Richmond Jewish Day School

RJDS celebrates 30 years

Founding RJDS society members with their original photo: Cindy Rozen, left, Marvin Lithwick and Marilyn Jordan. (photo by Lianne Cohen Photography)

On March 19, the Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS) gymnasium became a fancy ballroom as students, alumni, school parents past and present, staff and others reconnected and shared stories of the “small community school with big dreams” as RJDS marks its 30th anniversary. The event was one of a series this spring to celebrate the special year.

According to Cindy Rozen, who helped start RJDS, the impetus to build a Jewish day school in Richmond sprang from a 1989 report by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, which identified such a need in the southwest metropolitan area. A group of parents in Richmond convened and planned to implement a shared vision that their children should receive both a quality secular and Jewish education, believing it vital to reinforce Jewish values and traditions.

“Starting a day school is fraught with many major challenges, such as finding funding, a location, students, hiring teachers, designing a curriculum, etc.,” Rozen said. “But, with the hard work and determination of the founding board members, the support of the Jewish community in Richmond and Jewish Federation – and, in particular, Ted Zacks and Bernard Pinsky – RJDS opened its doors.”

As Shael Wilder, the first school board president, said in a short movie created by Heirloom Films in 2013 about RJDS’s early days, “We used to joke we were planning to open a Jewish day school with the minor obstacles of having no premises, no prospective students, no teachers, no administrative staff and no money.”

RJDS’s first classes were taught in September 1992 in a single modular building situated in the parking lot of Congregation Beth Tikvah. There were 52 students, and it went from kindergarten through Grade 3. The school’s founders – which included Rozen, Wilder, Joan Cohen, Beverly Imerman, Bev Davis, Marilyn Jordan, Rabbi Martin Cohen, Marilyn Berger, Rozanne Kipnes, Marvin Lithwick and Faye Elias – were dedicated to seeing RJDS continue to grow.

In 1998, the school moved to its current location on No. 5 Road, with more grades added in subsequent years. The modular building was brought to the site as well and, today, renovated and refurbished, it houses the RJDS Early Learning Centre.

Throughout its history, the school has welcomed hundreds of students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, added new programs and services, and transformed in ways that could not have been imagined 30 years ago.

photo - Left to right: Stacey Szeplabi, principal Sabrina Bhojani, Reesa Pawer and Batsheva Michaeli. Szeplabi, Pawer and Michaeli are part of the 30th birthday planning committee — Left to right: Stacey Szeplabi, principal Sabrina Bhojani, Reesa Pawer and Batsheva Michaeli. Szeplabi, Pawer and Michaeli are part of the 30th birthday planning committee. *(photo by Lianne Cohen Photography)*

“Through it all, the school has remained steadfast in our commitment to our core values. We believe that every student has the potential to achieve greatness, and we are dedicated to helping them reach their full potential by providing them with the tools, resources and support they need to succeed, in a caring and collaborative environment,” said RJDS principal Sabrina Bhojani in a speech at the March celebration. “Additionally, our commitment to Jewish values and traditions has remained a constant. Through a strong Jewish education, students can develop a deep and meaningful connection to their personal identity, the Hebrew language and the traditions and customs of their culture.”

Bhojani emphasized, “We believe that a strong and supportive community is essential to the success and well-being of our students, and we work hard to foster this sense of community through our haimish [homey] environment each and every day.”

From weekly Shabbat celebrations to annual school-wide holiday events, Bhojani said RJDS is continually exploring means to bring students, staff and families together in relevant and purposeful ways. “We believe that these connections are not only important for our students’ academic success, but also for their emotional and spiritual well-being. Over the years, this community has cared for one another through good times and bad. We have watched our students grow and thrive, and we have celebrated their achievements and milestones as if they were our own children,” she said.

photo - Alumni students at the cocktail party, left to right: Matan Pawer, Adrian Freedman, Sydney Freedman, Zach Moss, Devin Gorski and Trevin Keil — Alumni students at the cocktail party, left to right: Matan Pawer, Adrian Freedman, Sydney Freedman, Zach Moss, Devin Gorski and Trevin Keil. *(photo by Lianne Cohen Photography)*

Looking ahead, Bhojani said the school is excited to keep building on the strong foundation it has established over the past 30 years. “We are committed to staying at the forefront of educational innovation, to providing our students with the tools and skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world, and to fostering a strong sense of community and connection to Jewish values and identity,” she said.

“Although those first students did not have a proper building, gym or even computers, they all continued on to higher education,” noted Rozen. “Today, they are contributing to communities, both here in Canada and around the world – in the U.S., Israel, Europe and even India. We are so proud that, 30 years later, RJDS continues to enrich the lives of so many children who are our future.”

Reesa Pawer and Stacey Szeplabi served as co-chairs for the RJDS 30th birthday planning committee, with Batsheva Michaeli, Lisa Altow and Rinata Yaffe as committee members.

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

Students are learning to cook

In Richmond Jewish Day School’s Food Lab Program, students help prepare meals once a month. (photo from RJDS)

One by one, students at Richmond Jewish Day School filter down the hallways following the smells of a delicious and nutritious meal. Waiting for them in the gym is lasagna, Caesar salad and a pesto prepared by RJDS students with the help of Jewish Family Services culinary master, Chef Zoe Sorokin.

RJDS’s Food Lab Program is the first of its kind in a Jewish day school in Metro Vancouver. It is just one of the current programs running in RJDS to enhance students’ access to healthy and nutritious food in a way that promotes community and inclusiveness. Every week, JFS makes and delivers hot meals at no cost to the students or their families. Once a month, students in grades 4 through 7 take an active part in this, helping with the preparation of the meals, including chopping, grating and cooking the plant-based ingredients.

photo - Once a month, students in grades 4 through 7 take an active part in this, helping with the preparation of the meals, including chopping, grating and cooking the plant-based ingredients — Once a month, students in grades 4 through 7 take an active part in this, helping with the preparation of the meals, including chopping, grating and cooking the plant-based ingredients. *(photo from RJDS)*

“I enjoy learning new cooking skills,” said Naomi, a Grade 4 student. “My favourite dish was the bean soup.”

“I love that we use all our senses when cooking,” said Ella, who is in Grade 5.

With demand at food banks growing over the course of the pandemic and rising inflation, food insecurity has become a reality for more families. RJDS students and school staff have led several efforts, with the support of social service partners, to help families feeling the pinch. Last year, with the assistance of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Kehila Society and JFS, RJDS began a community fridge and pantry program. The partner agencies, plus the Richmond Food Bank, keep the fridge and pantry stocked and RJDS families can access free healthy snacks, dry goods, fresh produce and meals during school hours. The Food Lab represents an expansion of the school’s food programs.

photo - The Food Lab represents an expansion of the school’s food programs — The Food Lab represents an expansion of the school’s food programs. (photo from RJDS)

“The students at Richmond Jewish Day School have absolutely loved the weekly hot lunches,” said principal Sabrina Bhojani. “Our parents have also expressed their delight with this program, knowing that their children are receiving a warm, healthy and nutritious meal at school. The research is clear – good nutrition helps our children to focus, concentrate and self-regulate, which, in turn, results in improved learning and student performance.”

She added, “Not only are the students helping in preparing food to be enjoyed by the school, they are also learning about making informed decisions about food choices, food safety, the importance of food supply and healthy nutrition.”

photo - Students helping preparing food to be enjoyed by the school — Students helping preparing food to be enjoyed by the school. *(photo from RJDS)*

“I love participating in the Food Lab program,” said Yahel, who is in Grade 5. “It is a fun experience and I get to learn new skills that I can use at home.”

Vienna, also in Grade 5, agrees, saying: “I enjoy learning new cooking skills that I can share with my family.”

The RJDS kitchen has become a place for children to learn new and valuable life skills, to enjoy good food with friends and, most importantly, a place in which they can contribute and build strong relationships.

– Courtesy Richmond Jewish Day School

Father’s Day ride for STEM

A few dozen cyclists participated in last year’s ORT Vancouver Ride for STEM. (photo from ORT Vancouver)

The third annual ORT Vancouver Ride for STEM takes place on Father’s Day, June 19. The cycling event, which begins and ends at Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS) grounds, raises funds for STEM programming – science, technology, engineering and math, said Mary Tobin, longtime executive director of ORT Vancouver.

Participants can choose from a five-kilometre, 36-kilometre or 72-kilometre ride, all of them within Richmond, which is a naturally flat environment.

Founded in Russia, in 1880, World ORT is one of the largest education and training organizations in the world. To date, more than two million students have been educated by ORT and 300,000 students benefit worldwide from World ORT projects in more than 100 countries every year. ORT schools and training centres operate in North and Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as in Israel.

Katia Fermon, director of Jewish life and community engagement at RJDS, said half of the funds raised will go to ORT Vancouver and half will fund programs at her school.

During the pandemic, RJDS, like many schools, was forced to adapt to remote and virtual education. Now integrating a hybrid approach, the technology that was implemented by necessity is being leveraged to strengthen the delivery of educational programs.

“Starting this year, we are trying to push our STEM programming with graphic design, programming with robots and more online education,” said Fermon. The plan is to implement more technology, design skills, programming and coding skills into the curriculum.

“Now we need the hardware to do it,” she said.

photo - Cyclists in last year’s ORT Vancouver Ride for STEM — Cyclists in last year’s ORT Vancouver Ride for STEM. *(photo from ORT Vancouver)*

Since the cycling event takes place outdoors, the partners were able to run the fundraiser right through the pandemic. Last year, she said, 35 or 40 riders participated, raising about $26,000. Because pandemic restrictions have been eased, the event is taking place during the school year this time and students and parents are encouraged to participate.

Because of the varying route length options, the return times of riders is staggered. As a result, the social component of the day takes place at the beginning.

“There’s a little reception at the start,” Fermon said. “We greet everyone, they get their water bottle, their snacks, we do a couple of pictures. We did it last year and it was very heartwarming. I don’t know of any other Jewish ride, so it becomes a very Jewish moment where we feed you, you say hi to old friends – ‘I haven’t seen you since the bat mitzvah!’ – it’s a very Jewish reception.”

Organizers are inviting everyone – not just riders – to get involved. With more cyclists than ever anticipated in this year’s event, more volunteers are still required. There is a silent auction that anyone is welcome to participate in by dropping by RJDS on the day. And, of course, donations of cash or auction items are welcome.

More information is online at ortcanada.com/vancouver or by calling Tobin at 604-276-9282.

Community milestones … Pikuah Nefesh Award, community food program, Klein-Thompson wedding, Jerusalem Talmud

Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, left, Dr. Patricia Daly and Dr. Eric Grafstein (photo from Temple Sholom Twitter)

On Feb. 26, Temple Sholom awarded community members Dr. Patricia Daly and Dr. Eric Grafstein with the Pikuah Nefesh Award (to save a life) for their leadership and dedication to our community throughout the pandemic. Mazel tov to both of them! You can watch the presentation on the synagogue’s YouTube channel, along with the evening’s concert featuring Israeli cellist Amit Peled performing “Journeys with my Jewishness.”

* * *

The community cupboard and fridge at Richmond Jewish Day School.

The pilot of the new Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS) and Kehila Society of Richmond food program to enhance students’ access to healthy and nutritious food is now in progress. With start-up funds provided by Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and TD Bank, once a week, JFS Vancouver delivers hot meals to RJDS at no cost to the students or their families. In addition, the funds were used to purchase a community fridge and pantry cupboard that will be kept stocked by JFS, Kehila and the Richmond Food Bank. Students and their families can access healthy snacks, dry goods, fresh produce and meals, during school hours.

* * *

photo - Aden Klein and Nikki Thompson — Aden Klein and Nikki Thompson *(photo from their families)*

Denise and Wayne Thompson and Gerri and David Klein are thrilled to announce the engagement of their children, Nikki and Aden. A fall wedding is planned.

* * *

photo - Paul and Pamela Austin — Paul and Pamela Austin *(photo from CFHU)*

The Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University recently announced a transformative gift to establish the Pamela and Paul Austin Research Centre on Aging at the Centre for Computational Medicine at the faculty of medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The Pamela and Paul Austin Research Centre on Aging will implement an approach to combating disease by integrating computational data analysis into medical research and practice, and by preparing the next generation of computation-science-trained doctors and researchers. It will bring together leading researchers to leverage the power of data-driven analyses, applying computational methods to study and help combat a variety of age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; pain; psychiatric disorders; genetic disorders; congenital impairment; immune and inflammatory diseases; cardiovascular aging, and the effects of aging on cancer, osteoarthritis, pulmonary disease and metabolic disease.

The Centre for Computational Medicine and its research programs are specifically designed to enable data information flow and collaborative interdisciplinary research efforts with the most advanced equipment and a disease modeling unit, all in proximity to a major medical centre.

Globally, the number of people over the age of 60 is soon expected to outnumber children under the age of 5. As life expectancy rises, so does the prevalence of age-associated diseases, posing a central challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. The gift from the Austins will go beyond the centre, establishing scholarship opportunities for students and an annual lecture.

* * *

A new edition of the Jerusalem Talmud is now available in Sefaria’s free library of Jewish texts – available on sefaria.org and the Sefaria iOS and Android apps.

The Jerusalem Talmud, also known as the Talmud Yerushalmi or Palestinian Talmud, is the sister text to the better-known Babylonian Talmud. It was compiled in Israel between the third and fifth centuries from oral traditions. Like the Babylonian Talmud, the Jerusalem Talmud is a textual record of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, structured as a commentary on the Mishnah. However, a language barrier (it is written in a different dialect of Aramaic), reduced elaboration, and complex structure can make it difficult to study.

The new Jerusalem Talmud on Sefaria includes:

Complete English translation,
Fully vocalized text to assist learners in reading the distinctive Aramaic dialect,
Extensive interlinking to the Bible, Babylonian Talmud and other works, providing connections that help with understanding the work and placing it in context,
Topic tagging, so searches on Sefaria will surface references from the Jerusalem Talmud,
Six of the standard Hebrew commentaries included in the Vilna edition of the Talmud available and linked on Sefaria, including Korban HaEdah, Penei Moshe, Mareh HaPanim and others,
Standardized organization of the different published formats of the Jerusalem Talmud so readers can more easily find their place in the text.

The only fully extant manuscript of the Jerusalem Talmud was set down by Rabbi Jehiel ben Jekuthiel Anav in 1289, which formed the base for the first printing in Venice by Daniel Bomberg in 1524. Sefaria has manuscript images from both of these editions visible in the resource panel, to see the original format of the texts alongside the modern, digital version.

The English translation of the Yerushalmi was completed in 2015 by Heinrich Guggenheimer, a mathematician who also published works on Judaism. He spent the last 20 years of his life working on translating the Jerusalem Talmud. With his blessing, Sefaria approached his publisher, de Gruyter GmbH, who agreed to partner on this open access version of Guggenheimer’s historic work. Guggenheimer passed away on March 4, 2021, at the age of 97.

New school lunch pilot

Food insecurity by province or territory, using data from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey, 2017-18. (image from proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity)

Jewish Family Services Vancouver (JFS), Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS) and Kehila Society of Richmond are piloting a new food program to enhance students’ access to healthy and nutritious food in a way that promotes privacy, availability and inclusiveness.

When RJDS needed support with their school lunch program after a contract with a former caterer ended, Kehila Society saw an opportunity to work with JFS and create a food program that benefits all families throughout the week, regardless of income.

With start-up funds provided by Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, once a week, JFS delivers hot meals to RJDS at no cost to the students or their families. These meals are healthy, plant-based, and available to all students. In addition, a community fridge and pantry program is in operation throughout the week. The start-up funds provided to the Kehila Society enabled the purchase of a fridge and pantry cupboard, which JFS, the Kehila Society and Richmond Food Bank keep stocked. Students and their families can access healthy snacks, dry goods, fresh produce and meals during school hours.

“The students at Richmond Jewish Day School have absolutely loved the weekly hot lunches sponsored through JFS and the Kehila Society,” said Sabrina Bhojani, principal of RJDS. “Our parents have also expressed their delight with this program, knowing that their children are receiving a warm, healthy and nutritious meal at school. The research is clear – good nutrition helps our children to focus, concentrate and self-regulate, which, in turn, results in improved learning and student performance.”

Proper nutrition plays a central part in learning, yet one in eight households in Canada struggle to access nutritious food, according to PROOF, a research program investigating household food insecurity – defined as “the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints” – across the country (proof.utoronto.ca). That amounts to “4.4 million people, including more than 1.2 million children living in food-insecure households.”

Healthy, universal school meal programs play an important role in giving children and families access to nutritious and safe food in a non-stigmatizing manner when they need the support.

“School meal programs can play a crucial role in ensuring that all children … can eat healthy and nutritious foods – which, in turn, supports their ability to learn,” said Lynne Fader, co-director of the Kehila Society. “School meal programs are uniquely placed to address under-nutrition, by promoting healthy diets. Serving a free school meal increases children’s intake of healthy foods, especially among children with lower socioeconomic status.”

“All students deserve access to healthy, safe, nutritious and easily accessible food,” said Ilana Labow, director of food security, JFS Vancouver. “We are inspired by this vision and are committed to helping uplift students’ lives through delicious, good food. We look forward to nourishing this program together and watching it thrive and grow.”

– Courtesy JFS Vancouver

Accessibility seems improved

(image from flickr / Province of British Columbia)

Last November, the American advocacy organization Respect Ability announced some good news. New research it had conducted in 2021 suggested that disability awareness and inclusion was improving in Jewish communities across North America and Israel. According to its most recent survey, more synagogues, Jewish community centres, schools and private institutions are designing programs that consider the needs of people with disabilities. And more individuals are able to find Jewish organizations that support individuals with invisible disabilities like autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders.

Respect Ability’s goal for the survey was to determine the health of disability rights in diverse Jewish communities, particularly in countries where there were laws against employment and housing discrimination. Its last survey had been in 2018, and researchers wanted to know whether accessibility and acceptance had improved in the past three years.

There were just over 2,000 respondents in total, primarily from Canada, the United States and Israel. The overall message was that inclusion and accommodation was expanding. Accessibility for wheelchairs and improved opportunities for individuals with sight or hearing challenges were on the rise, as were outreach efforts for individuals with disabilities in general.

What is more, the number of faith organizations hiring rabbis and staff who had disabilities and, therefore, understood firsthand the challenges of a physical or cognitive disability, had increased by more than 73%. More than half (57%) of the survey-takers also said that the organizations had made public commitments to support diversity.

But the survey also identified a key obstacle: many community leaders wanted to help expand opportunities for inclusion, but “didn’t know how.” Roughly one-fifth of all respondents said that expanding opportunities in their faith communities was limited by leaders’ lack of knowledge or experience in making settings more accessible. This meant, in some cases, that members with invisible disabilities like autism or ADHD didn’t have access to resources or were turned away from programs and activities.

Most of the responses to the survey came from Respect Ability’s home base: U.S. states like California and New York, where laws and advocacy initiatives are different from those in Canada. Only about 7% of the responses came from Canada, where disability rights are protected by the federal Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The survey also did not reveal how much, or if any, of the Canadian data came from the Vancouver area. So, are the survey’s findings reflective of diversity inclusion here?

The last three years have been challenging for many, but particularly for organizations that rely on in-person community participation. The 2020 shutdown of schools, synagogues and community centres due to COVID forced many organizations in the Vancouver area to suspend programs that offered disability-inclusive services. Still, the Jewish Independent found that a number of organizations were able to develop creative ways to maintain their inclusive classes and programs.

Trying to inspire inclusion

In 2018, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver launched its Inspiring Inclusion grant program to assist community organizations in designing or improving inclusive programs. The grant competition was created as part of its 2020 Strategic Priorities, and it offered up to $2,500 to organizations that developed a new program or idea that would expand disability inclusion.

Four one-year grants, which were awarded in 2020, went to Vancouver and Richmond applicants. Each offered a unique way for engagement, ranging from new educational strategies that catered to individual learning approaches to special equipment that helped expand creative participation in the classroom.

The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver’s Family Yoga Fundamentals program was designed to appeal to a variety of abilities and offered options for in-person family participation. It later gave rise to a virtual format that attendees could link up with from home. According to the JCC’s adult programs coordinator, Lisa Cohen Quay, Family Yoga Fundamentals integrates adaptable exercises that are non-stigmatizing and fit a variety of abilities. Quay said the program has also been shown to help with pandemic stress and loneliness.

Richmond Jewish Day School turned to music as a way to inspire inclusion. According to principal Sabrina Bhojani, the grant provided funding for specially adapted Orff percussion instruments, or xylophones that could be used by students with special needs. “Music education is an integral component of both our B.C. and Hebrew curriculum at RJDS,” Bhojani said. “Weaving music into [the] curriculum is a meaningful way to help our students develop their Jewish identity and better understand their culture.”

Congregation Beth Tikvah used the funding to help develop Kavod. According to Rabbi Susan Tendler, the program aims to ensure that the synagogue’s services and activities are open to everyone, “regardless of personal physical, financial, or accessibility limitations.” Kavod’s development is ongoing.

Congregation Beth Israel received a grant to create new Hebrew school programming. Beth Israel’s director of youth engagement, Rabbi David Bluman, said the funding helped make the Hebrew reading program more inclusive to children with learning challenges. “We always strive to be [as inclusive] as we can,” he said, adding that many of Beth Israel’s youth programs are adaptable to students’ abilities, such as the use of “shadow” companions who function as a “big brother or big sister” for a child during activities and lessons. The shadow program can be used for age levels. “We want our teens to be as independent as possible,” Bluman said.

B’nai mitzvah programs

Both Beth Israel and Temple Sholom tailor their b’nai mitzvah programs to meet the specific abilities of the child. Temple Sholom School’s principal, Jen Jaffe, said about 10% of the student body have varying needs.

“All b’nai mitzvah-aged children are given the opportunity to have a b’nai mitzvah, and the clergy works with each family to make sure expectations and goals are feasible and met. Each child is given the chance to shine regardless of any disabilities,” Jaffe said. The school also trains madrachim, or helper students, to support students with invisible disabilities.

Beth Israel is also known for its inclusive b’nai mitzvah program, which is led by ba’allat tefilla Debby Fenson. She said the program is designed to ensure that a child, irrespective of ability, can participate in the service: “I think that the expectation is that every child should be called up to [the bimah]. It’s not about how well they read the Torah, it’s about welcoming them into the community.”

Fenson said the community has celebrated more than one b’nai mitzvah in which a child’s medical challenges needed to be considered. In one case, the child, who was nonverbal, was aided by his mother in saying the Shema. “There was clear understanding on his part,” Fenson said. “His mother helped him in forming the words and saying along with him. He was welcomed into the community.”

Leadership by inclusion

Respect Ability’s survey of North American and Israeli Jewish communities highlighted two factors that are often important to creating inclusiveness: the top-down commitment to diversity and a leader’s personal experience. All of the above synagogues, schools and community services – as well as others – benefit from clear initiatives that attract families with accessibility needs and see inclusion as an expanding mission. In some cases, they also benefit from leadership that is open about their own health challenges as well.

Beth Israel Rabbi Jonathan Infeld said he is aware that his willingness to talk openly about his own challenges can help create a supportive environment for others. Infeld was born with a congenital heart defect.

“Unfortunately, I have firsthand experience with health issues that I am happy to share with people about, certainly because I want to be transparent about who I am as a human being…. I would hope, had I been born with a whole heart and not a hole in it, that I would still have a whole heart,” he said, noting that when we’re forced to reflect on our own abilities and limitations, it can inspire empathy for others faced with similar challenges.

One area that was not addressed in the survey was accessible housing, which helps expand disability inclusion. Tikva Housing Society’s very first housing project in 2008 contained accessible units. The organization’s third inclusive property, Dogwood Gardens, opens this year in the West End. This will be the subject of a future story in the Jewish Independent.

Jan Lee is an award-winning editorial writer whose articles and op-eds have been published in B’nai B’rith Magazine, Voices of Conservative and Masorti Judaism and Baltimore Jewish Times, as well as a number of business, environmental and travel publications. Her blog can be found at multiculturaljew.polestarpassages.com.

Fostering nature’s care

Richmond Jewish Day School held a week of activities revolving around Tu b’Shevat. (photo from RJDS)

Richmond Jewish Day School held a weeklong event celebrating the holiday of Tu b’Shevat, which fell this year on Jan. 17. Tu b’Shevat has developed into an ecological holiday that reminds us of humanity’s connection to the earth and to our role as caretakers of the environment.

photo - Students assisted in planting several fruit trees in the school garden, sponsored by the Jewish National Fund — Students assisted in planting several fruit trees in the school garden, sponsored by the Jewish National Fund. *(photo from RJDS)*

On the holiday Monday, each classroom performed a model Tu b’Shevat seder, a meal that partly mirrors the Passover seder and involves eating biblical foods native to the Holy Land and drinking four cups of wine or, in the students’ case, grape juice. Additionally, all of the students assisted in planting several fruit trees in the school garden, sponsored by the Jewish National Fund.

On the Tuesday of that week, students potted succulents from the garden to give away to seniors in the Richmond community. And, in the remainder of the week, classes planted parsley and other herbs for Passover, and assisted in a large-scale, school-wide garden clean-up.

When students are able to see the effort and care needed to grow plants, they develop a sense of ownership for these living organisms. Developing this awareness of how precious nature is can help children become better connected to their environment, learning to be strong community ambassadors and advocates in protecting the planet.

Judaism is not alone in advocating for environmental protection. From Buddhism to Christianity to Hinduism to Islam, various faiths acknowledge the need for environmental stewardship and their scriptures urge followers to be caretakers of the planet, looking after the natural earth and the organisms that live in it.

– Courtesy Richmond Jewish Day School

Back to school, safely

Cautious optimism. That seems to be the consensus among Jewish school administrators as students and teachers prepare to return to classes in September.

One of the key lessons of the past year-and-a-half has been that things can change swiftly and the pandemic response requires resilience and adaptiveness.

“We’ve all learned that whatever is final is only final until it changes,” joked Russ Klein, King David High School’s head of school. Despite the circumstances, he said, the last academic year was a good one. He credits students, parents and teachers for working together, being flexible and making the best of the situation.

“It sounds strange to say, but, in terms of the context, we had a really good year,” he said. “People were incredibly positive, even with a few COVID cases here and there.”

The biggest challenges were wearing masks, cancelling extracurricular activities, including inter-school sports, and the cancellation of all school trips. Grade-specific cohorts were instituted, with staggered schedules to avoid interactions between groups.

As it stands now – unless changes are announced before classes starts Sept. 13 – cohorts will no longer be required. Klein hopes that some competitive sports will also be possible.

While hoping for a school year that is as normal as can be, Klein is also confident that the experience of last year has made the entire school community more sanguine about changes to routines.

Like Klein, Emily Greenberg, head of school at Vancouver Talmud Torah, gives kudos to students, parents and teachers.

“I would say the last year was all about being flexible and understanding that we couldn’t anticipate for sure how things were going to go,” she said. “It was really a team effort. We were really appreciative of our parents and staff and everybody as regulations shifted…. This was the ultimate team effort because it would not have gone as well as it had had we not all rolled up our sleeves and done the work we had to do to get through to where we are today.”

A big remaining question is how kids under 12, who have not yet been cleared for vaccinations, will be required to behave at school.

Some people use the term “new normal,” but Greenberg prefers “near-normal.”

“I am hopeful that our near-normal will be one that we can all live with and still appreciate the liberties that we are starting to gain back,” she said.

With about 500 students set to converge on the school this year, Greenberg is confident that students, parents and staff will step up again to do whatever it takes to learn safely.

“I think the most important piece is just understanding the team mentality,” she said. “The school can’t do it alone. No business can do it alone. Everybody has to play their role.”

Shalhevet Girls High School had a different experience than most. Because of its small student body – this year 11 students will be starting classes – there was no need to form cohorts. However, Ian Mills, incoming principal at Shalhevet, noted that the confluence of Jewish holidays coinciding with the start of the school year raises concerns about kids spreading the virus to siblings, parents and grandparents.

“We are going to encourage mask use, I think, no matter what happens,” said Mills. They will also continue to have the sanitization stations to which everyone has become accustomed and disinfecting protocols will also proceed.

“We’re just really excited,” he said of the new school year. “But, also, things can change. I’m not letting my guard off.”

Vancouver Hebrew Academy also benefited last year from its relatively smaller size, being able to accommodate more of its student body within the capacity limits that were set by the government. Outgoing head of school Rabbi Don Pacht told the Independent in a June interview, “I think schools have been doing a phenomenal job overall, but it’s easier when you only have two cohorts instead of eight cohorts.”

By the time of that interview, basically all of the VHA students had returned to the classroom. Unfortunately, the JI was unable to reach VHA’s new head of school, Rabbi Barak Cohen, for an update before we went to press.

Like all administrators, Sabrina Bhojani, the new principal at Richmond Jewish Day School, will be closely watching the edicts coming from the province’s ministry of education and public health officials.

“Until we have that information, we are hoping things are going to be normal,” she said. “Right now, it’s a waiting game and things are changing minute by minute.”

“I think people are hopeful,” she said. “There is always a little bit of anxiety as well. I think it’s mixed emotions [but] I think people are optimistic for a back-to-normal start.”

Three new heads of school

Left to right are new heads of school Ian Mills (Shalhevet Girls High School), Sabrina Bhojani (Richmond Jewish Day School) and Rabbi Barak Cohen (Vancouver Hebrew Academy). (photos from interviewees)

Three new principals will be joining the Metro Vancouver network of Jewish day schools this fall. Richmond Jewish Day School, Shalhevet Girls High School and Vancouver Hebrew Academy will all be under the helm of new administrators who bring decades of varied experience to the community.

Ian Mills, who has served as Shalhevet’s social studies teacher for the past six years, is taking over from Meira Federgrun, who has led the school for the past four years. RJDS’s new principal, Sabrina Bhojani, steps into the shoes of outgoing principal Ronit Amihude, who was at the helm for three years. And Rabbi Barak Cohen will be VHA’s new head of school this fall, replacing Rabbi Don Pacht, who served as the school’s head for 17 years.

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Mills, who was born and raised in Dundas, Ont., received his bachelor of arts from McMaster University and his bachelor in education from the University of British Columbia. This past spring, he was accepted into a two-year master’s program at Simon Fraser University.

He also has a broad teaching background, having served as a substitute teacher in Melbourne, Australia, as well as at King David High School. Even when he was studying at UBC, Mills said teaching wasn’t far from his life. He supported himself as a ski and snowboard instructor at Grouse Mountain, garnering both awards and promotions for his work.

“I want students to be true to themselves and recognize what is special about who they are and what they bring to the table,” Mills told the Independent. “Sometimes in education, the grade you receive on a project or test becomes the measuring stick of who you are as a student. Instead, I want students to realize that skill sets come in a wide variety of forms.”

He said the recent updates to the provincial curriculum will help teachers lend support to students’ individual strengths, including “interpersonal skills, social/personal responsibility, leadership, and a host of other ways people are valued – I applaud the fact teachers now have more opportunity to foster these aspects of students.”

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Bhojani, who was born in Ontario, grew up in Metro Vancouver and considers it her home. She received a bachelor of science and a bachelor of education from UBC, as well as a master’s in educational leadership and training from SFU. She served as faculty in the teacher education programs of both SFU and UBC, and worked for the B.C. Ministry of Education, where she developed curriculum and testing methodologies. As a school-based educator for the B.C. Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation, she taught teachers about the importance of agricultural and food knowledge.

“I believe learning about agriculture is an essential component of being a global citizen in the 21st century,” Bhojani said.

She has also worked as an educational consultant for Canadian School Bahrain, a nonprofit whose mandate is to empower children with confidence and the “moral values of integrity, responsibility, respect and courage,” in addition to academic excellence.

“Character education is an important part in developing the whole child and is essential in helping all members of the school community to learn, understand and practise behaviours that reflect universal ethical values,” said Bhojani. “It is essentially what guides us to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult to do so. I believe this is true of all faith-based education, and these kinds of enriching values certainly apply to Jewish education today and tomorrow.”

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Cohen was born in Davenport, Iowa, and studied at Ohr Somayach and the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem while completing his smichah (rabbinic ordination). He holds a bachelor’s in behavioural science and a master’s in educational leadership from Bellevue University in Nebraska.

Cohen is no stranger to British Columbia’s Jewish community. He served as rabbi for Aish Hatorah in Victoria before taking a rabbinical position in St. Ives, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. As rabbi for the local Masada College, he launched an enriched Jewish studies program called Torah Stream that became fundamental to teaching elementary school children Hebrew and giving them the building blocks and confidence to study Torah.

“The curriculum was based on standard religious studies programs and outcomes found in religious schools worldwide, and accompanied Masada College’s outstanding general studies offering,” Cohen explained. The program meant that congregants no longer had to bus their elementary school-aged children an hour each way to Sydney to attend Hebrew classes. Cohen was later appointed head of Masada’s elementary school.

“I would define my outlook in Jewish education as one of looking at our incredible history of Jewish scholarship and recognizing that we don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” Cohen told the Independent. “At the same time, there’s always room to better our practice.”

For Cohen, that means “finding ways to more fully engage our students in the depth and breadth of Jewish wisdom, translating that wisdom into 21st-century know-how and building strong foundations in meaningful and relevant knowledge and practice.”

Jan Lee’s articles, op-eds and blog posts have been published in B’nai B’rith Magazine, Voices of Conservative and Masorti Judaism, Times of Israel and Baltimore Jewish Times, as well as a number of business, environmental and travel publications. Her blog can be found at multiculturaljew.polestarpassages.com.

Angels deliver despite COVID

Outside Richmond Jewish Day School, Courtney Cohen accepts a donation to Rose’s Angels, which was collected by RJDS students and staff. (photo from Rose’s Angels)

This past February, the eighth annual Rose’s Angels event took place, although it looked very different from that of previous years, due to COVID-19.

photo - Courtney Cohen outside the Richmond Food Bank, delivering donations — Courtney Cohen outside the Richmond Food Bank, delivering donations. *(photo from Rose’s Angels)*

Rose’s Angels, which is under the umbrella of the Kehila Society of Richmond, was founded in memory of Courtney Cohen’s grandmothers, Rose Lewin and Babs Cohen. It was established after Courtney Cohen and family friend Lynne Fader came together to discuss how to best honour the grandmothers, while giving back to the community – Rose Lewin and Babs Cohen were both very philanthropic and instilled this value in their families. Since its inception in 2013, Rose’s Angels has donated more than 6,000 care packages to not-for-profit organizations within the City of Richmond.

With the pandemic impacting not-for-profits around the city, Cohen and Fader knew it was essential to push forward and fundraise for donation items and monetary gifts for recipient agencies. Gift cards, slippers, non-perishables, toiletries and feminine hygiene products were among the donations received from the community.

“We adapted and innovated this February’s event to allow for volunteers to still play an integral role,” said Cohen. “Volunteers assisted with pickup and delivery of the bulk donation items to our recipient agencies. Volunteers are an essential part of Rose’s Angels and we truly appreciate their support and dedication year after year.”

photo - A donation of hygiene products — A donation of hygiene products. *(photo from Rose’s Angels)*

Rose’s Angels donated to 12 Richmond not-for-profit agencies servicing those most vulnerable. Among these agencies were Turning Point Recovery Society, Light of Shabbat (Chabad of Richmond), Richmond Family Place, Tikva Housing, Richmond Food Bank, Pathways Clubhouse, and Nova Transition House (Chimo Community Services).

“Although we were unable to host our large community care-package event in person this February, our community came together in another wonderful way,” said Cohen. “People donated generously and this allowed us to purchase specific items that were both needed and wanted by our recipient agencies.”

She added, “We look forward to 2022, when we can have our amazing volunteers together again to safely assemble the Rose’s Angels care packages.”

For more information about Rose’s Angels, or to make a donation, contact Cohen or Fader at the Kehila Society of Richmond, 604-241-9270, [email protected] or via kehilasociety.org.