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bulletin volume 75, no. 16

june 13, 2011

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New chair installed at Federation AGM

By Michael Regenstreif The torch – or, at least, the gavel – was passed at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s annual general meeting, June 1, as Donna Dolansky ended her two-year term as Federation chair and Dolansky’s vice-chair, Debbie Halton-Weiss, began her own two-year term as chair.

“We accomplished a great deal during my tenure,” said Dolansky.

Among the Federation’s accomplishments during her term, Dolansky mentioned the supplementary schools task force, which is working to put Ottawa’s supplementary schools on a firm foundation following several years of declining enrolment; the openOttawa initiative to engage young adults in the community; the revitalized Young Women’s Leadership Council; and the recent establishment of the in-

stantly successful PJ Library program in Ottawa.

An effort that began during her term, and which Dolansky said remains an important challenge, is ensuring the Ottawa Jewish Community School will be “on firm financial footing.”

Dolansky also spoke about the Ottawa Jewish community’s strong relationship with Israel and called attention to the Dragon Boat Israel festival, set for May 2012, which has been spearheaded by HaltonWeiss.

Dolansky said she looked forward to sitting on the Federation Board as past-chair and expressed confidence the Federation “will go from strength to strength” during Halton-Weiss’ term.

(Note: Halton-Weiss’ address at the AGM is excerpted in the Feder(Continued on page 2 )

The 2011 Community Award recipients at the reception following the Federation AGM: (from left) Ian Sherman (Gilbert Greenberg Distinguished Service Award), Lisa Miller (Freiman Family Young Leadership Award) and Morris Kimmel (Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award).

(Photo: Peter Waiser)

openOttawa

The discussion continues

Outgoing Chair Donna Dolansky (left) with incoming Chair Debbie Halton-Weiss just before the Jewish Federation of Ottawa AGM was called to order.

(Photo: Peter Waiser)

By Jacqueline Shabsove In a generation when being Jewish is not a barrier to participation in society, one has to “see being Jewish and being part of a community as adding value to life,” said Michael Soberman.

The director of National Initiatives for the Next Generation at UIA Federations Canada was keynote speaker at a May 18 fol-

low-up event to April’s openOttawa Symposium. openOttawa is an ongoing effort aimed at engaging the emerging generation of Ottawa’s Jewish young adults with the Jewish community and at facilitating efforts by members of that generation to express themselves Jewishly in original ways.

Soberman’s talk, to an audience

of young adults and community leaders gathered at the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building, was meant to initiate a discussion regarding new ways of thinking about Jewish community building.

How does one build a successful Jewish community?

While people are under the impression that “if you build it, they (Continued on page 2)

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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

openOttawa follow-up aims for inclusive Jewish community (Continued from page 1)

will come,” Soberman said he thinks the opposite is true.

“If they come, they will build it.

And if you build something that speaks to you and your peers, it will be a success,” Soberman said.

Naomi Hirshberg, openOttawa co-chair, summarized the major ideas brought forth at the original symposium and said the objective of this second meeting was to make formal and informal connections between young adults and the wider community and to develop connections between agencies and programs that already serve similar needs in the city.

Attendees were then divided into two groups for a discussion period.

The main group was for those aged 35 and under, the openOttawa target demographic. The second group was for those over 35.

In the under-35 room, the floor was opened for attendees to discuss what they actually want the Jewish community to be like.

Yoni Levitan, an openOttawa steering committee member, outlined the importance of people’s first encounters with the Jewish community in Ottawa.

According to Levitan, it is necessary to find a way “to make the first interaction the most positive interaction it can be.”

Among the ideas raised in the

openOttawa Co-Chair Naomi Hirshberg and keynote speaker Michael Soberman at the openOttawa follow-up event.

(Photo: Francie Greenspoon)

discussion was a Facebook group or other online or offline initiative run by young adults to welcome new people to the Ottawa Jewish community.

Another idea was a pairing program that would connect new people to the community with a young community ambassador who invites them to events.

Mike Cherun said there has typically been a void of activities for the Jewish young adult community.

There are online tools, which, he

said, could be used to create event groups that would aid community members in creating events and in finding events that target them.

One participant mentioned that young people need to take the onus to develop initiatives that appeal to them, and then gather other participants. Creating a Jewish dodge ball league was cited as an example.

Following the large group discussions, participants selected smaller group discussions to participate in. The topics were: “Discov-

erability Through Communication,” “Education and Learning,” Diversity and Inclusion,” and “Outreach and Engagement Programming.”

There was time given for two small group discussion periods with participants asked to move to a different group for the second discussion.

At the “Discoverability through Communication” session, the main question was, “If you are involved in something, how do you let people know about it?”

The conclusion was that people want central hubs for finding information and connecting with others.

While some prefer an online meeting space, such as a moderated calendar with discussion boards, others prefer a physical meeting space for the young Jewish community along the lines of Toronto’s Jewish Urban Meeting Place (JUMP) or Annex Shul.

At the “Education and Learning” session, it was suggested the community could look into creating something similar to the Le Mood event in Montreal, a day of learning about Jewish culture, arts and issues from a modern perspective.

At the “Outreach and Engagement Programming” session, a goal was actually set to host 100 Shabbat dinners for those aged 20 to 35 before the end of the year.

At the “Diversity and Inclusion” session, Hirshberg asked attendees

what the community could do to be more welcoming.

In response, several participants called attention to financial barriers faced by some in the community and called for synagogues to lower their fees for young adults, at least during their first year of membership.

It was also suggested that Rosh Hashanah dinners or breaking-thefast meals following Yom Kippur be held for young people in the community who don’t have family in town with whom to spend the High Holy Days.

Soberman closed the evening by describing the importance of the task ahead: creating a Jewish community that is inclusive in many different ways.

“It a question of us stepping up to the plate and defining who we are.”

In wrapping up the evening, Soberman challenged the attendees: “It’s not what’s on you, it’s what’s in you,” he said, quoting a Gatorade commercial.

“Is it in you? Is it in us to take on this challenging but fulfilling task?” he asked.

“There is only one possible answer and it has to be ‘yes,’” Soberman said. “It has to be done together and not alone.”

The next openOttawa follow-up event will be held in the fall.

For more information, visit openottawa.ca.

Community awards presented at Federation AGM (Continued from page 1)

ation Report on page 6.)

In his address, Federation President and CEO Mitchell Bellman put forth a call to action to meet the challenges of contemporary Jewish communities facing “years of

declining affiliation, declining participation and a generation of Jews who do not share the passion for community of their parents or grandparents.”

Bellman said the Federation was responding to those

challenges by bringing “people and ideas together under a big tent to find new and better ways to build and strengthen community.”

The Jewish community in Ottawa is changing fast, Bellman said.

Morris Kimmel (right) receives the Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award from Ottawa Citizen Publisher Gerry Nott as Federation President and CEO Mitchell Bellman looks on.

(Photo: Peter Waiser)

“We need to collectively meet the challenge of building a community that resonates with our younger generation ... The good news for Ottawa is that we have a vibrant group of young people in our community who want to be involved Jewishly.”

The Jewish community’s annual awards were presented during the AGM. A.J. Freiman presented the Freiman Family Young Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional service and leadership by someone under age 40, to Lisa Miller.

Miller also received the Lawrence Greenberg Young Leadership Development Award, which will allow her to attend the General Assembly of United Jewish Communities (GA) in Denver in November. Young leadership award recipients from Jewish communities throughout North America will be hon-

oured at the GA. “Leadership is one of my passions,” said Miller in accepting her awards, adding that her goal was to help build a stronger and better community.

Gerry Nott, publisher of the Ottawa Citizen, presented the Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award, which recognizes outstanding volunteer service over many years, to Morris Kimmel.

An emotional Kimmel said he was “very honoured to receive the Shem Tov

Award,” and that his volunteer efforts have given him great satisfaction.

Robert Greenberg presented the Gilbert Greenberg Distinguished Service Award, the highest tribute the Ottawa Jewish community bestows on an individual for exceptional service over many years, to Ian Sherman.

“I am blessed to serve my community,” said Sherman in an acceptance speech that paid tribute to family, mentors and professional and community colleagues.

CORRECTION: Hillel Lodge Auxiliary Gift Shoppe In the article, “Much to be found at Ottawa’s Jewish gift shops (May 30),” the hours for the Hillel Lodge Auxiliary Gift Shoppe, were listed incorrectly.

The correct hours are Monday to Thursday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm.

The shop is not open on Sundays during January, February, July and August.

The Bulletin apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the error.

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 3

Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

Workshop trains second generation to tell their parents’ stories of Holocaust survival

By Benita Siemiatycki Twenty children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors gathered, May 16, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) for the second in a series of workshops aimed at helping them prepare for a crucial role.

Their role is to convey their parents’ and grandparents’ stories to young people. As we lose more and more survivors, and with many of the remaining survivors frail, there is a need for people who know the stories to recount them so that the memories of the horrors of the Holocaust are not forgotten.

About a year ago, Mina Cohn, chair of the Shoah Committee of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, recognized an impending problem our community will be facing. The committee maintains a speakers’ bureau of survivors who speak directly

to students; however, the number of survivors able to go to the schools is dwindling.

With Holocaust education being a major activity of the committee, preparing the children and grandchildren of survivors to pick up the torch and speak to young people was determined to be a priority.

Cohn researched other organizations to find existing training programs and came up empty.

“There were no examples to follow, so it was up to us to create our own program,” she said.

“With the support of the Shoah Committee, a decision was made to call upon the second generation of Holocaust survivors in our city to join and create a group with the goal of preparing itself to step in when our survivors are no longer able. But training was needed to learn how

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Karen Shawn speaks at a workshop for children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, May 16, at the Soloway JCC.

to take our parents’ stories of survival to the community, and how to talk about it with students.”

The workshop was led by Karen Shawn, a visiting associate professor of Jewish education at the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University in New York City.

A former middle school English teacher and assistant principal, a large part of Shawn’s career has been devoted to Holocaust education, including teaching at the Yad Vashem Summer Institute for Educators from Abroad for 10 years. She is the founder of the Holocaust

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Educators’ Consortium, and has written extensively on the topic.

This was primarily a hands-on writing workshop, aimed at directing participants to focus on what they would say to a class. Through a variety of exercises, they were asked to create messages that would convey what it was like to grow up as a child of a survivor, and what stories they would tell the students about their parents.

As participants spoke about how they first learned about their parents’ history and their extended family, it became clear that almost all

felt, as young children, their homes were different from their peers with Canadianborn parents, though they may not have known why, and that there was no norm for how the parents told their children abut the War years.

That is why, said Shawn, every participant’s presentation will be different. But that is OK, because they have been invited to discuss their own parent’s experience. The second-generation presenters are not expected to be historians, or Holocaust specialists, stressed Shawn, but to bring a unique account of someone who

lived through that time period.

Shawn also shared some pedagogical tips on how to keep a class of teenagers engaged, such as content, how long to speak, and presentation styles.

At the first workshop in the series in November, there were presentations from survivors who speak to students, high school and university educators, and a granddaughter of survivors who created a movie to teach her peers about the Holocaust.

“Though this process is time consuming, I feel we are making progress towards our goal,” said Cohn.

More workshops will be held at later dates and new participants are welcome. If one or both of your parents or grandparents is a Holocaust survivor and you’d like to be trained to speak to school groups, contact Sarah Beutel at sbeutel@jewishottawa.com or 613-798-4696, ext. 253, for more information.

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June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 5

Adam Moscoe to receive Cooper Scholarship

By Benita Baker stilling his passion for comAdam Moscoe is the 2011 munity service and the drama recipient of the George Joseph instruction he received there Cooper Scholarship from the for establishing his self-confiOttawa Jewish Community dence. One of his earliest iniFoundation. tiatives was creating BranchAt 19, Moscoe has just fining Out to Help Out, a proished his second year studying gram to help students volunpsychology at the University teer. of Ottawa and is already an “It was a rewarding experiaccomplished community ence to work with students leader as well as an awardfrom all grades to make volwinning student. He will be unteering fun and meaningspending the upcoming winter ful,â€? said Moscoe. semester at the Hebrew UniAll the time Moscoe deversity of Jerusalem and is in votes to volunteer work has the process of applying for a Adam Moscoe has a rĂŠ- not interfered with his acadefall semester internship in sumĂŠ filled with communi- mic achievement. In high Africa and Asia working with ty service and academic school, Moscoe earned three achievement. youth.

Silver Medal Awards (aver“I am thrilled by this scholarship,� said age above 90 per cent), three Subject Awards Moscoe. “It is so wonderful to get this kind of for top marks in Science, English and French, recognition and applause from the communi- and was valedictorian of his graduating class. ty.�

At the University of Ottawa, he won a NationThe scholarship, valued this year at al Millennium Excellence Award. $13,029, recognizes a member of the Ottawa If all this was not enough to make him a Jewish community between the ages of 18 and worthy recipient of the Cooper Scholarship, 30 “who has displayed leadership qualities, the references that accompanied his applicaacademic excellence and an interest in the tion undoubtedly clinched his selection. InspiJewish community. The scholarship award is ration, role model, innovative and leader are to be used for formal education or apprentice- some of the terms used repeatedly by his enship in the artistic, literary or social sciences.� dorsers.

Moscoe’s impressive rĂŠsumĂŠ includes sev“I have nothing but good things to say eral pages of community leadership and advo- about Adam,â€? wrote Heather Reisman, CEO cacy roles for various organizations including of Indigo Books and Music in her reference.

Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa, Spirit of the Five years ago, when Reisman was looking Capital Youth Awards and United Way. In to promote reading among teens, she initiated 2009, he co-founded Israel Peace Week, an ef- a nation-wide competition for teen advisers. fort aimed at demonstrating Israel’s commit- Moscoe, then 14, landed a coveted place on ment to pursuing peace, which has expanded her team and worked with her for two years. to more than 30 university campuses in CanaThis summer, Moscoe will spend two da, the United States and Australia. months in Berlin, Germany, attending a Jewish Moscoe is co-chair of the Social Justice and Studies program at Humboldt University. He Jewish Identity Committee of the Canadian hopes to bring what he learns to the Holocaust Federation of Jewish Students where he has Education Week events he will be organizing been involved in social justice initiatives such at the University of Ottawa. as STAND (Students Taking Action on DarWith so many laudable accomplishments fur), Stop Childhood Executions, and UN already under his belt, it is easy to forget that Watch. He has been the director of Holocaust Moscoe is still a teenager. His goals for the fuEducation Week for Hillel Ottawa since 2009 ture include a career in clinical psychology and is currently the group’s vice-president along with a continued active involvement in elect. He created the Save a Child’s Heart the arts and the Jewish community. He might Campaign in Ottawa, raising more than even run for elected office one day. $1,000 in support of the Save a Child’s Heart “I am not ruling anything out,� he said.

Children’s Home in Holon, Israel, which proGeorge Cooper was an Ottawa native and a vides lifesaving heart surgery to children from long-standing member of Congregation Beth developing countries.

Shalom. Upon his death in 2004, the career One of Moscoe’s proudest accomplish- public servant left a bequest to the Ottawa ments is his relationship with Tamir partici- Jewish Community Foundation to establish pants. the George Joseph Cooper Award Scholarship “My awe of them has translated into grati- Fund. fying opportunities for me,� he said.

Moscoe will receive the scholarship at the In addition to working with them on the annual general meeting of the Ottawa Jewish musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Community Foundation, Thursday, June 16, Dreamcoat, and teaching them musical the- 7:30 pm, at the Joseph and Rose Ages Family atre, he has also been helping six participants Building. For more information about the prepare for their bar and bat mitzvahs. meeting, contact Francine Paulin at Moscoe credits Nepean High School for in- fpaulin@ojcf.ca or 613-798-4696, ext. 252.

Employment Opportunity YOUTH DIRECTOR Agudath Israel Congregation Agudath Israel Congregation, a vibrant 600 family Traditional Egalitarian Conservative congregation in Ottawa, Ontario, seeks an experienced, mature, creative and enthusiastic individual to lead our youth programs, including our United Synagogue Youth (USY) groups, and all synagogue-related children’s programs throughout the year on regular shabbat services and the High Holy Days. We are looking for someone who can communicate effectively with children, teens and parents, while organizing exciting and powerful programs for all ages. This position requires flexible scheduling to accommodate the varied programs of our youth groups. Position is part time, based on an average of 20 hours per week.

Responsibilities include: • Overall responsibility for vision, supervision, program development, budget, leadership development and communication. • Responsible for planning and execution of, and attendance at all youth functions including 2-3 out of town USY conventions per year. • Teach and model Jewish values and knowledge, serving as a role model and mentor, for the youth of the congregation. A background in Jewish Education and synagogue life is essential. • Lead, train, develop and inspire youth leadership of USY (United Synagogue Youth). • Plan, Organize, Train and Supervise staff for all ages for High Holy Day services. • Other responsibilities as defined by the Executive Director, Youth Committee or Clergy.

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Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

Building relationships and finding a sense of community In 1995, I went on the Young Leadership Mission to Israel. It was my first mission to Israel. Despite our different affiliations and backgrounds, all participants wanted to build relationships, to find a sense of community and belonging, to feel heard.

Having just participated in openOttawa, I am reminded of how some things change, and of how so much stays the same.

It is largely due to that mission that several other leaders in the Ottawa Jewish community and I are involved today.

My parents are another reason I am now the chair of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa.

When they arrived in Canada, my father was the sole survivor of a prosperous Czech Jewish family that had lost everything. But, with my mother at his side, he went on to become a leader in the Jewish and aeronautical worlds and, very proudly, an Officer of the Order of Canada.

My mother survived the Holocaust due to the ingenuity and strength of her parents. She took on leadership roles in Montreal’s Jewish community and continues to be one of the most accomplished social networkers I have ever encountered.

They were my mentors and are my role models. They understood the need to create opportunities for people from various back-

Federation Report Debbie Halton-Weiss Chair grounds to come together, develop relationships, and find ways to connect Jewishly.

A few years ago, my husband Ron and I visited the Pinkas Synagogue in Prague, which has been converted into a memorial for Jews from Moravia and Bohemia murdered in the Holocaust. The walls are lined with the names of the murdered hand-painted in very tiny print.

We found the names of my grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Seeing their names on those walls made it real to me that they had actually existed.

Ron started to take a picture, but a guard angrily indicated we were breaking the rules. I began to cry and, through my tears, told him this was my family.

He took a step back, and said, “Mishpocha?”

“Yes,” I said, “they are my Mishpocha.”

He stopped in his tracks, gave me a quick hug, and pointed to Ron to continue taking pictures.

The reality of my history, the connection to my past and the compassion of a stranger provided me with a new drive to move forward and build community as my parents had before me.

I was in Israel at a conference a couple of years ago with Lisa Rosenkrantz, a fellow Federation Board member, and a friend I had made on that 1995 mission.

Inspired by the conference, we searched for an idea that would get our Jewish peers back home feeling similarly excited.

We wanted an activity that was engaging, fun, innovative, team-building, and had a charitable component.

I knew Lisa had been on a team of doctors that competed the summer before in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival.

“Lisa,” I said, “do you think a bunch of Jewish women could get excited about being on a dragon boat team?”

We sent out a recruitment e-mail. The response was immediate and enthusiastic.

The Sea Lions were born, and we participated in the next Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, raising a considerable amount of money, winning an award for our spirit and cheers, and paddling on the water with our daughters and the young leadership.

And we were inspired to create Dragon Boat Israel to take place on the Sea of Galilee in May 2012. It will attract thou-

sands of men and women, young and old, connected or not, from across Canada and beyond.

Creating Dragon Boat Israel under the Federation umbrella was a way for the Federation to act outside our usual box. It will bring new people to Israel, and into our community. Federation should always be searching for ways to engage people in creative ways. Dragon Boat Israel has taught me that, when you have a strong plan, clear focus, and passionate leadership, the money is raised and success is around the corner.

Preparing to become Federation chair, I have met with various constituencies in our community and have developed two main objectives for my term.

First, we need to ensure we have an even stronger fiscal foundation to better meet the needs of our community. To do this, we need to better engage and build stronger relationships and identify innovative strategies and planning with our top donors and major stakeholders.

Second, we need to continue engaging those on the periphery of our community whom we meet through initiatives like openOttawa and Dragon Boat Israel. We need to provide them with ongoing follow-up and clear leadership opportunities so that we become an even more inclusive Jewish community.

The realization of what Shavuot is all about “Rabbi, I’d like to tell you something.”

The priest and rabbi were seatmates on a flight. Their hour-long conversation had been centred on theology.

“After hearing what you have to say, I’m convinced that we will have more reward in the world to come than the Jews,” says the priest.

“Oh yeah? Why, pray tell, is that?” asked the rabbi with undisguised cynicism.

“Because what we have faith in is so much harder to believe,” answered the priest honestly.

We are very privileged, as a people, to be in possession of an unbroken chain of tradition dating back to Mount Sinai. The comfort of knowing that our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents have lovingly transmitted our Torah and our history with such accuracy and care is not only reassuring, it is what enables us to live as strong, confident Jews in a sometimes hostile world.

All of this began some 3,300 years ago when our ancestors stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and accepted God’s greatest gift to humanity. Isn’t it curious, however, that, when celebrating receiving the Torah on the holiday of Shavuot, as we have just done, we do not have any tangible mitzvot associated with it?

On Passover, we make a seder, and eat matzo and maror. On Sukkot, we shake the

From the pulpit Rabbi Ari Galandauer Young Israel lulav and etrog, and eat in a sukkah. On Rosh Hashanah, we blow the shofar, and, on Yom Kippur, we fast. On Chanukah, we light a menorah, and, on Purim, we hear a Megillah. Why is Shavuot so very different?

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

Blintzes! We eat blintzes and all types of dairy foods. And is there not a custom to stay up all night and learn?

Yes, it is true. However, neither of those actions are biblical commandments, just customs we have taken on. Why, then, is Shavuot so lacking in symbolism?

Shavuot commemorates the high point of history when the Jewish people accepted a commitment to do God’s will as expressed in the Torah. One cannot simply relive that experience by standing at a mountain in the Gatineau. The only act for us to perform on Shavuot is to recreate our ancestors’ acceptance of the Torah by accepting it ourselves, here and now.

Shavuot is the day we decide that we,

too, want the divine closeness. That we, too, need God’s guidance and that we, too, proudly proclaim the immortal words, “Naaseh V’nishma,” that we will keep the mitzvot and study them to make them an integral part of ourselves. That is Shavuot: a day for us to personally accept the Torah.

This explains why we read the Book of Ruth on Shavuot. To discover how each of us, as individuals, can bring ourselves to

an acceptance of Torah, we examine the story of how a sincere convert, Ruth, accepted the Torah on her own.

We learn, from the Book of Ruth, a path to spiritual motivation. We, the Jewish people, are always dependent on God, and closeness to God comes through our acceptance of an allegiance to his Torah.

This realization is what Shavuot is truly all about.

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June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 7

CJC leader runs for the Liberals in the Ontario election I saw Shimon Fogel recently and he told me the details of the long-anticipated merger of Canada’s major Jewish advocacy organizations – including the CanadaIsrael Committee, of which he’s been the longtime CEO, and the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) – would be announced sometime this month. (It’s even possible the announcement was made sometime in between my writing this column and your reading it.)

Fogel is to be CEO of the new organization – temporarily being called Newco – created by the merger.

One person who won’t be on Fogel’s senior staff, at least for the first four or five months, is Ottawa native Bernie Farber, who has worked at the CJC for 27 years and has been the CEO since 2005.

Late in May, Farber announced he’s taking a leave-of-absence to run on Premier Dalton McGuinty’s team as the Liberal candidate in the suburban Toronto riding of Thornhill, the Ontario riding with the highest proportion of Jewish residents. He’ll be looking to unseat Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman – who is also Jewish – in the October 6 provincial election.

Shurman was elected to the Ontario Legislature in the 2007 election, when a cornerstone of the Progressive Conserva-

Editor Michael Regenstreif tive platform was extending public funding to faith-based day schools. Until then, and now, the only faith-based schools that receive public funding in Ontario are Roman Catholic. Most other provinces, including Quebec, have long had formulas for funding all faith-based day schools that meet provincial curriculum standards.

The funding proposal was not popular with voters in 2007, and John Tory’s Tories were soundly defeated by McGuinty’s Liberals. Thornhill was probably one of the few Ontario ridings in which the issue actually helped elect a Tory.

Funding for day schools has been a major concern of the Jewish community in Ontario for decades.

At the Federation AGM, in her final address as Jewish Federation of Ottawa chair, Donna Dolansky noted that one of the major challenges for the Federation is establishing a firm financial footing for the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

That the school – and virtually all Jewish day schools in Ontario – faces financial difficulties is largely attributable to the lack of public funding provided in most other provinces.

The Canadian Jewish Congress has always been a leader in the struggle for Jewish day school funding. In fact, Farber’s first CJC job in 1984 was lobbying the Ontario government on the school funding issue – and it’s been an issue of concern to him ever since.

And, Farber says, it’s not an issue he’ll give up on should he win the Thornhill seat. Whether as a government or opposition MPP, he plans to continue working on the issue, despite McGuinty’s unequivocal stance against non-Catholic faithbased day school funding.

“While the premier and I may disagree on this subject, I’ll have the opportunity to speak inside the tent and try to effect change,” he told the Canadian Jewish News.

Farber – who says he’ll return to a senior position in the reorganized Jewish advocacy organization, should he not win in Thornhill – might also have his work cut out for him on the school funding issue even if the Tories win the election.

Although funding for faith-based day schools was a major plank in the Progres-

sive Conservative platform in 2007, there’s not a word about it in the 2011 election platform recently released by party leader Tim Hudak.

Bulletin internship I’m pleased to welcome our summer intern, Ilana Belfer, to the Bulletin. A Carleton University journalism student, Ilana was our Campus Life columnist over the past school year and will continue filling that role for the coming school year.

Our summer internship is supported by the Barry Fishman Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Scholarship Fund.

Barry Fishman, my predecessor as Bulletin editor, passed away in 2009 following a brave and dignified threeyear battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Barry was a strong advocate for student journalists and suggested that a fund be created to ensure the Bulletin will continue to have a summer internship.

Our annual summer internship is a lasting and fitting tribute to Barry’s memory.

To make a donation to the Barry Fishman Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Scholarship Fund, please call the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation at 613-798-4696, ext.

232.

Canadian Senate: Nice work if you can get it When it comes to the Senate of Canada, no news is, indeed, good news.

If the upper house is in the headlines, or leading newscasts, or the subject of spirited online discussions, chances are it is for reasons that don’t reflect well on the institution.

After Prime Minister Stephen Harper swore in his new cabinet, May 18, at Rideau Hall, he spent a few minutes speaking to the media about the ministers he had just appointed.

His office waited until after Harper was done speaking and safely out of earshot of reporters’ questions before announcing via a press release that the prime minister was also appointing three Conservatives to the Senate, all of them unsuccessful candidates in the election that had taken place only two weeks earlier.

In fact, two of the three new senators – Larry Smith and Fabian Manning – had only recently resigned from the upper chamber in order to run their failed campaigns for House of Commons seats.

Nice consolation prizes; and nice work if you can get it. The base salary for a Canadian senator is $132,000 per year until the age of 75. Smith, of course, famously referred to that as a “dramatic, catastrophic pay cut” from his previous salary as president of the Montreal Alouettes when he was appointed to the Senate for the first

Alan Echenberg time in December. But Senate appointments have been plum rewards for party loyalists since the time of Confederation.

If the Conservatives thought they could bury the news by announcing it on the same day as the cabinet appointments, they were mistaken. The Senate appointments knocked the cabinet news off the front pages.

Critics said the appointments smacked of cynicism and contempt for democracy from a prime minister who just won his first majority government.

Jack Layton, the new official Opposition leader, called the move a “slap in the face” to voters.

“Canadians should be outraged that three individuals who were just defeated by the Canadian people in an election have now been appointed to the Senate,” he said.

The public advocacy group Democracy Watch went even further. It called for a police investigation into the appointments, ar-

guing that, if the new senators were promised reappointments if they lost their elections, it would have violated a law against inducing parliamentarians to resign in exchange for reward.

In response, the new-old senators said their reappointments also came as a surprise to them.

The government’s explanation for the appointments seemed paradoxical to some.

Senator Marjory LeBreton, the government leader in the Senate, said the new appointees were necessary to bring the Conservative numbers back up to a solid majority in the upper house – a majority that can now help pass reforms to the Senate to make it more democratic.

“They’ve all served in caucus, they all support Senate reform and they’ll make a great contribution to the Senate,” LeBreton told CTV News.

Missing from the explanation was a justification for why these particular appointees – and not others – were necessary to ensure such a majority.

But, with majorities in both houses of Parliament, will the government now move quickly to enact Senate reform?

Harper has always advocated some sort of reform, but he will not even entertain the idea of re-opening constitutional talks with the provinces in order to fundamentally change the way the Senate operates – to

make it “equal, elected and effective,” in the language of the old Reform Party, in which Harper cut his political teeth.

Instead, his party will soon re-introduce legislation that it couldn’t pass when it had a minority government – legislation that will enable provinces to hold elections for senators that the prime minister will be expected to appoint, and that will impose term limits on the winning candidates. Opposition parties blocked such initiatives in the past, arguing they would create a halfbaked Senate with uneven regional representation, a fuzzy democratic mandate, and an uncertain legislative role.

Provincial governments are also mostly opposed to this plan (perhaps because elected senators could challenge their own monopolies as democratically elected provincial representatives). Quebec’s government is threatening to take the matter to court, if the federal government attempts unilateral reform. Other provincial leaders, including Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, are echoing the federal NDP’s call for the Senate to be abolished entirely.

To effectively enact its plan, the federal government will need the provinces’ co-operation.

If the prime minister really is trying to move toward a more democratic Senate, his recent actions on that file may have damaged the credibility of his cause

Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

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ership exhibited by Laura Grosman?

In the future, when I stand with my family next to the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, I will remember the history of the Holocaust, but I will also remember the history of Bill C-442.

Adam Carroll Women in the minyan I have a short response to the announcement that Agudath Israel Congregation will now count women in the minyan (more than 30 years, I would note, after Rabbi Sandi Eisenberg Sasso became the first woman rabbi to lead a Conservative-affiliated congregation): Finally!

Heni Nadel, Co-Chair Or Haneshamah Ottawa’s Reconstructionist Community

Letters welcome Letters to the Editor are welcome if they are brief, signed, timely and of interest to our readership.

The Bulletin reserves the right to refuse, edit or condense letters. The Mailbag column will be published as space permits. Send your letters to Michael Regenstreif, Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9; or by e-mail to bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com.

Rambam Day School flourishes on the Jewish Community Campus

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Credit for National Holocaust Monument While the headline correctly suggests that we need to keep alive the flame of memory in remembering the Holocaust, the May 16 Federation Report by Eric Vernon of the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) forgets two critical points in reporting on Bill C-442, An Act to establish a National Holocaust Monument.

The first point forgotten is that Laura Grosman, not the CJC, deserves credit for Bill C-442. Laura presented the idea to former Liberal MP Susan Kadis in 2008 and followed through with the Conservatives after Kadis was defeated. Laura’s heroic achievement deserves our appreciation and gratitude and should not be so easily forgotten.

The second forgotten point was that the Liberals, the Bloc Québécois, and the New Democratic Party, all worked together to have the government pay for the monument so there would not be the need to undergo a time-consuming and unnecessary fundraising process. This would have been an opportunity for all Canadians to show their commitment to remembering the Shoah. The CJC opposed this and provided the government a written endorsement for amendments that exonerated it from nearly all responsibility to build the monument. Thanks to that, the community needs to come up with the cash and resources to build the monument while no other significant national monument in Ottawa has been required to do the same.

Could this community money not be better spent in our schools, or in programs that help develop the kind of lead-

bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com

By Rabbi Dovid Hayes Rambam Day School Just a few years ago, we couldn’t have imagined Rambam Day School’s prominence and increasing enrolment. Through the perseverance of the school’s parents and staff, and the goodwill of Ottawa’s Jewish community, Rambam has become a significant part of the community, both figuratively and literally.

Not surprisingly, the student population continues to grow steadily.

Rambam has been graciously welcomed onto the Jewish Community Campus by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, the Soloway Jewish Community Centre and the Ottawa Jewish Community School. Rambam’s central location in the school building allows for new, mutually beneficial, inter-school cooperation.

Rambam Day School’s board, staff and students truly appreciate the opportunity for the school to flourish on the campus. One of Rambam’s passionate educators has accepted additional teaching assignments on campus with the other schools to enhance and broaden their Judaic program.

In one exceptional case, an Ottawa

Jewish Community School student benefitted by enrolling in daily classes at Rambam.

Rambam and Hillel Academy students have participated in each other’s programs and share the same recess grounds. In honour of Tu B’Shevat, Rambam hosted a staff party for educators from both schools and our educators participated in a professional development day hosted by the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

Rambam Day School is proud to have been able to strengthen the community by contributing close to $200,000 toward the renovation costs of the school building and by paying almost $100,000 in annual rent.

Additionally, gymnasium facilities and science laboratories, when needed, are provided to Rambam at extra cost. A once vacant, non-productive area of the school building has now been transformed into the modern school facility that houses Rambam.

Rambam looks forward to many more years of successfully providing a wholesome Jewish education among the many organizations on the Jewish Community Campus and to actively participating in building the community.

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June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 9

Five Hillel Lodge residents celebrate bat mitzvahs

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Brian Pearl president

Thanks from an outgoing JNF President for a most rewarding experience When I joined the Board of Ottawa JNF in 2006, I had no thought of becoming president. Rochelle and I went on the 2005 JNF Canada Mission and had an absolutely thrilling and inspiring time touring Israel and seeing the great work that KKL-JNF does. We also had the opportunity to speak with many of the wonderful people who work for and with the organization throughout Israel. On my return, I spoke to then-JNF co-ordinator Margo Blostein who was quick to invite me to come and meet the Board. Once I got to know the Ottawa Board members and the JNF staff, it was a short step to get involved in the work of raising funds and awareness of JNF in Ottawa.

I quickly learned that JNF Ottawa is highly fortunate in two very important ways. First, our volunteers and the willingness of Ottawa’s Jewish community to share our goals by contributing generously to our projects in Israel.

On a per capita basis, Ottawa has, for some time now, been the leading city for JNF donations in Canada, something this community should be very proud of.

Second, JNF Ottawa is fortunate in having very talented and dedicated local and national leadership and professional staff. Many of you have met and worked with JNF Executive Director for Eastern Canada Mark Mendelson.

In 17 years with JNF Canada, Mark has guided presidents and boards in Montreal, Halifax and Ottawa with skill, understanding and great patience. We owe him our sincere thanks, for, without him, our successes would never have been possible. Mark leaves JNF Canada this month for a new position as national executive vice-president of the Canadian Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. On behalf of Ottawa JNF, we wish him great success in his new position. We also welcome JNF’s new executive director for Eastern Canada, Gail Grief, and wish her success in her new position. Many of you know Gail from her time as director of Camp B’nai Brith Ottawa and we welcome her back to our community.

Having seen the high quality of KKL in Israel and JNF Canada’s work, the professional organization, its leadership, nationally and in Ottawa, and the generous support of our community for JNF’s work in Israel and in educating Canadians about the land (and water) of Israel, I was more than happy to accept when the offer came to lead JNF Ottawa. After three years as president, what remains for me is to thank JNF Ottawa sincerely for the honour, and the pleasure, of being at the helm. There have been many high points – too many to list here – and if there were any low points, they were too brief to notice. I know that incoming President Oliver Javanpour will have the benefit of all these positives and more, as we go from strength to strength. “The best is yet to come.”

Negev Dinner update Mark your calendar: Join us Tuesday, November 8 for an exciting Negev Dinner with the guest speaker Barbara Walters.

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

To order, call the JNF office (613.798.2411).

By Ilana Belfer Five residents of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge have proven it’s never too late to have a bat mitzvah.

Friends, family and community members gathered at the Lodge’s Abraham and Dora Lithwick Chapel, May 22, to watch Bernice Seward, Helen Trachtenberg, Shirley Winer, Anne Bokhaut Koffman and Flory Benbaruk, all aged between 79 and 91, become, as Seward put it, “official Jewish women.”

Cantor Daniel Benlolo led the ceremony after working with the “b’not mitzvah” for five to six months to prepare for the occasion. It was the third time in 11 years he has helped put together a bat mitzvah for Lodge residents.

The b’not mitzvah read a bat mitzvah prayer and the Shema. They also recited prayers for the welfare of the State of Israel and the government of Canada.

Each woman read a psalm from the Bible, which she had personally selected. Trachtenberg chose to recite hers in Yiddish, while Benbaruk, who is originally from Casablanca, Morocco, spoke in French.

Benbaruk also sang “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,” following an introduction in which Cantor Benlolo called her voice “beautiful.”

The women then participated in a candle lighting ceremony and gave their bat mitzvah speeches.

“It is a bit ironic for children to attend their mother’s bat mitzvah,” Trachtenberg noted. Her daughter came from Nova Scotia for the event. Her son and grandson also attended.

Trachtenberg was born in Poland and lost her “nearest and dearest family” during the Holocaust. She survived by enduring starvation, illness and dangerous living conditions in Siberia. She came to Canada in 1960, but, after only one year, her husband died of a heart attack at just 42.

“As you can see, my life wasn’t a happy one, but I’m still living and here I am hav-

Hillel Lodge bat mitzvah celebrants (from left) Flory Benbaruk, Anne Bokhaut Koffman, Shirley Winer, Helen Trachtenberg and Bernice Seward, stand together beneath the tallit.

(Photo: Issie Scarowsky)

ing a bat mitzvah at 91,” Trachtenberg said. “I am not a very religious person, but I felt a spiritual change come over me. I feel like a 12-yearold bat mitzvah girl.”

After the b’not mitzvah were blessed with a tallit held over their heads, the ceremony concluded with a performance of “Hallelujah” by the Tamir Choir.

At a reception in the Lodge lobby following the ceremony attendees congratulated the five “bat mitzvah girls” with chants of “Siman Tov u’Mazal Tov” and danced to the music of A Touch of Klez.

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Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

Louise Rachlis’ paintings are on view at Nevio’s Mane Image Hair Studio until June 24.

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Louise Rachlis’ paintings reflect her life

By Ilana Belfer Talking at an event to Barbara McGinnis, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Ottawa, Louise Rachlis asked who had done her hair.

Two years later, Rachlis’ artwork is being exhibited on the walls of Nevio’s Mane Image Hair Studio.

“I gave Nevio one of my Christmas cards,” recalled Rachlis, who became a customer at the salon shortly after hearing about it. She said salon owner Nevio Durbano didn’t realize the picture on the card had been painted by Rachlis until another client pointed it out some time later.

“When I came in to get my hair done the next time he said, ‘Oh, you should do a show here.’ So, we laughed about it and then we did it,” Rachlis said.

Now, as classical music plays in the background, hair is trimmed and styled beside the scenes captured in Rachlis’ paintings.

The show, “Away From Work,” on view at the salon until June 24, features a collection of Rachlis’ travel and sportsthemed acrylic and watercolour paintings.

“It’s just my life. I like the sports, I

paint the sports. I like to travel, I paint the travel. I’ve got too many dandelions on my lawn, I painted dandelions,” said Rachlis, who has been painting her whole life.

“I went to a public school reunion a few years ago and someone said, ‘I remember you. You used to write stories and draw pictures.’ And I said, ‘I still do,’” she said.

A freelance writer, Rachlis is the former advertising features editor of the Ottawa Citizen. She began running in 1997 at age 50 and has since completed 25 marathons. She now also cycles and participates in triathlons.

Durbano, an avid cyclist, said it is Rachlis’ passion for travel and sports that prompted their working together on the show.

“For me, it’s breaking new ground,” he said. “People come in, they walk around, they stop and look and admire … It does cheer the place up,” noting that patrons often react with “wow!” to the colourful paintings.

“It’s amazing how a lot of them say she has a good style and variety,” he added.

Rachlis said she hopes to hold anoth-

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er art show, but doesn’t yet know what the theme will be.

“I’m sure my activities will inspire me to do something else,” she said, mentioning that she may take part in Dragon Boat Israel, the international dragon boat festival on the Sea of Galilee initiated by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa for May 2012.

“If I go to Israel,” said Rachlis, “I’m sure I will be painting there.”

Rachlis has donated paintings to many charity auctions and has also sold her art at craft sales, including a May event at Temple Israel (her husband, Lorne Rachlis, is president of the congregation). Six years ago, she exhibited her paintings at the Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli.

Asked whether her next exhibition would be held at a less unusual locale, Rachlis laughed and replied, “I’m open to invitations.”

Away From Work is running until June 24 at Nevio’s Mane Image Hair Studio, 2255 Carling Avenue (just west of Woodroffe). Pieces are available for purchase. For more information contact Louise Rachlis at louise@rachlis.ca or 613-232-8163.

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 11

Tamir golf event celebrates bar mitzvah year

By Bob Thompson, Norm Ferkin and Melanie Fulop Tamir 2011 Golf Committee Early in 1999, a group of intrepid golfers gathered to plan a fundraiser for Tamir.

Little did they know the plans they set in motion that evening would lead to what would eventually become one of the organization’s most successful events, raising more than $350,000 over 12 years, and igniting a passion for golf in many Tamir participants.

Originally called the “Bagels and Beer Golf Marathon,” the goal was for each golfer to golf 100 holes in 12 hours while collecting pledges for each hole they completed.

The format eventually changed to an 18-hole round of golf as a reward for the fundraising efforts of the individual golfers. The original golfers – Irv Hoffman, John and Betty Dover, Norm Ferkin, Jerry Nudelman and Eddie Kerzner, to

name a few – welcomed this modification because, as the years passed, it became harder and harder to meet the goal.

There have been many changes to the event over the years. Among the most significant was the move to Rideau View Golf and Country Club in Manotick.

The partnership between Tamir and Rideau View has proven to be a great success.

Who wouldn’t want to play at such a great course?

The event has also become a more inclusive golfing experience. Now called the “Tee Up for Tamir Golf Fun-Raiser,” the goal is still to raise funds for important Tamir programs, but it is also to include Tamir participants as both golfers and fundraisers, demonstrating that Tamir participants can have a hand in building their own futures, by going out and soliciting pledges, and then hitting the greens to show off their skills with a club.

The most important

Fundraisers, participants and guests gather together at the 2010 Tee Up for Tamir Golf Fun-Raiser at Rideau View Golf Club.

change to the event is the distribution of the funds raised.

In the past, the proceeds from the golf event were directed toward a particular program or project, such as a new wheelchair van in

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2003, or funding for Keshet for Kids and other Judaic programming.

In 2010, however, a list of more than 20 specific items was requested by various Tamir programs, including floor fans for Passages, dishwashers for the Broadview residence, a Symmetrikit reclining chair for the Riddell residence, etc. A thermometer was posted on the Tamir website to track the fundraising progress and, ultimately, more than $50,000 was raised and each program’s request was fulfilled, making it the most successful golf event so far.

In 2011, we’re marking the golf event’s bar mitzvah year. With the support of our community, we hope to surpass last year’s triumph.

Everyone is welcome to join us on Monday, August 22, at Rideau View Country Club.

To sign up as a golfer, or to pledge your support, visit tamir.ca or contact one of

the committee members via e-mail: Norm Ferkin at ferkin@sympatico.ca, Bob Thompson at rgbthompson@rogers.com or Melanie Fulop at melaniefulop@tamir.ca.

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Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

SAY IT WITH TREES 613-798-2411

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TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED Condolences to: Nora Agulnik in memory of your mother Vivian Cummins by Annette Albert Pam Allen in memory of your father Sydney Faibish

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by Sheryl & Harvey Kardish; by Margo, David, Aaron & Gail Kardish; by the Stal family The family of the late Mark Baron by the Feig family & Eiffel Construction Cantor Daniel Benlolo in memory of your brother and sister by Lisa & Fred Cogan; by Gail & Stephen Victor Gary Berezin in memory of your mother Tami Berezin by Murray & Bryna Cohen Gordon Berezin in memory of your mother Tami Berezin by Tom & Alannah Grossman Sandie Bogdonov in memory of your father Les Holman by Sally & Harry Weltman The family of the late Tamara Branitsky by Sylvia Greenspoon & Rick Levine The family of the late Heather Braverman by Marcia & Barry Cantor; by David & Benjamin Cantor; by Carol & Laurie Pascoe; by Deborah & Lou Davis Joe Bryant in memory of your wife Mary by Rick & Helen Zipes The family of the late Daisy Budovitch by Carol & Laurie Pascoe Chief Clifford Bull in memory of your father John Bull by Joseph Eliot Magnet The family of the late Ruth Carnat by Dora & Raymond Goldman Lorne Chadnick in memory of Tuxedo Chadnick by Barbara Shore Beryl Chernin in memory of your daughter Cayle by Rose & Morrie Konick Deborah Cohen in memory of your mother Doris Edelstein by Gail & Stephen Victor Margaret Conway in memory of your husband Robert Conway by Laura & Gord Spergel Oscar Esford in memory of Carol by Sandy and Colin Jonathan Fisher in memory of your wife Susan by Stephen & Gail Victor; by Maureen & Jeff Katz Barbara Fogelbaum in memory of your father Hyman Seitz by Brenda & Marvin Segal; by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman The family of the late Harry Freeman by Carol & Laurie Pascoe Doug Gault in memory of Betty Gault by Sandy Marchello The family of the late Ken Getz by Raymond Goldman Doris Gigliotti in memory of your mother Pasqua Gigliotti by Joyce & Paul Willmot Martin Gordon in memory of your sister Wilma Gordon by Myrna & Norman Barwin; by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman; by Mark & Edna Mendelson; by Linda Rossman The family of the late Ben Grossman by Elaine Singer Robert Hecht in memory of your brother Paul Hecht

by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman The family of the late Anna Heilman by Marilyn & David Binder Sylvia Kaimen in memory of your husband Sol by Sally & Harry Weltman Dr. Victor Kaminsky in memory of Zelda Kaminsky

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Lindy, & Kiera Viner-Warkentin Dr. Lorne Weiner in memory of your mother Freda Weiner by Anne Simmering Ben Weinstock in memory of your brother Moe by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Debbie Wiseman in memory of Heather Braverman

by Marcia Cantor Rhea Wohl in memory of Michael Wohl by Morton & Sheila Baslaw Wishing Speedy Recovery/Refuah Shleima to: Morton Baslaw by Norean Taller-Harris, Ben, Lee Ann and Joanna Esther Beckman by Philip & Shirley Teitelbaum Barbara Goddard by Gail & Stephen Victor Sheila & Larry Hartman by Maureen & Jeff Katz;

by Gail & Stephen Victor Samantha Wolinsky Fekkes by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Blema Woolf by Gail & Stephen Victor Stephen Zbar by Gail & Stephen Victor In Honour of: Sandy & Murray Ages on Daniel’s engagement to Marlo by Sandra Marchello Lewis Auerbach on your 70th birthday by Lari & Victor Kaminsky Sheila & Morton Baslaw on your son’s marriage by Linda Rossman Dr. Alain Bitton with appreciation by Jane & Martin Gordon Avi & Stephanie Bregman on your anniversary and Avi’s birthday by Chani & Bram Bregman Phil Bronsther on your special birthday by Margo, David, Aaron & Gail Kardish Marlene Burak on your special birthday by Margo, David, Aaron & Gail Kardish Judy & Eddy Cohen on your 50th wedding anniversary by Beverley & Abe Feinstein Rabbi Steven Garten with thanks & appreciation by Louisa Garib Allan Glenns on your special birthday by Sheryl & Harvey Kardish; by Margo & David Kardish; by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Jon Golding on your 65th birthday by Marcia Cantor Stanley Goldstein on your 65th birthday by Ariella, Geremy, Yardayna & Tobey Rt. Hon. Herb Gray on your special birthday by Mike Wollock & Marilyn Johnson Lori Greenberg in recognition of finding the Afikoman by Linda Slotin Jane & Robert Kahn on your 25th wedding anniversary by Susan & Billy Greenberg Cantor Moshe & Rivka Kraus on being honoured

by Torah Academy by Sally Taller Norma Lazear on your 75th birthday by Rochelle & Brian Pearl Phil Lazear on your 80th birthday by Rochelle & Brian Pearl Evelyn Leiff with birthday wishes by Gail & Stephen Victor Bert Palmer on the birth of your great-grandchild by Sylvia Easdown Rabbi Popky with appreciation by Sylvia Greenspoon Hal Ross on your special birthday by Gail & Stephen Victor Irma Sachs on your special birthday by Vera & Les Klein Jeffrey Shaffer on your special birthday by Jaclyn & Joshua Krane Philip Siller on your 65th birthday by Ariella,

Geremy, Yardayna & Tobey Dr. Mark Singer on your birthday by Elaine Singer Elissa & Ian Sutherland on your third anniversary

by Abe & Ethel Murray Ruth & Joe Viner on your 60th wedding anniversary

by Sally & HarryWeltman Martha Weisbloom with Happy Mother’s Day wishes from Joy, Eric, Becky & George Dr. Marvin Wexler with appreciation by Jane & Martin Gordon Jared Paul Wisnia on your Bar Mitzvah by Rhonda Lazarus Bernie Zaifman with birthday wishes by Sally Taller Inez Zelikovitz on your 94th birthday by Marion Silver & Alan Brass Mazal Tov to: Sandy & Murray Ages on your special birthdays, Jon & Alyssa’s marriage, Daniel & Marlo’s engagement by Murray & Bryna Cohen Blanche & Stanley Brickman on your 50th anniversary by Doreen & Ariel Arnoni Tanya Chernova & Curtis Priest on your engagement by Semyon Ioffe & Liz Petogorsky Chaim Feig on your 50th birthday by Rochelle and Brian Pearl Rabbi & Mrs. Yisroel Goldbaum on the marriage of your daughter by Marcia & Barry Cantor Jane & Martin Gordon on the birth of your grandson Aaron Benjamin Elliott Goel by Diane Crouse & Oliver Javanpour, by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Susan Heisel on the marriage of Jonathan to Shoshana Tabakman by Maureen & Jeff Katz, by Marion Silver & Alan Brass Avraham & Elissa Iny on the birth of your grandson Jonah Gabriel Keller by Murray and Bryna Cohen Dr. Harry Kamen on earning a Master’s Degree in Infectious Disease by Gail & Stephen Victor Les Kom & Janice Cohen on your engagement by Maureen & Jeff Katz Anne Bokhaut Koffman on your Bat Mitzvah by your three proud children Cantor & Mrs. Moshe Kraus on your most deserved award by Marcia & Barry Cantor Sally & Elliott Levitan on your 60th anniversary by Evelyn & Joseph Lieff Zena Lieff on the birth of your granddaughter by Maureen & Jeff Katz Liesl Neuburger on your 90th birthday by Eva Simkover Hallel Raphael on your Bat Mitzvah by Toby & Tedd Nathanson Margo & Frank Rosen on the birth of your grandsons by Carol & Laurie Pascoe Berenice Seward on your Bat Mitzvah by Eva Esrock Michael Sitwell on being awarded an Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship for three years

by Jackie, Lucian & Simon Sitwell Valerie Simmons on your 90th birthday by Eva Simkover Frayda & Charlie Wiseman on Michael’s graduation from law school by Art & Marsha Saper; by Maureen & Jeff Katz Debi & Neil Zaret on the marriage of Josh & Jennifer

by Joy & Eric Weisbloom Dr. David Zitner on the birth of your first grandchild, Zoe, by Carol & Laurie Pascoe

Tree purchases are $18 and are fully tax receiptable.

JNF thanks you for your generous contribution.

Please accept our apologies if we misspelled or omitted anyone’s name or contribution.

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 13

PJ Library seeks donations to serve more kids

By Benita Siemiatycki PJ Library Co-Ordinator Two months ago, PJ Library was launched in Ottawa when many households received the book, Something from Nothing.

PJ Library was quickly a victim of its own success.

All 300 spots funded by the original founders have been filled by eager parents seeking Jewish books for their young children.

Several more children are on the waiting list, which will grow as more parents continue to register their kids.

To open more spots, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa is asking for individuals to step forward and provide donations to fund this popular program, which provides eligible Jewish children with free Jewish-

A youngster enjoys his PJ Library book.

themed books. This investment in our children supports the continuity and vibrancy of our Jewish community.

PJ Library is a partnership between the U.S.-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation and local Jewish communities. PJ (which stands

for ‘pyjamas’) Library is an early Jewish literacy program aimed at young children aged six months to five-and-half years of age.

The children receive an ageappropriate book in the mail each month, except for December when a music CD is sent. The books are beautifully illustrated and selected by a committee for their literary quality and Judaic message.

Through the books provided by PJ Library, the spark of Judaism enters the home in conversations between parent and child as they read together.

It is also a communitybuilding tool to create a connection between Jewish families and the organized Jewish community. PJ families are invited to PJ events where parents and children meet one another, form friendships and learn about other activities in the community targeted to the preschool age group.

Founded in 2006, PJ Library has grown to include 130 communities across North America, and sends out almost 70,000 books monthly. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation covers 60 per cent of the program’s cost, and the local Jewish community covers the remaining 40 per cent.

Any donation amount is appreciated and donors will receive a tax receipt.

To make a donation, contact Jean Myers at 613-7984696, ext. 242, or send a cheque (made out to the Jewish Federation of Ottawa with “PJ Library” on the memo line) to Jean Myers, Jewish Federation of Ottawa, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, ON K2A 1R9.

Visit pjlibrary.org to find out more about PJ Library.

Ottawa’s community Eruv checked by noted expert

By Rabbi Reuven Bulka and Rabbi Howard Finkelstein One of the many blessings of Jewish life in Ottawa is the community Eruv, which encompasses

most of the Jewish community from east to west.

The Eruv, which was established almost 40 years ago, allows people to carry objects within the Eruv boundaries on Shabbat.

Most importantly, it allows

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families to bring very young children to shul.

Rabbi Howard Jachter, a well-known Eruv expert and a student of renowned Rabbi Hershel Schachter, visited Ottawa last month to examine the Eruv. The Eruv was originally established under the guidance of the late Rabbi Avraham Aharon Price of Toronto.

It is always good to get an outsider’s view of the Eruv and we are grateful for Rabbi Jachter’s help.

The rabbi, a modest man who refuses to step on toes and make pronouncements, leaves such pronouncements to local rabbis.

Suffice it to say that had Rabbi Jachter even insinuated that the Eruv was problematic, the community would have been notified immediately.

Rabbi Jachter did make

several helpful suggestions, chief among them that the Eruv be checked more frequently.

While our community does have a dedicated Eruv checker, Eugene Guigui, we need more people to support the Eruv by joining the Eruv Club in order to implement more frequent checking.

Call Congregation Machzikei Hadas at 613521-9700 for information on how to become a member of the Eruv Club (for a nominal $36).

Rabbi Reuven Bulka at Machzikei Hadas may be consulted on any questions about the Eruv’s boundaries.

While in Ottawa to check the Eruv, Rabbi Jachter stayed over Shabbat and served as scholar-inresidence at Congregation Machzikei Hadas where he

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Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

AJA 50+ celebrates its 10th anniversary

By Annette Paquin for AJA 50+ A decade ago, Cecily Bregman, Estelle Gunner, Teena Hendelman and Ruth Levitan had a vision: to develop an organization to address the needs of mature Jewish adults in Ottawa. Their vision became AJA (Active Jewish Adults) 50+, now a thriving part of Ottawa’s Jewish community.

AJA 50+ celebrated our 10th anniversary, May 25, with a gala dinner at Congregation Beth Shalom, which honoured our founders and past-presidents. The event, chaired by Merle HaltrechtMatte, was a night to remember for the more than 200 people who attended.

There were two fundraising goals for the gala: to financially ensure the continuity of AJA50+; and to establish the AJA 50+ Scholarship Fund for the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

The theme of the event, Bridging the Generations, echoed the Hebrew expression l’dor v’dor (from generation to generation).

The four AJA 50+ founders, and past-presidents Bert Blevis, Joyce Bellman, Elaine Wolfish and Sonja Kesten received Kiddush cups in recognition of their commitment and contributions to the organization. As well, a special honour was presented to Flo Morgan, who has been the AJA 50+ registrar for our entire 10-year existence.

Catering for the event, including an open bar and valet parking, was donated by David Smith of Creative Kosher Catering, who addressed the gala on the theme of Jewish education.

“I always wanted a Hebrew education when I was younger, but my father [Jack Smith] could not afford to send me to Hillel, and was too proud to ask for help,” he said.

Thirsty to learn more about Judaism, Smith said he received his Jewish education at Congregation Machzikei Hadas, when “I would sit in shul beside Max Nadolny, who proceeded to teach me how to read Hebrew by pointing out one word at a time.”

Speaking emotionally, Smith concluded his remarks saying, “I got the gift of giving from the Jack Smith School of Life.”

The gala also saw the premiere of Our Vision, Past, Present and Future, a video produced by Sound Venture Productions with support from a grant from the Jewish Historical Society of Ottawa. The video, with interviews and photos showcasing our first 10 years, will be shown at future AJA 50+ events.

Musical entertainment was presented by outstanding young musicians Elyssa Mahoney and Lucas Haneman.

We are proud to initiate the AJA 50+ Scholarship Fund for the Ottawa Jewish Community School and invite the community to donate to this fund in support of ensuring that Jewish education is available to all who wish to come and learn. To make a donation, contact the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation at 613-7984696, ext. 232.

AJA 50+ founders (from left to right) Ruth Levitan, Estelle Gunner and Cecily Bregman, the current AJA 50+ president, receive gifts from AJA 50+ Vice-President Arnold Finkelstein.

(Photo: Guy Matte)

David Smith speaks about his youth at AJA 50+ gala.

(Photo: Guy Matte)

AJA 50+ past-presidents (from left to right) Joyce Bellman, Bert Blevis, Elaine Wolfish and Sonja Kesten receive gifts from AJA 50+ Vice-President Arnold Finkelstein.

(Photo: Guy Matte)

Gala Chair Merle Haltrecht-Matte addresses the attendees.

(Photo: Annette Paquin)

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 15

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Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

Hillel Ottawa Executive Director Ross Diamond (centre) with students Jessica Cantor (left) and Meghan Polowin during their Birthright Israel tour.

Ottawa students (from left) Jeysen Freedman, Lee Silverstone, Tommy Shabinsky, Josh Hoffman, Guy Aiken and Jamie Bencze stop for photo during their Birthright Israel tour in May.

Birthright Israel trip gives 40 Ottawa students a taste of Israel

By Ross Diamond Hillel Ottawa I left Ottawa for Israel with 40 students and returned with just six.

I didn’t lose 34 students so much as set them free, like birds from captivity.

For 10 days in May, I was the madriach (staff) travelling with students from Ottawa on their Birthright experience. The Canada Israel Experience Birthright Israel trip is an organized machine that enables participants to have a taste of Israel in just 10 days visiting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tiberias, the Dead Sea, Masada, the Golan Heights, Haifa, Sefat and points in-between.

Thirty-four of the Ottawa participants decided that a taste was not enough and set out on journeys

to explore Eretz Israel on their own, in more detail. This summer, from the beaches of Tel Aviv, to volunteering in Sefat, you will find our Ottawa explorers.

The true magic of Birthright Israel is just how quickly a group of 40 individuals can grow so close, so fast. By the end of the third day, the group already had a bond that felt like they’ve all known each other for years.

“It’s like a concentrated version of summer camp,” one participant said during a group activity.

The trip is designed to develop the beginnings of a relationship, not only with Israel, but with other Jewish students from across Canada sharing the experience. It’s inevitable that people will grow

close during this fast-paced trip of a lifetime.

On all Birthright trips there is a mifgash (encounter) with Israeli soldiers who join part of the trip as participants. They are brought from their posts to enjoy the experience with our Canadian students and instantly become part of the family. The participants get to know an Israeli soldier and get a

better perspective on what Israeli life is like. The soldiers are deeply missed when they have to return to their posts.

For many of the participants, this trip is a highlight of their summer, their year, or even their life. In 2004, my own Birthright Israel experience had a deep impact on my life. That summer, I visited the same Bedouin tent in the Negev,

the Save a Child’s Heart Children’s Home in Holon, and the Kotel in Jerusalem.

Experiencing those same places again with them enhanced my understanding of who I was then, and who I am now. The impact on my life was incredible and I am grateful for it. Similarly, the trip will impact these participants too, in their own individual ways.

JET barbecue

Jaffa Road at Ottawa Jazz Festival on Canada Day

(Left to right) Luiz Arguetta, Beata Romanovsky, Marlee Wasser and Emanuel Barhon were among the more than 60 young adults who attended JET’s Lag B’Omer barbecue, May 22, at the home of Stacy and Rabbi Michael Goldstein.

Jaffa Road will play a free Canada Day concert, July 1, 11:00 am, at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival in Confederation Park.

In an Ottawa Jewish Bulletin review of their Juno-nominated debut CD, Sun Place, published September 21, 2009, Michael Regenstreif referred to Jaffa Road as “a dynamic world music ensemble from Toronto, fronted by singer Aviva Chernick, whose songs are based on both ancient and modern poetry in Hebrew, Ladino and English.”

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 17

Visit our web site: www.hillellodge.ca

LL

ife at the odge

The Family Council Needs You! Adapted from an article

by Shelley Arron-Cohen There are approximately 75,000 residents living in over 600 LongTerm Care Homes in Ontario and, with the aging population, that number is growing quickly. Many are fortunate to have caring family members, who now have an important vehicle to voice issues and concerns through organizations called Family Councils. Mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Health, Family Councils play a pivotal role in addressing issues that might otherwise ‘fall through the cracks’ or go unnoticed until someone is injured or wronged in some way.

The Hillel Lodge Family Council’s mission is, “To improve the quality of life for residents of Hillel Lodge, and to provide support for their families and friends.”

Although your family member or friend is the one living at the Lodge, at first, the whole process and situation can be somewhat daunting and cause anxiety for you, either as the former caregiver or as power of attorney for personal care, because you simply do not know what to expect.

The Family Council’s Interim Steering Committee comprises volunteers, co-chaired by Carol Pascoe and Rosalie Schwartz. Other Interim Steering Committee members are Ursula Grushman, Secretary; Shelley Arron-Cohen, Communications; and Lisa Sandell. Joanna Abrams, Director, Social Work, Program and Support Services, is the Lodge’s Liaison. The Council welcomes additional volunteers as they are essential to make any Family Council viable and successful. A

Shelley Arron-Cohen new Executive Committee is needed for 2011-2012 and will be voted in on June 21st.

Besides support and issue resolution, the Council offers opportunities for education; for example, to learn more about how the various departments of the Lodge function: Food Services, Maintenance, Medical Care, etc.

Joanna Abrams is very happy with the turnout at meetings and said, “After many years of trying to establish a Family Council, I am delighted to see the formation of an active Family Council led by several very dedicated, eager and committed family members who see the benefit of families meeting together to provide mutual support and ensuring the optimal quality of care for their loved ones.”

Hillel Executive Director Stephen Schneiderman says the Family Council is a positive step.

“Regardless of the setting, family remains central to a resident’s life.

By extension, Family Council can become a source of support and help provide families with a positive way to focus.”

The Hillel Lodge Family Council belongs to the Champlain Family Council Network, which is part of the Ontario Family Council network.

Rosalie Schwartz

Any family member or friend of a resident of the Lodge can volunteer to be part of the Family Council. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday each month. For more information on becoming a volunteer for the Hillel Lodge Family Council, please email familycouncil@hillel-ltc.com.

Carol Pascoe with her mother Anita Dubinsky, a resident of Hillel Lodge.

If you want to make a difference in people’s lives (including your own), give volunteering at Hillel Lodge a try. The time commitment can range from a few hours per month to regular weekly or bi-weekly visits. To become a volunteer, please contact Marilyn Adler, our Manager of Recreation and Volunteer Programs.

Hillel Lodge is proud of the quality care we provide to our residents. Donations to the Lodge can be made in several ways: by going to our web site at www.hillellodge.ca; contacting the Long-Term Care Foundation at (613) 728-3900 extension 111; or e-mailing us at donations@hillel-ltc.ca

Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

OTC launches new program of social events for adults

By Pherris Hamilton for OTC Chabad As Ottawa’s Jewish community grows and changes, its needs are also shifting.

“It is clear to all community professionals that we need to be creative in originating new ideas

and new types of programs to engage Jews and involve them in our community,” said Rabbi Menachem M. Blum, director of Ottawa Torah Centre Chabad (OTC).

To address this need, OTC is launching the OTC Café social events for adults. Every second

Renew your subscription for multiple years and receive a discount. For details, call 613-798-4696, ext. 242 .

month, the community will be invited to enjoy an evening of entertainment and cuisine in a relaxed social atmosphere.

“The OTC Café is our newest addition,” said Rabbi Blum. “Over the years, we have developed a wide spectrum of programs that service all age groups. We are really excited now to offer something light and mature where everyone can enjoy great company, entertainment and food, while exploring their heritage and culture.”

The OTC Café is a social program, designed to give adults an

In support of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge In the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Long Term Care Centre Card Donations

Benjamin Stenzler

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 well-being.

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 May 11 and 25, 2011 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.

Bill and Leona Adler Memorial Fund In Honour of: Daniel and Liora Shapiro Mazal tov on the birth of your baby daughter by Elayne Adler, Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler R’fuah Shlema: Sophie Koenig by Elayne Adler, Farley, Jordan and

Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge Fund In Honour of: Morris Kimmel Mazal tov on receiving the Shem Tov Community Volunteer award by Carolyn and Sid Katz Jenny and Murray Citron Endowment Fund In Honour of: Eileen Goldberg Best wishes for a happy birthday

by Murray Citron Friedberg and Dale Families Fund In Honour of: Tom Caplan Happy 60th birthday by Elaine Friedberg, Bob and Jonathan Dale Rick Dale Happy 60th birthday by Elaine Friedberg, Bob and Jonathan Dale Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Honour of: Rabbi Debbie Miller Mazal tov on your graduation from JTS with love by Henry, Maureen, Edie and Shahar Molot Eve Keren Mazal tov on your important birthday and our wishes that you live to double it! By Henry and Maureen Molot Dr. Assaf Meshulam Mazal tov on completing your PhD with love by Henry and Maureen Molot Dorothy and Maurie Karp Endowment Fund In Honour of: Claire Bercovitch Mazal tov on your 75th birthday with love by Dorothy Karp Claire and Irving Bercovitch Mazal tov on your 55th wedding anniversary with love by Dorothy Karp

opportunity to forget the stresses of life while having a good time in a Jewish setting.

“Creating the setting where Jews have the opportunity to socialize with other Jews will ensure that our community will have a vibrant and bright future,” said Rabbi Blum.

The first OTC Café event is Wednesday, July 13, 7:00 pm, at Ottawa Torah Centre, 111 Lamplighters Drive, Barrhaven. The film The Exodus Decoded will be screened along with a kosher Chinese food buffet. Admission is $18.

Morris and Lillian Kimmel Family Fund In Honour of : Morris Kimmel Mazal tov on receiving the Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award by Diana and Alvin Malomet; by Roz and Lee Raskin; by Estelle and Larry Huniu, and by Lily Feig; and by Golda Feig and Ned Steinman Pencer Family Fund In Memory of: Ethel Chirnomas by Marcia and Irwin Pencer Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Family Fund In Honour of: Paula Agulnik Congratulations on 25 years of service at REACH by Stephen and Debbie Schneiderman R’fuah Shlema: Laurie Pascoe by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman Harold and Lillian Shoihet Family Fund In Honour of: Rabbi and Mrs. Zischa Shaps Mazal tov on Hillel’s marriage by Dovid Shoihet and Miriam and Mayer Sabo Rabbi Eliyahu and Mrs. Chai Esther Neuhaus Yasher koach on a wonderful Shabbos by Dovid Shoihet Eric Weiner and Arlene Godfrey Family Fund In Memory of: Leon Kahane by Arlene Godfrey and Eric, Melissa and Laura Weiner In Honour of: Lima Godfrey and Paul Krause Congratulations on your 120th birthday by Arlene Godfrey, Eric, Melissa and Laura Weiner *************** IN HONOUR OF: Maureen Molot In honour of being recognized by Hillel Lodge with love by Cally and Sid Kardash Betty Ballon by Henry Ballon Paula Agulnik Congratulations on 25 years of service at REACH by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge Victor Rabinovitch Mazal tov on your retirement

by Dale and Ruth Fyman

The Exodus Decoded by filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici is a twohour documentary that explores the biblical Exodus in a scientific manner using archaeological findings and scientific papers.

“We are planning film screenings, evenings of musical entertainment and game nights as part of OTC Café,” said Rabbi Blum.

“Every OTC Café event will have something different and interesting.”

For more information, visit ottawatorahcentre.com or call 613843-7770.

Evelyn Rotenberg Happy birthday by Debi and David Shore Ian Sherman Mazal tov on receiving the Gilbert Greenberg Distinguished Service award by Rhonda, Danny, Sam, Zachary and Shelby Levine Morris Kimmel Mazal tov on receiving the Shem Tov award by Danny and Rhonda Levine; and by Claire and Irving Bercovitch Anne Koffman Mazal tov on your grandson Michael Bokhaut’s graduation from Law School with love by the Lymans Bernice Seward Mazal tov on your special day by Sylvia and Michael Caplan; and by Morris Shapiro; by Larry Schnider Helen Trachtenberg Mazal tov on your special day

by Sylvia and Michael Caplan Shirley Winer Mazal tov on your special day by Sylvia and Michael Caplan Anne Koffman Mazal tov on your special day by Sylvia and Michael Caplan Flory Benbaruk Mazal tov on your special day by Sylvia and Michael Caplan Anita Roodman Wishing you a very happy, healthy 75th birthday by Claire and Irving Bercovitch Sylvia and Michael Caplan Mazal tov on being honoured by Hillel Lodge by Elaine Haputman Shirley Winer Happy birthday and congratulations on your Bat Mitzvah by Lil and Norm Levitin IN MEMORY OF: George Grushman by the Planning & Performance Management staff of CBSA; and by Cathy Ladds Brother of Tito Massouda by Dale and Ruth Fyman Irving Gottheil by Danny and Rhonda Levine Morey Lesser by Harriette and Saul Brottman Anna Heilman by Golda Feig and Ned Steinman IN OBSERVANCE OF THE YAHRZEIT OF: Jacob Aaron Bruner dear father and grandfather by Al and Elly Bruner and family

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.

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 19

Merger of advocacy groups will sideline a variety of voices With the folding of the Canadian Jewish Congress into a larger umbrella group, those who wish to preserve the most vibrant aspects of the tradition of multicultural politics in Canada have cause for concern. What has been an important legacy of domestic social justice priorities is in danger of being abandoned, and the critical opportunity for encouraging more constructive engagement with Israel may also be squandered.

After a series of closed-door meetings, the different Jewish-Canadian advocacy groups falling under the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA), including the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and the Canada-Israel Committee (CIC)), are apparently being merged into one organization.

As of when this column was written – in the fourth week of May – the precise details of the merger were not yet known. They were/are due to be announced sometime this month. However, with the already announced appointment of Shimon Fogel, CEO of the CIC, as CEO of the merged body, it is our assumption that it will be geared predominantly towards Israel advocacy.

This amalgamation will not only be a symbolic loss for the Canadian Jewish community, but it could well be a strategic error that could cost the community its most important support base: the next generation of critically engaged citizens.

This merger creates the impression that the Jewish community stands unified on all issues, and that it has a singular focus on Israel.

In fact, neither is true. By diluting its domestic agenda and sidelining the variety of voices that exist among Canadian Jews – and particularly among the younger generation – the

Values, Ethics, Community Mira Sucharov and Mira Oreck organized Jewish community would be further narrowing its base.

The social justice agenda of the CJC has always attracted a wide cross-section of community members. For some, this was because of a passion for the defence of the Jewish community in the face of anti-Semitism. For others, it was because of a belief that Canadian Jews have a responsibility to advocate not only for themselves, but also for other communities at risk.

Many within the Canadian Jewish community have argued that streamlining the domestic and international agendas makes sense given the perceived relationship between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. But this logic breaks down when one realizes that many Canadian Jews – including many solidly Zionist groups – do not automatically agree with every action that Israel takes.

In order for this new organization to enjoy widespread legitimacy, it would have to apply the same civil rights standards to Israel that the CJC has long advocated for in Canada.

This would mean being willing to challenge the Israeli government on actions that compromise Israel’s democratic values and Jewish ideals. The new organization would have to be willing to accept that criticizing Israeli

policies is no different than criticizing Canadian policies. It would have to admit that critiquing Israeli politics is not necessarily a betrayal of the Jewish state, but rather an expression of the democratic character of modern Zionism itself.

Any Israel advocacy organization trying to engage the generation of Jews for whom connection to Israel no longer means automatically supporting all of its policies needs to consider pressing Israel towards making critical concessions for peace, including on issues related to West Bank settlements.

We imagine the leaders of CIJA have been closely following the Jewish political developments south of the border, where Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League is losing his stature as a tireless civil rights hero and gaining a reputation as a hardline supporter of Israel’s most stubborn and controversial actions, while, at the same time, organizations such as J Street that are offering a clear alternative are rapidly gaining supporters. If this experience has taught us anything, it is that domestic issues of concern to the Jewish community and uncritical advocacy efforts on behalf of Israel do not belong together.

The new CIJA-sponsored organization hopes to make a mark through a unified oper-

ational base. A big-tent approach certainly has its merits, but only if it is truly pluralistic.

Given the mainstream Jewish community’s record on Israel advocacy, however, we have our doubts that this will be the case.

We are concerned that this new umbrella organization will stifle critical thinking and civic engagement by attempting to mimic the uncompromising policy tilt of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in the United States at the expense of the kind of legitimate efforts towards civil rights in Canada traditionally undertaken by the CJC. An organization of this nature may groom good public relations spokespersons, but it will not necessarily create critically engaged citizens.

Now is the time to rethink Canadian Jewish advocacy and engagement with Israel. Is it going to be reactionary or reflective? Will it gain inspiration from a backward-looking siege mentality or a more expansive possible future?

The time is ripe for a renewed investment in an independent Jewish advocacy organization – one that supports civic engagement and debate, and one that is not afraid to push Israel on issues of critical importance to democracy, long-term regional stability and universal human rights. This would be good for the Canadian Jewish community and it would be good for Canada.

Mira Sucharov, an associate professor of political science at Carleton University, is the Bulletin’s ‘Values, Ethics, Community’ columnist. Mira Oreck is a former director of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region.

An earlier version of this column appeared in The Mark News.

Barack Obama’s approach alienates friends and irritates foes alike Following his May 22 speech at the AIPAC Conference, there is wide-ranging speculation about why U.S. President Barack Obama had to significantly weaken Israel’s position with his mention of the 1967 borders, which is code for 1949.

Interestingly, his speech did not thrill the Palestinians either. Adding to the mix, both the left- and right-leaning media went full steam on how Obama favoured the other side. Reaction was so confused that he had to clarify his statements the next day.

Obama has an established style.

He reaches out to ordinary people and plays on popular fears, misconceptions and hopes. As a presidential candidate, he gave a Kennedyesque and very presidential speech in Berlin. His high-profile speeches are full of symbolism and usually include a high profile location, a historical icon or an event to make the speeches even more memorable in people’s minds.

Much like the Berlin speech and many before it, both his Cairo and AIPAC speeches were intended for the consumption of ordinary people rather than the traditional institutions, politicians and foreign government administrations.

Obama’s approach has alienated friends and irritated foes alike, both in domestic politics and internationally. While presidents traditionally reach out behind the scenes to broker delicate agreements, Obama has chosen to speak directly to

World Affairs Oliver Javanpour the people. However, even in that, he has been selective about the people and has gone after soft targets, Israel among them.

When Iranian youth engaged in their popular uprising needed and begged for his support, the silence was deafening.

The story is much the same when it comes to Israel. The president doesn’t engage the normal channels for effective policy and strategy development. He has taken his thoughts directly to popular opinion where, once things are set in motion, the results can be unpredictable. We can see this in the Arab Spring for which his 2009 Cairo speech was at least partly responsible. The end result of speaking to the people is that Obama appears far more impressionable and swayed by popular opinion than being interested in setting opinion and mindsets.

With record unemployment, record debt, including government debt, and a slow economic recovery, it is peculiar that

Obama should be so concerned with all things Israel. It is an odd choice for a government dipping into its pension funds to pay for itself to pick a fight with the prime minister of a small country of only seven million. Why choose to delegitimize a democratic country such as Israel whose GDP is larger than all of its neighbouring countries?

In recent years, the delegitimization of Israel has become a culturally acceptable phenomenon. Perhaps, even the U.S. administration couldn’t resist such a pseudo-intellectual exercise, a chance to show that it is staying current with the trend that is sweeping the neo-left intelligentsia. Certainly delegitimization is the choice tactic of the neo-left movement today, most of whom, decades ago, thought communism was the way of the future for this planet and who are now teaching at our academic institutions.

They do genuinely believe that Israel and Zionism is what ails the Middle East. In addition, homegrown young-angryArab-youth have overwhelmingly chosen the cause of delegitimization of Israel over building long-term economic and political stability in the region. Seeing anti-AIPAC signs conveying support for Hamas is a good indicator of such simple thinking, blinded by and forgiving of Hamas’ murderous history with its own people.

It is well established that land-for-peace concessions by Israel have not led to any successes in the past. They have (Continued on page 20)

Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

Novel captures in-between time for Jewish family emigrating from Soviet Union The Free World: A Novel

By David Bezmozgis HarperCollins 356 pages I have long felt a special connection to David Bezmozgis. Natasha, his 2004 book of short stories, was released to critical acclaim weeks after I gave birth to my first child. Nervous that becoming a mom might mean less time to pursue my own artistic and intellectual interests, I put it on my birthday wish list. The slim volume of achingly perfect short stories appeared under my pillow. I recall nights spent nursing my daughter while absorbing Bezmozgis’ spare, aching prose. At the time, I was mildly envious that he was as young as I was when he wrote it. Since then, mild envy has turned to desperate waiting for his next book.

Seven years later, Bezmozgis has presented us with The Free World, a beautiful and considered novel. While Natasha mined the culture clash of Soviet immigrants in Toronto in the late 1970s, The Free World takes a half-step backward. The novel is about the liminal space between here and there, between in and out, between sacred and profane. The title is apt, in an ironic sort of way. As many of us know from our own family histories, immigration is not only about building a new life, but about cultivating dreams of what might be.

The novel is set in 1978, when one extended Jewish family has left the Soviet Union in search of a new life. At the centre of the novel is Alec, his wife, Polina, his brother, Karl, and his father, Samuil. In Russia, Samuil had “been a man with a sedan and a personal driver.”

The Krasnansky family lands in Rome, where they find temporary accommodations while awaiting their visas.

There is much deliberation over where they shall go. America is certainly considered a desirable landing place, but there is some excitement surrounding Canada – “safer,

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cleaner, and in climate not all that different from Latvia” – and Australia.

While we in the West have understood the State of Israel as representing a safe haven to almost a million Soviet Jews, the novel suggests that Israel wasn’t viewed totally uncritically. “Alec, having successfully avoided the worst of Soviet military service, wasn’t aching to go from Ben Gurion Airport to boot camp.”

Religiosity is similarly a fraught notion for them. Samuil recalls his brother telling him, after Samuil had won a prize for a Hebrew poem recitation, “Do you remember how Grandfather said the Shema when they killed him?” He adds, “A Hebrew poem never saved a Jew from a pogrom.”

Betrayal is a constant theme, as if to underscore the humiliation of being a stranger. Alec follows his father’s romantic patterns: “And if their parents had managed to conceal Samuil’s infidelities from them while they were young, the infidelities were common knowledge to almost everyone else.”

The structure of the novel also serves as an in-between space. There are flash backs to life in the U.S.S.R., with difficult military service for the men and coerced abortions for the women – Polina learns from her girlfriends that “most men went to great lengths to avoid having to deal with the contents of the yellow wrapper” – while also detailing their uneasy stay in Rome. While there is much coming to terms with real-life in their new stay as betwixt and between immigrants, Bezmozgis carefully outlines coming-of-age moments back in the Soviet Union. Scenes of young lust and fumbling romance are deftly and tenderly detailed.

David Bezmozgis was nine when his parents arrived in Canada from Latvia. Last year, the New Yorker magazine rated him one of the top 20 writers under 40. He has succeeded in bringing the story of his family’s context to our multicultural nation of Canada, which counts him among our best, young writers. The liminal spaces of which he writes do not have the acute passion of Ellis Island or the

Book Review Mira Sucharov hard-edged, hardscrabble glamour of the Lower East Side.

This book is about waiting. But these stories are important, just the same. Immigration involves a series of passages.

And, as we well know, in life sometimes the action happens in the in-between spaces.

Obama upsets Middle East balance (Continued from page 19)

simply made demands by the Palestinians, the Arab world, and the left, much grander in turn. This is not lost on many, including the U.S. administration, and even the president. And yet, there is that dogged persistence to ask for one more try!

The delegitimization of Israel is a powerful, popular movement that many, including politicians, find hard to resist as they ride the waves of pop, pseudo-intellectual public opinion. By adopting and embracing the delegitimization of Israel’s rights as a nation and a people, Obama is only bringing more instability and insecurity to the region and the world.

By failing to balance his populist approach with more nuanced diplomacy, the president’s unilateral efforts have upset the delicate balance that existed in the Middle East. He leaves us highly vulnerable to shrewder evils brewing in the re-

Barack Obama addresses the AIPAC Conference, May 22.

(Photo: Courtesy of AIPAC)

gion, with peace becoming a more distant prospect.

The highest price to be paid for Obama’s actions of today will be paid by our children tomorrow.

They will face the grave challenges

to Middle East stability that he is setting in motion today.

Oliver Javanpour is a senior partner at Cyrus Echo, a public policy and international relations consulting firm in Ottawa.

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 21

Eighteen things you may not know about Ariella Kimmel Ariella Kimmel is a busy lady – so busy she usually carries two BlackBerrys and you often have to ask what city she’s in when you call her!

A Carleton University graduate in political science, Ariella is now a political staffer who enjoyed working on Peter Kent’s successful campaign for re-election in Thornhill in the May 2 federal election.

Ariella, who is affectionately known as ‘Relly,’ is a pastpresident of Hillel Ottawa and is currently involved with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Young Women’s Leadership Council.

Here are 18 things you may not know about Ariella Kimmel ...

1. I am afraid of heights and do not like to be alone during thunderstorms.

2. I have been to Israel seven times, including for a full year when I was 16 and attended the Ramah High School Program. In 2007, I did an internship with the Jewish Agency for Israel. Israel is one of my favourite places in the world, and I am passionate about her survival and successes.

3. My comfort food is my mom Shelli’s chicken soup.

4. Yes, I am a real redhead!

5. One year for Purim, while in university, I dressed up as ‘Juno’ from the movie. Some people who were not aware that it was Purim thought I was really pregnant.

6. I have always loved animals. When I was younger, I wanted to be a vet.

7. I love dogs and we always had a dog at home when I was growing up. I frequently check the Humane Society’s website and look for dogs to adopt!

8. I was born and raised in Ottawa. My favourite place in the city is the look-out behind the Parliament Buildings.

9. My worst fashion mistakes were striped colourful toe socks and brightly coloured Modrobes. I think I still have the toe socks somewhere.

10. After first year university, I worked at an East Side Mario’s restaurant. I hated having to sing the “Birthday Song”! We even got tested on it before being hired.

11. I make great banana muffins and can also make a mean 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken.

12. Yes, I usually have two BlackBerrys on me at all

times, one for work and one for private use. Unfortunately, I usually forget to charge them, so I’m often seen flipping the one charged battery back and forth between them!

13. I have never broken any bones.

14. I met my Montreal-born boyfriend Eddie at a conference for Jewish campus leaders, and we started dating following an Israel advocacy training conference.

15. I have been accused of being a clothes hoarder. I love to shop for clothes and shoes!

16. When I was in Washington for a meeting at Congress, Nigel Barker from America’s Next Top Model was in front of me with his camera gear. I was so excited, but no

18 things ...

Sarah Silverstein one else seemed to know who he was.

17. My first time ever in New York City was this past March, and we got stuck in that terrible snowstorm. I definitely plan on going back – just not in the winter.

18. I have travelled extensively, especially around Europe, and really love Prague because it is an exciting city with so much history.

Ariella Kimmel and boyfriend Eddie Fuchs at her favourite look-out.

My dreams could change the world Have you ever had a dream in which you are suddenly flooded with inspiration, in which a great truth seems to descend on you like a mantle, as if you had just graduated from university and were now being accepted into the elite?

You feel as if some universally important concept is being born inside your head, and it will be your duty to share this with the world as soon as you wake up.

Invariably, unless you are genius or a world class inventor, these important and significant ideas seem less so when you write them down in the light of day. Sometimes, they are mysterious phrases of which you can no longer make heads or tails.

One of mine was, “There is no beginning without an ending; there is no ending without a beginning.”

In my dream, these were words that came down through a hole in the clouds, in a voice that sounded like Charlton Heston as Moses in The Ten Commandments.

Somehow, when I say it now, it seems obvious. On the other hand, maybe if I sat cross-legged and whispered it to a group of acolytes, it would seem like the ultimate piece of wisdom.

Hmm, maybe if I wrote a book of these sayings, I could turn it into a best seller!

I think two of my more recent revelations deserve to be heard by a wider audience.

Humour me, please Rubin Friedman The first was a sudden understanding of the word “China.” The first half of that word actually means “tea” in Slavic languages and is a tea drink in India as well.

The light bulb went on inside my head in my dream. I had a sudden insight, apparently, that the real name of China in English should be “Teana.”

Well, when I told some friends, they expressed some reservations.

“Too many women named Tina would object,” said one.

“The adjective would be Teanese and that would make all the people from there sound as if they were short. Too racist,” said another.

The last one asked, “Does that mean I would have to start calling my dish set ‘red bone teana’?”

So, you see how difficult it is to get new ideas accepted, even when they are as brilliant as mine.

In my second dream, I had one of those philosophical visions that could truly change the world.

There is discrimination because we classify things as objects or as living, non-human or human, and sometimes we think of other people as being in the wrong category. What if we did the opposite and treated everything in the universe as if it were human?

I know. I know. You want to nominate me for the Nobel Peace Prize.

How could you not? My suggestion, in one fell swoop, would do away with all racism and discrimination. Universal peace would break out, and we could disband the United Nations.

Of course, I might get angry at my car for refusing to start or at my computer for freezing up and shutting down when I am typing something important. But, every brilliant idea has some wrinkles.

On the other hand, this whole conversation could be a dream and I will soon wake up.

And, just in case you’re having this dream with me and these ideas do work, remember they were my ideas when we both wake up.

In the words of my wise mother, “Try it! You’ll like it!”

Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 23

FOUNDATION DONATIONS Our future is in your hands

Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation To make a donation and/or send a tribute card, call Erin Bolling (613-798-4696 ext. 232) e-mail: donation@ojcf.ca • website: www.OJCF.ca

Join us in building our community by supporting these local agencies MENDEL AND VALERIE GOOD HOLOCAUST CONTINUING EDUCATION FUND In memory of: Anna Heilman by Lily Feig.

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Continued on page 24

Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

FOUNDATION DONATIONS The Chair and Board of Directors of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation cordially invite all fund holders and members of the Community to attend the

OJCF Annual General Meeting Thursday, June 16th, 2011 Doors Open: 7:00 pm

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“Our Future is in Your Hands”

The Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation has published its Annual Report summarizing the 2010 calendar year.

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Continued on page 25

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 25

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SALLY AND MAX TALLER FAMILY FUND Birthday wishes to: Celia Levitan by Sally Taller.

SUSAN WEISMAN AND JEFF TAYLOR ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Irving Gottheil by Susan, Jeff, Josh, Bram and Dani Taylor.

Condolences to: The Bron family on the loss of a dear father and grandfather by Susan, Jeff, Josh, Bram and Dani Taylor.

STEPHEN AND GAIL VICTOR ENDOWMENT FUND Condolences to: Caren Fried and family on the loss of a dear father by Sandy Marchello.

MICHAEL WALSH AND LISA ROSENKRANTZ ENDOWMENT FUND In appreciation to: Dr. Lisa Rosenkrantz by Vicki and Jonathan Wiseman.

Torah High to celebrate five years of Jewish learning

By Bram Bregman NCSY With 237 Jewish teenagers having devoted themselves to a total of more than 20,000 hours of Jewish learning, Torah High has reached our five year mark.

In 2006, NCSY saw the need to create an engaging Jewish educational program for teenagers attending public high schools.

Torah High was created to provide a Jewish education to such students in a way that makes Jewish learning exciting, relevant and interesting, all while receiving a Ministry of Education-approved high school credit.

Expecting to attract 20 students the first year, Torah High attracted 52. Enrolment has grown each year since with 101 students enrolled this year.

To mark the growth and success of Torah High, as well as to honour our students, past

and present, we are holding the Five Year Celebration of Torah High on Tuesday, June 14, 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre.

The keynote speaker will be Rabbi Yehuda Simes, one of Torah High’s founders and our director of education. Rabbi Simes’ topic will be “My Life on Wheels: Navigating Through the Detours of Life,� a talk based on his experiences over the past year recovering from serious injuries suffered in a highway accident.

The Five Year Celebration of Torah High will also include fun and interactive programs and an elegant dessert reception.

There is no charge and the entire community is invited.

For more information, to RSVP, or to become a sponsor, contact Gaby Scarowsky at 613-262-6283 or gaby@ncsy.ca.

An unveiling

An unveiling

of a monument in loving memory of

Esther Goldstein will take place

Sunday, July 3, 2011

MILDRED AND PERCY WEINSTEIN ENDOWMENT FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Bertha and Jacob Bookman, dear parents by Millie Weinstein.

Anniversary wishes to: Sally and Elliott Levitan by Millie Weinstein.

Dorothy and Hy Hymes by Millie Weinstein.

WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE ENDOWMENT FUND An anonymous donation was made to this fund.

Congratulations to: Paula Agulnik on 25 years of service to Reach Canada by Lynne Oreck-Wener.

ZIPES KARANOFSKY FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND In appreciation to: Helen Zipes by Deborah and Howard Krebs.

Mazal Tov to: Neil and Debbie Zaret on the marriage of Josh to Jennifer by Rick and Helen Zipes.

Eric and Donna Levin on the marriage of Jennifer to Josh by Rick and Helen Zipes.

Eric and Joy Weissbloom on the marriage of their daughter by Rick and Helen Zipes.

will take place

at 11:00 am

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Baron de Hirsch Cemetery,

at 11:00 am

Shevet Achim Section 5015 rue de la Savane, Montreal Family and friends are invited to attend.

Bank Street Cemetery Machzikei Hadas Section Family and friends are welcome to attend.

LIEFF FAMILY B’NAI MITZVAH FUND In memory of: Kay Grant by Norman and Francie Lieff.

JONATHAN, MATTHEW AND ADAM SHERMAN B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Mazal Tov to: Ian Sherman on his receipt of the Gilbert Greenberg Distinguished Service Award by Steven and Shelli Kimmel and family.

Contributions may be made online at www.OJCF.ca or by contacting Erin Bolling at 613-798-4696 extension 232, Monday to Friday or by email at donation@ojcf.ca. Attractive cards are sent to convey the appropriate sentiments. All donations are acknowledged with a charitable receipt. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Amex.

An unveiling

An Open House

in memory of

in memory of

Morton Taller z�l

Dr. Maxwell Richter

will take place

(June 11, 1933 - May 11, 2011)

will take place

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sunday, June 26, 2011

at 11:00 am

between 1:00 and 5:00 pm

Bank Street Cemetery Machzikei Hadas Section

38 Metropole Private, Suite 1504

Family and friends are welcome to attend.

Family and friends are invited to attend.

in memory of

Carol Sadinsky (Spiro)

THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM RYAN JEREMY BAKER B’NAI MITZVAH FUND In memory of: Moe Lesser by Benita, Steven, Alexander and Ryan Baker.

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Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

Ottawa comedian is a busy guy Running around a packed bingo hall in his underwear while being filmed for his own show, being the lead English writer for Just for Laughs, creating prank comedy skits for two U.S. TV channels and MuchMusic in Canada, being executive producer and director of a reality show for a Canadian pop singer, all make him a busy guy.

The British version of GQ magazine described him as “enormously talented” in a 2009 article, and mentions that his YouTube channel had received more than seven million hits.

Who could this be?

None other than Ottawa’s own Paul Telner!

This multi-talented, always brightly dressed – his goal, he said, is to “look like a bubble gum machine” – extremely social, full-of-energy guy has done all of the above, and that’s just the beginning of the story.

Telner, who has often been seen schmoozing it up at Jewish social events in Ottawa – he even filmed a promotional video for jnet’s Graffiti Party in 2010 – divides his time between Ottawa and Montreal, and is often in Los Angeles developing new projects.

So, how did it all begin?

“In high school, I started doing stand-up comedy,” said Telner. “My Grade 11 teacher, Miss Howard, saw that I could make the class laugh, but I always disturbed the class. So, she gave me five to 10 minutes at the end of each class to perform and do impersonations of her and other teachers.”

From there, his friend Byron Pascoe decided to become his manager, and they took his shtick to comedy clubs.

“Instead of spending high school nights with friends, we would be in sleazy comedy clubs, and I’d be performing stand-up comedy,” he said.

While enjoying stand-up comedy, he always knew that he wanted to be on television.

Starting with a talk show at Carleton University, Telner’s signature prank style of comedy was born.

“One of my favourites was when I showed up at a residence laundry room and put on some random person’s laundry from head to toe, and then just waited for that person to show up. They completed freaked out,” he said.

His first big break came in 2004, when the college cable TV network, Zilo, which was available at more than 400 colleges and universities in the U.S., picked up the pilot show he had created and turned it into a series, Apauled, which became a big hit for the network.

The U.S. cable network, G4, picked up his show in 2006.

Canadians finally got to see Telner in 2009 when

Having lots of projects in the works keeps a smile on Paul Telner’s face.

MuchMusic featured him on his own primetime show and on MuchOnDemand.

Telner, who is currently working for Just for Laughs, just finished a pilot for Playboy in L.A., and is executive producer and director of a reality show with Canadian pop singer Karl Wolf.

“My big skill is knowing people and knowing how they react. I know when to cut off a conversation and how not to make it awkward. A prank can be very funny, very mean or very bad. You have to have that comedy gene and you can’t be scared or fear things. I’ve always known my limit,” he said.

With all of this success, Telner appreciates the influence his father had on his comedy.

“My dad is definitely the comedian of the family,” Telner said. “I remember being a kid in my pyjamas upstairs, 11:30 at night, supposed to be sleeping, trying to study my dad at dinner parties.

“There would be 15 people over for dinner, and I would be listening to every word he was saying. His delivery was really great. Everything I do really comes from him.”

While it appears to be all fun and games for Telner, he claims that he’s not Mr. Prank all the time.

“I have a very serious side behind closed doors. I really do have a lot of heart and care about people and have a serious side when not performing.”

Telner’s ultimate dream is to land his own talk show on the Internet or TV, or both. Acting is also something he would like to pursue.

For those aspiring to get into ‘the business,’ his advice is simple: “In a time where anyone can get their hands on a camera and everything is so cheap these days, there is no excuse not to do it.

“There’s an instant audience. First, you literally have to just go for it. Second, just be yourself. Everyone knows who they are – if you aren’t genuine to whom you really are, people aren’t going to like it,” he said.

“You just have to go after your passion, and don’t give up.”

Visit paultelner.com for more information or to see some of Telner’s YouTube videos. While some of his videos may not be suitable for all ages, they are outrageous and highly amusing.

Consider yourself warned.

Readers and advertisers are advised the next edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin will be published on Monday, July 18, 2011.

Deadline: Wednesday June 29, 2011.

June 13, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 27

Made with Love

Go beyond sushi: Invite friends over for izakaya Chances are, if I say Japanese food, most of you will think sushi. But there is a whole world of Japanese food out there beyond raw fish and vinegared rice.

A Japanese food trend known as izakaya is beginning to make its way across the ocean. Izakaya (pronounced eeZAH-ka-ya) is basically a Japanese tapas bar or pub. Literally translated, it means ‘i’ (to sit) and ‘sakaya’ (sake shop).

Much like Spanish tapas, izakaya is ingrained into the social fabric of Japanese culture.

Most days, on the streets of Tokyo, right around 5:00 pm, office workers begin streaming out of their towers and into izakayas. However, they are not chowing down on Buffalo wings, nachos and salsa. Typical fare in an izakaya includes steamed edamame, kushiyaki (basically any tasty tidbits on skewers), kara-age (think Japanese chicken nuggets!), agedashi dofu (deep-fried tofu with dipping sauce) and beef or tuna tataki.

Kara-Age Kara-age is a yummy and very addictive Japanese version of chicken nuggets. It is pronounced ka-ra-ah-gee (hard g sound). There are lots of different kara-age recipes out there. Here is my version. I like to use chicken thighs because there is little chance of overcooking them. If you like breasts, just be careful that you do not overcook when frying or they will be tough and dry.

2 teaspoons grated ginger 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 green onion, finely minced 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sake or rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup white rice flour vegetable oil for frying lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Cindy Feingold

Sesame Ginger Edamame I used to always eat edamame coated in olive oil and salt, until my friend Paula introduced me to this version from the 2008 holiday edition of LCBO Magazine.

Edamame are the whole pods of young soybeans. You can find them in the freezer section of most grocery stores.

Food writer Jennifer Mackenzie offers this primer for the uninitiated: “The trick to eating them is to use your teeth to squeeze the tender beans out of the pods into your mouth while getting all of the sensation of the seasoning from the outer, inedible, pod. Be sure to place an empty bowl beside the serving dish or hand out small plates for the empty pods.”

1 lb (500 g) edamame in the pod (fresh or frozen) 1 tablespoon (15 ml) canola oil 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dark sesame oil 1 teaspoon (5 ml) packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon (5 ml) grated ginger 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame seeds Coarse sea salt or kosher salt Add edamame to a pot of boiling salted water and return to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until pods are easy to split and beans are tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Cover with cold water and let stand, refreshing water as necessary, until beans are chilled. Drain well and spread onto a towel-lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, for up to 1 day.

Heat canola and sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add sugar and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add edamame pods and sesame seeds and sauté for about 5 minutes or until beans are heated through and starting to brown. Sprinkle with salt. Serve hot or warm.

Serves 6.

The New Year is approaching and the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin is starting to plan its annual Rosh Hashanah community-wide edition, September 19, 2011.

Let the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin convey your wishes to all those you hold dear.

Combine the ginger, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sake and sugar in big bowl.

Wash the chicken, pat it dry with paper towels and remove any extra fat. Cut the chicken into uniform large bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Add about 3/4 inch of vegetable oil to a heavy pot and heat over medium heat until it reaches 340 degrees F. Mix together the cornstarch, all-purpose flour and rice flour in a bowl and dredge the chicken to coat, dusting off any extra before lowering each piece into the oil. Fry until golden brown on one side, flip and continue to fry until the other side is nice and browned.

Transfer to a paper towel lined rack to drain, and then serve with lemon wedges.

The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. collects and uses your personal information primarily for the purpose of providing you with the products and services you have requested from us.

As far as I know, no one has opened an izakaya yet in Ottawa. But here’s your chance to be a culinary trendsetter.

These little snacks are perfect to serve with drinks as hors d’oeuvres when your friends get together.

Three options available: $40, $50, $60 (including HST) Greetings must be prepaid by cheque, VISA or MasterCard and submitted before Wednesday, August 24, 2011 For more information, contact Cindy Manor-Kennedy 613-798-4696, ext. 256

The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin may also contact you from time to time to ask about your account or to conduct market research and surveys in an effort to continually improve our product service offerings.

cmanor@ottawajewishbulletin.com To enable us to more efficiently provide the products and services you have requested from us, the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin may share your personal information with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, the Ottawa Jewish

Community Foundation and the Soloway Jewish Community Centre.

If you would like more information, or to speak to the Privacy Officer, please call 613-798-4696, ext. 256.

Page 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 13, 2011

WHAT’S GOING ON June 13 to July 17, 2011 MONDAY, JUNE 13 Annual Ben Karp Memorial Lecture: Ottawa Jewish Historical Society presents Rabbi Dr. Reuven P. Bulka on “Highlights of a Wonderful Rabbinic Experience,” Congregation Machzikei Hadas, 2310 Virginia Drive, 7:30 pm.

Info: 613-244-8291.

CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE Jun 17 Jun 24 Jul 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul 22 Jul 29

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡

8:35 8:37 8:37 8:35 8:31 8:25 8:17

pm pm pm pm pm pm pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 14 “From Humble Beginnings – a Journey to the Supreme Court of Canada”

by Hon. Mr. Justice Marshall Rothstein, sponsored by the Ottawa Jewish Lawyers’ Society and Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute on Governance, 60 George Street, 2nd Floor, 6:30 pm. Info: ottawajls@gmail.com.

5-Year Celebration of Torah High with keynote presenter Rabbi Yehuda Simes, Torah High’s Director of Edu-

cation, on “My Life on Wheels: Navigating through the Detours of Life.” Past and present students will be honoured and dessert reception follows, 7:00 pm. Info: 613262-6283.

Malca Pass Book Discussion Group: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, reviewed by Ann Matyas, Congregation Agudath Israel, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 7:30 pm. Info: 613829-2455.

The Ottawa Jewish Community School Annual General Meeting, 31 Nadolny Sachs Private, 8:00 pm. Info: 613-226-6986.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16 Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation Annual General Meeting. Fund holders and members of Ottawa’s Jewish community are invited, 7:30 pm. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 252.

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

MONDAY, JUNE 20 “Coffee Talks” presented

by Jewish Family Services and Starbucks, discussion about coffees from around the world, 2685 Iris Street, 1:00 pm. Info: 613-722-2225, ext. 411.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22 Let’s Do Lunch, sponsored by Jewish Family Services and Congregation Agudath Israel. Janie Respitz presents “A Yiddish Zemeral,” 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 12:00 pm. Info: 613-728-3501.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26 Shalom Ottawa, our community TV show on Rogers 22, 12:00 pm. (Repeats June 30 at 4:30 pm and July 2 at 12:00 pm.)

MONDAY, JUNE 27 Canada Celebration, sponsored by Jewish Family Services, will feature musical

presentations and multicultural entertainment, Andrew Haydon Park, 3169 Carling Avenue, 1:30 pm. Info: 613722-2225, ext. 411.

David Sax, and will have for sale many Jewish book titles, 2255 Carling Avenue, 10:30 am. Info: 613-722-2225, ext.

411.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 Books and Bagel Brunch presents a Collected Works Jewish Book Fair. In conjunction with Jewish Family Services, Collected Works will feature Save the Deli, by

MONDAY, JULY 11 18th Annual JFO Golf Tournament, Rideauview Golf and Country Club, 6044 Rideau Valley Drive North, 11:30 am. Info: 613-7984696, ext. 241.

COMING SOON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10 JFO Women’s Golf Tournament “Nine and Dine,” Canadian Golf and Country Club, 7800 Golf Club Way, Ashton.

Breakfast and clinics at 8:30 am.

Shotgun start at 10:00 am.

Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 241.

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

The

Condolences are extended to the families of:

CONDOLENCE COLUMN is offered as a public service to the community.

Harold Hertzman, Toronto (father of Linda Rossman) Harold Sachs

There is no charge.

Dorothy Stein, Montreal (mother of Rhoda Aronson)

For a listing in this column, please call 613-798-4696, ext. 232.

May their memory be a blessing always.

Voice mail is available.

BULLETIN DEADLINES JUNE 29 FOR JULY 18 JULY 27 FOR AUGUST 15 AUGUST 17 FOR SEPTEMBER 5 AUGUST 24 FOR SEPTEMBER 19* SEPTEMBER 14 FOR OCTOBER 3 OCTOBER 5 FOR OCTOBER 31 OCTOBER 26 FOR NOVEMBER 14 * Community-wide Issue (all dates subject to change)

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