research

Genealogy tools and tips

Stephen Falk, president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of British Columbia, spoke at the White Rock South Surrey Jewish Community Centre on Nov. 16, offering guidance on tracing one’s Jewish ancestry. (photo by Chloe Heuchert)

The White Rock South Surrey Jewish Community Centre (JCC) hosted a talk by Stephen Falk, president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of British Columbia, on Nov. 16.

Falk introduced attendees to the fundamentals of genealogical research, providing practical guidance on tracing Jewish ancestry, accessing historical records and connecting with broader genealogical communities.

The presentation was immersive, with participants encouraged to ask questions throughout. Attendees engaged directly with Falk, exploring specific strategies for research, software tools and resources relevant to their own projects. The interactive format allowed for a deeper understanding of both the challenges and the opportunities involved in tracing family histories.

Falk emphasized that genealogy begins with what is already known: any names, dates and locations provide a foundation for exploring more distant connections. Collecting family stories, though often incomplete or imprecise, can serve as a useful starting point. Participants were encouraged to verify details through official records, recognizing that oral histories often contain gaps or inaccuracies.

A key focus of the presentation was the variety of resources available to genealogists today. Census records, birth and death certificates, and marriage registrations were highlighted as essential tools. Falk also emphasized the value of local archives and library databases, which often contain digitized or microfilmed records that can be accessed for free or with minimal cost. Provincial archives, for example, offer searchable databases of records that can provide key insights on both recent and more historical generations.

Online platforms such as Ancestry and MyHeritage were discussed as powerful ways to organize research and access international records. Falk also mentioned JewishGen, a resource dedicated to Jewish genealogy, which hosts special interest groups (SIGs) focused on specific geographic regions, including Germany, Poland, Ukraine and other areas of historical Jewish settlement. These groups allow researchers to connect with others who may be working on the same family lines or the same regions, providing both guidance and collaboration opportunities.

Genealogical research often involves piecing together information from multiple sources. Falk likened the process to solving a puzzle, where each record or data point can clarify relationships or reveal new leads. Even apparent dead-ends can be opportunities to explore alternative paths, whether by examining less-common records, revisiting archival materials, or connecting with researchers in SIGs.

The presentation also highlighted unique resources that may not be immediately obvious to amateur genealogists. For example, records maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints include extensive documentation of Jewish communities dating back to the 18th century. These archives, now largely digitized, provide valuable historical data and can supplement other sources, helping researchers build a more complete picture of family histories, said Falk.

The session also addressed practical approaches to organizing and tracking genealogical data. Falk discussed the use of software programs that allow researchers to record information, update details and integrate findings from multiple sources. These tools help manage large volumes of information and make it easier to visualize relationships and connections across generations.

Research often requires persistence, as records can be incomplete, misfiled or dispersed across many locations. Understanding privacy restrictions and record accessibility is also important: for instance, European birth records may be subject to privacy laws, while death records may only become publicly accessible after a certain number of years. By navigating these factors carefully, genealogists can uncover accurate and meaningful information about their family history, said Falk.

Talk attendees explored ways to handle common challenges, such as verifying oral histories, identifying unusual surnames and navigating records from numerous countries. Falk emphasized the value of community and collaboration, noting that genealogical work is often enhanced when researchers share insights and resources with one another.

By the end of the session, attendees had both a framework and tools to begin or expand their genealogical projects. Falk emphasized that Jewish genealogy is not only about tracing ancestry but also about engaging with cultural heritage, historical context and global connections.

Falk’s presentation demonstrated that genealogy is both accessible and rewarding. Genealogists can uncover rich stories, strengthen community connections and gain a deeper understanding of personal and cultural history. The past can be explored, documented and shared with future generations.

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.

Innovative approach to care

On Sept. 30, Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre will host Medicine Reimagined, an evening with Prof. Amitai Ziv, deputy director of Sheba Medical Centre and head of its Rehabilitation Hospital, which is the national rehabilitation facility of Israel. Ziv is also the founder and director of the Israel Centre for Medical Simulation (MSR), an innovation hub for improving patient safety and clinical training.

Originally from Montreal, Ziv is spending his sabbatical in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia.

“This will be the first Canadian Friends of Sheba event in Vancouver, as we launch our chapter here, and we are truly thrilled to welcome Prof. Amitai Ziv,” Galit Blumenthal, manager of donor relations and events at Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre, told the Independent. “Our goal is to raise awareness of Sheba Medical Centre and highlight its profound impact both in Israel and on the global stage.”

photo - Prof. Amitai Ziv, deputy director of Sheba Medical Centre and its Rehabilitation Hospital, speaks in Vancouver on the topic Medicine Reimagined — Prof. Amitai Ziv, deputy director of Sheba Medical Centre and its Rehabilitation Hospital, speaks in Vancouver on the topic Medicine Reimagined. *(internet photo)*

Sheba Medical Centre was established in 1948. Located in Tel HaShomer, near Tel Aviv, its website notes the facility has 159 medical departments and clinics, almost 2,000 beds and 75 laboratories, and receives about 1.9 million clinical visits and 200,000 emergency room visits a year. Its seven major facilities comprise a cancer centre, an academic campus, a research complex and four hospitals: children’s, women’s, acute care and rehabilitation. It also has several centres of excellence and institutes, notably for cancer, and heart and circulation. It counts 10,000 healthcare professionals, 1,700 physicians and 200 PhD research professionals.

“I support them, along with many other Israeli institutions, as I feel that this is at least some contribution that I can make during these difficult times,” said Tova Kornfeld, who connected Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre (CFSMC), which is based in Toronto, with the Independent.

“I sometimes feel powerless living here in Canada when I see what is happening in Israel,” said Kornfeld. “If I can help in any way, whether by bringing awareness to the work being done by the various organizations or by making financial contributions, then I feel I must. As far as Sheba is concerned, it stepped up to the plate when Soroka Hospital was hit by an Iranian missile and took in all the ICU patients.

“It is also the biggest rehab hospital in Israel and is providing rehabilitation for thousands of soldiers who have been injured since Oct. 7,” she added. “I have family members in the IDF and it is comforting to know that, if something were to happen to any of them, there would be hospitals like Sheba to care for them.”

Ziv’s areas of expertise are medical education, simulation and rehabilitative medicine, and he has served as a consultant and speaker at academic and health institutions around the world. The event in Vancouver will offer a look at Sheba Medical Centre and its innovations in, among other things, the rehabilitation field.

On Sept. 30, Vancouverites will also get to meet Einat Enbar, chief executive officer of CFSMC, which was established in 2017 to raise awareness and funds for Sheba Medical Centre, the care it offers, the research it conducts and the educational training it provides.

For Kornfeld, there is another aspect to supporting Israeli organizations and institutions. She hopes that financial and other assistance from the diaspora “gives the Israelis caught in the fray the message that we have their backs and that we are all in this together regardless of where we live. I would hope that this would be comforting to them when it appears that most of the world is against not only Israel but the Jewish people themselves.”

For more information on CFSMC and SMC, visit shebacanada.org. To attend the Sept. 30, 7 p.m., event in Vancouver (location upon registration), go to weblink.donorperfect.com/ProfAmitaiZivInVancouver. While free to attend, donations are welcome. Readers can email Blumenthal at [email protected] with any questions.

Genocide claims examined

The authors of Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War from October 7, 2023 to June 1, 2025 sought to do two things in their research: assess the factual basis of war crime and genocide allegations, and examine how information is gathered and transmitted in conflict zones. Among the claims examined is whether enough aid was getting into Gaza from Israel. (IDF Spokesperson via besacenter.org)

A new study conducted by a team of researchers critically examines accusations that Israel committed crimes against humanity, such as planned starvation, deliberate massacres and even “genocide,” during the Israel-Gaza War, between Oct. 7, 2023, and June 1, 2025. Using a blend of quantitative-statistical analysis, forensic documentation, primary sources and comparative military history, the study aims to distinguish propaganda from fact and highlight systemic failures in major international information bodies. Its authors emphasize that their objective is not legal or moral exoneration, but a factual analysis of the methodologies and evidence behind genocide claims.

Research for the 311-page study – Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War from October 7, 2023 to June 1, 2025 – was led by Prof. Danny Orbach, a military historian from the department of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Dr. Jonathan Boxman, an expert in quantitative research; Dr. Yagil Henkin, a military historian at the Shalem Centre and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security; and attorney Jonathan Braverman, a member of the Israeli bar and a lawyer for International Humanitarian Law. It is published by the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University in collaboration with the aforementioned institutions.

The researchers sought to do two things: assess the factual basis of war crime and genocide allegations, and examine how information is gathered and transmitted in conflict zones, particularly in regions ruled by oppressive regimes and/or populated by closed societies with a strong “resistance” ethos. Special emphasis was placed on cross-referencing Israeli, Palestinian and international sources, while actively avoiding ideological bias and preconceived assumptions. The authors highlight that subordinating factual analysis to advocacy narratives can undermine public policy and distort ethical and legal discourse.

The study’s key findings are:

No basis for starvation claims prior to March 2025

• More food entered Gaza during the war than before Oct. 7, 2023. The claim that 500 aid trucks are required daily stems from a misrepresentation by United Nations bodies, one that was left unchallenged and unchecked. Prewar UN records cite an average of 73 food trucks per day in 2022. During the fighting (until Jan. 17, 2025), the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) recorded an average of 101 food trucks daily whereas retroactively corrected but still incomplete UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) data indicated 83 food trucks per day. Food that entered the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire should have sufficed until late July 2025, according to World Food Programme projections, even absent any aid following the resumption in the fighting. It is hard to explain this gap without considering extensive looting by Hamas, for which the study’s authors provide ample evidence.

• Although UNRWA initially reported a 70% drop in aid after May 2024 and the Rafah operation, it later retroactively corrected these reports. This correction was effectively unannounced and hence the supposed aid drop continues to be cited broadly.

• Contrary to the claim that 44% of Gaza’s food comes from local agriculture, the study finds this number was baseless even before the Hamas takeover. It is likely that, even in 2005, Gazan agriculture accounted for no more than 12% of Gazan caloric consumption and the number is almost certainly much lower today. The study further finds that even if every ton of crops produced in Gaza in 2011 (the last year in which an analysis was published) was substituted, the number of trucks entering Gaza per capita throughout the war would still be 58% higher per capita than it was in 2011.

• Notwithstanding the above, the authors strongly criticize the decision to stop aid to Gaza between March and May 2025.

No evidence of a systematic civilian targeting policy

While isolated incidents may point to negligence or localized misconduct and suspicion of individual war crimes, no evidence was found of overarching directives aimed at harming civilians. The authors did, however, try to map the patterns of Israel Defence Forces misconduct and possible crimes, and examine which crimes were probably more prevalent and which ones were relatively absent from this conflict.

Data manipulation by Hamas

The Gaza Health Ministry, per Hamas directives, categorizes all deaths as civilian. This manipulation has significantly skewed international reporting. Indications have been found for the inclusion of age-related natural deaths, particularly of women, in the ministry of health’s lists and exclusion of combat-aged men.

IDF’s exceptional precautionary measures

The IDF has implemented unprecedented steps, such as early warnings, precision targeting and mission aborts to avoid civilian harm. These actions, while costly to the IDF, have reduced non-combatant casualties.

Evacuation zones were significantly safer

According to partial data, less than 4% of deaths occurred in Mawasi and the central camps – areas marked as evacuation zones by the IDF – undermining claims of deliberate attacks on safe areas. The failure of the UN to cooperate with the establishment of such zones resulted in considerable loss of civilian life.

Systematic failures in UN and NGO reporting

Numerous claims were based on circular citation, opaque assessments and unannounced retroactive corrections. For instance, UNRWA’s truck count discrepancies were corrected without sufficient publicity. Updated UN data confirms Israel’s consistent assertion of increased aid after May 2024.

A precedent for this kind of flawed reporting can be found in the aftermath of the 2009 Gaza War. Former UN jurist Richard Goldstone, who led the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, later expressed regret over some of the report’s conclusions. In a 2011 Washington Post op-ed, he wrote: “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.”

The suffering of civilians in Gaza is both tragic and undeniable. However, this research calls on the international community to ensure that humanitarian discourse remains anchored in verifiable facts. Without accurate data, advocacy loses credibility – and future atrocities may be overlooked due to inflated or politicized claims.

While the suffering of civilians in Gaza is indisputable, the authors caution against humanitarian advocacy narratives built on unverified or manipulated data. Their study does not aim to exonerate or diminish the suffering experienced, but rather to protect the integrity of academic discourse and, by implication, humanitarian and public discourse. When advocacy eclipses accuracy, policy decisions become distorted and genuine accountability is compromised, the authors warn. They urge the international community to uphold higher evidentiary standards in conflict reporting – regardless of the actors involved.

Broader methodological analysis

This study is not unique to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Similar patterns of humanitarian data distortion were identified in Iraq under sanctions, raising broader questions about the methodologies employed in closed or authoritarian environments.

The study also examined other conflict zones, such as Iraq in the 1990s. During that period, it was widely claimed – based on Iraqi government data and a UN Food and Agriculture Organization survey – that hundreds of thousands of children died due to sanctions. The survey reported a rise in infant mortality from 40.7 to 198.2 per 1,000 children. These findings were later revealed to be fabricated by Iraqi authorities. Even when the researcher who conducted the survey acknowledged being misled, the correction failed to impact the wider humanitarian discourse.

Likewise, inflated assessments of violent and nonviolent Iraqi deaths during the Iraq War were widely disseminated and accepted during the conflict – only being laid to rest definitively in 2023.

“Humanitarian bias”

The authors introduce the term “humanitarian bias” to describe a tendency among aid organizations to accept alarming claims from stakeholders in order to mobilize urgent action. In this context, factual corrections are often met with hostility or ignored altogether – undermining accuracy in humanitarian reporting. Even when myths are disproven, corrections are rarely incorporated into public or academic understanding.

The study proposes a new methodological framework for analyzing violent conflicts – one that prioritizes cross-referencing multiple sources, systematic scrutiny and transparency, and resistance to political and media-driven narratives.

The authors emphasize that credible allegations of war crimes demand serious legal and ethical investigation – not only due to their consequences but also in adherence to international law, Israeli law and moral standards.

Orbach warns: “If every severe urban war were defined as genocide, it would ultimately dilute the legal and moral power of the term. ‘Genocide’ would become an empty political slogan, rather than a tool to prevent atrocities.”

This study builds on that call for greater evidentiary caution, particularly in war zones governed by authoritarian regimes.

Debunking the Genocide Allegations can be downloaded at besacenter.org. Following the publication of the Hebrew edition on July 4, 2025, there was extensive feedback from readers, critics, experts and commentators. In some cases, there was valid criticism that warranted corrections and revisions. Consequently, the English edition is not a mere translation of the Hebrew version but a thoroughly revised, corrected and updated work.

– Courtesy Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Shoah’s generational impacts

Robert Krell did not identify as a Holocaust survivor until the age of 41. His evolving realization about his own experience mirrors a larger trend in the understanding of child Holocaust survivors. As a psychiatrist, academic and leading Holocaust educator, Krell has been at the forefront of this evolution.

In a new book, Emerging from the Shadows: Child Holocaust Survivors, Their Children and Their Grandchildren, Krell brings together a number of his lectures and presentations, as well as contributions from other scholars and survivors, to explore the multigenerational impacts of the Shoah on families.

Krell discusses a “hierarchy of survival” consensus that prevailed for decades after 1945, in which concentration camp survivors were perceived as the “real” survivors, followed by hidden adults, partisans, those who fled and others.

“Children caught up in the horrors were dismissed as ‘too young to be able to remember,’” he writes.

Krell was one of those children.

There were dark portents from the beginning of his life. When Krell was born, on Aug. 5, 1940, the Dutch hospital of his birth was already occupied as an SS headquarters.

After successive waves of neighbours and family had been relocated “to the east,” never to be heard from again, the Krell family was ordered to appear for deportation. Instead, they went into hiding.

Young Robbie was given up at the age of 2 by his parents, Emmy and Leo Krell. He was hidden by a Dutch Christian family, Albert and Violette Munnik, who he would come to know as “Vader” and “Moeder,” and their daughter (his “sister”) Nora.

The Munniks remained in Krell’s life until they passed, attending his university graduation, wedding and other simchas. They would eventually be honoured as Righteous Among the Nations at Yad Vashem.

“My days in hiding were the best that any hidden child could have had,” Krell writes.

This raises questions for him as a survivor and as a psychiatrist. “From where, then, derived my feeling that something enormous and hideous had occurred? From where came this unsettled feeling of whatever it is that haunts me still? Perhaps from the separation. Perhaps from the fear of discovery or the anxieties of the adults around me. Perhaps from my silence, the absence of ordinary play, the wish not to be disturbing or noticed.”

These feelings, which much later he would discover were common among people who, as children, had experienced similar things, drove him personally and professionally.

Krell’s self-realization that he was not only a second-generation survivor – the son of survivors – but a survivor himself, struck him at the 1981 World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, in Jerusalem. It was a realization that others were coming to concurrently.

Later that decade, the seminal book Love Despite Hate: Child Survivors of the Holocaust and Their Adult Lives, by Sarah Moskovitz, signaled the beginning of a new understanding, and the identity of child survivors as a distinct category of survivors.

In 1991, the groundbreaking ADL/Hidden Child Conference, in New York City, attracted 1,600 participants, mostly child survivors. Krell summarizes the conversations that happened there as: “Thank God, I thought I was crazy. But you were crazy with the same issues. So perhaps we are normal.”

With Prof. Peter Suedfeld, former head of the University of British Columbia’s department of psychology, Krell conducted research into younger survivors and their children. They identified four paradoxes that were common in the families they investigated.

Survivor parents often expressed great pride in their children, but the perspective of the children was that they always fell short of fulfilling parental expectations and were often unaware of their parents’ pride.

Second, while children felt they had been provided with most of the material things, they reported feeling that they had missed out on receiving a set of values. This was belied by the evidence, Krell writes. “But it appears that, despite parental preoccupation with work and security, many second-generation survivors did absorb humanistic values for which the parents, of course, claim credit.”

The third paradox is that “though therapy groups of second-generation survivors emphasize complaints about earlier parenting, noting a relative lack of empathy for their problems, the same group members point out to each other their obvious humaneness, achievements and exceptional personal qualities.”

The fourth paradox has to do with the parental viewpoint that withholding information about their Holocaust experiences was crucial for the normal development of their children. “But from the point of view of the children, that past life was shrouded in an elusive mystery that prevented them from understanding the components of life in play from the Holocaust background,” Krell writes.

“Despite the overwhelming complexity of lives lived in the shadow of the Holocaust, it is remarkable that the havoc wreaked on Jewish children has not irrevocably crippled the next generations,” he notes, adding that 93% of Jewish children in Nazi-occupied Europe were murdered. “It is itself a miracle that so many of the remnants of surviving children and our sons and daughters have contributed so much. Let us be proud of that.”

Second-generation children learned quickly not to ask questions that could spur tears or other responses in their parents. Krell notes that some parents would ask why their children had not seemed interested in their Shoah experiences. In many cases, he urges members of the second generation to designate their children – the grandchildren of the survivors – to investigate the family history.

“They return with names, places of origin, descriptions of life (and of death), stories of defeat and loss, and of courage and heroism,” he writes. “They are enriched forever by knowing, for they are alive because their grandparents, against all odds, made it.”

Krell’s life has had multiple encounters with horrific history. In 1961, he was visiting Israel and his aunt got them seats in the courtroom of Adolf Eichmann’s trial.

In 1969, he was on TWA Flight 840 out of Rome when the plane was hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The plane and its hostages spent several days in Damascus before being freed in Athens, after which he flew on to Israel.

“So, by age 30, I was a Jew who had survived two deadly enemies,” he writes.

Krell became an academic and a clinician, the director of child and family psychiatry at the UBC Health Sciences Hospital and director of residency training for 10 years. He was founding president of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, on whose board he remains an active member.

Krell is the author of 11 books, two dozen book chapters and many journal articles. His interests include the care of aging survivors of massive trauma. His memoir, Sounds from Silence: Reflections of a Child Holocaust Survivor, Psychiatrist and Teacher, was published in 2021, in which year he was also inducted into the Order of Canada. He and his wife Marilyn have three daughters and nine grandchildren.

Emerging from the Shadows includes lectures and speeches from Krell, as well as writings from Vancouverite Ed Lewin, Robert Melson, Harry Penn, R. Gabriele S. Silten, Leo Vogel and Zev Weiss.

In an epilogue, Krell reflects on the Oct. 7 terror attacks through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor.

Whereas the Nazis made some efforts to hide from the world their atrocities, the Hamas terrorists perpetrated their brutalities in broad daylight and livestreamed them online.

“It was done in daylight, recorded and distributed! How shall we ever rest again, given such knowledge?” he asks. “How shall a Jewish child/adolescent deal with this? And who can heal this fresh wound when the old wounds had only just begun to close after three or four generations?”

His conclusion: “May I suggest that we remain moral, courageous, and worthy of being a ‘a stiff-necked people,’ strong, proud, and determined.”

Locals part of first cohort

A first-of-its-kind program will give 30 Jewish social service professionals, including social workers, doctors and therapists, specialized training to better meet the psychosocial and emotional well-being of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews. Among the participants will be two members of the local Jewish community: Harley Kushmier, a social worker in Kelowna, and Serach Aleria Sarra, a student in spiritual health at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

photo - Serach Aleria Sarra Harley Kushmier (below) are two of the 30 Jewish social service professionals who will participate in an inaugural JIMENA Sephardic Leaders Fellowship program — Serach Aleria Sarra Harley Kushmier (below) are two of the 30 Jewish social service professionals who will participate in an inaugural JIMENA Sephardic Leaders Fellowship program. *(photo from JIMENA)*

The program, part of JIMENA’s Sephardic Leaders Fellowship, is designed to deepen the professionals’ understanding of Sephardi and Mizrahi heritage and equip them to provide culturally responsive care. Chosen from a competitive applicant pool, fellows were accepted based on professional merit and a demonstrated commitment to serving diverse Jewish populations. JIMENA stands for Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa.

“In a post-Oct. 7 world – where so many Sephardi and Mizrahi Americans have been directly affected by events in Israel and the Middle East, and amid rising antisemitism and social strain – our research and community experience point to a clear demand for culturally responsive training for health professionals and social service providers working with Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews,” said Sarah Levin, executive director at JIMENA, in a press release. “This inaugural cohort – comprising therapists, counselors, crisis and trauma practitioners, providers for aging populations and at-risk youth, and clinical social workers – reflects that demand.”

photo - Harley Kushmier — Harley Kushmier *(photo from JIMENA)*

Over a series of sessions, the fellows in the social service providers cohort will explore a range of topics relevant to working with Sephardi, Mizrahi and other unique Jewish communities. These include mental health stigma in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, intergenerational trauma in immigrant and refugee families from the Middle East and North Africa, and economic vulnerability. The cohort will also engage in discussions on trauma-informed care with a focus on sexual abuse, as well as traditional Sephardi perspectives on identity, belonging and community care. This will include a dedicated session on LGBTQ+ youth, led by JQY. Additionally, participants will receive a foundational overview of Sephardi Jewish history, context and key definitions. Sessions will be led by leading practitioners in their field.

* * *

On Aug. 21, JIMENA released the study Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States: Identities, Experiences and Communities. It offers recommendations for leaders and organizations that want to more deeply engage these communities. Among the findings are that Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in the United States have higher rates of Jewish communal participation, a stronger connection to Israel and are more likely than Ashkenazi Jews to say that being Jewish is somewhat or very much a part of their daily life.

The research was directed by Dr. Mijal Bitton and based at the New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Research. As part of the research, scholars at the Cohen Centre for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University conducted a review of existing quantitative data from national and community studies on Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in the United States. Based on these figures, the study’s researchers estimate that approximately 10% of American Jews are Sephardi and/or Mizrahi.

The data also show that, compared to Ashkenazi Jews, American Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews have the lowest intermarriage rates, and are more likely than Ashkenazi Jews to be born and/or raised outside the United States, to be politically moderate or conservative, and to be economically vulnerable.

Researchers examined four communities: the Syrian community in Brooklyn, NY; the Persian community in Los Angeles; the Bukharian community in Queens, NY; and the Latin Sephardi community of South Florida. Key findings include:

• While historically underrepresented in mainstream Jewish communal life, Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews have built strong, vibrant communities that maintain deep familial, religious and cultural traditions.

• Sephardi religious practice reflects a strong sense of traditionalism, combining respect for religious laws, customs, legitimations and authorities with more flexible personal and family religious observance.

• Community members want to make new lives for themselves in America, while still preferring ethnic connections, especially marriage with other community members and their own cultural traditions, and they maintain abiding connections to their Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern cultures.

• Most community members exhibit a notable resistance to language that frames race as their primary identity, categorizes them as Jews of colour or positions them as a minority group in need of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“The research is more than just insights and data; there’s a roadmap here that we hope will be a catalyst for change,” said Levin. “Jewish communal leaders and educators can include Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews – and our history, traditions and current customs – in meaningful, equal ways that reflect the diversity of the Jewish people.”

The report’s specific recommendations are informed by five recommended frameworks to approach diversity work in the Jewish community:

• Avoid viewing Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews only through the lens of exclusion, marginalization and victimhood narratives. Recognize that strong Sephardi and Mizrahi communal identities exist even as barriers and biases exist within Ashkenazi-majority institutional frameworks.

• Avoid centring Judaism exclusively around European Jewish experiences and Ashkenazi cultural norms as the dominant narrative (i.e. Yiddish as the primary language of Jewish tradition and denominational structures as the only legitimate form of Jewish identity).

• Avoid creating inclusion projects that assume everyone agrees with a single set of values (e.g., liberal values) or tools for inclusion (DEI frameworks). Create inclusion projects that allow for diverse viewpoints, values, multiple religious perspectives and norms, and a plurality of political views.

• Avoid viewing diversity in Jewish spaces solely through North American racial and ethnic categories. Jewish diversity should recognize the central role of family origins and communal networks in shaping Jewish identity; the complex intersections of ancestry, ethnicity, religion and culture; and the migration patterns and geopolitical histories that shape identities, perspectives and communal structures.

• Avoid assuming that universal frameworks and solutions for inclusion will be effective for all and that shared priorities exist across all Jewish communities.

For the full report, go to sephardicstudy.org.

– Courtesy JIMENA

A wordless language

In her lab at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Sigal Ben-Yehuda and her team have observed that bacteria can exchange molecules, genetic material and survival strategies through tiny structures called nanotubes. These findings suggest that, rather than acting independently, bacteria are capable of molecular communication.

This microbial interaction is at the heart of Ben-Yehuda’s research, pointing to a microscopic network built on exchange and cooperation. She will present this work in Vancouver April 29, as the featured speaker at the Dmitry Apel Memorial Lecture, hosted by the University of British Columbia.

photo - Prof. Sigal Ben-Yehuda gives the Dmitry Apel Memorial Lecture at the University of British Columbia on April 29 — Prof. Sigal Ben-Yehuda gives the Dmitry Apel Memorial Lecture at the University of British Columbia on April 29. *(photo from Hebrew University)*

Ben-Yehuda described herself as a scientist driven by questions. “I am fascinated by how bacteria make decisions, communicate and sense one another,” she told the Independent.

That interest has guided her career – from a PhD in microbiology at Tel Aviv University to postdoctoral research at Harvard. Since 2004, she has been a professor at the Hebrew University, where, two years ago, she became head of the department of microbiology and molecular genetics at the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada.

Ben-Yehuda’s research into bacterial communication did not begin with a specific hypothesis. “It began with a set of microscopy observations that raised the idea that bacteria can mysteriously share intracellular molecules,” she said. “That curiosity turned into a deeper investigation, which led to the identification of bacterial intercellular bridges that the group termed ‘nanotubes,’ that mediate this form of communication.”

Ben-Yehuda explained that these structures “allow bacteria to transfer molecules and DNA between cells – effectively creating a biological highway for the exchange of antibiotic resistance.”

This resistance develops when bacteria evolve to survive drugs that once killed them, posing a major challenge in treating infections. Ben-Yehuda’s findings could shape new approaches to combating infections by targeting the bacterial links rather than individual cells.

While centred on the microscopic world, Ben-Yehuda’s work speaks to something larger – an approach to science that begins with curiosity and unfolds through observation. This open-ended inquiry is exactly what the upcoming seminar seeks to celebrate.

The Dmitry Apel Memorial Seminar was created in memory of UBC PhD student Dr. Dmitry Apel, who passed away in 2013. His family, notably his mother, Dr. Maryana Apel, and sister, Dr. Sabrina Apel, sponsor the lecture that honours his devotion to pure science, which was driven by a curiosity about how the world works.

Prof. Yossef Av-Gay, a professor in the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s division of infectious diseases, who, among other things, also holds an adjunct professorship at the medical school of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, invited Ben-Yehuda to speak.

“I thought that Sigal would be an inspiration for young scientists,” he said. “She discovered nanotubes – a great new discovery in microbiology. Having a strong microbiology department at UBC, focusing on similar fields as Sigal’s department at Hebrew University, I saw this as a chance to spark cross-continent collaborations. The Apel family has close ties to Israel, so it felt like a perfect fit and a great opportunity to bring Sigal to Dmitry’s memorial seminar.”

As a department head, Ben-Yehuda works to support early-career researchers.

“My main goal has been to support the younger faculty members,” she said. “I’m committed to helping them create strong research groups and establish themselves – and their labs – as leaders in their fields.

“As for my lab, my approach has been to encourage curiosity-driven research, which depends on the scientists and their progression. I encourage independence and creativity.”

Although this will be Ben-Yehuda’s second visit to Vancouver, it will be her first time speaking at UBC. Hosted by microbiologist Av-Gay, her visit will include meetings with faculty and colleagues, along with the hope of having time to explore the city and its surroundings.

As for her hope of what people will learn from her lecture, Ben-Yehuda said, “An important takeaway is that connection matters. Whether you’re a microbe or a human, being part of a community can enhance resilience and adaptability. Also, cooperation – far from being a soft or secondary trait – can be a powerful survival strategy. It reminds us that strength often comes not just from competing, but from collaborating, and highlights community strength.”

For more information on the Dmitry Apel Memorial Seminar and Ben-Yehuda’s talk, visit mbim.ubc.ca/events/dmitry-apel-memorial-seminar-2025.

Uriel Presman Chikiar is a student at Queen’s University and serves as executive vice-president of external relations at Hillel Queen’s.

Productive collaboration

The Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research team includes, left to right, Dr. Gal Meiri, Prof. Hava Golan, Prof. Ilan Dinstein, Mazal Malka and Prof. Idan Menashe. Dinstein and Menashe will be in Vancouver in May to meet with colleagues from the University of British Columbia. (photo from azrielifoundation.org)

When the International Society for Autism Research convenes in Seattle April 30 for its annual conference, researchers from all over the world will be flying in to learn about and share the latest research on this multifactorial disorder. Two of them, Idan Menashe and Ilan Dinstein, who head up the Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (ANCAN) at Ben-Gurion University, will be coming from Israel. When the conference wraps up, they will be in Vancouver to continue a three-year collaboration with autism researchers at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, and meet with various people, including community members.

Menashe and Dinstein were part of a group – that included Dr. Tim Oberlander from UBC’s School of Population and Public Health and Grace Iarocci, director of SFU’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Laboratory – that published a paper in 2023 on whether oxytocin is associated with an increased risk of autism in offspring.

“Oxytocin is a neuropeptide hormone that plays a key role in social behaviour, stress regulation and mental health,” begins the paper’s abstract. “Synthetic oxytocin administration is a common obstetrical practice and, importantly, previous research has suggested that intrapartum exposure may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder.”

The study supported the conclusion that “induction of labour through oxytocin administration does not increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder in the child.” However, Menashe and Dinstein’s own studies in Israel found an association between autism and the use of general anesthesia during caesarean sections.

“Having a C-section with general anesthetic increases the risk of diagnoses of autism in offspring by 60% compared to natural birth,” Menashe told the Independent. Because general anesthesia in C-section is infrequently used, that risk is low, but consistent, he added.

Menashe, Dinstein, Oberlander and Iarocci are excited to reunite in Vancouver in May because they all have access to population health data that allows them to compare their results. Such comparisons are especially valuable given that autism rates are increasing the world over.

Menashe said the rate of autism is 2% in Israel and Canada, and more than 3% in the United States. “We know a big portion of this increase is due to increased awareness among parents and caregivers, but we don’t know if that explains everything,” he said.

Autism is highly heterogeneous, he continued. “Every child is different and no two children present exactly the same autism symptoms. We believe the causes of autism are also very heterogeneous, and that’s what makes research so complicated, but also so interesting.”

Because of that heterogeneity, research requires collection of data from large populations. At the Azrieli National Foundation for Autism Research, Menashe and Dinstein work with nine clinical centres to collect data.

“A major advantage we have in Israel is our access to families’ medical records,” Menashe explained. “We ask families from those clinics to participate in genetic studies, through which we try to identify the genetic causes of autism.”

Menashe, Dinstein, Oberlander and Iarocci meet monthly by Zoom to discuss their findings. By collaborating, the four researchers can compare Israeli findings to those in British Columbia.

“The comparisons make our research more powerful,” Iarocci said. “They allow us to see what’s the same and what’s different cross-culturally.

“Our goal with autism is early identification, early diagnosis, and offering interventions that are effective,” she continued. “When we collaborate, we can compare very large data sets and, without those comparisons, you can’t really answer these questions meaningfully.”

“We’ve had a very productive collaboration so far, and what makes it especially important is the cross-jurisdictional research we can do,” Oberlander said. “There are few jurisdictions in the world that can do this effectively, but Israel and BC are two of them. It’s a wonderful collaboration, a great model, and we’re looking forward to seeing them in Vancouver in May.”

While here, Menashe and Dinstein will participate in an invite-only parlour meeting on May 4. Those interested in attending should contact David Berson, executive director, BGU Canada, British Columbia & Alberta, at [email protected].

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond

Community milestones … Gutman, Marks Pulver, Doduck & Simpson

Gloria Gutman, PhD, has been honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada, or an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. She will receive the medal in a ceremony March 21.

A research associate and professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University, Gutman founded the Gerontology Research Centre and the department of gerontology at SFU, serving as director of both units from 1982 to 2005. She is the author/editor of 23 books, the most recent (with Claire Robson and Jen Marchbank) titled Elder Abuse in the LGBTQ2SA+ Community (Springer, 2023).

photo - Dr. Gloria Gutman — Dr. Gloria Gutman (photo from SFU)

During her career, Gutman has held many prominent roles, including president of the Canadian Association on Gerontology, president of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and president of the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse. Currently, she is president of the North American chapter of the International Society for Gerontechnology, vice-president of the International Longevity Centre-Canada and a member of the research management committee of the Canadian Frailty Network. Previously, she served on the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Ageing Society, World Health Organization’s expert advisory panel on aging and health, and the CIHR-Institute of Aging advisory board.

“I am grateful to SFU for having nominated me for this award.

Developing the gerontology department and Gerontology Research Centre, serving on boards, organizing conferences, and advocating for seniors in other ways nationally and internationally, has been a privilege and a pleasure,” said Gutman. “It could not have taken place without the strong support of FASS [the faculty of arts and social sciences] and senior administration.”

In 2012, Gutman was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Government of Canada and, in 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour.

– Courtesy Simon Fraser University

* * *

photo - Lana Marks Pulver — Lana Marks Pulver (photo from Jewish Federation)

Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is proud to congratulate its board chair, Lana Marks Pulver, who was honoured by Jewish Federations of North America with the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award for exemplifying the highest standards of philanthropy and volunteerism. Marks Pulver’s selection for this award is a testament to her exceptional dedication and leadership.

– Courtesy Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

* * *

The Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of long-time volunteer leaders Marie Doduck and Lee Simpson as co-chairs of the 2025/26 campaign. Please join board directors Harry Lipetz, Rick Cohen, Mel Moss, Bernard Pinsky, David Zacks, Michelle Karby and Abbe Chivers, and staff Ayelet Cohen Weil and Wendy Habif in congratulating and thanking them for their tireless commitment to our Jewish elderly.

– Courtesy Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation

Camps post-pandemic

The Foundation for Jewish Camp recently released its latest census results, Trends Report: State of Jewish Camp 2023. The research indicates that Jewish camps in Canada and the United States have settled into a new normal within the post-pandemic world.

In summer 2023, the field served 3% (6,000) more campers and counselors than in summer 2022, with a total of nearly 181,000 campers, teens and college-aged staff participating in Jewish camp across 166 day camps and 158 overnight camps. Part of this new reality includes hiring more staff, since fewer are working the full summer. Camps are having to raise more money to keep up with rising costs and the increased demand for camper financial aid.

Some key takeaways from the report are:

• Camp enrolment continues to grow, with the largest gains coming from day camps. Day camps reached pre-pandemic enrolment levels in 2023. Overnight camps enrolment remained at 96% of 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels, but 80% of overnight camps were expecting to increase their enrolment in 2024 – data for last summer are not yet available.

• Many staff are no longer working full summers, which is creating an increased need for seasonal staff positions. The total number of staff in summer 2023 was higher than in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and, given that many staff are not working a full summer, especially within overnight camps, there is a need for camps to hire more staff to fill in gaps.

• Increased turnover of Jewish camp professionals: 66% of reporting overnight camps and 58% of reporting day camps had professional staff leave their positions between fall 2022 and fall 2023.

• Families requested more financial aid from overnight camps than ever before. Overnight camps saw about a 30% increase in the amount of financial aid that families requested from their camps.

• MESSH (mental, emotional, social and spiritual) resources ranked highest in terms of the resources camps need. Camps also indicated a need for resources on character development and resilience-building; parent communication and engagement; antisemitism and bridging differences; and diversity, equity and inclusion. (It should be noted that this census was conducted before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel and the ensuing war.)

• Capital needs are a big priority for camps across the field, as camps prioritize growing camper enrolment and making camp more accessible, all while upkeeping older buildings and facilities. Staff housing is a key need, as camps are unable to grow enrolment without it.

Camper satisfaction

Overnight camp overall satisfaction and likelihood to return both increased by 2% in 2023, with levels remaining relatively consistent since 2019, in the 91-94% range for satisfaction and 84-87% range for likelihood to return.

Alongside these trends, positive impacts for Jewish camp remained high, with 93% of families reporting that overnight camp made their child feel part of the larger Jewish community and peoplehood, and 90% of families reporting that camp has built important Jewish friendships for their child.

In addition, more than half of families reported that their child’s camp experience has motivated their child to participate in other Jewish programming throughout the year.

Regarding day camps, overall camper satisfaction was 87% and the likelihood to return 82% in 2023, levels that have remained relatively consistent since 2021. Further, 82% of families reported that their day camp created a culture of belonging for their child(ren) and 89% of families reported that it is important to them that camp provide an inclusive experience for everyone.

The situation in 2024

An article in the Jerusalem Post last month reported on the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s three-day Jewish camp summit, which took place in Chicago in December. In the article, writer Howard Blas shares some data on the 2024 camp season, which was offered by the foundation’s chief executive officer, Jeremy J. Fingerman.

According to Fingerman, surveys indicated that, in 2024: “Nine in 10 families reported that camp created an environment that supported their children’s social and emotional health and well-being”; “85% of camp staff felt that camp connected them to feeling a part of the worldwide Jewish community”; “94% of parents shared that camp connected their child to the global Jewish community”; and “80% of North American overnight camp staff said camp helped them to connect to Israel and Israeli staff.”

– Courtesy Foundation for Jewish Camp

Revisiting oral histories

Manfred Gottfried and a group of men on the stairs to the Dr. Sun Yat-sen mausoleum. (photo from VHEC: RA001-5-o7-5-9-0339x)

A little over 20 years ago, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre started the Shanghai Oral History Project. Led by Roberta Kremer and Daniel Fromowitz, the project recorded the oral histories of Vancouver’s small Shanghai Jewish survivor community. They interviewed 10 survivors and/or their descendants, learning about their rich and unique experiences of survival in Shanghai.

This project, along with loaned artifacts and memorabilia, became the basis for VHEC’s 1999 exhibition Shanghai: A Refuge During the Holocaust. It opened alongside another exhibition, Visas for Life: The Story of Feng Shan Ho. Both were well received, and included film screenings on the topic of Jewish refugees in Shanghai, and a demonstration of mahjong, a game which remains popular in the Jewish community in Vancouver. Once the exhibitions concluded, materials were returned to their lenders or safely placed under the VHEC’s care, and the interviews were catalogued and filed away.

In January 2022, I began my co-op position as digital projects coordinator with the VHEC. One of the first tasks assigned to me was to help improve accessibility to the Shanghai interviews and the audiotape transcriptions. In the 20 years since these oral history transcriptions were created, the VHEC has changed its digital file management and storage system. Some files were missing while others were mislabeled. Many files would no longer open within the current version of Microsoft Word. At the top of some transcriptions was a disclaimer: “The whole tape is not transcribed, only that which is related to Shanghai.” Throughout the transcriptions, comments like “(side discussions)” denote what the original transcriber believed to be unrelated to the subject matter.

image - In 1999, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre held the exhibit Shanghai: A Refuge During the Holocaust — In 1999, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre held the exhibit Shanghai: A Refuge During the Holocaust. (image from VHEC)

Rummaging through these transcriptions, it became apparent that I would not simply be “tidying up.” By revisiting the Shanghai Oral History Project, my goal was to do more than just emphasize the unique experiences of this small group of individuals. As I listened to their interviews and transcribed their words, I wanted to offer a glimpse into how Shanghai Jewish survivors expressed themselves and reflected on their time in Shanghai, while also highlighting things that weren’t considered when the exhibition first opened 20 years ago.

On the list of possible interviewees for the Shanghai Oral History Project, George Melcor’s was the only name with “very elderly” added beside it in parentheses. Listening to George’s interview, it became clear that this would be a challenging transcription. George sometimes mumbled, which made it difficult to comprehend his words, or he would mix up his stories. But, for 88-year-old George, Shanghai left an impression. When asked by interviewer Daniel Fromowitz what memories of Shanghai come to mind, George lit up with excitement. “Shanghai was alive all the time. Never closed, always open.… Clubs and gambling, everything was free. Shanghai was a very free city.” At this point, the slow progression of the interview sped up: the emotions in George’s voice suggest that he was reliving his 16-year-old self. For a moment, George was not elderly.

What is striking listening to the Shanghai audiotapes is the dialogue between the interviewer and interviewee. Lore Marie Wiener was interviewed about her experiences in Shanghai by both Roberta and Daniel. But rather than just giving answers, Lore proceeded to converse with both interviewers, asking about where they were born, their experiences growing up and whether they faced antisemitism. Lore was also very reflective. She questioned the nature of Jewishness and what it consists of; she questioned “… why did we not interfere in Rwanda, and we do interfere in Yugoslavia?” With the former, there was a back-and-forth between Roberta and Lore, but, with the latter, Daniel was not sure how much to engage. These side stories provide a picture of Lore that is more than just her experiences of escaping the threat of Nazi violence and survival in Shanghai; it is the continuation of her life after the Holocaust.

Lastly, how did the interviewees recall, if any, their connection to the local Chinese and Japanese communities? In general, although interviewees were in Shanghai, Chinese people featured only in the background. They were acquaintances, as was the case for Anne Chick and the two Chinese kids living in her neighbourhood. For most interviewees who did interact with Chinese people, it was through a working relationship with Chinese servants, workers or amahs.

For Lore, she employed several Chinese tailors in her shop, as well as a chauffeur and a cook called Dun-zen. Interracial relationships were also possible. Kurt Weiss noted that, after divorcing his first wife, he had a Chinese girlfriend until he left Shanghai. Gerda Gottfried Kraus mentioned in passing how, in postwar Shanghai, one of her acquaintances married a Chinese woman and wanted to bring her with him to the United States. Knowledge of some Chinese, particularly Shanghainese, was also a common theme found in these interviews, though many interviewees state that they’ve either forgotten it after not using it for so long, or knew only the absolute basics. Additionally, they never learned how to read Chinese characters.

photo - Gerda Gottfried Kraus, 1940s — Gerda Gottfried Kraus, 1940s. *(photo from VHEC: RA0001-05-00-02-0099)*

Knowledge of Japanese people was more limited. Kurt’s success as a suit salesman was due to his patron relationship with a Japanese engineer named Kato. Lore mentioned she was helped by a Japanese engineer when she and her mother were stranded in Harbin. But the one individual whom most interviewees referenced was Ghoya, the Japanese commandant of Hongkew ghetto. Ghoya developed a reputation as an unpredictable ruler: while Lore mentioned that her father and husband were treated well by Ghoya due to their academic connections, other interviewees mentioned episodes of violence committed by Ghoya and his guards against the Hongkew inhabitants. Their brutality is matched only by their treatment of the local Chinese. Most interviewees mentioned the mistreatment that local Chinese faced.

The experiences of Shanghai Jewish survivors are often overlooked when compared to those who survived in Europe. Lore was very concerned about this. At the end of her interview, she stated: “I’m not uncomfortable with anything. [But] … just try to be careful about the parts where I am too pleased with my life because there are so many people who suffered.” With the “global turn” in academic research into the Holocaust, the sub-category of “Shanghai survivor” has been gaining strength. It is a term that validates the experiences of refugee Jews and others who survived the Holocaust in Shanghai, while also acknowledging the unique circumstances and challenges they faced.

It is heartening to know that, in the 20-plus years since the VHEC’s Shanghai exhibition, research into this dimension of the Holocaust and the voices of these survivors have not been obscured, but, instead, have expanded into a vibrant subfield. By revisiting past projects and exhibitions, and making them more accessible, we can hopefully gean new information about the Holocaust and the multiplicity of survivors’ experiences.

Ryan Cheuk Him Sun is a PhD candidate in the University of British Columbia department of history. His research examines the entangled histories between Jewish refugees escaping Nazi oppression and the British colonies of Hong Kong and Singapore. He is also interested in the journeys that took Jewish refugees to East Asia, and their experiences in transit onboard ships and trains. He can be reached at [email protected]. This article was originally published in the VHEC’s Spring 2022 issue of Zachor.