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bulletin volume 75, no. 3

october 25, 2010

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21 new beds for Hillel Lodge

By Michael Regenstreif At long last, the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge, the Ottawa Jewish community’s long-term care facility for the aged, has received approval from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for 21 additional long-term beds. There are currently 100 beds in operation at the Lodge.

The approval for the Hillel Lodge expansion came after more than three years of ongoing indications from politicians and bu-

reaucrats that authorization was imminent.

The acute need for these beds has been evident for many years and was anticipated more than a decade ago when the Lodge building was designed.

“Not enough can be said about the foresight demonstrated by our community’s leaders when they approved the original construction with this extra space,” said Hillel Lodge Executive Director Stephen Schneiderman, (Continued on page 2 )

(From left) P2K Ottawa Chair Lisa Rosenkrantz, National Chair Ron Weiss, P2K Committee members Mitch Miller and Sarah Silverstein at the dedication of the P2K sign on the Jewish Community Campus, October 11.

(Photo: Jacqueline Shabsove)

Ottawa’s ties with Israel recognized by new sign and community garden

The hitherto unused space at Hillel Lodge that will be finished, furnished and equipped to accommodate 21 additional long-term residents.

By Jacqueline Shabsove The Ottawa Jewish community’s commitment to supporting and partnering with Israel was clearly demonstrated Monday, October 11 by two connected events.

The first was the dedication of a sign recognizing the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s partnership with Israel’s Galilee Panhandle through the Partnership 2000 (P2K) program, outside the Joseph

and Rose Ages Family Building.

The second was the unveiling of a new community vegetable garden, a collaboration of Ottawa Social Action Mission participants and Israelis, on the grounds of the Jewish Community Campus.

The sign was conceived of by P2K committee member Sarah Silverstein after she noticed a sign in Vaughan, Ontario recognizing the city’s partnership with Ramla, Israel. Silverstein felt setting up a

sign would give the Ottawa community an opportunity to learn more about the Federation’s involvement with P2K. The P2K program focuses on creating strong ties between seven Jewish communities in Canada – Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton and Ottawa – with five rural communities in the Galilee Panhandle region of Israel that require assis(Continued on page 2)

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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Garden reinforces Ottawa’s ties with Northern Israel (Continued from page 1)

tance after the effects of the 2006 Lebanon war.

“The committee was talking about ways to improve the visibility of Partnership 2000 to show how proud we are to have this partnership,” Silverstein said.

The dedication of the sign, said Silverstein, would also enable Israeli visitors to the city to clearly see the Ottawa Jewish community’s commitment to helping Israel.

“We want Israelis to know they are always in our thoughts,” she said. “This is a simple, easy way to demonstrate that, and it’s something that needs to be on the Jewish community campus.”

The event featured speeches from Federation President and CEO Mitchell Bellman, P2K Ottawa Chair Lisa Rosenkrantz and National Chair of Coast-to-Coast P2K Ron Weiss.

Rosenkrantz emphasized the success of two P2K trips to Northern Israel involving Ottawa’s young adult Jewish community this past June.

One trip had nine Ottawa medical students assist at the Ziv Hospital in Safed. The other, the Social Action Mission, had 16 young adults build a bike path in Kiryat Shmona.

The trip had an impact on both the residents of Kiryat Shmona and the Ottawa young adults who visited the area.

As a result of P2K’s emphasis on a partnership that goes both ways – for Canadians and Israelis to be united together and helping each other – two Kiryat Shmona residents, architecture students Ohad Itskovitz and Nir Ben David, whom Social Action Mission participants met during their trip, flew to Ottawa to contribute to the city.

Itskovitz and Ben David collaborated with Social Action Mission participants October 7 to 11 in building a community vegetable garden on the grounds of the Jewish Community Campus beside the outdoor swimming pool.

Students at the Ottawa Jewish Community School will have the opportunity to learn about ecoJudaism and care for the garden whose vegetables will be donated to Miriam’s Well, an initiative of Jewish Family Services, which supplies a bimonthly distribution to Ottawa’s Kosher Food Bank.

Ben David shared his excitement about getting the opportunity to visit Ottawa.

“It’s been a good experience.

Ottawa is a beautiful place and the

Architecture students Ohad Itzkovitz and Nir Ben David of Kiryat Shmona worked with Ottawa Social Action Mission participants, October 7 to 11, building a community garden on the Jewish Community Campus. The mission participants worked with Kiryat Shmona residents building a bike path in that community in June.

Kneeling (from left to right): Lindsey Leipsic, Lindsay Rothenberg, Tamara Fathi; (standing) Ohad Itzkovitz, Ross Diamond, Nir Ben David, Scott Ship, Ryan Hartman, Jeff Bradshaw.

(Photo: Jacqueline Shabsove)

people are very nice,” he said.

Ben David said the Ottawa Social Action Mission participants’ work had an impact on his town.

“In Kiryat Shmona, the resi-

Waiting list has doubled in two years (Continued from page 1)

after receiving the approval for the beds.

As of 2007, there was a shortage of 850 long-term beds in the Ottawa area, and the situation has only worsened since. A 2009 report concluded that elderly persons in Eastern Ontario in need of long-term care have the longest wait in the province for admittance to nursing homes. Province wide, the report said, waiting times have doubled in two years.

“The Ministry expects the expansion to contribute towards the government’s goal of building a health care system that meets the

growing needs of Ontario residents in the 21sts century,” said Hillel Lodge President Seymour Mender.

“The waiting list for beds has grown considerably as the population has aged,” added Schneiderman. “This expansion will help us address the significant increase in demand for long-term care in Ottawa’s Jewish community.”

Hillel Lodge will now move ahead with finishing the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Pavilion, then furnishing and equipping the new rooms. It is expected that the wing will be fully operational before the end of 2011.

While the Ministry will provide some of the funding necessary for this expansion, the majority of the funds will have to be raised via a capital campaign to be spearheaded by Jeffrey Miller, the Lodge’s immediate past-president.

“Our community understands the importance of getting these new beds without creating a financial burden for the future,” said Miller.

“The community appreciates the necessity of every bed in today’s world of increased demand, and I am confident they will come through as they always do.

dents were excited that people from other countries came to Israel to help them and connect with them,” he said.

“A lot of times now after the project has been completed, people still visit the area [the Ottawa people worked on] and ask who did this,” Itskovitz added.

Ross Diamond, co-chair of the Social Action Mission, expressed his appreciation that Ben David and Itskovitz came to visit Ottawa and participate in an Ottawa Jewish community initiative.

“Ohad and Nir coming to Ottawa has been a great opportunity to share the experience we had in Israel here with them,” Diamond said.

“They allowed us to explore more about who we are as Jews.”

Social Action Mission participant Hana Shusterman said her experience on the mission to Israel was intensely positive.

“It was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Shusterman said.

“It’s great to have it on this end too and have the Israelis here.”

Many young adults on the trip have become more involved with the Ottawa Jewish community as a result of the trip.

The trip, according to Social Action Mission co-chair Tamara Fathi, lit a spark in the participants.

“People from the trip are starting to get involved now. They are joining Federation committees and other initiatives like jnet,” Fathi said.

“They are excited to be involved in the Jewish community.”

Overall, the P2K trips to Israel and the creation of the community vegetable garden in Ottawa, according to Jeff Bradshaw, senior director of planning at the Federation, signal “little ways to try to make a big difference.”

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 3

Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Exclusive: Israel’s vice-prime minister discusses peace process and Iranian threat with the Bulletin

By Michael Regenstreif Peace between Israel and the Palestinians will not come until the Palestinians go beyond the concept of the two-state solution and accept “two states for two peoples,” which explicitly recognizes Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people, said Moshe Ya’alon in a speech, October 13, during a twoday visit to Ottawa.

Ya’alon, Israel’s vice-prime minister and minister of strategic affairs, Likud MK, and a former chief-of-staff of the Israel Defense Forces, spoke at the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building at an event organized by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and the Vered Israel Cultural and Educational Program. He reiterated the point the next day during an exclusive 45minute interview with the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

The Palestinians, he said, must recognize Israel as “the nation-state of the Jewish people,” something that the Palestinian leadership – first Yasir Arafat and now Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam

(From left) Israel’s Vice-Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Jewish Federation of Ottawa President and CEO Mitchell Bellman, Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv and Federation Past-Chair Jonathan Freedman.

(Photo: Francie Greenspoon)

Fayyad – has refused to do.

Ya’alon said he supported the Oslo process because “the sanctity of life is more important than the sanctity of Eretz.”

Despite that principle, Ya’alon

said he no longer favours territorial compromise with the Palestinians “unless they recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and unless any final settlement is considered the end of claims.”

Ya’alon said Abbas “denies the existence of the Jewish people and claims that Judaism is just a religion.”

When Palestinians talk about “occupation,” he said, “they don’t mean occupation since 1967. They mean occupation since ’48.” Fatah, he pointed out, was founded in 1964 as “resistance to ‘the Zionist entity,’ before we took over Gaza, Judea and Samaria.”

Ya’alon said Israel does not want to govern the Palestinians and that it is in Israel’s interest to have a reliable and responsible Palestinian partner that is not a threat.

“Abu Mazen (Abbas) is not ready for any final settlement which is a two-states-for-two-peoples solution,” said Ya’alon. “He’ll be happy with any forced solution, either by the United Nations, or the international community, without giving anything to us, not recognition or the finality of claims.”

A final settlement, Ya’alon said, could be achieved quickly, “in less than a year,” if only the Palestinians give Israel the recognition it wants, declare the settlement to be the end

of claims, and Israel’s security needs are met.

Referring to Israel’s withdrawals from Southern Lebanon and Gaza, which provided Hezbollah and Hamas with launching pads for terror and rocket campaigns aimed at Israel, Ya’alon said that could not be allowed to happen under an agreement leading to withdrawal from most of the West Bank.

In both his talk and interview, Ya’alon spoke about the challenges posed by Iran to the Jewish state; challenges that go beyond the existential threat of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons.

“The Iranian regime is the main instigator of instability in the Middle East,” he said.

Iran, he said, is behind the unrest and insurgency in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and other countries in the region.

On Israel’s borders, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip – which Ya’alon referred to as “Hamasastan” – and Hezbollah in Lebanon are proxies of Iran’s Islamist regime.

(Continued on page 9 )

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 5

Sara Greenberg to show her moving documentary during Holocaust Education Week 2010

By Michael Regenstreif “As the last living link to survivors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust, it is my generation’s responsibility to tell the story of our grandparents.

“No other generation can ever touch a forearm branded with a numbered tattoo.

No other generation can walk through the barracks of Auschwitz accompanied by the stories of what it looked like and smelled like.

“We, the third generation, have the obligation to transmit our grandparents’ stories to the world and to future generations. May we never forget.”

So says Sara Greenberg near the conclusion of B2247: A Granddaughter’s Understanding, a short documentary film she made as a student at Yale University – she graduated last year – in lieu of a final paper for a course called Family in the Jewish Tradition taught by Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

In the film, Greenberg tells how her grandparents, Reli and Joseph Gringlas, survived and explains how she learned about the Holocaust over a period of many

years, beginning at the age of eight in 1996, when Reli and Joseph were interviewed for Stephen Spielberg’s Shoah Project.

Much of Greenberg’s poignant, 12-minute film is based on video footage shot by her father and brother in 2005, when the family took a trip to her grandparents’ home towns in Slovakia and Poland, and then to Auschwitz-Birkenau. B2247 is the number the Nazis tattooed on Joseph Gringlas’s arm.

The film has been screened at the United Nations and at several film festivals, and is now being widely used in Holocaust education projects.

Greenberg will be in Ottawa when her film is screened twice at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre during Holocaust Education Week; first, at a screening and discussion, Saturday, November 13, 7:30 pm, which is open to the general public; and the next day, during a workshop from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm for second- and third-generation survivors.

In a phone interview with the Bulletin, Green-

berg explained that she kept the film short – rather than delve into her grandparents’ stories in detail – because her goal is to inspire other third-generation survivors to take up the responsibility of keeping their grandparents’ stories alive for future generations.

The film is now being used for that purpose by the Anti-Defamation League’s Bearing Witness Program and by the USC Shoah Foundation for Visual History and Education in their curriculums.

Greenberg said Holocaust survivors themselves are recognizing the urgency of ensuring that their grandchildren are equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to carry on the responsibility of not allowing the world to forget the Holocaust or to stop learning from the experience of it.

“It’s really important for us to use film and other media to document our grandparents’ stories while they’re still around,” she said, and to then use those resources to keep their memories alive.

Both events with Green-

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Filmmaker Sara Greenberg (centre), here with her grandparents, Holocaust survivors Joseph and Reli Gringlas, will show her film, B-2247: A Granddaughter’s Understanding, twice during Holocaust Education Week.

berg are free of charge, but pre-registration is required for the Sunday workshop.

For further information, or to register for the workshop, contact Sarah Beutel at 613-798-4696, ext. 253, or sbeutel@jewishottawa.com.

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

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Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Some of the myriad activities Federation engages in every day Lucille Ball once said, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.

The more things you do, the more you can do.”

I think this saying can be applied to our Jewish Federation as well. Since becoming chair of the Federation, I have learned that the tasks of the Federation management and staff are varied, and plentiful! I’d like to tell you some of the myriad activities Federation engages in every day.

First, the Federation is a business, albeit one with a unique bottom line. Its business is the successful organization and co-ordination of a plethora of services for a community of 14,000 Jews, and shoulders all of the attendant responsibilities: day-to-day challenges, repairs and maintenance, human resources, to name a few.

Our Campus Management Committee, chaired by Neil Zaret, and staffed by Charles Brazeau, manages, as its name implies, our campus and its buildings. All our on-campus agencies are represented on the Campus Management Committee, and we facilitate everyone working together to maintain and improve the campus.

We fund 24 community beneficiary agencies through our Allocation Committee, chaired by Bonnie Merovitz and staffed by Jeff Bradshaw and Sarah Beutel. We have a

Federation Report Donna Dolansky Chair year-long process of application and evaluation for program funding, for Jewish education and community programming.

We also fund several initiatives for Israel. Partnership 2000 is our connection to Etzbah HaGalil, the very northern tip of Israel, and its people. This committee is chaired by Lisa Rosenkrantz and staffed by Jeff Bradshaw. This month, Lisa will be travelling to Israel for the annual Partnership meetings with our other Canadian partners (Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Atlantic Canada) and our partners from the five Israeli communities (Kiryat Shmona, Metulla, Mevo’ot HaHermon, Yesud Hama’alah and Galil Elyon Kibbutzim). We invest in the people and programs in that area of the country and work together for our mutual benefit.

As well, we fund youth Israel travel. We organize Birthright Israel trips and March of the Living, and offer modest scholarships

for youth participating in Israel programs.

I recently met someone who was new to the Ottawa community. I picked up a welcome package from the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre, which is staffed by Benita Siemiatycki, and delivered it to her. I encouraged her to speak to Benita, and find a way to get involved. She was very grateful.

In addition, the Ottawa Newcomers Committee holds an event twice per year to welcome newcomers. The Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre is also available to help in any matter, and offers an opportunity for the unaffiliated to have Shabbat or holiday meals at peoples’ homes.

An important part of our mandate this year at the Federation is engaging the next generation. As well as the Israel programs I mentioned above, we fund and facilitate Hillel Ottawa. We run programs for students on campus, help them with strategies for advocacy, run leadership training programs, and facilitate social functions and holiday celebrations.

We are in the second year of a revitalized Young Women’s Leadership Council, having held a well-attended opening event with many enthusiastic women. Chairs Gillian Dolansky and Adina Libin, and staff Lindsay Rothenberg, are excited about this year’s program, which teaches young

women about our community and gives them leadership skills that they can use in their careers and in their volunteer lives.

I haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg!

Federation maintains the Ottawa Jewish Archives, which preserves the records and history of the community, and endeavours to educate the community about our history.

We work with the police, public schools, the media and politicians to combat antiSemitism.

Regarding public schools, Federation facilitates the Shoah Committee, which runs Holocaust Education Week (coming in November, so mark your calendars!) and Yom HaShoah observation. As well, survivors from our community are part of an effort to educate Ottawa students.

We are part of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue group, and participate in other interfaith activities.

I could go on and on. Of course, all of these activities are funded through our Annual Campaign, which we are working on now. Please be generous when our volunteer canvassers call. Our Jewish Federation is committed to keeping our community great. We can’t do it without you, though, and we depend on every one of you to participate in your own way.

Developing Judaism for the 21st century and beyond In this column, I would like to offer some reflections on my colleague Rabbi Steven Garten’s recent Bulletin column on intermarriage (From the Pulpit, September 6, 2010). Although I agree with much of what he says, I would like to perhaps challenge some of his remarks with the hope of engaging all of us in a dialogue on how we, as a people, can develop Judaism for the 21st century and beyond.

Rabbi Garten began by pointing out the distinctive challenges that have faced Judaism in each generation and how we have, rather successfully, responded to them. He then says: “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.”

Intermarriage is a very important issue, and one to which we must seriously and creatively attend. It is not, however, the issue which history will use to judge us.

Indeed, I would argue that the problem of intermarriage is not really the problem; it is the symptom of the problem. The real problem is lack of engagement in, and attachment to, Judaism. For too many, Judaism is not a fundamental or even integral part of their identity.

In previous generations, belonging to a synagogue and other Jewish institutions, giving children a solid Jewish education, Zionism, and contributing to Jewish causes, were all taken for granted. Even if not

From the pulpit Rabbi Charles Popky Agudath Israel all Jews participated in these elements of Jewish life, they were, nonetheless, seen as basic and important.

Not so today. Throughout North America, we can see a drop in synagogue affiliation, fewer children enrolled in Jewish schools, and falling memberships in JCCs and other Jewish organizations. In the United States – but, hopefully, not in Canada – the younger generation feels much less connection and allegiance to the State of Israel.

A generation ago, people frequently intermarried because they deliberately wanted to disconnect from Judaism.

Today, many intermarry because Judaism is simply not an important factor in their lives, and therefore not an issue in marriage.

The challenge for our generation – and it has been a challenge for many generations – is to develop Judaism so that its wisdom and its values, its beauty and its power become meaningful and significant to all Jews.

Now, each of us may define Judaism

somewhat differently, and each of us interprets the authority of the tradition in a different manner. However, this challenge will demand that all of us recognize and admit how different the world – and Judaism – is today. It will demand that we be imaginative and creative. It will also demand that we be courageous – to understand that Judaism has evolved through the centuries to meet its challenges, and our generation can be no different.

Rabbi Garten is correct when he notices

those who are not in our sanctuaries on the holidays and asks, “Why not?” But, it is not just the intermarried, it is all the Jews who have been distanced from Judaism.

The new Conservative machzor, Lev Shalem, begins with the famous words of Isaiah (57:19), “Shalom to those who are far off, shalom to those who are near says Hashem.” We must follow God’s ways to welcome all Jews in the magnificent mission of Judaism.

I look forward to our ongoing dialogue.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 7

Good news, finally, for Hillel Lodge expansion As noted on page 1, Hillel Lodge has finally won approval from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to add 21 additional long-term care beds to the 100 currently in operation.

It’s about time.

The issue of the 21 beds was an important item on the community’s agenda well before I arrived in Ottawa to work at the Bulletin during the summer of 2007. The acute need for many hundreds of additional long-term care beds in the Ontario system, and particularly in the Ottawa area, was well known.

A few weeks after my arrival, I was covering the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Communications and Community Relations Committee roundtable meetings with local candidates running in the October 10 provincial election. Representatives of all of the parties – Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats – were universally supportive of the Jewish community’s quest to add the 21 beds at Hillel Lodge. With the available space, and the community’s desire to use it, it seemed like a no-brainer to just approve the beds and get on with it.

The Liberal Party candidates, including cabinet ministers Jim Watson and

Editor Michael Regenstreif Madeleine Meilleur, and Yasir Naqvi, running in Ottawa Centre, the riding that includes Hillel Lodge, were particularly supportive of the 21 new beds for the Lodge.

Watson pledged to have the government act on the beds within the first six months of a new Liberal mandate.

Six months later, the authorization had not been received.

About 18 months after the election, Watson and Naqvi brought then-health minister David Caplan to Hillel Lodge and showed him the space earmarked for the 21-bed expansion.

Another year-and-a-half passed and Watson, now running to become mayor of Ottawa, was back for another roundtable meeting with the Communications and Community Relations Committee.

“I’m embarrassed by this file,” Watson said when the long-standing question of the

Approval for the Lodge’s 21 beds came on October 5, just one week after Watson’s comments appeared in the September 27 issue of the Bulletin.

21 additional beds for Hillel Lodge was raised at the September 16 meeting.

Pledging to keep advocating on behalf of the Lodge should he win the election, Watson admitted to being deeply frustrated by his inability to gain approval for the beds, despite many assurances from two successive ministers of health and the premier’s office.

The approval for the Lodge’s 21 beds came on October 5, just one week after Watson’s comments appeared in the September 27 issue of the Bulletin.

Maybe it was pure coincidence, but the timing of the ratification, coming during the mayoralty race, days after a leading candidate talked about being frustrated at not being able to get it while he was a cabinet minister, was most curious.

The Lodge will now need our support as it embarks on a capital campaign to finance the expansion.

Police chief on home-grown terrorism Earlier this month, I was one of several editors of Ottawa-area community newspapers invited to a roundtable luncheon with Chief Vern White and other top officials of the Ottawa Police Service where we were each encouraged to raise issues of interest.

Concern over terrorism in Ottawa was a topic I raised with the chief. Since the arrest of the alleged Ottawa-based terrorist cell with al-Qaeda links in August, not to mention the Royal Bank firebombing in the Glebe in May, apprehension over homegrown terrorism has heightened.

White told me such concerns have been “our reality” since the time of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Pointing to the August arrests, he said the Ottawa Police, in concert with other police forces and security agencies work hard – often with officials from other countries – to stop terrorist activity, hopefully before plots become actuality.

White lamented that too many Canadians are complacent about terrorism and said vigilance was everyone’s responsibility.

Support for the Canadian Forces grows at the same time it falls for the Afghanistan mission The poppies beginning to sprout on lapels are a reminder that, in a few short weeks, throngs of Canadians will gather in communities across the country to mark Remembrance Day. As usual, the main ceremony will take place in Ottawa at the National War Memorial, and will include the participation of political leaders, veterans and their families, and thousands and thousands of onlookers.

Not too many years ago, that annual event had become something of an afterthought in this country: Thinning crowds, aging veterans, wars that happened long ago and far away. Military matters seemed disconnected to the lives of most of the citizens of our large, peaceful country.

But, in recent years, the crowds have swelled, due in part to the fact that Canadians have been fighting and dying in Afghanistan since early 2002. There is an urgency and immediacy to Remembrance Day that didn’t exist for many years prior.

Young Canadian combat veterans now exist in numbers not seen for a few generations.

In that sense, the upcoming Remembrance Day marks an important milestone.

By this time next year, Canadian troops are supposed to be withdrawing from Afghanistan, if not largely gone from a military role in that conflict after nine years.

Alan Echenberg More than 150 Canadian deaths in Afghanistan, and more than 1,500 injuries, have taken their toll on Canadian public opinion about the mission, with recent polls consistently showing a majority of respondents opposed to our military participation.

But negative opinions about the mission do not translate into negative feelings about the military itself. Indeed, it’s hard to recall a time when the Canadian Forces were so popular and prominent, and even iconic, in our society.

From regular Support Our Troops rallies to appearances on Hockey Night in Canada, the military is now celebrated and venerated in this country in a way that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.

At the same time, questions continue to grow about what we have accomplished after so many years in Afghanistan. We’ve paid a great deal in blood, but has our sacrifice – and that of our NATO allies – been worth it?

The Taliban may be out of power, but are far from defeated, and will likely still be around when NATO troops eventually leave.

Democratic institutions are present in the country in a way they weren’t before the ousting of the Taliban rulers, but are extremely fragile. And Afghanistan remains one of the world’s least developed countries.

The government of President Hamid Karzai has a reputation for corruption, and has connections with warlords, criminals, and even the Taliban.

Afghans themselves may be wary about the role of Western military forces in their country. A survey released this past summer found that 68 per cent of Afghans believe NATO does not protect them, and that 70 per cent believe recent military actions in their area were bad for the Afghan people.

Some of those opinions were echoed recently on Canadian soil by a prominent Afghani politician who embodies the democratic hopes of her country.

At 32 years of age, Malalai Joya is the youngest person to have been elected to the Afghan Parliament – although she has been banned from sitting there for more than three years because of her brave and outspoken criticisms of fellow representatives,

and her prominent campaign against giving Afghan warlords a place at the government table. Time magazine has named her one of the world’s 100 most influential people.

Joya is also a fierce opponent of both the Karzai government, which she calls a “Mafia regime,” and the NATO operation in Afghanistan. Not surprisingly, perhaps, she is also a prominent target. She has survived four assassination attempts and is forced to travel within her own country under heavy security.

At a speech of hers I attended recently in Montreal, she caused a bit of a stir among some audience members by essentially lumping NATO forces with the Taliban as “enemies of my people,” claiming that Western troops have done more harm than good and that, when they leave Afghanistan, there would be one less enemy to fight.

It’s important to note that Joya’s views are not necessarily representative of all Afghan democrats. Babur Mawladin, president of the Canada Afghanistan Solidarity Committee, for example, said her opinions “could not be further from the truth.”

But, coming as they do from such a source, they add another question mark to a debate over the Afghanistan mission that will likely continue long after the final Canadian soldier has come home.

Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 9

Ya’alon optimistic about Israel’s future

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(Continued from page 4 )

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Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post to speak in Ottawa, November 8 Jewish National Fund of Ottawa and Congregation Machzikei Hadas will be hosting Gil Hoffman, chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post, on Monday, November 8, 7:30 pm, at the synagogue. The event is part of JNF’s annual speaker series.

Hoffman is regularly featured on BBC, as well as many other news outlets, as he has first-hand knowledge of both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and is an excellent and informative speaker. Hoffman will be speaking on the topic of Peace, Politics, and Plutonium, an insider’s look at the efforts to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and advance Mideast peace.

Called “the most optimistic man in Israel” by Israel Television, Gil Hoffman’s frequent television appearances and popular column provide a behind-the-scenes look at the intrigue and humour in the Israeli political arena. Hoffman also frequently covers diplomatic issues, travelling with the prime minister and reporting on efforts to achieve Mideast peace and other key international developments.

Through speaking engagements, he has talked about Israeli politics, peace and security, why American Jews should be confident in Israel, what one can do to help Israel in America PR-wise, and Israel in the eye of the foreign media. We look forward to your joining us.

JNF projects, such as Blueprint Negev, have started to realize a visionary plan to transform the Negev Desert – which represents 60 per cent of Israel’s land mass but houses only 8 per cent of its population – into an attractive place for a new generation of Israelis to call home.

The creation of Be’er Sheva River Park, a massive recreation area and waterfront district twice the size of New York’s Central Park, is driving the revitalization of the Negev’s largest city. In the new communities of the Halutza region, JNF has helped Gaza refugees create new homes by installing basic infrastructure for housing sites and agriculture.

Most of us associate JNF with water and trees. For more than a decade JNF has pioneered innovative solutions to stretch Israel’s water supply and has established a comprehensive $100 million initiative to increase the supply of high-quality water by more than 440 billion gallons by 2020.

An agreement was signed with Israel’s Ministry of Defense for the development of the country’s largest constructed wetlands at the Ramon Air Force Base in the Negev. This cutting-edge water treatment system will replace an outdated, inefficient plant that can no longer handle the volume of wastewater generated on the base. The wetlands will purify the base’s wastewater by duplicating the biological processes that occur in natural wetlands, a highly cost-effective technology that requires minimal electricity and maintenance.

This is but a fraction of our accomplishments in Israel that, without your support, could not have been achieved.

More to come next month.

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).

Iran, he added, is trying to establish hegemony in the region, which puts moderate Arab regimes, and Western interests, including oil resources, at great risk.

“We believe the military nuclear project in Iran should be stopped, in one way or another, in order to avoid this hegemony,” Ya’alon said.

“We’re talking about stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”

If Iran develops and acquires nuclear weaponry – which he said could be one to three years away – other countries in the region would also feel compelled to seek them.

Israel, he said, “is considered by the Iranian regime to be the minor Satan.

The great Satan is Western civilization led by the United States and includes Canada and other Western countries.”

Ya’alon said the Iranian regime’s goal is to challenge the West by imposing Islam and creating Islamic republics.

“We believe the United States should lead the Western world in dealing with this threat.”

Ya’alon said the Iranian regime should be made to face a stark choice between its pursuit of nuclear weaponry and its very survivability.

“We believe that, when the Iranian regime faces this dilemma, their choice will be to survive.”

Ya’alon said Iran should face political isolation, crippling economic sanctions and “a credible military threat.” The West should also show “moral support, if

not more than that” to the internal opposition in Iran.

Despite the challenges posed by Iran and the current difficulty in arriving at a final peace agreement with the Palestinians, Ya’alon said he was very optimistic about Israel’s future.

“My optimism stems from what we have achieved in Israel in the last 62 years – which is a miracle – in science, technology, our sophisticated agriculture, in the military, security, a strong economy, and our rich cultural life. Our secret is our brains and our heart, our knowledge and our spirit.

“This is my source of confidence. We know how to use the time for our benefit: to develop, to build. Our goal is to flourish and not to destroy anyone in our region.”

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Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Ottawa students explore Israel and Jewish identity during Jerusalem Fellowships trip in August

By Andrea Khanjin Twenty-one university students from Ottawa, with varied Jewish backgrounds and drawn from various denominations, embarked on a three-week adventure in August to explore our Jewish identities and explore Israel.

The Jerusalem Fellowships trip, run from Ottawa for a second straight summer,

was a project of the Kollel of Ottawa in partnership with Hillel Ottawa. To make this three-week Israel experience affordable for students, the program is heavily subsidized, primarily by local fundraising conducted by the Kollel.

For months leading up to the trip, the Kollel staff, with help and insight from their

Newcomers’ Tea Do you know any newcomers to Ottawa?

The Ladies’ Reception Committee would like to welcome new women at our semi-annual tea

Sunday, November 14, 2010 2:30 - 4:30 pm at the home of Marion Silver 29 Roselawn Court A wonderful way of meeting others in our community.

If you are a newcomer to the Ottawa Jewish community, or if you know someone who is, please call

Audrey Kreisman at 613-727-1917 Social get-together • No solicitation

Hillel counterparts, carefully planned every detail of the itinerary in order to ensure a varied and stimulating program.

The Jerusalem Fellowships program gave a whole new meaning to going to class. Based mainly in Jerusalem, we learned about a variety of engaging topics, including Torah and Science, Dating and Romance, Bible Codes, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People, Jewish Philosophy and many others from Aish HaTorah’s lecturers.

Every morning, we enjoyed a buffet breakfast followed by a bus ride to the Old City where we took in the sights and sounds of Old Jerusalem on our daily stroll to the brand new Aish facility where state-of-the-art classrooms overlook the Kotel.

There, we listened to enthusiastic presenters, who, in addition to being rabbis, boast impressive and varied back-

Participants in Ottawa’s Jerusalem Fellowships trip in the Old City before Shabbat.

grounds as musicians, mountain bikers, surfers, comedians, historians, etc. Each topic was open for discussion and debate and provided us opportunities to think about our own views and opinions on the subjects. During breaks, we went to the roof and took in the breathtaking view of the beautiful Jerusalem landscape.

After a morning of classes, we were whisked away on adventures such as kayaking on the Jordan River, camel riding, ATV riding in the Judean desert, wine tasting, swimming in the Dead Sea and hiking in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. A personal highlight was travelling to Gush Etzion where we got to meet Mayor Shaul Goldstein. After a full day of classes, food and excursions, we had free time each evening to explore Jerusalem in our own way.

All the staff members were energetic and helpful.

Rabbi Dave Rotenberg of Hillel Ottawa spent hours with us during bus rides and on our free evenings discussing points brought up during the lectures, and answering all the Jewish questions we had.

Likewise, Rabbi Shaya Greiniman of the Kollel led extremely stimulating schmooze sessions and inspired us to take on leadership projects on campus.

Chavi Greiniman was always there as a positive role model to talk to and to ask for advice.

We also had the benefit of two returning student leaders, Jen Hadad and Sarah Brantz, both of whom have been extremely active in campus leadership and Jewish identity programming since the previous year’s trip.

They were available to give insight into what to expect from lectures and trips, and were able to advise participants on issues ranging from the best places to shop to what to wear.

In addition to much of the structured learning on the trip, we were also given opportunities for one-on-one discussions with students living in Israel. We also joined different families for each Shabbat lunch and met people originally from the U.S., the U.K., South Africa and elsewhere. These opportunities enabled us to make connections with other Jews and with the Israeli community.

We all agreed that this was the trip of a lifetime. The experience gave us a unique chance to build lasting friendships and, above all, instilled in us a real sense of pride about our Jewish identity.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 11

Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 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 September 21 and October 6, 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.

Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Honour of: Ted Overton and Julia Gluck Mazal tov on the birth of your first great grandchild with love by Henry and Maureen Molot Moe Greenberg and Elissa Greenberg Iny Fund In Memory of: Edith Sporn by Elissa and Avraham Iny Rita Wanless by Elissa and Avraham Iny Esther Goldstein Elissa and Avraham Iny In Honour of: Ray and Ernie Goldstein Mazal tov on your daughter Lauren’s engagement by Elissa and Avraham Iny Gunner Family Fund In Honour of: Estelle and Ian Melzer Mazal tov on the birth of your twin grandchildren by Sol and Estelle Gunner R’fuah Shlema: Ilan Rumstein by Sol and Estelle Gunner

Max Lieff Endowment Fund In Memory of: Lil Tonchin by Dorothy Lieff Ruth Baron by Dorothy Lieff Pencer Family Fund In Memory of: Moses Claener by Marcia and Irwin Pencer Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Family Fund In Honour of: Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Congratulations on your daughter Stacey’s engagement to Stephen Rich by Bunny Cogan In Memory of: Corinne Gossack by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman Harold and Lillian Shoihet Memorial fund In Observance of the Yahrzeit of: Lillian Shoihet 1st of MarCheshvan by David Shoihet Label and Leona Silver Family Fund In appreciation of: Shimon Fogel by Stephen, Jeffrey and David Silver Milton and Mary (Terry) Viner Family Fund In Observance of the Yahrzeit of: Arthur Viner by Millie Schanefield and family

Dorothy and Maurie Karp Endowment Fund In Memory of: Lenny Karp by Dorothy Karp; by Jeff, Janet, Olivia and Sammy Karp; by Darrell, Courtney, Stephen and Katey Karp; by Joanna Karp; by Deb and Debbie Karp; and by Carol and Harvey Goodman and family R’fuah Shlema: Claire Bercovitch by Dorothy Karp Roslyn Raskin by Dorothy Karp Noreen Bosloy by Dorothy Karp

Eric Weiner and Arlene Godfrey Family Fund In Memory of: Louis Bernstein by Arlene Godfrey, Eric, Melissa and Laura Weiner

Norman

Friedberg and Dale Families Fund In Memory of: Ruth Goldberg by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale

Morris and Lillian Kimmel Family Fund In Observance of the Yahrzeit of: Yehoshua Heilman by Janet Kaiman In Honour of: Steven Kimmel Good job - blowing the shofar at Yom Tov by Raoul and Sandi Korngold Janet Kaiman Congratulations on your appointment as Principal of Ottawa Modern by Raoul and Sandi Korngold

Malcolm and Vera Glube Endowment Fund In Memory of: Esther Goldstein by Vera and Malcolm Glube

Joan and Russell Kronick Family Fund In Memory of: Esther Goldstein by Joan and Russell Kronick

Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge Fund R’fuah Shlema: Ernie Brodo by Ruth Mendell Elsie Baker Endowment Fund In Honour of: Patty and Richard Levitan Mazal tov on celebrating their 25th anniversary by Polly, Jackie and Sammy Moran Bella Altman Leikin Memorial Fund In Memory of: Bella Altman Leikin by Helen Hochberg Jenny and Murray Citron Endowment Fund R’fuah Shlema: Ruth Soloway by Murray Citron

Carole and Norman Zagerman Family Fund R’fuah Shlema: Norman Slover by Carole and Zagerman Noreen Bosloy by Carole and Zagerman Judi Kerzner by Carole and Zagerman Beverley Cantor by Carole and Zagerman

Norman Norman

Norman

Feeding Program Fund In Memory of: Louis Bernstein by Carol and Larry Gradus Esther Goldstein by Dee and Yale Gaffen Ruth Goldberg by Mara and Isaac Muzikansky and family

Issie Scarowsky In appreciation for your tireless efforts at religious services by Morris Schachnow Rabbi Teitlebaum In appreciation of your inspiration and leadership during the High Holidays by Morris Schachnow Therapeutics Fund In Memory of: Helen Rosenthal by Ruth Silbert and Shannon Conway

************ IN HONOUR OF: Issie and Leah Scarowsky Mazal tov on the birth of another granddaughter by Ruth and DaleFyman Rabbi and Mrs. Simes Mazal tov on the birth of your son by Ruth and Dale Fyman Annabelle and Steven Taylor Shana Tova and best wishes for the best of everything in the New Year by Anna and Ron Cantor Adam Cantor Happy 40th birthday by Zahava, Barry, Miriam and Asher Farber Shirley Kossman Wishing you all the best on your special birthday by Anna and Ron Cantor Buddy Steinberg Thank you for your gracious donation by the Ottawa Jewish War Veterans R’FUAH SHLEMA: Aviva Kriger by Anna and Ron Cantor Judi Kerzner by Anna and Ron Cantor Kaysa Friedman by Anna and Ron Cantor IN MEMORY OF: Elanie Lowen’s father by Ruth and Dale Fyman Esther Goldstein by Bev and Bryan Glube and family; and by Arlene and Norman Glube Irving Adessky by Zahava, Barry, Miriam and Asher Farber; and by Bonnie, Bruce, Matt, Hana and Sabrina Engel Kay Miller by Arlene and Norman Glube IN OBERVANCE OF THE YAHRZEIT OF: Florence Weisz by Eleanor Mintz Esther Malka Bruner by Al and Elly Bruner and family Gerry Levitz by Arlene and Gary Bonn and family

Ritual Supplies Fund In Honour of: Debi Shore For your dedication to the wellbeing of Hillel Lodge by Morris and Shelley Schachnow

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 – October 25, 2010 – Page 13

(formerly Central Park Lodge)

Orit Fogel-Shafran, founder and general manager of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra of Israel, during a visit to Ottawa in September.

(Photo: Francie Greenspoon)

By Benita Baker The Raanana Symphonette Orchestra of Israel will launch Holocaust Education Week in Ottawa, November 9 at the Shenkman Centre, with a performance of Alma Rosé: From Vienna to Auschwitz. This piece, specially commissioned by the orchestra, is a tribute to Alma Rosé, a virtuoso violinist and Holocaust heroine.

If you are planning to attend this concert, and you should not miss it, expect more than a performance of beautiful and poignant music played by world-class musicians. This will also be an evening of stories that celebrate the power of music and the strength of the human spirit, stories about the music being played and about the musicians playing the music.

Alma Rosé was born in 1906 to a Viennese musical dynasty. Her father, Arnold Rosé, was a violinist and the concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic and Opera orchestras; her mother, Justine Mahler, was the younger sister of composer Gustav Mahler.

“I believe that people who see and hear her story will find a way to be better people,” said Orit Fogel-Shafran, the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra’s general manager, during an interview with the Bulletin while she was visiting Ottawa on September 27. “I want to believe it.

Maybe I am naïve, but I can see how it affects people who work with me.”

Alma became an accomplished violinist in her own right and established the Waltzing Girls of Vienna, an orchestra of young women

dressed in gowns, who became famous throughout Europe. After Austria was annexed by Germany, Alma and her father managed to flee to London, but Alma decided to return to Europe and continue performing in order to financially support her father.

In 1942, she was captured in France and sent to Auschwitz. Sure that she was to be put to death, she asked to play the violin one last time. News spread throughout the camp that the famous violinist had arrived, and the SS put Alma in charge of a women’s orchestra.

She was able to take a group of young, frightened women, some professionals and some with only rudimentary musical knowledge, and turn them into quality musicians whose performances became their only hope of survival.

They played classical pieces with whatever instruments were available, including flutes, guitars, mandolins and accordions.

They played at the gates to the camp as prisoners were marched to work. They played in the bitter cold. They played private concerts for the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. The music was their key to remaining alive and Alma recognized this, so, whenever she encountered a female prisoner with the least bit of musical ability, she would adapt a piece to include her and her instrument. Ultimately, all of the 50 women in the orchestra survived, except for Alma. She died in Auschwitz, most likely from food poisoning.

“I don’t know where they took their (Continued on page 14)

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Special concert by Israeli orchestra to launch Holocaust Education Week, Nov. 9

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Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

The Raanana Symphonette Orchestra of Israel will perform, Tuesday, November 9 at the Shenkman Centre in Orleans.

Ottawa concert will be Israeli orchestra’s first in Canada (Continued from page 13)

strength from,” said Fogel-Shafran.

“You are playing the most delicate piece in the world on a cello to save your life. Alma could have saved herself, being who she was, so known and so admired, but she didn’t. She saved the others. You know Christian people have saints.

If we had saints, Alma could have been a saint. She was born spoiled.

She had everything. She was really altruistic.”

Altruism is a word that can also describe Fogel-Shafran because, if not for her, this homage to Alma Rosé, and, in fact, the very existence of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, would not have been possible.

In 1984, after living in Paris for two years, Fogel-Shafran, an Israeli, returned to Israel and joined a group called the Israel Forum.

“My drive is to have a stronger Israel,” she said. “I think that a land without culture is not a land. A land that does not recognize its own culture doesn’t have an existence.”

It was a time of massive immigration of Soviet Jews to Israel. By chance, a piano tuner she hired asked her to help his friend, a violinist, immigrate to Israel. She did and, through him, met many gifted Russian musicians who wanted nothing more than to continue being musicians in their new lives. “[Being a] musician is not something you just try,” said FogelShafran. “If someone is a true musician, he has only two options. He

can be a musician or a depressed person. He cannot be anything else.

I thought it was not right to not take this unbelievable gift we got from the former Soviet Union, in culture, education and willingness, and transform it into what is so needed in our county: education, experience and culture.”

In 1990, along with a handful of fellow Israel Forum members, Fogel-Shafran established the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, with the special goal of not just playing music, but also relaying Israeli cultural history.

“Part of our heritage is Jewish heritage and part of our heritage is the Holocaust,” she said. “This is why this orchestra that I started 20 years ago ‘wrote on a flag,’ as we say in Israel. From day one, we focused on education, Jewish heritage and Holocaust memory.”

Word was spread through advertising on Russian-language radio programs and Russian-language newspapers. Fogel-Shafran set up phone lines in her house to schedule auditions and enlisted her Russian babysitter, and even her young son, to answer the calls.

“Mother, another Boris is on the phone,” her son repeatedly told her.

They held 600 auditions over three weeks and selected 42 musicians. Now, 20 years later, the orchestra is thriving. It performs its unique blend of classical music and original cultural and historical pieces like Alma Rosé: From Vienna to Auschwitz at more than 400

concerts annually in Israel and around the world. Many of the concerts are performed for children.

The orchestra has hosted prominent international classical musicians and vocalists, and has also played with such contemporary artists as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and the Manhattan Transfer. The Ottawa concert will be the first time

the orchestra has performed in Canada.

“If you look at cultural life in Israel 20 years ago, you will see how everything was enriched unbelievably from this aliyah,” said FogelShafran about the influx of Russians. “This aliyah was one of our biggest blessings. You feel a better person when you are exposed to

these unbelievable people.”

The Raanana Symphonette Orchestra of Israel’s performance of Alma Rose: From Vienna to Auschwitz takes place Tuesday, November 9, 7:30 pm at the Shenkman Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard in Orleans. Tickets are $18.

Call 613-580-2700 for tickets or information.

The story behind the story of Alma Rosé

By Benita Baker In 1946, Canadian music critic Richard Newman met and befriended an Austrian musician who later became a music professor at the University of Western Ontario. His name was Alfred Rosé and he was Alma’s brother. Although Rosé talked about his impressive musical family and his escape from the Nazis, he rarely mentioned his sister Alma.

Rosé asked Newman to serve as co-executor of his estate, which contained a large collection of Mahler and Rosé memorabilia, including more than 60 letters sent from Alma to her brother. When Alfred died in 1975, the collection was donated to the University of Western Ontario Music Library and, while helping to organize it, Newman uncovered Alma’s letters.

Intrigued by her spirit, he spent the next 22 years researching Alma’s life. In 2000, he published a biography Alma Rosé: Vienna to Auschwitz.

Orit Fogel-Shafran came across

the book in an airport bookstore.

She knew immediately that the orchestra should honour Alma’s memory. Even before it was clear what that would be, she inserted Alma’s photo, with the caption “Homage to Alma Rosé,” in the orchestra’s program for the upcoming year.

This announcement prompted a phone call from a man who told Fogel-Shafran that his mother, who had just died, was a musician in Alma’s orchestra in Auschwitz. He introduced Fogel-Shafran to another of Alma’s musicians, Hilde Grunbaum-Zimche, who copied the notes every time Alma revised a piece to accommodate a new member and a new instrument.

Hilde spent her days at the bedside of her sick husband. The orchestra had, by now, retained a young composer to create the homage to Alma, so the composer sat with Hilde in the hospital and listened while Hilde reconstructed from memory the music played in Auschwitz.

At the same time, Fogel-Shafran

was contacted by Amnon Weinstein, an Israeli violinmaker and collector, who took her to a vault that stored his collection of violins that were played by concentration camp inmates.

“When you do this concert, I want the first violinist to play one of these,” he said. Fogel-Shafran hopes the violin will make the journey to Ottawa, but is unsure if it can.

The Canadian connection to Alma Rosé is very meaningful to Fogel-Shafran.

“It’s much more than just a concert,” she said. “It is part of the story.”

The Israeli Embassy has invited author Richard Newman to attend the Ottawa concert, although his health may not allow him to make the journey here.

The Embassy is also in discussions with the University of Western Ontario Music Library to have copies of some of the Mahler-Rosé memorabilia, including Alma’s letters, on display.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 15

Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

SJCC indoor pool reopens after extensive renovations

By Pamela Rosenberg Soloway JCC The indoor saltwater pool at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) reopened at 6:00 am on October 13 after being closed for the summer while it was repaired and retiled.

The pool had been closed since mid-June to fix the continuous problem of lifting tiles. While maintenance and pool staff did their best to fix problem spots as they happened and avoid a full closure, there was a limit to what could be done while the pool was open and filled.

Once the decision was made that a major renovation was best for the longevity of the pool, and for the well-being of our members, the pool was drained, tiles were removed, the concrete blasted, patched and repaired, and a new membrane was applied.

In addition to all the necessary repairs, the shutdown was an opportunity to make some improvements. The pool repair crew added expansion joints between the tiles that will help prevent tiles from lifting in the future, and smaller, textured tiles were added to the steps, ramp and whirlpool for traction. The pole in the pool was retiled, mostly in black, making it much more visible to swimmers.

The pool now has dark lines at the bottom of the ramp and anywhere the depth changes to indicate where the pool drops off.

The Soloway JCC indoor pool welcomes swimmers back to the water after four months of extensive renovations.

(Photo: Pamela Rosenberg)

Aquatics Manager Robin Jordan says this is a “fabulous idea and it is great for the lifeguards to point out to swimmers, especially kids, where the drop-off is and let them know what areas to avoid or be aware of.”

And, while the pool was get-

ting a facelift, the whirlpool was also upgraded with new jets and pumps, which will make more bubbles in the water.

Aside from some hotel pools, the Soloway JCC still has the only saltwater pool in the city. The saltwater makes for a better swim-

ming experience without the dry itchy skin, red eyes and smell associated with chlorine.

Now, with what essentially is a brand new pool, the aquatics department is back in business, swimming lessons are in full swing, and Aquafit participants

Wounded Israeli soldiers visit Ottawa A group of disabled Israeli army veterans toured Ottawa, October 7, during their twoweek visit to Canada.

Every year, a group of wounded veterans who have been rehabilitated at the Beit Halochem centres in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv,

Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv chats with several of the disabled Israeli army vet(Photo: Robin Chernick) erans during a luncheon at her residence.

Haifa and Nahariya visits Canada under the auspices Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel (ADVI): Beit Halochem Canada.

are back in the water.

For more information on everything happening in the Soloway JCC Aquatics Department, contact Robin Jordan at 613-798-9818, ext. 377, or rjordan@jccottawa.com, or visit jccottawa.com.

The day in Ottawa included a luncheon hosted by Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv at her residence and dinner at the home of Dorothy Nadolny.

A group of the veterans congratulates Ruth Aaron who has organized the Ottawa (Photo: Robin Chernick) leg of the ADVI visits for 25 years.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 17

‘Status quo not an option,’ Tzipi Livni says in Toronto

By Sheldon Kirshner Canadian Jewish News Toronto – Israel should pursue peace talks with the Palestinian Authority so that its future as a Jewish democratic state can be assured, said Israeli Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni at a Toronto UJA event, October 6.

“This process must be continued,” declared Livni, who as deputy prime minister and foreign minister in Israel’s previous government, led talks with the Palestinian Authority for nine months until they collapsed after Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip in January 2009.

“The status quo is not an option,” she added in an implicit critique of Israel’s current government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A peaceful resolution of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians is in Israel’s national self-interest, said Livni, leader of the centrist Kadima party.

Only peace can ensure that Israel will remain Jewish as well as democratic, she said.

Livni, who left Likud in 2005 along with former prime minister Ariel Sharon, pledged to give Netanyahu political support if he takes the “right steps” toward peace.

“Time is of the essence,” she noted. “We have to make tough decisions.”

On a speaking tour in the United States prior to her visit to Toronto, Livni urged Netanyahu to make “the necessary decisions” required to keep talks with the Palestinians going, and warned that a “blow up” of negotiations would have grave consequences for Israel.

Livni said two diametrically opposing “visions” of Israel’s future are in play in Israel today.

The first envisages Jews living in the entire Land of Israel, including the West Bank, while the second envisages Israel as a Jewish and a democratic state.

“These are two different visions,” she said, defining the debate that has raged in Israel since the Six Day War. “We have to decide what vision we want.”

“In my vision, Israel should be a Jewish and a democratic state,” she asserted, suggesting that an absence of peace would transform Israel into a binational state, the worst-case scenario.

Fleshing out her definition of a Jewish state, Livni said it should hew to Jewish values, traditions, symbols and holidays without becoming a theocracy, respect differences, uphold the importance of diversity and make it possible for non-Jews to become part of the Jewish people through conversion to Judaism.

In an apparent dig at the Orthodox rabbinic establishment in Israel, which takes a dim view of Reform and Conservative Judaism, Livni said, “Israel has to respect Jewish life outside Israel.”

She added that the Orthodox in Israel, “unfortunately,” are unwilling to respect “the diversity of the Jewish world.”

Saying she came to Toronto as “a Jew,” and “a Jewish mother,” rather than as a politician, Livni thanked Canadian Jews for supporting Israel during these “difficult times.”

She said her reason for entering politics was to leave her children the legacy of a secure Israel, with democratic values, living at peace with its Arab neighbours.

Surveying the current political landscape, she said a “huge gap” has opened up between Israel and its image

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abroad, a gap that must be closed.

Livni said Israel is being subjected to “a process of delegitimization,” a phenomenon that affected her directly more than a year ago, when she was forced to cancel a trip to Britain or face the prospect of being arrested as an alleged war criminal.

Saying that Israel must confront this challenge to its

existence, Livni warned that delegitimization affects its ability to defend itself.

In a reference to an incident last May, during which Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists aboard a Turkish ship trying to break Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip, Livni claimed they were acting in self-defence.

Israel does not deliberately target civilians, she said.

Promoting quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities in a Jewish environmnent Tamir acknowledges with sincere thanks the following donations, which were received as of September 29, 2010.

Mazeltov to: Mrs. Wendy Green on her birthday by Debbie, Norm and Vicky Ferkin Mr. Eddie Kerzner on his 75th birthday

by Debbie, Norm and Vicky Ferkin and by Rachel, Howard, Davida and Josh Schachter Mrs. Blanche Osterer on being awarded the Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award

by Irene Waxman, Sandy, Gerry, Chad, Ruth and Rian Bayne Mr. Jay Dover on his 80th birthday by Roz and Lee Raskin Judith and Gerald Goldstein on the marriage of Sarah and Grant by Margaret and David Delicate Mr. and Mrs. Ron Levitan on the birth of their grandson by Marcia and Stephen Aronson Mr. and Mrs. W. Cleiman on the birth of their grandson by Marcia and Stephen Aronson Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Katz on their 60th wedding anniversary by Evelyn and Norman Potechin and by Debbie, Norm and Vicky Ferkin Zelaine and Sol Shinder on their 50th wedding anniversary by Debbie and Norm Ferkin and by Sharon and Paul Finn Marcia and Barry Cantor on Jeremy’s wedding by Sharon and Paul Finn and family Rita and Ben Gerstein on their 40th wedding anniversary by Sharon, Sol, Noah and Kayla Reichstein Mrs. Phyllis Sadowski on her special birthday by Irene Waxman Mr. and Mrs. Barry Benovoy on David’s marriage by Judi and Ed Kerzner Linda and Stephen Weiner on their 45th wedding anniversary and their birthdays by Deb, Norm and Vicky Ferkin Brian and Lynn Keller on the birth of

their grandson Sawyer by Sally Taller Burt and Jackie Gorenstein on their 50th wedding anniversary by Lily and Jerry Penso Rae and Ernie Goldstein on Lauren’s engagement by Sharon and Paul Finn Mrs. Libby Katz on her special birthday

by Evelyn and Norman Potechin Refuah Shlemah to: Mrs. Dorothy Hymes by Judi and Eddie Kerzner Mrs. Claire Johnson by Lois and Jerry Nudelman In Memory of: Uncle of Potechin Family by Debbie and Norm Ferkin and by Gdalyah and Florence Rosenfeld Don Heaslip by Participants, Staff and Board of Directors of Tamir; by Ruby and Wes Shortt; by Betty and Rod Newkirk; by Orval and Aletha Brown; by Irene and Roy Sletcher; by William and Heather Smith; by Margaret Jones; by Suzanne and Paul Scott; and by Gail and Charles Wendell Donald Hyman by Brian Gorman and Family; by Deborah and Louis Davis; by Nita and Simon Jacobson; and by Betty Landes Reuben Lightstone by Miriam and Michael Leber and Family Carolyn Bercusson by Sharon, Sol, Noah and Kayla Reichstein and by Caroline and David Buchler and Family Abraham Davis by Lily and Jerry Penso; by Marcia and Stephen Aronson; and

by Sharon and Paul Finn Michael Broitman by Nancy and Sharon Rosenberg and family Sister of Yossi Amor by Yvette and Henry Dahan; and by Paul and Sharon Finn

Paul Zittell by Harris and Siobhan Stein Mother of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Gottlieb

by Sharon, Sol, Noah and Kayla Reichstein Brother of Linda and Ron Rowat by Debbie, Norm and Vicky Ferkin Mother of Maxine Rabinovitch by Seline and Howard Yegendorf Lilliane Rose by Faye and Arnold Tennenhouse Al Moss by Leslie Perley and Selma Tennenhouse and by Faye and Arnold Tennenhouse Edith Sporn by Sharon and Paul Finn Father of Liz Vered by Sharon and Paul Finn and Family General In appreciation to Mrs. Ruth Frisch for hosting the cousins’ reunion by Sharon, Sol, Noah and Kayla Reichstein In observance of the yartzeit of a beloved mother Anna Lazear Saslove by Sonia and Sheldon Shaffer Wishing Judy and Eddie Kerzner good health and a Happy New Year by Lois and Jerry Nudelman and by Lisa and Sam In appreciation to Norm and Evelyn Potechin by Florence, Gdalyah, Anita and Jocelyn Congratulations to Debbie and Norm Ferkin for the great job on the Tamir golf tournament and wishing them a Happy New Year by Lois and Jerry Nudelman Wishing Betty Baylin, Carol and Norman Zagerman, and Evelyn and Joseph Lieff a Happy and Healthy New Year by Isabel and Norm Lesh In appreciation and with best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year to Barbara Kagedan and to Evelyn Cooperstein by Jerry and Lily Penso

Donation cards can be purchased for a minimum charge of $18.00 by contacting the Tamir office at 613-7253519, 11 Nadolny Sachs Private, Suite 218, Ottawa, Ontario, K2A 1R9, or by e-mail to aalmstedt@tamir.ca.

Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Author Elan Divon compares Biblical and Hindu traditions

By Jane Gordon for CICF Elan Divon, author of the groundbreaking new book, Reaching Beyond the Religious, spoke at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, on September 26, at an event co-sponsored by the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation (CICF) and the Vered Israel Cultural and Educational Program.

Divon, the son of Chaim Divon, Israel’s former ambassador to Canada, lives in Toronto with his wife, Jordana, and is a religious scholar and entrepreneur in the field of conflict resolution. He is a co-founder of Peace Camp Canada, which annually brings Israeli and Palestinian teens to Ottawa for a program aimed at peace-building.

Elan explained that his new book is a comparison between the Biblical and Hindu traditions. Weaving between mythology and reality, East and West, the book unearths seven universal themes from across the religious spectrum and applies them to the complexities of modern day life.

From Genesis, Job and the story of the Hindu god, Shiva, to the dramatic presidential primary campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama; from the life

(From left) Jordana Divon, Norm Barwin of the CICF and Maxine Miska of the Soloway JCC watch as Elan Divon signs copies of his new book following his presentation, September 26.

stories of Biblical patriarchs and Hindu icons to those of such contemporary personalities as J.K. Rowling, Michael Jordan and Warren Buffett, the book applies the teachings of the past to the present, while exploring humankind’s most pressing and difficult questions.

Further information on Divon and his book is available at elandivon.com.

The evening began with a welcome from Norman Barwin, president of the Ottawa Chapter of the CICF. CICF has a distinct role to play in the Ottawa Jewish Community, serving as a cultural bridge between

Canada and Israel. CICF, with the Embassy of Israel, seeks to present to Canadians the cultural activities of Israel and provide a forum for Canadian artists to present to Israelis. We support music, literature, graphic and performing arts, and provide funds and scholarships to enable young people to study in Israel, the U.S.A. and Canada. As well, we offer a variety of quality programs to our members in Ottawa.

For more information about CICF or to become a member, contact Tova Clark at 613-722-4645 or Ruth Calof at 613-523-1600.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 19

WEIZMANN CANADA CA ANADA invi invites ites you to a special special event event

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Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz has spent 45 years translating and writing commentary on the entire Talmud.

Global Day of Jewish Learning, November 7

By Maxine Miska Soloway JCC On Sunday, November 7, the Ottawa Jewish community will have the opportunity to participate in the Global Day of Jewish Learning with 150 communities across the world via a live satellite transmission.

The program runs from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) and features live panel discussions in New York City with prominent scholars including Rabbi Harold Kushner, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Rabbi Arthur Wascow.

The Global Day of Jewish Learning celebrates the culmination of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s 45-year quest to translate the Talmud and unlock its wisdom for modern Jews. The November 7 date was selected to coincide with Rabbi Steinsaltz’s completion of the 45th and final volume of his transla-

tion and commentary on the Talmud, a monumental task he began in 1965, at age 27. A siyyum (completion ceremony) will be broadcast live from Jerusalem at 2:15 pm.

Rabbi Steinsaltz is a distinguished scholar, teacher, mystic and social critic. He has written some 60 books and hundreds of articles on the Talmud, Kabbalah and Chasidut. In addition to his full Modern Hebrew translation, Rabbi Steinsaltz has translated parts of the Talmud into English, Spanish, French and Russian. His own works have been translated into English, Russian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.

There is no charge for this program. For more information, contact me at mmiska@jccottawa.com or 613-798-9818, ext. 263.

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Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

An entertaining look at Middle East peacemaking How to Make Peace in the Middle East in Six Months or Less Without Leaving Your Apartment

By Gregory Levey Free Press 270 pages The longstanding strife in the Middle East is a clear preoccupation of many a global citizen including Gregory Levey, the Canadian who served as a speechwriter in the offices of Israeli prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, and whose previous book is Shut Up, I’m Talking: And Other Diplomacy Lessons I Learned in the Israeli Government. In claiming that his goal is to bring peace to the region in six months “without leaving his apartment,” Levey takes us on a lighthearted romp through the landscape of Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Anyone who follows the politics of the conflict fairly closely won’t learn a whole lot from this book. Levey’s main aim seems to be to entertain, while gently, but laudably, forcing himself and his readers to publicly examine some of their political and emotional assumptions. His sometimes inconsistent reactions to different points of view – something he acknowledges – speak to the natural human tendency to mentally play devil’s advocate.

In the entertainment category, Levey – now teaching professional communication at Ryerson University – delivers.

The writing is jaunty. The anecdotes are humorous, with Levey casting himself as the butt of many jokes.

Levey does leave his apartment, of course, with his main strategy being to speak to as many of the conflict actors and stakeholders as he can. This takes him from unanswered calls to American diplomats (though he does play e-mail tag with a White House contact, at least), to AIPAC to J Street to the International Solidarity Movement to the Palestinian Mission to the fringe-right Jewish Defense League. Towards the end of the book, he acknowledges that he managed to reach more Israeli and Jewish groups than those on the Palestinian side.

This is indeed a shortcoming, though not a fatal one.

In trying to present a crisply humorous narrative, the book relies on a fairly superficial presentation of events. Young Diaspora Jews, in particular, very well may relate to his earnest attempt to learn more about the other side, and even more about his own. But the reader is left bereft of context in some places. For example, the Israeli policy of demolishing Palestinian houses suspected of “aiding in terrorism” is not quite

right: while Israel’s house demolition policy is arguably a form of deterrence, it is post-hoc. It is meant to destroy the house of the attacker’s family – whether or not the house itself was being used as a terrorism “aid” – a form of collective punishment.

The book was written at a crucial time in the American Middle East lobby landscape: that of the arrival of the more left-wing J Street on the scene. This section is particularly good in reminding the reader of the genesis of that group, and in fleshing out the breadth of Diaspora Jewish views on Israel.

The back-to-back interviews with one of the authors of the controversial book The Israel Lobby, and Anti-Defamation League head Abe Foxman, is particularly illuminating for newcomers to the debate on the role and perception of lobbying for Israel. The book might have been more successful had it relied on the Diaspora lens alone (either Jewish or both Jewish and Palestinian), to allow for more depth, even if a narrower scope.

There is plenty of lightness to accompany the political descriptions. Levey sends away for “peacemaker” boxer shorts that he longs for like a mediator’s Holy Grail. He attempts to find success at the PeaceMaker and Second Life video games (the discussion of the latter is brief, but particularly intriguing)

Book Review Mira Sucharov before he sets out on his real-life quest. He describes his relationship with his long-suffering but good-humoured wife, and tries to get his Lebanese grocer to open up about politics while he buys copious amounts of second-rate produce.

A more analytically ambitious book might have taken the reader through some of the “theories” of peacemaking that the book jacket promises. The “why” of the conflict question is not really addressed.

Still, I may very well assign the book to students taking my undergraduate course in Israeli-Palestinian relations at Carleton University. If you can master this spare text and manage to learn more of the context surrounding these issues through outside observation, you can have a pretty good time with Levey’s amusing offering.

Will it help you make peace in that troubled region? Probably not.

But, it may be a start in thinking about how to understand the perspectives coming from each corner of the war-ofwords, at least, and add a little more clarity to the stories each actor is trying desperately to convey to the other.

What I learned early on about being a Christian I have the outward veneer of being Jewish. But, underneath it all, after growing up with Christians and Christian symbols all around me, I think I might have a Christian cultural base, which occasionally emerges. I know this because every time I’ve hit my thumb with a hammer or burned my tongue on hot tea, I did not scream out, “Holy Moses!”

No, when I feel great pain or surprise, I yell, “Jesus Christ!”

This is almost automatic. I sometimes wonder if rabbis who grew up in downtown Toronto might not yell out the same thing. This would be highly embarrassing, especially in front of members of the congregation, but I can already feel some of you imagining it.

I learned early on that Jesus was a nice guy. I even picked up that he was Jewish. The teachers and preachers at our public school tried to convince me that some baby in a manger was God, but I was having none of it. All that seemed very girly to me, and to my friends who were all Christian. If there had been action figures, we would have preferred the angry Jesus who went around turning over tables, or the miraculous Jesus who could walk on water. It fed my secret rebelliousness to picture his mother trying to make Jesus take a bath. “Stop staying on top of the water!”

When I told my mother the story of Jesus surprising all the rabbis with his learning around his Bar Mitzvah, all she said was, “See. You could do that too, if you went to cheder instead of playing hooky with your friends.”

I learned “Jesus Loves Me” in Grade 1, but the tune was too namby-pamby. I preferred “Onward Christian Soldiers.”

We learned the Lord’s Prayer and, when my parents heard what I had to say, they were not particularly upset – it sounded a lot like the English translation of Jewish prayers we said in synagogue. It was the teachers themselves who started to be very concerned that I was feeling uncomfortable, so they offered to excuse me. But, I hated being singled out, so I just stayed and mumbled the thing just loud

Humour me, please Rubin Friedman enough for the other kids to hear me saying something.

I learned other tricks as I grew older. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” now had the line “Remember what’s his name was born on Christmas Day.” As long I didn’t say it too loud, no one noticed.

The great thing about being Christian was you got all those presents at Christmas time – actual toys instead of a silver dollar for Chanukah gelt. This is called comparative religion. I loved to go out carolling because you got more chocolate than at Halloween. And, I learned later, Halloween wasn’t even Christian! None of my Christian buddies would have believed it! My great moral lesson from carolling in winter was never to eat yellow snow because it could make you sick.

My neighbour, my older brother’s best friend, took me to Sunday school a few times, where I learned more hymns from the United Church song book. I remember being fascinated by “Bringing in the Sheaves” because I had no idea what sheaves were or why you would want to bring them in. And, it was good to know that we had a friend in Jesus. I thought I would rather be his friend when he started getting angry and throwing around some of those miracles. Ah, such innocence!

I cannot help knowing these things. When I was four and the rabbi asked what my favourite song was, I said “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” So, if you ever hear me yell “Jesus Christ,” just turn the other cheek, and ear, and pretend you didn’t hear it.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 21

To my fellow progressives A letter to my fellow progressives, whoever you are, and however defined: Do you feel there is a place for you in your local Jewish community? How do you try to effect change? We hear a lot about tensions between different ethnic, religious or political communities. But, lately, I’ve been seeing dynamics between subgroups within our local communities that threaten to be just as toxic in their effects on identity and belonging.

A community, of course, is a collection of people and institutions dedicated to a common goal and linked by a shared identity. Healthy communities, like healthy executive bodies, encourage diversity of opinion. Allowing for constructive criticism means decisions are less likely to fall prey to groupthink, a pathology that can lead to dangerous outcomes.

Ottawa’s Jewish community is happily diverse. Almost every theological denomination is represented in our array of synagogues. By my count, only Jewish Renewal is missing.

The Soloway Jewish Community Centre (SJCC) plays host to Orthodox and secular Jews – and everyone in between – enjoying leisure time together (not to mention the many nonJews who are SJCC members). In Ottawa, there are Jews from different parts of the world, with different sexual orientations, different material proclivities, different family configurations and different political views.

Political philosopher Charles Taylor recently wrote in the Globe and Mail (All for one, and one for all, September 30) about the important challenge that democracies have in counting all subgroups as their own. Importantly, he also notes that each subgroup must embrace the country as central to its own mission and identity.

The Tea Party movement currently animating the American right engages in the kinds of tactics that Taylor and many

other thoughtful commentators warn against: casting stones at the “establishment” behind entrenchments, rather than building bridges toward common solutions. Are progressives here becoming like Tea Partiers?

Those who feel disenfranchised claim alienation from a homogeneous – perhaps a code word for conservative – mainstream. But, just as often, those who feel on the margins unhelpfully perpetuate a bogeyman version of the so-called middle.

“The Jewish papers don’t represent me.” To which I ask whether these individuals and organizations actually advertise and send press releases about their activities and events.

“The parent body at a given community school isn’t like me.” To which I ask whether these individuals have actually engaged these parents in conversation.

Another area is in discussions of affiliation. “Our organization serves the unaffiliated,” I have heard some say. Curious – I would think that any Jewish institution should consider that its clients are as Jewishly affiliated as those of any other.

In fact, perhaps we should consider doing away with the affiliation label altogether and, instead, talk in terms of service provision. How many clients are we educating, informing or providing a spiritual home? And, how many of those clients are making donations or volunteering? Whether or not our donors are members of any particular institution, their contribution of time or money, or simply availing themselves of a program, should grant them the coveted label of the affiliated.

On the positive side, a recent example is a conversation I had with a friendly gym acquaintance. We are both fans of the novels of Philip Roth. But, it seems we don’t agree on a certain issue about which I’ve been vocal. Last week, he approached me to talk about it. As the conversation progressed,

Values, Ethics, Community Mira Sucharov I realized the difference was more of perspective rather than merely attitude. This was an important insight that might provide traction in breaking the impasse.

Naturally, I was disappointed that not everyone in my community sees things the way I do. But, more than that, I was heartened that we were actually discussing these differences.

By airing disparate views, we were affirming our joint partnership in building and maintaining community.

In dysfunctional systems, individuals with different perspectives ignore or vilify each other. In healthy communities, such individuals look each other in the eye. “Talk to the hand, because the face ain’t listening!” sings a character in The Jerry Springer Opera, the musical send-up of the polarized culture of discourse that defines contemporary society.

As I have written before, we progressives – as fraught and imperfect a label as that is – do not have a monopoly on tolerance and open-mindedness. The establishment, what we might think of in 1960s terms as the man – or, in Jewish terms, as the mensch – might just have something to offer.

But, first, we each have to stake out our place in this community, rather than pre-emptively deciding it’s not for us because we assume others hold different views. There is a chair at the table waiting for each of us. Then we must thoughtfully and deliberately talk and listen, as we help to shape that mensch in our own image.

Suddenly Jewish: The Roma Baran story What do the following people have in common: the president of Air Canada; the owners of the Ringling Brothers Circus and Disney on Ice; an alleged mistress of Tiger Woods; the Hungarian-born Jew who fled Vienna before the war and became wealthy, introducing Levis jeans to Europe; and the current United States assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy?

If you guessed they are the next contestants on Dancing with the Stars or American Idol, you are incorrect. The right answer is that they all appear on my family tree, some of the many discoveries I’ve made in the course of my research.

While I was surprised to uncover these things, they are all about other people, not about me. I know who I am, where my parents and I were born and live, as most of us living here in Ottawa in 2010 do. What if the surprises you discover are not only about your relatives, but, more importantly, about who you are? The following story illustrates that point.

I first heard about Roma Baran at the 2009 Jewish Genealogical Conference in Philadelphia. I was attending a luncheon put on by the Gesher Galicia group, an international organization that unites those researching their Jewish roots in Galicia. Galicia today encompasses parts of Eastern Poland and Western Ukraine. The main speaker at the luncheon was someone I had never heard of, but her story was one of the most moving things I have experienced since I began doing genealogy. The presentation was what I remember the most from the many sessions I attended at the conference. When she spoke, the 150-plus people were silent, as everyone was affected greatly by her tale.

In August of 2008, the year before the conference, Roma Baran was 61 years old. She was born in Poland, and came to Canada with her parents at a very young age. Roma grew up Catholic in Montreal and is an accomplished musician and an attorney. In her early years in the music industry, she played with Penny Lang, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and Bill Garrett. Later, she moved to New York City, where, for the past

Connecting the branches John Diener couple of decades, she has enjoyed a successful career as a music producer. Several albums she’s produced have received Grammy nominations. As well, a documentary film she produced was nominated for an Academy Award.

On that day, Roma received an e-mail from a genealogist that changed her life forever.

The e-mail didn’t make any sense to her at first as it talked about her being Jewish. While she initially thought that maybe the writer had her confused with someone else, there was enough in it that was correct to make her want to find out more. In the e-mail, the researcher was looking for heirs to a small estate of a Holocaust survivor. By this time, her parents had passed away, so the intrigued Roma hopped a plane to Montreal to visit her old Uncle Zygmunt.

In Montreal, Roma showed the e-mail to her uncle. After a little persuasion, the truth was revealed to her.

Roma’s parents were both Jewish, from prominent Jewish Polish families, and had survived the Holocaust by changing their identities. In 1949, the family moved to Israel and reverted to their Jewish surname. But two years later, they decided to immigrate to Canada and settle in Montreal. Perhaps the experiences of wartime Poland and the Holocaust caused Roma’s parents to feel anxious about living as Jews in Quebec, so, once again, they took on the role of Polish Catholics that had enabled them to survive the Shoah.

Obviously, Roma was shocked. She had lived virtually her

whole life as a Catholic. She wasn’t religious; nevertheless, she had celebrated six decades of Christmases. How could her parents have done this to her? Uncle Zygmunt told Roma he promised them he would never reveal the truth to her, and, of course, he now felt uneasy about confessing.

The journey had begun. Roma had to find out more about herself, and about her family’s past. Immediately, she began to use the Internet and, through JewishGen, actually found cousins. This was fantastic as she had grown up thinking there was no extended family. She also connected with genealogical researcher David Semmel, who was moved by her story, and began to help her untangle the mystery.

Over the next few months, with the assistance of Jewish genealogists, and by visiting Israel, Roma was able to discover a wealth of information about the two Jewish sides of her family. She discovered that childhood pictures of her she possessed all of her life, supposedly taken in Europe, were actually taken in Israel. She also discovered that she was related to a prominent Polish rabbi, as well as to one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Roma Baran in Ottawa The Jewish Genealogical Society of Ottawa has announced that Roma has agreed to come to Ottawa to tell her very moving story. Her powerful presentation is filled with pictures, maps and documents that demonstrate how she figured out who she actually is. She will trace her parents’ war-time escape from the Przemysl Ghetto to Tarnawa, Krakow, and other towns, and their post-war journeys to Israel and Canada. She will also examine the emotional consequences of uncovering family secrets of such staggering proportions.

Roma will be speaking at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre on Monday, November 8, 7:30 pm. For further information on her story, or for anything related to Jewish genealogy, contact Hymie Reichstein at reichstein@magma.ca or me at johndiener@ymail.com..

Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Farro and Pine Nut Tabbouleh This recipe was created by Chef Max Mackissock of the Squeaky Bean in Denver.

I discovered it on epicurious.com and made it when my family visited at the cottage this summer.

I had lots of help from my niece Kailey, who, by the way, has unbelievable knife skills for a nine-yearold!

As an added bonus, the recipe calls for the addition of chick peas, which my sister Bonnie believes makes everything taste better. In this instance, I have to agree with her.

2 tablespoons pine nuts 1 cup farro, rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes 1 small cucumber 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Juice from 1 lemon 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1/2 small jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped Preheat oven to 350 F. Toast pine nuts on baking sheet until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Set aside.

Combine 4 cups cold water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 cup farro in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer so that the mixture bubbles gently.

Taste after about 20 minutes. The grains should be cooked until al dente or chewy. If they still seem too hard cook for another 5-10 minutes until desired texture is reached. If the farro is done and any liquid remains in the pot, just drain.

Cut tomatoes into 1/4 inch dice and place in large bowl. Dice cucumber into 1/4 inch pieces and add to bowl.

Add garlic, onion, chickpeas and cooked farro.

Add olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and jalapeno and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, sprinkle on toasted pine nuts.

Can’t help falling for farro No, not that Pharaoh! Farro is a Roman grain, cultivated originally by European farmers as far back as 5,000 BCE. Although it is ancient, it seems to be the new darling of the culinary world and is making a big-time comeback.

I accidentally stumbled across it when I was doing a search for tabbouleh on epicurious.com and found a recipe for Farro and Pine Nut Tabbouleh. Intrigued, I printed it out and put it in my ‘to try’ pile.

The next week, I was watching Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network and she made Cheesy Baked Farro, essentially macaroni and cheese, but with farro instead of macaroni.

Now my curiosity was definitely piqued. I had to try this grain. However, getting hold of farro was no simple task. I called around to Bulk Barn, Rainbow Foods, Natural Food Pantry and Kardish Bulk Food. Two of them said they had never heard of farro, while the other two said that, in Canada, farro was sold under the name ‘spelt.’

Then, remembering that farro was Italian, I called Nicastros. Yes, they told me, they sell ‘farro in chichi.’

I came back from Nicastros with two boxes of farro.

Both were imported from Italy. One is made by Martelli and the other by Pantanella.

Interestingly, on the ingredient list of one box, it says, “100% Spelt.” On the other box it says, “100% Farro, Spelt, Epautre.”

Made with Love Cindy Feingold What? No wonder people are confused. I decided to consult Mark Bittman (or Bitty, as Gwyneth Paltrow calls him in Spain, on the Road Again on PBS), author of How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. These books are the modern day equivalent of Joy of Cooking.

Of course, Bitty cleared things up for me. Farro and spelt are often confused with each other. Both are ancient grains from the wheat family. Farro cooks in about 20 to 30 minutes and retains a chewy, toothsome texture, while spelt takes 60 to 90 minutes to cook and has the tendency to turn gummy or mushy.

Farro is extremely versatile and can be used in soups, pilafs, risottos or cold grain salads. It has become my new comfort food. Plus, it is low in gluten, high in protein, helps fight insomnia and regulates cholesterol levels. How could I not fall for farro?

Cheesy Baked Farro This recipe was created by Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network show, Giada at Home.

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups warm whole milk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 1/2 cups grated Parmesan 1 cup grated Gruyere 1/2 cup Fontina cheese, grated 8 cups water 2 cups farro rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs Olive oil, for drizzling Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 13- by-9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

For the sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth.

Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 8 minutes (do not allow the mixture to boil). Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large bowl, add the cheeses and stir to combine.

Remove 1/2 cup of the mixture and reserve.

In a large stock pot, add the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the farro, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, if necessary.

Add the farro, thyme, and sauce to the bowl with the cheese. Stir until combined and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until the top is golden brown and forms a crust, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 23

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Continued on page 24

Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 25

Jewish poverty and villains in prewar Poland The Orphan Rescue

By Anne Dublin Second Story Press 124 pages. Ages 9-13.

Kid Lit

Thinking about a recent conversation with an acquaintance about her efforts to write Jewish kid lit based on her family’s stories about life in the Old Country before the First and Second World Wars, I realized that most Jewish kid lit stories about the Old Country emphasized humour rather than bleak reality and that I couldn’t remember a Jewish kid lit story featuring Jewish bad guys.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I sat down to read Anne Dublin’s The Orphan Rescue. Though a work of fiction, it is based on a family story her father had told her many years ago. And, yes indeed, it has two Jewish villains. “Hmmm,� I wondered. “Will it communicate with today’s youth?�

Although I’ve obviously decided The Orphan Rescue is worth reviewing, I’m still worrying about that question.

Why? Primarily because the story is mainly written in a straight forward style with a minimum of explanations – like what an orphanage is, and why a small child has to lie under a weaving machine to brush away scraps – and involves a timeline and motivation for a key secondary character, Ben, that I found nebulous.

Essentially, The Orphan Rescue is an easy-to-read chapter book with one heck of a message that the author wants our kids to pounce on: the evil of child poverty and child labour – then, and by implication, now.

Set in 1937 in the small industrial town of Sosnowiec,

Deanna Silverman Poland, the story revolves around the increasing poverty and hardships experienced by the Goldstein children, 12year-old Miriam and seven-year-old David, after their father and then their mother die. Although their sick, elderly grandparents try to support the family, they can’t.

They are forced to make two decisions affecting their grandchildren. Miriam, a budding scholar, must leave school and work for the butcher. David, a budding artist, must be placed in the local Jewish orphanage run by Mr. Reznitsky and supported by a board of wealthy Jewish philanthropists.

Miriam and David are appalled. But what can they do?

Nothing at first. But, as the plot develops, Miriam, David and Ben, a 14-year-old orphan who resents the fact that David has a family, join forces to take on Mr. Sharf, owner of a textile factory who has a secret arrangement with Reznitsky to supply the factory with very small boys for dangerous work; Sharf’s brutish foreman, George; and Reznitsky himself.

All ends well for everyone but the villains.

Unfortunately, at times, my credulity was stretched beyond my comfort zone.

For example, exactly how long did David live in the orphanage before he was handed over to Sharf? And why would Reznitsky choose David since his family came to visit him each Shabbat?

The routine story about other boys missing from the orphanage having been “adopted� clearly couldn’t apply to David.

As for Ben, true he was jealous of David’s family, and constantly reminded David that he wasn’t a real orphan, but that hardly constitutes badly mistreating David.

And why is Ben able to come and go as he pleases?

Surely the orphanage’s rules applied to him too.

Nevertheless, despite these and a few other credulity gaps, The Orphan Rescue is well worth reading, thinking about and discussing, both as an adventure story and for its moral message. Surely, we must all do more to alleviate child poverty and exploitation in Canada and throughout the world!

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By Anne Dublin

Chocolate Chances 3 Annual Chinese Auction Presented by:

Torah Academy of Ottawa Sunday, November 28, 2010 7:00 - 9:30 pm Prizes include laptop, trip for two to Israel, jewelry, and much more ‌

Call 613-274-0110 for more details.

Mont Tremblant CONDO FOR RENT Ski in/ out condo for rent for winter season.

4 bedrooms, 4 baths, sauna, fully equipped.

Please contact: msachs@urbandale.com

Readers are advised that In Appreciation notices may not always appear on Foundation pages, particularly when space is limited.

Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010 – Page 27

Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls presents study sessions in Ottawa

By Annette Paquin for Temple Israel Dr. Adolfo Roitman, curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls and head of

the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, was in Ottawa presenting study sessions organized by Temple Israel during

Simchat Torah at Temple Israel Temple Israel celebrated Simchat Torah with the consecration of new students in kindergarten and Grade 1. Students received their own mini-Torah and joined the first hakafah, ate minichallahs in the shape of an aleph dipped in honey, received their consecration certificates and had a special table for the Torah reading.

(Photo): Anna and Isaac Lavan receive their mini-Torahs from Rabbi Steven Garten and School Supervisor Penny Giaccone.

Sukkot. It was the third time Temple Israel has brought Roitman to Ottawa.

A native of Argentina, Roitman is author of numerous books including The Bible in the Shrine of the Book: From the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Aleppo Codex.

Roitman’s visit included a public presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls at St. Paul’s University.

Roitman assumes his audience has little or no experience with the Scrolls, yet his enthusiasm, visuals and interaction with the audience ensure that even those who are well versed in the subject are captivated by his presentations.

The audience, consisting mainly of students from the university, was introduced to the history of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the importance of their discovery to scholarship and the meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls to Jews and Christians today.

Following Shabbat services on September 25, Roitman addressed the congregation at Temple Israel.

His topic, The Sukkot Festival, the Temple of Jerusalem and the Wilderness: Sacred Time and Sacred Place in Jewish Faith, offered fascinating insights into the development of Sukkot and its

Jewish War Veterans hold annual general meeting and luncheon (Right) Post Commander Phil Pinkus with Ottawa Citizen reporter Dave Brown, the guest speaker at the annual general meeting and luncheon, of the Jewish War Veterans of Canada, Ottawa Post, October 3, at Agudath Israel Congregation. Brown spoke about freedom of the press.

Ilan Fellus, a first-year student at the University of Ottawa who hopes to be become a doctor, accepts one of the two student scholarships awarded by the Jewish War Veterans of Canada, Ottawa Post, at the annual general meeting and luncheon. The other recipient, Danielle Klein, was unable to attend.

(Photos: Elly Bollegraaf)

Michael Walsh, Maxine Miska, Adolfo Roitman and Rabbi Steven Garten at the Soloway JCC following Roitman’s lecture comparing the Book of Esther with the Book of Judith.

close relationship with the Temple in Jerusalem. He demonstrated the link between Sukkot and Chanukah and the close, if not always recognized, link between the Jewish people of today and the Temple of Jerusalem.

Roitman’s final presentation took place following Shabbat at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre. His talk, Esther and Judith: Two Models of Women in Ancient Israel, compared the Book

of Esther with the Book of Judith and challenged the audience to consider what it is to be a true hero. He also talked about how Judith became embedded in Christianity while remaining obscure in Judaism.

Roitman will give a guided tour of the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem in November to a group from Ottawa under the leadership of Rabbi Steven Garten of Temple Israel.

Chabad Student Network celebrates Sukkot Student Jordan Adler (left) and Rabbi Chaim Boyarsky during Sukkot in the Chabad Student Network’s sukkah at Carleton University. Chabad erected sukkahs at both Carleton and the University of Ottawa.

Page 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 25, 2010

WHAT’S GOING ON October 25 to November 7, 2010 WEEKLY EVENTS MONDAYS Motorin’ Munchkins Drop-In for ages 5 and under, sponsored by the SJCC Family Life Centre.

All children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult, 9 am to 12 pm. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 294.

FRIDAYS Shabbat Shalom Drop-In for ages 5 and under, sponsored by the JCC Family Life Centre, welcomes Shabbat through crafts, songs, stories and games.

Bracha Bear will be there! All children must be accompanied by an adult, 9:30 to 11 am.

TUESDAYS Israeli Folkdancing, learn dances, have fun, no experience or partner necessary, Hillel Academy, 31 Nadolny Sachs Private, 7:00 pm. Info: 613-722-9323.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25 Personalized Medicine: Doctor in a Cell, a talk given by Dr. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann Institute of Science, who will describe ground-breaking his research looking for changes in molecules which can indicate the presence of certain cancers and other diseases, Canadian Blood Services, 1800 Alta Vista Road, 7:30 pm. Reservations required.

Info: 613-236-3391.

13th Annual Celebrity Sports Dinner, in support of the SJCC and the QueenswayCarleton Hospital’s Care Grows West campaign, Hampton Inn &

WEDNESDAYS Baby Play Group, sponsored

by JCC Family Life Centre, 9:00 am. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 294.

CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE Oct 29

✡

5:38 pm

Nov 5

✡

5:28 pm

Conference Centre. Sold out.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 30th Annual General Meeting of the Executive and Board of Directors of Jewish Family Services of Ottawa, honouring Steve Aronson, Elaine Rabin Award recipient, and Brenda Wolf, Volunteer of the Year, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 7:00 pm.

Author Talks Series, presented by the Greenberg Families Library, featuring Ottawa author Gabriella Goliger reading from Girl Unwrapped, 7:00 pm. Info: 613798-9818, ext. 245.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 Wonderful Wednesday sponsored by Jewish Family Services and Congregation Machzikei Hadas. Lunch, featuring Fortunée Shugar. 2310 Virginia Drive, 12:00 pm. Info: 613-521-9700.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28 Shalom Ottawa, community

For more community listings, visit ottawa.jewishottawa.com Select Calendar/Upcoming Events and Click to See More

tv show on Rogers 22, 6:00 pm.

Repeats Oct. 30th at noon.

CHOICES, sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, dinner featuring guest speaker Karen James, a Jewish Olympian at the 1972 Munich Olympics, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 6:00 pm. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 270.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Yiddish and Hebrew in Canada Today, presented by author and academic Leo Davids, and put on by the University of Ottawa’s Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program, Desmarais Hall, room 8120, 55 Laurier Avenue East, 5:45 pm. Info: 613-562-5800.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Malca Pass Library Book Club, sponsored by Congregation Agudath Israel, with Deborah Saginur reviewing Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 7:30 pm.

Info: 613-829-2455.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Jewish Federation of Ottawa Members Meeting, open to the public, 7:00 pm. Info: 613-7984696, ext. 236.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6 jnet Ottawa Gala, elegant gala for Jewish young adults. A portion of proceeds goes to Tamir Foundation, Koyman Galleries, 1771 St. Laurent Blvd., 8:00 pm.

Info: info@jnetottawa.com.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7 Ceremony to unveil new honour roll for members of the Ottawa Jewish community who served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War, presented by Jewish Federation of Ottawa and Jewish War Veterans of Canada, Ottawa Post, 10:00 am. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 236.

Woman’s Day for Body and Soul with Sarah Chana Radcliffe, sponsored by JET, Spa Day Re-

treat, 26 Castlefrank Road, 11:00 am. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 247.

Emunah Women Membership Drive presents a lecture by enthnomusicologist and York University professor Dr. Judith Cohen on women’s music from the Middle Ages, 12:00 pm. Info: 613-241-5613. Call for location.

Global Day of Jewish Learning, featuring panel discussions live via satellite from NYC with prominent scholars and celebrating the culmination of Rabbi Adin Steinsatz’s 45year quest to translate the Talmud, 2:00 pm. Info: 613-7989818, ext. 263.

Twenty Years of Music as Resistance and Memory (19321952) by Prof. Jean-Jacques van Vlasselaer. Lead-in event to Holocaust Education Week organized by the Shoah Committee of Ottawa, Congregation Machzikei Hadas, 2310 Virginia Drive, 7:00 pm. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 253

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 coordinator 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: Avner Azuelos, Israel (brother of Yehuda Azuelos) Mavis Dover Beryl Jacobson, Florida (mother of Helen Gilman) Evelyn “Toni” Linowitz, Washington, D.C. (mother of Anne Mozersky) Fred Saul Schwartz, Montreal (brother of Bryna Rumstein) Miriam Sussman

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 NOVEMBER 10 FOR NOVEMBER 29* NOVEMBER 24 FOR DECEMBER 13 JANUARY 5 FOR JANUARY 24 JANUARY 19 FOR FEBRUARY 7 FEBRUARY 2 FOR FEBRUARY 21 FEBRUARY 16 FOR MARCH 7 MARCH 2 FOR MARCH 21 * Community-wide Issue (all dates subject to change)

Every night I pray for Romspen’s continued success.

After 31 years working at the TTC I retired in 1988 on pension and investment income.

My brother Stanley got me into Romspen 10 years ago. Today my Romspen investment has tripled in size. Combined with my TTC pension, I earn much more today than when I was working. Truth is, I would not be able to enjoy my independent lifestyle otherwise. Every night I say a prayer for the boys at Romspen to continue to be healthy and successful. My life would not be the same without them.

Marvin Feder You’ve heard of the Romspen Mortgage Investment Fund. Isn’t it time you found out more? Call us to receive an information package or visit www.romspen.com.

162 Cumberland Street, Suite 300 Toronto, Ontario M5R 3N5 416.966.1100 1.800.494.0389 www.romspen.com