Vancouver Talmud Torah – Jewish Independent

Local woman inspires chesed

Members of Vancouver Talmud Torah’s Grade 7 chesed club with Gia Tran, a local woman who raises money for cancer research by taking refundable containers to a bottle depot. (photo from VTT)

Since 2014, Vancouver Talmud Torah has offered a chesed (kindness) program to students in grades 3 and 6. Following requests from parents, the school introduced a mandatory chesed program for Grade 7s this year, which nurtures a commitment to volunteering and social justice.

And, this year, the initiative was pursued with a particular dedication, as students mourned the recent passing of Rose Dupaya, who worked as a custodian at VTT. She took ill last fall with cancer and died suddenly, which was a tremendous shock to the school community. In response, the students – who would often greet Rose with hugs – turned their grief into action.

When the Chesed Leadership Club heard about local woman Gia Tran, who takes refundable containers to a bottle depot every day to raise money for cancer research – more than $15,000 in 22 years – they were inspired. Following in Tran’s footsteps, the kids raised $2,000 from a bottle drive for cancer research.

VTT student Julia Andison expressed her gratitude to Tran for teaching her about personal agency. “Gia taught me that even a small act like collecting cans can make a big impact on others. And, as a chesed leader, I was able to communicate this to the younger students in our school, that every little bit counts.”

Students in the chesed club do not follow a curriculum. Unlike with subjects like math or language arts, the club was founded for students to explore their values and lead a program on their own initiative. As a consequence, the program’s success lies in the development of student ideas, teamwork and leadership.

“The minute you offer something optional and student-driven, it takes on a life of its own,” said Shoshana Burton, director of Hebrew (grades 5-7) and chesed programming at VTT.

Students are not admitted automatically to the chesed club. Instead, they submit applications and sign contracts. If they do not follow up on their commitment to leadership, they can be dropped from the program, which is both an opportunity and a challenge to the students’ organizational skills and a way to exercise their moral and management muscles.

All of the students volunteer as part of the program. Some do so once a week while others volunteer their help every day. Many organizations and communities have benefitted from the support of VTT students, including the Muslim Food Bank and residents of the Downtown Eastside.

According to their teacher, the success of the club is in its spontaneous, natural development. “You can’t know the end result when you start. You can’t plan in advance,” said Burton. “The students learn how to work as part of a team, learning to commit to a project.”

Student Celia Joffe spoke of the club’s impact on her. “Helping others gives us a sense of pride and responsibility,” she said. “The project with Gia was amazing because we ended up not only helping the cancer foundation and the environment, but we also made Gia feel special and acknowledged.”

Shula Klinger is an author and journalist living in North Vancouver. Find out more at shulaklinger.com.

Community endeavour

Emily Greenberg is Vancouver Talmud Torah’s new head of school. (photo from VTT)

After 17 years of leadership under Cathy Lowenstein, Vancouver Talmud Torah will have a new head of school.

Starting in September this year, Emily Greenberg will be joining the staff from her position as a vice-principal at Bialik Hebrew Day School in Toronto. Greenberg is currently responsible for the elementary division’s 350 students.

Josh Pekarsky was the chair of the VTT head of school search committee. “We were looking for someone with operational strengths, but also a strong educational leader who is engaging, dynamic and transparent,” Pekarsky told the Independent.

This they found in Greenberg, whom Pekarsky described as “very positive, yet very grounded; she sets high standards for herself and her team.”

Originally from Toronto, Greenberg is the daughter of an Israeli father and an American-born mother.

Together, they have devoted their working lives to education, music and their spiritual community at Temple Emanu-El in the city’s North York neighbourhood. Greenberg’s mother served as the synagogue’s music director for more than 25 years.

Born and raised in Canada, Greenberg has sought out positions in schools in Colombia, Thailand and Paraguay. Her educational philosophy rests on the notions of tikkun olam (repair of the world, social justice), chesed (kindness) and tzedakah (justice, charity). These were guiding tenets of her upbringing at Temple Emanu-El, a Reform congregation.

Greenberg’s concept of education is as a community endeavour. For her, education grows from a partnership between students and their educators, be they teachers in a school or adults in the wider community.

The seven-member search committee – four of whom are VTT graduates themselves – brought a wealth of professional expertise to the search process. In addition, the group’s previous work with numerous Jewish organizations, school accreditation and the spiritual community kept them focused on candidates’ qualities as leaders of children. The committee’s first priority was to find a group of candidates who represented “the diverse school community and had the educational expertise, institutional knowledge and sechel (common sense)” for the task, said Pekarsky.

Rather than starting with a profile of the perfect candidate, the group began their search with questions not only about what they sought in a head of school, but also about the search process itself. They recognized the value of stakeholder engagement in this process, and worked hard to invite the perspectives of as many individuals and groups as possible. These included school faculty, donors, parents, alumni, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver members and community rabbis.

Throughout the search, interested parties were given opportunities – both in-person and via correspondence – to express their values and dreams for the future of the school’s leadership. Participants were asked questions like, “What do you think are VTT’s biggest challenges in the years ahead?” and “What skills and attributes are most important in our next head of school?”

Pekarsky said he was impressed by the amount of input the committee received from the community. “The majority of people went out of their way to say, I support whatever the school decides,” he said. “That was really gratifying. There was confidence in the process and support for the school.”

The committee also reached out for guidance across the border, working closely with Prizmah: Centre for Jewish Day Schools. Their input and insights helped the VTT committee weigh their priorities – while founded on Jewish principles, students at VTT must also meet the requirements of the provincial curriculum – and refine their search tool. Ultimately, the 12 applications came from as far away as Israel but also included candidates from California, Illinois and Quebec.

Greenberg and her husband, Daniel – a special needs educator – have three children, all of whom will be starting at VTT in the fall.

Shula Klinger is an author and journalist living in North Vancouver. Find out more at shulaklinger.com.

Raising Jews with Israel literacy

Tal Grinfas-David of the Centre for Israel Education speaks with educators at Vancouver Talmud Torah last month. (photo from VTT)

Educators at Lower Mainland Jewish day schools had the opportunity to consider the relevance of Israel literacy last month, when Tal Grinfas-David, the Centre for Israel Education’s day school specialist, was in town the week of Feb. 18 to deliver a talk on the subject and work with local teachers and administrators. Her keynote speech, titled Teaching Modern Israel – Challenges and Opportunities, was part of a community professional development day.

The CIE, which is based in Atlanta, Ga., received a grant for a three-year initiative to work with nine Jewish day schools across North America and help them enhance their Israel education efforts. Vancouver Talmud Torah and King David High School are two of the nine schools and Grinfas-David spent a day coaching educators at each of them. She will return for the next two years to reinforce the changes CIE is promoting.

The issue, she said, is that, across North America, many graduates of Jewish day school education don’t have enough Israel literacy to grapple with the world, to justify a strong connection to Israel and to inform their Jewish identity.

“The concept we’re promoting is to turn Israel education into something all teachers can support, not just Jewish studies faculty,” she told the Independent. The desire is there, she added. “The Vancouver community is very supportive and wants to see Israel education boosted and incorporated into different subject areas. But it’s going to be a long-term process.”

photo - Tal Grinfas-David — Tal Grinfas-David *(photo from Centre for Israel Education)*

No stranger to education, Grinfas-David comes to her role with a PhD in curriculum and instruction and 25 years as an educator in Israel and the United States. Over the next three years, she will move between Jewish day schools in Denver, Los Angeles, Detroit, New Jersey and Vancouver, coaching their educational teams.

“We’re thrilled to have this grant to visit the individual sites and get to know the different schools’ cultures,” she said. “Each school is different and unique, with strengths and challenges, and this grant allows us to customize and tailor our offerings to specific communities.”

The goal of Israel literacy is to graduate Jewish students who understand the relevance of Israel in their lives and feel confident in their knowledge. They need this, she said, because understanding Judaism means understanding it’s not solely a religion.

“It’s also a belonging to a peoplehood, a nation with a Jewish homeland,” she said. “To understand modern Israel today, we have to see it as a continuation of our Jewish history.”

Grinfas-David said she would need three days to address all the ways that Israel literacy counts significantly in the life of a Jew.

“Israel impacts how Jews live in other countries, like the U.S. and Canada, where we are free. Students at our Jewish day schools have never experienced powerlessness or persecution, as they have the good fortune of being born here and now, with many freedoms. But that’s all the more reason to have them understand it was not always like this for Jews.

“Being part of a nation means there is an obligation to support your people, because of your fortune,” she continued. “There’s a calling to engage and to reflect on what Israel means for these students in their lives. Israel literacy is about having a repertoire of primary sources under your belt, so that when students leave the school setting and hear different narratives, they’ll be critical consumers of information, and they’ll know the facts they need. At CEI, our goal is to give them the ability and the opportunity to have the confidence to be critical consumers.”

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net.

Juvenile arthritis awareness

Kids on the Block uses a puppet show to teach kids about juvenile arthritis. (photo from Cassie and Friends)

Juvenile arthritis (JA) affects three in 1,000 kids in Canada, making it one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children today. Yet, JA is still relatively unknown and often misunderstood.

According to Jennifer Wilson, executive director of Cassie and Friends Society for Children with Juvenile Arthritis and other Rheumatic Diseases, “Arthritis has been mislabeled as ‘an old person’s disease,’ leaving kids who suffer from JA misunderstood for their differences and the disease’s complications.”

In 2006, David Porte and Debbie Setton discovered that their then-20-month-old daughter Cassie had JA.

“When Cassie was not quite 2 years old, she woke up one morning and couldn’t walk,” recalled her mom, Debbie. “I took her to the children’s hospital and, after X-rays, blood work and several visits by specialists over the next few weeks, we received the diagnosis of JA, a painful, lifelong autoimmune condition.

“Despite being a physician, I remember feeling very scared and alone, especially as Cassie’s disease progressed to involve more and more joints. Both David and I struggled to find information and support to cope with Cassie’s condition.

“About six months after Cassie was diagnosed,” she said, “David entered the Scotiabank Charity Challenge Run. We were overwhelmed with the support we received from family and friends, raising over $18,000 in a few weeks. We decided to do something long-lasting and create a charity that would help other kids and families like us.”

Debbie and David named the Vancouver-based charity Cassie and Friends, and it has been working to transform the lives of kids and families affected by JA and other rheumatic diseases locally and across Canada.

“Cassie’s disease has followed a pretty typical course of flares and remissions,” said Debbie. “At her worst, she had 16 joints affected (knee, ankles, toes, wrists, fingers). During the flares, she was unable to do the things she loves, like dance. In fact, at times, she found it hard just to walk or hold a pen. Thankfully, she is in a remission phase right now, on two different injectable medications to control the inflammation.”

According to Debbie, Cassie sometimes gets sad or frustrated because of her arthritis or its treatment. But, for the most part, Cassie is exceptionally positive and does not let her arthritis stop her. Further, Cassie’s condition has had an impact on her older brother, Ben, making him a more empathetic person after observing his sister’s struggles, said his mom.

“In the beginning, it was difficult for David and me, not knowing anyone else with a child with JA,” said Debbie. “But, now we feel like we have a whole community around us to share in the ups and downs of Cassie’s disease.”

To help kids learn about JA and other rheumatic diseases, David and Debbie created Kids on the Block (KOB) in 2009. And the KOB puppet show has been traveling, mainly around Metro Vancouver, to raise awareness about childhood arthritis, and to educate students and teachers about the issues these children face.

“The life-sized puppets – decked out in Cassie’s toddler clothes – act like real children,” said Debbie. “They help students understand what it’s like to live with JA and their skits illustrate some of the challenges a classmate with JA (or really any disease or challenge) might be facing: pain, isolation, depression and mobility challenges. Students have the chance to ask the puppets questions at the end of the performance. The puppets also help children feel positive about themselves, accepting individual differences and learning valuable personal skills.”

photo - Kids on the Block was at Vancouver Talmud Torah on Jan. 24 — Kids on the Block was at Vancouver Talmud Torah on Jan. 24. *(photo from Cassie and Friends)*

The first-ever performance of KOB was at Vancouver Talmud Torah, when Cassie was in kindergarten. With Cassie about to graduate from the school, the show was brought back for another performance earlier this year. Cassie suggested it would be more special and have a greater impact if she were to introduce the program with her own story. At the show, there were two other children in the audience with either JA or another rheumatic condition.

“It was my suggestion to bring Kids on the Block back to VTT on Jan. 24, 2018, for the younger kids, including my Grade 1 buddy,” said Cassie. “It was fun to introduce the puppet show to the kids. They all know me and I could explain it to them in an easier way, because I am a kid and they are, too.

“I also really enjoyed watching the show again, because I didn’t remember it from kindergarten. After I had done the introduction, I also got many compliments on it because it was in the weekly email.” (Cassie’s presentation can be seen on YouTube.)

“Arthritis in kids is much more than aches and pains,” said Wilson. “JA is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by uncontrolled inflammation and pain that can occur in any and often several parts of a child’s body. Children with JA will spend countless hours treating their condition and are often confined to the sidelines in sports, school and even life – especially during painful flares.

“For many children,” she said, “JA will also involve complex medical interventions, such as joint replacements, surgeries and aggressive, immune-suppressing medications, like chemotherapy and biologics. There is no cure and there are few treatments that are safe and specific for a growing child. Sadly, that can lead to feelings of embarrassment, social exclusion and even bullying … for a child who is already dealing with a painful, chronic and sometimes invisible disease.”

KOB is 100% free to schools and is intended for students in kindergarten through Grade 4. The show travels to 40 to 50 schools in British Columbia every year. It is supported in part by the sponsorship of Mardon Insurance and Gore Mutual Insurance Foundation.

According to Wilson, Cassie and Friends is the only charity completely dedicated to kids and families affected by juvenile arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. For more information, visit cassieandfriends.ca or email [email protected].

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

VTT Onward premières

Writer and director Adam Bogoch, left, and VTT Alumni Fund chair David Bogoch at the première of Vancouver Talmud Torah Onward: The 100-Year History on Sept. 17. For those who missed the sold-out screening at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre, the documentary can be watched online, via talmudtorah.com/vtt-onward-100-year-history or on YouTube. (photo by Jennifer Shecter-Balin)

Talmud Torah celebrates 100

Vancouver Talmud Torah’s expanded new campus includes many collaborative spaces. (photo from VTT)

On Sept. 17, Vancouver Talmud Torah will mark its centenary, celebrating “its humble beginnings as an afterschool cheder to the VTT of today – a modern, state-of-the-art facility with the capacity to educate generations of Jewish children in the decades to come, just as we have been doing for the past 100 years,” head of school Cathy Lowenstein told the Independent.

The focal point of the celebratory evening is the documentary Vancouver Talmud Torah Onward: The 100-Year History, written and directed by Adam Bogoch. The event sold out in three hours, said David Bogoch, Adam Bogoch’s father and chair of the VTT Alumni Fund, which supported the project.

David Bogoch was on the VTT board for seven years. He served as alumni chair when he was a board member and it’s a position he retains.

“It is my hope that anyone who attended the school could reconnect with the school and their classmates through the alumni organization,” he said in an interview with the Independent. “It is not an association, nothing formal, just a large family of friends, past students and parents of students.”

The alumni fund, he said, “receives donations and, in turn, makes gifts to the school. Over the last few years, the alumni fund installed an alumni garden at the corner of Oak and 26th, purchased band instruments for the students of the school, and purchased display cases for use in the hallway of the school.

“In an effort to get more people excited about reconnecting with the school, I felt it was necessary to document the 100-year history of the school, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the school appropriately. It is important for future parents, board members, staff and administration, and the community at large, to know how much of a struggle it is to keep the school open, paid for, able to properly care for and educate the children who walk in the door. It takes great effort from many individuals, and the full support from the entire community to keep Talmud Torah doing its best.

“We must also recognize all of the leaders of the past and the people who helped the school become what it has become,” he added, “so the documentary was a natural fit. The film is a permanent reminder and a wonderful gift to the school.”

The film was produced independently from the school, said Lowenstein. While they knew an historical piece was being made, she said, “the fact that it was completed to coincide with VTT’s 100th anniversary year was sheer good fortune. Many of us were interviewed, but we actually had no idea how and when it would all come together.”

photo - Vancouver Talmud Torah head of school Cathy Lowenstein — Vancouver Talmud Torah head of school Cathy Lowenstein. *(photo from VTT)*

Lowenstein said the production of the film “is close to the heart of David and Adam, who are the son and grandson of the late Dr. Al Bogoch, z’l, a former VTT board chair who, through passion and conviction, single-handedly engaged our community to burn our last mortgage. Adam is a wonderful storyteller and he does his family proud through the recounting of Talmud Torah’s fascinating story. VTT Onward is a vitally important historical record of our school.”

Some members of the VTT leadership team were shown a rough cut of the film and, said Lowenstein, “while we might not endorse everything that’s said in the film, it would be an honour to kick off VTT’s 100th year by showing it to our community.”

The title of the film, she said, captures “the very essence of what our school is about. We are always looking to fulfil our mission of academic excellence and nurturing lifelong learners. We have a responsibility to look ahead, to plan and vision forward to ensure that we are offering the best possible in core academics and Judaic studies to our students and families.”

But looking back is also necessary. “The film relies on archival photographs and live interviews with some of the very community leaders who ensured that the school remained strong and viable through some exceedingly difficult periods,” she said. “I appreciated learning about different perspectives from many community stakeholders. It is not often that one has the opportunity to hear so many different points of view from those who have been intimately connected to the school.

“The challenges our predecessors faced are the very same challenges we also face today – and that Jewish day schools across North America confront as well. I found it encouraging to see the ebb and flow and highs and lows of this institution, yet with the reassurance that VTT is a treasured community asset that is vital to the growth, strength and future of our community.”

Stressing her pride in the school’s faculty, Lowenstein said, “Although our expanded new campus allows us to do things we never imagined possible, what happens inside the four walls of the classroom (and now in our many collaborative spaces) is still our top priority. I have a team of key professionals dedicated to ensuring that the academic and Jewish experience at VTT remains relevant and vibrant. We are continuously looking to improve our offerings, and each new school year brings new ideas and new innovations. This, to me, is the hallmark of a responsive and reflective school.”

As for some of the current challenges, Lowenstein said, “As the community knows, we have just completed the building of a magnificent new campus and now we must finish paying for it. Paying down the interest on our loan is one of our key priorities to remain financially sustainable. One of our greatest challenges – and it applies to almost every independent school on Vancouver’s West Side – is the decreasing number of school-age children in the catchment due to Vancouver’s high housing costs. This is an issue that VTT, [Jewish] Federation and so many other Jewish community agencies are exploring and trying to address. Our board of directors is also committed to ensuring VTT remains an affordable option to middle-income families.

“Ultimately, our goal is to ensure we meet the diverse needs of our VTT families. We want students to receive their Jewish education at VTT from the early years until they become proud graduates in Grade 7.”

“For 100 years,” said David Bogoch, “the school has been a focal point of the Jewish community. Students make lifelong friends from their years there. They learn so much about being Jewish and what that means. The students become successful leaders throughout the entire community as they grow up, and the entire community benefits from the school.”

The making of VTT Onward

Adam Bogoch and Cynthia Ramsay at Main Street Brewery, where they discussed, among other things, Adam’s documentary film about Vancouver Talmud Torah. (photo by Adam Bogoch)

As I watched filmmaker and writer Adam Bogoch briefly consider jaywalking across Main Street to meet me at Brassneck Brewery, I held my breath. Thankfully, he decided to cross at the lights and, together, all body parts intact, we headed into the crowded tasting room and found two places at the bar.

We had lots to talk about that sunny, humid day in July – he was excited to share with me, and Jewish Independent readers, news of a commercial project he was just completing. The final product, Vancouver Talmud Torah Onward: The 100-Year History, will première on Sept. 17 at Rothstein Theatre. While the event has sold out, there will be other opportunities for community members to see it.

“… there have always been community-minded individuals who have been ready to step forward and guide the Talmud Torah onward, and keep the light of Jewish learning alive.”

Adam chose to frame the work with an article from the Jewish Western Bulletin, the predecessor of the JI. Written by Harry Wolfe, the short item appeared in the Sept. 2, 1948, issue of the JWB, which was dedicated to the imminent opening of the then-new building at 26th Avenue and Oak Street, and featured a lengthy history of the school’s first 30 years. What is interesting about Wolfe’s quote – and Adam’s decision to use it – is that it recognized both the numerous (recurring) problems that faced the school, as well as the fact that “there have always been community-minded individuals who have been ready to step forward and guide the Talmud Torah onward, and keep the light of Jewish learning alive.” Hence, the name of the film.

“It’s extremely challenging to create a documentary on an institution that doesn’t feel like a puff piece. Honestly, that was the first obstacle to overcome,” said Adam in an email interview. “I have my own personal perspectives on religion and community politics that I didn’t want clashing with the mission of the movie. So, the only way I could get around this was to locate the heart, that something that we can all relate to.

“Luckily, this was almost instantaneous. While going through the archives, I found a superb article in the Jewish Western Bulletin … written by Harry Wolfe in 1948…. It perfectly encapsulated the trials and tribulations of the school and how the success or failure of the institution was, and still is, solely on the backs of the community. It also stated that, despite major setbacks, there have always been those willing to put their tucheses on the line for VTT.

“The reasons they did this were numerous and we explore some of them in the movie,” he said. “But, even when I went to VTT, there was a love that pervaded the halls of the school. No matter where you fell on the religious, financial or political spectrum, there was a place for you. That’s an institution worth talking about and one worth fighting for.

“That’s not to say that it’s perfect. Nothing is, and the movie doesn’t shy away from that, which, aside from being a vital part of storytelling, is part of the fun of it. But, hopefully, the film helps to keep the school (and the community) on the right track.”

It certainly kept Adam on track, making “sifting through hundreds of hours of footage far easier. If it didn’t fall under the umbrella idea, it got cut.”

The film project was funded, said Adam, “by the generosity of Syd Belzberg and by multiple donations made to the VTT Alumni Fund.” It took more than three years to complete – and that was after years of discussing the idea of a documentary. It was a concept for which his father, David Bogoch, in his capacity as alumni chair, advocated “with many different boards.”

“Frankly, it took awhile for excitement to build,” said Adam. “At first, only my dad, who’s a wealth of information on the topic, truly saw a story worth telling. By the time we knew the school would be celebrating its 100th anniversary, things really began to take shape. Past board members and individuals in the administration embraced my dad’s ideas and he convinced me to helm the project.”

In addition to funding the documentary, the VTT Alumni Fund has been financing the digitization of the archives, said Adam.

“I spent the first two years of this project doing research. This included the expansive VTT archives, the Jewish Western Bulletin, the Jewish Museum and Archives of B.C. and Rozanne Feldman Kent’s book The Vancouver Talmud Torah: 1913-1959 and Beyond.”

While he did most of the legwork himself, he received “some significant assists” from his dad. “As well,” he said, “I was lucky enough to work with a small crew on certain days. So much visual content came from [VTT’s] Jennifer Shecter-Balin, and she simply must be praised.” He gave a lion’s share of the credit to film editor Thomas Affolter. “The broad strokes of the project may have been due to my experience as a writer,” said Adam, “but he has a director’s mind that added a real sense of professionalism and cleanliness that is immediately evident on screen.”

The decision of who to interview was a collaboration between Adam and his dad. “We had suggestions given to us by [VTT head of school] Cathy Lowenstein, as well as by staff members, but most of the 46 faces featured were our decision,” said Adam.

“… we have an all-star lineup of community members of all different ages, occupations, experiences and perspectives. It’s like the Ocean’s Eleven of the Jewish community.”

In his 1948 article, Wolfe wrote, “We have attempted to give credit where it is due, but many will have to remain unmentioned because of modesty or because research could not uncover names.” Adam said he faced the same challenge and is expecting to receive “a few remarks on missing faces. But, it’s important to note that some people were unavailable or had no interest in being on camera. The movie also couldn’t be unbearably long, so we had to cap at a certain number of individuals. But, we have an all-star lineup of community members of all different ages, occupations, experiences and perspectives. It’s like the Ocean’s Eleven of the Jewish community.”

This is Adam’s favourite aspect of the documentary, “that it provides voices from all corners of the community. Sure, we could have always featured more. There will always be factions that we didn’t include. However, we have 46 featured faces. Each with their own perspective. Some of which are in conflict with one another. But all of them are shooting for the same goal – a prosperous Jewish day school that welcomes everyone.”

Adam gave the school credit for its hands-off approach to the content. “Some of these opinions [in the film] are not what the school endorses. But they understand that they are just opinions. Informed discussion is vital for growth, and we can’t shy away from it. At the end of the day, we had very little interference from the school; and what little we did have made the project stronger, kinder and still just as honest.”

He added, “The board and admin have been so supportive of this journey, and they must be acknowledged for their bravery in embracing something that wasn’t completely shiny and beautiful. That tells me that they’re confident in the quality of their school.

“Another thing that interested me about VTT Onward,” he said, “was that I was honouring my family roots. My grandfather, Dr. Abraham (Al) Bogoch was a giant in the community, especially when it came to VTT. My dad has followed in his footsteps in a way that I think exceeds my grandfather’s influence. My connection is different, but this is one way that I can contribute to something that’s been integral to the Bogoch family.”

Adam himself is a VTT alumnus – class of 2005. By the time I first met him, he had moved to the next level of his Jewish education and was at King David High School. The reason for that meeting, in 2009, was the screening of his first feature film, Avoid Confrontation – he was 17!

From April 2010 through March 2011, we ran a series in the JI that that followed the production process of his second feature film, Complexity, from concept to completion. And I interviewed Adam in July 2011 about the short film Eye of the Beholder, co-written by David Kaye and Vanessa Parent, which he directed.

When we were organizing our beer-tasting and informal interview this summer, I was shocked how long it had been since I’d written about his work. It wasn’t like we hadn’t kept in touch. We get together every so often to catch up on each other’s lives, though generally over coffee and pastry.

The idea for the beer-tasting interview originated in the spring, while we were at Thomas Haas café on West Broadway. There, Adam made an offhand comment about having to come back another time to take a proper photo of the cappuccino (it might have been a latte). Lo and behold, he writes about coffee for the food blog Hidden Gems Vancouver.

While he initiated that blogging gig, and does enjoy content writing immensely – blogs, websites, ghost-writing – he said, “ultimately, I do it to supplement my other works.”

His resumé includes “writing and rewriting film outlines and treatments, as well as penning works for the visions of others,” but his passion remains screenwriting.

“Writing and directing two feature films as a teenager, before I could truly comprehend what story really is, was the best training for what I do now. But it’s a constant learning experience,” he said. “I’ve also been lucky to have been trained by some of Hollywood’s most influential writers and professors. Experiences I’ll never forget.”

At Brassneck, we discussed how to construct a plot, as well as successful and not-so-successful adaptations of books to the screen. Our beer choices oddly echoed our personalities, with me tending toward the darker beers, only accidentally ordering the aptly named Klutz Kolsch, a blonde ale, and Adam ordering the likes of Hibiscus Wit (which he has in abundance), Wingman (I’m sure he makes a great one) and Sunny Disposition (which he also has, both in temperament and in looks, with his broad smile and ginger locks).

As we took our interview and beer-tasting to Main Street Brewing on East 7th Avenue – and had some much-needed food – we talked about VTT Onward, the Jewish Independent’s upcoming Chai Celebration (don’t make any other plans for the night of Dec. 6!), more about film adaptations and a bit about the challenges we each face being self-employed in the arts.

“At the end of the day,” said Adam, “I’ve picked a profession that is highly competitive and doesn’t operate in any way like ‘mainstream’ careers. It’s a constant barrage of rejection and uncertainty. But I’ve been extremely fortunate to have signed with a tornado of a manager, Liz Hodgson. She’s been responsible for the careers of some notable A-list talent, both in front of and behind the camera. She’s been mentoring me consistently – one of the most common ways for writers to break into the industry on a significant level – and is currently representing my next two projects, one of which I’ve been rewriting for over six years.”

This latter script has almost been made four times, and has received multiple offers, said Adam. “I’ve taken none. This is because there’s always been something that has kept me from releasing it. That, or the deals haven’t been right.

“Recently, I’ve been working with my manager on a rewrite that will hopefully allow me to let it go…. Without over-talking it, Between Me (current title) is about a teenager battling his three personality projections who seek to push and pull him towards utterly catastrophic directions.”

We decided that Brassneck’s Bivouac Bitter could possibly represent the teenager’s negative id, its Raspberry Changeling (which was sour, not sweet) his super ego. To describe his whole character, Adam thought Main Street’s Old Knights Pale might be appropriate. We found the teen’s positive id at 33 Acres Brewing on East 8th Avenue, in Nirvana, appropriately enough.

Despite having a little more to eat at 33 Acres, the beer-tasting was having an effect on me. After more discussion about life, the VTT film screening, which was then only in the planning stages, and the JI, which Adam described at one point as the “printed record of history,” we parted ways. He was decidedly more peppy, but I slowly made my way safely home. When I looked at my watch, I couldn’t believe that six hours had gone by.

A real tête-à-tête had obviously been overdue and the beer-tasting a good idea – at least for deep conversation. As for an interview, not so much. While I took the odd note, all of the material for this article comes from an email interview after the fact.

I will next see Adam at the Sept. 17 première of VTT Onward. Even though I’ve seen it, I’m looking forward to it. I’m not the only one who was impressed by the rough cut. A few others have seen it.

“I’m blown away by the response,” said Adam. “I had no clue it would be received as well as it has been so far. I’m now confident that the community at large will find something in it that moves them and, therefore, I’m thrilled to be able to share it.

Instilling responsibility

Vancouver Talmud Torah head of school Cathy Lowenstein Lowenstein addresses those gathered for the closing of this year’s Mitzvah of Valuing Philanthropy program. (photo by Jennifer Shecter-Balin)

On June 15, Grade 7 students at Vancouver Talmud Torah celebrated the close of the year’s Mitzvah of Valuing Philanthropy (MVP) program. Started by the late Sari Zack Weintraub Greenberg nine years ago, MVP integrates a curriculum of tikkun olam (repairing the world), rooted in traditional Jewish teachings, into the students’ educational experience.

Head of school Cathy Lowenstein said Greenberg’s work “revolutionized the school’s tikkun olam curriculum.” Greenberg encouraged the students to “lovingly expand their universe of obligation,” said Lowenstein. The program is something that the kids look forward to in their Grade 7 year, she continued, noting that “tikkun olam is a cornerstone of the school.”

Since its inception, the MVP program has raised a total of $220,000. This year’s 39 Grade 7 students raised an impressive $27,000. On top of this fundraising record, this year’s Tzedakah Project has also contributed $10,000 as a grant to “motivate and inspire” the kids to develop their passion for tzedakah (charity/justice) and chesed (loving kindness).

photo - VTT MVP Ariel Lewinski and Judy Boxer of Chimp — VTT MVP Ariel Lewinski and Judy Boxer of Chimp. (photo by Jennifer Shecter-Balin)

The MVP group expressed thanks to Cambridge Uniforms for their ongoing support of the program. This year also saw the involvement of Chimp representatives Judy Boxer and Ariel Lewinski, who offered support via the company to this generation of philanthropists. Boxer and Lewinski gave gift cards totaling $10,000 out to the members of the audience on June 15. Each card could be used to donate $100 to a charity of the recipient’s choice.

The MVP program is support by the Irma Zack MVP Endowment Fund, established by Dr. David Zack – Greenberg’s father – in memory of his late wife, and the original seed funding was donated by Sylvia and the late Lorne Cristall. It is through these funds that the school has been able to run MVP and other such initiatives.

The MVP students followed a careful process of selection of charities to support. They picked ethical commandments to work with, such as healing the sick, helping others in difficulty, or feeding the hungry. They researched the agencies that satisfied these criteria and found contacts with whom to work. Having interviewed these contacts, the kids then had 20 minutes to convince their class to contribute to their agencies, turning classrooms into boardrooms for allocation meetings.

Funds were donated to 24 different organizations this year, including household names like UNICEF and Magen David Adom, and local beneficiaries like the Vancouver Aquarium and Big Sisters. Students also selected Down Syndrome Research and CEASE, an agency that supports women victims of sexual exploitation and domestic violence.

Several students offered their perspectives on the MVP initiative to the Jewish Independent.

Asher Teperson described how “we assumed the roles of principal researchers, primary investigators, bankers and lawyers to assess the needs in our community and respond to them in concrete ways.” For the MVP students, this was a rite of passage. “We had a taste of what it means to become an adult in the eyes of the Jewish community,” said Asher.

Estie Kallner echoed these sentiments: “How often are 12- and 13-year-olds asked to make phone calls to strangers, conduct interviews in corporate offices, request clarification on financial matters and pester agency executives on their overhead costs?”

Julia Huber closed the program remarks with a reflection on how much they had grown through the experience. She described a group of “restless, nervous and confused” kids at the start of the program. However, she said, “with support and encouragement, not only did we embrace the challenge, but we exceeded even our own ambitious goals.”

As another student, Isabella Leipsic, observed, the program left them with a profound sense of their own “strength” in “moral decision-making.” She added, with thanks to the program, “our lives will never be the same.”

Shula Klinger is an author, illustrator and journalist living in North Vancouver. Find out more at niftyscissors.com.

Serving healthy, tasty food

Susan Mendelson launched Mendelson’s Kosher Gourmet from the kitchens at Vancouver Talmud Torah earlier this fall. (photo from Susan Mendelson)

Susan Mendelson, the entrepreneur at the helm of Lazy Gourmet Catering for the past 38 years, debuted Mendelson’s Kosher Gourmet from the kitchens at Vancouver Talmud Torah earlier this fall.

Mendelson and her team of six are now serving a selection of 25 lunches a week to VTT children and offering the Jewish community their kosher event catering services, as well as the opportunity to purchase BCKosher-certified challahs, babkahs and cinnamon buns.

Months ago, Cathy Lowenstein, VTT’s principal, approached Mendelson and asked her to help create a request for proposals that the school could use to obtain bids from potential caterers.

“I felt this would be a great opportunity to get back into the Jewish community,” Mendelson reflected. So, she put in a proposal, her bid was accepted and she worked with the school to create a kitchen space that would work.

Construction finished just as the first orders needed to be prepared, which meant the timing was tight and every detail needed attention. “When we need to order sheet pans and dishes, they have to be dipped three times in the mikvah before we can use them, so it’s much more complicated than anything I’ve done before,” she said.

Step One was finding a great team. Vancouver chef Marat Dreyshner is presiding over the kitchen while his spouse Ella Dreyshner is managing the operation.

Since both are mashgichim, all the kosher details are fully supervised. “They’re fabulous people and I’m lucky to have them,” Mendelson said.

Students were audibly impressed by their pre-ordered meals, which were based on focus groups with VTT kids earlier in the year. Lunch options include hot dogs, burgers (made from scratch), roasted turkey sandwiches, chicken noodle soup and sushi. There are gluten-free and vegan options daily, and the Mendelson’s Kosher Gourmet team is dedicated to healthy meals, with grains made from sprouted whole wheats and treats like banana chocolate chip bread served only on Fridays. “The rest of the time, it’s Caesar salad, kale chicken wraps, Israeli salad and dishes like that,” she said.

Sustainability is another key word for Mendelson, so you won’t find any take-out containers in her serving materials. Instead, the children are using regular silverware and melamine dishes for their meals.

Mendelson has spent her lunch hour walking around the school, creating systems and processes to streamline service and gauging reactions to the food. “It’s exciting to me that the kids are really enjoying this healthy food,” she admitted. “Today they were coming back for second and third portions of soup and, if there’s extra, we’re happy to give them more.”

The kosher catering orders are also coming in fast, leaving Mendelson fully energized, engaged and up planning from 3 a.m. She credits Lowenstein for getting her involved. “She’s an extraordinary partner, a brilliant, kind, thoughtful and accommodating woman who is always looking at how to make things work. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have pursued this,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lazy Gourmet Catering is still going strong with a staff of 170 and contracts for conference work downtown with Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. There’s the womb-to-tomb events Mendelson’s been catering the past four decades and a new Chinese website is helping secure business from Vancouver’s Chinese community. “For one Chinese wedding, we had six days to cater for an event with 200 people,” Mendelson said.

“I’m exhausted,” she admitted. “But I’m energized. With Mendelson’s Kosher Gourmet I thought to myself, this might make a difference. If I can turn these kids on to a healthy way of eating, maybe I’ll make a difference in this world.”

To place kosher orders, visit mendelsonskosher.ca.

Lauren Kramer an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net.

Learning about other faiths

Grade 6 students from Vancouver Talmud Torah – Sophie Chelin, Ava Abramowich, Sayde Shuster, Ruth Nahmad and Rachel Seguin – do the blessing over the candles at an interfaith Shabbat dinner on May 6. (photo by Jennifer Shecter-Balin)

The joy of learning, the excitement of meeting new people, the comfort of community, the satisfaction of a job well done. All of these energies filled the room at Congregation Beth Israel on May 6. And, while that Shabbat dinner marked the culmination of Vancouver Talmud Torah’s Grade 6 Term 2 Tikkun Olam course, it seemed like a beginning as well.

With the knowledge and relationships gained and curiosity and compassion further engrained, these students now have an even more solid foundation from which to carry on their interfaith connections and broaden their experiences beyond the Belief project.

The initiative of Jennifer Shecter-Balin, director of admissions and communications at VTT, who guided the students with Grade 6 humanities and tikkun olam teacher Meghan Davey, the project was inspired by Oprah Winfrey’s seven-part Belief series.

Every week, students watched an episode of the series, explained Shecter-Balin in an email to the Independent. They then “completed related assignments and activities to both deepen their own connection to Judaism and broaden their understanding of other world religions and belief systems.”

“Each week, we journeyed across the globe to learn about different streams of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and other non-traditional beliefs systems,” she explained to those gathered on May 6. “In addition to gaining further grounding in their Judaism, our students expanded their perspectives and worldviews through learning about myriad different spiritual practices, rituals and beliefs.”

“Throughout the term,” added Davey, “we broadened our vocabulary and learned terms such as monotheism, agnosticism and atheism…. We debated the merits of arranged marriages; we compared the divinely inspired versus the scientific; and we discussed the concept of miracles and what constitutes one. But most satisfying was the fact that the students all agreed that being alive and having one’s health is indeed miraculous.”

Davey also noted that, “They have learned to identify similarities across the religions – the importance of water for purification in so many traditions, for example – as well as significant differences between the major world faiths.”

For the course’s final assignment, students had to interview someone of a faith other than Judaism and then write about that person’s beliefs and influences.

“For many students, this was their first time ever interviewing an adult and someone of a considerably different background to them,” said Shecter-Balin.

The result is a nicely designed spiral-bound book of essays on the 40 interviews conducted. A copy of the book was placed at every Shabbat table and Shecter-Balin invited guests – the students’ families and many of the interviewees – to read through it.

“Like us,” she said, “you’ll learn about a host of beliefs, practices and unique life experiences, and you’ll read our students’ enthusiastic reflections about this assignment. Most importantly, their hearts and minds have further opened without compromising the integrity of who they are or where they’re from. In fact, we believe it will only serve to strengthen their identity.”

For many of the guests, the dinner was their first time in a synagogue and their first time attending a Shabbat dinner. Sharing this experience and more about Judaism, said Shecter-Balin, is a way to continue to build bridges of understanding. “This, we believe, is tikkun olam, or the Jewish commandment to repair the world,” she said.

Davey thanked all the parent volunteers who helped prepare the meal with Shlomo and Hagar Yekutieli; VTT head of school Cathy Lowenstein and assistant head of school Jessica Neville “for their support with this initiative and trusting us to think a bit outside the box”; Ellen Wiesenthal, VTT’s director of curriculum and programming, who led everyone in a few Shabbat songs after the blessings; and Beth Israel’s Gaynor Levin, for her help in planning and organizing the dinner.

Lowenstein said a few thanks of her own, including to Beth Israel Rabbi Jonathan Infeld for being so welcoming. She also introduced Rabbi Marc Kasten and his family, who came to Vancouver for the weekend. Kasten – who is currently at Temple Beth Am Day School in Miami – will start in August as VTT’s new school rabbi and director of Jewish life and learning. He spoke about some of the Shabbat rituals before they were fulfilled, mainly by the students: the singing of L’Cha Dodi, the candlelighting, the blessing of the children by their parents, the Kiddush and Hamotzi.

The next step in the project, Shecter-Balin said, is “to send a copy of the book to Oprah along with notes from the students sharing their personal reflections of watching the video series.”