Meir Kaplan

Video shares Spiers’ legacy

Artist Naomi Spiers explains the first panel of her wood-framed paper-cut mechitzah (partition) at the Chabad of Vancouver Island location in Victoria. A new video by David Cooperstone highlights some of Spiers’ creative path. (still from film)

Salt Spring Island sculptor Naomi Spiers, who celebrated her 90th birthday in March, is the subject of a new film, Naomi Spiers: A Legacy, released in January by Vancouver videographer David Cooperstone.

Available on YouTube, the film follows Spiers’ path from her artistic beginnings and initial work in Ontario, through to her experiences abroad and her designs found on the mechitzah (partition) at the Chabad of Vancouver Island location in Victoria.

Born in Toronto in 1935, Spiers was allowed to have a penknife, and she carved her pencils into totem poles as a child. “I carved anything I could find and, when I was 14, I got a summer job with a potter,” she recalled. “Later, I got my hands in clay and started making all kinds of things.”

image - Naomi Spiers — Naomi Spiers *(still from film)*

Spiers went to the Ontario College of Art (OCA), where she studied sculpture. At the end of the four-year degree, she won a scholarship to study at the University of Edinburgh College of Art. Afterward, she returned to the OCA to assist a former instructor teaching first-year sculpture.

There, she met Reuven, a fellow artist who, along with his two brothers, had immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom in 1952.

“I was very impressed by his talent and very astonished when he asked me to marry him,” Spiers said.

The couple opened a studio in Collingwood, Ont., on the shores of Lake Huron, and had various shows during their time there, with Reuven, whom Spiers said “was born knowing how to draw,” receiving several large commissions.

She, meanwhile, created sculptures for the Catholic Church. Though not born into a Jewish home, Spiers came from a background steeped in biblical stories. She had to memorize many of them and, because of that, she was able to make works of a religious nature.

After several trips to British Columbia, she and Reuven moved to Salt Spring Island. Reuven did house renovations, while Naomi taught at Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) in Kamloops. The two would see each other on weekends in Vancouver, where, on one occasion, they met an Israeli doctor who invited them to stay at a kibbutz.

The couple fell in love with Israel and moved there in 1987, eventually settling in Safed. They refurbished a centuries-old home – with no electricity, plumbing or windows – and set up a gallery: he painting, she sculpting.

It was in Safed that Naomi began to develop an interest in paper cuts, after seeing an exhibition in Jerusalem. At this point, a light went on in her head, and Spiers thought to herself, “I could do that.”

“It was quicker and cheaper than sculpture and people used to ask me to do family trees and things like that. I sold quite a lot of them,” she said.

Their time in Israel turned out to be very successful professionally. Naomi would have liked to have remained there, but Reuven’s physical constraints necessitated coming back to Canada.

Upon their return, the couple bought and renovated another property on Salt Spring Island. In 2009, Reuven, however, became ill and passed away. Within a short period, it was decided that a monument be established in his honour, and thus the Chabad mechitzah saw its beginnings.

With the help of Reuven’s brother, Martin, who assisted with the woodwork, the five paper-cut panels that form the partition got underway, each with its own theme.

The first panel in the Victoria shul shows the seven fruits of Israel – the ones that could be offered at the Temple. The second features the 12 tribes of Israel, with the symbolism being taken from inscriptions in the Hebrew Bible.

In the middle of the partition is a Star of David panel, with hexagons that depict various Torah tales. This is followed by a panel based on the Jewish calendar – here, for example, the month of Adar takes the viewer to a scene from the Book of Esther.

The last of the panels represents the Jewish holidays: a shofar, apples and bees making honey for Rosh Hashanah; a tent for Sukkot; a menorah and oil for Hanukkah; noisemakers and masks for Purim; four cups of wine and matzah for Pesach; and the 10 Commandments for Shavuot.

“My dear brother-in-law Martin built all this lovely woodwork,” Spiers said. “It wasn’t something he had ever done before, so we went around the house and looked at things that Reuven had made and tried to get the same style he would have done if he were doing it.

“Martin went ahead and built them,” she said. “I think they’re very nice and they matched the other furniture in the shul, and they were his monument to his brother – they were very close. Between the two of us, I think we did a good job of it.”

Chabad of Vancouver Island’s Rabbi Meir Kaplan, who first met the Spierses in 2008, shortly before Reuven’s death, lauded Naomi’s work, calling it “a stunning piece of art” and “the nicest mechitzah ever created.”

image - Naomi Spiers’ five-panel paper-cut mechitzah she created for Chabad of Vancouver Island in Victoria — Naomi Spiers’ five-panel paper-cut mechitzah she created for Chabad of Vancouver Island in Victoria. *(still from film)*

Spiers had approached Kaplan with her ideas after her husband’s death and, with his encouragement, she proceeded. After seeing the first panel, Kaplan said, “I was blown away. How can you do this with paper?

“As the project progressed, the works became more complex, with more wisdom and more meaning. This has become one of the masterpieces of our organization,” he said. “Local community members are proud of it and always are looking at it, trying to find some additional details and meanings in this beautiful design.”

Kaplan, who advised Spiers on religious aspects during the years-long project – he traveled to Salt Spring Island on several occasions – noted that visitors to the Victoria Chabad have been deeply impressed by the artwork, as well. He hopes that the panels will be part of the synagogue’s decor for centuries to come.

Spiers estimates that it took roughly a year to create each panel. At the time she started, Chabad of Vancouver Island had not yet moved into its present location at 2955 Glasgow St.

Acknowledging that she always likes to have a project in the works, Spiers said she would like to contribute more to the community, possibly to the new school that opened across the street from the Chabad Centre last fall.

“It was an honour creating a video about Naomi Spiers, with the focus on the incredible mechitzah she created for Chabad of Vancouver Island,” Cooperstone told the Independent. “In doing this video, I discovered her amazing talent as an artist. The intricate, detailed paper cutting which Naomi spent five years creating is a marvel to look at and appreciate. I hope this video will be an everlasting legacy to this remarkable woman.”

Cooperstone has made several videos about community members, including The Naiman Family Concert with Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir (2017), Yosef Wosk Book Launch (2023) and L. Cohen, a JCC Interview with Michael Posner (2024).

The music for the Spiers film comes from Tzimmes, the Vancouver-based ensemble. Andrea Zeitz helped to put the film together and Cooperstone gave special thanks to Michael and Dvori Balshine for bringing the film to fruition.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Groundbreaking May 26

Kineret Tamim Academy founders Dr. Elior and Leah Kinarthy. Kineret Tamim is Victoria’s first Jewish day school. (photo from Chabad)

Kineret Tamim Academy, just steps from the Chabad of Vancouver Island’s Centre for Jewish Life and Learning, is now officially an independent school.

Easily reaching the 10-student minimum before any classes could be taught, Kineret Tamim is looking forward to enrolling more students when it opens in September. The school will be kindergarten to Grade 2 at the start, but hopes to expand to more grades in the future.

For many local Jewish parents and grandparents, the need for a day school has been pressing. Victoria is the fastest-growing Jewish community in Canada, with a population of 4,385, according to the 2021 census (up from 2,630 a decade earlier).

“The fact that, for the first time in the 160 years of Jewish history in Victoria, the first Jewish day school is opening is a testimony to the growth of Jewish life on Vancouver Island,” said Rabbi Meir Kaplan, the director of Chabad of Vancouver Island.

“Victoria is now a destination for families who would like to raise their children in a community with robust Jewish education,” he said.

Chabad of Vancouver Island was established in September 2003 when Kaplan and his wife, Chani, arrived in Victoria. At first, the living room of their home was used as the shul and children’s play area. Their programs, and the interest they drew, expanded over the years and more space was needed to accommodate the community. On Aug. 24, 2016, the Verrier Family Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning was opened.

“Rabbi Kaplan has been a mover and shaker, and his wife, Chani, has also been a major reason the school is happening,” said Leah Kinarthy, an active member of the local Jewish community and president of Jewish Family Services Vancouver Island. “The preschool she runs is incredible. Having a successful preschool is a major requirement for the Tamim Academies to support a new school opening.”

Kinarthy and her husband, Elior, were instrumental in enabling the school to become a reality and Leah Kinarthy will serve on the school’s board. Cathy Lowenstein, who was head of Vancouver Talmud Torah for 17 years, is now a professional advisor who helps launch private schools and works to establish them as certified independent schools in the province – she was also pivotal in bringing Kineret Tamim into being.

Principal Kristen Lundgren, who holds a bachelor’s of education specializing in French immersion and French second language instruction, has 27 years of experience in childhood education. Hebrew and Judaic studies will be taught by Viviana Finkelstein, who has taught elementary Hebrew for more than 30 years.

“The school has an incredible headteacher/principal and a Judaic/Hebrew teacher,” said Kinarthy. “It’s a community school that will be a unifying force for quality Jewish education for our children and grandchildren. Opening a Jewish day school was our lifelong dream; now is the time to make our legacy a reality.”

Kineret Tamim will offer secular education, with both French and Hebrew immersion, along with Judaic studies. The organizers of the school stress their objective is to facilitate the “unbounded potential” and “innate desire to learn” within every child.

Further, they aim to “prioritize long-term social-emotional and spiritual health in order to fulfil our mission of developing kindness, self-efficacy and purpose in each student.” This approach, they believe, will enable students to make their own positive imprint on the world.

photo - Kineret Tamim Academy is run under the auspices of Chabad of Vancouver Island, which is led by Rabbi Meir and Chani Kaplan — Kineret Tamim Academy is run under the auspices of Chabad of Vancouver Island, which is led by Rabbi Meir and Chani Kaplan. *(photo from Chabad)*

The school will be inclusive. Every Jewish child, regardless of background, affiliation or level of observance, will be able to attend. No Jewish child, their website states, will be denied a Jewish education due to financial circumstances. All students must wear a uniform. Kineret Tamim has partnered with a security company to ensure the safety of children and staff.

The school is part of Tamim Academies, an international organization of schools, and is one of many located around the world. The name stems from Tomchei Temimim, the first formal yeshivah system of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, which was founded in 1897 in Russia by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneerson. Each student was referred to as “tamim,” pure, perfect or complete – the assumption being that each child is inherently holy and good, with “wholeness” being the foundation of the education model.

For several years, Chabad of Vancouver Island has been operating CTots, a licensed early childcare centre, situated on the upper level of the Centre of Jewish Life and Learning on Glasgow Street. Kineret Tamim Academy will be located on Quadra Street.

The Chabad centre in Victoria is one of two on Vancouver Island. There is also Chabad Nanaimo and Central Vancouver Island, which launched in January 2015.

On Lag b’Omer (May 26) at 4:30 p.m., there will be a groundbreaking for Kineret Tamimn Academy, coinciding with a community barbecue. The event will take place at the CTots Adventure Park. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Sponsorship is $180.

For more information, or to apply, visit tamimvictoria.org.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Celebrating in Victoria

Left to right at Chabad of Vancouver Island’s 20th anniversary gala last November: Rabbi Meir Kaplan; Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada; Dr. Elior Kinarthy and Leah Kinarthy, founders of Kineret Tamim Academy of Victoria; and Rebbetzin Chani Kaplan. (photo from Chabad of Vancouver Island)

Chabad of Vancouver Island, led by Rabbi Meir and Rebbetzin Chani Kaplan, ended last year by marking a few milestones. The centre celebrated its 20th anniversary in November with a gala that included many dignitaries from across North America, including the Israeli ambassador to Canada. The centre – which is officially called the Verrier Family Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning – marked eight years since the opening of its own building, which was the first new synagogue built on Vancouver Island in more than 150 years. And, Dec. 22-23, the centre hosted Cantor Yaacov Orzech and the Kol Simcha Singers for a community Shabbaton in solidarity with Israel, marking the first time a choir has ever sung at the Chabad synagogue.

My own connection with the Kaplans and Chabad of Victoria began several years ago, when the Kaplans hosted me at their home for Rosh Hashanah. At the time, services were being conducted in the annex of a nearby school. I was impressed at the dedication of the members of the synagogue in their little makeshift shul and even more impressed when I learned that a new Chabad Centre would be built.

At the 20th anniversary event, which I unfortunately couldn’t attend, a future milestone was announced – the establishment of a new Jewish elementary school in Victoria. Kineret Tamim Academy will be the first new Jewish day school on the island in 160 years. It will be part of the Tamim Academies network, which operates 15 schools across North America, including locations in Toronto, Portland, New York and Miami. Opening in September, it will complement the existing CTots Childhood Education Centre at the Chabad Centre, which has a preschool and kindergarten.

photo - The Verrier Family Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning first opened its doors eight years ago — The Verrier Family Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning first opened its doors eight years ago. (photo from Chabad of Vancouver Island)

A spontaneous day trip to Victoria several months ago led to the December milestone at Chabad of Vancouver Island. I called Rabbi Kaplan from the ferry, and he told me to drop by the synagogue and say hello. When I arrived, the rabbi gave me a tour of the two-storey building which houses the kindergarten, a mikvah, offices, a meeting/study room, a Judaica store and a social hall. The building was light and spacious, and the acoustics were impeccable. I mentioned to Rabbi Kaplan that the Kol Simcha Singers, with whom I sing, would appreciate the great sound in the shul. He was intrigued and suggested that perhaps the shul could host an evening for the choir. On a subsequent visit, I brought Cantor Orzech and, after that meeting with Rabbi Kaplan, the stage was set for the community Shabbaton.

The choir – which includes Matanya Orzech, Sydney Goldberg, Maurice Moses, Hirschel Wasserman, Geoffrey Goldman, Edward Lewin, Terry Barnett and me – made our way from Vancouver to Victoria to lead the Friday night and Shabbat morning services. We were joined for this special occasion by a Kol Simcha singer who grew up in Victoria, as well as a chorister who is originally from Manchester but is now a resident of Qualicum Beach. As we crowded around Cantor Orzech on the bima to chant, in harmony, ancient Shabbat melodies, the shul’s acoustics enhanced our voices and made for a heavenly sound. After services, we enjoyed a Shabbat dinner made by Chef Menajem. We ate downstairs in the bright and cheery social hall, which features paintings from local artists. It was a joyous evening, with Rabbi Kaplan leading some spirited singing interspersed with inspiring words of Torah.

photo - Rabbi Meir Kaplan, far right, with Cantor Yaacov Orzech (back) and the Kol Simcha Singers at Chabad of Victoria prior to the Dec. 22-23 Shabbaton — Rabbi Meir Kaplan, far right, with Cantor Yaacov Orzech (back) and the Kol Simcha Singers at Chabad of Victoria prior to the Dec. 22-23 Shabbaton. *(photo from Chabad of Vancouver Island)*

Shabbat morning was more of the same, with the choir singing, under the cantor’s direction, songs to honour Shabbat and Israel. During the service, Rabbi Kaplan acknowledged several members of the congregation who have family members serving in the Israel Defence Forces. At lunch afterwards, the choir sang Shehecheyanu, a prayer that commemorates a milestone, because singing at the centre was a new experience for both the choir and Chabad of Vancouver Island.

At the lunch, Rabbi Kaplan shared that one of our choir members, Terry Barnett, was born in Victoria and had lived there until the 1980s. After the meal, I took a walk with Terry along Cook Road to Dallas Road for a view of the ocean and the Olympic Mountains. For Terry, it was nostalgic being back in Victoria. For me, it was a pleasure to be in the city, too – I had almost moved there several years ago. Terry and I got back to synagogue just in time for ma’ariv, the evening service, and then most of the choir returned to Vancouver.

I stayed over a few extra days and, on Sunday morning, attended services and watched a video of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), who stressed the need for education in a Jewish community. There were several new programs announced for 2024, including a six-week series entitled Advice for Life, which offers the Rebbe’s guidance for leading a more purposeful life. Registration for the series, which is also held at other Chabad centres, can be made via chabadvi.org or myjli.com. The new program complements the Shabbat and Sunday morning services, weekly classes and adult education and holiday celebrations that the centre offers throughout the year.

Later that Sunday, I took a walk to some familiar places in Victoria and checked out the Fernwood General Store, which is in the neighbourhood I would have moved to. It’s a small grocery store that used to be owned by South African Jews and that still features a kosher section, with kosher chicken, blintzes, bourekas, gefilte fish, tuna, matzah and grape juice, among other things.

My visit to the island for the December Shabbaton reminded me of how much Jewish Victoria has to offer and brought back memories of another milestone I had the privilege of witnessing, the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Conservative Congregation Temple Emanu-El, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Canada. Hopefully, I will be able to return to Victoria again to celebrate and perhaps write about another Jewish milestone in British Columbia’s beautiful capital city.

David J. Litvak is a prairie refugee from the North End of Winnipeg who is a freelance writer, former Voice of Peace and Co-op Radio broadcaster, “accidental publicist,” and “accidental mashgiach” at Louis Brier Home and Hospital. His articles have been published in the Forward, Globe and Mail and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His website is cascadiapublicity.com.

New Jewish centre opens

Rabbi Meir Kaplan and his 3-year-old son Sholom Ber Kaplan check out the new Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning on Glasgow Street, near Topaz Park, in Victoria on Aug. 24. (photo from Darren Stone, Times Colonist)

A new centre for Jewish worship, study and community engagement opened in Victoria Aug. 24, as the ribbons were cut on the Chabad Centre for Jewish Life and Learning.

The 10,000-square-foot building, at 2955 Glasgow St., across from Topaz Park, includes a synagogue, Hebrew school, library, kosher kitchen and daycare. The $3 million facility was designed by Victoria architect Bradley Shuya.

It’s the first new synagogue to open on Vancouver Island in more than 150 years. Congregation Emanu-El, at 1461 Blanshard St., opened its doors in Victoria in 1863, and is recognized as the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Canada.

The Chabad Centre follows a different tradition of worship than the modern community engagement of Congregation Emanu-El. According to the Chabad of Vancouver Island website, its style of worship arose about 250 years ago in Russia and is part of the Chassidic tradition.

Rabbi Meir Kaplan, director of Chabad of Vancouver Island and of the new centre, said it should not be understood as an organization for strict Orthodox Jews.

Kaplan noted that, while he wears a beard and some visible elements of traditional Jewish garb, attendees at the Chabad Centre are just as likely to dress according to their own tastes.

“All are welcome,” he said. “And that is who our community is made of – it’s not only for Chassidic Jews.”

The group behind the Chabad Centre is Chabad of Vancouver Island, which had its roots in the Kaplan household. About 10 years ago, activities were moved into the Quadra Elementary School annex, where the Jewish Education Centre was established.

The Chabad tradition has functioned on an “outreach” model for about 60 years, looking to connect with those who wish to learn about Jewish life and teachings, Kaplan said.

That makes it difficult for him to identify the number or size of the congregation – it doesn’t function as a distinct group but more as an agency forever looking outward.

Kaplan, who was born in Israel, was sent to Victoria with his wife, Chani, about 13 years ago. Since then, Chabad has gained enough supporters to start a separate synagogue, initially in rented premises and now in the new centre.

“What I am most proud of is this was built by the whole community,” Kaplan said. “It wasn’t just one person, but various members of the Jewish community supported us financially and in other ways.

“It’s an open centre for Jewish life.”

– This article is reprinted with the permission of the Times Colonist

Chabad expands in Victoria

Chabad of Vancouver Island Rabbi Meir and Rebbetzin Chani Kaplan at the Aug. 23 groundbreaking. (photo from lubavitch.com)

Announced in April 2014, Chabad’s plans to build a centre in Victoria proved a relevant and exciting development for locals. The day after he shared his vision with the community, Chabad of Vancouver Island’s Rabbi Meir Kaplan got a call from a local woman. “I was up all night thinking about how much the building will change Jewish life on the Island for my daughter, compared to the way it was when I was growing up,” she told the rabbi.

Two hundred and fifty guests turned out to celebrate the groundbreaking of the centre on Sunday, Aug. 23, and all that represents for the Jewish community led by Kaplan and his wife Chani. Then-prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, sent greetings: “The new larger Chabad, with its expanded facilities for worship, study and family activities, will help meet the needs of your growing community for many years to come. I commend everyone responsible for making this day possible.”

His words were echoed by many who joined, among them Mayor Lisa Helps, members of Parliament and the Legislature.

“The vision was ours, but so many helped us bring it to fruition,” said Kaplan, grateful for the steady support of local community members. Ahead of the groundbreaking, various individuals offered to participate in the fundraising campaign and share their enthusiasm with others.

George Gelb escaped Hungary with his family in 1956, and was welcomed into Canada. In retrospect, he was impressed that his parents sought out a synagogue in Toronto after surviving Auschwitz. When they later moved to Vancouver Island, they discovered the Kaplans and found a family in Chabad. “This is the second synagogue in 150 years on Vancouver Island,” he said, referring to Congregation Emanu-El, which was built in 1863. “It’s a very historic event that I feel really quite privileged to participate in. It’s sort of like carrying on a family legacy.”

photo - An artist's rendering of the new Centre for Jewish Life and Learning. The building’s east wall, facing a main street, will feature a permanently illuminated menorah — An artist’s rendering of the new Centre for Jewish Life and Learning. The building’s east wall, facing a main street, will feature a permanently illuminated menorah. (photo from lubavitch.com)

The projected $3.5 million project is slated for completion in time for the 2016 High Holidays. The building plot at 2995 Glasgow St. is located on a quiet street, close to a popular area park. It will be a home to a library, an industrial-sized kosher kitchen, new offices, synagogue, community hall and a mikvah, giving Chabad the ability to expand all of its current projects and begin new ones, according to the community’s needs. It will also include a facility for the Jewish preschool and Hebrew school, currently housed in the annex of a local school building.

“History is in the making as we gather in this place at this moment. You are now an integral part of this auspicious and historic occasion,” said community member Lindy Shortt at the groundbreaking event. “The Centre for Jewish Life and Learning, Chabad of Vancouver Island and the Kaplan family will be right here for you and your children and your children’s children, G-d willing, for generations to come.”

The building’s east wall, facing a main street, will feature a permanently illuminated menorah. Dedicated by the sponsors to victims of the Holocaust, it promises to radiate Jewish pride and raise the profile of Jewish life on the Island, proving yet again, as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, insisted, that living as a Jew is possible and relevant everywhere. Even on an island.

The original version of this article was published on lubavitch.com. The version here has been edited to reflect the time that has passed since the orginal’s publication on Aug. 26, as well as a local readership.