Edmonton Jewish News - Digital Edition - Passover 2019

EDMONTON NEWS Volume 30, No. 03

Publication Mail Agreement Number: 40050628

April 8, 2019

Cover art: Reprinted from Tikkun Haggadah Supplement: Introduction; Haggadot.com, A project of Custom & Craft Jewish Rituals, Inc.

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Edmonton Jewish News

April 8, 2019

Chabad hosts 'Purim in Outer Space' edmontonjewishnews.com Publication Mail Agreement No. 40050628 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Circulation Department: 102, 10155 114 Street NW, Edmonton AB T5K 1R8 E-mail: ejnews@telus.net Tel: (780) 421-7966

Volume 30, Number 03, April 2019 PUBLISHER / EDITOR: Deborah Shatz ADVERTISING: Daniel Moser FOUNDING PUBLISHER: Barry Slawsky

All rights reserved. No part of this newspaper may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editor. Edmonton Jewish News is published by 320754 Alberta Ltd.

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Next Deadline: May 2, 2019

Quebec bill bans head scarves and yarmulkes

By David Lazarus MONTREAL (JTA) — Quebec has introduced a bill that bans some public employees from wearing religious symbols at work, including kippahs.

The measure is intended to reinforce the separation of church and state, but critics say the real target appears to be Muslim women who wear hijabs covering their hair and necks.

The Quebec parliament pushed ahead with the “secularism bill” on March 28, introduced by the rightleaning coalition government of Premier Francois Legault.

Among those who would be affected are teachers, police officers and judges. Along with kippahs and hijabs, Sikh turbans and crucifixes would be prohibited.

Polls show most Quebecers supporting the legislation.

The Jewish community is wary.

“We are very concerned with the new Quebec government’s statements regarding a ban on religious symbols displayed by government officials and displayed in public institutions,” said Harvey Levine, the Quebec regional director of B’nai Brith, suggesting the notion is “at odds” with Canadian values.

“We call on the [Quebec government] to avoid the slippery slope of diminishing fundamental rights and work instead to

secure religious liberties for all Quebecers.”

CIJA, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs also voiced opposition to the Bill. Rabbi Reuben Poupko, Co-Chair, CIJA-Québec, stated: Chabad of Edmonton hosted a Purim Party that was outta this world with the “The Jewish community fun theme "Purim in Outer Space." The Fantasyland Hotel ballroom was of Quebec supports the packed to capacity with revellers dressed in costume and there to have a great religious neutrality of the time.

Rabbi Dovid and his team once again exceeded expectations with the state and recognizes that lively family friendly event. secularism has historically protected freedom of religion and conscience. While we welcome the exemption to private participating constructively in the special consultations in schools, we are firmly opposed to any restriction of the order to voice our community’s concerns and opposition.” freedom of religion of individuals in the name of secularism.

As an apparent sop to critics, the legislation has a “Our community believes that the secularism of the state grandfather clause that allows workers who now wear is an institutional duty and not a personal one. The religious symbols to keep them on and will remove a commitment to secularism does not rest on the outward prominent historical crucifix in Quebec’s National appearance of individuals. Any legislation that aims to Assembly. But new public workers in “authority” positions restrict individual freedoms must pass the test of its could not wear religious symbols — they risk dismissal if constitutionality and in this regard, we are troubled by the they do not follow the ban. inclusion of the notwithstanding clause to shield this In October 2017, Quebec’s previous Liberal government legislation from a legal challenge. passed a bill banning face coverings for those receiving “We are closely studying this Bill and are committed to public services.

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Edmonton Jewish News

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Passover: A time for inspiration

By Rabbi Zolly Claman We love moments of inspiration, don't we? It makes us feel connected and warm.

Every person has different situations that get them inspired.

Inspiration is something that has little to do with us and a lot to do with the situation around us. We get inspired, but the experience is fairly passive on our end. Like most things, "easy come easy Rabbi Zolly Claman go". Inspiration is kind of like a sheet of tin foil. The rules of heat capacity govern that the longer it takes for a piece of metal to heat up, the longer it will retain the heat. Tin foil will heat up very quickly, but the moment it is removed from the heat source, it cools down just as rapidly as it heated up.

So the question becomes, what do we do when we are inspired?

On Seder night we will be retelling the story of the Exodus. The hero of the evening (who interestingly is not mentioned in the Hagadah), is Moses. Moses was the greatest Jewish leader in our rich history. The moment that

he was promoted from layman to leader was the moment that the exodus really started; "Let me turn now and see this great spectacle - why does the thorn bush not burn up?" (Shemot, 3:3). According to the Midrash, the burning bush had been there for a long time and was well known to the locals. What set Moshe apart from everyone else was that he actually left the path he was on to investigate this unusual sight.

He put insight and inspiration into action. He stepped out of the hectic rush of Purim at Beth Israel included a singalong and Pizza-taschen. life to look into something that could provide him with more meaning. Everyone moment of gratitude fades away, say 'thank you G-d for else in the town saw that bush and said "wow, that's cool!", today!' In a situation that you feel G-d's providence guiding then went on their merry way. Only after this self-provoked you in life, committing yourself to 10 minutes of Torah study action of "let me turn", did G-d call upon Moshe as the first a day or setting aside time to pray is taking the inspiration and greatest leader of the Jewish people. and putting it into something concrete and long-lasting.

When we read about a soldier or civilian who was The seder night and all of Passover is a very inspiring wounded in Israel we can feel terrible, but does our time. The opportune approach is to negate the IMAX day really change? Take that moment of inspiration and instruction to “close your eyes and let the feeling pass� and feeling the pain of another Jewish person and say a small make something concrete that will leave an everlasting chapter of Psalms for his or her recovery. We could wake up impression on us. in the morning, refreshed and energized for the day ahead of Rabbi Zolly Claman is Rabbi at the Beth Israel us, then go straight to the first task at hand. Before that Synagogue, a Modern Orthodox congregation in Edmonton.

Chabad of Edmonton hosts extraterrestrial Purim Feast

Chabad of Edmonton hosted an amazing Purim Party at the Fantasyland Hotel on March 20 - quite possibly the largest one in Canada. The food was delicious, the costume parades were lively, Heinz the Bubble Man kept the crowd enthralled and Rabbi Dovid once again displayed so much energy and enthusiasm that you couldn't help but have a great time. Kol Hakavod to everyone who helped out!

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Edmonton Jewish News

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New survey of Jews in Canada finds exceptional cohesion

by Jovana Jankovic (Toronto) - In a few years, Canada’s Jewish population may exceed 400,000, making it the largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the United States.

And yet, the Canadian Jewish community is one of the least studied in the world – until now.

A new survey published last month captures the identity, priorities, attitudes and values of Jews across Canada, and the results show a remarkably cohesive community overall, albeit one with its own internal divisions and associations between culture, religion and politics.

Conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research, in partnership with Robert Brym, S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science, and Professor Rhonda Lenton, a sociologist who is president and vice-chancellor of York University, the study surveyed a representative sample of 2,335 Jews in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver, where 84 per cent of Canada’s Jews live.

Among many other things, “the survey indicates the general orientation that respondents have toward being Jewish – what they consider essential or important to being Jewish,” says Brym.

A copy of the 92-page report on the survey is available on the Environics Institute website.

The survey asked respondents to answer questions about participation in Jewish cultural traditions, belief in G-d or a universal spirit, marriage and the upbringing of children, prevalence of discrimination and harassment, political ideologies, association with Israel, participation in Jewish education, connection to local Jewish communities, knowledge of Hebrew and more.

A key finding of the survey is that the Canadian Jewish community is exceptionally cohesive compared to other Jewish communities outside of Israel.

“More secularized elements of Jewish communities are assimilating to the cultures of their country of residence at a fairly rapid rate,” says Brym. “The Canadian data suggests

there is a vibrant community here that’s retained its cohesion pretty remarkably, much more so than in the U.S. or Russia, for example.”

Lenton’s speech at an event marking the release of the survey echoed this sentiment: “While analysts often claim that the non-religious Jewish diaspora is dissipating,” she says, “Canadian Jewry seems to be doing a good job of bucking the From left to right: Keith Neuman, executive director of the trend.”

Environics Institute; Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor While Lenton credits a strong of York University; and U of T Professor Robert Brym (photo by institutional framework maintained by Diana Tyszko, reprinted from U of T News) Canadian Jewish communities for what she and Brym call this “Canadian exceptionalism,” she also points to the influence of historical criticism for expressing support for the existence of the and political forces like the role of Canadian public policy in Jewish state.” fostering the growth of ethnic institutions.

Brym highlights the need for education and changing public discourse about discrimination, particularly at a Moreover, because of the United States’ anti-colonial war moment when we see an alarming rise in white nationalism and the strong American patriotism it produced, American and reported hate crimes in the U.S. and Canada against not Jews “developed a stronger national identity than Canadians only Jews, but other historically oppressed groups. did,” says Lenton. Therefore, American Jews were more hesitant to adopt the ideals of Zionism – the belief in the “It’s a matter of public policy,” he says. “What are we doing development of a Jewish state in what is now Israel – than in the school system to teach kids about different kinds of Canadian Jews. discrimination?”

These and related factors “helped the Canadian Jewish Pointing to potential future directions for the Canadian community develop a stronger identity over the last century,” Jewish community, the survey found that the younger says Brym. generation of Jews in Canada identifies more strongly with A striking finding of the survey, says Brym, is that “Jews aspects of Jewish culture and community than strict are three times more likely than non-Jews to think that Jews religious observance and allegiance to Israel. often experience discrimination.

Brym thinks this is an important finding for community “When most people think about discrimination, they think leaders and those who run programming and activities for about groups that are underprivileged or have lower younger Jews in Canada. socioeconomic status,” explains Brym.

“If religion is not the principal focus for many younger people, and if Israel is less the focus, we have to ask: What “But the Jewish population is very highly educated. So kinds of activities need to be emphasized for a younger we’re a privileged group, and most people think, ‘If you’re generation if we want to keep the community cohesive?” privileged, how can you be discriminated against?’ But when Jews think of discrimination, they think of being snubbed “I’ve wanted to do this project for decades,” says Brym, and being criticized; they think of vandalism of Jewish property like graveyards and synagogues. They have in mind Continued on page 6

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Edmonton Jewish News

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What it means to keep kosher for Passover

By MJL Staff (My Jewish Learning via JTA) - Passover 2019 begins at sundown on Friday, April 19, and ends Saturday evening, April 27. The first Passover seder is on the evening of April 19, and the second Passover seder takes place on the evening of April 20.

Passover is a festival of freedom.

It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. The main ritual of Passover is the seder, which occurs on the first two night (in Israel just the first night) of the holiday - a festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods, including matzah and maror (bitter herbs). The seder’s rituals and other readings are outlined in the Haggadah - today, many different versions of this Passover guide are available in print and online, and you can also create your own.

The central Passover practice is a set of intense dietary changes, mainly the absence of hametz, or foods with leaven.

(Ashkenazi Jews also avoid kitniyot, a category of food that includes legumes.)

Keeping kosher for Passover means abstaining from hametz, the fermented products of five principal grains: wheat, rye, spelt, barley and oats. Though matzah, the unleavened bread eaten on Passover, is made from grain, it is produced under highly controlled conditions to ensure that it does not ferment.

Ashkenazi Jews who keep kosher for Passover have also traditionally avoided eating kitniyot, a category of foods that includes corn, rice, beans and lentils, though the Conservative movement’s rabbinic authorities overturned the kitniyot prohibition in 2015. Sephardic Jews do not abstain from kitniyot . A minority of Jews add an additional stringency by avoiding “gebrochts” — unleavened matzah products that become wet, such as matzah balls or matzah meal.

Survey

Cont. from page 5

who often discussed it with Lenton – the two are married.

After meeting Michael Adams, founder and president of the Environics Research Group, at the annual S.D. Clark Symposium at U of T in 2016, serious discussions began.

Soon, Keith Neuman, the Environics Institute’s executive director, joined the research team.

The survey was supported by Brym’s and Lenton’s research funds and donations from the Jewish communities of Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg, as well as U of T’s Anne

Among observant Jews, it is common practice to avoid most processed food that is not explicitly labeled kosher for Passover. This is true even for products like cheese or juice that do not contain any hametz, but may have been processed in a plant alongside products containing hametz. Some products that are kosher year-round are modified slightly to be kosher for Passover — most famously CocaCola, which substitutes cane sugar for corn syrup in some regions over the holiday and is marked by a distinctive yellow cap.

A guide to kosher-for-Passover foods is published each year by the Orthodox Union, which also maintains a searchable database of Passover foods on its website. The O.U. also has information on food products that can be used without explicit Passover certification.

In Edmonton,Andy's Valleyview IGA has a wonderful selection There are a range of additional practices of Kosher for Passover foods. common to Jews who keep kosher for Passover.

Chief among them is ridding the home of any maintain separate Passover cookware, dishes and utensils hametz products. This is typically done in the days leading that are used only during the holiday. up to Passover when homes are cleaned of all hametz. For Many Jews who do not follow all these restrictions hametz products that are too valuable or difficult to discard, nonetheless make some dietary changes in honor of the it is also possible to sell the hametz to a non-Jew. Generally, holiday. Some people avoid eating hametz but do not a rabbi performs this service on behalf of his congregants thoroughly purge their kitchens of it, while others cut out and then repurchases the hametz for them when the holiday bread and pasta, yet continue to eat some traditionally concludes. In these cases, the seller rarely delivers the food to forbidden items. the purchaser, but instead packs it away.

In recent years, many affluent observant Jews have opted Making a kitchen kosher for Passover is an elaborate to avoid the rigors of cleaning their kitchen for Passover by process. Countertop surfaces and sinks are either kashered going on special kosher-for-Passover cruises or to kosher-for(made kosher) with boiling water or covered for the duration Passover resorts. The trend, while costly, not only makes the of the holiday, depending on the material. Metal pots and holiday easier to observe, but often provides a welcome utensils can usually be kashered with boiling water, and opportunity for an extended family to get together without various appliances have their own requirements. The O.U. the burden of having to host and cook for large numbers of has a guide to kitchen preparation. guests.

Given the difficulties involved, many observant Jews

Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies and Office of Advancement. In-kind support was provided by the Environics Institute, Brym, Lenton and York University’s Communications & Public Affairs Division.

Brym predicts the survey is only the start of more research, analysis and collaboration.

While the survey provides a useful description of Jews in Canada – their opinions, and associations between those opinions and other characteristics – there has not yet been sustained inquiry into why certain associations exist or

how multiple causes could be influencing associations. Brym intends to tackle these and related questions over the next year.

“The principal investigators, social scientists from other universities and PhD students from U of T are going to be writing a series of academic articles on this survey,” he says.

This article was reprinted from U of T News.

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April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

For Israelis abroad, elections start with a scramble for flight tickets

By Cnaan Liphshiz AMSTERDAM (JTA) — Like many voters in democratic national elections, I almost always hope that whoever is elected will be able to serve out their full term — even if they weren’t my pick.

This is especially true in my native Israel, whose infamously brittle coalitions last on average only 2 1/2 years.

Early elections there cost billions in polarizing campaigns and present a governance challenge that I see as far more worrisome than having the country run by someone who isn’t my cup of tea.

But if I’m honest, my desire for political stability in Israel is tainted by selfishness: I’m one of thousands of Israelis living abroad who, in every election, must fly home on short notice with high costs because our country won’t let us vote anywhere else.

In other words, I really wouldn’t mind limiting this ordeal to once every four years.

Just as our desire to vote reflects an undying attachment to the country that many of us perceive as an insurance policy, Israel’s lack of absentee voting reflects a country’s hang-ups about citizens who leave its borders and the Zionist ethos of Israel’s founders.

The late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin famously called leavers “wimpy debris” as late as 1976. The word for leaving Israel in Hebrew is “yerida” – descending — as opposed to “aliyah” – ascending.

Whereas the United States, France, the Netherlands and many other democracies actively encourage expats to participate in elections – expats even have their own constituencies and representatives in the French parliament’s lower house – Israel bars its about half a million citizens living elsewhere from voting abroad.

The only ones eligible to vote oversees in Israeli elections are several thousand government envoys.

According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, about 60 percent of the world’s 193 countries allow their citizens to vote abroad. Globalization is only helping to increase this trend, with Belgium, Sweden, Mexico and Panama joining the list in the previous decade.

India did so this year.

Netanyahu’s is one of several Israeli governments that have tried to promote voting abroad, but a 2015 bill on the

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Festival Hatzafon celebrated in YEG

matter failed. (Opponents of the idea include Arab lawmakers and many on the left and right of center.)

In Israel, “the first reaction to any political statement by an expat is often not to debate the expat’s argument, but their right to even express an opinion,” said Eldad Beck, an Israeli journalist based in Berlin. “This mentality needs to go, whether the prime minister stays or not.”

Why, then, are we prepared to travel A fabulous Festival Hatzafon was held in Edmonton on March 17 featuring the thousands of miles to vote in talented Aviv Dancers as well as the youth dancers Mayim and the delightful Israel, where we haven’t Shemesh. Highlights were the amazing energy,choregraphy and costuming of lived in years? And why do the dancers and the wonderful ambience in the theatre. some of us do this, then lazily opt out of voting in the Lapid, which is neck and neck with Netanyahu’s Likud in countries where we do make our homes? the polls. “I don’t think he cares about what’s good for the Maximillian Marco Katz, an Israeli citizen and activist country, only about his personal survivability [in power.]” against anti-Semitism in his native Romania, said he Katz, by contrast, says the allegations against Netanyahu wouldn’t make a special trip to vote there, although he will have a minor influence on his decision making, though he for Israel. has not decided whether to vote for him or for Blue and “The truth is, in Romania I was told too often that I don’t White. belong, even though I grew up here,” Katz said. “I served in “I live in a country with many corruption scandals,” he Israel, I fought in Israel. My children are there. I’m a Zionist said. “I’ve learned to disregard them until a court hands above all and it’s my home, so of course I will vote.” down a verdict. There’s too much risk for manipulation The relatively dramatic nature of just about any Israeli otherwise.” election — it’s often a close race with serious security Torn and undecided about whom to vote for, Katz says implications — certainly helps attract the devotion of some Netanyahu has “elevated Israel to new heights in terms of its expat voters. international status, economy and security, but neglected Merav Shtifman, an Israeli businessman from vital internal issues like health, socioeconomic gaps and Amsterdam, will travel to Israel for two days just to vote. She education.” cited her belief that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Meital Davidsen, a repeat expat voter from Denmark, will who is implicated in several alleged corruption scandals, is a vote Labour not necessarily against Netanyahu, she said, but danger to Israeli society.

Continued on page 17 “There is no alternative to replacing this ruler,” wrote Shtifman, who will vote for Blue and White, the newly formed center-left party led

by Benny Gantz and Yair

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Edmonton Jewish News

Israel's president thanks Trudeau for support against anti-Semitism Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was in Canada this month to mark 70 years of bilateral relations between Israel and Canada.

The visit showcased the strong and growing bond and cooperation between the two nations, including in areas such as technology, trade, security, and the ongoing fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel movements.

In Ottawa, during a luncheon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed President Rivlin and expressed that the Canadian government will continue to speak out against the anti-Semitic BDS movement and Israeli Apartheid Week, "which hold Israel to an entirely different standard than any other country in the world."

President Rivlin thanked the Prime Minister for Canada's long commitment to stability in the Middle East and for standing up for Israel at the United Nations.

"The UN Human Rights Council has been taken over by human rights violators," said Rivlin. "We must not surrender...we must change the world for the better...we can build a new global alliance based on moral leadership."

Rivlin thanked Trudeau for Canada's "moral stance against anti-Semitism in all its forms, strong support for Israel at the UN and annual resolution on the human rights situation in Iran."

“The world cannot allow Iran to extend its influence over the region,” he remarked. “The only way to halt Iran’s plans is by concerted international pressure and targeted military action whenever needed.”

Later in the day, the leaders laid a wreath at the

April 8, 2019

Na'amat bakes Hamantaschen

Holocaust memorial in Ottawa.

President Rivlin had been scheduled to speak at a dinner with leaders of the Canadian Jewish community and to be guest of honour at a Salute to Israel event organized by Jewish Federations of CanadaUIA and Israel Bonds.

However, President Rivlin cut short his state visit to Canada after a deterioration in Na'amat Edmonton members baked delicious hamantaschen and packaged the health of his wife, them as part of Mishloach Manot that they delivered to seniors in the Nechama, less than three community. weeks after she received a lung transplant.

Rivlin arrived in Israel on a commercial flight on April 3 getting more critical necessitating the transplant.

The surgery for the transplant was described as and rushed to the hospital to be with his wife, who is in an “complicated” by doctors and she required a second surgery induced coma and on a respirator.

Nechama Rivlin, 73, was rushed to the hospital on April 2 several days later.

Rivlin said following the visit that “the long hours of the because of severe shortness of breath due to cardiac flight back from my visit Canada to Israel were deeply complications of the transplant.

The president’s wife, who had in recent years rarely been worrying, but I know that my Nechama, our Nechama, is a seen in public without being attached to a portable oxygen very strong woman. She is the world’s best mother and tank, received the lung transplant last month after being on grandmother and has also been a public servant over the the transplant list for more than a year. She suffered from past five years in many fields of Israeli society. She has pulmonary fibrosis, which causes scar tissue to fill the lungs received the most wonderful appreciation and support and makes it difficult to breathe, and her situation was possible for that work.”

YEG Schoolboys Alumni Band showcases songs from 'Fiddler' and much more

On March 24, the Edmonton schoolboys Alumni Band performed a wonderful concert at Beth Israel Synagogue featuring songs from 'Fiddler on the Roof' as well as the theme from 'Exodus,' a delightful medley of Israeli folk songs and klezmir music.A highlight of the afternoon concert was the 'March of the Kitchen Utensils' that included a parade by children in attendance. Ray Friedman was a guest conductor at the concert.

Chag Sameach!

April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

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The Golan Heights, explained

By Ben Sales

What’s happening with the Golan now?

When the civil war in Syria erupted in 2011, fragmenting and destroying much of the country, talk of Israel giving back the Golan stopped. Israelis worried that it would become a base for terror groups like ISIS, and there was no Syrian government powerful enough to sign and enforce a peace treaty. Plus, did Israel really want to negotiate with Syrian strongman Bashar Assad?

Since then, a range of centrist and right-wing Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has called on the international community to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

“You can imagine what would have happened if Israel were not in the Golan,” the prime minister said Wednesday in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “We would have Iran on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It’s time that the international community recognizes Israel’s stay in the Golan, the fact that the Golan will always remain part of the State of Israel.”

Now that talk has spread to the Republican Party. Last

(JTA) — President Donald Trump tweeted that the United States should recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

“After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!” he wrote on March 21. week, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump What does that mean, and why does it matter? ally, called on the U.S. to recognize Israel’s claim to the Here’s what you need to know about the Golan Heights, Golan. Trump himself followed suit on Thursday, breaking the 52-year argument over the plateau and why Trump’s with half a century of U.S. policy. tweet is a big deal for Israel’s upcoming election.

That sounds like a big deal.

What is the Golan Heights?

It is. First, it makes clear that peace between Israel and The Golan Heights is a territory in Israel’s northeast Syria isn’t happening anytime soon, even when the civil war corner, on the Syrian border. It’s rural, mountainous and ends. If Israel’s hold on the Golan was tight before, it’s mostly empty. Fewer than 50,000 people live there — less airtight now. U.S. recognition would give its annexation a than 1 percent of Israel’s population of 8.7 million. Half of the dose of international legitimacy, so Israel is even less likely Golan’s residents are Jewish Israelis who live mostly in to withdraw now. small agricultural communities. The other half are from a It’s also a big deal for Netanyahu, who is facing a credible religious group called the Druze, who are mostly citizens of challenge to his premiership in the election a couple of weeks Syria.

What? Why are there Syrian citizens living in Israel?

Continued on page 19 Good question! The Golan wasn’t always controlled by T U E S D A Y, J U N E 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 JE WISH NATIONAL FUND OF EDMONTON Israel. Until 1967, it was part of Syria, but Israel took control of the area that year in the Six-Day War. Israelis began moving there almost immediately, and Israel fully annexed the Golan in 1981, treating it like any other part of the country. It offered the Syrian Druze residents CO-CHAIRS: REBECCA & SHANE ASBELL citizenship, but most of them FANTASYLAND HOTEL BALLROOM - WEST W EDMONTON MALL - RECEPTION: 6 P M DINNER: 7PM have declined.

So now the Golan is part of Israel?

Kind of. Israel thinks so, but no other country has recognized its sovereignty Committed to family, to community, and to Israel, Lewis and Freya Wasel over the heights — including are most fitting Negev Gala honourees. the U.S. The international Since moving to Edmonton in 2000, Lewis has been an active community volunteer. He is currently Gabbai of Beth Israel Synagogue, president community sees the Golan of Jewish Seniors Drop-In Centre, and a past president of Jewish Family as Syrian territory occupied Services.

by Israel in a war — a view Freya is an incredibly dedicated volunteer. She has been president of shared by every president Ami Chai chapter, Hadassah WIZO; National Secretary, National Council before Trump. of Jewish Women; programming chair, Beth Israel Synagogue; and volunIsrael has flirted with teer at the Cross Cancer Institute. Freya chaired the Beth Israel committee that created the ‘100 Years of Memories’ historical display, on permanent returning the Golan to Syria exhibit in the synagogue’s foyer. a few times in exchange for a full peace treaty. In the 1990s, and as late as 2010, Israeli prime ministers considered the idea in negotiations.

But Israelis don’t want to part with the Golan. In the ’90s, as peace talks advanced, bumper stickers that read “The Nation with the Golan” spread around Israel. In 2008, when Israel and Syria conducted indirect negotiations, nearly 60 percent of Israelis opposed returning the Golan in exchange for peace. In addition to its stunning landscapes, the Golan holds strategic value for Israel as a high ground that overlooks the country’s north.

And even though no country recognizes Israel’s DINNER: 7PM claim to the Golan, it still isn’t that controversial. Most criticism of Israel relates to JNF Edmonton invites you to help support the expansion of Airplane Park Kiryat Shmona lacks the resources to develop beautiful amenities like in Kiryat Shmona, Israel’s northern most city. Right in the heart of the Gal- Airplane Park. Given the significant child poverty rate in the area, the park how it treats Palestinians in ilee Panhandle and the Hula Valley, the Airplane Park project is an example will provide much needed recreational space for underprivileged youth and the West Bank and Gaza. of what JNF does best, creating fantastic green spaces to support and en- families.

But there are no hance the quality of life for the residents of Kiryat Shmona and surrounding Airplane Park will be accessible to special needs populations, so that evPalestinians in the Golan, communities. This new municipal park spreads across 19 acres, providing eryone who wants to come can enjoy the park and its planned features and the Druze residents bicycle and walking trails, seating and picnic areas along the Nahal Ayun With your generosity, we will further develop this important Park and there don’t protest Israel. streambed that leads to various wading pools. make it a source of enjoyment for all.

Even with a civil war raging next door, the Golan is FOR MORE INFFOR RMATION, SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITTIESS, DONATION AND TICCKETS: JNFEDMONTON.CA I EDM@JN NF.CA I 780.481.7881 tranquil.

FREYA & LEWIS WASEL

AIRPLANE PARK IN KIRYAT SHMONA

A MUNICIPAL NATURE PARK IN THE GALILEE PANHANDLE

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Edmonton Jewish News

A former punk rocker wrote a novel about Holocaust memory

by Curt Schleier (JTA) — At first glance, Bram Presser looks more like a punk rocker than a sensitive novelist. He has two big lip piercings, a few scraggly dreadlocks and a quirky beard only under his chin line.

And, yes, Presser, 43, was the lead singer and songwriter of Yidcore, an Australian punk rock band that achieved considerable success in the early 2000s with its covers of Jewish songs — such as the entire score of “Fiddler on the Roof” — and original compositions.

Yet this very same dude wrote “The Book of Dirt,” a thoughtful, lyrical examination of his family’s Holocaust past. It begins with a warning: “Almost everyone you care about in this book is dead.” But as the Jewish Book Council noted last month when it awarded Presser its Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction, the book is “so beautifully executed that it authenticates the voices Presser seeks to awaken.”

Those are the voices of his family, starting with his grandfather, Jan Randa, who like many survivors didn’t talk about his wartime experiences. Still, Bram writes, “the nightmares had a way of sneaking out, just like the screams [that] kept my mother awake throughout her childhood.”

“He absolutely did not want to transmit the trauma he went through,” Presser said in a phone interview from his home in Melbourne.

His grandfather, who later went by Jacob Rand, spoke about his experiences exactly twice. The first time it was on Yom Hashoah at a Melbourne Jewish school where he taught, and where the students were mesmerized by the manner in which he described even the smells of the camp.

He spoke again at the bar mitzvah of Bram’s older brother for 45 minutes to a less receptive audience. He never discussed it again.

However, a reprint in the Australian Jewish News of an older article about Rand sparked Presser’s interest. It reported that Rand was part of the Talmudkommando, a select group of scholars assigned by the Nazis to evaluate the

April 8, 2019

Na’amat lends a hand

Jewish books and artifacts they stole. Supposedly the most valuable were to be included in the Museum of the Extinct Race, the Nazis’ planned “memorial” to the Jewish culture they hoped to erase.

“I didn’t really set out to write a book,” Presser said.

“I wanted to find out what happened to my grandfather. I wanted to write about a boy from a small village in the Carpathian Maya Feldman, Tikvah Chapter President, and Robin Marcus presented a Mountains.” cheque for $3,000 to Jewish Family Services President Judi Card (far right) The more he learned, the and Executive Director Robert Mitchell. The cheque represents Na’amat more fascinated Presser Canada Edmonton’s long term commitment to Edmonton’s SMART Program. became by his family’s history. There was his greatcamps,” Presser said. “These were people who had lives. They grandmother, Frantiska Roubickova, a convert to Judaism, had friendships. They had close calls.” and grandmother, Dasa, a “mischlinge” (the Nazi term for If writing “The Book of Dirt” was bashert — “fated” with someone of mixed race) who married Rand. A host of real Presser’s chance discovery of an article about his historical figures — from a prewar Czech president, Tomas grandfather — so was his entry into the Jewish punk world.

Masaryk, to Rabbi Judah Loew, the Maharal of Prague, one “It was sort of by accident,” he said. “I was always kind of of the leading rabbis of the region in the 16th century — are into heavy metal. In high school I was in an alternative rock also part of this multi-generation story. It quickly became band and we continued to play in college for the Jewish clear to Presser that he needed to create a fictional landscape Student Union. We thought it would be funny to do punk for it all to work. versions of popular songs and lounge versions of punk songs.

He spent years in research, making multiple trips to the We did ‘Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,’ a big campfire song back Czech Republic, Israel, Poland, the United States and in the day, and everyone loved it.

England, and he devoured “hundreds of books.”

“Someone in the audience recorded a couple of songs and The final product alternates between a mystical retelling got it to a record executive who asked us to come in and of his family’s past and an account of Presser’s own research. record. We didn’t think much of it. We just did it for fun. It Some of the sources he encounters along the way offer was a ridiculous joke that just went very well.” different accounts of the same events and stories, making The group developed a significant following in Australia, Presser wary of his grandfather’s own words. appeared on TV and filmed several videos. While they played It also delves into some of Rand’s time spent in the festivals in America, “it was a lot more fringe, although we Theresienstadt camp through the eyes of the slightly played one of the great venues, CBGB.” fictionalized character Jewish punk was not universally admired.

Jakub R. “We were [mentioned] on neo-Nazi forums. They were “The basic facts had to be talking about us a lot. There were lots of threats made, but right, to give a sense of what no one ever showed up,” Presser said. it was like to live under the Continued on page 12 occupation, to live in the

April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

B’nei Israel in the Anthorpocene, or getting ready for Pesach 5779

By Rabbi Gila Caine It’s always about names and the stories hidden in them, names and stories telling us who we are and who we could be. Are we really living up to our name “B’nei Israel/ Children of Israel” today?

In the Hebrew version of Gila Caine his book Radical Judaism, Rabbi Art Green looks at the word Israel, and attempts to realize its meaning for us today by asking the following two questions: In what Era are we living today? What is Jewish Identity?

Now let’s use these questions to ask what’s the meaning of being part of Am Israel today, in 2019? Which is another way of asking - why were we taken out of Egypt?

We begin with a name, and our original name was B’nei Israel - the children of Israel, a much more informative title than just Yehudim - those people who came from the geographical spot called Judea. We are the children of our father Jacob-Israel, and here is the story of how he received his new name: “Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered,

“I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32) On his way back home from years in exile, just at the moment before re-entering his homeland, Jacob has a strange meeting in darkness. He struggles all night with a man/G-d and gains a wound and a blessing - both of which we carry with us to this day as his daughters and sons. The name we carry means we should be deeply engaged in a fearless conversation with G-d and Earth until all of us receive a blessing. This is a struggle of love and deep connection, a struggle showing full commitment to the relationship.

And so, we have a name and it is complex and beautiful and maybe even a bit scary, but are we living up to it today?

To answer that I want to go back to Rabbi Green’s questions and work from there.

In what Era are we living? When Rabbi Green asked this question, he was referring to historical eras, and more specifically looking at two identity changing watersheds - the European Enlightenment and the Holocaust. They are both radically different from each other, but each of them had a deep impact on our identity (and not just on European Jews).

I take his question and ask myself, what is the single most meaningful shift going on in the world today and top of the list comes Climate Change, and our human involvement in bringing this on. Some have even dubbed the era Anthropocene: The proposed current geological epoch, in

Jews, ethical omnivores, vegans and other curious animals Dr. Aaron Gross, an historian of religions at the University of San Diego will be presenting a special lecture at the University of Alberta on April 17, 2019.

The lecture - “Jews, ethical omnivores, vegans, and other curious animals” - will be held at the Orion Room, Students’ Union Building from 4:15 to 5:45 pm.

“All life eats,” explains Dr. Gross in his description of the lecture. “Overwhelmingly, we eat what others around us are eating.

“However, some of us - for example, many Jews, so called ‘ethical omnivores,’ and vegans - make a point of eating

differently. We are ready to risk inconvenience, expense, and even annoying, angering, or, sometimes, inspiring others in response to how we eat.

“What does it mean to be the kind of animals that get to decide what we eat? And what does it mean to decide to eat animals differently, or not to eat animals at all, in North America today?

“Beyond the important questions of animal cruelty and ecology most commonly discussed in connection with meat, what does the question of meat have to do with sex, gender, race, religion, and Judaism?”

May your Passover celebration be a time of joy and renewal, filled with the beautiful traditions of the seder table!

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM

A welcome Shul for the entire family Edmonton’s Conservative Egalitarian Synagogue

11916 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, AB Email: info@e-bethshalom.org

Phone 488-6333

Page 11 which humans are the primary cause of permanent planetary change. We are changing the planet, we are wrestling with G-d, but not in a good way.

So we are now Am Israel living in an era of Anthropocene, and it will change who we are.

The second question Rabbi Green brought to us asks What is Jewish Identity? Is it an irreversible ethnic fact or is it conscious choice to take part in renewing the face of our tradition? We could live our lives out of habit, live our religious, cultural, ethnic identity out of habit. We could even use it as a tool to look away from the outside world crumbling apart around us. But then we wouldn’t be the children of Israel/Jacob, we wouldn’t be the people who are engaged in deeply connecting with all that is sacred in our world, even when it’s a struggle.

We were taken out of Egypt as a Nation of the sons and daughters of Israel, to do work in this world, to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus, 19). That means all of us - those born into the nation and those who chose to join - have a responsibility to maintain the sacredness of this world.

To own the name B’nei Israel, we must dive into deep physical, emotional and spiritual wrestling with Earth’s reality around us. And we should learn from our ancient heritage ways of freeing the enslaved, and curing the contaminated, so we can free an Earth enslaved to humanity’s disrespect and greed and purify all the contamination we’ve brought on her. And like our forefather Israel, though we might gain some wounds, we might also bring a great blessing on ourselves and on the world.

Wishing all of us a Happy Pesach.

Rabbi Gila Caine is Rabbi at Temple Beth Ora, Edmonton's Reform Judaism congregation.

“Come join the conversation.”

Professor Aaron S. Gross is a historian of religions at the University of San Diego who focuses on modern and contemporary Jewish thought and ethics. Thematically, Gross’s work centers on the study of animals and religion, and food and religion. He is active in the leadership of the Society for Jewish Ethics and the American Academy of Religion’s Animals and Religion Group, and founded and serves as CEO of the nonprofit advocacy organization, Farm Forward.

In addition to the lecture on April 17, Dr. Gross will also be participating in a panel discussion on April 16th at 4:30 pm about food and religion (held in the Orion room at the Student Union’s Building).

Page 12

Edmonton Jewish News

April 8, 2019

Chocolate Quinoa Cake Recipe

By Paula Shoyer (The Nosher via JTA) -- I had heard the myth of chocolate cakes made with cooked quinoa and didn’t quite believe they would actually be tasty. This cake is surprisingly moist and delicious.

Note: This recipe is gluten- and dairy-free, and Passover friendly. You can make this cake up to three days in advance, and it also freezes well.

This recipe is excerpted with permission from Paula Shoyer’s cookbook "The Healthy Jewish Kitchen."

Ingredients: For the cake: 3/4 cup quinoa 1 1/2 cups water Cooking spray 2 tablespoons potato starch 1/3 cup orange juice (from 1 orange) 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup coconut oil 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Punk rocker

Cont. from page 10

But the group was warmly embraced by the punk scene.

“They actively spoke up for us and protected us,” Presser said.

The group stayed together for about 10 years.

“We’d made all the Jewish jokes we could, done all the music, we were kind of done with that. Also the guitarist and I, we were the original members from beginning to end, and we agreed that if one of us wants to stop, we’d stop,” Presser said. “He got married and his wife was pregnant, so we got to retire rather than be retired. There’s something sad about 45-year-old guys playing shows.”

Fortunately, Presser had a fall-back plan. For 10 years he

Fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional) For the glaze (optional): 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions: 1. Place the quinoa and water into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Set the pan aside. The quinoa may be made 1 day in advance.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use cooking spray to grease a 12-cup bundt pan. Sprinkle the potato starch over the greased pan and then shake the pan to remove any excess starch.

3. Place the quinoa in the bowl of a food processor. Add the orange juice, eggs, vanilla, oil, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt; process until the mixture is very smooth.

4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, or place in a medium microwave-safe bowl and put in a microwave for 45 seconds, stirring and then heating the chocolate for another 30 seconds until it is melted. Add the chocolate to the quinoa batter and process until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake it for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

5. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove it gently attended classes to earn his law degree — he held a university record for the longest time it took to acquire a degree without failing a course. It was comical: At one point he got a teaching assistant position and later joined the school’s staff, in some cases attending classes alongside students he taught.

It was an easy transition for Presser — but not so much for some judges.

“A judge would call a case and I’d stand up and introduce myself. And I’d say, ‘No, the client is the personable person behind me in the suit.’ That probably went on for the first year,” he said.

These days he’s living the life of a Jewish family man.

Presser and his partner have a young daughter, and he continues to write (he’s concurrently working on two books, one he calls a “fable” of sorts). He’s also still busy promoting

from the pan. Let the cake cool on a wire cooling rack.

6. To make the glaze: Melt the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (see above) or over a double boiler. Add the oil and vanilla and whisk well. Let the glaze sit for 5 minutes and then whisk it again. Use a silicone spatula to spread the glaze all over the cake. Serves 12.

Paula Shoyer, “the kosher baker,” is the author of four cookbooks, most recently "The Healthy Jewish Kitchen" [Sterling Epicure, November]. Shoyer is a freelance writer who has competed on Food Network's "Sweet Genius" and appeared on television over 26 times before major Jewish holidays.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

Bram Presser, former leader of the band Yidcore, won an award from the Jewish Book Council for his debut novel "The Book of Dirt." (Courtesy of Presser) “The Book of Dirt,” which was published last fall, while on leave from his law firm.

“When you spend eight years on a book, you have no idea how it will do,” he said. “You’re just happy that someone reads it.”

Best wishes to all our readers and advertisers for a happy and healthy Passover celebration!

From Deb Shatz and Dan Moser at Edmonton Jewish News

April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

A ‘Sesame Street’ seder and 4 other new children’s books for Passover

By Penny Schwartz BOSTON (JTA) -- Four questions. Four cups of wine. Four types of children. At Passover, the number four figures prominently in the rituals of the seder, the ceremonial holiday meal that can be mesmerizing and mystifying.

Four new delightful and brightly illustrated books for young kids will enliven -- and help explain -- the popular eight-day spring holiday, which this year begins on Friday evening, April 19. One features kids' favorites from the longrunning TV series "Sesame Street."

A fifth new title, set in ancient Jerusalem, is a perfect complement to the seder that ends with a tune sung to the phrase "Next year in Jerusalem."

A Seder for Grover by Joni Kibort Sussman; illustrated by Tom Leigh Kar-Ben; ages 1-4 In this first of four planned “Sesame Street” board books from Kar-Ben, publisher and children's author Joni Kibort Sussman teams with longtime “Sesame Street” and Muppet book illustrator Tom Leigh to offer little ones an entertaining introduction to the Passover rituals and traditions.

The youngest kids and their grownup readers will want to join Grover, Big Bird and their “Sesame Street” friends at Avigail's Passover seder to eat matzah, read the Haggadah and ask the Four Questions. Cookie Monster can come along, too – but only if he eats special Passover cookies. Grover tells his friends it's good to invite guests to the seder. Even Moishe Oofnik the grouch is included.

Pippa's Passover Plate

by Vivian Kirkfield; illustrated by Jill Weber Holiday House; ages 4-8 In this lively, rhyming story, an adorable mouse named Pippa is preparing for the seder.

She sets the table and stirs the chicken stew. But where's the special shiny gold seder plate placed in the center of the table to display the ritual foods eaten at the ceremonial meal?

The kids will have fun as they follow Pippa in her search -- from inside her house to the garden, fields and ponds outdoors. Along the way, the feisty Pippa asks for help from a cat, snake and wise owl, who are big and scary and make Pippa "cringe and quake."

Author Vivian Kirkfield's playful verse introduces kid to the seder rituals, while award-winning artist Jill Weber ("The Story of Passover") puts readers in the scene with the cute gray and pink mouse. Her bright, large format illustrations are brightened with yellows and greens to match the springtime festival. The last page features Pippa's Passover plate, which identifies all of the symbolic seder foods.

The Best Four Questions

by Rachelle Burk; illustrated by Melanie Florian Kar-Ben; ages 3-8 Marcy is the youngest child in the family who has just learned to read, and it's her turn to ask the Four Questions at her seder. But Marcy's older brother, Jake, isn’t so happy to relinquish the ritual that has won him plenty of praise from his relatives. Marcy, a vivacious and inquisitive girl, turns down all offers of help to practice reciting the Four Questions.

Older kids may figure out that Marcy doesn't realize that she's expected to read the traditional questions from the Haggadah. She’s come up with her own questions all by herself. Here’s one: How many matzah balls in Grandma's chicken soup? Read to see how the family and Jake react.

Rachelle Burke's lively and engaging storytelling underscores the tenet of Passover that encourages participants to ask questions. Melanie Florian's brightly colored animated illustrations capture Marcy's enthusiasm for the festive holiday.

Matzah Belowstairs

by Susan Lynn Meyer; illustrated by Mette Engell Kar-Ben; ages 4-8 In Susan Lynn Meyer's humor-filled tale, two families share a home in Apartment 4B,

Page 13 where they are eager to celebrate Passover. Young Eli Winkler is welcoming his human family's guests to their seder in their "Abovestairs" apartment. Under the Winkler's floor is the young Miriam Mouse and her mouse family, who live "Belowstairs" and occasionally enter the Winkler apartment through a tiny round mouse hole.

This year, the Winklers have stored their matzah in a tightly sealed tin box and Miriam Mouse hasn't been able to find any stray pieces -- not even crumbs - for her family's holiday. When the determined Miriam crawls through her hole, she spies Eli's father hiding the afikomen, the piece of matzah needed to conclude the seder meal. Who will find the hidden matzah first, Eli or Miriam Mouse? Kids will delight when Miriam Mouse finds the perfect solution for both families.

Mette Engell's large and colorful illustrations provide readers the unusual view from the mouse perspective. In a double-page illustration, Eli is kneeling and wide eyed when he discovers Miriam under a bookcase with the afikomen wrapped in a bright blue napkin embroidered by his grandmother.

Shimri's Big Idea: A Story of Ancient Jerusalem

by Elka Weber; illustrated by Inbal Gigi Bousidan Apples & Honey Press; ages 4-8 In this gracefully told story, Elka Weber takes kids back in time to ancient Jerusalem, where a curious boy named Shimri is told he's too young and small to help his older and bigger family members plow the fields and draw water from the faraway well. But His Grandma Eliora reassures him that "Big ideas can come from small mouths," and urges him to look closely and listen.

Shimri learns that King Hezekiah is looking for ideas on how to bring water inside the city's walls and wonders if the king will listen to a small boy's solution to the problem.

Weber's timeless, folk-style tale will strike a chord for young readers who will share Shimri's frustration.

The warm desert tones of Inbal Gigi Bousidan's illustrations evoke the landscape and lifestyle of ancient Jerusalem. An author's note explains the fictional story is inspired by Hezekiah's Tunnel, which was dug during the eighth century BCE, an engineering feat for its time.

HAPPY PASSOVER

Page 14

Edmonton Jewish News

4 hacks to make your Passover seder more fun

By Emily Aronoff Teck (Kveller via JTA) – No joke: I love hosting the Passover seder.

I love feeding people — I’m both Jewish and Southern, so this is deeply engrained in me. I love educating people, and I love being Jewish, so the seder is a perfect opportunity to gather the ones I love for a meal — a meal during which they are actually open to me sharing all sorts of fun facts, songs and stories.

If it were up to me, I’d fill every shared meal with readings and inspired discussions. That’s not realistic, of course. But during a Passover seder, at least, people are much more game. So I like to take full advantage of the opportunity and go above and beyond the typical readings and tunes that most people expect.

Yes, I’m a mom — but my toddler and baby weren’t my primary motivation for adding some sass to our seder.

(Although one of my all-time favorite seder moments was last year, when our swaddled newborn, placed in a basket, formed a particularly memorable tablescape.) For years I’ve been motivated to find new and different ways to invite my seder guests to see the joy in Judaism that I see every day.

Everyone — kids and adults — loves to play, learn and connect with one other. Passover is the perfect time for that.

So here are a few of my seder hacks that I’d totally recommend if you’d like to ensure your festive meal is, in fact, festive.

Make-your-own haroset bar Having your guests concoct their own haroset is so much fun. On a side table in our dining room, I set up an array of diced fruits, nuts, and a selection of honeys, wines and juices.

(Pro tip: Martinelli’s makes the best apple juice!) I put out cheap, reusable plastic shot glasses so guests can make multiple variations to find their favorite. Sometimes a few of the grown-ups make a concoction that much more closely resembles sangria than haroset, but hey, that’s part of the fun!

Digital Haggadah Like many families today, I like to make my own Haggadah, or seder guide. But instead of making photocopies, I do it in Powerpoint. We usually drag a big-

April 8, 2019

Beth Shalom Schpiels Purim

screen TV into the dining room — though this year we’ve upgraded: We invested in a small projector, so instead we’ll project the Haggadah on a wall. (This is for those who are willing to use electronics on a yom tov.)

I love doing this for several reasons. I can personalize the presentation and I can make changes up to the last minute. I’ll assign readings by writing a person’s name, add images of the people who are attending (I can add even add photos from previous year’s seders, which is particularly fun since we have little kids who have grown a lot in the last year). It’s a multimedia presentation: We play this video about The Four Sons instead of reading that passage; we’ll sing along with the Maccabeats’ version of “Dayenu.” Plus, no one is ever on the wrong page, and everyone is looking up and around instead of down.

On March 20, Beth Shalom congregation hosted a delightful Purim Party that Storybook breaks included costumes, adelicious pasta dinner, and a wacky Purim Schpiel that was loads of fun for everyone.

Though we follow the Haggadah, we frequently pause to share parts of the in laundry baskets — we give them a ride around the table story using picture books. It doesn’t seem to matter that when we talk about baby Moses in a basket (we do it while there are usually more adults than kids at my seder, singing “Little Taste of Torah”). everyone welcomes the change of pace. We like to say the We’ll use bubble machines and water sprayers when we Four Questions all together, reading from this awesome talk about the parting of the Red Sea and, for babies, we will picture book that’s both in English and Hebrew, and we read play afikomen peek-a-boo using scarves or cloth napkins. We “The Longest Night” to help us imagine the experiences of use materials like kinetic sand and wax craft sticks, so the enslaved people. We also have several copies of the everyone can craft little avatars of themselves, encouraging “Dayenu” board book (thanks PJ Library!), so we have each guest to “imagine if you were a slave in Egypt.” multiple people holding onto it as we sing it in English (just Trust me, with a little creativity (and not a ton of work!), before we watch the video mentioned above). you can have a lot of fun at your Passover seder. I hope your Schtick it up seder is meaningful, memorable and enjoyable. Chag I love schtick. But what I don’t love are some of the more Sameach! popular ways to work it into the seder. (Take those Ten Emily Aronoff Teck is a multi-tasking mom, musician and Plagues finger puppets — the plagues weren’t cute, so let’s educator. “Miss” Emily visits Jewish communities to share drop those, OK?) There are myriad other ways for putting celebrations and songs with young children and their grownsome pep into the seder. For example, we like to put the kids ups, and manages JewishLearningMatters.com.

April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

from Barb Mandel Best wishes to my friends and family for a happy Passover from Luba Allen Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Daniel & Marina Starkman and family

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Freya & Lewis Wasel and family

Chag Sameach from Melany, Joel, Jake, Cas, Micah and Lev Eitan Allen Happy Passover from Sharon Bookhalter & Jerry Glasser

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Brenda & Gary Nahornick and family

from Beryl Nahornick and family Best wishes to our friends and family for a Happy Passover from Netta & Frank Phillet

Happy Passover from Nikki Hayden, Naomi, Jared and Stephanie Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Bernie & Miriam Adler and family

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Paul Deutsch and family Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover, from David & Naama Broesky

Happy Passover from the Brick Family

Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Dr. Jerome Yager & Cintia Kezerle Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Laurie & Chuck Mozeson and family

Chag Sameach from Maita Silver and Jim Bowron Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Ron & Naomi Wolch

Page 15

Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Gary, Marina and Matthew Marcus

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Gail, Kevin, Justin, Alana Milner and Helen Markovich

from Shirley Goldberg, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren

Happy Passover from Susan & Bruce Mintz and family Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Gary, Mira, Noah, Nathan and Leah Campbell

Wishing the Jewish community a

from Gordon & Darlene Bushewsky and family Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from the Uritsky Family

from Dr. Michael & Sylvia Alpern

from Forrest, Anna, Adina and Naomi Zeisler Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from the Sniderman Family

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Jodi, Michael and Rebecca Zabludowski Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Brandon Jacoby & Rachelle Marmur

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Lauren Baram & Lawrence Rodnunsky, Adam Baram, Abigail, Moshe, Aviva and Nava Pollock

happy and healthy Passover from Dr. Sam & Eva Weisz

Edmonton Jewish News staff wish the entire Jewish community

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Robin & David Marcus and family Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Paula & Eric Weil and family Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover, from Gabe & Sonia Goldberg and family

Chag Sameach from Becky, Daniel and Zev Shafran

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Doug, Nellie, Jessica, Samantha and Clark

Happy Passover from Nina & Tom Hardin and family

Page 16

Edmonton Jewish News

Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Carol & Ron Ritch

from Hal Zalmanowitz Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Morley & Naomi Wolfman

Happy Passover from Aube, Diana, Sarah and Jeremiah Levine Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Rabbi Dovid, Devorah and family

From Jay & Dia Silver and family Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from the Zwaigenbaums Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Katherine Braun

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Murray & Reisa Sheckter and Shayna Segal

from the Wine Family Best wishes to our friends and family for a Happy Passover from Minnie & Harvey Emas

Rabbi Ari and Rebbetzin Rifka wish the entire Edmonton Community a

Chag Sameach to everyone! from Dayna Hyman & Josh Moser

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Sue & Alvin Winestock

Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Judi Card

From Jonathan, Zachary and Gabreilla Tankel Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Sandy & Moe Litman and family

Wishing the whole Jewish community of Edmonton a Happy Passover!

Pesach Kosher ve Sameach!

From the Massarsky Family

Happy Passover from Jane, Hersh, Derek, Corey and Annie Sobel

from Faren Hochman, Ari Sniderman and Noam Sniderman Wishing the Jewish community a happy and healthy Passover from Christina & Joel Reboh and family

Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Megan & Gabriel Mandel

Wishing the entire Jewish community a Happy Passover from Stacey, Erin, Jordyn, Abby & Zoe Wright Best wishes to our friends and family for a happy Pesach from Ruth & Ben Coppens and family

Chag Sameach to our friends and family from Riva & Howard Shein Best wishes to our friends and family for a Happy Passover from Michele & Josh Miller

The Edmonton Chapters of Na'amat thank the Edmonton Jewish Community and Edmonton Jewish News for supporting this holiday greeting fundraising project. Chag Kasher ve Sameach!

April 8, 2019

April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

Page 17

My only Passover tradition: Not having one

By Abby Seitz (Alma via JTA) – My family doesn’t have a seder. I have zero memories of shoving my brother out of the way for the afikomen. I asked a lot of questions as a kid, but none of them were “Why is this night different than all the other nights?”

My Jewish upbringing was nonexistent. I never envied others who had a bat mitzvah or a giant family seder — I had no idea what I was missing. I first stumbled into a synagogue at 15, when I went with family friends for Rosh Hashanah services. I was totally moved by the traditions, the community and the liturgy.

But I lived an hour from the synagogue, so incorporating Jewish holidays and rituals into my life would have to wait until I was in college.

As soon as I arrived at college, I searched for the Jewish community I didn’t have as a child. I found a few — Hillel, a traditional Conservative synagogue and a postdenominational community led by a rabbi who, looking back on it, reminds me a lot of Rabbi Raquel from “Transparent.”

All had communal services and celebrations throughout the Jewish calendar — until Passover. That was the holiday when everybody went home.

I panicked until one of my friends was kind enough to invite me home with her. I spent my first real Passover in

Israelis

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for its “great legislative work, which corresponds with my values.” Like Katz, Davidsen has decided to suspend her verdict on the allegations facing Netanyahu until a court delivers its own.

“It’s only fair to give him the right to fight for his name and not be the judge and jury,” Davidsen, a mother of one, wrote of Netanyahu in a private Facebook message to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Though I never believed in his agenda nor agreed with his way of managing the country, I don’t think he is a traitor as others claim. But he lost his way a long time ago.”

Beck will fly in to vote for Netanyahu.

“The left has not internalized the lessons of its failed policy of concessions” to the Palestinians, he said. “That makes it dangerous. And Netanyahu and his Cabinet have

Columbus, Ohio, with Monica and 30 of her family members.

I was intimidated — I was in a room with dozens of people who had been breaking matzah together for years and I had never seen a seder plate in my life.

I pretended like I knew what I was doing, stumbled through the Haggadah and inaugurated my first Passover tradition: not having one.

The Haggadah says, “Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake,” encouraging families to leave a seat or two open for those who don’t have plans or aren’t able to host their own seder.

Thanks to the hospitality and graciousness of strangers, I haven’t done the same thing for Passover twice. Every year, I find myself at a random table taking on new customs for the night.

At Monica’s, I took part in their tradition of cooking fresh matzah buttercrunch hours before dinner started. I learned about incorporating veganism into the seder at Evan’s, where his family substituted an avocado for the egg on the seder plate. Merav’s family each used their own Haggadah and sang the most beautiful tunes throughout the night. At a community seder we discussed feminism and modern-day slavery as we poured a special cup for Miriam and indulged in fair-trade chocolate.

This year, I will be embarking on a three-day Passover brought Israel to unprecedented achievements in security and diplomacy. I’m voting to protect it.”

Netanyahu’s legal woes and unpopularity in the media only strengthen Beck’s feeling that “Israel’s democracy is under attack” by people, including in the justice system, determined to oust Netanyahu.

Beck is less nonchalant than many other Israeli expats about voting in Europe.

“I basically make a point of participating in every election where I am eligible to vote,” said Beck, a dual citizen of Austria and Israel. “The difference is, Austria makes an effort to allow me to vote wherever I am. Israel does not.”

(Austria allows voting by mail. The Netherlands even allows citizens to empower others to vote for them.)

This time around, I booked my ticket from Amsterdam, where I’ve been living since 2010, days after the early elections were set for April 9. I’ve learned that even off season, waiting any longer means forfeiting all hope of finding a direct flight and submitting myself to exorbitant prices for a connection — thanks to other Israelis flying from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv close to the elections.

One of them is my own father, Israel Lifshitz. When elections come around, we often travel together. Sometimes we vote for the same party, other times we don’t and sometimes, ridiculously, we travel to effectively cancel each

retreat that has promised me a weekend of matzah, meditation and a low-ropes course.

Not knowing where I’ll be for Passover can be stressful, and I always worry that I’m imposing by relying on others to host and feed me. However, as the great Drake once said, YOLO. I’m 21, still exploring my Jewish identity, and I don’t feel obligated to follow a single custom. By switching it up each year, I’ve had the opportunity to see the many ways one can be Jewish. Trying on different traditions gets me thinking about how I can host my own seders down the road and save a seat for another curious and college-aged gal looking to diversify her own Jewish practice.

For a lot of people, Passover is about family. While I wish my family came together every spring to feast and retell the story of the Exodus, making new friends and embracing new traditions each year is just as liberating.

(Abby Seitz is a freelance journalist in Chicago.) other’s vote by picking opposing candidates.

Looking up our designated ballots in Israel, I remembered with a pang of guilt sitting out the 2017 Dutch elections. I had the voting slip ready and then went gardening or something and simply forgot all about it.

As for my dad, who is also a Dutch citizen, well, he chivalrously donates his vote in the the Dutch elections to his wife — she tells him who to vote for. (“We’re both lefties, so whatever,” as he explains it.)

To my father, the stakes are compellingly higher in Israel because of threats to its security. Yet this time around, security played a marginal role in his electoral choice, I reminded him.

“You’re right,” he said. “I guess it’s all about an emotional attachment that I have over there, but not here.” The son of Polish Holocaust survivors, he also regards Israel as a contingency, he said.

As for me, my attachment to Israel is simple: Rising antiSemitism and xenophobia here and throughout Europe give me little reason to believe that our two small children, whom my wife and I are raising as pro-Israel, pro-American Jews, will feel at home in the Netherlands when they come of age in about 20 years. This belief informs the importance I attach to voting in Israel, a country they might someday call home.

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This month's update from Talmud Torah School

It has been a very busy month at Talmud Torah School. Purim was celebrated throughout the school with a wonderful carnival, lots of games and activities, an excellent assembly and fabulous costumes. The students collected food for the Edmonton Food Bank as a shaloch manot prject. The ruach in the school was phenomenal and everyone had a great time. Other highlights at the school this past month included an amazing celebration of learning where students has an opportunity to showcase their studies of interest to their families and friends and an inspirational March Mensch Assembly that featured good deeds and acts of kindness. For registration information contact Gerald Sorokin 780-481-3377.

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To advertise your business or community event, contact Dan at edmjnews@shaw.ca or 780-421-7966.

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April 8, 2019

Edmonton Jewish News

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EJFF 2019: A Study in Characters

By Susan Schiffman (Edmonton) - What do an Israeli border guard, a Mexican mural painter and an Indian conductor have in common?

They are all characters you will meet at the 23rd Annual Edmonton Jewish Film Festival. Good films bring us characters, stories, and places that come alive in our minds and remain vivid, long after we leave the theatre. This year’s EJFF lineup of films will do just that.

On opening night, in the film Shoelaces, you will be totally charmed by a Gadi, a young Israeli man with special needs, who is struggling to adapt to the loss of his mother and to life with a father he barely knows. Gadi will make you laugh and cry and give you renewed faith in humanity.

On the second night of the festival, in the documentary From Cairo to the Cloud, you will be overcome by the power of history when you “meet” Solomon Schechter and travel with him to Cairo as he discovers the geniza, the extraordinary treasure-trove of Jewish documents hidden for centuries in a synagogue storeroom.

The following week, Ariela, the beautiful Jewish mural artist in the Mexican film Leona, is likely to evoke a mixed response from viewers. While some of you will be drawn to her creativity, curiosity and independence, others will despise her for falling in love with a non- Jewish man, and

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away. Trump’s statement is a huge boost in a tight race.

Netanyahu has bet heavily on Trump since he became president, and it’s paid off for him politically. Trump has basically fulfilled Netanyahu’s wish list on everything from recognizing Jerusalem to withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement that Netanyahu vehemently opposed.

Now, in a close race and with his career on the line, Netanyahu can tell Israeli voters he’s the prime minister who delivered U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights.

Does this mean anything for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Maybe. After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel took control of five territories. In the ensuing 52 years, it’s withdrawn from two — the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, both in

defying her family and her faith. In contrast, on the next night, Kurt Waldheim, in the film The Waldheim Waltz, will evoke a universal reaction of hatred and revulsion.

The wily former Nazi, who, with the help of the Austrian political elite, posed as a world leader and peacemaker, will make everyone’s skin crawl and ears smoke. Yet, with the renewal of anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe, the film has a very timely warning message that will ring loud and clear to all those who watch it.

On May 30, the final movie of the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival is Fast forward to the closing night, 'Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds: The Conductor Zubin and you will be joyful again when Mehta.' Edmonton's own prodigy conductor, Alexander Prior, will be in you see the film Good Thoughts, attendance and give an insightful talk after the film.

Good Words, Good Deeds. In this film, Zubin Mehta, the boy from speak after the film and stay for a special dessert reception.

Bombay who became Israel’s beloved conductor and musical Don’t miss the chance to get to know all of these ambassador, will sweep you away as he heals the world characters, real and imagined, and many more not through music. Though Mehta will be present on screen only, mentioned above. Come to the EJFF which runs from May you will have the opportunity to meet Alexander Prior, 21 to 30 at the Landmark City Centre Cinemas. Tickets are Edmonton’s very own prodigy conductor, in person. Mr. Prior, $12. Sponsorships start at $200. himself a musical power-house and real-life charmer, will For the full schedule, go to Jewishedmonton.org. the south — with the goal of making peace.

Israel has also annexed two — eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Trump recognized the Jerusalem annexation in 2017. Now Trump and his Senate allies are pushing Congress to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, too.

In February, Republican House members introduced a bill to do just that.

The fifth territory is the West Bank, which is way more complicated. Israel hasn’t withdrawn from nor annexed it —

yet. But a bunch of right-wing Israeli politicians want to do just that — declare Israeli sovereignty over part or all of the West Bank, where 400,000 Israeli settlers and some 2.5 million Palestinians live.

If Trump recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan and eastern Jerusalem, could he recognize a West Bank annexation, too?

The answer to that question used to be “no.” Now it’s “maybe.”

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April 8, 2019