Ottawa jewish bulletin 2010 09 06(inaccessible)

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bulletin volume 74, no. 19

september 6, 2010

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Stephen Dubner to kick off 2011 Annual Campaign

Medical students on mission to northern Israel Ottawa medical students take a break from their mission to go ATVing and take in the breathtaking view of the Golan Heights. See story on page 19.

By Michael Regenstreif Journalist Stephen J. Dubner, the featured speaker at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s 2011 Campaign Kickoff, Sunday, September 19, 7:30 pm, at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Theatre, is the co-author, with Steven Levitt, of the 2005 best-seller Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, a book that uses pop culture to explore economics, and its 2009 sequel, SuperFreakonomics.

While Dubner may be best known for the Freakonomics books, it is the story behind his (Continued on page 2)

Stephen Dubner

Rabbi Scott Rosenberg is new spiritual leader of Beth Shalom

By Jacqueline Shabsove After a long search, Congregation Beth Shalom has appointed Rabbi Scott Rosenberg to be its new spiritual leader. He arrived in Ottawa and began his duties in August.

Rabbi Rosenberg, originally from Brooklyn, has many positive things to say about his new city.

“Ottawa is a great city and the people here have been warm, friendly and polite,” he said in an interview with the Bulletin.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know people and learning about Ottawa’s Jewish and broader communities.”

Rabbi Rosenberg earned bachelor’s degrees from both Columbia University and

the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in 1980. He went on to earn a master’s degree from JTS in 1983 and received his rabbinical ordination there in 1984.

He was certified as a mesader gitten (specialist in Jewish divorce law) in 1988 by the Joint Bet Din of the Rabbinical Assembly, the worldwide association of Conservative rabbis. He went on to become the head of the Rabbinic Court of the New England Region of the Rabbinical Assembly for issues regarding Jewish family law. He also was appointed to serve as a member of the Joint Bet Din of the Conservative movement in 2003 and will continue to serve in these positions while at Beth Shalom.

Rabbi Rosenberg began his career at a congregation in Houston, Texas, and then served for 22 years at Temple Reyim, a Conservative congregation in Newton, Massachusetts, before coming to Ottawa.

While serving at Temple Reyim, he held leadership roles in numerous local and national organizations. He served as the president of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis and president of the New England Region of the Rabbinical Assembly. Also involved with the Boy Scouts movement, Rabbi Rosenberg was a member of the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.

“I love teaching, community and (Continued on page 2)

Rabbi Scott Rosenberg is a certified specialist in Jewish divorce law.

(Photo: Jacqueline Shabsove)

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shana tova

Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

No need for conversion process (Continued from page 1)

first book, Choosing My Religion: A Memoir of a Family Beyond Belief – originally published in 1998 as Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son’s Return to His Jewish Family – that makes him a fascinating speaker for Jewish audiences.

In a telephone interview with the Bulletin, Dubner explained that he grew up the youngest of eight siblings in a devoutly religious Roman Catholic family in upstate New York; a Roman Catholic family with Jewish relatives on both sides.

Before they met and married, both his Jewish mother and his Jewish father had converted to Catholicism.

“Their conversions were what I call purely fake conversions,” he said. “They had next to nothing to do with persecution, political or economic, or religious repression of any kind, certainly not going in the direction of secularism.”

It was rare, he added, for two Jewish people of his parents’ generation to independently convert to Catholicism and then meet and marry.

“I think it was a very unusual circumstance, like two needles in a haystack finding one another,” he said.

Dubner – alone among his brothers and sisters – journeyed back to Judaism.

Despite having delved deeply into his parents’ choice to convert, and having written about their choices at length in his book, he could only offer “partial explanations for why they both converted,” he said.

“There were a variety of different tensions within each of their families,” said Dubner. “They were both searching for something different in very different ways. They fell under the influence of different people who led them to their choices.”

Dubner added that in trying to understand the choices his parents made in their conversions to Catholicism, “it’s almost impossible to peer into someone else’s mind and heart when you’re talking about something like that,” which led him to concentrate on understanding his own journey back to Judaism.

That journey began for Dubner while he was in graduate school and writing a novel loosely based on his family.

“I got to the section where I was writing about my parents having met and married. I knew, in real life, they had both been Jews who had converted to

Catholicism.

“When I started to write about this in a fictional way, I realized how little I knew about it.”

This, explained Dubner, led to what became a 10year research project. Eventually, he put the novel in a drawer and began to write about his real-life experience.

He interviewed his mother at great length, did genealogical and archival research, and travelled to Poland to track down the places his family had come from.

As a consequence of their conversions to Catholicism, Dubner’s parents were estranged from many of their Jewish relatives and, because he died when he was very young, Dubner was unable to interview his father.

“My dad died when I was 10, so there was a natural kind of scarcity of information about him and about his past,” Dubner said.

So Dubner tracked down his father’s family, “most of whom I had never heard of, much less ever met.”

During this period of meeting and interacting with his Jewish relatives, Dubner became immersed in Judaism and Yiddishkeit.

“I was learning more

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about my family, my father in particular, and I was also living in New York as a guy in my mid-to-late 20s. I started to learn about Judaism itself on a lot of different levels,” he said.

“As I began to learn a lot about Judaism, Yiddishkeit and Jewish history, I became more attached to and interested in it.”

Although he was raised as a Catholic, Dubner was, in fact, the child of a Jewish mother. So there was no need for him to go through a conversion process.

Conversion, he said, “would be not only redundant, it would be disrespective of Jewish law to convert. Converting would mean to accept the belief that I was no longer Jewish, where as, halachically, I was.”

Tickets for the Campaign Kickoff event with Dubner are $18.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Nancy Walkington at nwalkington@jewishottawa.com or 613-798-4696, ext. 241.

A Flea in Her Ear Bronwyn Steinberg, who directed the Soloway JCC Purim Shpiel, Megillah on the Roof, in February, is set to perform as Eugenie in George Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear, running September 16 to October 23 at the Gladstone Theatre, 910 Gladstone Avenue.

Visit thegladstone.ca or call 613-233-4523 for information and tickets.

Rosenberg: opportunity at Beth Shalom exciting (Continued from page 1)

Judaism, and when you put those three things together, it’s the perfect career choice,” he said of his decision to become a rabbi. “I always enjoyed studying the richness of Jewish tradition.”

Rabbi Rosenberg said his teachers at JTS had a great impact on him.

“I’ve been inspired by my teachers through their ability to create contemporary relevance out of ancient teachings,” he said.

Rabbi Rosenberg moved

to Ottawa with his wife, Amy Goldman. Daughter, Elana, will also be moving to Ottawa, while sons, Alex and Michael, are pursuing their studies in the U.S. As a new rabbi in Ottawa, he wants people to feel welcome about coming to him with questions.

“I don’t look at denominational affiliation,” said Rabbi Rosenberg. “I look at who an individual is – who they are and where they’re going. I welcome everyone.”

Rabbi Rosenberg is looking forward to serving at Beth Shalom.

“The opportunity here at Beth Shalom is an exciting one,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to creating programming – educational, social and cultural – that will engage our membership and welcome others to grow and learn along with us.

“I’m looking forward to strengthening Beth Shalom’s

position in Ottawa’s Jewish community as a synagogue to which people will come to deepen their appreciation of who they are as Jews and spiritual beings.”

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 3

shana tova

Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Goliger examines issues of identity in new novel

By Jacqueline Shabsove “I’ve always wanted to be a writer,” said Gabriella Goliger. “It’s something I felt that has called me since childhood.”

The Ottawa-based author’s first book, Song of Ascent, a collection of short stories, was released in 2000. A decade later, her first novel, Girl Unwrapped, was released this week.

“It was an eight-year process,” Goliger said of writing Girl Unwrapped. “It grew quite despairing at a certain point and I almost gave it up, but I recharged and kept going. But I’m a slow writer and I wasn’t doing it full time. I was working at the time.”

Her early impulse to write came out of “shyness and a desire to communicate,” she said.

Born in Italy, Goliger’s family moved to Montreal in 1952 when she was six months old.

An English major, she completed her bachelor’s degree at McGill University and then went to Israel from 1970 to ’73 for a master’s degree in English Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Goliger moved to Ottawa in 1978.

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and is involved with Keshet Ottawa, a GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered) group.

Goliger and Barbara Freeman, her partner of 30 years, married in 2006.

For Girl Unwrapped, Goliger said she wanted to incorporate two central elements of her identity into Toni Goldblatt, the novel’s fictional protagonist.

“What prompted me to write this particular book is that I wanted to explore the two big aspects of my identity – my lesbianism and my Jewishness – and see how those intersect and how they can be part of a whole self. They are two aspects of me that make me something of an outsider,” she said.

Although Goliger used certain elements of her own life in the novel, she makes it clear that the story is not autobiographical.

“I drew on my own life and experiences, but, emphatically, this is not my story,” she said. “I very deliberately made it fictional, someone else’s story. The main character is not me.”

While Goliger also writes commercially in addition to her fiction, she makes it clear which writing style is her preference.

“I wouldn’t call myself a non-fiction writer,” she said. “I write the occasional article and have earned a living writing commercially for clients, but that’s the difference between cleaning houses and painting pictures. One is a job that gives you an income, the other is something you do because it is your passion, for me anyway.”

Girl Unwrapped begins its story in 1960s Montreal and centres on Toni Goldblatt’s period of self-discovery from adolescence to adulthood. The book’s jacket describes the novel as a story about “forbidden love, isolation, and the search for personal truth despite the stranglehold of family history.”

Goliger hopes that Girl Unwrapped is a book that a wide variety of people will enjoy.

“I expect that it would be of particular interest to anyone who is gay and Jewish,” she said. “But I also hope it would be of interest to anyone who is Jewish or gay and to the larger public as well. I hope I’ve made it real enough that it’s of wide interest. That is what a story is – it takes you out of yourself and puts you in another world.”

Goliger is in the early stages of her next project, a historical novel set in Palestine in the 1930s and ‘40s.

“It’s about a German Jewish immigrant young woman

Author Gabriella Goliger’s first novel, Girl Unwrapped, has just been published.

(Photo: Jacqueline Shabsove)

who has a love affair with a British policeman and the consequences of that,” she said.

A review of Girl Unwrapped will be published in the Bulletin in October.

Goliger will be reading from Girl Unwrapped in the Greenberg Families Library authors’ series at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre on Tuesday, October 26, 7:00 pm. For more information, contact the library at 613-7989818, ext. 245, or library@jccottawa.com.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 5

Federation online calendar replaces Planit Jewish

By Benita Siemiatycki The Jewish Federation of Ottawa has replaced the online Planit Jewish community calendar with an events calendar at jewishottawa.com.

Jewish agencies and organizations can now post their upcoming events on the calendar and members of the community can check it to see what is coming up. By using the calendar, organizations can plan their events to avoid dates that are already booked.

Unlike Planit Jewish, no password is needed to post an event. However, organizations using the calendar must be part of Ottawa’s Jewish community. Individuals cannot post private events, such as weddings or Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Upcoming events that have been listed on Planit Jewish should be resubmitted to the Federation calendar.

To post an event, follow these steps: 1. Go to jewishottawa.com; 2. Select “Calendar” then “upcoming

events” from menu on the left; 3. On the right, just above the calendar, select “Click to see more;” 4. Just below the header, and to the right of the navigation bar, select “Suggest an event;” 5. Fill in the fields and press “Submit” at the bottom of the page.

The website administrator will look at each submission before approving it. It may take a few days until the event is posted on the calendar. The administrator will have to make any changes to the event after it’s been posted, so try to ensure all the information is complete and accurate when submitted.

Community members can follow steps 1 to 3 to view posted events and can click on a particular event for more information.

Federation graphic designer Sylvie Bordeleau is the website administrator.

For questions or more information, contact her at 613-798-4696, ext. 231 or sbordeleau@jewishottawa.com.

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JEWISH RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES 2010 - 2011

In an attempt to communicate and promote better education in the public domain, we have sent a listing of important Jewish Holy Days for the school calendar year, 2010-2011 to all schools in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. We hope this will serve as a guide and help prevent timetabling conflicts.

Below find a copy of the relevant dates.

Should you encounter a problem, please bring the situation to the attention of your school council or principal. If the problem is not resolved, please call us at 613-7984696, ext. 255 or e-mail us at fgreenspoon@jewishottawa.com.

✡ All holy days begin the preceding sundown ✡ ROSH HASHANAH

Thursday, September 9, 2010 Friday, September 10, 2010

YOM KIPPUR

Saturday, September 18, 2010

SUKKOT

Thursday, September 23, 2010 Friday, September 24, 2010

SHEMINI AZERET

Thursday, September 30, 2010

SIMCHAT TORAH

Friday, October 1, 2010

PASSOVER

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 Wednesday, April 20, 2011 Monday, April 25, 2011 Tuesday, April 26, 2011

SHAVUOT

Wednesday, June 8, 2011 Thursday, June 9, 2011

From the Archives

Project focuses on Jewish-owned family businesses The Ottawa Jewish Archives (OJA) is looking for family business records. Building on the early business history covered in A Common Thread, published by the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society, the OJA is now reaching out to families in the community to find new records, particularly from the postwar period to the 1970s.

The OJA recently received information from Judy (Copland) Lieff about the dry cleaning businesses owned by her family. Her grandfather, Zalman Copland, came to Ottawa in 1929 and opened New York Cleaners at 409 Bank Street. Over the years, Zalman’s brother-in-law Hy, son Sam and grandchildren Judy and Jeffrey worked in the dry cleaning business at various locations on Bank Street, O’Connor Street and Richmond Road. This photo of Esquire Cleaners on Richmond Road was taken in January 1969.

Lowertown, Rideau Street and Sparks Street were home to the majority of Jewish-owned businesses, but Bank Street and Wellington Street were also areas where Jewish-owned family businesses were established during this time.

If your family owned a business in Ottawa, the Ottawa Jewish Archives would like to speak to you. Archivist Laurie Dougherty is planning to create a virtual timeline of the Jewish business history of Ottawa using images and information that only you can provide.

Contact Laurie at 613-798-4696, ext. 260, if you are interested in participating in this project by contributing information or volunteering your time.

(Photo courtesy Ottawa Jewish Archives)

shana tova

Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Rosh Hashanah is a time for Jewish continuity and renewal With this Federation Report in mind, I did a little online research about the relationship between Rosh Hashanah and renewal. There are myriad articles linking the two and the consensus I found is that Rosh Hashanah has been the fixed symbol of Jewish continuity and renewal since rabbinic times. The ritual has evolved into a set theme, giving us a time to review the past and prepare for the future, not only in a religious sense, but in all our activities.

This cycle of renewal manifests itself in our work at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa as well. The Board of the Federation evolves every year as some volunteers’ terms end and we involve new people.

This year, we welcomed three new Board members: Mark Thaw, as chair of the Planning Committee, Stephen Bindman, as chair of Communications and Community Relations, and Jennifer Kardash as a member-at-large of the Federation Board. We look forward to working together to continue to improve our Jewish community.

We also take time during the summer to review and renew at a Board retreat where

Federation Report Donna Dolansky Chair we can discuss current issues in depth and plan for the year ahead.

In May and June, in advance of the retreat, I met individually with all the members of the 2009-10 Board and got their input on the governance we use and how they felt about the Board. I met also with those members who were leaving the Board in June. Meetings were held with our major agencies during the last few months. As well, in my last Bulletin column, I solicited input from you, members of the Jewish community, to use in our upcoming retreat, and I am happy to say I heard from some of you. We brought all of that feedback into our deliberations at the retreat.

Our retreat was fantastic.

We had a great facilitator in Michael Walsh, who kept things moving and introduced methods to allow us to think outside the box.

We really felt we worked well together and were able to bring the new members up-to-date on current issues, as well as discuss in detail our work plans for the coming year. We discussed whether our Strategic Objectives were still relevant and whether or not they needed amending. We spent a great deal of time on the issue of Jewish education in Ottawa, both day school and supplementary, and how to attract more families to engage in the community. Each committee had the opportunity to discuss its mandate and its plans for 2010-11, and to receive feedback from the other Board members on its direction.

We were able to eat lunch in small groups in a beautiful outdoor setting and discuss issues, as well as just relax. I think everyone felt there was an opportunity to be heard, and each person was able to contribute to the discussion. Kol HaKavod to the Board members and, of course, to the management and staff who made the whole

day run smoothly.

I can honestly say that, at the end of the day, I was inspired and felt a sense of renewal as we move forward!

Education focus groups and Campaign Kickoff Even though we are still in the lazy days of summer, Federation activity hasn’t come to a halt. Our JOIE (Jewish Outreach, Identity and Education) Committee has been holding focus groups on supplementary Jewish education, and Annual Campaign preparation is in full swing.

I hope you are planning to attend the Campaign Kickoff event on Sunday, September 19 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, where we will feature Stephen J. Dubner, the co-author of Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics. I am currently reading his book, Choosing my Religion, and am interested in meeting him and hearing him speak. I hope I will see you there!

On behalf of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and, of course, on behalf of my family and myself, I wish you all a Shana Tova u’metuka.

Intermarriage: ‘Goals need to switch from prevention to positive engagement’ Every generation of Jews confronts its distinctive challenges and, in doing so, leaves its particular contribution to Jewish history and Jewish life. Ancient generations faced the challenges described in the Torah and Talmud: Jewish survival. In recent decades, we have struggled for Jewish rights and interests in the public arena and have achieved widespread support for the State of Israel, freedom for Soviet Jewry, the public memorialization of the Shoah, and a virtual end of institutional anti-Semitism in North America, winning astounding success in all four of those domains.

In our times, the key challenge by which history will judge us revolves around how we will respond to the impact of intermarriage upon our individual and collective Jewish futures. Virtually all of us have experience with this significant issue. Our children may have married someone who was not born Jewish. Our spouses may be born to non-Jewish parents. We may have been asked to celebrate the intermarriage of friends’ children. Some of us might serve on the boards of Jewish institutions who wrestle with the myriad issues that emerge from the reality of intermarriage.

There might have been a time when our fair city believed itself to be immune from the plague of intermarriage. We proudly announced that none of our congregational rabbis officiated at weddings between Jews and non-Jews. Some of our wonderful synagogues were less than welcoming to couples or families in which one partner was not Jewish, as a value statement. Intermarriage rates in Ottawa were deemed to be below the North American norm.

From the pulpit Rabbi Steven Garten Temple Israel However, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of these practices stopped intermarriage or made the issue disappear. Though some rabbis continue to believe that preaching against intermarriage will save Judaism, statistics tell another story. Though some synagogues still maintain an ambivalence about accepting intermarried families with open arms, the static membership numbers indicate that Jewish survival through synagogue life will require a more thoughtful and creative approach to this issue.

In the past, our concern was primarily focused on the issue of rabbinic officiating. Is there a rabbi who will officiate at a ceremony between Jews and non-Jews? I would argue that, today, the issue of intermarriage is much larger than rabbinic affiliation.

In the past, we argued that intermarriage would lead to the inevitable destruction of the Jewish people. Today, we know that effective communal and synagogue outreach makes a difference in bringing intermarried families into Jewish life.

In the past, the great focus was on preventing intermarriage. Today, we have learned that, regardless of our hopes and dreams, and even day school learning, we

cannot prevent intermarriage. So, we need to focus on how to respond to intermarriage as a given in our society. Our goals need to switch from prevention to positive engagement.

You might ask why I’m writing about intermarriage in this issue of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. You might ask if this column could be better used to help us prepare for the spiritual message of the Yamim Noraim. I apologize to those who feel that this topic is best discussed in private and does not belong in a pre-Yontif column.

On Rosh Hashanah, when our sanctuaries look filled, I am reminded of all those who are not there and I ask, “Why not?”

Should we not all ask that question?

On Yom Kippur, when I pray for forgiveness for my sins, is it not appropriate to wonder whom I have made feel less welcomed and how we can make Teshuvah and welcome them? Is not each and every one of us guilty of the sin of exclusion?

The High Holy Days are our yearly opportunity to search for Jewish meaning, and through meaning, find a path to God and Jewish continuity. Until we direct our attentions to this significant issue with the same dedication and creativity that previous generations devoted to their central issues, we will have great difficulty matching their successes, and our generation’s legacy will be far less glorious than it could have been.

Shana Tova.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 7

Whitton’s ‘historic significance’ is not worthy of honour It made headlines recently when it was announced that Charlotte Whitton, the mayor of Ottawa from 1951 to 1956 and 1960 to 1964, had been nominated for official recognition as a Canadian of “national historic significance.”

Nominations are submitted to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, which investigates and recommends to the minister of the environment which nominees they consider worthy of recognition. The minister then accepts or rejects the board’s recommendation. To date, 648 Canadians have been so recognized.

Whitton’s name was put forward by the Ottawa Committee of the Famous 5 Foundation, an organization that encourages women to participate in politics and public service, because she was the first woman to serve as mayor of a major Canadian city.

Whitton’s nomination became news when it emerged that several major Jewish organizations oppose Whitton’s designation on the basis of her anti-Semitism and have asked Environment Minister Jim Prentice to reject it.

Long before she became mayor, Whitton was one of Canada’s most prominent social workers as director of the Canadian Council on Child Welfare for more than 20 years and was instrumental in keeping Jewish refugee orphans out of Canada during the Second World War, thus sealing the fate of many in the Holocaust.

Whitton’s role in that shameful chapter

Editor Michael Regenstreif of Canadian history is well documented in None Is Too Many by Irving Abella and Harold Troper, and in Open Your Hearts: The Story of the Jewish War Orphans in Canada by my cousin Fraidie Martz. (The Jewish war orphans Martz wrote about in her book were only allowed into Canada beginning in 1947.)

In an op-ed published August 18 in the Ottawa Citizen, Bernie Farber, CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress, and Mitchell Bellman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, argue that Whitton’s actions, motivated by anti-Semitism, doomed hundreds of Jewish children to die in the Holocaust. That, they say, should make her ineligible for the historic designation. I agree.

Farber and Bellman also point to an incident that took place in 1964, when Whitton was mayor of Ottawa and refused to allow a half-million dollar donation (worth more than $3.5 million in 2010 dollars) from Jewish philanthropist Bertram Loeb to the Civic Hospital to build and equip a research facility.

In an editorial published March 3, 1964,

the Ottawa Citizen attacked Whitton for her decision.

“Why did Miss Whitton do it? This is the question that must be puzzling many Ottawans today,” wrote the Citizen.

In a Globe and Mail obituary published when Loeb died in 2006, it was written that some “suspected that Ms. Whitton cringed at the thought of seeing a Jewish name on a city facility.”

Having now read the through the 1964 Ottawa Citizen coverage of the Whitton-Loeb story, that explanation makes sense to me.

Dave Mullington, the author of a forthcoming biography of Whitton, responded to Farber and Bellman with an op-ed in the Citizen refuting allegations of Whitton’s alleged anti-Semitism with a short list of several interactions Whitton had with Jews or Jewish organizations, which, he wrote, “certainly show that she was not as bigoted as some would have us believe.”

Mullington’s defence of Whitton is ironic in light of a December 3, 1982 article he wrote as a Citizen reporter on assignment at Temple Israel for a presentation Abella and Troper made on Whitton and her role in ensuring that Canada not be a haven for Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Mullington reported, in great detail, on Abella and Troper’s research and unquestioningly quotes the authors as saying Whitton was “an outright racist.”

Community-wide Bulletin This is the Rosh Hashanah community-

wide edition of the Bulletin, one of the two community-wide papers we publish each year and distribute more widely beyond our regular subscriber base.

If you’re not one of our regular subscribers, I hope you’ll become one. The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin is the best way to keep up with what’s going on in Ottawa’s vibrant Jewish community. We feature news stories, articles from organizations and agencies, features on interesting people in the community, and lively columns covering a gamut of beats from Canadian politics to world affairs, from values and ethical issues to genealogy, book and music reviews, food and humour and more.

From now through October 29, please take advantage of our special offer on local subscriptions. If you’re already a subscriber, you can extend your subscription from whenever it will expire for up to three more years at the discounted price. Please see page 36 for details.

I’d like to offer my congratulations for a job well done to Jacqueline Shabsove, our summer intern, the first hired under the auspices of the Barry Fishman Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Scholarship Fund. Jackie did excellent work as a reporter and proofreader on the Bulletin’s past three issues. And, although her internship has now ended, I’m looking forward to her contributions in the coming year as one of our freelance reporters.

On behalf of all of us at the Bulletin, Shana Tova!

Appreciating the dog days of summer with Rosie One day last summer, I came home from work to something unusual. Rosie, our healthy and rambunctious 13-year-old dog, didn’t come to greet me at the door as she had done for years. When I found her, she could barely stand. She had left three accidents within inches of each other – something she only does when she’s sick. When she tried to get up, she gave up after a few wobbly steps.

A call to our veterinarian led to a telephone diagnosis: possible stroke. The next morning at his office, he confirmed his suspicion. The end, he said, might be near. We told the kids and everyone came to see her.

Rosie has been part of our family since she was eight weeks old. Growing up alongside of them, she has been the constant and loyal protective companion to our children. She particularly adores my husband (who does most of the feeding and walking), and goes on a hunger strike when he’s out of town.

Anyone who’s had a dog and says “they become part of your family” knows exactly what I mean. We always knew the average lifespan of a dog like her – part Border collie and part Australian shepherd – would be 12 to 15 years, but going from healthy to

Benita Siemiatycki being on death’s doorstep within minutes was a bit too sudden for our family.

With some medication to reduce swelling on her brain and safety steps going back to our baby days, like using a gate to block the stairs, Rosie made a remarkable recovery. She was close to her pre-stroke days. Within a few weeks, she was back to long walks, chasing squirrels and going up and down stairs with ease. The gate was put away.

But it was not to last, and five months later, she experienced a second and more severe stroke. We were told it was really touch and go this time. She couldn’t hold her head straight, was nauseous and could barely stand. We raised her food and water bowls to make it more comfortable for her to eat, and gave her the same medication that had worked previously.

Rosie is hanging in despite illness.

She hung on again and, to the surprise of our vet, regained about 60 per cent of her strength and mobility. She still occasionally stumbles when she walks, but thoroughly enjoys her outdoor walks through the woods near our home. The stairs, though, are difficult as her back legs don’t have the push they used to.

Rosie is now 14 and a half years old.

Over the past few months, we noticed that her hearing is almost gone. She doesn’t

greet me at the door because she doesn’t hear it open and close. Most astonishing is the canine version of dementia that has set in. Although she seems to recognize all her family members, she clearly exhibits confusion sometimes. Her heart appears to be weakening too. But, despite the strokes and handicaps, she’s still hanging in.

So, for much of this summer, we have adapted to meet Rosie’s needs. And it made me wonder about how far we (as in most dog-owners) go to provide love and care to our pets. We don’t know if she’s aware of her decline, and how much it bothers her.

She still seems like a happy dog and follows her masters around the house to be with us. Could the love and affection from our family be the catalyst that is keeping her alive?

It has also occurred to me that watching a dog age is a clue as to what our own aging process may be like. Little by little, the physical and mental capacities deteriorate. Hopefully, all seniors, whether human or animal, are surrounded by loved ones who care for them, so that they know they have been, and continue to be, cherished right to the end.

Alan Echenberg returns September 27.

shana tova

Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Beit Tikvah ramps up Universal Accessibility Initiative

By David Eskenazi Congregation Beit Tikvah For more than two years, Congregation Beit Tikvah of Ottawa, a modern Orthodox synagogue located in Craig Henry, has slowly been working towards our goal of making the building physically accessible to all with our Universal Accessibility Initiative.

In the past two years, Beit Tikvah congregants have raised about $100,000, mostly through small donations recognizing lifecycle events such as weddings, births and deaths. Some have also made substantial matching donations. Racheli Mandelker, for example, had her family match the congregation’s donations in honour of her Bat Mitzvah.

“But universal accessibility is a large undertaking for a congregation such as ours,”

said Beit Tikvah President Leslie Siegman. “Many of our members are retirees or have young families. We have to broaden our campaign beyond our own membership so that we can accommodate everyone’s needs.”

A dedicated Accessibility Committee, led by Beit Tikvah members Harry Beck, Marten Brodsky, Esther Kulik, Arthur Rabinovitch and Barb Veder, has been reviewing a number of structural and mechanical options to make the lower level of the facility accessible to all

Shayna Shuster 613-596-4133 www.shaynashuster.com

New Year’s greetings to all my friends and clients in the community

members and guests.

“Our committee has done a great deal of research and has concluded that an elevator meets our needs best. We have engaged professional help to assist in designing and planning the construction of this project,” said Beck. “The elevator will be designed in accordance with Halacha and we are working closely with Rabbi Finkelstein to ensure that the elevator will be Shabbat compliant.”

Rabbi Howard Finkelstein, Beit Tikvah’s long-time

spiritual leader said, “It is important for our facility to be completely open to the entire Jewish community of Ottawa. We hold many special events during the year, such as special prayer ceremonies for Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Shabbatons and cultural events, which service more than our members.

“It is also important for people to experience all that a synagogue can offer, including classes, Kiddushim and semachot. No one should be left out.”

Mailbag bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com Good deeds Good deeds are contagious. One week this summer, my brother and I decided to brainstorm some random acts of kindness with the help of my mom. We gave some water to a mail carrier. We walked our neighbour’s dog. We pushed little kids on the swing at the park and said “hi” to people we passed when we were riding our bikes.

We found thirsty construction workers and gave them water on a hot day. We made little goodie bags for our neighbours and left them at their door with a note that said, “Just because.”

With my cousins, we sang songs for the residents at Hillel Lodge and cleaned our Bubbie and Zadie’s house to say thank you for all the things they do for us. My mom was very surprised when we emptied the dishwasher without being asked.

We gave cookies to our dentist and to the firefighters (and then they let us sit in their trucks.) We also gave food to the food bank. Whatever we did that week, we gave out cards asking people to pay it forward and encouraged others to do something kind for someone else.

These are just a few ideas that you can do for other people. Imagine the kind of world we would live in if everyone did a good deed for someone else. When someone does something nice for you, don’t forget to pay it forward!

Kayla Reichstein (Age 8)

Having recently celebrated 30 years as a congregation, Beit Tikvah attracts individuals and families whose level of observance covers a wide spectrum.

“Our congregation runs the gamut from yeshiva bachurim who grew up in this community to young families who are new to Ottawa or reconnecting with their Jewish heritage,” said Rabbi Finkelstein. “We do try to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. Making our building universally accessible is a natural extension of the congregation’s overriding philosophy of inclusiveness.”

Shoshana Kagedan, whose husband Ian is past president of Beit Tikvah, knows the importance of universal accessibility.

“When Ian was confined to a wheelchair two years ago because of a neurological disease, we were determined he would not miss out on the synagogue experience, which is a vital part of his life,” she said.

Ian is a regular at Shabbat, festival and High Holiday services, but is still restricted from experiencing that wonderful feeling of community you get during kiddush or at a simcha. And Ian is not the

Shana Tova to the Ottawa Jewish Community

Shad Qadri City Councillor Ward 6 - Stittsville

Letters welcome Letters to the Editor are welcome if they are brief, signed, timely and of interest to our readership. The Bulletin reserves the right to refuse, edit or condense letters.

The Mailbag column will be published as space permits.

Send your letters to Michael Regenstreif, Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9; or by e-mail to bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com.

only person facing physical barriers to full participation.

Sudden disability can present itself at anytime.

Beit Tikvah’s goal is to make our Chartwell Avenue facility fully accessible within the year. The total budget for this initiative is more than $200,000.

“Ian may have inspired the initiative while he was still active as shul president several years ago, yet it is the many congregants who have carried the torch,” said Kagedan.

“It has been a long and slow process, but I am certain that, with support from the community, we can bring this project to fruition.”

In the coming months, Beit Tikvah members will be actively seeking support – technical, financial and otherwise – from the communityat-large to achieve our goal of a universally accessible synagogue.

For information about the Universal Accessibility Initiative, contact Arthur Rabinovitch at 613-723-1890 or Harry Beck at 613-226-2716.

To make a donation to the Beit Tikvah Handicapped Access Fund, call Sue or Maxine in the synagogue office at 613-723-1800.

Valberg photo

E-mail: shad.qadri@ottawa.ca Phone: 613-580-2476 www.shadqadri.com www.ottawa.ca

Shana tova!

May you be blessed with a happy and healthy year

Lorne Rachlis Your candidate for public school trustee (Vote October 25 - Capital and Rideau-Vanier wards)

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 9

Ruth Aaron organizes visits to Ottawa by disabled Israeli veterans for 25 years

Advertorial

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND More than trees 613.798.2411

Brian Pearl president

A memorial amid the Landscape of Adamit Park built with the help of Ottawa JNF In Adamit Park, KKL-JNF’s Northern Region has recently completed work on the scenic lookout, in memory of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, which was funded by Friends of KKL-JNF in Canada, and Ottawa in particular. Plaques in memory of the three soldiers killed in the kidnapping on Israel’s Lebanese border in July 2006 – Shani Turgeman, Wasim Salah Nazal and Eyal Banin – have been added at the site.

Michael Ben Abu, director of KKL-JNF’s Israel Fundraising Department, was the master of ceremonies. In his speech, he thanked Friends of KKLJNF in Canada for their involvement and their vital contribution, which had made the establishment of the lookout possible. He added: “The memorial that we have inaugurated in this beautiful and unique spot symbolizes how these young men, who fell in battle, will be missed. For the bereaved families, comrades in arms, and the public as a whole, it is a special place in nature where a memory will be preserved forever.

This site perpetuates the heritage of these young fighters, who did more than just speak of their love for their homeland – they exemplified it in their actions.”

The recreational area that KKL-JNF has incorporated into the park overlooks the undulating landscape of Western Galilee and includes picnic tables, drinking water facilities and restrooms. Visitors to this popular site will learn the story of the five young men, their battle heritage, and the values they embodied in both life and death.

Adamit Park is situated on Adamit Ridge amidst the wild scenery of the cliffs of Nahal Betzet and Nahal Namer. The park is planted with woodland and orchard trees and includes marked hiking trails and observation points. A scenic road encircles the park and the recreational area is the starting point for a walk to the famous Rainbow Cave; or along the path through the orchards among carob trees, oaks, fig trees and terraces planted with aromatic herbs. The site attracts large numbers of visitors from all over Israel, who will now be drawn not only to the magnificent view it commands, but also to Israel’s unique human landscape – the story of five young men who laid down their lives for their country.

On behalf of Ottawa JNF, I wish everyone L’Shanah Tova Tikatevu for the coming year, and say thanks to all of our donors for their generosity and to our supporters for their hard work during the past year.

Sefer Hayeled/Children’s Registry Inscription Tyler Abraham Barwin, son of Steven and Naomi Barwin, inscribed by Norman and Myrna Barwin.

On a daily basis you can plant trees for all occasions. An attractive card is sent to the recipient.

To order, call the JNF office (613.798.2411).

By Jacqueline Shabsove At 81, Ruth Aaron is a woman whose age does not hold her back. For 25 years, she has been the central figure of an initiative that brings disabled Israeli army veterans to Ottawa for free tours.

The initiative, Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel (ADVI): Beit Halochem Canada, brings disabled veterans to Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa for tours, rest and relaxation.

ADVI is the Canadian friends of the Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization in Israel.

Every year, a different group of veterans of all ages and backgrounds – from professionals to kibbutzniks – visits Canada. The soldiers have been rehabilitated at the state-of-the-art Beit Halochem centres in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Nahariya. The centres allow injured soldiers to be with their families in comfortable settings while receiving care.

Aaron’s involvement with Beit Halochem began when her son, Leslie, volunteered with the Toronto chapter and shared his excitement about the experience with his mother.

“His enthusiasm and commitment rubbed off on me,” she said.

Ruth Aaron was inspired by her sons to become involved with disabled Israeli veterans.

(Photo: Jacqueline Shabsove)

She was also inspired by her son Rafi’s service in the Israel Defense Forces in 1982.

Since 1986, Aaron has arranged annual visits to Ottawa for these groups of disabled veterans.

“Can you imagine coming to Canada, but not coming to the capital?” she said.

Every year, Aaron has facilitated the schedules for the visiting soldiers while in Ottawa and served as their main tour guide. When touring schedules have permitted overnight stays, she has arranged for billeting in private homes.

“I see their reactions.

These trips make a positive impact on the lives of the veterans. They are so thankful,” Aaron said.

This year, the soldiers will visit on October 7.

They will tour the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, have lunch at the home of Miriam Ziv, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, and receive a tour of Parliament.

“I’m fortunate to be able to celebrate this milestone, 25 years with Beit Halochem,” she said.

Aaron was born in Winkler, Manitoba in 1929. Her family moved to Ottawa when she was five years

old. She has been married to her husband, Irving, for 57 years and they have four children and 13 grandchildren.

She has been involved with many Jewish causes and has been a committed volunteer throughout her life with such organizations as Canadian HadassahWIZO, B’nai Brith Canada and the National Council of Jewish Women. Her volunteer work has also included assisting with developmentally delayed and underprivileged children.

Aaron is currently on the board of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada, Ottawa Post.

While Ruth Aaron’s volunteer efforts have benefitted many people and organizations over many years, she refers to her efforts with ADVI as the “jewel in my crown.”

Look at the deal we’ve got for you!

Special Limited New Year Offer on the Bulletin

See page 36 for details.

shana tova

Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

uOttawa and SJCC to celebrate Yiddish in Ottawa

By Rebecca Margolis Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program University of Ottawa An afternoon devoted to the celebration of Yiddish in Ottawa will be presented by the University of Ottawa’s Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program in conjunction with the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) on Sunday, October 17.

The event will celebrate two aspects of Yiddish life in Ottawa: the city’s rich Yiddish musical culture, with performances by two of the city’s choirs, and the University of Ottawa’s Ethel Cooper Yiddish Studies Award of Excellence prize.

The afternoon will open with a performance by Musica Ebraica, a choir

dedicated to performing Jewish music from around the world and across the centuries. Musica Ebraica will perform a repertoire of Yiddish songs with commentary. The event will close with a selection of favourite Yiddish songs by a group of singers from Shiru Lach, the Soloway JCC’s own resident choir.

The event will mark the awarding of the University of Ottawa’s newly inaugurated Ethel Cooper Yiddish Studies Award of Excellence prize and the goldene keyt (golden chain of continuity) that it represents.

The award was created

by Toba Cooper, an alumnus of the university and product of a Yiddish-speaking home. Toba’s participation in the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program’s

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intensive Yiddish language course inspired her to create an award in honour of her mother’s 60th birthday and in recognition of Ethel Cooper’s life’s work dedicated to energizing a love for the Yiddish language and in ensuring its preservation.

The daughter of Holocaust survivors and a native Yiddish speaker, Ethel brings a deep understanding and respect for the roots of the language, its history, its culture and its legacy to her many years as a teacher of Yiddish, an activist with Toronto’s Committee for Yiddish, and as a performer of the Yiddish poetic repertoire.

The award acknowledges her lifelong dedication and passion for Yiddish language, culture and education, and recognizes student commitment and excellence in Yiddish studies.

The first recipient of the Ethel Cooper Yiddish Studies Award of Excellence is Danielle Lynch, 21, a biomedical sciences student at the University of Ottawa.

Danielle excelled in all aspects of her Yiddish class and displayed an abiding enthusiasm for Yiddish.

A new award for excellence in Yiddish studies has been named in honour of Ethel Cooper.

“I have enjoyed studying Yiddish so much because it is so inextricably linked to European Jewish history and culture. The use of the language is much more diverse than I could have imagined. This award is wonderful. It highlights our class’s efforts to learn and preserve Yiddish and I hope more students will be encouraged to take an interest in it,” Danielle said upon learning she would receive the award.

This celebration is one of several exciting activities that will be held under the aegis of the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program in the coming year. Plans are underway for an event that will highlight the awarding of the recently created Petigorsky Family Scholarship.

Danielle Lynch will be the first recipient of the Ethel Cooper Yiddish Studies Award of Excellence, October 17.

A Celebration of Yiddish in Ottawa takes place at the Soloway JCC, Sunday, October 17, 2:00-4:00 pm.

The event is free and open to the public; no reserva-

tions are required.

For more information, visit www.vered.uottawa.ca or contact me at 613-5625800, ext. 2955, or rmargoli@uOttawa.ca.

ah b u et n k o rs ed t Pe n al ai g p Se nd l a H ca a B n e l t El tis r lA a u 92 Vis 5 6 92 7 361 d

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 11

S t a b i l i z e.

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Fred Litwin’s Gay and Right blog takes a strong pro-Israel stance.

(Photo: Jacqueline Shabsove)

Litwin’s move to the right began with 9/11

By Jacqueline Shabsove “For a long time, I was the biggest leftie going,” said Fred Litwin, a passionate, politically engaged activist who moved from one side of the political spectrum to the other in the aftermath of 9/11.

Litwin, who organized anti-nuclear protests in the early-1980s, now describes himself as a “gay conservative” in the introduction to Gay and Right, his pro-Israel and pro-limited government blog (gayandright.blogspot.com). He also runs the Free Thinking Film Society, a non-profit group that screens films and hosts speakers with conservative perspectives.

Career success came early to Litwin, who was able to retire in 2000 at the age of 44. After completing a business degree at Concordia University and an MBA at Queen’s, he worked in the financial sector in Toronto. In 1983, he travelled for a year in Europe, Israel and China, then moved to New York City to continue working in finance. He later worked for Intel in Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong.

After retirement, he moved to Ottawa, which, he said, was a natural fit.

“Every year, coming back to Canada, I visited Ottawa,” Litwin said. “I have friends here. It’s a pretty nice city that is growing substantially, has a high-tech community and is green.”

Wanting to pursue something new, he invested in Borealis, a folk music record label, then founded his own blues label, NorthernBlues. Over the past 10 years, the label has released more than 60 CDs, and its artists have received 12 Juno nominations.

In 2007, Litwin started the Free Thinking Film Society. He was alarmed that the Michael Moore documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, was a big hit.

“The film, whether you agreed with him or not, was full of lies,” he said.

Litwin found a film called Michael Moore

Hates America, which he wanted to screen in Ottawa. When the ByTowne Cinema turned down his request to screen the film, he took matters into his own hands.

“I realized that the only way to see films like this was to show them myself. So, I started meeting with friends and we started showing them ourselves. That’s how the Free Thinking Film Society started,” he said.

Litwin was affected greatly by the events of September 11, 2001.

“September 11 caused me to think about my political beliefs and the nasty things going on with radical Islam. That eventually led to the creation of the Free Thinking Film Society and a lot of other stuff that I do,” he said.

“I have to see every film before we decide to show it,” said Litwin. “It has to have a good point of view and it has to be substantial and back up what it is saying. I’ve rejected many films that don’t say things quite the right way or that are way too over the top in some ways.”

On his Gay and Right blog, Litwin examines current news about Israel and radical Islam, among other issues. He has also created Gay Dominion, a group for gay conservatives in Canada and hopes to expand the Free Thinking Film Society to other cities.

Litwin is currently busy planning the society’s next two events.

First up is a screening of Crossing, a documentary about North Korean refugees, on September 14, 7:00 pm, at Library and Archives Canada.

Admission is $20.00 (plus HST). Tickets are available online at freethinkingfilms.com, at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, Compact Music locations, and at the door.

Coming next is the Free Thinking Film Society’s First Annual Film Festival, November 12-14 at Library and Archives Canada. For more information, visit freethinkingfilmfest.ca.

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Shana Tova Happy New Year to all of our friends and clients

shana tova

Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Debi Shore to be honoured at Hillel Lodge tea

By Marion Silver for Hillel Lodge Auxiliary Plans are well underway for the Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge’s Annual Tea and Fundraiser to be convened

by Sharon Finn on Sunday, October 24, 2:00 pm, at the Lodge.

The Auxiliary is pleased to announce that this year’s honouree is Debi Shore.

With her abundant warmth and enthusiasm, Debi is a most devoted volunteer who can often be found at the reception desk interacting with Lodge resi-

dents and visitors.

Debi also hosts Lodge residents at an annual pool party at her home.

“Everybody needs to be somewhere and I choose to be at the Lodge. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I choose to do,” says Debi.

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Anyone who has had the good fortune to witness Debi in action can surely see why the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge would not be the same without her.

To ensure the safety of all the residents, the Auxiliary hopes to raise sufficient funds this year to finance an enhanced security system to be installed at the lodge.

The annual telethon for the tea, under the leadership of Sheila Hartman and Monica Stein, was very successful, thanks to the generosity and support of Ottawa’s Jewish community.

At any time of year, take advantage of the wonderful and unique finds at the Hillel Lodge Gift Shoppe.

Members of the Auxiliary recently attended the annual gift show in Toronto, and new and exciting merchan-

Devoted volunteer Debi Shore answers a call at Hillel Lodge.

dise – always reasonably priced – continues to arrive.

The Gift Shoppe is a project of the Auxiliary and proceeds from all sales go to the direct benefit of the

residents.

Mention that you read this article in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin and receive 10 per cent off your first purchase.

Temple Israel to host Sukkot program on Multifaith Housing Initiative

By Merle Haltrecht for Temple Israel The Jewish community is invited to Temple Israel on Monday, September 27, 7:30 pm, for a special Sukkot program on the Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI).

Jewish tradition – indeed Jewish responsibility – is to provide housing for the less fortunate in the community-at-large. MHI is a faith-based organization that includes members from the Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Unitarian communities.

The desire to help others in need is a shared value uniting the groups and enabling us to work together to help those who require decent affordable housing.

For MHI, the most effective ways to respond to the growing housing affordability crisis are to raise sufficient capital through donations and low interest loans to purchase

existing lower-cost rental units and maintain them at a high standard for lower-income households; and to help build welcoming communities and neighbourhoods. Volunteer involvement in maintenance, administration and engagement with tenants is a vital part of the MHI mandate and approach.

Community representatives from MHI will be on hand to explain in more detail how MHI works and will speak about how the initiative ties in with the holiday of Sukkot, Jewish living and the concept of Tzedakah. Discussion on the theme of housing will follow.

Jewish tradition dictates a call to social action and the carrying out of mitzvot. Join us and learn how you can become involved in the Multifaith Housing Initiative.

Refreshments – according to another Jewish tradition – will be served.

Shana Tova to our friends in the Ottawa Jewish Community

Marianne Wilkinson Councillor Kanata North 613-580-2474 Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca www.mariannewilkinson.com

Letters welcome Letters to the Editor are welcome if they are brief, signed, timely and of interest to our readership. The Bulletin reserves the right to refuse, edit or condense letters. The Mailbag column will be published as space permits.

Send your letters to Michael Regenstreif, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9; or send an e-mail to: bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 13

Will peace talks be about appearance or substance?

By Ron Kampeas Washington (JTA) – It’s a peace conference where nothing is off the table – or on it, for that matter.

The U.S. administration’s invitation to Palestinian and Israeli leaders to launch direct talks – which were scheduled to begin September 2 – attempts to reconcile Israeli demands for no preconditions with Palestinian demands that the talks address all the core issues: final borders, the fate of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

The U.S. administration does this by calling on the sides to “resolve final-status issues” without saying when and how these issues should come up, if at all.

The vagueness of the invitation issued last month underscored the distance between the two sides, as well as the immediate political and regional pressures that have lit a fire under U.S. efforts to restart the peace process.

Whether the peace talks will be able to move beyond outlines remains to be seen. For now, merely having direct talks is an achievement, particularly for the U.S. and Israel.

For the U.S., having the talks gives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a reason to continue a partial settlement moratorium, thereby sustaining Arab support for U.S. policies. This support is seen as important as Washing-

ton attempts to juggle emerging crises in the region, including Iraq’s vexed attempts to set up a government and Iran’s accelerating nuclear ambitions.

For Netanyahu, the talks demonstrate that his government is interested in pursuing peace with the Palestinians.

Among the Palestinian leadership, however, there are deep concerns that Washington and Jerusalem are more interested in the appearance of talks than in getting down to the nitty-gritty of the final-status issues. Israel has resisted Palestinian demands to discuss final-status issues and opposes any deadline for a resolution.

The discrepancies between the two sides were evident in the delicate way U.S. officials tried to treat the issue of preconditions to the talks.

“Only the parties can determine terms of reference and basis for negotiations, and they will do so when they meet,” George Mitchell, the top U.S. envoy to the region, said in the news conference announcing the invitations.

“As you know, both we and the Quartet have previously said the negotiations should be without preconditions.”

The Quartet is the grouping that guides the Middle East peace process: the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.

Yet, in launching the news conference, U.S. Secretary of

STEPHEN WEINER

State Hillary Clinton seemed to say that both of the elements Israel is resisting would be on the table: final-status issues and a deadline.

“On behalf of the United States government, I’ve invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Abbas to meet on September 2 in Washington, D.C. to re-launch direct negotiations to resolve all final-status issues, which we believe can be completed within one year,” Clinton said.

“Was that a deadline?” a reporter asked Mitchell. “Not quite,” he said, adding, “We believe it can be done within a year and that is our objective.”

Then there is the matter of U.S. involvement. Mitchell insisted the talks would be bilateral, ostensibly diminishing the U.S. role. He said the United States was ready to offer “bridging proposals,” the formulations that negotiating sides request from a moderator when talks hit a snag.

But, the way he put it suggested the United States might offer such proposals even if the sides do not request them.

“This is a direct bilateral negotiation with the active and sustained support of the United States,” he said. “And we will make bridging proposals at such time as we deem necessary and appropriate.”

The determined, active voice he used was not unintentional. Mitchell later repeated the phrase.

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The Palestinians have been pressing for a more active U.S. role, saying that it would help balance Israel’s stronger hand as an established state with a powerful military.

Israel would rather deal directly with the Palestinians, preferring not to countenance an active U.S. role that conceivably could exacerbate already delicate Israeli relations with the United States.

Not surprisingly, then, the statement from Netanyahu’s office welcoming the renewed talks – which came immediately after the announcement – did not mention final-status issues, deadlines or U.S. intervention.

“The prime minister has been calling for direct negotiations for the past year-and-ahalf,” the statement said. “He was pleased with the American clarification that the talks would be without preconditions.”

The Palestinian Authority’s response to the announcement of the talks was less than enthusiastic. They warned that if Israel’s 10-month settle-

ment freeze is allowed to expire in late-September, the talks are off.

Netanyahu’s statement did not say what he intends to do about the freeze. Israeli officials reportedly have told their U.S. counterparts that Netanyahu would not be able to sustain the moratorium on settlement building without the cover of peace talks. Similarly, the Arab League, which this summer provided much needed cover to Mahmoud

Abbas in approving the peace talks, needs the negotiations as cover to maintain its support of the United States.

Both Mitchell and the Quartet made it clear that they expected the settlement moratorium to be extended.

“Our position on settlements is well-known and remains unchanged,” Mitchell said. “We’ve always made clear that the parties should promote an environment that is conducive to negotiations.”

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Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Rebbetzin Sara Kaplan returns to Jewish Youth Library

By Diane Koven for Jewish Youth Library Even in times of sadness and mourning, we are meant to find joy in life. That was the message Rebbetzin Sara Kaplan brought to an appreciative group of men and women assembled, July 28, at the Jewish Youth Library.

The library was full for the lecture, The Pursuit of Happiness: Finding Joy Even in Difficult Times, as many remembered what a dynamic speaker Rebbetzin Kaplan was from her appearance there last summer.

No stranger to tragedy and major life challenges, Rebbetzin Kaplan provided personal insight into how to achieve this commandment to be happy.

She and her late husband, Rabbi Lieble Kaplan, were sent as Chabad emissaries to Safed, Israel more than 30 years ago “to restore the city to its original glory.” Arriving there as a young couple with a baby, the Kaplans became parents to nine children before the rabbi was tragical-

ly killed in an automobile accident during a trip to Russia.

Rebbetzin Kaplan remained in Safed and raised her children while teaching and inspiring others.

“It is a mitzvah to be happy. We are meant to be joyous. God wants to see us being happy,” she said. “At the same time that you have a sense of pain, you should also find appreciation and gratitude for what you had.”

Rebbetzin Kaplan said that finding joy in life does not mean we should ignore our pain.

“Judaism is not in favour of denying one’s feelings,” she said. “It is not human to not feel pain or a sense of loss. The laws of mourning are very precise. You go through the process, but you

Rebbetzin Sara Kaplan (left) with Jewish Youth Library co-founder Devora Caytak.

are supposed to come out at the other end, to learn joy again. There is a special joy that follows after going through pain and suffering.

Our job is to work with our

emotions and to transform them.”

One’s attitude has much to do with how one deals with pain and suffering, she said.

“The awareness that I am

making a choice about how I look at things has helped me to choose to look at things differently,” said Rebbetzin Kaplan.

She said there is both a

physical and a spiritual gravity pulling us down and it is against this gravity that we must constantly be fighting.

“It pulls us down, but we can pick ourselves up.”

Maureen Katz said Rebbetzin Kaplan’s lecture was one of the best she has ever heard.

“I found her message was very inspiring and her difficulties in life gave me a feeling that there is always a reason to look up. To me, it was a highly relevant and very encouraging and inspiring message. It was a learning experience of the highest order,” said Katz.

The Jewish Youth Library is located at 192 Switzer Avenue. Visit jylofottawa.org for information about the library and its many programs.

Speakers’ series a hit at Congregation Beth Shalom

By Suzi Shore Sauvé for Beth Shalom This past spring, Congregation Beth Shalom decided to offer a speakers’ series for

the greater community. The program was developed with retired people in mind and took place on Tuesday mornings at 10 am.

The series was a huge success!

Among the speakers was Blake Batson, an Ottawa entrepreneur and business consultant, who runs perspectiveottawa.com, a website that provides his perspectives on the local political scene, and Dr. Hillel Finestone, author of The Pain Detective, who offered insights and excerpts from his recent book.

Others speakers included Carleton University political scientist Mira Sucharov,

Thomas Juneau, a PhD candidate in political science, and Richard Marceau of the Canada-Israel Committee, who addressed such topics as Iran, Israel/Palestine, and lawfare with respect to Israel.

The series ended with a lecture by Stephen Bindman, special adviser on wrongful convictions for the Department of Justice.

For the fall, the series features Eat, Learn, Kibbitz sessions, beginning with lunch at noon followed by the speaker.

The series kicked off on Sep-

tember 2 with Gerry Cammy.

Coming next is Leonard Stern, editorial pages editor of the Ottawa Citizen, on Thursday, September 16.

Batson will return in October to offer his insight into the upcoming municipal elections. We are also hoping to have Finestone back for a continuation of his first lecture.

For more information, or to order your sandwich for lunch, call the Congregation Beth Shalom office at 613789-3501, ext. 223.

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Call Barry Evans Tel. 613.791.3825

We have made loans for any worthwhile purpose, including: • Medical and dental expenses • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs • Weddings • Tools of the trade • Home repairs • Purchase of furniture and appliances • Automobile repairs • Purchase of an automobile • Debt consolidation • Travel to visit a sick relative

Fax. 613.843.0526

If you need a loan please attend at our office at Suite 301, 2255 Carling Avenue any Wednesday evening between 6:30 and 8:00 or call us at 613 722-2225, extension 319

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 15

shana tova

Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

CBB CITs and Assistant Camp Director Justin Shulman in front of Hillel Lodge.

Camp B’nai Brith CITs sing “Adon Olam” with the residents of Hillel Lodge.

(Photos: Jacqueline Shabsove)

Camp B’nai Brith CITs visit Hillel Lodge

By Jacqueline Shabsove Twenty energetic counsellors-in-training (CIT) from Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa (CBB) visited the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge, August 5, to give the residents a taste of camp life.

It was the third annual visit by CBB CITs who displayed pictures from camp, demon-

strated dance aerobics, led a sing-along version of “Adon Olam” to the tune of Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” and helped residents design T-shirts.

“It’s a good opportunity for community outreach beyond the camp gates,” said Justin Shulman, assistant camp director.

“It’s nice to recognize that we can extend

camp out into the community and allow everyone here to see what’s going on in our own community camp.”

Lodge resident Anna Koffman described the CITs as “marvellous.”

“They’ve been wonderful with the residents,” said Marilyn Adler, the Lodge’s manager of recreation and volunteers.

The CITs thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent with the residents.

“It’s nice to see the residents getting a taste of the camp spirit,” said CIT Adam Sherman.

“It was really fun and it was nice hearing the stories of the residents,” added fellow CIT Shelby Levine.

Camp B’nai Brith fundraiser Supporters of Camp B'nai Brith of Ottawa (CBB) came together to raise funds to send kids to camp who could not otherwise afford to go. On July 22, twenty-five men, organized by Ian Shabinsky, played CBB staff teams in baseball and basketball. On July 25, ten women, organized by Sandra Zagon, played CBB staffers in baseball.

Each of the players raised at least $540 in sponsorship funds and raised more than $50,000 in financial assistance funds over the two days. Players from the women’s game posed for a photo before the game.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 17

Young Ottawa swimmers dominant at JCC Maccabi Games in Baltimore

By Jacqueline Shabsove Ottawa swimmers Naomi Kirshenblatt and Jack and Sammy Miller combined to capture seven medals last month at the JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest.

The Maccabi Ottawa swimming and basketball teams, based at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, were accompanied by delegation head Jon Braun, swim coach Robin Jordan and basketball coach Jordan Pleet to the games held August 8 to 13 in Baltimore.

The Olympic-style sporting competition brought together more than 1,000 athletes between the ages of 12 and 16 from approximately 50 Jewish community centres in North America and Israel.

Naomi Kirshenblatt, a member of the Soloway Jewish Community Centre Gefilte Fish Swim Club, accumulated two gold medals and two silver medals in the competition.

“Naomi was a dominant force in the pool,” said Braun.

Twin brothers Jack and Sammy Miller, members of the Nepean Kanata Barracudas Swim Club, also won

medals. Jack captured two bronze medals and Sammy took home one bronze.

While Ottawa’s 16U boys’ basketball team lost its opening match against Team Israel, they defeated Dayton, Ohio in the consolation round, 38-28.

“They did remarkably well despite having a very young team, which included four 14-year-olds,” said Braun. “They battled hard, showing great heart and determination.”

Basketball team member Idan Itskovitch, who plays for Earl of March High School, performed well in the tournament.

“He was a tournament allstar, leading all scorers with 28 points against Team Israel,” said Braun.

Beyond the competition results, Braun said, most importantly, the Maccabi Games provide Jewish youth with a co-operative and fun experience.

“The JCC Maccabi Games are a celebration of Jewish youth,” he said.

“Whether it was the opening ceremonies, pin-trading, evening events at arcades and amusement parks, days of

Soloway JCC swimmers Naomi Kirshenblatt and Jack Miller, coach Robin Jordan and swimmer Sammy Miller at the JCC Maccabi Games in Baltimore.

(Photo: Jon Braun)

caring and sharing, or the competitions themselves, the games had a tremendous impact on all of the 1,000 young participants. It was clearly the experience of a lifetime.”

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS

Congregation Beth Shalom is pleased and excited to introduce you to our new Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Scott Rosenberg.

Come join us to offer him a warm welcome and enjoy the beautiful melodies of Cantor Daniel Benlolo.

Take advantage of our Youth Services and child care programs.

Become a member today!

Schedule of Services:

Rosh Hashanah: Thurs. Sept. 9, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Fri. Sept 10, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Kol Nidre: Fri. Sept. 17, 6:40 p.m.

Yom Kippur: Sat. Sept. 18, 8:15 a.m.

Yizkor time: approximately11:45 a.m. • Neilah: 6:15 p.m.

Congregation Beth Shalom 151 Chapel Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7Y2 • 613-789-3501 info@bethshalom.ca • www.bethshalom.ca Maccabi Ottawa’s 16U boys’ basketball team (front row, left to right): Noam Stulberg, Eyal Podolsky, Daniel Blacher; (back row) coach Jordan Pleet, Jacob Halderson, Daniel Butovecky, Idan Itskovitch, Yaniv Lifshin.

(Photo: Jon Braun)

shana tova

Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Experiencing Israel as a TJJ Ambassador

Elana Moscoe with a young Kenyan boy awaiting heart surgery in Israel.

Begin the New Year with a friendly and inspiring experience Conservative egalitarian High Holy Day services conducted by our lay leaders Spiritual leadership by Gadi Capela, Jewish Theological Seminary

By Elana Moscoe for NCSY This summer, I travelled to Israel as one of 45 hand-picked Jewish teens from across North America – most of us visiting Israel for the first time – all of whom had one thing in common: our love for Judaism. With our eight inspiring advisers, we had a summer of learning and exploration in NCSY’s newest summer program.

TJJ (The Jerusalem Journey) Ambassadors program is a five-week intensive leadership training program for public high school teens.

The program combines touring, fun, social action, political advocacy and Torah learning – all to shape advocates for Israel in public high schools and university campuses.

NCSY created the TJJ Ambassadors program to form a network of young Jewish leaders and Israel advocates on North American campuses and high schools. As TTJ Ambassadors, we were constantly striving to learn and improve ourselves.

Many of us in the program are leaders at our public high schools – presidents of our Jewish Culture Clubs. Our jam-packed, whirlwind experience took us from the Golan Heights to scorching Eilat, and everywhere in between. As we experienced the land through water hikes, camel rides, jeep expeditions and sunset boat cruises, our leaders used every opportunity to teach us the biblical and modern-day significance of each place.

About halfway through the summer, we were given a unique opportunity to expand our knowledge of Judaism by studying in a traditional bet hamidrash. The girls teamed up with Michlelet and the boys with Kollel, both NCSY programs.

At first glance, I was hesitant, knowing I would have to spend the week learning. But, as the classes and small group sessions began, I became thirsty for knowledge and studied topics that appealed to me as a young

Jewish woman.

The week of study was broken up with a full-day, hands-on Israel advocacy seminar with Neil Lazarus, an expert on the Middle East, and a full-day Dale Carnegie workshop on public speaking.

The final aspect of the trip consisted of chesed, acts of kindness.

In Tel Aviv, we visited Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli humanitarian organization whose mission is to improve the quality of paediatric cardiac care for children in developing countries. I witnessed the face of a young Kenyan boy light up as I made a Cheerio necklace with him just days before his heart surgery.

In Sderot, we created a camp for underprivileged children who live in constant fear and terror from the Hamas rockets that have been fired into their neighbourhoods for years. We spent three inspiring days with these children, swimming, doing arts and crafts, playing sports and playing games.

I will never forget the opportunities I had on this trip to make a difference in others’ lives.

I saw the trip as a gateway, full of many challenges and opportunities to learn, to grow and to contribute to the future of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. As a public school student entering grade 12 who had never before been to Israel, it strengthened my Jewish values. After having experienced the land, I now feel a special place in my heart for Israel and an obligation to spread the knowledge I have gained about Israel and to be an advocate for the truth. As one of our advisers told us, we must never let the flame in our soul burn out.

For information about NCSY’s 2011 summer programs, visit ncsysummer.com or contact Gaby Scarowsky, NCSY Ottawa director of programming at 613-262-6283 or gaby@ncsy.ca.

Looking back at 5770

Rosh HaShanah - Sept. 8-10, 2010 Yom Kippur - Sept.

S t 17-18, 17 18 2010 Soloway Jewish Community Centre 21 Nadolny Sachs Private

Annual Membership: $499/family, $300/single (Includes High Holy Days seats)

50% off to families with children enrolled in Jewish schools

One month High Holy Day Services Membership: $190/person University students: no charge Adath Shalom, a member of the Ottawa Vaad Ha'Ir and Ottawa Jewish Federation since 1979, invites you to attend our services held throughout the year at the Jewish Community Campus chapel.

Our members enjoy a flourishing spirit of chavurah, leading services, participating in lively weekly discussions of the Torah portion, and joining in social action projects.

We're a vibrant egalitarian Conservative (USCJ) congregation.

Together we strive to extend our caring to the Jewish community and world needs.

Contact 613 829-6990 or 613-240-4564 www.adath-shalom.ca

Ottawa’s championship team from the First Annual Roger Neilson Memorial Hockey Tournament in Metulla, Israel (front row from left to right): Bob Wener, Mitch Miller, Esther Silver, Hart Searle, Ralf Wener; (back row) Dave Nicol, Roger Greenberg, Jeff Hunt, Sol Kassorla, Peter Hudson, Shawn Rivers, Steve Baker, Mitchell Bellman and Rod Black. (More photos on page 33.)

(Photo: Nim Gluckman)

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 19

Nine Ottawa medical students spend week at Ziv Hospital in Safed

By Noam Katz “There is nachas and joy that you should take from knowing you are all part of communities that have given us so much,” said Victor, one of the many tour guides who provided whirlwind tours to parts of the Northern Galilee when nine of us – medical students at the University of Ottawa – participated in a week-long medical mission June 6 to 12 to the northernmost region of Israel.

The trip was the idea of third year medical student Tali Bogler, president of the Jewish Medical Student Association of Ottawa, whose hard work brought it to fruition. We were exposed to, and participated in, the Israeli medical system, and were also given opportunities to see some of the incredible places and projects supported

by Ottawa’s participation in Partnership 2000.

Upon our arrival in the North, we were greeted by the kind faces of the students, professors and administrators at Tel Hai College, which is located within sight of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Here, we were able to witness how Jews and Arabs coexist on an educational campus, linked together by the common goal of education and the pursuit of knowledge. They showed us that, with some hard work, plenty of dialogue and a great deal of

understanding from both sides, they can live side-by-side.

That evening, we ate dinner with students living in the Ayalim Village in what was formerly one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Kiryat Shmona, a community that was hit hard during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. These students dedicate hours per day, in addition to their university studies, to improving the community through various projects, which have included creating community gardens where there were once massive piles of trash and running after-school groups for underprivileged children in order to provide them with a sense of selfconfidence, encouragement and the ability to experience life as regular kids.

After an exhausting first day, we finally made it to the gorgeous Kibbutz Gonen in the Hula Valley, our home for the week.

As the sun had already gone down by the time we arrived, we couldn’t fully appreciate the kibbutz’s scenic location and colourful buildings until the next morning.

A pleasant surprise the next morning was the kibbutz’s buffetstyle restaurant and its delicious Israeli delicacies. The kitchen was run flawlessly by Maruv, who made sure we were well fed every morning and we had everything we needed. Maruv went so far as to bring us

a bottle of wine for our Shabbat dinner when we realized we did not have enough. By the end of our stay, Maruv wasn’t just the man in the kitchen; he was a friend to all of us.

It was the chance to work at Ziv Hospital in Safed that brought our group of nine medical students from the University of Ottawa to Israel. As each of us has unique interests within the medical field, we were each offered a choice of departments to work in, including pediatrics, internal medicine, endocrinology and cardiology.

My own placement was in the emergency department. Like most things in Israel, the emergency department was chaotic, yet strangely organized. Cell phones rang multiple times per minute, people shouted at each other across the floor, loud conversations in Hebrew, Arabic and Russian occurred all around. Yet, amidst the chaos, patients received the medical care they required.

As we were in the North, there was an extremely diverse group of people in the hospital, patients as well as doctors and other staff. It was amazing to see Arab and Jewish doctors working side-by-side for the greater good of those who were ailing in the surrounding communities, regardless of religion, ethnicity or politics.

The rest of the week was spent

Ottawa medical students outside the Ziv Hospital in Safed, Israel (front row, left to right): Elana Hochstadter, Rakel Kling, Dara Abells, Noam Katz, Tali Bogler; (back row) Kyle Fortinsky, Anna Chavlosky, Allison Farber, Emily Moon.

Tali Bogler (left), president of the Jewish Medical Student Association of Ottawa, with Dr. Orna Gottfried, director of the department of pediatrics, juvenile diabetes and endocrinology at Ziv Hospital in Safed.

working in the hospital from morning until mid-afternoon. From there, we would go on various adventures, visiting different locations throughout the North of Israel that have benefited from the donations of people from Ottawa and other Canadian cities.

Among the facilities we visited were the Canada Centre in Metulla, Tel Hai College and the Schafim School for Children with Special Needs. Schafim is an extraordinary school in the Hula Valley that helps children with extremely complex special needs.

We had the chance to meet some of the staff at Schafim. They gave us a tour of the school and demonstrated the technologically advanced equipment used to work with children whose disabilities are so devastating they have nowhere else to go in the country.

“This is the happiest, most depressing place I have ever worked,” remarked one of the staff leaders at the school.

They further went on to describe how Canadian funds were crucial to rebuilding parts of the school hit by Katyusha Rockets fired from across the Lebanese border, just metres away, during the war in 2006.

It was a very emotional, heart-

felt and moving tour. While none of us had ever heard of this amazing school before we arrived, none of us will ever forget it.

It was also at Schafim that we had a chance to see the hydrotherapy centre, another very high-tech piece of equipment used for both medical rehabilitation and to meet the needs for those who have difficulty in normal pools, such as the students at Schafim.

It wasn’t all business. We also had time for a little bit of fun. We tasted some delicious wines at the Kibbutz Yir’on winery and rumbled along on 4-wheelers when we went ATVing at Dishon, an excursion made even more extraordinary by the drive up to an overview of the entire Hula Valley.

It was incredible to be part of the Medical Students Mission, both for those of us who have visited Israel many times and for those experiencing Israel for the first time.

We were extremely fortunate to have incredible support from the Jewish Federation of Ottawa as well as from doctors in the Ottawa community. They gave us the opportunity to experience Israel and its medical community, first-hand, and to further our own connections to the land and people.

shana tova

Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

High Holiday Feature

The meaning and power of the shofar

By David Olivestone (JTA) – Sounding the shofar in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah is the high point of my year.

No other mitzvah in Judaism is so dependent on a personal skill or entails such high drama. And, at least for me, no other mitzvah renders quite the same sense of achievement and fulfilment.

I often hear people talk about the awakening power of the sound of the shofar – how awesome a moment or how inspiring an experience it is for them to hear it. For me, it is both a very public and an intensely personal experience.

As I approach the bimah, I find myself quite alone, concentrating intently on what I have to do. Yet, I am also highly conscious of being surrounded by hundreds of people who are relying on my ability to enable them to fulfil the central observance of the day.

In Numbers 29:1, the Torah designates the first day of the seventh month, which is Rosh Hashanah, as “a day of blowing the shofar.”

The Oral Law, as interpreted by the rabbis, sets out a number of regulations concerning both the instrument itself and the manner in which it is to be sounded.

The shofar must be fashioned

to bracket each of the other sounds, which are meant to be evocative of crying. The shevarim, a three-part note, suggests the sound of sighing or moaning.

The teru’ah, consisting of nine rapid-fire staccato sounds, dramatically echoes the sobbing of someone in despair.

One hundred notes, in various combinations, are sounded at intervals throughout the Rosh Hashanah service, and each set is capped by a teki’ah gedolah, an extra-long note in which many also hear a sign of strength and hope.

Not too many people persevere enough to become really proficient at blowing the shofar. Many of those who do so learned the skill from their fathers at a very young age, as I did myself. But each year, it takes much practice over a month or so, both to perfect the notes once again, and to retool the muscles of the lips and the strength of the lungs.

Veteran shofar-blower David Olivestone sounds the shofar.

(Photo: Orthodox Union)

out of a ram’s horn. With the smaller end cut off, the horn is straightened out a little by heating it, so that a hole can be bored through it. A mouthpiece is

formed out of the horn itself. No finger holes or reed or valves – such as you would find on other wind or brass instruments – may be added to help vary the notes.

Pakistan Relief Fund The Jewish Federation of Ottawa, along with UIA Federations Canada and other federations from across Canada, has set up a fund to aid victims of the massive flooding in Pakistan. More than 1,600 people were killed in the unprecedented floods and more than 20 million more are estimated to have been left homeless.

Visit jewishottawa.com to donate to the Federation’s Pakistan Relief Fund, which will be funnelled through the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

(Photo: Peter Biro/International Rescue Committee)

Thus, the only control you have over the notes is how you use your lips and your tongue.

How to blow To produce a note, first use your tongue to moisten the extreme right-hand corner of your lips, and place the shofar firmly against them in that spot. With your lips tightly closed, make a tiny hole in them where the shofar is, and then force air into it as if you were making a Bronx cheer (a rasping sound), but without actually producing such a rude noise.

If you get it right, a bright and powerful note will emerge from the shofar. The tighter you squeeze the shofar against your lips, the higher the note that you will sound. It’s not necessary to puff out your cheeks; breathe in and hold the breath in your chest, letting it out slowly to control the length of the note.

The three mandatory sounds The sequence and the length of the notes must follow the established pattern with great accuracy.

The three mandatory sounds are designed to awaken thoughts of repentance and of subservience to God in the mind of the listener.

First is the teki’ah, a long, clear note of alarm. This is used

The sound of my thoughts Since there’s no real way of controlling the quality of the shofar’s sound, you can never be 100 per cent confident that the right sound will emerge. So, whatever spiritual thoughts I might try to have as I prepare myself to sound the shofar usually evaporate as I begin, and I am left simply hoping that, despite my trepidation, the notes will come out as perfectly as they did when I was practicing.

Being in control of the shofar’s power is an extraordinary privilege and responsibility. Sometimes I like to think that the next teki’ah or the next shevarim could be the one that carries the congregation’s prayers soaring to the heavens. Sometimes, I pray that this wordless animal sound that I am producing will have the ability to take the place of the prayers that are unspoken – those that words are inadequate to express.

I will not deny that I enjoy the congratulations and the handshakes that are offered to me after I sound the last teki’ah gedolah.

And what am I thinking at this point, when it’s all over? That in just one year, with God’s help, I will get to do it again.

David Olivestone, senior communications officer at the Orthodox Union, has blown the shofar at Congregation Ohab Zedek, an Orthodox synagogue in New York, for the past 23 years.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 21

AJA 50+ members enjoy a guided tour of the Experimental Gardens.

AJA 50+ to hold Registration Day, September 14, at Soloway JCC Smith will present Stately Homes and Gardens of England as part of her very popular series on interesting locations around the world. Tea and scones will be served.

AJA 50+, a distinct nonprofit organization in Ottawa’s Jewish community, provides an affordable way for active seniors to share their vitality and meet new people.

Annual membership is only $36 and program fees are kept affordable. It is the members themselves who plan the programs, and the opportunities and activities

are constantly evolving.

Among the programs and events coming this fall will be CBC Radio’s Jill LaForty exploring Elgar’s “Enigma Variations for Orchestra;” Jim Watson speaking about his plans for seniors should he be elected mayor; a visit to the American Embassy, followed by a briefing on Canada-U.S. relations; the ever-popular bridge and mah-jongg games; an introduction to Skype; National Gallery tours; and such ongoing activities as Wednesday Walkers, Active Single Konnections and the

The Ottawa Chapter wishes all our donors, families and friends a very Healthy and Happy New Year.

Jewish Film Series.

A recent study by researchers at Brigham Young University found that strong social connections improve our odds of survival by 50 per cent and that isolation or low social interaction could have detrimental health effects equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic.

AJA 50+ not only provides stimulating activities, it also helps defy aging!

For more information about AJA 50+, contact Dan Sigler at 613-224-6110 or ajamembership@gmail.com, or come to Registration Day on September 14.

Visit my web site: www.mikeroodman.com

By Dena Speevak for AJA 50+ Transitioning to partial or full retirement?

Find out why more than 450 people have chosen to participate in an array of social, cultural and active pursuits as members of AJA (Active Jewish Adults) 50+ by dropping in to the AJA 50+ Fall Registration Day on Tuesday, September 14, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre.

Following registration, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, Ricarda

What’s happening at

Congregation Beth Shalom

With YOUR HELP MDA continues to provide uninterrupted emergency services to Israel

Let us pray for peace in our beloved Israel - Am Y'Israel Chai

Saturday, September 4

Seymour Eisenberg, President Tel: 613-224-2500 E-mail: seyeis@rogers.com

Sunday, September 12

Sam Litwack, Honorary National Director Tel: 613-738-7778 • Fax: 613-738-1752 E-mail: samdora@sympatico.ca

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Selichot Service

Reception 9:45 pm • Dedication 10:15 pm • Selichot 10:30 pm

Friday, September 10

Rosh Hashanah Free Open House

No membership required for services on this day 8:00 am-12:30 pm

Kever Avot - Memorial Service

Bank Street Cemetery • Beth Shalom Section 11:00 am

Thursday, September 16

Eat • Learn • Kibbitz

Leonard Stern, editor of the Ottawa Citizen Call to reserve your spot

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For more information, please contact the synagogue at 613-789-3501 or info@bethshalom.ca www.bethshalom.ca

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Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Young adults sample the buffet at jnet-Palooza: BBQ Edition, August 8.

(Photo: Michael Cherun)

Jnet social events target graduate students and young professionals

By Jacqueline Shabsove Jnet, a Jewish initiative for young professionals and grad students in Ottawa, tries to stand out as unique by creating attentiongrabbing, high-quality social events a few times per year.

Jnet launched last October and has held three events so far, including jnet-Palooza: BBQ Edition, August 8, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC).

Although rain threatened to dampen festivities, 75 attendees took cover in the gym and partied to live music from artists Mitch Gauzas, who is active in jnet, and Rory Gardiner, and enjoyed a catered kosher barbecue, as well as volleyball and other sports in the gym.

For every jnet event, a planning committee is formed consisting solely of volunteers with each individual providing a different area of expertise. According to Josh Raizman, a member of the jnet-Palooza planning committee, this approach provides jnet with diverse events.

“Jnet has a concept,” said Raizman, “to put on highly professional events that cater to a wide variety of people.

“We’re about paring down boundaries and really trying to appeal to everyone – from the secular to the ultra-Orthodox.”

“It’s great that our events have been so successful,” said Michael Cherun, jnet’s graphic and web designer. “It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm and energy that both participants of events and planning committee members bring to jnet.”

According to Raizman, jnet is filling a void that has long been felt in Ottawa’s Jewish community by people in their 20s and 30s.

“Growing up in Ottawa, I’ve always felt that I’ve known almost everyone,” said

Bobby Wollock. “Jnet is great because it gives me the opportunity to meet new Jewish people that I never knew existed in Ottawa. I’ve been to all three events and at each one have met someone new.”

Part of jnet’s mission is to make event attendees feel welcome and comfortable.

This is key, said Raizman, as once people understand that they are valued, they are “more likely to come back and more likely to become leaders in their community.”

One of the highlights of jnet-Palooza was the live music.

“Everyone was singing along and enjoying the evening with old and new friends,” said Wollock.

Cory Olishansky said that jnet-Palooza was “one of the rare events that provided the opportunity to hang out with members of the Ottawa Jewish community who are closest to my age.”

Raizman talked about possibilities for the future of jnet.

“I think our goal is to really work with local businesses, local charities and organizations, maybe even incorporate jnet as a non-profit organization,” said Raizman.

Jnet’s next event will be a formal-chic gala, Saturday, November 6, 8:00 pm, at Koyman Galleries, 1771 St. Laurent Boulevard. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Tamir.

“We want to take jnet to the next level after having done a number of events now,” said Gauzas, an organizer of the gala.

The evening will feature music, kosher hors d’oeuvres and desserts, a cash bar and silent auction.

Tickets will be available online, in person at the Soloway JCC, and directly from jnet volunteers.

For information, visit jnetottawa.com.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 23

MEMBERS MEETING A meeting meetingofofthe themembers members A of of the of Ottawa the Jewish Federation Jewish Federation of Ottawa will be held on

will be held on

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 7:00November – 9:00 p.m. 3, 2010 Wednesday, Soloway JCC 7:00 pm 21 Nadolny Sachs Private

Social Hall A The Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building Tara Cogan is the co-ordinator of the Soloway JCC’s new Family Life Centre.

Meeting is open to the Public

Soloway JCC to launch Family Life Centre

Meeting is open to the public.

By Pamela Rosenberg Soloway JCC Parenting workshops, lectures and interactive classes for parents and children all come together for the first time to form a one-stop shop that meets the needs of young families.

The Soloway Jewish Community Centre’s (JCC) new Family Life Centre is officially open for business this fall with a slew of exciting new offerings as well as many tried and true programs that will now fall under the Family Life Centre umbrella.

“It is a place where families will experience a holistic, integrated approach to family life,” says Family Life Centre Co-ordinator Tara Cogan.

“All programs, lectures and workshops are facilitated by experts in their field of child development. We want people to think of the Family Life Centre first when they think of programs for their young children.”

Making their Family Life Centre debuts this fall are Monkey Rock Music, an interactive music class for children up to four years old (who love to rock), and three different Sportball classes for ages 16 months to 5 years. Sportball teaches children the skills they need to play a variety of sports in a kidfriendly manner.

Baby Sensory explores different sensory activities designed to support sensory development through fibre optic light shows, bubbles, bells, musical fun, baby signing, puppet shows and amazing light balls.

“Parents are seeking excellence in programs for their children and, through the Family Life Centre, we raise the bar to provide excellence across the board,” says Soloway JCC President and COO, Barry Sohn.

“The support opportunities for parents through the Family Life Centre make this a tremendously exciting new program opportunity.”

In addition to the already popular Motor-

in’ Munchkins and Shabbat Shalom, which return this fall, the Family Life Centre will host some interesting and insightful lectures and workshops for parents.

Important programs such as a car seat clinic, First Words Clinic, support for new parents, and just in time for Chanukah, Shalom Sesame, are all part of the Family Life Centre offerings.

“Parents at home with young children often feel isolated, we are hoping to bring these people together to support each other and form new relationships where kids learn and grow together,” says Cogan.

One such way where parents will be able to support each other is through Parlour Groups, a new concept for Ottawa.

Parlour Groups is a system of support that provides opportunities for parents to gather in an informal setting and share the joys and challenges of parenthood. Parents sign up for a group based on the age of their child.

The program is led by facilitators and takes place in participants’ homes about four times per year. At the first meeting, the group decides on an agenda for the year and, together, comes up with a list of topics they will discuss, such as sleep issues, activities and nutrition, positive discipline strategies and improving difficult behaviours.

The Family Life Centre will have a launch party at the Soloway JCC on Sunday, October 17, from 10:00 am to noon.

Come out and enjoy free half-hour sample classes of Sportball, Monkey Rock Music, Baby Sensory, and Baby Salsa, as well as snacks, a display of great baby and kid products and other fun activities for children.

Everything that’s happening at the Family Life Centre, plus useful information for families with young children, can be found on Tara Cogan’s blog at www.jccfamilylifecentre.com. She can be reached at 613-798-9818, ext. 294, or tcogan@jccottawa.com.

Contact: Dawn Dawn Paterson Paterson 613-798-4696, (613) 798-4696,ext. ext.236 236 Contact: dpaterson@jewishottawa.com dpaterson@jewishottawa.com www.jewishottawa.com

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shana tova

Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

An unwitting collaboration on a Warsaw Ghetto film

By Tom Tugend (JTA) – The place is the Warsaw Ghetto, the year 1942, and the black-andwhite footage shows fashionably dressed men and women, with yellow Stars of David as accessories, having a high time at a champagne ball.

Later, we see emaciated kids rooting through mounds of garbage and excrement for scraps of food.

The contradictory scenes are from A Film Unfinished, an unwitting collaboration between a Nazi propaganda crew and an Israeli filmmaker separated by nearly seven decades.

In May 1942, a German

film crew in Wehrmacht uniforms arrived at the Warsaw Ghetto with somewhat vague orders to shoot a documentary on the many aspects of ghetto life in order to show the Jewish ‘folk’ character.

Each day, a local SS commander nicknamed the “Gold Pheasant� would give the crew its assignments.

After 30 days, the German crew disappeared. So did its footage – staged shots alternating with actual street scenes. It was never processed into a film or shown in Germany.

In 1954, four reels were discovered in a vault in East Berlin, left behind by the

departing Soviet occupation troops. Filmmakers in subsequent years would extract some of the footage for their projects, showing only the scenes of misery, which became accepted as authentic depictions of ghetto life.

It wasn’t until 1998 that a British filmmaker searching for footage on the 1936 Berlin Olympics at a U.S. Air Force base film vault noticed two cans of film on the floor labelled “Das Ghetto.� The 30 minutes of outtakes showed not only that some scenes had been shot repeatedly by the Germans, but also moments in which the Nazi cameramen accidentally entered into each other’s frames.

That same year, German authorities tracked down and interrogated Willy Wiest, a cameraman on the project.

In 2006, Yael Hersonski, an Israeli television editor and director whose grandmother was a Warsaw Ghetto survivor, started putting together the threads of the story.

Hersonski was attracted to the project for two reasons:

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A Jewish child appears in A Film Unfinished in a scene staged by the Nazis.

her interest in film archives as permanent witnesses to history and the sheer amazement at discovering the Warsaw Ghetto footage. “After so many years as an Israeli citizen, bombarded with so many films and images that concerned the Jewish Holocaust, I was shocked that I didn’t know anything about this film,� she said.

Hersonski combined the original ghetto scenes with the outtakes to reveal their Nazi origin, adding the testimony of Wiest.

During two years of painstaking research, she said she verified “every document, every page of diary, every archive corridor and staircase shown in the film as

the authentic ones, and the languages in which the diaries were written were kept in their origin: Yiddish, Polish and Hebrew.�

For a closing perspective, her staff scoured Israel, Poland, England and North America for Warsaw Ghetto survivors who could recall seeing the German film crew at work. Of the nine that fit the bill, five were willing to watch and comment on the Nazi version of life in the ghetto.

The four women and one man watched the champagne ball patrons dressed up and fed strictly for the occasion.

In a ‘purification’ scene, they saw eight young women kidnapped off the street and forced to enter a mikveh

naked. The Germans, apparently fascinated by Jewish rituals, painstakingly shot a circumcision, a wedding and the koshering of chickens.

The crew didn’t have to stage manage the grimmer scenes: corpses of children and adults lying in the streets; strapping German soldiers shaking down kids trying to smuggle a few carrots into the ghetto; handdrawn carts piled high with naked skeletons on their way to a makeshift cemetery.

For Hersonski, 34, this was the most difficult part of the project. “After each session, I found myself physically numb and mentally knocked out,� she said. “I couldn’t (Continued on page 25)

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 25

‘Best international feature’ at Hot Docs (Continued from page 24)

even begin to imagine what the survivors themselves must have felt.”

However agonizing the experience, it may have been the most enlightening, for it showed kernels of truth and reality amid the staged ghetto scenes.

For instance, pedestrians in a number of scenes seemed to walk indifferently past dead children lying unattended on the street. The outtakes showed some of the same pedestrians repeatedly

walking past the same point, obviously ordered to do so by the Germans.

One survivor commented that such apparently inhuman callousness existed as a kind of defence mechanism.

“We became indifferent to the suffering of others, otherwise it was impossible to live,” she said.

In another example, while the champagne ball was enacted under Nazi coercion to show the gap between rich and poor, a few dozen ghetto inhabitants had managed to

Poster for the documentary A Film Unfinished.

hold on to their money and temporarily were able to enjoy some privileges.

In the end, of course, the rich suffered the same fate as their poorer brethren.

In any case, Hersonski said, “Nobody who wasn’t in a ghetto or concentration camp can judge these people.”

Hersonski is not surprised that a few factual scenes, such as German soldiers stripping starving kids of some smuggled carrots, were included in the footage.

“Propaganda consists not merely of lies,” she said.

“The most effective propaganda mixes the lies with a few kernels of truth.”

What did German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels hope to achieve with the film? And why was it never completed?

Hersonski speculates that Goebbels may have wanted to try something more subtle after the failure of The Eternal Jew, a Nazi propaganda film, which depicted Jews as hordes of voracious rats emerging from a sewer.

Although personally supported by Hitler, the film bombed, even in Germany.

A Film Unfinished won the best international feature award at the 2010 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto and has also won major awards at the Sundance Festival in Utah and

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A Nazi cameraman can be seen in this scene from A Film Unfinished.

other film festivals in Berlin and Jerusalem.

Its production was supported by the New Israeli Foundation for Cinema and Television, Yad Vashem Film Project and YES Docu.

A Film Unfinished opened in August in New York and Los Angeles and is expected to be released in Canada later this month.

Shana Tova to the Ottawa Jewish community

Rick Chiarelli Councillor / Conseiller Quartier College Ward (Ward 8) 110 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

613-580-2478 rick.chiarelli@ottawa.ca

Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

shana tova

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 27

High Holiday feature

The Yom Kippur sermon that helped spur the Soviet Jewry movement

By Gal Beckerman New York (JTA) – On a fall day in 1963, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel unburdened his soul.

Speaking the truth without regard for whether it scandalized or hurt was something he would do fairly often in that decade of social upheaval. Already branded as an eccentric and an outsider, that year he had met the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time, beginning a close friendship that would deepen his involvement in the civil rights movement. The two eventually would offer the most endearing and enduring image of the now long dead black-Jewish alliance when they walked arm and arm to Selma, Alabama in protest, garlands of flowers around their necks.

But, in September 1963, Rabbi Heschel’s audience was Jewish – a gathering of rabbis at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. His speech would be read aloud that Yom Kippur at hundreds of congregations. It was a sermon that set in motion one of the great engines of what would soon be known as the Soviet Jewry movement: guilt.

Rabbi Heschel was angry and ashamed that American Jews were not more engaged in helping their brethren in the Soviet Union. There was mounting evidence that these Jews were stuck in an increasingly untenable situation. Every element of their Jewish identity, from religious life to cultural expression, had been brutally squashed. At the same time, the avenues to assimilation were blocked – if nothing else, their internal passports singled them out for discrimination by identifying them as Jews. The option of abandoning the Soviet Union for good was not even a possibility.

Heschel looked at the Jews of America – most of them themselves only two generations removed from the Pale of Settlement – and could not believe that they were responding with little more than sadness and resignation.

“What is called for is not a silent sigh but a voice of moral compassion and indignation, the sublime and inspired screaming of a prophet uttered by a whole community,” Rabbi Heschel lectured the assembled rabbis.

Then he made his most

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searing argument. This was not the first time that American Jews had been impotent when it came to helping other Jews, Heschel told them.

“We have been guilty more than once of failure to be concerned, of a failure to cry out, and failure may have become our habit,” he told them.

Heschel was referring, of (Continued on page 28)

(From left): Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Bunche, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth lead the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, on March 21, 1965.

Judaic Outreach Programs September - October 2010 Alison Caplan, Judaic Administrative Assistant • 613-725-3519 Adele Horwitz, Judaic Program Leader • 613-592-8365 Date

Program

Place

Time

Tuesday September 14

Rosh Hashanah Dinner RSVP Alison by Fri. Sept 3

Riddell Residence

Wednesday September 15

Tashlich (bring bread) Cantor Benlolo Open to Everyone

Des Chenes Lookout Parkway West of Woodroffe

6:30 – 8:00

Sunday September 26

Succah Party BBQ Dinner Cantor Benlolo Open to Everyone

938 Killeen Avenue

12:00 – 2:30

Thursday September 30

Simchat Torah Services Cantor Benlolo

Beth Shalom 151 Chapel Street

6:30 – 8:30

Friday October 22

Community Shabbat RSVP To Alison Caplan

Day Program 11 Nadolny Sachs

5:30 – 7:30

Tuesdays Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26

Music on Wheels Adele Horwitz

Grammercy Residence

3:15 – 4:15

Tuesdays Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26

Music on Wheels Adele Horwitz

Killeen Residence

4:30 – 5:30

Wednesdays Oct 6, 13, 20, 27

Advanced Judaic Studies Adele Horwitz

Day Program 11 Nadolny Sachs

5:45 – 6:45

Wednesdays Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27

Joys of Judaism Adele Horwitz/Leo Lightstone

Day Program 11 Nadolny Sachs

6:45 – 7:45

Thursdays Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28

Tamir Choir Cantor Benlolo

Day Program 11 Nadolny Sachs

6:15 – 7:15

Thursdays Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28

Music on Wheels Adele Horwitz

842 Broadview

4:00 – 5:30

5:30-8:00

Shana Tova with health and happiness to the Ottawa Jewish community

shana tova

Page 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Guilt helped motivate Soviet Jewry movement (Continued from page 27)

course, to the Holocaust. And it was effective. Whether or not American Jews deserved to bear this historical burden – whether there was anything more they could have done – is irrelevant. In the early 1960s, just as consciousness of the extent of the genocide was bubbling up, so too was a painful recognition that as millions of their brethren were murdered in Europe, this increasingly stable and prosperous community could hardly organize themselves to put on a single rally.

This guilt would blossom into what for some time now has been an obsessive concentration on the Holocaust, one that many have rightly come to see as an extremely corrosive development – the constant memorializing eclipsing so much else about Jewish identity. But what has been forgotten is that before every Jewish community had its own memorial and museum, there was the guilt and the need to do something about it.

I’ve been exploring the Soviet Jewry movement over the past five years for my forthcoming book, When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry (to be published September 23). Throughout its 25-year history, the need to cast away this heavy burden was present at nearly every moment. But, I also came to see it as a positive element. American Jews mobilized, went up against an American administration and became a more assertive community partly as a way of clearing their collective conscience.

Guilt was present when a group of NASA scientists in Cleveland, Ohio, decided in 1963, after reading the then-slim literature of the Holocaust, that they had to do something for those Soviet Jews now suffering “spiritual genocide” and started the first grass-roots Soviet Jewry group. It was also present in New York the following year at the inaugural mass meeting of what would soon be known as the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry. One of the students offered to sing a ditty he had come up with for their first protest. Its refrain was “History shall not repeat.”

Guilt, leavened with anger, also was present in Rabbi Meir Kahane’s slogan “Never again,” when he hijacked the movement in the early 1970s. In 1971, he rallied a thousand young people to be arrested in Washington, D.C., near the Soviet Embassy with the words, “I’m asking you to do today what Jews didn’t do while the gas chambers were burning. Sit down in the streets of Washington.”

And, in 1987, when a quarter-million people marched in Washington for Soviet Jewry, greeting Gorbachev on his first visit to the United States, guilt dripped from Elie Wiesel’s words: “Too many of us were silent then. We are not silent today.”

But this guilt was not about wallowing. It was directed, focused. I heard the same line

from the many activists I interviewed for the book: They did not want their children to ask the same question of them that they had asked their parents: What had they done to help Jews during the war?

As a result, the movement acted as a sort of catalyst. By cleansing the conscience, it allowed these Jews to be assertive. It emboldened them to act with a confidence they had never before exhibited on American soil.

Never was this truer than during the fight for the Jackson-Vanik amendment from 1972 to 1975. The Jewish community went up against the president – and won. They wanted Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger to temper their pursuit of detente and make any improved trade relationship with the Soviets contingent on freer emigration.

Here, too, the Holocaust was not far away. The amendment was inspired by a new tax the Soviets wanted to levy on departing emigrants: They would have to pay back the state for their education.

An editorial cartoon in the Los Angeles Times captured the feeling this tax inspired by showing a caricature of two almost identical prisoners: The first held out an arm tattooed with a number from a concentration camp and was captioned “Germany, 1936”; the second had the same tattooed arm and was captioned “Russia, 1972.” The difference was the numbers on the second arm had a dollar sign in front of it.

American Jews made this guilt productive. The Soviet Jewry movement became as much about saving themselves as it was about saving this far-off community of Jews.

When I started working on the book, I was drawn by a need to understand the world after the war. My grandparents all survived death camps and lost much of their families.

And yet, by the time I knew them, they had raised families and were happy, well-adjusted people.

As curious as I was about what happened to them in those camps, I also wanted to understand what went into this transformation. The same was true on a much larger scale. How did American Jews scrub out that terrible stain?

The answer, it seems, was contained in the Soviet Jewry movement. Here Jews were able to work out those feelings in answer to Rabbi Heschel’s lament.

A few months before his speech in 1963, a reporter from the Yiddish newspaper the Day-Morning Journal asked Rabbi Heschel where he had been in 1943. He answered mournfully that he had just arrived in America, did not speak the language well and commanded no attention from the Jewish leadership.

Still, he said, “This does not mean that I consider myself innocent. I am very guilty. I have no rest.”

If not for him, then for the next generation, Soviet Jewry offered that rest.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 29

Chabad Student Network purchases building near uOttawa

By Hyla Zeifman for Chabad Student Network The Chabad Student Network (CSN) prepares to enter a new phase of campus programming with the purchase of a property on Sweetland Avenue, a few blocks east of the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).

The new property, with a 600 square foot dining hall and large outdoor courtyard, will replace CSN’s current premises, a rented house on Gilmour Street.

Plans are underway for renovations to the new Chabad House, which will include a commercial kitchen, library, recreation room, office and guest rooms to provide Shabbat accommodations for Carleton University and uOttawa students who live far from campus.

The purchase of the building and renovations will be funded by contributions received from donors in Canada and the United States. A third of the capital campaign’s goal has been received as a grant from the Rohr Family Foundation, headed by philanthropist George Rohr, chair of the international board of governors of Chabad on Campus.

In recent years, the Rohr Family Foundation has provided seed money for many Chabad centres at universities around the world.

The new Chabad House will have a prominent dedication plaque highlighting the names of all who contribute to funding of the new facility.

Over the past two years, CSN has established itself as a thriving hub of Jewish activity on Ottawa’s campuses.

With weekly Shabbat dinners, festivities during all Jewish holidays, classes on many topics of Judaism and community service programs, CSN offers the full gamut of Jewish programming for students and provides us with opportunities to meet with one another and feel connected to our Jewish roots. Everyone who walks through the door knows they will be welcomed, cared for and rejoiced with.

CSN operates in the family home of Rabbi Chaim and Yocheved Boyarsky.

Students are welcome any time for a kosher meal, advice, invigorating debate or just a casual conversation. For students living far from home, it is comforting to know there is a close-knit family always there for you.

“Chabad helped me through the toughest time of my life,” says Chad Levitt, a uOttawa law student. “My mother had a tough battle with cancer and unfortunately passed away in March. The Chabad com-

munity helped me mourn and say Kaddish every single day for my mother. A minyan was put together every day in her honour.

Over the past six months, Chabad has really taught me how to be strong and the importance of family.”

“We personally know of at least 600 Jewish students in Ottawa, and believe there are close to 1,700 between both universities. A lot of students out there just need to be given a warm welcome to appreciate being Jewish,” says Rabbi Boyarsky.

News of the building purchase was met enthusiastically by uOttawa and Carleton students.

“We need a new building at the heart of student life to provide a safe, welcoming and multi-purpose venue where student-driven initiatives and celebrations can help fulfil the promise of Canada’s university,” says David Davis, co-president of the Jewish Law Students Association at uOttawa.

George Rohr, Chabad on Campus international board chair, with Rabbi Chaim and Yocheved Boyarsky of the Chabad Student Network of Ottawa, at the Chabad on Campus International Kinus in June in Kerhonkson, NY.

As students head back to school in September, among the first stops for many will be Rosh Hashanah dinner at Chabad.

For information on all Chabad Student Network programs, call 613-601-7701 or visit their web site chabadstudentnetwork.com.

Graduation!

Mazal Tov to Stuart Rothman on graduating from the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto with Juris Doctor. Stuart is currently articling at the Ministry of the Attorney General in Toronto. Stuart is the son of Shelley and the late Sidney Rothman. Proud siblings are Nina, PJ and Marshall.

shana tova

Page 30 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Filling in the gaps on family medical history is important for two kinds of ‘survivors’

By Suzanne Kurtz (JTA) – A crucial question that doctors routinely ask patients left Rifky Atkin speechless.

Diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer, Atkin was exploring treatment options when her surgeon asked, “Is there a medical history of breast cancer in your family?”

“I don’t know and I’ll never know,” stammered the mother of four from Edison, New Jersey.

Her parents survived Auschwitz as teenagers, she explained, but not their parents. Her four grandparents were killed in the death camp, taking with them all knowledge of the family medical history.

“Not being able to know the medical history beyond one generation above me underscored the importance of knowing that history,” Atkin told more than 100 participants during a recent teleconference hosted by Sharsheret, an American nonprofit group providing services and support for young Jewish women and their families facing breast cancer.

To better understand the effects

of the Holocaust on breast cancer today, Sharsheret organized the free, hour-long program to address the concerns of breast cancer survivors and Holocaust survivors.

Even the term ‘survivor’ has deep meaning for both groups, said Elana Silber, director of operations for Sharsheret.

“In the cancer community, the word ‘survivor’ is one commonly associated with men and woman diagnosed with cancer who valiantly fight the battle for survival,” Silber said. “In the Jewish community, however, the word ‘survivor’ has traditionally been reserved for those who survived the horrors of the Holocaust. For the Jewish cancer survivor, the term ‘survivor’ can be troubling.”

Gaps in family medical history can sometimes be filled by genetic testing and is one way to gather valuable information lost in the Holocaust, said Niecee Schonberger, a cancer genetics counsellor with Sharsheret.

“Genetic testing is important to rule out or rule in a [gene] muta-

tion,” she said, but it is also important to understand that “mutations don’t cause cancer; they cause a predisposition for cancer.”

Inherited breast cancer is largely due to mutations in two genes that control cell growth, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, said Schonberger.

With more than 1,000 possible mutations known today, certain mutations are more common among Jews of Ashkenazic descent.

For Atkin, the testing not only proved helpful for determining her course of treatment, but also for the other women in her family.

“I could now pass on to my identical twin sister, and my daughters, some of the history that had been erased when my grandparents perished in the Holocaust,” said Atkin, 51, and cancerfree for 13 years.

However, “genetic testing has its limitations,” said Schonberger.

A negative test result combined with a lack of family medical history can leave a woman with no real sense of her breast cancer

Warmest New Year Wishes from…

risk, she warned.

And to the surprise of most women, she added, only five to 10 per cent of breast cancer is inherited.

“Ninety to 95 per cent is sporadic, the result of the interaction of mostly unknown environmental factors and the specific individual make-up of the woman,” Schonberger said.

An Israeli study published late last year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that Jewish survivors of Nazioccupied Europe were at a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers – including breast cancer – possibly due to early exposure to certain factors including severe, sustained malnutrition; prolonged psychological stress; and exposure to the elements and infectious diseases.

The younger the individuals were when exposed to these extreme conditions, the more likely they were to develop cancer later in life, said Dr. Lital KeinanBoker, a researcher from the Uni-

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versity of Haifa, who published the study with several colleagues.

“The results of this study extend beyond the Jewish community, with broader implications for the breast cancer community-at-large, by addressing how much of breast cancer is shaped by our life circumstances and how much is shaped by genetics,” Silber said.

Still further investigation is needed, Keinan-Boker said during the teleconference, “and the sooner the better. Time is a factor here.”

Ellen Eisen, a breast cancer survivor and oncology social worker in Memphis, Tennessee, gathered nearly a dozen people in her synagogue sanctuary to take in the Sharsheret program by Skype. As a Sharsheret volunteer, Eisen said she likes to connect with other Jewish women dealing with breast cancer, but the universality of the disease resonates with her as well.

“A woman is a woman is a woman,” said Eisen, 59. “Yet, what could be more poignant than talking about breast cancer as another consequence of the Holocaust?”

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 31

Innovative workshop for children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors

By Jacqueline Shabsove Holocaust Education Week this year will include an innovative workshop for second and third generations, the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. The free workshop, Sunday, November 14 at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, will train them to speak and teach about the Holocaust after their parents and grandparents are no longer able to.

Holocaust Education Week is a program of the Shoah Committee of Ottawa.

“One thing I’d like to stress is how unique this workshop is,” said Mina Cohn, Shoah Committee chair. “We are the only ones in Canada who are doing this and only the second ones worldwide. We are ahead of so many other communities in thinking about the gap of survivors who will not be here anymore.”

The way in which the Holocaust is currently taught in schools, according to Cohn, will have to change once survivors are no longer able to speak.

“Teachers want Holocaust sur-

vivors to come to their classrooms because they want a witness and it leaves an impression on students,” said Cohn.

Therefore, the Shoah Committee is encouraging the children and grandchildren of survivors to learn how to tell their families’ stories.

The mandate of the workshop is to empower individuals and give them the confidence and the tools they need to learn how to go to schools and bear witness on behalf of their families.

“Not all children of Holocaust survivors know the details of their parents’ stories, and standing in front of a group of strangers is a challenge,” said Cohn.

Individuals at the workshop will get the chance to meet others who are in similar situations.

The workshop will feature presentations by Holocaust survivors, academics and Ottawa teachers.

Holocaust survivors David Shentow and Vera Gara, who often speak at schools, will explain how they present their experiences and talk about the challenges involved and the positive experiences they

have had at schools.

Two professors from Ottawa universities will make presentations on topics of Holocaust education.

Deidre Butler, assistant professor of religion at Carleton University and associate director of the Max and Tessie Zelikovitz Centre for Jewish Studies, will discuss her research on understanding the phenomenon of Holocaust survivors giving testimonies in schools. She will also speak about how children and grandchildren of survivors can give their testimonies about the Holocaust despite having been born afterwards.

“The children and grandchildren of survivors feel a keen obligation to somehow continue that work of testimony and not allow the atrocities of the Shoah to be forgotten or repeated,” said Butler. “They face particular challenges as they work through trying to express what cannot be fully communicated as well as wrestling with their own family histories that have been so painfully marked by this trauma.”

Rebecca Margolis, an assistant professor at the University of

Filmmaker Sara Greenberg (centre) with her grandparents, Holocaust survivors Joseph and Reli Gringlas, will participate in a workshop, November 14, for children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

Ottawa who teaches a course on Canadian responses to the Holocaust, will give an academic perspective on Holocaust education and how students need to be prepared for university-level studies of the Holocaust.

Teachers Patrick Mascoe of Charles H. Hulse Public School and Elaine Bryans of Cairine Wilson Secondary School, who have been widely recognized for their work in teaching about the Holocaust, will discuss Ontario curriculum require-

ments for Holocaust education.

New York filmmaker Sara Greenberg, a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, will discuss B2247: A Granddaughter’s Understanding, the film she produced about her grandparents’ story, which has been screened at film festivals across the U.S. For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Sarah Beutel by e-mail at sbeutel@jewishottawa.com or call 613-798-4696, ext. 253.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 33

Looking back at 5770 in Ottawa

The cast of Tamir’s very successful production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat takes a curtain call. Tamir produced the musical in celebration of its 25th anniversary.

(Photo: Robin Chernick) Henry Winkler surrounded by Grades 4, 5 and 6 students at Hillel Academy after reading to them from his Hank Zipzer books. Winkler was the keynote speaker for the 2010 Annual Campaign kickoff (Photo: Peter Waiser)

Anna Bilsky, chair of the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society book committee, sells copies of A Common Thread: A History of the Jews of Ottawa in (Photo: Michael Regenstreif) the SJCC lobby.

Joe Schlesinger delivers the keynote address, opening Holocaust Education Week.

(Left to right) Hillel Academy students Elizabeth Greenberg, Haley Kardash, Lauren Rapp, Dani Taylor, Mirren Lithwick and Jonathan Roytenberg perform in Chanukah Around the World.

(Photo: Howard Sandler)

(Photo: Peter Waiser)

Eugene (Itzy Kamil) muses about life after his father's heart attack in the YRHS production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Itzy won the Cappie for his performance in the play.

(Photos: Howard Sandler)

Umbrellas and rain ponchos were the order of the day for the crowd preparing to set off on (Photos: Jackie Luffman-Lyman) the 2010 Walkathon.

shana tova

Page 34 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Torah High puts the extra in extra credit

By Josh McCarthy Torah High student For many high school students, the words “extra credit” resonate with despair and gloom as they imagine themselves slaving for hours upon hours, sapping their social lives. However, for Jewish teens in Ottawa who want to connect with their Jewish heritage, Torah High is an appetizing offer, offering extras to go with the credit they receive.

At Torah High classes in Craig Henry Plaza, you don’t see us writing papers, taking tests or glancing at the clock every 30 seconds to see if

five minutes have gone by.

Instead, our 12-person classes sit on sofas, excited and actively engaged in discussions centred on many topics offered in our public or private schools, but with a Jewish twist.

Also available is free food and a 15-minute break when we play foosball, socialize or play Xbox on the huge widescreen TV. Part of getting the extra credit is attending 30 hours of out-of-class programs, including weekend conventions, which bring NCSY groups to places like New York, Toronto and Washing-

ton to connect with our Judaism while making new friends from other cities.

Torah High also introduces students to the various four-week summer programs in Israel, offered by its parent group, NCSY. One program, Shakespeare in Jerusalem, is offered only to Grade 10 and 11 students from Ontario, who can get their English credits ahead of time.

With programs like these, it’s no wonder that Torah High has grown tremendously over the past four years.

“Torah High is a glimmer of hope in an otherwise average day,” says student Michael Rogov.

Parents appreciate the tax receipts they receive when paying the $299 Torah High registration fee (there is no

Torah High students at a weekend convention in Toronto in February (front row, left to right): Daniel Gans, NCSY adviser Moshe Cohen, Michael Rosenbloom, David Braun; (back row) Lorne Geller, Jordan Rosenbloom.

additional charge for individual credit courses) and that it gives their teenagers an opportunity to continue with

Judaic studies after elementary school.

For more information on Ottawa’s Torah High, visit

torahhigh.ca/ottawa or contact Bram Bregman, NCSY executive director at 613262-6279 or bram@ncsy.ca.

Iain Macpherson is Musica Ebraica’s new conductor

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By Minda Wershof for Musica Ebraica Well-known Ottawa chamber choir Musica Ebraica will inaugurate our 10th season with a Chanukah Concert, Sunday, November 28, 2:00 pm, at the Glebe Community Centre.

The concert will feature Musica Ebraica’s unique and eclectic mix of old and new, Ashkenazic and Sephardic, Hebrew, Yiddish and Ladino, and even Renaissance versions of “Ma’oz Tzur” and “Adon Olam.”

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The concert will be Musica Ebraica’s first under the direction of new conductor Iain Macpherson.

Macpherson began his voice studies in Ottawa with soprano Kathryn Palmer.

After successful competitions in the Kiwanis Music Festival, at both the local and provincial levels, Macpherson went on to Wilfrid Laurier University where he earned his bachelor of music degree.

He attended the Oberlin Summer Institute of vocal

pedagogy in Ohio, and the artist diploma program at the University of Toronto, completing the three-year diploma in just two years.

Macpherson also earned a bachelor of education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

In addition to being a vocal teacher and conductor, he is an accomplished violinist. He teaches at the Kanata Montessori School and is also the new conductor for the Temple Israel Liturgical Choir.

Musica Ebraica members are excited to be singing under the baton of this talented musician.

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Ebraica. Contact Iain Macpherson at 613-720-0117 or macphersoni@yahoo.ca to arrange an appointment.

For concert tickets or further information about Musica Ebraica, call Patsy Royer at 613-233-3099 or visit musicaebraica.ca for updated information.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 35

High Holidays Feature

New Conservative machzor tries for accessibility, inspiration

By Sue Fishkoff (JTA) – This Rosh Hashanah, worshippers in many Conservative congregations across North America will find themselves using a new machzor.

More than 150,000 copies of the High Holidays prayer book, Mahzor Lev Shalem, were pre-sold, with orders coming from 130 of some 650 affiliated congregations, including Agudath Israel in Ottawa.

The strong interest might stem from “dissatisfaction with all previous machzors,” said Rabbi Stuart Kelman, a member of the committee that produced the prayer book.

Lev Shalem, in one sense, is a response to two oft-heard criticisms of the Conservative movement: that it is too elitist and too intellectual.

For starters, the entire Hebrew text is translated into English, and parts that might be said aloud are transliterated to allow those without Hebrew knowledge to participate in group call and response.

“It’s a great expression of the tremendous desire of the Conservative rabbinate to share the tradition we are so steeped in with people wherever they are, and not to

wait for them to become scholars to appreciate it,” said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, president of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative body that produced the book.

Commentary and exposition fills the right side of each doublepage spread. The left side is for poems, meditations and alternative readings.

Ten rabbis and cantors spent 12 years putting together the machzor.

Each took one or two assignments, and the entire group read and commented on each other’s work. Rabbi Kelman wrote the commentaries for the evening and morning Sh’ma and its blessings, for example, while Rabbi Leonard Gordon wrote the commentary for Kol Nidre and the Torah and Haftorah readings.

The groups also translated the Hebrew text into English and read it aloud to make sure it flowed, so those who cannot “feel” the meaning of the Hebrew can use the English for real prayer.

Some who saw early versions of the machzor, which was tested in six congregations, say it answers a need articulated by Conservative laypeople as well as clergy.

Along with the content modifica-

This page of the new Lev Shalem machzor displays the traditional Al-Chet list of sins juxtaposed with an alternative meditation on sins against the earth penned by Jewish Theological Seminary (Photo: Sue Fishkoff) Dean Rabbi Daniel Nevins.

tions, Lev Shalem is aesthetically pleasing. It weighs less than two pounds, is printed on fine paper and uses a typeface that was specially designed and copyrighted.

Lev Shalem is being presented as a prayer book for all Jews rather than as a Conservative text.

“We’ve got everyone from [the late Israeli poet] Yehuda Amichai

to the Lubavitcher rebbe,” said committee chair Rabbi Edward Feld, senior editor of the project.

“It does not represent any single theological perspective.”

Rabbi Feld spent weeks poring through the rare book room at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), mining more than 60 old prayer books for long-forgotten

piyyutim (liturgical poems) to include along with modern meditations.

On one page is an 11th-century poem on the new year by Joseph Ibn Abitur of Spain. On another is “For the Sin of Destroying God’s Creation,” by Rabbi Daniel Nevins, dean of the Jewish Theological Seminary, an environmentally sensitive version of the AlChet, the traditional confessional list of sins recited during Yom Kippur services.

“We include myriad Jewish voices, allowing them to be in conversation with each other,” Rabbi Feld said. “In that sense it’s a deeply Conservative text because the movement, at its best, is about the conversations that can take place between tradition and a 21stcentury sensibility.”

The entire traditional text is included, with a few modifications.

The matriarchs are included as an option on the same page as the traditional Amidah prayer that refers only to the patriarchs.

The Conservative leadership hopes the new machzor will help worshippers deepen their synagogue experience.

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Page 36 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

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section 2

page 37

September 6, 2010 – Page 37

Section Two

september 6, 2010

Israel Year in Review

Diplomatic crises, but economic prosperity

By Leslie Susser Jerusalem (JTA) – For Israel, the Jewish year 5770 was characterized by ups and downs in relations with the United States, a virtual stalemate in Middle East peacemaking and growing international alienation.

Last November, after months of intense U.S. pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a temporary freeze on new construction in West Bank settlements – a move designed to create conditions for a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians. But the freeze was only for 10 months, did not include some 3,000 units already started and did not apply to construction in eastern Jerusalem.

The Palestinians, convinced that U.S. President Barack Obama would exert even heavier pressure on Israel on the core issues of dispute – borders, Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and the nature of a future Palestinian state – without their having to negotiate, highlighted the lacunae and rejected calls to return to the peace table.

As a compromise, special U.S. peace envoy George Mitchell proposed indirect negotiations under U.S. auspices. By early March, both sides had agreed to “proximity talks,” with Mitchell shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah. U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden travelled to the region to announce the breakthrough, but, during his visit, an Israeli Interior Ministry planning committee approved plans for 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a Jewish neighbourhood in Jerusalem on the east side of the pre-1967 border – what most of the world still considers the West Bank.

The move prompted the Palestinians to retract their agreement to participate in proximity talks and infuriated the Obama administration. U.S. officials blamed Israel for what they saw as a deliberate slight calculated to torpedo their peace efforts.

In an angry 43-minute telephone conversation, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reprimanded Netanyahu, insisting that Israel freeze the Ramat Shlomo project and agree to discuss all the core issues in the

proximity talks. Netanyahu explained that the planning committee’s announcement had taken his government by surprise as much as it had the Americans, made it clear that there would be no building in Ramat Shlomo for at least two years, and agreed to put the core issues (Continued on page 38)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 6, 2010.

(Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

Led by Gilad Schalit's family, thousands of Israelis began a march to Jerusalem, June 27, 2010, from Northern Israel to press for the release of the soldier held captive in Gaza for four years.

(Photo: Gili Yaari/Flash 90/JTA)

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Page 38 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Flotilla incident leads to storm of protest (Continued from page 37)

on the table.

Parallel to the U.S.-led peacemaking endeavour, the Palestinians stepped up unilateral efforts to create a framework for statehood, focusing on law and order, economic viability and institution building.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad made no secret of his intention to have “a well-functioning state in just about every facet of activity” by mid-2011, irrespective of whether any peace agreement with Israel had been reached.

After weeks of bickering, the proximity talks finally were launched in early May, after the Palestinians received the go-ahead from the Arab League. Neither side expected to achieve much. It seemed both had agreed primarily to engage to avoid American censure.

With ties strained between Washington and Jerusalem, Obama invited Netanyahu to the White House for a meeting that was to patch up the strains in the relationship and provide a positive image in contrast with an earlier, low-profile meeting in March that included no public component or photo-op.

The meeting was delayed several weeks due to Israel’s commando raid aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla from Turkey on May 31. But, when the two leaders finally met on July 6, they projected a public display of warmth. The meeting resulted in no new pressure on Israel.

Rather, the Americans exhorted the Palestinians to move from proximity talks, which were not making headway, to direct negotiations between the parties – the position favoured by Israel.

In a development late last month, Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to direct peace talks which, at press time, were scheduled to begin in Washington on September 2.

The meeting also cleared up earlier tensions over Israel’s presumed nuclear weapons’ program. In late May, the United States had backed the final communiqué of a monthlong Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference calling for a nuclear-free Middle East and calling specifically on Israel to sign the NPT. In their meeting, Obama assured Netanyahu that, despite his longterm vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, the United States

would continue to back Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity under which Israel does not confirm or deny possession of nuclear weapons or sign the NPT. Although Israel and the United States were in agreement that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, Israel was skeptical about the international community’s will to take significant action to prevent it. In mid-February, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, went to Israel to underline Washington’s opposition to a pre-emptive Israeli strike on Iran.

“I worry a great deal about the unintended consequences” of an attack against Iran, Mullen said.

The prospect of an Israeli strike, however, significantly diminished following the adoption in early June of new, tougher sanctions against Iran by the UN Security Council.

Perhaps the year’s most prominent development was a major erosion of Israel’s international standing. The downward trend began with the Goldstone report on the Gaza war, released in September 2009, which accused Israel of possible “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in its war with

Hamas in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009.

Although the report was widely dismissed as biased and deeply flawed, the damage to Israel’s image was devastating, and critics of Israel used the Goldstone report to hammer away at its reputation.

The Israeli military refuted some of the report’s central accusations, but the perception that Israel used disproportionate force to quell the rocket fire from Gaza remained embedded in international public opinion.

An early manifestation of new boldness among Israel’s European critics came last December, when Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt led an initiative to have the European Union recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state – a move eventually quashed by Israel’s European allies, with France, Germany and the Czech Republic playing dominant roles.

Israel suffered another major PR setback when agents believed to be from the Mossad intelligence agency were accused of using forged foreign passports in the January assassination in Dubai of Mahmoud Mabhouh, a senior Hamas

official involved in arms smuggling. Several countries expelled Israeli diplomats. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the assassination.

The year’s worst PR disaster for Israel came in the May 31 flotilla incident when nine Turkish citizens were killed when Israel intercepted a ship carrying aid material bound for Hamas-controlled Gaza, which was under Israeli blockade. Though Israel released videos showing its soldiers were attacked when they boarded the ship, a worldwide storm of protest erupted. The anger against Israel resulted in the firstever Israeli commission of inquiry with an international presence and the easing of Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

The main diplomatic casualty of the flotilla affair was Israel’s already strained strategic relationship with Turkey. In 2008, the two countries had been close enough for Turkey to mediate between Israel and Syria. But, since the war with Hamas in Gaza, Turkey, a key regional power broker with an Islamist government, had been vehemently critical of Israel while ostensibly moving away from the (Continued on page 40)

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 39

shana tova

Page 40 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish Community

Councillor Steve Desroches City of Ottawa Gloucester - South Nepean 613-580-2751 www.stevedesroches.ca

Wishing Shana Tova to the Ottawa Jewish Community

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Following the Israeli Navy's takeover of the Gaza-bound flotilla, Jerusalem faced tough questions about its blockade of the Palestinian area.

(Moti Milrod/Pool/Flash90)

Israeli economy remains robust

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(Continued from page 38)

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West and edging closer to Iran.

Relations between Israel and Syria, Iran’s closest ally, oscillated between hopes for a resumption of peace talks and fears of war. French President Nicolas Sarkozy tried his hand at mediation, hosting both Netanyahu and Syrian President Bashar Assad at a multinational conference last November. But the two never met and, by early April, Sarkozy had given up, complaining to Israeli President Shimon Peres about Netanyahu’s lack of co-operation.

The Syrians had insisted that Netanyahu first commit to Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights as a basis for negotiations, a demand

the Israeli prime minister rejected. Tensions flared in early February, with Assad accusing Israel of leading the region into war, and then again in May, with Netanyahu charging that Iran was trying to drag Israel into war with Syria.

Despite Assad’s talk about “strategic” readiness for peace with Israel, the Syrians continued to transfer sophisticated weapons to the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Of particular concern to Israeli military planners was the supply of GPSguided M-600 missiles, which, for the first time, gave Hezbollah the capacity to pinpoint specific targets in Israel as far away as Tel Aviv.

Iran also tried to supply Hezbollah by sea. On No-

It’s a boy!

FRENKEL-GREEN, Howard and Amanda are thrilled to announce the birth of their precious son Brayden Jacob Frenkel in Toronto on June 4, 2010 weighing 7 lb 14 oz. Proud great-grandmother Dora in Israel, proud grandparents Sophie and Neil Frenkel of Ottawa and Sabina and Gerry Green of Montreal.

Excited aunts and uncles are Josh, Sharon and Mark, Jason and Jodi. BH

vember 3, 2009, Israeli naval commandos intercepted a cargo of more than 3,000 Iranian-made rockets destined for Hezbollah on the Francop, an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel sailing from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

In the face of the growing threat from the Iranian axis – Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas – Israel significantly augmented its missile and rocket defences. In January, the Iron Dome system designed to intercept shortrange projectiles passed final tests and, in June, Israel launched the Ofek 9 spy satellite, enhancing intelligence gathering over Iran.

Moreover, despite the political differences, IsraeliAmerican defence ties remained strong and intimate. For example, in late October 2009, the two armies jointly tested the interoperability of their highly sophisticated defence systems against incoming ballistic missiles.

Despite its diplomatic difficulties and strategic challenges, Israel’s economy prospered, with the most dramatic development being the

discovery in June of a huge natural gas reserve off the Israeli coast. The field, called Leviathan, is estimated to contain about 15 trillion cubic feet of gas, nearly twice as much as the adjacent Tamar field discovered the year before.

According to Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau, Israel now has enough gas to supply all its needs “for the next 50 to 70 years.” Experts have described the finds, which could contain as much as one-fifth of America’s known gas reserves or twice that of Britain’s, as a potential geopolitical game-changer.

As a mark of its increasing economic power, Israel was admitted in May to the OECD, which incorporates the world’s most developed nations. Netanyahu described Israel’s admittance as a “seal of approval” that would attract investors.

And, despite the continued aftershocks of the international economic crisis, Israel’s economic performance remained robust, with growth of 3.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2010 following the 4.4 per cent growth of the last quarter of 2009.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 41

High Holidays Feature

Understanding the lost art of repentance and its urgency

By Louis E. Newman (JTA) – In the past several months, I have had some version of the following exchange several times. I tell a friend that I’ve just finished a book on repentance, and they respond that they find the subject of forgiveness very interesting. It’s psychologically so much healthier to forgive than to hold on to resentments, they say, signalling that they appreciate the importance of the subject.

The confusion of repentance and forgiveness is widespread, it seems, and also very telling.

Forgiveness, I explain, is what we are called on to do when we have been wronged by others. It is about our willingness to be generous and compassionate with those whose behaviour was hurtful and unwarranted.

Repentance, by contrast, is what we are called on to do when we have wronged others. It involves confession of our transgressions, feeling remorseful, making an apology, seeking forgiveness (hence the confusion in the minds of so many), offering restitution, soul-searching and, ultimately, uprooting old patterns of behaviour from our lives.

In these weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it seems that the need to understand what repentance is, and why it matters, is more urgent than ever.

Forgiveness is difficult and rare, to be sure, but I want to suggest that engaging in real repentance is far more difficult, more easily misunderstood and far less frequently practised. Despite the many dozens of sermons that our rabbis have given on the subject of repentance, the process of repenting remains something of a mystery to most Jews (and, of course, not only Jews). Many never take seriously the need for repentance. Others start out on the path of repentance, but give up when they encounter one of the many obstacles along the way.

Repentance, in our time, has become a lost art. Consider several examples, which I suspect all of us will find familiar: • The family member who regularly deflects any suggestion that he or she has done something to hurt others by insisting repeatedly that it’s really someone else’s fault; • The boss who can acknowledge making mistakes, but can never quite say the words “I’m sorry,â€? or worse, can say the words, but not express genuine remorse; • The spouse who cheats on a partner and apologizes profusely, but who is utterly unprepared to do the hard work of restoring the trust he or she has undermined; • The friend who has a habit of speaking harshly or acting impulsively, but lacks the self-awareness to explore the real roots of

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those dysfunctional patterns of behaviour; • The person who has promised repeatedly to reform her ways – to give up smoking, to make more time for her children, to be less judgmental of others – yet continually falls back into old patterns.

In light of these examples – and hardly a day goes by when we don’t encounter others – we do well to ask: What makes genuine repentance so difficult? And why should we even bother trying?

Repentance, what Jewish tradition has called teshuvah – “turning� or “returning� – entails nothing less than a radical transformation of our selves and our relationship to others. It requires profound psychological self-awareness, which includes both recognizing our own moral blind spots and exploring the character traits that cause our moral lapses in the first place.

It demands that we take full responsibility for our behaviour, without hesitation or equivocation, and then take action to undo the effects of that behaviour on others. And, if this were not enough, Judaism teaches that the process of teshuvah is never really finished. Each time we have an opportunity to make the same mistake again, we need to renounce the past and choose a different path.

So doing teshuvah is literally an endless process. Forgiving others for their transgressions against us is a piece of cake by comparison.

There are many obstacles on the path to true repentance: ego, self-deception, dishonesty and stubbornness, to name just a few. Because we all want the approval of (Continued on page 42)

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Page 42 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Teshuvah requires long, morally demanding work (Continued from page 41)

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Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish community

those we love, it is tempting to cover up or minimize any actions that might cause us to lose their affection.

Because we all know that others expect us to make amends when we hurt them, it is tempting to feign remorse and utter empty words of apology.

But counterfeit repentance, like counterfeit currency, has no value. We can’t restore our integrity or repair our relationships with others by merely pretending to repent; there are no shortcuts to an ethical life.

All of which explains why genuine repentance is so rare. The work of examining our selves and repairing the relationships we have broken is arduous and always has been.

The culture in which we live only compounds the difficulties. The expectation that we can find a quick fix for every problem that arises makes us less prepared to engage in the long, morally demanding work of teshuvah, and even less inclined to try. When virtual friends take the place of real relationships, we lose the impetus to cultivate the sort of emotional honesty that teshuvah requires of us.

The costs of ignoring the work of repentance are not

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Repentance: The Meaning & Practice of Teshuvah looks at the implications on morality and relationships of taking responsibility for one’s actions.

easily quantifiable, but the evidence is all around us.

We see it in the lives of public figures – politicians and corporate executives – caught in some deceitful or fraudulent behaviour, who then baldly deny it.

We see it on daytime television shows, where people confess their transgressions before a live audience for their entertainment, never displaying a hint of the contrition or soul

searching that is the mark of repentance.

Most of all, we know it in those quiet moments in our own lives when we recognize that we are not living up to our own moral standards, yet don’t know how to restore our own sense of wholeness and integrity.

The ultimate benefit of doing teshuvah is that it offers us a way to overcome our past precisely because we have confronted and

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taken full responsibility for it. It enables us to escape the sense of guilt – in some cases, even despair – with which many of us live.

In its place, we come to live with self-acceptance and hope because we know that moral renewal is always a possibility. We may even discover, as the ancient rabbis taught, that through repentance, our transgressions can be transformed into merits. The rewards of doing teshuvah are commensurate with the effort we expend.

This year when we celebrate the Ten Days of Repentance, which are the holiest days on the Jewish calendar, we would do well to focus on what repentance is and what it is not. Surely, it is easier to think of this as a time to forgive others for their transgressions against us. But, it is far more rewarding to remember that this time is really a gift, an opportunity to engage in searching moral introspection about the ways in which we have harmed others and so failed to be our best selves.

Tradition has laid out the path to follow, as well as how we can work with our internal resistance and what we stand to gain in the process. All that we require is an accurate understanding of what is required of us and the will to begin anew.

Louis E. Newman is a professor of religion at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and author of Repentance: The Meaning & Practice of Teshuvah, published this year by Jewish Lights.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 43

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Page 44 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Rosh Hashanah Feature

Exploring Jewish ancestry through food

By Linda Morel (JTA) – Teiglach came along with Tina Wasserman when she moved to Dallas in the 1980s.

Wasserman, a cooking teacher and the food columnist for Reform Judaism magazine, didn’t literally transport clumps of the sticky pastries whose dough is wrapped around nuts and simmered in honey syrup.

But among her most cherished possessions, she packed her recipe for the traditional Rosh Hashanah sweet hailing from Lithuania.

“No one had seen it down here,” said Wasserman, the author of Entrée to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora (URJ Press), until she served the dessert to her new friends.

She then introduced the recipe in cooking classes.

Before long, teiglach became part of the Jewish

culinary scene in Dallas.

The incident is typical of how Jewish foods have travelled around the world, says Wasserman, whose goal in writing her cookbook was to educate about Jewish culture while providing sensational recipes that tell the story of Jewish history.

As Jews migrated from country to country, they carried their recipes and Kiddush cups. Like Johnny Appleseed, they spread their favourite foods. But, they also adapted to the cuisines they encountered wherever they went.

“I wanted to create a link to our ancestry through food,” said Wasserman, who feels that such a connection will help keep Judaism alive.

“Food is the most direct connection in our brain to memory,” said Wasserman.

She began assembling recipes for Entrée to

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Judaism with a question: What makes a food Jewish from a historical viewpoint?

Her conclusion: Kosher laws and Sabbath observance were the reasons for the invention and evolution of Jewish recipes.

For instance, Wasserman says that Caponata, the popular Italian appetizer of simmered eggplants, tomatoes and peppers, is a 500-yearold Sabbath dish. During the Spanish Inquisition when Spain occupied Sicily, 40,000 Jews fled to mainland Italy to escape persecution, bringing with them this make-ahead recipe that can be served cold or at room temperature.

“I tried to put the foods we love into a context,” Wasserman said, explaining that she wanted to breathe life into Jewish culinary history.

Each recipe in her cookbook includes the story of its origins, when and why it was eaten, and who cherished it enough to bring the preparation method to a new part of the world.

Ever wondered why some Ashkenazim eat kreplach at Rosh Hashanah?

During the Middle Ages, Jews from Central and Eastern Europe sealed their wishes in pouches of dough and wore them as amulets.

Because they didn’t want to waste this precious food, they put it into soup.

“Most of our food customs come from the Middle Ages,” said Wasserman.

Jews needed stories to

give them hope during the Crusades, when anti-Semitism flourished.

While Ashkenazim dip apples in honey to connote sweetness in the New Year, Turkish Jews convey the same wishes by partaking in Dulce de Manzana, sweet apple preserves infused with rose water, the signature flavour of many Sephardic pastries.

Dulce de Manzana is the first of 20 dairy foods Wasserman serves at the bagels and lox buffet she and her husband host at their home each Rosh Hashanah. The buffet follows the Tashlich ceremony when Jews, often in large groups, cast away their sins from the previous year by throwing small pieces of

bread into a natural body of flowing water such as a river, lake or ocean.

For the past five years, the Wassermans have invited about 110 guests to the meal, including the five rabbis from their Dallas synagogue, Temple Emanuel, the fourth largest Reform congregation in the United States.

International Jewish foods featured in Entrée to Judaism are found on their buffet table. Wasserman prepares each dish herself and posts a small sign explaining its origin. Many of the deliciously exotic recipes hail from Sephardic countries.

One of Wasserman’s favourite recipes is Syrian Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses, which is similar in consistency to baba ghanouj.

Pomegranates are traditionally eaten at Rosh Hashanah because their seeds symbolize prosperity in the New Year. The recipe is great as an appetizer, hors d’oeuvres, first course salad or part of a meze assortment, an array of appetizers typical of Sephardic cuisine.

“I’m all about connecting to the Jewish community-at-large,” said Wasserman, whose website – cookingandmore.com – creates a community around food.

“We’re a shrinking population who used to live everywhere in the world.”

Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish community

Diane Holmes

Ottawa City Councillor Diane.Holmes@ottawa.ca

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 45

High Holidays Feature

Tasting a new sweetness in Rosh Hashanah

By Edmon J. Rodman (JTA) – What flavour is your Jewish New Year?

For most, since childhood, Rosh Hashanah begins with apples dipped in honey. Custom has Jews eating them together to ensure a sweet new year.

Over time they have become a ritual comfort food. But what if we like change?

What if you don’t like apples, or honey, or find the combination too saccharine for your tastes?

If the good quality of time we choose to celebrate is sweetness, I want to revel in a different kind of sweet.

Does eating the same old thing portend we will have the same old year? Does habit have us singing, “Apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah, blah?”

You don’t need food dehydrators and molecular gastronomy to come up with something better.

Just follow your nose, taste buds, Jewish history and ritual.

At this time of year, we dine on so much food symbolism. Two noteworthy symbols: round challah, for the continuity of the Jewish

year; and pomegranates, their seeds representing the commandment to be fruitful and multiply.

Before we say a blessing and eat, why not first consider what we want our food to represent?

For a different new year, one filled with as many new experiences as the seeds of the pomegranate, a new combination is in order. Unless someone is planning to open a Rosh Hashanah food truck, we will need to come up with our own.

New combos can be as easy as apples and honey, providing new ways to feed our heads at the head of the year.

To start, let’s not stick with honey. According to Claudia Roden, author of The Book of Jewish Food, “Beekeeping is not mentioned in the Bible, and it is believed that every mention of honey in the Pentateuch refers to date honey.”

“Let me take hold its branches,” says a verse of “Song of Songs,” which refers to the tamar, the date palm.

Since we want to bring more (Continued on page 51)

Edmon J. Rodman suggests a chocolate egg cream as one of his symbolic substitutes for apples and honey.

(Photo: Edmon J. Rodman)

shana tova

Page 46 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

High Holidays Feature

‘Who by Fire, Who by Water’: Is our fate determined on Yom Kippur?

By Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman (JTA) – High on the list of Jewish martyr stories still retold, or at least alluded to, every Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the terrible medieval tale of Rabbi Amnon of Mainz.

For refusing to appear before the Bishop of Regensburg, who had requested that Rabbi Amnon become a Christian, he had his limbs hacked off. What was left of him was arrayed alongside his severed parts and returned home in time for Rosh Hashanah.

As the chazan reached the climax of services that day, Rabbi Amnon interrupted with a beautiful liturgical poem, and was promptly transported to his heavenly abode. Three days later, he appeared to the saintly Rabbi Kalonymos to teach him the poem and instruct

him to spread it everywhere.

That poem, the Un’taneh Tokef, now is a centrepiece of the High Holy Days liturgy.

So goes the story, which is still told annually in many a synagogue before Un’taneh Tokef and its twofold message: First, that “On Rosh Hashanah it is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed: who will live and who will die, who by fire, who by water ... who by earthquake, who by plague [and so forth];” but second, that “penitence, prayer, and charity” can somehow alleviate the hardship of the decree.

It is hard to know which is more troubling: the prayer or the story of its authorship.

Who by Fire, Who by Water (Jewish Lights Publishing), the first volume in the Prayers of Awe series, chronicles the fascinating

controversy that surrounds them both.

The problem with the prayer is that it seems patently scandalous. Was the fate of the 9/11 victims predetermined on the prior Yom Kippur? Did they die because they were insufficiently penitent, prayerful or charitable?

The problem with the story is that it is hardly a message that inaugurates a new year with spiritual promise. Besides, it is pure fiction – there never was a Rabbi Amnon of Mainz. “aMNoN” is a rearrangement of the letters in the Hebrew Ne’eMaN (faithful).

This is a morality tale of a putative “Rabbi Faithful” who stood fast in the face of adversity.

The poem probably was composed as early as the fifth or sixth century by a Byzantine Jewish genius named Yannai, who symbol-

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ized anything but Jewish martyrdom in the face of inhuman persecution. Yannai personified a Jewish literary efflorescence rarely matched in the millennium-and-a-half following.

Perhaps the story we should be telling every Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish potential for artistic brilliance, Judaism as a well of creative potential, not Judaism as the religion of the persecuted masses. Un’taneh Tokef illustrates classic liturgical poetry at its best, an abundance of biblical and rabbinic allusions wed to clever Hebrew wordplay and alliterative excellence.

But what about the poem’s troubling message?

While the first half of Who by Fire, Who by Water provides the truly stunning story behind the myth and the poem (alongside an annotated translation of both), the second half elicits commentaries from some 40 thoughtful contributors who tell us how they handle the poem’s message.

Here, arguing over the poem’s merits, are rabbis and lay people; men and women from all denominations of Jewish life (some of them artists, writers, scholars, teachers and musicians); from around the world and spanning generations.

Prayer book editors from Europe and North America wrangle over whether to include it, fudge its message

or trash it. Modern feminist Wendy Zierler surveys Un’taneh Tokef as a theme in modern literature.

Israeli professor Dalia Marx recalls how the poem emerged anew as a symbol of Israelis dying in the Yom Kippur War of her youth.

Bible professor Marc Brettler provides the biblical backdrop for the poem, and several writers subject it to literary analysis, exposing its very many poetic virtues.

Author and scholar Erica Brown plays with the image of God as writer of our fate: What kind of writing would God prefer? Fiction? Journalism? Scholarship?

“Who shall live and who shall die?

The answer is ‘Me!’” concludes Rabbi Edward Feinstein, in his insistence that Un’taneh Tokef speaks directly to our most cherished illusion: that we are in charge of our fate, when in fact we are painfully out of control.

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Isn’t that the whole point of the High Holy Days, delivered, in Rabbi David Stern’s judgment, “with the poetic force of a two-byfour”?

But still, does God really work that way? Does the God of Judaism write reallife obituaries in advance, not just fiction, journalism or whatever?

No, says Rabbi Delphine Horveilleur of Paris, the very idea is unpalatable. The poem’s theology is “infantilizing.” But it is a poem, with all the complexities of Shakespeare, Keats or Cummings, and requiring all the interpretation they do. It may not even be about God at all, as much as it is about us.

Perhaps the poem’s real climactic claim is that even though “our origin is dust and our end is dust,” we yet carry God’s name in our very being.

“We are part of something everlasting,” says Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.

Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig concurs: “We may write books, create foundations, generate ideas, found or revitalize synagogues that will nurture generations long after we have died.”

Both the poem’s authorship and its message matter profoundly. Which Jewish type we emphasize, Rabbi Amnon the martyr or Yannai the poet, will determine what Judaism we hand to the next generation.

The dizzying panoply of commentaries gathered here ask and answer the core religious questions of our time: Who is God? What is fate?

How do humans matter?

What spiritual truths can carry us forward when mortality’s harsh reality becomes finally unavoidable?

Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, professor of liturgy, worship and ritual at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, is editor of the Prayers of Awe series which explores the High Holy Days liturgy.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 47

Moses Montefiore biography shows an observant Jew who helped forge an international Jewish public

By Adam Kirsch Tablet In 1884, when Moses Montefiore turned 100, England’s chief rabbi composed a special prayer service to mark the event. This liturgy, Abigail Green writes in her deeply impressive new biography, Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero (Harvard University Press), was recited by Jews in every corner of the world: “The Jewish Chronicle reported celebrations in Italy, Holland, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Morocco, Russia, Egypt, Turkey, Denmark, Palestine, Romania, Hungary, and Corfu.”

At Bevis Marks, the Sephardic synagogue in London where Montefiore worshiped throughout his life, the rabbi noted that it was “without parallel in the annals of Judaism” for such an occasion to be celebrated at the same time across the whole planet.

What Montefiore witnessed on that birthday, which would turn out to be his last, was the emergence of what Green calls “the international Jewish public.” This was something different from the Jewish people, which had lived in many parts of the world ever since the days of the Roman Empire.

Until the 19th century, however, it was impossible for these widely scattered Jewish communities to become actively aware of one another’s fortunes, or to speak with one voice on the world stage. It took modern technologies – the steamship, railroad, newspaper and telegraph – to bring the Jewish world together, just as they were bringing the world itself closer together.

No less important, it took imperialism – especially the liberal imperialism of Britain and France – to make the problems of Jews in Palestine or Morocco into a matter of concern for the whole “civilized world,” as Western Europe could still contentedly think of itself.

It is no coincidence, then, that the man who emerged as the leader and living symbol of the international Jewish public was an Englishman.

Victorian England, like the United States today, was a society that prided itself on being the custodian of liberal democratic values around the world, even though neither its domestic or foreign policy quite lived up to that ideal. No other European government was so willing to intrude in the affairs of other countries, or enjoyed so much influence in places like Turkey, Morocco and Palestine, with their large Jewish populations.

Throughout his life, Montefiore travelled through Europe and the Middle East, secure in the knowledge that his Englishness was a source of protection, power and prestige.

It helped, of course, that he was extremely

Moses Montefiore on the cover of the October 20, 1883 issue of Harper’s Weekly.

rich. Green does not devote much space to Montefiore’s business career – by the third chapter he is already is in his late 30s and looking for “a world beyond business.”

But, without the money he made in finance, he would never have been able to devote the rest of his life to philanthropy and politics. And he might never have been so successful in the marketplace, Green shows, without his family connections.

When Montefiore married Judith BarentCohen in 1812, he not only received a dowry, he became the brother-in-law of Nathan Rothschild, who was married to Judith’s sister Hannah. Montefiore was soon making huge profits as Rothschild’s agent and partner, and together they started the insurance giant Alliance Assurance, which is still in business today (though under a different name).

“Marriage in such circles was always about money and connections,” Green observes, just as it was for the English gentry (see any novel by Jane Austen).

But Montefiore and Judith also became a very close and loving pair, despite his frequent infidelities and their inability to have any children. In fact, their childlessness may be what made Montefiore’s adventures possible. With a family to raise and heirs to provide for, he might never have risked his money and health so freely or started to think of himself as a kind of father figure to the whole Jewish people.

Both the great achievements and the significant limitations of Montefiore’s career can be traced to that paternalism. In early (Continued on page 48)

shana tova

Page 48 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Bio an essential work of modern Jewish history (Continued from page 47)

19th century England, a businessman like Montefiore was naturally drawn to the company of intellectuals and social reformers, many of them Quakers and Dissenters who were, like the Jews, excluded from England’s political system.

But for Montefiore, liberal politics were not at odds with religious orthodoxy. Unlike many English Jews of his class, Montefiore remained strictly observant. He kept kosher, even when travelling, and when he bought a country estate, he built a synagogue on the premises so he could pray three times a day.

Montefiore’s task would be to unite these two impulses – to bring the liberalizing tendencies of the age to bear on the condition of the Jews, in England and around the world.

On his first visit to Palestine in 1827 – undertaken, he later said, according to a command given him in a dream by the Prophet Elijah – Montefiore was inspired to devote his future to Jewish observance and philanthropy.

“This day I begin a new era,” he wrote on his 43rd birthday.

On the way from London to

Jerusalem, Montefiore and Judith contended with storms, plagues, pirates and the threat of a war between Egypt and Turkey; they might well have seen their safe arrival as a kind of divine providence.

Montefiore would return to the Holy Land six times – the last at the age of 91 – and while he was not a Zionist in the modern, political sense, his benefactions in Palestine helped to move it to the centre of European Jewish consciousness. On his centenary, the Hovevei Zion of Odessa – one of the earliest Zionist organizations – declared, “You were … the first that put your heart to build the ruins of Zion the land of our fathers, and your actions were the light beneath the foot of our people.”

Back home in England, Montefiore became the leader of the Jewish community’s representative body, the Board of Deputies, and earned a series of public honours.

He was the first Jew to be appointed to the largely ceremonial position of sheriff of London (the inaugural dinner, usually held on Sept.

30, was postponed because the date fell on Rosh Hashanah). He was only the second Jew in British his-

tory to be granted a knighthood.

It is not on these kinds of official milestones, however, on which Montefiore’s reputation rests. More important, starting in the 1830s, he began to concern himself with the problems of the Jews abroad. In 1840, the so-called “Damascus Affair” erupted, when Syrian Jews were accused of having ritually murdered a Catholic priest. This blood libel, which seemed so incredible to assimilated Western Jews, galvanized Jewish opinion in England and France. Indeed, it marked what Green calls “the beginning of a new Jewish politics, one that combined the influence that Jewish financiers wielded behind the scenes with a vocal campaign for Jewish rights.”

At the head of that campaign were Montefiore and the French Jewish leader Adolphe Cremieux, who set out together for Cairo to confront the pasha Mehmed Ali. Their mission, Green reveals, was fraught with tension as Cremieux found Montefiore arrogant and thought he wanted to take all the credit. But, in the end, it succeeded.

Mehmed Ali freed the Damascus Jews, thanks less to Montefiore’s persuasive powers than to the diplo-

matic backing of England and France.

Montefiore travelled on to Constantinople, where he secured a decree from the sultan guaranteeing legal equality to the Jews of the Ottoman Empire.

This was a spectacular triumph, and it made Montefiore a hero to Jews everywhere. But as Green goes on to show, it set a pattern for Montefiore’s activism that would prove problematic.

Over the next 40 years, he would undertake similar missions to the czar in Russia, the sultan of Morocco, and the king of Romania, each time asking for decrees of protection for the Jews, and sometimes even getting them. The problem was that such decrees could not always be enforced, and that Montefiore placed too much trust in figures like Czar Nicholas I whose deep anti-Semitism he did not fathom. Nor did he understand the dynamics of popular anti-Semitism, which, by the end of his life, had become a potent political force in Russia, Romania and even Germany.

At home, too, Montefiore’s leadership had its critics. As the head of the Board of Deputies, he was

uncompromisingly against the Reform movement which was winning the allegiance of many English Jews. When members of Bevis Marks left to set up their own congregation, the West London Synagogue, Montefiore encouraged the rabbi to excommunicate them. His own younger brother was one of the seceders and Montefiore didn’t speak to him for the rest of his life.

All this helps to explain why Montefiore’s style of leadership – personal, cautious and, to a large degree, unaccountable – alienated many younger, more progressive Jews. In a sense he was a victim of his own success as a catalyst for the emergence of an “international Jewish public” that was too large and contentious for any one man to dominate.

Yet, Green never allows the reader to lose sight of Montefiore’s truly pioneering achievements, or of his courage, generosity and farsightedness.

In writing about this incomparable life, Green has produced an incomparable book. More than a biography, Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero takes its place as one of the essential works on modern Jewish history.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 49

Visit our new web site: www.hillellodge.ca

LL

ife at the odge

From our families To yours

Our birthday party celebrants.

Hillel Lodge …

Ottawa’s Jewish Home for the Aged.

Volunteer extraordinaire Debi Shore (right), who will be honoured at the October 24 Auxiliary Tea, with Recreation and Volunteer Program Manager Marilyn Adler.

BBQ master chefs Morris Kimmel and Patty Haas, our Director of Food Services.

Team Hillel Lodge: Residents participate in the upcoming September 19 Biking for Bubbies Fundraiser by totaling their hours on the exercise bikes at the SJCC. To help sponsor them, call the Foundation Office at 613-728-3900, ext. 111.

Our flea market volunteers, residents and clients.

Residents enjoy Morris and Patty’s BBQ creations.

If you want to make a difference in people’s lives (including your own), give volunteering at Hillel Lodge a try. The time commitment can range from a few hours per month to regular weekly or bi-weekly visits. To become a volunteer, please contact Marilyn Adler, our Manager of Recreation and Volunteer Programs.

Hillel Lodge is proud of the quality care we provide to our residents. To make a donation, please contact the Long-Term Care Foundation at (613) 728-3900 extension 111 or e-mail us at donations@hillel-ltc.com.

shana tova

Page 50 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

In support of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge In the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Long Term Care Centre Card Donations Card donations go a long way to improving the quality of life for our residents. Thank you for considering their needs and contributing to their wellbeing.

On behalf of the residents and their families, we extend sincere appreciation to the following individuals and families who made card donations to the Hillel Lodge Long-Term Care Foundation between July 29 and August 17, 2010 inclusive.

HONOUR FUNDS Unlike a bequest or gift of life insurance, which are realized some time in the future, a named Honour Fund (i.e., endowment fund) is established during your lifetime.

By making a contribution of $1,000 or more, you can create a permanent remembrance for a loved one, honour a family member, declare what the Lodge has meant to you and/or support a cause that you believe in.

A Hillel Lodge Honour Fund is a permanent pool of capital that earns interest or income each year. This income then supports the priorities designated by you, the donor.

Malcolm and Vera Glube Endowment Fund In Memory of: Marcia Strauss by Vera and Malcolm Glube Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Honour of: Yitzchak Sheffrin and Pninah Karasik Mazal tov on your forthcoming wedding by Henry and Maureen Molot Nordau and Roslyn Kanigsberg Family Fund In Honour of: Dr. Nordau Kanigsberg Kol Ha’kavod to you for your kindness and skill by Eileen, Ann and Stan Goldberg

Sam and Jean Akerman Memorial Fund R’fuah Shlema: Alvin Stein by Sheila and Larry Hartman

Morris and Lillian Kimmel Family Fund In Honour of: Morris Kimmel Wishing you a very happy special birthday by Ingrid Levitz Zena Lieff and David Lieff Mazal tov on the birth of your grandson by Janet, Steve, Tobin and Aaron Kaiman

Bill and Leona Adler Memorial Fund In Honour of: Rob and Margery Snider Best wishes on their new beginnings by Elayne Adler, Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler

Bill and Phyllis Leith Family Endowment Fund In Honour of: Miriam and David Algom Mazal tov on your special anniversary by Arlene and Seymour Isenberg

Elsie Baker Fund In Honour of: Lil and Eli Baker Happy 65th anniversary by Mel Baker; by Polly & Jackie and Sammy Eli Baker Happy 90th birthday by Mel Baker; by Polly & Jackie and Sammy

Levenson-Polowin Feeding Fund In Memory of: Shirley Levenson by Inez Zelikovitz; by Dan and Marilyn Kimmel; by Gail and Stephen Victor; by Debi and Neil Zaret and family; by Sharon and Gary Steinberg; by David and Joy Kardish; by Honey and Jack Baylin; by Sara Shabsove; by Malca and Chuck Polowin; by Jessica and Kevin Cantor;

by Sally Taller; by Ingrid Levitz; by Justice Johanne Lafrance-Cardinal; by Judges and Staff of the Superior Court of Justice East Region; by Laurie and Carol Pascoe; by the Firm of Soloway Wright; by Harvey and Sheryl Kardish and family; by Beverley and Abe Feinstein; by Jackie Davis; by Mark Hammer; by Frayda and Charlie Wiseman; and by David and Barbara Kates

Friedberg and Dale Families Fund In Honour of: Reta Avery Happy 60th birthday by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale Sheli Braun and family in honour of Sheli’s special birthday by Elaine Friedberg, Bob and Jonathan Dale In Memory of: Yossi Amor’s sister by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale

Schachter/Ingber Family Fund In Honour of: Gilles Robitaille wishing you all the best in your post retirement and enjoy your trip by Rachel, Howard, Davida and Josh Schachter Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Family Fund In Memory of: Shirley Levenson by Debbie and Stephen Schneiderman Harold and Lillian Shoihet Memorial Fund In Honour of:] Rebecca Rotenberg Mazal tov on the birth of your granddaughter. May she give you a lot of nachas by David Shoihet and family Label and Leona Silver Family Fund In Honour of: Jeff and Donna Fine Mazal tov on the forthcoming marriage of Sara Rachael Claiman to Miki Rubin by Label and Leona Silver R’fuah Shlema: Len Kirsh by your friends Label and Leona Silver Ralph and Anne Sternberg Memorial Fund In Honour of: Thomas and Natalie Gussman Mazal tov on the marriage of your daughter Allison to Carrie, warmest wishes by Laya and Ted Jacobsen Louise Charest and Stanley Mardinger on the marriage of your daughter ElizabethAnn to Derrick Clark, warmest regards by Laya and Ted Jacobsen Sarah and Arnie Swedler Family Fund In Memory of: Hyman Brinker by Arnie Swedler Milton and Mary (Terry) Viner Family Fund In Honour of: Milton Viner Special birthday wishes on your big day with love by Millie Schanefield Anna and Samuel Wex Family Fund In Honour of: Dr. Norman Wolfish Our very best wishes on your special birthday with love

by Anna and Sam Wex Carole and Norman Zagerman Family Fund In Memory of: Irwin Thaw by Carole and Norman Zagerman and Andrea and Lawrie Aaron

Abraham Davis by Carole and Norman Zagerman R’fuah Shlema: Claire Bercovitch by Carole and Norman Zagerman Dorothy Hymes by Carole and Norman Zagerman and Andrea Aaron Bev Friedman by Carole and Norman Zagerman In Honour of: Ruth Freiman Mazal tov on your special birthday by Carole and Norman Zagerman Evelyn Rivers Mazal tov on your special birthday by Carole and Norman Zagerman Therapeutics Program R’fuah Shlema: Ruth Tal by Sonja and Ron Kesten IN HONOUR OF: Libby and Stan Katz Mazal tov and best wishes on your 60th anniversary with love by Arlene and Norm Glube Esty Bybelezer Mazal tov on the marriage of your grandson Michael by Edmond and Miriam Sussman Len and Bessie Kaufman in honour of your 40th wedding anniversary with best wishes and love always by Shirley and Norman Levitt Sol and Zelaine Shinder with best regards on your special wedding anniversary by Arnie and Chevy Fine Ian and Estelle Melzer Congratulations on the birth of your twin grandchildren by Dale and Ruth Fyman Saul and Penina Melamed Congratulations on the birth of Maytal by Dale and Ruth Fyman IN MEMORY OF: Janina Berkovic by Ed and Cary Lander and family Rita Ryant by the Ginsberg Family Reva Weinberg by Arlene and Norman Glube; and by Bev and Bryan Glube Mina Grundland by Arlene and Norman Glube Shirley Levenson Joy and Seymour Mender R’FUAH SHLEMA: M. Roodman by Claire and Irving Bercovitch Ruth Tal by Irma Sachs Sam Litwack by Marion Silver and Alan Brass Mrs. C. Levitan by Sylvia Monson

THE LODGE EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR YOUR KIND SUPPORT AND APOLOGIZES FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, THE WORDING APPEARING IN THE BULLETIN IS NOT NECESSARILY THE WORDING WHICH APPEARED ON THE CARD. GIVING IS RECEIVING – ATTRACTIVE CARDS AVAILABLE FOR ALL OCCASIONS Here’s a good opportunity to recognize an event or convey the appropriate sentiment to someone important to you and at the same time support the Lodge. Card orders may be given to Bev at 613-728-3900, extension 111, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Friday. You may also e-mail your orders to donations@hillel-ltc.com. E-mail orders must include name, address, postal code, and any message to person receiving the card; and, amount of donation, name, address and postal code of the person making the donation. Cards may be paid for by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cheque or Cash. Contributions are tax deductible.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 51

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With their myriad ruby red seeds, antioxidant-rich pomegranates have a holiday significance.

There are many alternatives to apples and honey (Continued from page 45)

Torah into our lives at this time of year, then in our search for a new combo, let’s begin with dates. Many already use them as an ingredient of charoseth for the Passover table.

Pairing dates with another ancient food, ice cream – which dates back to 400 BCE Rome, around the time of the prophet Malachi – provides a kid- and adult-friendly treat to begin 5771.

So chop up a few dates and sprinkle them onto some vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. Think of a refreshing new year with many satisfying acts of loving kindness.

Serve and say “Shana Tova u’metuka,” wishing you a sweet new year.

Another traditional approach to a sweet new year is eating teiglach, literally “little dough,” small pieces of dough boiled in honey.

What about substituting another form of cooked dough, one with which many Jews are even more familiar: crispy chow mein noodles? Many of us eat them at Christmas, so why not on a Jewish holiday?

For dipping, use the bright red sweet and sour sauce, of course.

Moving beyond food, at this time of year we should be thinking about the “land of milk and honey,” and that sounds a lot like a drink. What about raising a glass for a sweet and healthy year?

With their myriad ruby red seeds, antioxidant-rich pomegranates have a holiday significance, reminding us of both mitzvot and fertility; all the good deeds and perhaps new babies we intend to surround ourselves with in the coming year.

We can toast the year with pomegranate juice, sweetened further by serving it with a slice of orange on the rim of the glass. Pomegranates and oranges are agricultural products of modern-day Israel.

At the High Holy Day season’s end they

give us another reason to sing “L’shana Ha’baah, Yerushalayim (next year in Jerusalem).”

Chocolate has all the right stuff to bring us Jewish New Year joy. Your favorite fruit or berries dipped in melted chocolate can easily introduce a sweet new year.

But for my choice of a chocolate-infused way to bring in Rosh Hashanah, it’s a chocolate egg cream, a treat with a Jewish history, which many historians say dates back to early 1900s Brooklyn. Louis Auster, a Jewish Brooklyn candy store owner, is said to have created the fizzy chocolate drink.

To make a chocolate egg cream, which does not actually include either eggs or cream, combine a little milk with chocolate syrup, add cold soda water and stir vigorously.

The bubbles represent the sparkle we all need to begin a new year; their sweet effervescence can get us written onto that big menu of life. Chocolate mixed in seltzer on Rosh Hashanah, yes!

On Rosh Hashanah, sound the shofar. But in the quiet that follows, listen for the fizz.

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Page 52 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Vera Kader returns to Israel every 20 years ...

By Vera Kadar Editor’s note: Vera Kadar lived in Israel from 1966 to 1968 before immigrating to Canada. In this article, she recalls her time living in Israel and the return visits she’s made at intervals of about 20 years.

Our flight landed at Lod airport in Israel on a hot July night in 1966. Our feelings during the short flight from Athens to Tel Aviv were a mixture of anticipation and disbelief.

What did we know about this little, struggling country – independent then for just 18 years – other than what my mother’s sisters had written to us? We left behind a comfortable middle class existence in Budapest, where we had almost everything we needed, but the family.

It was not an easy decision to leave. It was not a spur of the moment idea. We spent a few years getting the exit visa, and gave it back, twice. To convince the Communist authorities to let us leave was not the hardest part.

The decision to say goodbye to everything we knew and had, all the friends, my good memories and my mother’s not so good ones, was much more difficult. It was not easy to leave behind my father’s grave and all the friends I had accumulated in the first 20 years of my life.

Not that the authorities tried to make it hard for us to leave. My mother lost her job the moment she got the passport application

Vera Kader (right) with her Aunts Bella and Hanna at the kibbutz wedding.

signed at her workplace and I was told not to bother signing up for the next semester at my college, all without any assurance that we’d get permission to leave.

We had a pleasant two-week stay in Athens while the Jewish Agency made the necessary arrangements for us to fly to Tel Aviv.

From the Lod airport, we were driven to Herzliya, where my mother’s sister lived with her husband. By the time we got to their building, it was dark but still very hot. As I got out of the car, I called my aunt’s name and she replied

A street scene in Tel Aviv.

right away from her balcony. The official who accompanied us from the airport helped us with our luggage then disappeared into the night.

Doda Bella ushered us into her elegant living room. Within seconds, the table filled up with fresh fruit, cookies and juices, nuts and candies. I will never forget the grapes – each was the size of the plums we ate in Europe.

Two days later, I was on the bus to Caesarea and Kibbutz Sdot Yam, which was to be my home for the next six months while I studied Hebrew at the Ulpan.

This was a famous and well todo kibbutz. The legendary Hannah Senesh lived there before she was killed by the Nazis while on a mission to help people get to Palestine in 1944. I met Barack, an elderly kibbutznik with a big mustache, who took me under his wing when he found out that I was from Budapest, just like his old friend Hannah.

The concept of the kibbutz Ulpan was that we studied Hebrew for four hours per day and worked four hours at whatever job needed to be done. Under this arrangement, we enjoyed all the privileges of kibbutz life: free shelter, laundry, meals, entertainment, medical service and an unforgettable experience.

There were 23 of us from 18 countries in the class. I became a kind of go-between because I spoke Russian and English and could make connections between the students from the West with those from Eastern bloc countries.

But, the real reason for my popularity was that I did not smoke and I could give my cigarette rations to my new friends.

With the help of Kitty, our wonderful teacher, the language barrier lessened as the days went by. The kibbutz work was not what I was trained for in my spoiled life in Budapest with my long fingernails and long blonde ponytail. There were days when I cut banana leaves for four hours – the sticky liquid that seeped out of the plants stayed on my clothes forever and on my body for days.

When my mother and other family members came to visit, they could not believe their eyes. I was standing in the back of the kitchen, up to my elbows in sudsy dishwater, washing hundreds of plates and glasses. I also ironed men’s shirts, took care of the kibbutzniks’ kids, picked lemon and grapefruit and served food in the kibbutz’s hotel, among other notso-glamorous jobs.

After six months at the kibbutz, I returned to Tel Aviv and landed a job with the Ministry of Labor illustrating trade school books. I made new friends and took advantage of everything Tel Aviv had to offer, mainly the discotheques.

When the Six Day War broke out, I was faced, for the first time, with the reality of life in Israel. I spent the first two days filling sandbags at my office and the nights running around my neighbuorhood making sure every window was covered during the air raids.

On the third day, I got on the

bus and went back to the kibbutz.

I knew most of the young people were in the army, and thought they might need my help. Over the next few days, I met an unbelievable group of young people who came to Israel from Western Europe to help during the war. Many of them stayed on after the victory and went on to start new settlements.

With my mother and a friend, I visited the new areas: Gaza, Ramallah, Jericho and the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel’s victory in the Six Day War put us on top of the world.

In May 1968, I arrived in Canada, settled in Montreal and worked for RCA where I met George, the love of my life. We married after a short courtship and had 38 very happy years together.

We moved to Ottawa where our son, Paul, and daughter, Gena, attended Hillel Academy.

When Paul was 17, he went to Israel with a youth group. It was the perfect opportunity for the rest of the family to go too.

In 20 years, Israel had changed a lot, but was still the magnificent country I remembered. I showed George and Gena around the places I used to know and, with them, discovered new places. We visited Jerusalem, floated in the Dead Sea, took a boat ride in Tiberias, toured Haifa, enjoyed the magnificent view of Acco, climbed Masada and discovered Caesarea, where so much history had been uncovered in the 20 years since I lived on the nearby kibbutz.

The last six years were very hard for our family. First, I lost my mother and, a few weeks later, George was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We focused on spending as much time as possible with George, in supporting him during his battle with cancer and in helping other cancer patients.

Indeed, George was a flag-carrying miracle man in the cancer war, spreading hope where there was none. Sadly, he passed away last November.

In February, I decided to visit Israel again. Karin, my late cousin’s daughter, was getting married in March and I just had to be there.

On arrival at the spotless, modern and beautiful Ben-Gurion Airport, Karin and her fiancé met me with a huge bouquet of flowers. During the drive to Herzliya, I could not believe how spectacular everything was: the buildings, the (Continued on page 53)

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 53

but will not wait that long to visit again (Continued from page 52)

palm trees, the flowers, the sunshine and the roads.

To see my mother’s three sisters was beyond joy. They are 82, 86 and 92 years old and, after my long absence from Israel, we had a lot of catching up to do. I asked them a lot of questions about their life during the Shoah, the bad and the worse.

My first trip to Tel Aviv gave me a neck-ache from constantly turning my head. There was so much to see. The new buildings were not just the run-of-the-mill modern glass and steel structures, some were architectural masterpieces. The view filled me with pride. I barely recognized anything. It was as if I were in a city where I’d never been before with new neighbourhoods, malls and ultra-modern hotels.

Walking on the Tel Aviv beach was bittersweet remembering the Dan Hotel, where we spent very happy times 20 years earlier and looking at the spectacular new buildings separating the beach from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Even the Shuk HaCarmel looked different at first.

Slowly, I started to recognize

Vera Kader at the Underwater Observatory in Eilat.

some landmarks: Rehov Hayarkon, the view of Jaffa in the distance.

The more memories I conjured up, the more I felt at home.

As the days went by, a minor miracle happened when the Hebrew I’d learned more than 40 years before started to come back.

I could communicate with the people. It felt good to speak Hebrew, even with my distinct

Hungarian accent and limited vocabulary.

The kibbutz wedding was quite an event with about 500 people in attendance. I met family members I had not seen in a very long time, including some I’d met about 50 years ago in Russia. A second cousin reminded me of a great time we’d had together in our early teens.

The chupah was set up on a small wooden bridge over a duck pound surrounded by palm trees and flowers. After Assaf broke the wine glass, fireworks lit up the night sky. It was a real Hollywood wedding by the Mediterranean Sea. The Sheva Brachot festivities took us to Be’er Sheva where we stayed in the Canada House at Beit Hahayal. A wall plaque reminded me of the generosity of the Ottawa philanthropists who made that place in the Negev a reality.

The Egged bus company was at my disposal and took me to places like Jerusalem and Eilat.

In Jerusalem, I spent Shabbat with cousins who made aliyah from New York 13 years ago.

Elaine, who works as a volunteer in Yad Sarah, showed me around that great establishment. They are there to help mobility-impaired people.

Elaine showed me where the president and prime minister of Israel reside. I visited the grave of Theodore Herzl and looked at the wreath U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden had placed there the day before. Along with hundreds

of schoolchildren also visiting Herzl’s grave, I watched soldiers practising their march for the Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration.

I spent a day at Yad Vashem doing research for the book I’m working on and was amazed at how much it has changed since my last visit. By the late afternoon, the spectacular view from the terrace disappeared in a yellow haze of a dust storm. The storm followed me all the way to Eilat.

Just travelling through the Negev was well worth the effort of coming all the way to the Red Sea. In spite of the unseasonably cool weather, I started my days in the pool. My day at the Underwater Observatory was unforgettable, as was the jeep ride to the Jordanian border to join a group for a visit to Petra.

The shopping, the fresh air, the view, the Israeli breakfasts, the walks on the boardwalk, the sights of the sea and the sounds of Israeli music that still resonate in my ear, are vivid memories.

My only regret on leaving Israel was that I had only come for a month. One thing is sure: it will not take me 20 years to return again, not even 20 months.

shana tova

Page 54 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Special mitzvah project for Bar and Bat Mitzvah class

By Mischa TrevorDeutsch for Benlolo School Like most Jewish kids, the thought of doing my Bar Mitzvah was terrifying. For two whole years, there was a constant voice in the back of my mind saying I was going to mess up. The only thing keeping that voice quiet was support, and most of it came from my Bar Mitzvah class at the Benlolo School.

Week in and week out, I always had something to improve on and Cantor Daniel Benlolo was there every week helping me with my mistakes and making sure they didn’t happen again. I also had help from his daughter, Shira. Whenever the cantor was focusing on another student, Shira would help me.

Helping me study was not all that the cantor did.

He told me that, for my Bar Mitzvah, I had to take part in a Mitzvah project, a good deed.

He told my Bar and Bat

The children’s choir from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: (front row, left to right) Cheryl Davidson, Rosa Muller, Dahlia Lesh, Maya Lesh, Sarah Cohen, Natasha White, parent and volunteer Hildy Lesh; (back row) Olivia Davidson, Shira Benlolo, Cantor Daniel Benlolo, Michael Benlolo, Mischa Trevor-Deutch, Alex White.

(Photo: Robin Chernick)

Mitzvah group that our Mitzvah project would be to participate in Tamir’s musi-

cal production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as the chil-

dren’s chorus performing alongside community actors and Tamir participants.

When Cantor Benlolo told us the Tamir participants were individuals with

developmental disabilities, I got a little nervous because I thought I would feel uncomfortable around them. That’s what I thought, but I was wrong.

When the year-long rehearsals started, I realized why this production was such a big deal. We weren’t just helping the Tamir participants; we were letting them be part of something huge.

No, they were letting us be part of something huge!

When they would sing the songs, their faces would light up and they wouldn’t hold back at all. This play really made all of us shine and knowing we were helping them do that made it all the better.

In the end, we put on an incredible show. The cast did amazingly well and the orchestra was phenomenal.

After a year of practice and rehearsing, I knew we had done a great job and we had done our mitzvah well. It was a wonderful experience.

The Board of Directors, Administration, Faculty and Staff of the Ottawa Jewish Community School wish all of our Students, their Families, and the Entire Ottawa Jewish Community a very Happy New Year

vcuy vba

May the coming year be one of peace, health and success for our community and for Israel

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 55

Lindsay Lohan and the message of Rosh Hashanah What does fallen celebrity Lindsay Lohan have in common with the message of Rosh Hashanah?

Quite a bit, in my view.

A child star of the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap and teenaged star of the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday, Lohan has fallen down the predictable path of self-destruction welltrodden by many young celebrities.

Lohan recently completed a short prison sentence, followed by a stint in rehab, for breaking parole following two DUI arrests. Perhaps the most sordid aspect of this tabloid tale occurred with an expletive pencilled onto her fingernail for photographers to capture as she covered her mouth in apparent shock while receiving the judge’s verdict.

Lohan’s story is a familiar one. Neither is it terribly interesting – until it is placed against some of the most pressing concerns of Jewish theology.

The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday are both, at root, stories about the struggle for human agency. How do we make decisions and what constraints do we face? One film contains a plausible plot with an implausible ending, while the other has an implausible plot with a plausible ending.

The Parent Trap tells the tale of a pair of identical twins who were separated at birth. Discovering one another at summer camp, they scheme to reunite their divorced parents.

Though somewhat fantastical, the plot is plausible. But the ending is pure storybook. Their parents fall back in love and cross the Atlantic to live together again, the textbook fantasy of many a child of divorce.

By contrast, Freaky Friday, where a teenager and her mother accidentally switch bodies for a day, presents an

impossible story with a realistic ending: both characters return to their true identities with a thing or two learned about childhood, adulthood and empathy.

Both films address the question of how much control we have over our own lives and the lives of others.

Every year, during the High Holidays, we are faced with a similar struggle over the uncertainty of how our lives will unfold. Whether or not we assume an interventionist God (or any God at all, for that matter), Rosh Hashanah reminds us of our relative powerlessness over our own existence.

“Who by fire, who by water?” we ask during the Unetanneh Tokef prayer. We wonder not if we will die (of the many things organized religion does well, one is to force us to confront the fact of human mortality through elaborate death and mourning rituals), but when (and how) we shall meet our end. “May you be inscribed in the book of life,” we tell each other in not-always-understood Hebrew over kippered salmon and lokshen kugel. (The implication is may you be inscribed in the book of life for this year, at least.)

In a popular context, Lohan’s films force the question of how far we can go to reshape our destiny. A child struggling to make sense of her broken family might naturally desire to engineer a reunited one.

A teenager rebelling against parental restrictions and striving to create her own independent identity might long to live as an unencumbered adult for a day – until discovering, the hard way, the many banal responsibilities that adulthood demands.

In her onscreen persona, Lindsay Lohan brought to life these scripted questions with pluck, charm and promise. But,

Values, Ethics, Community Mira Sucharov as an adult in real life, she has begun to answer these same questions with an ironic twist – by making the kinds of problematic choices that have led her to have her freedom ultimately curtailed by incarceration.

We have limited control over our fate. But we do have some control. We can choose to lead ethical lives, or lives governed by deceit. We can take care of our bodies, or harm them through unhealthy lifestyle habits. On a global level, we can protect the planet, or destroy it through greed.

It has become a truism that with having received so much so young, child celebrities shoulder an amazingly difficult burden once they grow up.

But in a sense we each have been given so much so young.

Each of us has been granted the mixed blessing of the blank slate of promise and potential. It is up to us to decide how to fill that slate and to make the most of our lives – at least until the point at which fire, water, sword or beast shall overtake us.

Mira Sucharov, an associate professor of political science at Carleton University, is writing a book on nostalgia and political change.

Building religious centres using foreign money Most people have, by now, read and heard about the proposed Islamic centre near where the World Trade Center stood in New York City and about the debate on whether such a centre should be built near Ground Zero.

The centre is envisioned by its sponsor, the Cordoba Initiative, a group dedicated to bridging gaps between Muslims and the West, as a bridge between cultures. The lead member of the Cordoba Initiative is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, a so-called moderate Muslim clergyman who envisions an interfaith centre, some 10 stories tall and costing $100 million dollars.

The debate has hit home with many of the families of 9/11 victims and many New Yorkers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a staunch defender of the project, depicts it as a freedom-of-religion issue. It was no surprise when President Barack Obama took a similar approach and threw his support behind the controversial mosque.

“Muslims have the same right to practise their religion as anyone else in this country,” said Obama.

The president’s gesture caused Bloomberg to compare Obama’s speech to a 1790 letter George Washington wrote in support of a Jewish congregation in Newport, Rhode Island.

This debate takes place in a fascinating religious environment, a time when many churches across North America are closing, due simply to lack of interest or money, while more and more mosques and Islamic centres are being built; many of them far more elaborate and ornate than most churches and synagogues.

Where most churches, and especially synagogues, rely purely on their own membership to meet their financial needs, many mosques are sponsored – that is to say, funded – by foreign interests or governments. One of the issues raised by critics of the proposed mosque near Ground Zero is the financial aspect of the project and concern about who may be sponsoring it. A case in point is the Imam Abdul Rauf’s association with such key individuals as Moham-

World Affairs Oliver Javanpour mad Javad Larijani, secretary-general of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, or his speeches to the Kuala Lumpur gathering of Hizb ut Tahrir, an organization banned in many countries.

By all accounts, the Cordoba Initiative is a cash-poor organization. Even the property where the mosque is going to be built was purchased by a group led by developer Sharif El-Gamal. There are rumours and suspicious circumstances surrounding the purchase of the property, the developer and how the Cordoba Initiative or its principals are planning to pay for the development of a centre that is estimated to cost $100 million. Why should it be known?

Why should this mosque or any other be accountable to the public for its funding sources?

While Obama and Bloomberg see this as a simple case of freedom of religion, the situation is more complex than that. The building of the mosque brings out the emotions of 9/11 victims and issues around religions rights, but it also raises issues of influence by foreign entities. One cannot stop at religious freedom, when one has to balance Imam Rauf’s vision of a centre for “Islamicity,” promoting tolerance, with his notable quote, made on 60 Minutes soon after 9/11: “I wouldn’t say that the United States deserved what happened, but the United States policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.”

Is this a message of moderation or tolerance?

Well, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt! However,

the secrecy surrounding the funders of this project and their intentions is a valid concern, not only for New Yorkers, but also for the rest of the country, if not the world.

Trained in fundamentalist Islam, including Sharia, by his father Muhammad Abdul Rauf, who fled Egypt in 1948, Feisal is attempting to complete his father’s dream. The senior Rauf started building an Islamic centre in New York in1984 with millions of dollars contributed by various Islamic nations and organizations. Recent additions to that centre are posh Muslim-only residential apartment buildings.

With countries such as Iran, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Libya funding and building mosques across the world, even in places where there are very few or no indigenous Muslims residing, the fundamental question is should foreign governments and organizations fund religious organizations in other countries? If so, why can’t we build a church in Saudi Arabia, or why can’t we finance the building of a new synagogue in Libya?

Well, interestingly enough, most of these donor countries have legislative and policy restrictions that prohibit practising other religions within their borders, let alone receiving funds to build or promote other religions.

Access to Islamic green money, western style democracies and political naïveté have been catalysts giving the bold Sharia-Islamists an opportunity to legitimize and solidify their position. At present, there are no well-planned policies for tracking or reporting of foreign funds received by religious organizations in most western countries. Islamic foreign funding has become an acute issue in Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past several decades. Pakistan in particular, is an example of how such funding can create radicalization at the national level. We desperately need legislative and policy instruments that enable us to scrutinize religious funding and authenticate financial sources.

Oliver Javanpour is a senior partner at Cyrus Echo, a public policy, and international relations firm in Ottawa.

Page 56 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

shana tova

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 57

Page 58 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

shana tova

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 59

shana tova

Page 60 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Collection examines issues Book Review of Jewish theology in the modern era Mira Sucharov Jewish Theology in Our Time: A New Generation Explores the Foundations & Future of Jewish Belief Edited by Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD Jewish Lights Publishing 202 pages.

With the God debate hotter than ever among the studied elite, this new collection of voices in Jewish Theology bravely mines the question of our individual relationship to the Divine. Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove has assembled a dynamic group of rabbis and scholars to share their personal theologies in the hope of getting closer to identifying the specifics of a Jewish theology.

The collection opens with an acknowledgment that traditional Judaism has mostly neglected theological issues, preferring to bracket the question of God’s relationship to humans while focusing on practice (namely mitzvot and adherence to Halacha). As Rabbi Carole B. Balin writes in the preface, in traditional Judaic life, adherents are “accustomed to speaking exclusively to, and not necessarily about, the Divine.”

There are an impressive 24 chapters in this relatively slim volume, which means that readers are treated to a wide array of personal voices on the topic, but not always with the

opportunity to delve deeply into each argument. (There is a list of suggested reading at the back.) The majority of contributors are from liberal traditions of Judaism – Cosgrove says he invited contributions from all denominations but few Orthodox writers answered the call. As such, the collection should more properly be read as a mostly-liberal discussion of Jewish theology.

Cosgrove’s intention, indeed, is to situate the debate within broader traditions. As he writes in the introduction, “Jewish theology must be identifiable with Jewish thinkers of the past and also find traction with Jews of the present.”

Although there is much of interest in this book, four chapters, in particular, stand out for me.

In “Non-dual Judaism,” Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels lays out a theology not “of relation to a divine being, but one of awareness, connection, and relation to the divine nature of our experience.” He goes on to ask, “What if we could pray in a way that did not reach beyond prayer to some other being, but which recognized prayer itself as the very revelation of Being?”

Writing about interfaith initiatives, Rabbi Or N. Rose rejects the idea of chosenness.

“I must say that I do not believe that the Jewish People are God’s chosen people and I

do not consider Judaism superior to other religions,” writes Rabbi Rose, suggesting that that outlook is a barrier to interfaith dialogue.

Rabbi Leon A. Morris directs his chapter to modern Jews who bring a natural incredulity and suspiciousness to the textual sources.

“What is a liberal Jew to do if he or she seeks a vibrant, all-encompassing life of Jewish commitment and responsibility? A return to a pre-modern understanding of God and Torah is simply not possible. We cannot put the genie back in the bottle,” writes Rabbi Morris.

In what is an extremely helpful move, Rabbi Morris introduces the hermeneutic (textual interpretation) of French philosopher Paul Ricoeur, who popularized the notion of a “second naïveté,” whereby we understand the founding myths of religious tradition in a new way.

“It is by interpreting that we can hear again,” he quotes Ricoeur.

The chapter by Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi celebrates her “radically free” theology.

“As a non-Orthodox modern Jew, I am ultimately religiously free to determine which rituals and commandments to observe, what prayers to say, and free to interpret, abandon, or even reclaim nearly

any and all aspects of Jewish practice and belief,” she writes.

Rabbi Beit-Halachmi outlines her usual criteria for rejecting particular commandments as “no longer ... worthy of our adherence.” These encompass practices that lead to non-ethical outcomes in matters related to gender and in not treating the non-Jew according to “contemporary attitudes.” Still, she advocates “getting passionately involved with the text.”

While the book provides a variety of perspectives on how to grapple with God, it only fleetingly cuts to the heart of the question of what place there is for non-believers within Judaism. With scattered passing shots at the new atheists – particularly Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens – in some of the essays, Benjamin Sax’s near-concluding chapter finally broaches the issue directly.

“The fact that the new atheists challenge the very grounds for theology in general simply provides Jewish theology fertile ground to work in particular. In fact, Jewish atheists now have a voice within Judaism,” he writes.

The leap of faith is a big one in our modern world. This book provides a tentative bridge across the abyss.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 61

Recent CDs range from Middle Eastern cello to klezmer to bebop Maya Beiser Provenance Innova Recordings mayabeiser.com Virtuoso cellist Maya Beiser grew up on Kibbutz Gazit in the Galilee where, she says, she formed a deep spiritual connection to the land and to nature in an environment in which everyone played a musical instrument and supported each other.

On the stunning Provenance, Beiser uses five musical suites to pay tribute to the Golden Age of Spain, from the ninth to 15th centuries, when “Muslims, Jews and Christians lived and worked together in relative harmony.”

The album begins with “I Was There,” a four-part suite composed by Kavhan Kalhor, an Iranian Kurd whom Beiser met in Brooklyn, that has Beiser’s cello interacting with Bassam Saba’s oud and percussionists Shane Shanahan and Jamey Haddad in a hypnotically beautiful composition that evokes the music of North Africa and the Middle East. It’s followed by “Memories,” a sad, two-part piece for solo cello by Armenian composer Djivan Gasparian.

Perhaps the most elaborate arrangement on the CD is the four-part suite “Mar de Leche,” that Israeli composer Tamar Muskal based on a traditional Ladino folksong. The quiet singing of Etty Ben-Zaken is in perfect sync with Beiser’s cello in the first movement. Later, Saba’s oud and the percussion of Shanahan and Haddad seem to reflect the turbulence of the Inquisition leading to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain.

In “Only Breath,” composed by Douglas J. Cuomo, Beiser captures the quiet beauty of Sufi chanting in overdubbed cello parts and no other instruments.

The album ends with a two-part cello and drum arrangement of Led Zeppelin’s ambitious “Kashmir.” Although their interpretation is very different from Led Zepp’s, Beiser and rock drummer Jerry Marotta capture all the rock ‘n’ rollmeets-Middle Eastern intensity of the original.

Jim Guttmann Bessarabian Breakdown Kleztone jimguttmann.com While Bessarabian Breakdown may be the first album that Jim Guttmann has released under his own name, he’s got a long history as the bassist of Boston’s Klezmer Conservatory Band – one of the leading ensembles of the klezmer revival of the past three decades – as well as credits with many other ensembles playing music ranging from classical to jazz to bluegrass.

Klezmer styles dominate this CD of mostly traditional tunes, but Guttmann also incorporates swing, Latin jazz, bebop and traditional Middle Eastern influences in his arrangements.

He also surrounds himself with a stellar set of musicians including violinist Mimi Rabson and drummer Grant Smith, who are fellow Klezmer Conservatory Band alumni, and amazing horn players including Klez Dispensers leader Alex Kontorovich, Frank London of the Klezmatics, and Boston jazz legend Billy Novick, who co-produced the CD with Guttman. Always at the centre of the arrangements of this captivating album is the heartbeat bass playing of Jim Guttmann.

The Red Hot Chachkas Beats Without Borders The Red Hot Chachkas redhotchachkas.com The Red Hot Chachkas are a very cool klezmer fusion band from the San Francisco Bay area, fresh from their Canadian debut at the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto last week.

Beats Without Borders includes 14 tunes, composed by one or another of the band members, which has them creating new klezmer music that variously incorporates strains of world, jazz, rock, R&B and folk music. Opening number “Zets,” composed by clarinetist Barbara Speed, is a punchy piece that seems to be part Eastern European, part Middle Eastern, part bebop and part surf-rock. “Five Old Shekels,” by

Music Michael Regenstreif mandolinist Tony Phillips, puts a minor key klezmer spin on the melody of the Appalachian fiddle tune “New Five Cents,” while the intense “Midtog Nign,” composed by violinist Julie Egger, was inspired by Chassidic men at prayer.

The musicianship on Beats Without Borders is inspired and inspiring.

Benny Sharoni Eternal Elixir Papaya Records bennysharoni.com Benny Sharoni, an Israeli tenor saxophonist now based in Boston and making his mark on the American jazz scene, has released a fine collection that combines four original bebop tunes with six classics.

Among the standout tracks is “Bernstein,” Sharoni’s soaring jazz tribute to the symphonic conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, who did so much to introduce various kinds of music to classical audiences. Solos by Sharoni and guitarist Mike Mele on top of the tight rhythms of pianist Joe Barbato, bassist Todd Baker and drummer Steve Langone make the track a constant delight.

Another highlight is a very hip version of “To Life,” from Fiddler on the Roof on which Sharoni’s sax work is complemented by Barry Reis on trumpet.

In addition to the bebop arrangements that dominate the album, Sharoni also plays a couple of nice jazz ballads including a gorgeous version of “Sunny,” the late Bobby Hebb’s R&B hit.

Passion, guilt and illness do not mix When I was a teen, I gradually discovered that talking to girls was almost like talking to people.

One girl I liked asked me to be her date at a wedding reception. The great day arrived just the day after my basketball team’s victory in the high school championships.

I awoke with a bad taste in my mouth and a bit of a stuffed nose. Well, I wasn’t going to let a cold get in my way of the date! That evening, I dressed to kill in my black pants, pepper sports jacket and golden vest. I was handsome. My mom said so.

I started to feel some aches in my legs and shoulders, but what of that. It was probably just leftover cramping from the thorough physical exercise of the day before.

I met her at her house. Her father would drive us to and from the reception.

On the way, I found out a bit of their history.

Like my parents, hers were Holocaust survivors who had escaped to the Soviet Union during the war. She, like me, was born in a D.P. camp. I spoke Yiddish with her father and with every word she seemed to become happier.

Her father dropped us off and promised to return by midnight.

We had a great time at the reception. We got along famously. We danced every dance and, during the slow dances, she danced very close to me. I might have been more excited by this, but I was now starting to feel the

Humour me, please Rubin Friedman effects of what I thought was the strenuous exercise of the day before.

My head started to feel strange, with a small ache in the nape of my neck. By the end of the evening, I was feeling a bit clammy.

“You look a little pale,” she said at around 11:00 pm. “Why don’t you sit down while I go phone my father to come early?”

In addition to feeling clammy and achy, by the time her father arrived, I was starting to feel dizzy.

On the ride back to her house, I started to feel a pain in my stomach. I suppressed it and continued my previous conversation with her father.

When we got to her house, she invited me in for a moment because, she said, she wanted to give me a proper goodnight kiss.

She took off her coat and then, with her father standing

beside us, she threw her arms around my neck and pressed tightly against me and started to French kiss me.

Here I was, two feet away from a Holocaust survivor, while his daughter was basically giving me a frontal lap dance.

At first, I felt something I identified as guilt and anxiety, but as the embrace went on, I started to realize it was actually nausea. The stomach pain came back with a vengeance and a sudden searing stab.

I pushed my date away and vomited all over the hall entrance. I got down on my knees and did it again.

From the corner of my eye, I could see my date and her father looking at me with undisguised horror as I lay back on the steps, eyes closed.

“What happened? What is the matter?” I heard as if from a distance.

“My God, is he dead?” I heard her father exclaim.

They placed a wet cloth on my forehead.

“I’m all right,” I croaked.

I tried to reach out my hand, but felt so mortified I could barely speak.

Somehow they got me out of the house, into the car and back to my place. My date went out of her way to say it was not my fault.

I felt so bad I never actually called back. Too bad, she was a nice person. But I learned not to mix passion, guilt and illness ever again.

shana tova

Page 62 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ottawa Jewish Bulletin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 6, 2010

Best wishes for a sweet, happy and healthy New Year.

Shana Tova Mitchell Bellman, Nicola Hamer Emma, Noah and Abby

May you be inscribed for a year of good health and happiness.

Larry and Sheila Hartman

May you be inscribed for a year of good health and happiness.

From our family to yours, best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

Shana Tova.

Helen and Chaim Gilboa and families

Liz, Arnie, Ariel, Danya, Jordana, Alexandra, Michael and Tori Vered

From our family to yours, best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

Shana Tova.

From our family to yours, best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

Shana Tova.

Mendy Taller, Natalie & James, Nina & Jason

Archie and Linda Cogan Lisa, Jayme, Tara, Liam and Jasper

From our family to yours, we wish you a year of peace and prosperity, health and happiness.

Linda, Steven, Jessica and Lorne Kerzner

May you be inscribed for a year of good health and happiness.

May you be inscribed for a year of good health and happiness.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.

Mr. Moses Cardash and Miss Lillian Cardash

Bernie and Donna Dolansky and family

Rickie and Martin Saslove

Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.

May the new year bring all the blessings of peace, health and prosperity.

Shana Tova.

The Staff of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin

Margo, David, Aaron and Gail Kardish

May you be inscribed for a year of joy and blessings.

Jessie and Joe Murray

Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.

Walter, Karen, Steven and Mitchell Fogel

Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.

Rhoda and Jeffrey Miller Howard and Sara

May you and yours be richly blessed throughout the coming year with health, peace and prosperity.

Chick and Rose Taylor

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 63

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Continued on page 64

May this Rosh Hashanah be the beginning of a sweet and wonderful year!

Shana Tova V’Metukah ~ Good health, happiness and peace

shana tova

Page 64 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

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FRANCES AND MORTON ROSS FAMLY FUND Mazal Tov to: Sol and Zelaine Shinder on their 50th wedding Continued on page 65

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 6, 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Page 65

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SAM AND SUE SLACK ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Sharon Rosentzveig on the marriage of Joel and Emily by Sue Slack and Sharon, David, Ryan, Jaye and Brody Appotive.

HERMINA SCHACHNOW MEMORIAL FUND Mazal Tov to: Ellen Osterer on her son Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marriage to Kimberly by Charles Schachnow.

Michael and Kimberly Osterer on their recent marriage by Charles Schachnow.

JACK AND LINDA SMITH ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Shirley Levenson by Leslie Smith.

HAROLD SHAFFER MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Frances Shaffer on her 100th birthday by Myra and Sam Krane and Joshua, Jaclyn and Justin; by Sandra Zagon; and by Sheldon and Sonia Shaffer.

In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Beatrice Zagon, a dear sister, by Sheldon and Sonia Shaffer.

SOL AND ZELAINE SHINDER ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Sol and Zelaine Shinder on their 50th wedding anniversary by Steven and Shelli Kimmel; by Mark and Nina Dover; by Ingrid Levitz; by Joanie and Russell Kronick; by Judy Ross and Arnell Goldberg; by Gail and Stephen Victor; by Diane and Allen Abramson; by Sunny and John Tavel; and by Shirley Strean-Hartman.

JACK AND SARAH SILVERSTEIN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;fuah Shâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;lemah to: Linda Kerzner by Jack and Sarah Silverstein.

PHYLLIS AND MAX STERNTHAL FAMILY FUND Birthday wishes to: Dorothy Hymes on her special birthday by Phyllis and Max Sternthal.

FREDA AND PHIL SWEDKO MEMORIAL FUND Continued good health to: Sam Firestone by Beverly and Irving Swedko.

JAY B. TALLER MEMORIAL FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Jackob Taller and Etl Taller by Sally Taller.

Norman Taller by Sally Taller.

CHARLES AND RAE TAVEL MEMORIAL FUND Speedy recovery to: Ruth Tal by Sunny and John Tavel.

SUSAN WEISMAN AND JEFF TAYLOR ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Pauline Zinman by Susan Weisman and Jeff, Josh, Bram and Dani Taylor.

Celebrate the New Year by sending your friends and loved ones a Rosh Hashanah Tribute card.

Make your donation online at www.OJCF.ca or call 613.798.4696 extension 232.

BARBARA AND GERALD THAW ENDOWMENT FUND Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;fuah Shâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;lemah to: Sonia Bodnoff by Barbara and Gerald Thaw.

HAZE WAINBERG FAMILY FUND Mazal Tov to: Frima and Frank Olszynko on their 40th wedding anniversary by Haze Wainberg and Merv Blostein.

extension 232, Monday to Friday. We have voice mail. Our e-mail address is donation@ojcf.ca. Attractive cards are sent to convey the appropriate sentiments. All donations are acknowledged with an official receipt for income tax purposes. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Amex.

See page 36 for a great deal on subscribing to the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin

SAM AND HELENE ZARET MEMORIAL FUND Best wishes to: Mark Shabinsky on his special birthday by Debi and Neil Zaret and family.

THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM CHARLOTTE HAMBURG MITZVAH FUND In memory of: Anne Rose Suliteanu by Cybele FreedmanHamburg and family.

LIEFF FAMILY Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NAI MITZVAH FUND Birthday wishes to: Dorothy Hymes on her special birthday by Norman, Francie, Rachel, Abi and Isaac Lieff.

Contributions may be made online at www.OJCF.ca or by calling 613-798-4696

CARLSON WAGONLIT TRAVEL 2011 SELECT CRUISES AND TOURS! We are pleased to announce an exciting series of CWT hosted departures for 2011!

January 2011

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shana tova

Page 66 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

Made with Love

A Rosh Hashanah seder Yes, dear readers, you read the headline correctly, ‘A Rosh Hashanah (not Pesach) seder.’

I recently mentioned to my friend, Mrs. Owl, that my Rosh Hashanah column was due soon and that I wasn’t sure yet what I would write about. (Her real name, of course, isn’t Mrs. Owl. Mr. and Mrs. Owl are my nicknames for this couple because they are so wise. They are analytical, logical and great at problem-solving. Mr. Owl, in particular, has a tendency to lose himself in the pursuit of knowledge.)

Mrs. Owl, great problem-solver that she is, suggested I write about the Rosh Hashanah seder and feature foods from it. I had always associated seders with Passover, but Mrs. Owl explained a little bit about the Rosh Hashanah seder and gave me some homework reading.

I learned that, while people everywhere are familiar with the Passover seder, few know there is a traditional seder for Rosh Hashanah as well. The Rosh Hashanah seder is conducted at the beginning of the evening meal on the first night of Rosh Hashanah.

“There is an ancient Sephardic custom first discussed in the Talmud to hold a Rosh Hashanah Seder – an arrangement of special foods to be eaten that have a linguistic connection or wordplay for a blessing for the new year … It is called the Seder Yehi Ratzon – may it be God’s will – for just like today’s world of instability, not knowing what tomorrow will bring, what will be in our bank accounts, our

health care situation, we eat foods to bring our soul and tummy strength and security in times of indigestion and emptiness,” explains Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria in a sermon available at tinyurl.com/seder-rh.

In other words, we eat these foods on Rosh Hashanah because their names, shapes or colour are symbolic of the good we hope God will bring in the new year.

We begin with challah, specifically a round challah. The round shape symbolizes the circle of life, as well as the end of one year and the beginning of the new one. It symbolizes completeness. The word for completeness in Hebrew is shalem, which is also the root word for shalom, so the round Challah also symbolizes our hope for peace.

Of course, Rosh Hashanah would not be complete without honey. Honey symbolizes our desire for a sweet year.

We dip challah in it and we also dip apples in it.

Pomegranates can be added to your seder. Tradition holds that pomegranates contain 613 seeds, the same number as the mitzvot in the Torah. Our prayer is that we be as full of good deeds as the pomegranate is of seeds.

Carrots also figure in prominently at the Rosh Hashanah table. I always thought we had tzimmes (carrots cooked in honey) because it was sweet, a further variation on the desire for a sweet year. But it turns out that the symbolism goes further. The Yiddish word for carrots is merren, which also means more or increased. So, eating carrots symbolizes our blessing for increased health, knowledge and prosperity and the ability to do more good deeds.

I am planning to include brussels sprouts caramelized in

Carrot Almond Salad

Wishing the Ottawa Jewish Community a very happy and healthy New Year!

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“Memories in a box”.

A great way to get your carrot fix and a welcome change from tzimmes, this carrot salad comes from Noreen Gilletz’s book, Noreen’s Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap Books, 2007).

1 bag (283 g) grated carrots (about 3 cups) 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper In a large bowl, combine the carrots, green onions and cranberries.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, dill, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the carrot mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour (up to eight hours). Toss in slivered almonds just before serving.

I can convert those “memories” with an easy-to-use format onto a DVD. Just sit back and enjoy “your memories” on TV.

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Cindy Feingold maple syrup at my Rosh Hashanah table. I could find no historical precedent for this, but Roger loves them and I figure the maple syrup symbolizes sweetness and brussels sprouts are for my wish that Lansdowne Park will sprout a brand new football stadium.

Wishing you all a Shana Tova.

Mango Pomegranate Guacamole Whip up a bowl of this unusual guacamole to serve while waiting for those guests who are always late for your Rosh Hashanah lunch or dinner (you know who you are).

This recipe comes from the November 2008 issue of the late Gourmet Magazine (a moment of silence please). They suggest serving it with homemade plantain chips for dipping. I found them, already prepared, in a bag at Rainbow Foods. You could also serve with corn tortilla chips.

4 ripe avocados (2 pounds total) 1 cup finely chopped white onion 2 fresh Serrano chiles or jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (2 tablespoons), including seeds if you like it hot, discarding seeds if you prefer it milder 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate) 3/4 cup diced peeled mango 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Halve, pit, and peel avocados. Coarsely mash in a bowl.

Stir in onion, chiles, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, then fold in pomegranate seeds, mango and cilantro.

Season with salt and additional lime juice if you like.

Guacamole can be made four hours ahead and chilled, its surface covered with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010 – Page 67

Rosh Hashanah picture storybooks One of Judaism’s foremost concerns is how we behave.

There are two aspects to our behaviour. How we behave in relation to God and how we behave toward one another. On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement, we review both aspects of our behaviour during the past year and pledge to improve.

The implication of that practice is that nobody is perfect.

We all make mistakes. We can all do better. Judaism even provides a three-step plan for self-improvement: Prayer, charity (good deeds) and repentance.

These Rosh Hashanah picture storybooks convey those lessons lyrically, spiritually and with love.

Even Higher! A Rosh Hashanah Story by I.L. Peretz Adapted by Eric A. Kimmel Illustrated by Jill Weber Holiday House 32 pages. Ages 4-8.

Even Higher, Eric Kimmel’s adaptation of possibly the most famous of Yiddish storyteller I.L. Peretz’s stories, is a longtime winner among Rosh Hashanah stories for children.

In the more than 20 years that I’ve been writing this column, the story has been retold by several excellent storytellers, each of whom has added unique details to further embellish what is already a wonderful tale.

In an author’s note at the end of the book, Kimmel admits to adding two very obvious embellishments: a Ukrainian drinking song and a dance. He, and illustrator Jill Weber, should also take credit for conveying a playful sense of wonder, delight and love as they romp through this shtetl story about the annual “disappearance” of the Rabbi of Nemirov days before the start of Rosh Hashanah.

Where could the rabbi possibly go?

To heaven, of course, to argue that his community’s merits have made them worthy of inscription in the Book of Life for the coming year. That’s what the people of Nemirov believe.

But a newcomer to town, a skeptic of the highest order – a Litvak, no less – has his doubts.

Determined to get at the truth, the doubting Litvak hides under the rabbi’s bed so that he can secretly follow him the next morning. What he learns about performing good deeds inspires him for a lifetime. Life is indeed worth living as the Rabbi of Nemirov merits even higher acclaim than heaven.

Magnificently told and illustrated with tongue-in-cheek humour and delight, Even Higher is a gem of a book and an example of performing good deeds that children and adults

Really,

Kid Lit Deanna Silverman can easily and cheerfully emulate.

New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story

By April Halprin Wayland Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch Dial Books for Young Readers 32 pages. Ages 4-8.

Starting the New Year by performing good deeds, however, is not sufficient. We must also own up to whatever we’ve done in the past year that we are sorry for and we must ask forgiveness of anyone we’ve hurt. That’s what repentance and the custom of Tashlich (throwing bits of bread into moving water on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah) are all about. It’s also what New Year at the Pier is all about.

Told from young Izzy’s perspective, New Year at the Pier is a moving, yet humorous, family- and friend-centred exploration of starting the New Year with a clean slate. Like “cleaning your heart’s closet,” Rabbi Neal explains when everyone is at the pier. “A new year, a clean heart.”

In Izzy’s family, that cleaning starts before Rosh Hashanah. Each member of the family makes out an “I’m sorry” list. Izzy’s list has four items, four things he has to apologize for to four different people, before he throws those pieces of bread into the sea.

Apologizing is not easy, but Izzy manages to do it – almost, sort of. But who would have thought? Other people are apologizing to Izzy; even Mom, his sister and his best friend. Better yet, each person is forgiving each other. And everyone is having a great time on the pier singing, listening to a friendly Tekeah Gdola shofar competition, and feeding the fish and sea gulls, when they throw their crumbs into the water.

Complete with sparkling full-colour illustrations by Governor General’s Award-winning Canadian illustrator Stephane Jorisch, New Year at the Pier is a superb, contemporary, liberal introduction to repentance and Tashlich. An inspiring addition to Rosh Hashanah storytelling!

ReallyBig Hotel Suites.

By April Halprin Wayland; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

From my family to yours, may we inspire each other to strive even higher as we wish each other Shana Tova for a good, healthy and happy year!

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Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish Community

Wishing you a Happy New Year The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. collects and uses your personal information primarily for the purpose of providing you with the products and services you have requested from us.

The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin may also contact you from time to time to ask about your account or

Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish Community

to conduct market research and surveys in an effort to continually improve our product service offerings.

To enable us to more efficiently provide the products and services you have requested from us, the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin may share your person-

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If you would like more information, or to speak to the Privacy Officer, please call 613-798-4696 ext. 256.

shana tova

Page 68 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 6, 2010

WHAT’S GOING ON September 6 to 26, 2010

CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE EREV ROSH HASHANAH Sep 8 ✡ 7:11 pm First Day ROSH HASHANAH Sep 9 ✡ after 8:12 pm Second Day ROSH HASHANAH Sep 10 ✡ 7:07 pm EREV YOM KIPPUR Sep 17 ✡ 6:54 pm Fast begins 7:12 pm EREV SUKKOT Sep 22 ✡ 6:44 pm First Day SUKKOT after Sep 23 ✡ 7:44 pm Second Day SUKKOT Sep 24 ✡ 6:40 pm

WEEKLY EVENTS MONDAYS Motorin’ Munchkins DropIn, sponsored by the JCC Family Life Centre, for ages 5 and under. All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult, 9 am to 12 pm, beginning September 13. Info: 613798-9818, ext. 294.

TUESDAYS Israeli Folkdancing, learn dances, have fun, no experience or partner necessary, Hillel Academy, 31 Nadolny Sachs Private, 7:00 pm. New session begins September 14. Info: 613722-9323.

FRIDAYS Shabbat Shalom Drop-In, sponsored by the JCC Family Life Centre, welcomes Shabbat through crafts, songs, stories and games. For ages 5 and under; all children must be accompanied by an adult, 9:30

am to 11:00 am. Starts September 17.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8 Erev Rosh Hashanah Dinner, sponsored by Jewish Family Services, everyone welcome.

Info: 613-722-2225.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 13 Hillel Ottawa Opening Barbecue, Hillel House, 284 Laurier Avenue East, 5:00 pm.

Info: 613-236-2345.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 AJA 50+ Registration Day for fall programs and to renew memberships, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Following registration, at 1:00 pm, Ricarda Smith will present “Stately Homes and Gardens of England.” You will learn about their art and histories.

Info: aja50plus@sympatico.ca.

For more community listings, visit ottawa.jewishottawa.com Select Calendar/Upcoming Events and Click to See More

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18 Hillel Ottawa “Break Fast Club,” breaking of the fast, Hillel House, 284 Laurier Avenue East, 8:00 pm. Info: 613-2362345.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19 Biking for Bubbies fundraiser for the Bess and Moe Greenberg Hillel Lodge, riders cover a 54-km route starting at Hillel Lodge, 8:30 am. Info: 613-8202213.

2011 Campaign Kickoff for the Jewish Federation of Ottawa with Stephen J. Dubner, best-selling author of Freakonomics and Choosing My Religion, Canadian Museum of Nature, 7:30 pm. Info: 613-7984696, ext. 241.

munity television show on Rogers 22, 12:00 pm.

Sukkot Across the City, cosponsored by Jewish Education through Torah and the SJCC, will

explore Sukkot in the SJCC neighbourhood, then go to the Experimental Farm for the Harvest Festival, 1:00 pm. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 247

COMING SOON

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3 Malca Pass Book Club, sponsored by the Malca Pass Library, Professor Adele Reinhartz will review Journey from the Land of No, by Roya Hakakian, Agudath Israel Congregation, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 9:30 am Info: 613-829-2455.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 2010 Bridge and Mah Jongg Fundraiser, sponsored by AJA 50+. Other games such as Scrabble and Wizard will also be available. Lunch and door prizes.

Everyone welcome, 11:15 am, 1400 Coldrey Avenue.

Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 309.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17 JCC Family Life Centre Open House. See what this exciting new program is all about, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 294.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26 Shalom Ottawa, our com-

Unless otherwise noted, activities take place at The Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private.

This information is taken from the community calendar maintained by the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre. Organizations which would like their events to be listed, no matter where they are to be held, should send the information to InfoCentre co-ordinator Benita Siemiatycki via e-mail at bsiemiatycki@jewishottawa.com or fax at 613-798-4695. She can also be reached by telephone at 613-798-4644. Accurate details must be provided and all events must be open to the Jewish public.

Condolences Condolences are extended to the families of: Gail Humphreys Shirley Levenson, Montreal (mother of The Honourable Madame Justice Heidi Levenson Polowin) Lillian Margulies, Toronto (sister of Florence Rosenfeld) Ruth Ralfe Rebie Schwartz, Montreal (mother of Bryna Rumstein) Reva Soloway, Montreal (formerly of Ottawa) Rose Wald, Montreal (grandmother of Dr. Glenn Posner) David Murray Weinstein, Toronto (father of Ted Weinstein)

May their memory be a blessing always.

The CONDOLENCE COLUMN is offered as a public service to the community.

There is no charge.

For a listing in this column, please call 613-798-4696, ext. 232.

Voice mail is available.

BULLETIN DEADLINES SEPTEMBER 22 FOR OCTOBER 11 OCTOBER 6 FOR OCTOBER 25 OCTOBER 20 FOR NOVEMBER 8 NOVEMBER 10 FOR NOVEMBER 29* NOVEMBER 24 FOR DECEMBER 13 JANUARY 5 FOR JANUARY 24 JANUARY 19 FOR FEBRUARY 7 * Community-wide Issue (all dates subject to change)

To our valued clients “L’Shanah Tova”.

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of a new year. We go to shul and hear the sounds of the shofar. We review our mistakes, cast off our sins, and resolve to do better in the coming year. We spend time with family and cherished friends.

To the 2000 investors of the Romspen Mortgage Investment Fund, the large majority being Jewish, we wish you continued success and good health. From Arthur, Mark, Wes, Blake, Shelly and our entire staff, “L’Shanah tova tikatev v’taihatem – May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.”

Arthur Resnick

Mark Hilson

Wesley Roitman

Blake Cassidy

Sheldon Esbin

162 Cumberland Street, Suite 300 Toronto, Ontario M5R 3N5 Tel: 416.966.1100 Toll Free: 1.800.494.0389 www.romspen.com