox Valley, South Delta and Squamish.
According to Molochkovetski, some local businesspeople, who had established friendships through their ventures, had been meeting informally and sporadically over coffee for a couple of years.
“We just created something more structured, giving them a space, a reason and a schedule to meet and invite more people,” she said. “The goal was the same goal they always had: create networks, support each other and get to know each other. And many new connections were created through those meetings already.”
Attendees, who come from different backgrounds and places, and represent a range of business sectors, participate in the club, which, Molochkovetski stressed, is open to all. Some, like Molochkovetski, have come to Victoria from Winnipeg, where a similar club was formed at the Rady Jewish Community Centre.
Young entrepreneurs, she said, have also joined because they have ideas for businesses and want to see what other business owners think, or to find out what is happening in a particular market. In some cases, more experienced entrepreneurs have served in a mentor-like capacity.
“When you are business-oriented, you love spending time withother business-oriented people,” Molochkovetski said. “We had a few young people who just … bought a condo and want to rent it out. So, they joined and received some advice from people who had experience in this kind of business before.”
The club’s meetings often start with an introductory circle. Participants can bring promotional materials, share information about their business and ask questions.Meetings can include playing business-oriented games, solving problems or suggesting what one might like to do or invest in within the community.
At one of the Jewish Business Club’s meetings, a member welcomed everyone to his house to sample some of his culinary creations, as his business centres around the food industry.
Molochkovetski added that the meetings have brought in people who have not maintained ties to Jewish organizations yet feel connected to the community through the club.
One regular attendee who has found the gatherings beneficial is Felix Gelman, who runs Alpha Victoria HVAC Ltd., a company that installs residential heat pumps in Victoria and surrounding communities.
“The Jewish Business Club in Victoria is a strong opportunity to connect with fellow Jewish business owners, exchange referrals and build real local relationships,” Gelman told the Independent. “It’s also an effective way for people to learn what you do, while gaining insight from others’ experiences in the Victoria business community.”
Gelman opened Alpha Victoria HVAC in 2022 after relocating from Winnipeg, where he still operates an active HVAC business specializing in furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, ventilation and indoor air quality systems.
Originally from Israel, Gelman, a Red Seal refrigeration mechanic with 30 years of experience in residential HVAC systems, immigrated to Canada in 2005. He is also a licensed general contractor. On Vancouver Island, he helps homeowners build garden suites and lane houses, either to generate rental income or accommodate family members.
In total, roughly 35 people have attended Jewish Business Club meetings in the past six months, with 12 to 15 generally showing up each time. Meetings alternate between mornings and evenings to fit the different schedules of those in the community.
The next get-together is planned for Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., at a restaurant in the Westshore region of Greater Victoria. The location will be provided upon registration to those who wish to attend.
Billed as the “Jewish Business Club Night Out,” the event will offer opportunities to share and introduce businesses, chat with fellow entrepreneurs and enjoy a light snack and soft drinks.
“Whether you’re just starting out or growing an established business, this is a chance to connect, collaborate and support one another’s success,” said the organizers.
Anita and Arnold Silber (photo from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver)
Last month, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver received the generous gift of $500,000 from the Arnold and Anita Silber Family Foundation toward thepostwar renovations and expansion of Beit Vancouver in Kiryat Shmona.
The Silber family are long-time supporters of Federation’s work in its partnership region of Etzba Hagalil. This recent gift will jumpstart the launch of the centre into the next era, advancing the upgrades the facility requires in its role as the central hub of growth and resilience for the youth and children of Kiryat Shmona. As part of the renovation, the new Silber Family Wing will provide spaces for small-to-medium-sized group programs and activities, helping meet the growing needs of the community as they return to the region and rebuild their lives.
Established in 1980, Beit Vancouver has long been a centre of learning, creativity and community. More than 1,000 children and youth participate in weekly programs, including the Youth City Council, Krembo Wings (an inclusive youth movement), the Studio Program (a social-emotional therapeutic initiative) and a music centre. Since the mid-1990s, Jewish Federation and donors from the Vancouver community have invested funds to strengthen Etzba Hagalil, with Beit Vancouver at the heart of this work – supporting education, social welfare and regional development to help youth grow, lead and shape their futures.
“I don’t come from a strong home at all … and my folks are always struggling. Beit Vancouver was the one place I could rely on after school and during vacations. My other option was to hang out for hours at the park,” shared Hodaya, who grew up in Kiryat Shmona. “My experiences at Beit Vancouver have made me connected to my community and city until today. Beit Vancouver changed my life.”
Throughout the Iron Swords war, Beit Vancouver stood empty, suffering damage from nearby rocket hits and neglect. Now, as families return to the region, the need to restore and renew this space is more urgent than ever.
“Beit Vancouver represents the heart of the community in Kiryat Shmona. Our family believes in the power of youth to lead and heal, and we are honoured to help create a space where they can thrive. This gift is our way of standing with them as they rebuild their lives and their city,” said Arnold Silber.
• • •
“The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring” by Liron Gertsman
Liron Gertsman’s “The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring” has been awarded the Bird Photographer of the Year title, selected from more than 33,000 entries. His image also won Gold Award in the Birds in Flight category.
“I spent well over a year of planning to capture my dream of a bird in front of the total solar eclipse,” said Gertsman. “I enlisted the help of a boat to position myself near some islets off Mazatlán that were frequented by seabirds. As the moon uncovered the sun’s edge at the end of totality, I captured this image during the eclipse phase known as the ‘diamond ring’ – a moment that lasts mere seconds.”
Celebrating bird life from around the world, the Bird Photographer of the Year images comprise some of the most incredible bird photos in the world, while also raising funds for Bird Photographer of the Year’s partner charity, Birds on the Brink.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver welcomes several new community connectors – local leaders who foster engagement, connection and belonging.
Abbey Westbury is the community connector for the Okanagan. She has been a pillar of Jewish life in the region for more than a decade, serving as vice-president of the Okanagan Jewish Community Centre and as a board member of the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia.
On Salt Spring Island and the Gulf Islands, Ayala Reznik has already begun her work, and Elvira Molochkovetski and Anabel Wind are on the Victoria team, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island (JFVVI).
In Squamish, Sara Evans will support local Jewish engagement, strengthen connections between individuals and organizations, and work closely with both Federation and grassroots partners.
In South Delta, Lizz Kelly has joined the team, bringing her experience in community engagement with the Chamber of Commerce to her new role.
In the Comox Valley, Jessica Benoualid’s work over the past year to create welcoming spaces for the Jewish community made her the perfect fit for this position.
To learn more or connect with a community connector near you, email [email protected].
Jewish Addictions Community Services (JACS) welcomes two members to its team.
Jordana Jackson, JACS’s new addictions specialist, is a certified addiction counsellor. In addition to having a wealth of experience working in addiction and recovery spaces throughout Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health authorities, she is the founder and director of AWARE (Addicts With Aspirations Recovery Entertainment), a therapeutic performance-arts program. Jackson is already making a difference at JACS, creating navigation support structures and providing counseling for clients.
Elana Epstein, JACS’s new group facilitator, is a certified recovery coach. More importantly, she has years of experience being a mother of a child who struggled with addiction and is now in recovery. At JACS Family Circle, Epstein is using both her spiritual and professional skill sets to hold space for individuals whose friends and family have been affected by addiction. These group counseling sessions are an important aspect of JACS.
* * *
Elvira Molochkovetsk takes on the role of a community connector in Victoria. This position is a joint Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island (JFVVI) and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver project. Her goal is to connect and engage all community members but, in particular, those who do not attend any existing synagogue or Jewish association.
Over the past two years, Molochkovetsk has been part of the JFVVI as a PJ Library parent, volunteer, connector and, for the past year, as PJ Library coordinator for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. PJ Library has focused on connecting people with children up to the age of 13 and, in her expanded role as a connector, Molochkovetsk will be expanding it to reach out to teenagers, seniors and young entrepreneurs.
The parents of four kids, Molochkovetsk and her husband, Dimitri, have run family businesses for the last decade. Almost three years ago, they moved to Victoria from Winnipeg, where they lived for seven years. They both grew up in Israel and have family there.
Comedian Elon Gold will perform a full show of comedy at the launch of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s annual campaign on Sept. 11. (photo by Limor Garfinkle)
Comedian Elon Gold helps the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver launch its annual fundraising campaign on Sept. 11.
The last time the Jewish Independent spoke with Gold, in 2019, he was driving from his home in Los Angeles to Las Vegas, with his family, for a Jewish National Fund event. This time, he had returned home from New York, where he performed gigs all over the East Coast, from DC to Jersey to the Catskills.
It’s a tradition for Gold and his family – wife Sasha and their four children – to spend summers in New York, though, this year, his oldest son, 24, has a job, so had to stay in Los Angeles.
“We all have really fun summers together because both of our families are from New York,” said Gold. All their oldest friends are also in New York, he added. “So, it’s like a summer of recharging, with our roots and our family and all that.”
Amid performing at various venues, working on a film, writing a TV series and creating a new comedy special, among other things, Gold gets great joy from doing shows for Jewish organizations.
“My motto is, ‘everything matters and nothing matters.’ That’s how you should look at life, and that’s how you should look at gigs,” he told the Independent.
The nothing matters isn’t about being “lackadaisical and lazy and dismissive,” he said, but more about reducing the stress level.
“It doesn’t really matter, it’s just a gig. If it doesn’t go well, I’ll have another one tomorrow, whatever, it’s fine. It takes the pressure off,” said Gold. “But everything matters is also a big part of it, because everything does matter, and every gig, to me, is important.
“It’s important for myriad reasons. The whole community is getting together and to let them down would be very upsetting, not just to them, but to me,” he said. “I always call these nights of community, unity and comedy. So, it does matter that you not just do well, but I try to hit it out of the park every time.”
Elon Gold performs in Vancouver Sept. 11. (photo by Limor Garfinkle)
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel, community gatherings like the Federation’s campaign launch, are especially important, said Gold.
“We need these nights more than ever before,” he said. “We need these nights to forget that the world hates us, which also is perception, not reality…. The world doesn’t really hate us – there’s far too many people who do hate us, but the world as a whole?
“I was talking to my friend in Israel – I’m writing a TV series in Israel that we’re going to film there, hopefully in the spring – and he was saying he just went to Greece. All you see on social media is they hate the Israelis, [but] everyone we met said, ‘Oh, you’re Israeli? Wow, welcome,’ and gave us hugs.”
That being said, Gold acknowledged we’re living in a frightening time and antisemitism is prevalent.
“But it’s not omnipresent, it’s not everywhere,” he said. “It’s groups of people. There have always been groups of people who hate us, and I always say to Jews, don’t take it so personally. Usually, those groups hate other groups. It’s not just us that people hate. Racism doesn’t start and end with us, but, for some reason, we seem to be the favourite scapegoat of humanity and a lot of it is on us. And, again, I’m not dismissing antisemitism – it is so real.”
Referencing the Jewish man in Montreal who was beaten in front of his children, calling it “disgusting,” Gold said, “It’s really a constant, whether it’s Colorado or DC or wherever you look, there’s another attack, so that’s why we have to be strong and vigilant and stay safe, but also we can’t live our life through the prism of everybody hates us and everything’s terrible. The truth is, a lot of people have always hated us, and whether it’s, ‘they are drinking the blood of Christian children’ to ‘they’re starving Palestinian children,’ they’re blood libels. This is the latest iteration of a blood libel that gives the haters an excuse to hate.”
Gold pointed to inaccurate reporting by the media, including the New York Times’s use on its cover of a photo of a sick, emaciated child in Gaza, wrongly claiming the child was starving.
“It turns out it’s a genetic disease that he has,” said Gold, “and so many of the pictures have been falsified and misrepresented as starvation, when they are children with diseases, which is tragic in its own right, but to blame Israel … and to put that on the cover of the New York Times, that incites and emboldens the haters to hate us and attack us even more. So, it’s all based on lies. The only truth is that there is a war that Israel didn’t start or want and must fight to the end or there’ll be Oct. 7 every day until the last Jew standing. So, we shouldn’t apologize for defending ourselves ever again – but we do have to clarify all the mistruths out there that are representing the Jewish state, and thereby the Jewish people, in the worst light.”
After Oct. 7, Gold needed to step back from work. “For the first few weeks, I found no humour, I was in a state of shock and traumatized, like everybody,” he said. “I actually canceled gigs, I couldn’t do them.”
But one gig he wasn’t allowed to cancel was emceeing a Jewish Federation of Los Angeles event that happened in the shadow of Oct. 7.
“Steven Singer from the Federation in LA said, ‘No, no, we’re insisting that you do it, and that you do open with 10 minutes of comedy in a respectful way. We really need this and … even though we’re still mourning, we have to start healing…. It was the first time I went back on stage, almost a month in,” said Gold.
The terror attacks and the hostages are continually on his mind, he said, but he must pull himself back from those thoughts.
Fortunate to have had an “average to normal childhood,” with parents who “are amazing and brought us up in a loving, happy house … my comedy doesn’t come from pain,” he said. “And now, I’m in more pain emotionally than I’ve ever been with everything going on, but I push it away because, if I delve in too much for too long, I won’t be able to come out of it, I won’t be able to be the funny guy.
“And it’s not just my responsibility,” he said. “In life, I’m fulfilling my purpose by being light and fun and funny, and bringing that to other people, so I can’t get too into it because my rage for what happened and what’s happening and how the world is denying or excusing Oct. 7, the way the world’s demanding the end to the existence of our ancestral homeland – it’s so infuriating and so depressing. If I focus and harp on it too much, I won’t be able to deliver the goods.”
And delivering the goods is something he is compelled to do, by his very nature. When COVID-19 hit and the forecast was that it would last only a few weeks, Gold said his first thought was that he’d catch up on every TV streaming service, binge on shows he’d never been able to watch with four kids and a job that is pretty much 24/7. But, by Day 2 of the pandemic, he was doing a daily show on Instagram Live called My Funny Quarantine.
“Every day at 6:13, which is the number of mitzvahs in the Torah, I would do an 18-minute show, which is also, again, significant, 18 is chai [life],” he said. Most of Gold’s Instagram followers are Jewish, so the show had a lot of Jewish themes, though the guests were wide-ranging, including comedians from Jim Gaffigan to Bill Burr to Tiffany Haddish, Jay Leno and Michael Serra.
Gold’s friend, screenwriter and director Jeremy Garelick, loved My Funny Quarantine and suggested Gold do a Jewish dating show every Saturday night.
The Bachor (bachor is Hebrew for young man, guy) ran for a couple of years. “I made two shidduchim [matches],” said Gold.
“It was a way for people to connect, and no one was doing anything, no one could go anywhere, and I had so many people watching live,” he said.
Gold also did Zoom stand-up shows and outdoor performances during the pandemic. More recently, he worked on the film The Badchan, spending a month in Israel for it. He’s been to Israel four times in the last two years, he said, doing shows.
“Badchan is like a wedding jester,” Gold explained. The film was written by Shuli Rand and Gidi Dar, who did the 2004 film Ushpizin (Guests) together.
“To me, every decade has a seminal cultural Jewish film, like Yentl or Fiddler or The Chosen or their Ushpizin,” said Gold. “And I think this is going to be that film of this decade. It’s going to come out in November, hopefully.”
Gold is currently developing a new hour-long comedy special, which will come out sometime near the end of next year perhaps.
“It’s really exciting,” said Gold, “because Chris Rock, one of my comedy mentors, he said every special should be like a thesis and I have the thesis for this one, and I already have been closing for 20 minutes with this thesis. And so, now I’m just building it out, and I think it’s going to be very fun and relatable, because I’m getting more personal in my comedy.”
He said, “The more you reveal, the more they relate.”
“Little arguments with the wife, little stories that happen, when you share them, I have not just men but women coming over to me going, oh my God, are you in my house? How do you know this happens? I’m like, because it happens to me…. The comedian’s job is to relate and connect, to have this shared experience where you’re taking observations about human behaviour … and laughing about it.”
As for Gold’s performance here on Sept. 11, it represents more than just a good many laughs.
“I think everyone should come out,” he said. “I think we all need nights like this event, and supporting your local community and your local Federation, that’s one of the best ways to help us all get through these tough, insane times where the world feels upside down. I’ll try to turn the world right side up for even just a little bit, even just for one night.”
It was mayhem outside the BC Provincial Court, near Main and Hastings, Aug. 20, as anti-Israel protesters screamed, chanted and shouted into megaphones to drown out the words of Dallas Brodie, member of the BC Legislature for Vancouver-Quilchena and leader of the upstart OneBC party.
Brodie attempted a media conference outside the courthouse before filing a “private prosecution” against Charlotte Kates, the Vancouver woman who is international coordinator for Samidoun, a group the government of Canada has designated a terrorist entity.
Kates was arrested by Vancouver police in April 2024 under suspicion of public incitement of hatred and wilful promotion of hatred, a criminal offence in Canada, after a public rally where she led a crowd in a chant of “Long live Oct. 7,” called the Hamas attack “heroic and brave” and described designated terrorists as “heroes.”
She was released on condition that she refrain from participating in any protest activities. Those conditions expired Oct. 8, 2024, when the BC Prosecution Service and the assistant deputy attorney general had not approved the charges recommended by police. It was a week later that her organization, Samidoun, was officially designated as a terrorist entity by the government of Canada.
Brodie’s prosecution – an obscure legal move similar to a citizen’s arrest – is unlikely to have a direct impact on the case, though it might refocus the spotlight on the failure of authorities to follow through on a criminal prosecution.
In a statement, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs noted that a report to Crown counsel has been sitting on the desks of relevant officials for more than a year.
“Every day they do not press charges,” said CIJA’s Pacific region vice-president Nico Slobinsky in a statement, “she acts with increasing impunity, including by flying to Iran to receive a ‘human rights’ award from its government and attending the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon. Our legal system must send a clear message: antisemitism and hate have no place in British Columbia or anywhere else in Canada. Charges must be pressed without delay.”
Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, observed that more than two-thirds of the BC Jewish community have reported experiencing an antisemitic hate incident.
“Individuals and organizations like Charlotte Kates and Samidoun have exacerbated this dramatic wave of antisemitism, which is why our community has been calling for accountability since her despicable remarks on April 26, 2024, on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery,” Shanken said. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
We wrote in this space recently about an incident at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver that clearly violated existing laws banning political protests at locations where official school functions are taking place. Police did not recommend charges in that instance.
The inner workings of the Crown prosecutors’ office and other components of the judicial process are not entirely transparent, the sensitivity of the issues they address necessitating a degree of privacy. However, some observers have suggested that there is a systemic problem up the ladder of the process. Police often do not pursue instances of apparent offences because they have seen prosecutors decline to charge. Prosecutors are said to hesitate to lay charges because they have seen courts throw out cases they presented.
There has been a great deal of hand-wringing about a massive spike in antisemitism, including violent incidents. There are many remediative and preventive opportunities that do not involve criminal charges – public awareness campaigns and restorative justice and diversion programs among them. But, at some point, the laws on the books to prevent the spreading of hatred and incitement to violence must be tested. If they do not stand up in court, then we as a society need a dialogue about what we will tolerate.
We may find that we need new laws that courts will uphold, so that Crown prosecutors will be empowered to lay charges, so that police will know that enforcement is not a waste of energy, and so that Canadians will recognize what is acceptable and what is not in our country.
Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan-Kaplan has been appointed the new dean of the ALEPH (Alliance for Jewish Renewal) Ordination Program (AOP). She will assume her role on Sept. 8.
Following the leadership of AOP’s retired founding dean Rabbi Marcia Prager, and two years of direction by Interim Dean Dr. Charles H. Silverstein, the AOP governors are pleased to welcome Duhan-Kaplan into this role.
A scholar, teacher and spiritual leader known for integrating mind and heart, Duhan-Kaplan brings decades of experience in Jewish studies, interfaith dialogue and rabbinic education. Most recently, she was professor of Jewish studies, director of inter-religious studies and interim academic dean at the Vancouver School of Theology. Ordained by ALEPH in 2005, she has served as AOP faculty,
a member of the Va’ad – the core administrative and organizational council that directs the seminary – and is rabbi emerita of Vancouver’s Or Shalom Synagogue.
Duhan-Kaplan’s many honours include the American Academy of Religion’s Katie Geneva Cannon Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Carnegie Foundation’s US Professor of the Year Award. A prolific author and editor, she has published 10 books, most recently Mouth of the Donkey: Re-imagining Biblical Animals and The Infinity Inside: Jewish Spiritual Practice Through a Multi-faith Lens.
Born in New York City, Duhan-Kaplan is a dual Canadian-American citizen and lives in Vancouver with her spouse, musician and retired psychologist Charles Kaplan. For more information about the ALEPH Ordination Program, visit aop.aleph.org.
* * *
Rabbi Harry Brechner, who retires from Congregation Emanu-El this month, was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York earlier this year.
After 24 years of service, Rabbi Harry Brechner retires this month and Rabbi Elisha (Eli) Herb is welcomed as the new rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El. Herb joins the Victoria community from Salem, Ore., where he has served as a congregational rabbi for nine years.
In 2024, Brechner received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his significant contributions to interfaith connections, social justice and community dialogue in British Columbia. In 2025, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City for more than 25 years of distinguished service. A retirement party for him is planned for September and a formal installation ceremony for Herb will be held later this fall.
* * *
Shayna Goldberg
Shayna Goldberg is the new artistic managing director of the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre and the Chutzpah! Festival.
From Toronto, Goldberg has lived in Vancouver for almost 12 years. She has worked in the theatre and music industries, and been involved in the Jewish community, taking on roles within Moishe House, Axis Young Professionals and Na’amat Canada.
This year’s Chutzpah! Festival is scheduled for Nov. 13-23.
* * *
The 2024 campaign of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver raised $13.17 million: $9.38 million through the annual campaign, $1.78 million in additional funding directed to special projects, $1.86 million to combat antisemitism and $150,000 in additional funding thanks to corporate partners.
With the theme “Power of Together,” the support came at a critical moment for our community. In the face of rising antisemitism and a deepening affordability crisis, community members chose to act – with tzedakah and with a commitment to collective impact.
Because of community donors, Jewish Federation and its partners can support families and individuals struggling with the rising cost of living; enhance community security at institutions and events across the region; counter antisemitism with strength and resolve; provide care and connection to Jewish seniors, Holocaust survivors, young families and those most vulnerable; and offer hope and aid to all those living in our partnership region in the Upper Galilee, most of whom were evacuated post-Oct. 7 and have only recently returned home.
On Aug. 7, Omatidio Media announced that production has begun in Vancouver on actor-turned-writer/director Elyse Levesque’s debut short film Hot Chocolate, which she wrote and is co-directing with Michael Driscoll.
Jay Brazeau (photo from imdb.com)
The film, shooting in Vancouver and Port Coquitlam, features a cast including multi-award- winning musician and actor Jann Arden, Clare McConnell (Star Trek: Discovery, Murdoch Mysteries), Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica), Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black), Leah Gibson (Jessica Jones), Jana Morrison (Astrid and Lilly Save the World), Alvin Sanders (Riverdale), Jay Brazeau (Day of the Dead), Luisa d’Oliveira (The 100) and Paula Giroday (Family Law).
Based on a true story, Hot Chocolate centres on Margot, who is on her way to a wedding with her boyfriend Cameron, when she finds herself the plus-one to a most unexpected event: his uncle’s assisted death.
* * *
Over the past months, there have been updates about the what, when and where of JWest, but one important question remained: Who are the people behind this project?
JWest was born from a shared vision between the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCC), Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver (JFGV) and King David High School (KDHS). Several years ago, leaders from these organizations came together with the idea to not just to update the existing JCC, but to completely reimagine the space as a multi-use Jewish campus. Since then, a broad network of people has been working to bring this vision to life.
The JWest Foundation Board, the JWest Development Corp board and several volunteer committees, together with leadership from the JCC, Federation and KDHS, have been guiding the project.
JWest Foundation: Responsible for the oversight of campus development and management of future revenue. Chair: Alex Cristall. Directors: Diane Friedman, Martin Gerber, Hodie Kahn, Lana Marks Pulver, Diane Switzer and Alvin Wasserman.
JWest Development Corp: Responsible for the management of campus construction. Chair: David Porte. Vice-chair: Joe Khalifa. Directors: Andrew Abramowich, Chris Andison, Michael Berkson, Alfonso Ergas, Phil Gertsman, Geoff Glotman, Mark Gurvis, Lana Marks Pulver and Lawrence Zimmering.
The JWest staff team supports volunteers and partner organizations in delivering the day-to-day operations:
• Executive director: Emily Pritchard, who led fundraising efforts over the last four years, raising – with the efforts of the campaign cabinet – $147 million, completing the first phase of the campaign. Pritchard stepped into the ED role in July, expanding her leadership beyond fundraising to overseeing the full scope of the project.
• Director of finance: Roni Greif, who brings a strategic financial lens to the team, shaped by years of professional experience and community involvement through KDHS and Congregation Beth Israel. Greif is instrumental in building the financial systems and structures that will support JWest not only through construction, but well into the future. She is helping lay the financial foundation for this project’s long-term success.
• Vice-president, development: Maurice Ouellette. With a background in architecture and a track record in real estate development, Ouellette plays a key role in shaping and delivering the physical campus. He works closely with Acton Ostry Architects and liaises with the City of Vancouver to make sure that planning, approvals and design meet (and exceed) expectations, from sustainability to architectural excellence.
• Development manager: Hayden Kremer, who is involved across all areas of project development and operations for JWest Development Corp. Whether he’s reviewing Oakridge Energy’s proposal for the JCC’s future energy needs, working with Grosvenor on temporary parking during construction, or negotiating rezoning conditions with the City of Vancouver, he is solving problems, managing logistics and keeping everything moving forward.
To learn more about the project and explore the community of donors helping bring it to life, visit JWestNow.com and follow JWest on Instagram and Facebook.
It is sometimes hard to look back over the pages of the Jewish Independent and its predecessor, the Jewish Western Bulletin, knowing what has happened since the articles were published. From the 1933 optimism that there was hope for German Jewry, to the enthusiastic welcome of a seemingly short-lived El Al office in Vancouver, to colleagues who have passed away.
Among the many Shavuot celebrations that took place around British Columbia was PJ Library’s Cheesy Shavuot in collaboration with Congregation Har El. (photo from PJ Library)
The BC Jewish community observed Shavuot June 1-3 in a variety of ways. Here are but a few examples.
Shavuot at Har El. (photo from PJ Library)
On the North Shore, families gathered at Congregation Har El for a celebration hosted by PJ Library and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. They enjoyed cheesecake, fresh fruit and plenty of laughter while participating in story time with Katia Fermon, PJ Library’s manager. The festivities continued with an interactive musical session led by Monika, which was filled with singing and activities for the kids.
More than 80 community members gathered in Langley for a farm-to-table dairy experience. Families celebrated the holiday with hands-on activities, dairy treats and moments of connection. From feeding and milking cows to churning butter, everyone embraced festive family fun while deepening their connection to the agricultural roots of Shavuot.
The Shavuot celebration also made its way to Whistler, where Rabbi Paul Plotkin led a night of Torah, topped off with ice cream, cheesecake and spirited discussion.
On Salt Spring Island, a Shabbat on the Beach and Shavuot celebration captured the unique spirit of Jewish life in remote communities.
The Jewish Regional Communities Conference April 27-28 brought together Jewish communities from throughout the province to network, engage and learn. (photo from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver)
The Jewish Regional Communities Conference was the first of its kind. The April 27-28 event included Jewish communities from throughout the province and was a time for everyone to come together, connect, hear various speakers and participate in workshops.
The conference kicked off with a message from Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. He talked about how the conference was 10 years in the making.
“This conference started with a simple question, how do we support Jewish life, everywhere in BC, in every place where people are trying to connect, trying to build community on their own?” he said. “How do we support them? For years, we’ve been hearing that regional communities want more connection to each other, more access to resources and more chances to share what’s working. So, we listened, we had conversations, we showed up, we learned a lot, and now we’re here together to move the conversation forward – because vibrant Jewish life doesn’t look the same everywhere, and it shouldn’t. What matters is that it reflects you – you in this room, your people and your values. Federation’s job is not to decide what that looks like. Our job is to walk alongside you, to listen and to help open doors.”
Shanken’s statement encompassed what the conference was about: having regional communities coming together to network, engage and learn. The conference had numerous breakout sessions where attendees could learn about different subjects.
One session was on developing leaders in small communities, which was led by Lyssa Anolik, community connector, Squamish/South Sea to Sky, at Jewish Federation. In the workshop, attendees brainstormed on various questions, and ideas were discussed on how to motivate and support volunteers, create visions for each community, and event planning.
Another keynote speaker was Rabbi Mike Uram, chief Jewish learning officer for Jewish Federations of North America. The presentation was held over Zoom and questions were welcomed throughout. One person asked how to maintain relationships within a community, especially if they are challenging. Uram, who had worked with the late John McKnight and John Kretzmann at Northwestern University, said they had advice on this topic.
“If you make a map of everything that’s wrong and then try to fix it, it creates a whole bunch of unanticipated negative consequences,” said Uram. “One of those consequences is that, when you’re thinking about things from a position of scarcity, then there’s always a debate about what is the one magic bullet answer that’s going to solve the issue, and both of them talked about [how,] just by flipping the conversation and beginning with the assets that you have – like, how do you map out what works? – that it actually dispels some political infighting, because you’re not approaching what is the future of the community. So that, I think, works across the board as a way of preventing burnout in leadership.”
He added, “One of the tricks is to make sure that you’re pitching the future and the conversation you’re having as a community way off at the horizon and thinking about all the things we could do, rather than fighting about how we’ve divided the pie as we have it, because that actually does, I think, tend to bring out people’s fear and a little bit of animosity and that kind of zero-sum thinking.”
The rest of the presentation talked about different theories or strategies that can build lasting and prosperous regional communities.
In addition to other speakers and breakout sessions, there was a conversation with Nova music festival survivors Raz Shifer and Inbal Binder, who participated in many activities when visiting Vancouver from Israel. Both talked about who they are and their own experiences on Oct. 7. (See jewishindependent.ca/healing-from-trauma-of-oct-7.)
Nova music festival survivors Inbal Binder, left, and Raz Shifer spoke at the conference. (photo from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver)
Having had trouble getting back to work after the horrific tragedy, the two attended a program at Healing Space Rishpon.
“We went there three times a week … and we made ceramics and candles,” said Shifer. “From just creating with our own hands, it helped us process all the trauma and just feel useful…. For me, it really made movement again in my life and then I met Inbal – we’re good friends now.”
Speaking at the conference was challenging, said Shifer.
“Almost the day before I came here,” she said, “it was like, oh my God, how am I going to do it? I think the twist that came after is the power of the group. I heard that you all came from different places – but we are all Jewish, and it’s something that I expect here in many kinds of communities.”
Chloe Heuchert is an historian specializing in Canadian Jewish history. During her master’s program at Trinity Western University, she focused on Jewish internment in Quebec during the Second World War.
