Judaism – Page 61

Teens enjoy N.Y. Shabbaton

CTeen members with Rabbi Chalom Loeub. (photo from Chabad of Richmond)

Did you know that Richmond Jewish teens have a group of their own? It’s CTeen, which stands for Chabad Teen Network. CTeen Richmond, a program sponsored and hosted by Chabad of Richmond, is led by Rabbi Chalom Loeub.

“CTeen is open to all Jewish teens, regardless of their religious affiliation,” said Loeub. The international program run by Chabad Lubavitch is aimed at teens in grades 8 to 11. CTeen Richmond is currently comprised of a small group of teens, but wants to expand its numbers.

This unique program includes Sunday night learning, volunteering and socializing. Participants volunteer by cooking and baking for the Light of Shabbat meals, which are delivered to elderly Jews and those who have trouble cooking for themselves. The CTeens also cook and bake for the Smile on Seniors program at Chabad of Richmond.

Six CTeen youth from Richmond recently attended a CTeen Shabbaton in New York. This Shabbaton gathered 2,000 teens from around the world. It included Friday night programs, where they learned about Jewish history, as well as how Judaism relates to science. They also learned a bit about the Tanya, ate great food, met lots of other teens, sang, danced and had lots of fun. One of the Richmond CTeens described it as “inspirational.”

Friday afternoon, the teens got to explore New York in groups. Saturday evening, with stringent security, the CTeens took over Times Square for two hours, where they held Havdalah, sang and danced, and listened to motivational speakers on topics like Torah and the importance of doing mitzvot. Richmond teen Daniel Davydova, who went with his brother Itay, took from this experience the message that “together, we are the future.” He described the experience as “enlightening.” After the talks, the teens toured New York on buses.

The highlight of the Shabbaton for most of the Richmond group was visiting the Ohel, the holy site of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s grave. The teens found it extremely spiritual, and got the chance to write letters asking G-d for blessings for themselves and others. It was here they also wrote their personal “resolutions,” and committed to carrying these out.

Dana Sander, a Richmond CTeen member, called the visit “amazing” and said she’d recommend the CTeen Shabbaton to everyone. Fellow member Aaron Benatar said he loved “connecting with other Jewish teens from around the world.” He said that “standing shoulder to shoulder as a group” was very powerful. He said it “rekindled his Jewish spirit, and made him feel even more committed to helping the Jewish community through doing mitzvahs.”

The Richmond CTeen program focuses on Torah study and the importance of helping others. Eyal Levy, who’s been part of the program for a few months, is very enthusiastic about it. “I love the cooking most of all,” he said. “We get to cook for seniors who need it. I also love the socializing and games. Plus, we get to talk to the rabbi about topics that interest us.”

According to Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman of Chabad of Richmond, “CTeen harnesses the incredible potential of teenagers by offering awesome programs that bring teens together to give back to their communities. CTeen welcomes every Jew and creates a sense of belonging.” The CTeen Network views the teenage years as a time not just for partying and frivolity, he added, but as a time of purpose and self-discovery. The goal is to connect participants to anything and everything Jewish.

For more information, contact Loeub at 778-712-7703 or email rabbi@chabadrichmond.com.

Nidje Israel – a hidden gem

Nidje Israel – now called Sinagoga Histórica – was built by Eastern European Jews who came to Mexico in 1930. (photos by Rubén López Vargas)

photo - The ark, where the Torah is located, surprises the visitor with its golden columns crowned by the tablets of the law — The ark, where the Torah is located, surprises the visitor with its golden columns crowned by the tablets of the law. *(photo by Rubén López Vargas)*

Walking around the historic centre of Mexico City, where the main buildings are Catholic churches and convents, I am surprised to find in a small square called Loreto, a synagogue surrounded by two churches – Loreto and Santa Teresa la Antigua. The synagogue is easily overlooked at first glance, since its exterior is of a neo-colonial style that blends in with its surroundings, and one only realizes that the building is related to the Jewish people from the two Stars of David at the top of its main door.

Synagogue Nidje Israel was built by Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jews who came to Mexico in 1930. It opened for services on Sept. 14, 1941, and closed its doors at the end of the 1970s. It was abandoned for about three decades, until a renovation was begun in 2008. Months of hard work culminated in the synagogue’s reopening on Dec. 13, 2009, and, today, it serves as a cultural centre, and is called Sinagoga Histórica (Historic Synagogue).

On entering, I am greeted with great cordiality and informed of the rules that must be followed inside. I pass a small patio that serves as a divider, and encounter the main façade, with its neo-Romantic style. Inside the synagogue, I walk into a salon, where celebrations are carried out in a traditional fashion. There is currently a photography exhibition of festivities celebrated in days gone by.

photo - Synagogue Nidje Israel was built by Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jews who came to Mexico in 1930 — Synagogue Nidje Israel was built by Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jews who came to Mexico in 1930. *(photo by Rubén López Vargas)*

The first floor welcomes me with its open doors, and the first thing I see is the bimah. Located in the centre of the enclosure, it is the largest in Mexico, elaborated in fine woodwork, with stained glass images depicting musical instruments, alluding to Psalm 149.

The ark, where the Torah is located, surprises the visitor with its golden columns crowned by the tablets of the law. These are sustained by two mythological animals. The cape that covers the ark door is embroidered with golden thread. The two menorot on each side of the ark enhance the beauty of the whole.

The ezrat nashim, the area reserved for women, is on the second floor, as is the mural depicting the Garden of Eden, on which I notice that there are no representations of humans, but only of animals.

photo - The ezrat nashim, the area reserved for women, is on the second floor — The ezrat nashim, the area reserved for women, is on the second floor. *(photo by Rubén López Vargas)*

When I stand next to the bimah, my attention is caught by two spectacular elements: the beautiful ceiling painted with vivid colours, with a great number of Jewish symbols, and the majestic candelabra, which was the most difficult element to restore, but an important aspect to remind us of the old synagogues.

I sit for a moment just to imagine what it would be like to take part in a religious service in this synagogue full of people. I stand and walk to the exit door, and stop once more to observe for the last time the beauty of the building that continues to amaze me.

I want to thank everyone who made it possible to restore this place and open it to the general public, to make better known the culture and identity of the Jewish people in this part of the world.

To find out more about Historic Synagogue, visit sinagogajustosierra.com.

Rubén López Vargas was born in 1972 and is a lifelong resident of Mexico City. He dedicates himself to photography of social events, historic monuments and colonial architecture. He loves dancing, reading of all kinds, and traveling throughout Mexico. This article was translated by Carl Rosenberg.

photo - Sinagoga Histórica is currently hosting a photography exhibition of festivities celebrated in days gone by — Sinagoga Histórica is currently hosting a photography exhibition of festivities celebrated in days gone by. *(photo by Rubén López Vargas)*

About the Passover cover art

“Basket on the Nile” by Carol Racklin-Siegel. “She could not hide him any longer, so she took for him a wicker basket and smeared it with clay and pitch; she placed the child into it among the reeds at the bank of the River.” (Exodus 2:3)

This image – created with gutta resist and fabric dyes on silk – is the cover art for The Brave Women Who Saved Moses, the eighth book in a series of children’s Bible books published by EKS Publishing. The books are available on Amazon or from ekspublishing.com.

You can see more of Racklin-Siegel’s artwork on pomegranatestudios.com or “The Artwork of Carol Racklin-Siegel” on Facebook.

Jewish values in Trump era

The April 9 panel discussion Israel, Canada and Me in the Age of Trump will feature, clockwise from top left, Dr. Shayna Plaut (photo from Shayna Plaut), Ofira Roll (photo from Ofira Roll), Rabbi Susan Shamash (photo by Robert Albanese) and Eviatar Bach (photo from Eviatar Bach).

Israel, Canada and Me in the Age of Trump will be the topic discussed by a panel of four Jewish speakers on April 9 at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture.

“Trump’s election in the U.S. has shifted the relationship that Diaspora Jews in general, and progressive Jews in particular, have with Israel,” Yom-Tov Shamash, one of the organizers, told the Independent. “I believe that most Jews in Vancouver, young and old, Zionist or not, affiliated, religious or secular, feel uncomfortable with the Israel-Trump alliance. Bringing four progressive Jewish leaders from different walks of life provides an opportunity for all Jews supporting values of social justice to hear different points of view, to find common ground, to develop relationships and hopefully to get involved in common causes.”

One the participants, Dr. Shayna Plaut, is research manager of the Global Reporting Centre. She is currently teaching courses on migration and social inequalities at the University of British Columbia and is adjunct professor in international studies, Simon Fraser University.

“Ashkenazi Jews in Canada and the U.S. are in greater positions of safety than we have ever been,” two or three generations removed from the Holocaust, said Plaut. “Ashkenazi Jews can pass for white. We have a responsibility to do something with this privilege, [to uphold] the tradition of tikkun olam.

“As a descendant of refugees, I have always felt connected to refugees,” she continued. “I work to make my ancestors proud and, right now, that means standing in solidarity with this generation of refugees.

“We all have different strengths. And we have a responsibility to see, and use our strengths. My strengths are in education and connection.”

Plaut said, “The level of intolerance in Canada and the U.S. has increased. I was born and raised in the U.S. I became a Canadian because I was having a hard time recognizing my own country. It’s not like racism didn’t exist before – we are a country built on colonization and slavery – but we are also a country built on ideals and resistance. I have always worked in this positive vein of how to make things better. I view patriotism as a commitment to make my country better. It’s easier to talk about what’s wrong than to present alternatives to make things better and work together. It was in December 2015 when I [began to feel] that perhaps I was able to do this better from Canada … as a Jew, as a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, and as an educator and worker for human rights and social justice.”

Ofira Roll, another of the panelists, is a PhD candidate in education at UBC. Born and raised in Israel, she reflected on what is involved in activism in Israel as opposed to Canada or the United States.

“Our activism here has productive aspects. However, it feels as if we do it by remote control,” said Roll. “I truly miss the messiness in Israel – the messiness of communication, liveliness and opinions, of cultures and interests. People have opinions and they share them and embody them. I know the darker sides of living there – it’s a nationalistic state, undemocratic, racist, capitalist and anti-human rights – but it feels more real to me, where I feel pushed to the edge in all aspects of life. I am asked to speak up for what I truly care about and act on it. For me, being ‘pro-Israel’ means criticizing what’s wrong.”

Roll is critical of recent Israeli legislation excluding supporters of boycotts from entering Israel. “Personally, I don’t believe in boycotting countries. Still, I can’t accept the idea that if I came to Israel and had decided to boycott, I’m on this list. Friends of mine would be on this list. I don’t understand how a democratic country can pass such an undemocratic law. It’s not just stopping people who don’t support Israel – it stops more Palestinians than anyone else so, in a way, it really is a racist law.

“As several philosophers I am influenced by – Martin Buber, Hannah Arendt – say, engaging in dialogue doesn’t mean that we are in agreement. Dialogue is more about the process we go through in the search for new understandings. Now, when I see everyone coming together, it’s a strong moment for me. In the time of Trump, that’s what I’m happy about. People start understanding that all these divisions are fake. We are not different at the core. The women’s marches we had all over the world – for women’s rights, which are human rights – ironically, thanks to Trump.

“It’s not about convincing, but about sharing. It’s an invitation to talk, first of all, as humans. I don’t believe in all these divisions and borders. I have a hard time with flags, anthems. I think home is within you. Home is not something defined by others. It doesn’t need always to be in the name of a country.”

Roll has found the atmosphere in Vancouver’s Jewish community fairly open. “When [Israeli singer] Ahinoam Nini came here,” she noted, “people fought to bring her, with the support of the Jewish Federation, against groups who did not believe she should be invited because she supports Palestinians’ causes. I wrote a collective letter [to the Federation] on behalf of my Hebrew-speaking community theatre group. They read our letter at a Federation meeting, and they were brave enough to take a stand, and Nini was invited. In the end, they made an extra effort to bring us all together to meet Nini after the show. The Jewish community here includes many other voices, even among synagogues. There are many small groups, which don’t follow one way.”

Panelist Eviatar Bach is graduating from UBC in physics and computer science. He is involved with the Social Justice Centre at UBC, is a co-founder of the UBC Progressive Jewish Alliance and a founding editor of the Talon, a progressive online student magazine.

“With the Trump administration, it appears that the U.S. has abandoned the pretense of an ongoing ‘peace process,’ with Trump expressing indifference at the choice between a one-state and a two-state solution, and the appointment of settlement backer David Friedman as ambassador to Israel,” said Eviatar.

“At the same time,” he continued, “there is perhaps more disagreement between mainstream Jewish organizations, which tend to uncritically support Israeli actions, and young Jews in North America, than ever before. New groups such as IfNotNow, predominantly composed of young Jews, emerged during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and have taken more confrontational stances than, say, J Street, by protesting Jewish organizations that defend occupation and killings directly.

“On university campuses, the Open Hillel movement has sought to challenge Hillel International’s guidelines, which narrowly constrain the range of views that speakers at Hillels around the world are allowed to express. Several Independent Jewish Voices chapters have started at university campuses in Canada, and the Progressive Jewish Alliance was started at the University of British Columbia.”

Rounding out the panelists is Rabbi Susan Shamash, who was recently ordained by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. She is a retired lawyer and an active member of Congregation Or Shalom.

“As a recently ordained, progressive rabbi, my focus is always on the Jewish values that propel me towards acts of social justice, including engagement in interfaith dialogue and commitment to family and community, which includes my Jewish family and my Jewish community.

“As a born and bred Canadian (like both my parents), my relationship with Canada is foundational to my identity,” she said. “I have a deep and abiding faith in our legal and judicial systems and in our system of government which, though imperfect, is based on values of inclusion, social welfare and multiculturalism.

“As a religious Jew, my relationship with the Jewish community in general and Israel in particular is complicated, varied and nuanced. I often find myself interceding on behalf of a different perspective, of more open thinking and understanding. There is much more to Israel than the occupation and conflict with the Palestinians, but, unfortunately, that is what defines its current reputation in the world community.

“We live in troubled and troubling times,” said Shamash. “U.S. President Trump has already changed the world order in unprecedented ways. More worrisome is that he has a lot of support both within and without the United States. This is not just an American phenomenon.

“How do my Jewish values help me to live, survive and even thrive in this new world order? There are many that we repeat over and over again: seek peace, pursue justice, love your neighbour, welcome the stranger, be a holy people, steward the earth, perform acts of loving-kindness, repair the world.”

The April 9 event is sponsored by Independent Jewish Voices, Vancouver. It begins at 1 p.m. and the suggested donation is $10.

Carl Rosenberg is a member of the United Jewish People’s Order and Independent Jewish Voices Canada. For many years, he edited Outlook: Canada’s Progressive Jewish Magazine.

Adding meaning to life

When a group of eight couples in their 40s and 50s meet once a month to discuss different Jewish topics with Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman, co-director of Chabad of Richmond, no subject is off limits. The program is called Toward a Meaningful Life.

“I set the agenda for discussion each month, but if there are other subjects the group is interested in exploring, they’ll send me their questions ahead of time and we can have a meaningful, focused discussion when we meet together as a group,” said Baitelman.

The group of friends meets in the privacy of their homes, and rotates houses from month to month. The rabbi is open to any subject on which he can offer an insightful Jewish perspective. So far, topics discussed have included discovering your personal mission statement; marriage, love and intimacy; home and family; and purpose in life. Upcoming topics will include work; charity and wealth; pain, loss and anxiety; and religion and faith.

Jill Topp, a member of the couples group, values these sessions with the rabbi.

“He’s not judgmental at all, and we’re not even members of Chabad,” she said. “I love his style of guided learning, and what’s important to me is that he allows us to be the Jews that we are, and want to be.” She said they discuss issues related to being in healthy relationships of all sorts, from a Jewish perspective.

Debbie Aarons, another participant, said, “Our group is mixed, we’re not all Orthodox Jews, but we’re like-minded Jews and lifelong learners. Being part of this couples learning group sends a good message to our kids. It tells them that being Jewish is not just about going to shul once a week or a few times a year. It’s about continuing our Jewish learning and having meaningful conversations.”

Shay Keil, who also attends the group, finds it interesting to see how the other couples, who are his friends, respond to discussions about relationships from a religious perspective.

“It’s not something we talk about when we socialize, so it’s fascinating to hear their points of view on these topics,” said Keil. He commented that he finds it beneficial that they’re friends coming together, because it adds that social element to it. “I also like that our kids see us going on a Sunday night to a class that’s connecting us to Judaism, and that it’s not just about going to shul,” he added.

“As Jews, we struggle with all sorts of religious and other issues,” said Baitelman. “We’re a people that questions everything and wants to know why – or why not. Life is about purpose and meaning, and people want to understand their role in the world. So, during these couples classes, we explore all kinds of Jewish subjects and everyone has a chance to contribute. Hopefully, by the end of each meeting, couples have a better insight and understanding of Jewish topics, both personally and as part of the Jewish people.”

Anyone interested in joining this group, or starting one of their own, should contact Baitelman at 604-277-6427 or rabbi@chabadrichmond.com. This informal program is open to all Jewish couples, regardless of age or religious affiliation.

Making Israeli cities bloom

Planting trees as a community project in Jerusalem. (photo by Ariella Tzuvical)

Are Israeli city-dwellers still attached to the land? The answer is yes, but the connection to the land plays itself out in a surprising way.

By and large, today’s Israelis are an apartment-bound lot, but many dream of having a house with a garden. Those who are lucky enough to have a small garden – or an apartment with a patio – plant flowers and even grow fruit. Depending on the season, many Israelis grow grapes, oranges, tangerines, pears, grapefruits, lemons, kumquats, olives and pomegranates. Interestingly, some of these items have been grown in Israel since ancient times: “a land of wheat and barley, and grapevines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey … you shall eat and be satisfied.” (Deuteronomy 8:7-10)

Community gardening is a budding and not insignificant phenomenon taking root in Israeli cities. In Jerusalem alone, there are 70 community gardens. Municipalities, community centres, local branches of national nature preservation organizations (like Hachevra L’haganat Hateva), pro-environment charitable bodies (like Keren Sheli) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection are teaming up to help urban residents create these gardens. They are assisting interested apartment dwellers by providing seed money, land or know-how to get projects off the ground and onto porches, patios and even rooftops.

Why do urban Israelis grow fruits and vegetables? One young mother from Tel Aviv commented in a Yediot Ahronot article that she wants her children to understand that produce does not come from the supermarket.

Of course, most people want to use their homegrown fruits and vegetables in their regular cooking and preserving. But some grow fruit, such as the pomegranate, for special holiday consumption. For these gardeners, the following Rosh Hashanah blessing takes on added significance: “May the desire of our G-d and the G-d of our Fathers be to increase our merit like the [seeds of the] pomegranate.”

The Jerusalem-based Melamed family says it gardens for exercise, art and culture. They maintain that gardens produce cultured people. Another Jerusalemite looks at her blossoming pear tree and says that keeping a garden enriches a person’s life.

Although Israel, like most other Western countries, has largely switched from being an agrarian society to a technological society, places like the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens believe that gardening has a place. With that in mind, the facility has hired staff to make urban gardening more relevant to those living in Jerusalem.

As well, many Israelis seem to maintain the notion that G-d provides the ingredients for surviving off the land. Thus, when Jews celebrate the rebirth (or reproduction) of the Jewish year, they read: “See, I give you every herb, seed and green thing to you for food.” (Genesis 1:28-30) The annual Torah reading about producing in order to have food has helped fix the idea in the Jewish psyche.

Dr. Rabbi Dalia Marx wrote in A Torah-Prescribed Liturgy: The Declaration of the First Fruits: “The declaration of the first fruits is a bold text.” In Deuteronomy 26, Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, “calling upon the Israelites wandering in the wilderness with no permanent ties to the earth to imagine themselves as farmers securely living in their own land. But simultaneously, the text demands of farmers living in their own land that they remember their days as wanderers in the wilderness – and necessarily … ponder the fragility of their own lives.”

When bringing the first fruits of the land to the Temple, the farmer thanks G-d for the bounty in a manner providing for “the entire recapitulation of national history.” In essence, “the farmer teaches himself that the final chapter in the national story is unfolding in real time.”

photo - Ilan Rubin Fields holds a cluster of grapes from the family’s grapevine — Ilan Rubin Fields holds a cluster of grapes from the family’s grapevine. *(photo by Deborah Rubin Fields)*

It should not come as a surprise that Israelis still seriously celebrate the agricultural component of their Jewish pilgrimage holidays. At Sukkot, Israelis everywhere erect sukkot, or booths, just as growers did in their fields thousands of years ago. And, of course, during Sukkot, observant Jews around the world purchase and bless the following combination of plants and fruit: the etrog (citron), lulav (palm), hadas (myrtle) and aravah (willow). These are known as the arbah minim, the four species.

The Passover seder plate contains greens that remind Jews that spring has arrived in Israel, while Shavuot commemorates the harvest that began around Pesach time and ended seven weeks later. For many years, this agricultural holiday had special meaning for those living in Israel, as the early settlers lived off farming. Today, Israel holds a variety of festivals showing off the bikurim, or first produce of the season. These holiday celebrations focus on the production of dairy products and honey.

In early winter, Jews throughout the world celebrate Chanukah by eating foods prepared in oil. Some food researchers maintain this may be related to the fact that Chanukah coincides with the end of the olive harvest. In late winter – except during the Shmitah year, when Jewish law dictates that the land be given a chance to rest – Israeli schoolchildren are out in force planting new trees on Tu b’Shevat, the birthday of the trees, which is increasingly celebrated with a special seder.

Avi Eshkoli, a veteran Jerusalem-area gardener, reported that he had seen more people trying to observe the Shmitah than he had ever witnessed before. He noted that the practice covers the gamut of Israeli religiosity and spirituality.

Part of what continues to tie Israelis to gardening is deeply implanted in Jewish tradition. There is no escaping the fact that Jewish holidays are connected to natural events. Every Jewish holiday begins with a blessing over the wine, the fruit of the vine, and special holiday texts such as Shir HaShirim (the Song of Songs), which is read on Pesach, and Megillat Ruth (the Book of Ruth), which is read on Shavuot, are ripe with references to gardens and fields.

The blessing over the wine is even part of the Jewish wedding ceremony. And, moreover, before the Sabbath eve meal, Jews recite the Kiddush that recalls G-d’s creation. Thus, at least once a week, many Jews are reminded of the process of birth, growth and production in the natural world.

Dr. Rabbi Marx points out that the “new” liturgy for Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, incorporates the concept of first fruits, reflecting “that we are home now, but acknowledg[ing] both the process leading to this moment and the fact that the dwelling in the land of Israel is not obvious or guaranteed.”

For Israelis then – and perhaps for many Jews in the Diaspora – urban gardening is not just about growing plants, but about growing spiritually as a people.

Deborah Rubin Fields is an Israel-based features writer. She is also the author of Take a Peek Inside: A Child’s Guide to Radiology Exams, published in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Teachings of the Land

On Feb. 12, at Shaughnessy Heights United Church, there was a dialogue featuring Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan Kaplan, director of Inter-Religious Studies at Vancouver School of Theology, and Rev. Ray Aldred, director of VST’s Indigenous Studies Program. Held under the rubric of Shaughnessy Heights’ Reconciliation Matters initiative, The Teachings of the Land: Our Oldest Relative explored the spiritual relationships between people and land.

Aldred, who is from Treaty 8 territory in northern Alberta, said his understanding of the land has been formed by his Cree upbringing and his life study of indigenous wisdom. Asked about the title of the talk, he said, “For us, the land is part of the family.”

Kaplan spoke of the Jewish people’s connection to the land of their birth, Israel. A self-described “born urbanite,” she also spoke of her personal spiritual connections to the land – hiking in nature or learning from her husband how to grow food – and what she called the “eco-theology” of the Bible.

“The first chapter of Genesis takes us through the creation of an ecology, where everything is interconnected and blessed by the Divine,” she explained. “The first human is called ‘Adam’ in Hebrew, which is not just a random pleasing sound, but comes from adamah, red clay dirt, and means ‘the red clay dirt person,’ the ‘earthling.’ The Hebrew Bible is an indigenous text, which tells us ‘how to walk well on the land,’” she said, using a phrase of Aldred’s. “The Book of Leviticus, for instance, teaches us to consciously let the land rest – the commandment of Shmitah, where the land has rest from farming every seven years. The Hebrew Bible teaches that the ecosystem belongs to God, not to us. It is not ours to come in and displace peoples and animals and to take what we want.”

When Kaplan attended a course of Aldred’s in 2016, she said she realized she was a “rank beginner” in eco-spirituality. “Hunter-gatherers were specialists in sustainability,” she said. “They were not primitive; they are the next level.”

Kaplan also discussed the view of some that First Nations were one of the lost tribes of Israel, a view Aldred had also jokingly referred to earlier. Although lacking historical evidence to support it, commented Kaplan, “it works as a metaphor for a similar history of displacement.”

Aldred made another biblical allusion when speaking about how early Europeans were greeted by some Ojibwe as “Anishinaabe” (which literally means “people”) but they refused the title. “Reminds me of another story about some other people who didn’t want to be what they were created to be, but wanted to be God,” Aldred commented with a grin, referring to the story of Adam and Eve.

Aldred spoke a lot about the need for humility and the renunciation of certainty in order to find a relationship both to land and to other people. “Your perspective is always limited, it is always just ‘your perspective.’ You need other people, other creatures, to learn from. The Creator is giving us an opportunity to learn humility. If we miss that chance,” Aldred warned, alluding again to a biblical text (Leviticus 18:28), “the land will spit you out.”

Asked about practices of connecting to the land, Kaplan suggested learning about the local ecosystem, spending time exploring it and getting to know the unique creatures who inhabit it. She also spoke about connecting to members of one’s own tribe in order to cultivate a sense of home, and about getting to know the indigenous peoples of the area.

Aldred discussed the importance of really listening to the land so we can make better decisions as a community. Noting that Mary was Jesus’ mother, he asked who Adam’s mother was. “The earth was his mother, and the earth cared for him and cares for us.”

Aldred also said that indigenous people reverse Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, which places basic needs like food and lodging on the bottom and spirituality and community at the top, as being less necessary. “Get your spirituality right,” said Aldred, “and everything else will be right. Take care of your relationship to the land, and take care of your neighbours.”

Asked about the ownership and economic use of land, Aldred said, “We belong to the land, it doesn’t belong to us.” He noted that treaties, in the indigenous understanding, were less about the division of land than about how it should be shared. “Of course, we should enjoy and make use of the gifts of the land,” he said, “but, in our decisions, we should think seven generations ahead – that’s 225 years into the future. That might take a little more time, but it’s worth it to our grandchildren.”

Matthew Gindin is a freelance journalist, writer and lecturer. He writes regularly for the Forward and All That Is Interesting, and has been published in Religion Dispatches, Situate Magazine, Tikkun and elsewhere. He can be found on Medium and Twitter.

Blessings of love, religion

Once a month, my husband (a secular humanist Jew) and I (Roman Catholic) join the Fraytik tsu Nakht at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture. At the Friday night secular humanist Shabbat celebration, we sing songs, light candles, eat challah bread, and sing in Yiddish and Hebrew. But what I am also learning is the humanistic approach to Jewish cultural heritage.

At the celebrations, they give a great deal of importance, as it says in the text that we read, “to human dignity and the human power to make a better world … and gratitude for the wonders of the world.” Being from a Latin American country, I do not know Yiddish or Hebrew, but I have memorized the lyrics to songs like “Daylanu Shalom” and “Hineh Ma Tov,” so I can sing along with the other people.

When I married Carl, I enjoyed imagining that I was married to a relative of Jesus Christ, since I am practising Catholicism and Jesus is Jewish. We found out that we have more things in common than we imagined. We really enjoy seeing all the similarities and sharing them. For instance, I go with Carl to his Jewish events, where we light candles “to reflect on our own light and the light of others, we praise the healers, the builders and the dreamers. We celebrate the peacemakers, those who teach, who nurture, who love, who share, and those who create for humanity.” At the same time, I have an altar in our room, where I spend time praying the rosary, lighting candles and meditating. Carl comes with me on Sunday to listen to Mass, and is curious for something new, like listening to Mass in Latin, hearing the sermon or just listening to the beautiful music from the pipe organ at Holy Rosary Cathedral, where I belong. Our relationship is based on respect and acceptance, so we can both learn from each other without judgment. Together, we discover that hope is bright and love fills our hearts.

This past year, like every year, we received a phone call from one of Carl’s friends inviting us to his home to celebrate Passover. For me, this means learning more about his culture and imagining how was the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples. I love the prayers, the singing and being with good friends who accept me and welcome me, even knowing that I am Catholic, but, above all, I enjoy it because I’m taking part with my husband, who I love.

Carl and I married in a civil ceremony, a Jewish ceremony and in the Catholic Church. We learned that celebrating our differences has made us closer and that religion, far from being a barrier, is a blessing from our Higher Power, however we understand It.

Delta Vazquez Leon has worked part time for Holy Rosary Cathedral for almost four years as an administrative assistant-receptionist. Her mother tongue is Spanish, and she helps Spanish-speaking parishioners in their needs. Some Sundays she assists in the distribution of Holy Communion, and participates in any way she can in Cathedral activities. In her spare time, she likes to write, draw and paint.

“Lost Tribe” in Canada

While I was completing my doctoral work examining the creative expression abilities of seniors with dementia and the therapeutic environment they lived in, I continued working in the Creative Expression Activities Program I had developed. Early in 2000, a group of six Jewish couples who had immigrated to Canada in their later years, asked me to conduct a series of creative expression activities with them. The participants had come from Mexico, South Africa and England to join their adult children and families in Canada. The group named themselves the Lost Tribe, after the Lost Tribes of Israel – the two tribes out of the 12 original biblical tribes that disappeared. The couples lived on the North Shore, away from the main Jewish centres in Vancouver, and strived to build a strong new community based on traditional Jewish Orthodox customs.

The group formed friendships based on common faith, customs, and the challenges of getting older and adjusting to a new country. They faced the potential loss of independence they had worked so hard to attain and the ever-increasing fear of becoming a burden on their adult children. To be successful, they knew they would need to merge the old world with the new. The group met regularly to share their spirituality and serve their social and religious needs. The couples took turns hosting our sessions at their homes and enthusiastically agreed to be filmed and recorded.

The participants were advised that this program was initially developed for seniors living with early to moderate dementia and that it would be adjusted to meet their abilities. The group was curious about the differences I observed of seniors with dementia, and I was happy to share my observations.

The Lost Tribe was a breakaway group from the main synagogue on the North Shore, based on more traditional Jewish observance during services, which members conducted themselves at a private home, occasionally joined by a professional cantor. During the High Holidays, the congregation swelled to 60 worshippers. However, on Friday and Shabbat services, it would shrink back to a handful of people, hardly enough for a minyan, where 10 males need to be present at prayer.

Members of the Lost Tribe were Lilia, late 50s, and Hilario, 65, from Mexico; Jeffrey, 82, and Greta, 72, from England; Aryeh and Rachel, both in their 60s, from Johannesburg, South Africa; Abe and Jean, both in their 70s, from Cape Town, South Africa; Mair from Morocco and Helene, from northern Alberta, Canadian by birth; and Ralph, 70, born in Turkey, who lived half his life in England, half in Canada, and Gillian, 67, who is English but lived half her life in Canada.

Creative expression

The approach to creative expression is based on nursing, psychology, social work, adult education, the arts and architecture. It aims to enhance a sense of fulfilment, personal growth and accomplishment and contributes to the appreciation of the arts in the healing process and in enhancing an individual’s quality of life. The award-winning program includes the visual and performing arts: discussion, poetry, music and dance.

The topics for discussions and the process were discussed in advance. The sessions themselves were loosely guided by me and by the group’s dynamics. Each session lasted for two hours and ended with lunch. Participants took turns providing food and snacks. No cost was involved and my services were free.

I found it remarkable that they were Jews from various corners of the world and, yet, I understood what they were talking about, I could sympathize with them, cry at their sad stories and laugh at their jokes.

As the program progressed and trust grew stronger, I realized I was recording very personal stories that were rich in details, in Jewish philosophy, thoughts on the Jewish religion, on aging and what life is all about. I was taken by surprise by the level of connectedness I felt with these perfect strangers. I noted all the familiar mannerisms, food, songs, beliefs, humour, hand gestures, life stories of great lessons and how we shared the same ethnic identity. I found it remarkable that they were Jews from various corners of the world and, yet, I understood what they were talking about, I could sympathize with them, cry at their sad stories and laugh at their jokes.

The four topics were: philosophical approaches to life based on strength versus weakness; relationships with family members (are we a burden, or is this inevitable as we grow older?); the meaning of being an elderly Jew in Vancouver and in their country of origin, and the impacts of the Holocaust in Europe; and spiritual connection to Israel. Key thoughts were highlighted and categorized into themes to demonstrate that Jewish identity matters, and these values are imbedded in the more general issues of aging, cognitive abilities and family relationships. Here are some of the participants’ thoughts.

Strength and weakness

Ralph: Strength means two things: physical strength and mental strength that goes down as you get older. Physical strength you need to survive. Mental strength is adaptability, which is the greatest thing to me. The other thing is peace. It appears to me that inner peace comes with age….

Aryeh: Unfortunately, we live in a world that there is no place for weakness … and, as we get older, we need to get stronger.

Jeffery: Not everything is strength. I will give you an example. Israel is very strong and she cannot do anything with it. Absolutely nothing….

Rachel: I believe in strength. I [have] always been strong; I [have] always been a strong believer of my faith…. People in Canada are more placid. I became quite placid. You are nowhere unless you fight. That is what I do.

Lilia: Sometimes we need to be weak in order to be strong. Like a huge tree, we need to be flexible.

Gillian: I learned to be strong at a very early age. I was shipped off to a boarding school when I was 9. I was one of four Jewish girls in the whole school and we had to stick together. We were tortured, literally. It helps to get together with others who feel the same way. It was a good lesson. I was a fighter.

Abe: I think we were all born with strength and weaknesses. There are two things that determine strength and the weakness. One is life experiences; the other, the genes that we inherit…. When being passive, it could be a show of inner strength not to react or respond to everything…. It is a delicate balance.

Family relationships

Rachel: Most older people don’t want to be a burden on their children…. The last thing they want to do is to have to live with their children.… But what happens when you are really ill?

Greta: In a twinkle of an eye, my children would look after us, but I feel my children spent many years looking after their children. When they have the freedom to live their lives, I don’t want to be a burden to them…. I like my independence.

Jean: Living with your children does not mean living in their living room.… It can be a suite or a basement and have the best of both worlds.

Abe: We need to look at the following three aspects. The state of our health at any given time, how much assistance we require from different sources, and our state of our finances…. It depends on our relationship with our children and the interplay between the parent and the child.

Aryeh: We all remember most of the 10 commandments but I believe that our children forget more than we did one really important commandment, “honour your parents that your days may be longer on earth that God has given you.” I don’t expect anything from my children. We are living in different times…. One of the concepts in Judaism is that we should be happy with our lot, whatever it is. My mother looked after her parents. It was not a question of a burden; it was accepted in those days.

Gillian: About children – they were not asked to be born. They came, you loved them with all your heart because this is what you do for children, and then you released them to have their own life…. I don’t think they owe you a thing. But, if they want to give you something, you should take it as a bonus.

Ralph: I agree with Gillian. When your children are born, you nurture them. It is an animal thing to do…. The children don’t owe the parents and the parents don’t owe to the children. Those children that want to maintain a relationship … being financial or sheer love, they do it because they want to. I feel that my grandchildren need me as much as I need them.

Being an elderly Jew

Abe: We were fortunate. Our daughter wanted us to come here since she wanted to look after us. We live in their building and we are very happy. Being close to a Jewish community is very important to us…. I was very active in the Jewish community in South Africa, all the time…. It was Orthodox almost 100%. Coming here, I had to adjust to a different set of circumstances.

Gillian: We were delighted to find this group here. We lived in many places in Canada with hardly any Jews around. It is very comforting to have other Jews around. They know your background, they understand your sense of humour. We may have arguments with them, but this is friendship and not cultural differences.

As a young boy, I grew up in the East End of London … in a violently anti-Jewish neighbourhood. So, my religious side is sadly lacking but my right arm was very strong.

Ralph: I am a reformed Jew, not a Reform Jew. Big difference…. I am not a particularly religious Jew, I do not follow all the commandments, as many as I should, but I am a Jew by birth, by faith, and a Jew by outlook. I feel much more comfortable amongst a group of Jews than in a group of non-Jews. As a young boy, I grew up in the East End of London … in a violently anti-Jewish neighbourhood. So, my religious side is sadly lacking but my right arm was very strong.

Rachel: When I was younger, I was like all mothers, I dropped off my children at the synagogue and did not go in myself and, as I became older, I became more Jewish…. Unfortunately, when we came here, there is not much Jewishness here, living on the North Shore…. Coming here, I realized what I had there and I missed it.

Greta: When I grew up, we moved to another Jewish area, probably the biggest Jewish community in London. Everywhere you went it was Jewishness, if you wanted it or not. I did want it…. It is not enough Jewish here like it was back home in London. We imparted our Jewishness with my children and they with their children. Amen.

Connection to Israel

Jean: Israel makes me proud because Israel is a country that belongs to all Jews. We can all go there any time and it is our country and it makes [us] grateful and proud. Also, it is a great source of comfort to know that it is there and, because it is there, we have got a much better standing in the world: we are not again [a] homeless, wandering people. And this tiny, tiny, little country has accomplished the greatest things, great discoveries, experiments and scientific things, winning wars. Phenomenal what this country has done, and that is why I appreciate having it as my country.

Aryeh: Having Israel is certainly one of the miracles. Going through the Holocaust, [approximately 40%] of the Jews worldwide were being destroyed, and then getting a country is unbelievable, and having to fight for this country. Israel hands us dignity.… One of the things for the messianic era is that we all will be gathered back to Israel…. The fact that America is a great ally of Israel is another modern-day miracle. Imagine if they were not.

Jean: I don’t have any dramatic stories. For me, Israel means a spiritual reality that will always exist…. Israel is the very framework for our civilization.

Greta: When Israel became a state, we were thrilled we finally at last have a country. Jews could hold their heads up when, prior to that, only a certain number of Jews could go to universities, antisemitism was everywhere. It changed a lot of things. Jews started to blossom where they were not allowed to [before]…. What I don’t understand – why the world feels sorry for what the Palestinians are going through, totally ignoring what the Jews are going through. If, God forbid, Israel did not exist, it would be the biggest tragedy that happened to the Jews.

Gillian: Israel, for me, is a beacon of light in a very darkening world. Like Greta, I was born in England, a granddaughter to Russians Jews. I was raised to put the pennies in the blue box for Israel to buy land. As I got older, I was sent to a boarding school, where I encountered for the first time really bad antisemitism…. If things got bad in Canada, we know we would have a home there. We need to protect them and we know they will protect us…. There must be always an Israel and it is up to us to make sure it always exists.

Ralph: I come from a community that up to 1939 really did not experience antisemitism for hundreds of years. A state of Israel was more in the religious context than the emotional context…. Israel since then became part of my life and being in many, many ways. I regret we did not go to Israel, partially from fear of not knowing the language, ignorance. By then, I had a wife and two small children and we needed to eat and pay the rent…. I walk with my head up, held high, because there are kids with guns in Israel. In my early years, one of the antisemitic thorns was why don’t you go back to where you came from, bloody kike? There was no place. Where could I go? From one part of London to the other. Today, there is [Israel].

I am pleased to be over 70 years old for one important reason, so I was old enough to understand what was going on when Israel was established as a state in 1948.

Abe: To me, Israel is about the most unique country in the world…. It is the modern-day realization of biblical prophesy…. I am pleased to be over 70 years old for one important reason, so I was old enough to understand what was going on when Israel was established as a state in 1948. Many, many Jews today did not go through this experience…. This was the first wave of emotion that swept me away, I just could not believe it was happening. The second time the importance of Israel to me came to the front was one week before the 1967 war. We were all sitting and praying and fearing for the annihilation of the state of Israel. How can Israel exist as she was ready to be attacked by the armies of three Arab countries: Syria, Egypt and Jordan?… Then came the Six Day War. We won wonderfully, Jerusalem was reunited. I just broke down in absolute tears…. And the third time was in 1976, when Israel conducted a raid on Entebbe, when Israel went out of its way to save Jews…. It brought home to me how terribly important the existence of Israel and its continuity is in all of us.

The tribe disbands

Eventually, two couples and their families succumbed to the attraction of joining a stronger Orthodox Jewish community and moved to Vancouver. Their move was hastened by an earlier breakdown in the group, resulting from disagreements about approach – should it be more liberal and embrace the Conservative way, or stay with the Orthodox approach. Other issues crept in – health problems, for example – and the group fell apart.

The experience with the Lost Tribe was emotionally therapeutic for all of us. This group did not differ from seniors of other cultures: staying engaged with others, coping with changes, maintaining physical, mental and financial health and learning were crucial for successful aging. Opportunities to practise religion, faith and spirituality were specifically important in coping with difficult situations. Although the seniors felt the sessions were rewarding and looked forward to each activity, tensions stemming from philosophical differences in Jewish worship and group dynamics contributed to the group’s demise after one year.

Dalia Gottlieb-Tanaka, PhD, chair of the Society for the Arts in Dementia Care, earned her PhD (2006) and post-doctorate (2011) from the University of British Columbia, and is a graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem. She developed the Creative Expression Activities Program for seniors with dementia, which won an award from the American Society on Aging and the MetLife Foundation, and continues to give presentations in the United States, Canada, Israel and Europe.

Jewish life in the Okanagan

The Okanagan Jewish community’s Chanukah celebration Dec. 12. (photos from OJCA)

The Okanagan Jewish community has had an active last few months. Services were held Dec. 9 and 10, led by Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, as well as Jan. 20 and 21, led by Cantor Russell Jayne. Each of the morning services was followed by a potluck luncheon, giving community members an opportunity to socialize.

The OJC has been fortunate to have services throughout the year conducted by Osadchey and Jayne from Calgary and, in their absence, OJC members Evan Orloff and Steven Finkleman. This has brought members together and helped strengthen their faith and deepen community connections.

A Chanukah celebration was held on Dec. 12, well before the holiday, because many families planned to be away during winter break. At the party, there were songs, dreidels and the lighting of menorot. Sufganiyot were served and there was Chanukah gelt for the children.

On Dec. 17, a Chanukah and holiday baking class was led by OJC member Barb Finkleman, and sufganiyot and latkes were made. These classes have become a regular event and another was held Feb. 4, with OJC member Philippe Richer LaFleche assisting Finkleman. In the February session, they made chocolate babka and vegetarian Indian food.

In other community news, mazal tov to the Finkleman family on the birth of Jeremy and Mahla’s new baby boy – Lev is a baby brother for “big sister” Shiri. The naming and bris took place in Vancouver.

Also, the community thanks Len and Faigel Shapiro for funding new tallitot and for a new custom-made tallit holder in memory of Sam Larry. The holder is now on wheels and can be easily moved to the entrance for services.

Thank you to Marv Segal, Riaz Mamdani and Steve Itzcovitch for, once again, sponsoring the brunch for this year’s OJC Golf Classic. Plans for this year’s tournament are well underway. Since it will be the event’s 20th anniversary, the OJC is trying to make it the biggest and best ever. As always, the entire B.C. Jewish community is invited to participate on July 23, which will be a fun-filled day of golf and socializing. To register, visit ojcc.ca. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Mark Golbey (250-868-1782 or markgolbey@gmail.com) or David Spevakow (250-317-5283 or dspevakow@gmail.com).

Finally, this year’s OJC Passover seder will be held on April 10 at the Harvest Golf Club. For more information or to RSVP, contact Spevakow.