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bulletin december 12, 2011

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. •

volume 76, no. 5

21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9

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Publisher: Mitchell Bellman

kislev 16, 5772

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Editor: Michael Regenstreif $2.00

Rabbi Simes returns to the classroom

By Nicola Hamer In April, 10 months after the car accident that crushed his spinal cord, Rabbi Yehuda Simes made his first visit back to the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS), where he had taught for more than a decade. He arrived in his electric wheelchair and spoke to the assembled students in his quiet voice, made even quieter by a partially paralyzed diaphragm, telling them of his life since the accident.

Then he opened the floor to questions. A boy stood up and asked, “When are you coming back to teach again?”

To onlookers who do not know Rabbi Simes, it seemed to be a crazy question. As a C4 quadriplegic, he is paralyzed from the shoulders down, and most of his day is taken up with the task of keeping his body healthy. He can do very little without assistance. But his

students and friends were not surprised when he told the kids he didn’t know when, but he would be back.

Fast-forward to a Monday morning in November. Rabbi Simes is having a discussion with some Grade 7 students in their Jewish values class about the nature of the angels met by Abraham in the desert. He teaches only one class per week. Illness or medical appointments sometimes prevent him from coming, but he is back.

Before the accident, Rabbi Simes was an incredibly popular teacher at Hillel Academy (now OJCS), as well as at Torah High, a Jewish afternoon school he cofounded.

He has started back by teaching a smaller group of OJCS students, who take Hebrew and Heritage with Sheli Braun, OJCS’s Judaics (Continued on page 2)

Rabbi Yehuda Simes with Torah High students happy to welcome him back to the afternoon school he co-founded.

Chuck Merovitz honoured as Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser

By Benita Baker Ottawa lawyer Chuck Merovitz was named 2011 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Ottawa Chapter at its 17th Annual National Philanthropy Day Gala, November 16, at the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel.

“This is a special award, but, really, nothing that I do in the volunteer world is for recognition,” said Merovitz, who dedicated the award to his mother who died of cancer at a young age. “I am happy because it would make my parents proud.”

Merovitz was nominated for the award by the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation (ORCF) in recognition of his tireless efforts to raise funds for the foundation, which is dedicated to increasing cancer survivorship in Eastern Ontario.

“Through his ongoing exemplary demonstration of philanthropy through volunteerism, he has inspired others to contribute to the fundraising campaign, raising over $2 million for the Cancer Foundation to date,” said ORCF President and CEO Linda Eagan in her nomination letter.

Merovitz is especially lauded for establishing the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park in Ottawa. He chanced upon a Bloch Cancer Survivors Park while vacationing in California and was struck by its message of hope and inspiration.

“My mother died of cancer when she was only 56,” said Merovitz. “I always thereafter equated cancer with death.”

Returning to Ottawa, he worked tirelessly for four years to make the park a reality. He found a location, secured $1.5

Chick Merovitz accepts the AFP Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser at the Annual National Philanthropy Day Gala, November 16.

(Photo: Bernie Forestall)

(Continued on page 2)

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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Rabbi Simes: Teaching is where ‘I’m meant to be’ (Continued from page 1)

Resource teacher.

“The other kids are so jealous,” said Gil Robern, one of the students in the class.

When asked if they think Rabbi Simes is any different from before his accident, the students at first say no, except that, according to Noah Bellman, “he used to pace a lot, and now he can’t do that.”

Classmate Daniel Segal added, “He was always walking around the classroom, and he’d come up to you and see how you were doing, and then keep walking, which was good, because it helped us pay attention.”

Asked if having Rabbi Simes immobilized in his wheelchair makes it harder to pay attention, the students say it doesn’t. Trying to articulate why, Daniel finally bursts out with, “He’s Rabbi Simes!”

Rabbi Simes himself admits that he had a hard time adjusting for the first couple of classes, since he was so used to using movement in his teaching, particularly his hands. He

Rabbi Yehuda Simes teaching Grade 7 students at the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

(Photo: Nicola Hamer)

was concerned that he would lose his students’ interest.

“They treat me differently,” he said. “They show a great deal of respect, and discipline isn’t an issue.”

He believes it is because he’s in

a wheelchair, but Braun isn’t convinced.

“They are very quiet because of that, since they otherwise wouldn’t hear him,” she said. “They know he can’t raise his voice to talk over

them. But, even if he had walked back into the classroom, I think he would be getting that respect. They missed him terribly, and they appreciate what they have gotten back.”

So what is it about Rabbi Simes

that makes a group of students sit still for 40 minutes so they can hear their paralyzed teacher’s quiet voice?

“He doesn’t talk to you like you are a little kid,” said student Daniel Fogel. “He talks to you like you are smart.”

Rabbi Simes has always said all he ever wanted to do was teach, and he believes every child is good and wants to learn – it is just a matter of finding out how to reach them. As he rolls through the hallways and the students run up to say hello, it is clear he hasn’t let his accident prevent him from continuing to reach them. And the appreciation goes both ways.

“How was it today?” asked a fellow staff member, as he prepared to head out after class.

“Great,” said Rabbi Simes. “I feel so alive when I’m in there teaching. This is where I’m meant to be.”

Rabbi Simes also returned to Torah High for a class last month and plans to return there again soon.

‘It’s easy to ask for money when you are passionate about the cause’ (Continued from page 1)

million in funding and arranged a perpetual lease from the city of Ottawa for an annual rent of one dollar.

The park officially opened to the public on September 24, 2008.

“I hope the park is giving people the hope that it inspired in me,” said Merovitz.

The AFP award is presented to individuals who have “demonstrated through their volunteerism exceptional skills in co-ordination and motivation of others for fundraising projects and who is committed to the advancement of philanthropy.” Accompanying the nomination was a letter of support from Vangie Rich, executive director of the R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation.

“What struck me is that,

before we even finally met face-to-face, I could sense his compassion, trustworthiness and commitment to helping people in his community,” said Rich. “He never gave up, even as the process dragged on. His cheerfulness still rings in my ears … So, thank you for giving consideration to Chuck for this prestigious award for the difference he continues to make for cancer patients, families and survivors in Ottawa – the capital of your great country. He is truly working to make the world a better place.”

Merovitz has been fundraising for as long as he can remember.

“My parents taught me from the time I was four or five to embrace the Jewish values of tikkun olam,” said

Merovitz, who remembers, as a little boy, helping his mother at the shul bazaar and selling trees for Israel, one leaf at a time, for five cents each.

While the funds he raises now are considerably more substantial, the commitment has not changed.

“The secret to fundraising is passion,” he said. “It’s easy to ask for money when you are passionate about the cause.”

Merovitz was associate chair of the campaign that raised $25,000,000 for the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation.

In addition to launching the park, Merovitz has been central to other ORCF fundraising efforts. He raised $800,000 to purchase the new CyberKnife equipment for the Ottawa Hospital and

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He helped to secure a $1.7 million grant for the building of the ORCF’s new survivorship centre and is a member of the foundation’s Survivorship Task Force, which is committed to raising $2 million to support the centre’s programming.

Merovitz joins an impressive list of Jewish community leaders who have been honoured previously by the Association of Fundraising Pro-

fessionals. David Smith, Norman Lesh, Ellyn Holzman, Barbara Farber, Rabbi Reuven Bulka, Stephen Greenberg and Roger Greenberg have been honoured as Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser. The Outstanding Individual Philanthropist award has been given to Zeev and Sara Vered, Harold Shenkman and Dan Greenberg.

Born and raised in Montreal, Merovitz moved to Ottawa in 1974, after graduating from law school, and established his law practice

here in 1976. In accepting the APF award, Merovitz thanked his two “exceptional partners”: his law partner, Bram Potechin, and his wife, Bonnie.

“Bonnie, you are always supportive of my volunteer activities, you never complain that they keep me away from home,” he said. “You support my efforts and very often assist me. You are an outstanding volunteer in your own right, and I love and respect you. Thank you for all that you do.”

Jewish Outreach expert at Federation members meeting Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, executive director of the Jewish Outreach Institute spoke at the semi-annual Jewish Federation of Ottawa members meeting, November 29. According to Rabbi Olitzky, North American Jewish communities are in an “epoch of transition.”

He was unsure how long this epoch will last, “But when it’s over,” he said, “Jewish communities will look nothing like they did when it began.”

See the Editor’s column on page 7 for more on Rabbi Olitzky’s presentation.

(Photo: Michael Regenstreif)

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 3

Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Children’s book about the M.S. St. Louis to be launched

By Diane Koven So Near, and Yet So Far: Klara’s Voyage on the M.S. St. Louis, a new children’s book, based on the story of the ill-fated voyage of the M.S. St. Louis during the Second World War, will be launched next month. The book will be the basis of a program designed to teach tolerance and acceptance in local schools and the general community.

Author Sara Loewanthal and illustrator Nicholas Jackson have produced the book as part of the M.S. St. Louis Commemorative Project, an initiative of the Jewish Youth Library. Funding for the project was came from the federal Ministry of Citizenship

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The M.S. St. Louis was a German ocean liner that set sail from Hamburg on May 13, 1939 with 937 refugees from Nazi Germany – 930 Jews and seven non-Jews – on board, hoping to find a safe haven. Only 29 passengers were able to disembark in Havana, Cuba. They were then refused entry to the United States and Canada.

The ship was forced to return to Europe where several countries did accept some of them. Unfortunately, even many of those who found refuge were later murdered in Nazi concentration camps.

Author Loewanthal credits the Jewish Youth Library with much support for her first book.

“I work with Early Years as a preschool consultant, and I always place a strong emphasis on pre-literacy in the classroom,” she said.

“It was fantastic that I was able to combine my two passions: educating children and books.”

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The advisory committee for the M.S. St. Louis Commemorative Project meets at the Jewish Youth Library. (Clockwise from left) Anna Bilsky, Devora Caytak, Sharon Sholzberg-Gray, Erica Phillips-Posner and Bina Ester Botwinik.

The book will be launched officially at a public event, January 25, 7:00 pm, at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive.

Loewanthal and illustrator Jackson will be present, as will a survivor of the fateful journey. As well, a special mural commissioned as part of the project will be shown before being installed permanently at the Jewish Youth Library.

Artist Michoel Muchnik will also be present at the launch event to discuss the symbolism of the multimedia, three-dimensional mural.

“I think it is a wonderful thing that Canada gave this grant, being that Canada is

one of the countries that refused the ship,” said Muchnik. “This is one way of illustrating what Jewish people have brought to Canada and added to the Canadian mosaic.”

On the morning of the launch, the cultural affairs division of the U.S. Embassy will host a digital video conference to share the book and project with U.S. consulates around the world.

One thousand copies of the book will be distributed to various schools and libraries across Canada, accompanied by a bilingual, educational commemorative booklet.

Loewanthal and Jackson will visit local schools to do

readings and initiate discussions with students. The teachers’ guide contains discussion topics that make the story not just a Jewish event, but also a Canadian event.

Topics such as bullying, immigration policies and responsibility are included.

Admission to the launch event is free of charge, but space is limited and tickets are required.

For more information, or to obtain tickets, contact the Jewish Youth Library at 613-729-1619 or visit www.jylofottawa.org.

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December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 5

Guest Column

2011 NEGEV DINNER

Almost home: Hillel Lodge plans for 21 new beds

By Stephen Schneiderman Executive Director Hillel Lodge “First we shape buildings, then they shape us.”

– Winston Churchill Everything that has been done so far to enhance the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge and develop our new wing, the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Pavilion, has been with the new residents in mind.

It goes without saying, the primary interest of the residents and their families extends beyond the bricks and mortar and the selection of the finest in décor and equipment.

Given the Lodge’s history and reputation, people take those as givens. Residents are more concerned about what their life will be like on a day-to-day basis. Their family members want to know about the quality of care and services the Lodge will offer and deliver.

They can be assured the unit’s design creates a comfortable environment, a secure setting and a pleasant home-like atmosphere.

The planning aspect for the new pavilion is more complicated. The process has to begin with the new residents.

The 21 residents who will be housed in the new pavilion will require light-to-medium levels of care in the 13 private and four basic (two beds sharing a bathroom) rooms. More importantly, the new unit needs to be staffed accordingly.

The first challenge is to decide who will be admitted to the new pavilion. Externally, that decision rests with the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC). Internally, eligibility is determined by the Professional Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Committee. This committee is staffed by health care professionals and para-professionals. They are Lodge employees who use the most current instruments available to assess the level of required care for each resident.

Developing an admission schedule is further complicated by internal candidates who will be requesting transfers from elsewhere in the Lodge to the new pavilion. As well, there is a long waiting list of applicants expecting to be admitted. A further mitigating aspect is a fluctuating number of those waiting to be admitted whose health needs may change while they are on the waiting list.

While people wait for a long time, when the call finally comes, it does not allow for a great deal of lead-time. The tight time frame (three days to generally less than a week’s no-

tice) does not always provide individuals and their families the opportunity to decide if the move to Hillel Lodge is indeed the right move for them.

At this point, it appears there will be eight to 10 residents (internal candidates) transferring to the new unit. This means there will be eight to 10 spaces available for new admissions to a unit other than the pavilion. The remainder of the pavilion spaces will be offered by the CCAC on a priority basis. One of those priorities is recognition that the Lodge is a designated ethno-religious home.

Therefore, some preference is accorded to Jewish applicants. The Lodge has been working collaboratively with the CCAC to make that happen.

Even before the first new resident is contacted, the Lodge must develop a human resources plan to deliver its care and services according to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Guidelines.

The plan must take into account the number of residents living in the pavilion and the type and level of care and services being provided. Since the Lodge operates in a unionized environment, job offerings must be posted according to the collective agreements, and employees need to be identified or recruited and interviewed. The new unit will have employees from other units and new people eager to work at the Lodge. Some of those who previously worked on a casual or part-time basis will be assuming full-time duties. Transferred staff will also require replacements. In all, there will be 23 new positions.

Successful candidates will be given comprehensive orientation and training before the first resident arrives. Training is important because it gives each employee the opportunity to learn and review core competencies and acquire new knowledge and skills through a series of lectures and workshops.

Once construction is complete and the fixtures and furnishings brought in, the unit will be given a thorough cleaning. The new staff will be involved in stocking the cupboards and filling the shelves with supplies.

Admission days will feature extra staff to make sure the orientation (getting to know us) period offers each resident the time and attention required to make the move as seamless as possible.

Then, we will do what we have always done: simply our best to make our residents feel like it is now their home.

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Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

It sometimes takes the eyes of others to see what a wonderful community we have In mid-November, in preparation for the first Dragon Boat Israel festival taking place next May 17 and 18 on the Sea of Galilee, four Jewish women and two nonJewish men arrived in Israel to welcome our newly purchased dragon boats, which had made aliyah from China.

The men, Mike and Jim, knew very little about the history, culture, religion and politics of the country in which they found themselves. They had simply come to a place in the Middle East known for its beauty, to share their knowledge and expertise on dragon boating.

These experts in their field had flown to Israel for four days and spent almost every waking hour either on the water or in the classroom teaching 12 Israeli men to steer, coach and, ultimately, how to dragon boat.

During their short visit, they faced serious challenges including rainy weather, language barriers, large male egos and time constraints. There were moments we all felt defeated and believed the entire exercise was a waste of time, energy and resources.

Mike and Jim were met initially with some resistance. But they managed to hold

Federation Report Debbie Halton-Weiss Chair their own and quickly earned the respect of their students. On day two, Jim decided to seat a child in the boat next to each of the 12 adult men he was training. Suddenly, the 12 students took their job more seriously, teaching the kids safety measures, how to work effectively as a team, and to listen attentively to their coach. Jim saw another side to the tough Israeli exterior, observing their warmth and compassion with the children. In response, the Israelis gave Jim the respect and support he deserved. This was the turning point.

Jim and Mike, who have travelled the world promoting, teaching and helping to organize dragon boat festivals, had never experienced what they did in Israel. Their first and fundamental question was why a group of people would be interested in cre-

ating a festival in another part of the world that had no apparent direct benefit.

They quickly learned that what we were doing was all about building community, people-to-people connections, and that dragon boating was merely a tool to help make this happen. This was a partnership unlike any they had ever witnessed, in which people came together because they cared deeply about a mutually successful outcome that would bring people to Israel in a shared, innovative, inclusive and charitably driven experience. They understood we are one large, very unique community sharing common interests, values and goals.

During our last dinner together, I tried to explain to our experts why we returned to Israel time after time. I explained that it is all about the people we meet and the relationships we build that keep us coming back whenever possible.

But they had already gained this insight by observing what was accomplished in four short days. Not only were skills transmitted, but relationships were built. This was readily apparent when Jim and Mike said their emotional goodbyes to their crew

and exchanged words of l’hitraot (until the next time).

One could say that dragon boating had worked its magic. But I would suggest this is what is experienced whenever meaningful mifgashim (exchanges) are shared between Israelis and us. Whether it is our Partnership2gether (formerly P2K) exchanges among our students, our Birthright participants, our social action and medical student missions, these are experiences that define how we feel about Israel and our own Jewish identity. It sometimes takes experiences seen through the eyes of others to remind us how lucky we are and what a wonderful community we have.

As we light our Chanukah candles, we should consider all that is so special in our Jewish community, that which adds meaning and substance to our lives, and, particularly, the miracle of the State of Israel, and how blessed we are to have her in our lives.

I would like to extend wishes for a Happy Chanukah shared with family and friends in celebration of our freedom as a Jewish people in Canada and in Israel.

Chag Sameach from our home to yours.

‘What is the most important thing to do on Chanukah?’

“What is Chanukah?” sounds like a most ridiculous question, in that everyone knows the answer. It is the time of miraculous redemption and therefore joyous celebration. It may be unwise to push further and ask – precisely what is it that we are celebrating? And what makes the celebration unique to Chanukah?

Drinking wine we do often – Shabbat, the Festivals, other joyous events. Festive meals – that, too, we do often.

So, what exactly is Chanukah specific?

Latkes! Well, not really. Latkes are eaten all the time. True, there is a more direct link between Chanukah and latkes. One more popular link is that latkes are soaked in oil, reminiscent of the oil-related event linked with Chanukah. But, oil-free latkes are just as acceptable, and even more so, as they are definitely more healthful.

There is one prop that stands out on Chanukah, aside, of course, from the primary Chanukah manifestation: the Chanukiyah, the eight-plus-one-branched menorah that is kindled every one of the eight days. The other prop is a dreidl, a spin top.

Tradition, as handed down, has us playing the dreidl game on Chanukah, for peanuts or whatever. Why? The dreidl in the period of agony just prior to the Chanukah redemption was a camouflage. Jews of that time, a few thousand-plus years ago, were enjoined, on the pain of death, from studying the Torah, our basic source of learning and living.

From the pulpit Rabbi Reuven Bulka Machzikei Hadas Teachers and students, who got together at great risk to study, had a dreidl at the ready for when they were invaded by the occupiers, to whom they could say – we were not studying, we were just playing, just dreidling around!

With the freedom that was attained after the miraculous military triumph, Jews were able to get back to their roots of study and affirmation.

Does it make any sense that yesterday’s camouflage, the dreidl, becomes a primary way of celebrating Chanukah? It makes more sense to relive the dreidl exactly as originally intended. This would mean that each household would set up a table for the family, with an appropriate topic to study, with dreidl in hand, just in case.

In Canada, there is little chance the just in case scenario will ever materialize into anything menacing. But the family will get the flavour of what went on thousands of years ago, when Jewish study carried life-threatening implications.

Doing this together cannot help but inculcate, in a meaningful way, the impor-

tance of study, of education, to carry Judaism forward. It is not by accident that the name chosen for this eight-day celebration is Chanukah. The word itself has many connotations, but the one that rings most relevant to our discussion is the word for education, chinukh. Chanukah is all about continuity, and continuity is all about education. It was true then, and it is true now.

We appreciate that our survival and thrival is a miracle, as, indeed, were the

events surrounding Chanukah a miracle.

But from that miraculous redemption we learn something very crucial – miracles do not just happen. They come on the heels of human dedication. The people then were willing to risk their lives for their faith. That tenacity made the miracle possible.

What is the most important thing to do on Chanukah? To engage tenaciously in studying Judaism – the rest is commentary.

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December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 7

We’re in an ‘epoch of transition’ for Jewish communities The Jewish Federation of Ottawa held one of the most interesting of its semi-annual members’ meetings in recent memory, November 29, thanks to a dynamic presentation by Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, executive director of the New York-based Jewish Outreach Institute.

I’ll summarize some of Rabbi Olitzky’s most important points.

• Jewish communities in North America – including ours in Ottawa – are in an “epoch of transition. I’m not sure how long this epoch will last,” he said, “but, when it’s over, Jewish communities will look nothing like they did when it began. All factors of the community will change and some institutions will go out of business.”

The key to both survival and a thriving future for Jewish institutions in this period of great change is that they must be driven by their missions. The organizations that will fall to the wayside are those whose missions are no longer seen – by their constituents and their communities – as relevant in these times, or that do not redefine or re-imagine themselves for the present and future in ways that make them relevant and vital.

Leadership groups, such as Jewish federations can lead the way in helping organizations and institutions adapt and thrive in the future, but they will have to “blow up the models of the past” in which power and decision-making was increasingly

Editor Michael Regenstreif centralized. “Decentralization is the new direction.”

• With increasing decentralization, it is already not unusual to see seemingly opposing trends that are not in contradiction with each other. For example, increasing intermarriage rates at the same time there is resurgence in Orthodox observance.

Small groups are already increasingly creating independent opportunities within Jewish communities. This is certainly something that has been identified as happening within Ottawa’s community of young adults.

And many of those things are happening among people regarded as unaffiliated, people who are not necessarily members of a synagogue or Jewish community centre (JCC) or donors to federation campaigns.

The key, Rabbi Olitzky said, is to stop talking about affiliation and focus on engagement. “Engagement leads to affiliation, not the other way around.”

• He said that established institutions like synagogues and JCCs will have to

“turn themselves inside out” and become community-based rather than continuing to rely on membership dues for core financing.

“Every Jew in the community should be given a JCC membership,” he said.

• The majority of Jewish marriages in North America are intermarriages, Rabbi Olitzky said. He differentiated between what he termed “inter-faithless” marriages, in which the religion of neither partner is practised and intermarriages in which a commitment is made to raise the children Jewishly.

Intermarried families, he said, “are Jewish families,” and the intermarried need Jewish institutional support.

• “Don’t forget the boomers,” Rabbi Olitzky said. With all the important work being done to engage the emerging generation of young adults, we need to remember that baby boomers – those of us, born between 1946 and 1964 – will continue to be the largest segment of the Jewish community for another two decades, and we must continue to have meaningful roles and opportunities within the community at the same time that opportunities are being extended to young people.

• Acknowledging that “the dream of Israel is alive” and important among Diaspora Jewry, Rabbi Olitzky said it’s important that organized Jewish communities allow honest debate about Israel.

“We have to begin to talk about Israel comfortably. I believe in Big Tent Judaism, and there has to be room in the tent for all of those people I disagree with, or who disagree with me.”

If Rabbi Olitzky’s analyses are correct, and I suspect most, if not all of them, are, these will continue to be challenging, but potentially exciting and rewarding years for Jewish communities.

Happy Chanukah One of the points made by Rabbi Olitzky is that Chanukah, in modern times, has become an increasingly “major” holiday, particularly for children. In effect, Chanukah has, he said, become a Jewish equivalent of Christmas.

I was certainly reminded of that while editing the article on page 11 about Ottawa Torah Centre Chabad’s plan to have a shopping centre menorah lighting at which children can have their pictures taken with “Judah the Maccabee.”

So, I’ll take this opportunity, on behalf of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin staff to wish everyone a Happy Chanukah.

This is our last issue of 2011. We’ll be back in January to begin a special year in Bulletin history. Watch for regular looks back to earlier decades throughout 2012, all leading to a special supplement in next year’s Chanukah edition commemorating the Bulletin’s 75th anniversary.

My name is Jason and I’m a BlackBerry addict Eleven years ago, I set out to report on the federal election campaign with a new toy that fit in the palm of my hand. I was one of the first people in the world to use a BlackBerry.

Research in Motion (RIM) had just invented a wireless e-mail device, and the company asked the CBC to have its reporters and producers test them free of charge during the election campaign.

The geniuses at RIM (at least they were at the time) wanted to determine if the little device could withstand the rigours and buzz of busy people in the communications business. I wasn’t very technically inclined then and didn’t see much use in it. I also found it ridiculous that anyone would expect me to use a keyboard that small.

On day one of my campaign adventure, I had no idea where this product testing would lead. But I found out almost too quickly from the unexpected rush of adrenalin that accompanied the first alerts of e-mails coming in.

When the campaign plane landed, as it did two or three times per day, my finger itched to push the start button so I could enjoy the sensation of all these e-mails coming at me at once.

I was surprised at how exciting it was.

Jason Moscovitz This wireless invention was magical, it was exhilarating – and I quickly realized I couldn’t put the thing down. I quickly realized I no longer owned my BlackBerry – my BlackBerry owned me.

People from other news organizations began to notice.

“What is that silly thing you have that you are always playing with,” a Globe and Mail reporter asked me. He was a smart guy. After just a couple of days he categorically declared I couldn’t put my BlackBerry down because I was addicted to it.

No doubt! In one short decade, he and millions of other people have joined the crowd of the afflicted and addicted.

No matter where you are, people are constantly texting, messaging, e-mailing or talking on cell phones. All over the world, people instantly put down whatever they are doing when they’re alerted

to an incoming message or call.

It is a strange thing. How important is a telephone call? Before cell phones, there were rarely lineups to use pay phones.

Many of us choose not to answer the phone at home simply because we don’t want to. Yet we jump to attention and always answer when our cell phones ring.

We not only use them, we have learned to celebrate and admire these wireless gadgets. Many people say they go to sleep with their iPad. The outpouring of love following the death of Steve Jobs was a clear demonstration of the place these gadgets have in our lives.

When I think of dinnertime with my kids when they were growing up, I tell myself how hard it must be for parents these days to get teenagers to sit down around the dinner table and have a real conversation.

Actually, it’s not just teenagers. Look around the next time you’re in a restaurant. Everyone is playing with some gadget. There was a time it was considered poor manners to use a cell phone in a restaurant – so much for good manners.

We should all be shocked, when we stop at a red light and look to the left, and to the right, and see drivers with de-

vices in their hands reading, typing or talking. But we aren’t. We see the light turn green and so many of those motorists continue with barely one eye on the road.

And we can guess where the concentration is even for those who are obeying the law with hands-free devices. People can be negotiating business deals while in the passing lane or having the fiercest of arguments with their business or love partners. I guess that can fit under a new definition for defensive driving.

While driving regulations take into account that motorists using their wirelesses devices pose grave risks, the message is not getting through. Lawbreakers are everywhere, in all four corners of the world, risking their safety and ours. Why don’t more people get the message? Having been hooked longer than almost anyone else in the world doesn’t give me any answers.

But I can try to heal myself. I guess my little brain has to begin to tell my finger to press the power-off button whenever I get behind the wheel.

Let’s not forget that these devices are so smart, you can actually get every message you’ve missed as soon as you step out of your car. Imagine that!

Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

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Choices (1) I always admire Mira Sucharov’s pursuit of the highest ethical standards, but, once again, she puts the emphasis on the wrong syllable (Values, Ethics, Community, November 14).

Miri Eisin was an inspiring, engaging, intelligent speaker at the Choices event, October 25. She had limited time to address a complex topic and her presentation was far from simplistic. In keeping with the theme of the evening, she spoke of the difficult choice made by the Israeli government to swap more than 1,000 prisoners, including terrorists and murderers, to save the life of one young Israeli soldier.

Sucharov quibbles with Eisin’s point regarding the word democracy. While the actual word “democracy� may not be part of the vocabulary of any language with ancient roots, it is certainly a fundamental Jewish value, upon which both the English Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution were modelled. The power of the Jewish king was limited by the authority of the Sanhedrin (supreme court) and the kohen gadol (high priest). This provided perhaps the earliest system of check and balances.

The Jewish king wore a Sefer Torah to remind him at all times that he must answer to a higher authority, namely God. The Torah clearly stipulates that no individual is above the law. The recent sentencing of former Israeli president Moshe Katzav to seven years in prison for rape is an example of the thriving democracy that exists today in the State of Israel, but, unfortunately, not in the 26 neighbouring Arab states.

Kudos to Sandra Zagon and her Choices committee for choosing Miri Eisin.

Lauren Shaps

Choices (2) I am writing about Mira Sucharov’s criticism of Choices event speaker Miri Eisin.

This is not the first time Sucharov has had problems with the speaker at Choices. Two years ago, she raised objections to speaker Brigitte Gabriel’s presentation.

One might justifiably question why Sucharov keeps attending Choices, an event that has generated a large turnout from a wide cross-section of our community, and has earned well-deserved praise from women representing the diversity of Jewish values found in Ottawa.

One might also wonder whether her problem with Choices is based more on her own views and perspectives rather than on the specifics of the particular speakers.

Indeed, given her ongoing problem with Choices, Sucharov has a choice of her own to make. I encourage her to organize a different event, with speakers who reflect the views she would prefer to have heard, rather than throwing darts at those who have worked so hard to make Choices the sucOur dedicated professionals are proud to help local families cess it has been.

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Jewish education Mira Sucharov writes of the difficulty of fitting a Jewish education into our busy lives (Values, Ethics, Community, November 28). I agree that it is difficult to fit in and prioritize our children’s activities, especially when both parents have jobs. However, I must

bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com object to how quickly Sucharov dismissed Jewish day school as an answer. Clearly, she hasn’t spent much time inside the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS).

I have three children at the school. Counting the actual hours spent specifically on Judaic studies inside the classroom in no way presents a realistic picture. This is not a school where the students are Jewish only while inside the classroom learning Hebrew or Nevi’im. Jewish values permeate every aspect of the education at OJCS. The Jewish teachers – many of whom teach general studies subjects – and non-Jewish teachers work together to present a combined curriculum. One small example is when the Grade 3 teacher gave her students a lesson on plant biology by growing etrog seeds after Sukkot.

As for the multicultural aspect, it is true that all the kids in the school are Jewish, but there are children from countries such as Ethiopia, China and Russia, who share their unique customs and traditions with their peers. And this doesn’t mean they don’t get to meet non-Jewish children. They make friends at soccer and gymnastics and all those other extra-curricular activities that are easier to attend since the hours taken away by afternoon Hebrew school is not an issue.

The truth is, sending your child to Jewish day school goes a long way toward solving the problem of how to balance those extra-curricular activities. It was one of the primary reasons I decided to send my children to day school. As a bonus, my kids are immersed in their holidays; they get small class sizes and an incredible resource department. And skiing on Sunday is no longer a problem!

I agree with Sucharov that it is difficult to have your cake and eat it too. But, I must point out, she is short-changing herself and her children by dismissing the OJCS as not only a viable option for a Jewish education, but a great one.

Nicola Hamer Winds of change The winds of change are upon us. Are we ready?

I believe the Ottawa Jewish community has the opportunity of a generation in front of us. We can embark on an enterprise that could unite and strengthen us as individuals, as families, and as a community.

Discussions are being held throughout the community regarding various synagogues’ financial situations, mergers, and clergy, etc. Each of us has our own emotional take of the situation. With so many opinions, grievances and biases, it is hard to see what new opportunity has opened up for the entire Jewish community.

Let’s envision a future that contains one spiritual centre encompassing many shuls. Let’s make our different denominational philosophies work to become a beacon for togetherness.

Each shul would bring its own congregation, but share common infrastructure. Envision modern stylish rental halls where we could have a weekly community Kiddush. Where young and old could congregate together to celebrate one community-wide Chanukah or Purim party instead of many small parties spread throughout the city.

It is normal to feel a sense of loss leaving a place where children were named or became b’nai mitzvah, but how sad it is to have empty hallways filled with only the energy from the Yahrzeit lights? Picture a newly built or renovated building alive day and night, a building filled with the young and old from across the Jewish community, various programs dedicated to inspire and challenge instead of empty classrooms, believing that a committed community is the foundation for a secure and rich community.

As human beings, one of our finest skills is our ability to communicate. Meaningful conversation contains many parts: transparency, flexibility and a willingness to listen. I urge synagogue congregants to communicate with their shul leaders to consider a new plan for a new and united tomorrow.

Marie Levine

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 9

MP Irwin Cotler meets with Jewish-Somali Mentorship Program

More than trees 613.798.2411

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Sefer Bar/Bat Mitzvah Inscriptions Olivia Eve Greenberg, by her proud mother, Manya Greenberg; Ethan Abraham Halpren, by his proud parents, Alan and Lynda Halpren.

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).

Among those attending the Jewish-Somali Mentorship Program event with Irwin Cotler were (back, from left) Bahnan Dabarani, Henry Molot, Gamal Hassan, Naima Shegow, Judith Abitan, Hodan Jama and (front) Aliyah Abdullahi.

and attorney general of Canada from 1968 to 1972.

Sending a letter to Turner while doing post-doctoral work at Yale University led to the position in Ottawa, and one opportunity led to another, he said.

Cotler said other early activities such as engagement in the search for peace in the Middle East – including trips to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Israel in the mid-1970s – and working for the Egyptian daily, Al-Ahram, had lasting impacts on later career developments.

Immersing in a culture can reap many dividends, he said.

Asked by a student about current human rights violations in Syria, Cotler called for more than rhetorical condemnation from the international community. The United Nations Security Council should move to enact Responsibility to Protect, a principle the UN adopted in 2005, he said.

Reflecting on the lessons of Darfur, Cotler argued that, whether the terms ‘genocide,’ which has met with resistance, or ‘mass human rights violation’ are applied to the killing of innocent civilians, the international community has the same responsibility to act against in-

justice. The broader responsibility, he believes, is to a whole set of issues in Africa, including the use of women in armed conflict.

Cotler’s advice to students looking for experience in international development included being proactive, networking and volunteering for friendship groups, members of Parliament, NGOs and embassies.

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Rediscovery of Carmel’s Ancient Terraces With Tu Bi’Shevat (the New Year for trees) and our Tu Bi’Shevat Tree-A-Thon drawing nearer and the UN International Year of Forests drawing to a close, my thoughts turn, of course, to trees. I think of our new Tree Bank Account program and I think back to our efforts last year to support the emergency appeal to help the forests of Carmel recover after the fires that so devastated that area. I saw some of the devastation and the early stages of the recovery when I was in Israel last spring. It is amazing how quickly nature starts to heal itself and how much the funding provided by JNF can help nature work more quickly. The rehabilitation has made great strides and has uncovered some interesting Carmel history that will help to shape the restoration efforts.

With the ground stripped bare by the fire, hitherto unknown features of the land have become evident. One of these is the ancient – perhaps back to Roman times – terrace infrastructure, which past generations used to grow foods like olives, pomegranates and almonds. Some of these terraces were overgrown with brush and some had been planted with conifers by JNF in our own early history. As nature began its rehabilitation, the uses of the terraces became evident. Tiny olive trees sprouted up out of old roots that were still alive. When foresters noted that some of the olive trees were growing in rows, they understood that they had been planted by people who farmed this area hundreds and even thousands of years ago.

Research is a wonderful thing and, as our understanding of the land and its history grows, we can now focus the rehabilitation efforts on a more historically correct and environmentally appropriate approach. This means repairing the stone walls supporting the terraces and replanting with olives, carobs, figs and pomegranates, together with native woodland trees such as oaks, terebinths, strawberry trees and Judas trees. Irrigation will be provided to kick start the process, but the long-term approach is to ensure the trees are self-supporting and reflect the original reasons for the terraces.

Over 3,000 years ago, farmers in this region developed the terrace approach to make the best use of scant rainfall and prevent precious topsoil from being washed away. The terrace rehabilitation project currently underway will improve biodiversity by planting fruit trees and native woodland species instead of the conifer forests destroyed by the fire. It will also help prevent the soil erosion that is one of the negative consequences of wildfires and integrate the terraces as a major component in firebreaks to prevent fire spread. At the same time, the project will preserve traditional farming methods.

I look forward to sharing more of the Carmel story with you and to updating you on other projects in which JNF Ottawa has been involved.

By Erica Bregman Jewish Family Services The Jewish-Somali Mentorship Program, co-sponsored by Jewish Family Services of Ottawa and the Somali Centre for Family Services, hosted a discussion on opportunities in international development with MP and former minister of justice Irwin Cotler, November 21 on Parliament Hill.

The students attending the event are studying a variety of disciplines at Ottawa’s post-secondary institutions and are united by common interests in international development and protection of minority rights. An opportunity to network with 50 colleagues and community members followed the discussion.

The discussion opened with possible sources for our moral responsibility to act against injustice: a religious imperative to pursue justice, an ethical tradition inherited from our parents or relatives, or from a sense of empathy with the other.

Cotler traced his varied experiences as McGill law professor, member of Parliament, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, legal counsel to prisoners of conscience and a stint as senior adviser to John Turner when he was justice minister

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Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Guest Column

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are provided a safe, non-judgemental space to talk about their relationship and explore options. If a woman decides to leave her abusive home, assistance is available.

Many women feel frightened and ashamed by their experiences of abuse. They say they did not want to ask for help because they were embarrassed that this could happen to them, that this does not happen to a “nice Jewish girl,” or that “Jewish men are not like that.”

I have heard all of these stereotypes by women in abusive relationships. The truth is, domestic abuse can happen to anyone and, if it does, there is help available.

As a community, it is our responsibility to make sure resources are available and visible so women know help is just a phone call away.

When we keep the issue of domestic abuse a secret, we make it very hard for women who are abused to ask for help. The message we want to convey is: “It’s not your fault. It’s not OK. You’re not alone. If you or someone you know needs help, call and speak to Sarah.”

This past year, we received sustainable funding for the program from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. Prior to receiving this funding, JFS absorbed the cost of offering service to women in abusive relationships or who have left abusive relationships. We are now able to dedicate a social worker three days per week to Shalom Bayit. This dramatically expands the support we are able to offer women.

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By Sarah Caspi Jewish Family Services Statistically, one in four women will be abused in her lifetime. This includes women in the Jewish community.

Shalom Bayit – the Jewish domestic violence support program at Jewish Family Services (JFS) – is a very important part of empowering women to take the necessary steps needed to be safe.

Abuse can take many forms, including physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, financial and neglect.

Violence against women is the intentional and regular use of tactics to establish and maintain power and control over the thoughts, beliefs and behaviour of a woman by creating fear and/or dependency.

Violence against women is a crime. It creates fear, a sense of hopelessness, guilt and a decreased sense of selfesteem.

For some, always wondering if threats will come true, safety is a major concern. Being in an abusive relationship makes you question everything you do, and women often begin to wonder if they have a mental illness. Some are even treated and medicated for anxiety and depressive disorders.

Domestic abuse has no boundaries. It affects all types of relationships and cuts across all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. However, there is a need to provide services that are cultural-specific. It is helpful to understand the nuances of the culture and issues related to culture.

The very name of our program illustrates this point perfectly.

Without the understanding of how important the concept of shalom bayit (peace at home) is, one may not understand how difficult it can be for women to leave their relationship. Statistics tell us that Jewish women remain in abusive relationships longer than non-Jewish women and are less likely than non-Jewish women to stay in a shelter.

This adds challenges to working with abused women and calls for support services to be available for longer periods of time, often spanning years, and also to women who remain in the relationship.

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December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 11

Torah Academy launches AIM language learning program

By Rabbi Yisroel Goldbaum Torah Academy of Ottawa Torah Academy of Ottawa is always striving to make our educational programming even better. Being a full-service school that prepares students to succeed at the high school level, Torah Academy’s general studies curriculum is closely aligned with the Ministry of Education’s curriculum. This approach gives Torah Academy graduates the educational foundation they need to excel in high school and beyond.

Torah Academy is proud that our students graduate with knowledge of both official languages and Hebrew. Being located in our national capital, Torah Academy is especially aware of the importance of excellent French-language instruction and looks for ways to improve it.

This month, Torah Academy is introducing the innovative AIM (Accelerative Integrated Method) language learning program.

The basic premise of AIM is that students learn and remember languages better when they do something that goes along with the words they are saying. Students learn gestures for many common words and the gestures are then combined with theatre, storytelling, dance and music to help students remember and use the language.

Our AIM program is being spearheaded by CarrieLynn Griffith, who has been teaching French at Torah Academy for eight years.

“Madame Griffith,” as she is known in French class, sees the AIM method as an excellent way of encouraging younger students to gain familiarity with French, setting a solid foundation for studying grammar in the older grades.

Griffith is enthusiastic about introducing AIM this year in senior kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2, and the plan is to expand AIM to the upper grades in years to come.

French teacher CarrieLynn Griffith with Grade 2 students at Torah Academy.

OTC to light menorah at Bayshore Shopping Centre

By Pherris Hamilton for Ottawa Torah Centre Chabad This year, Ottawa Torah Centre Chabad (OTC) will be holding the first public menorah lighting at Bayshore Shopping Centre.

“We have just ordered a brand new ninefoot menorah,” said Rabbi Menachem M. Blum, director of OTC. “The light of this large menorah will, for the first time, light up all three floors of Bayshore Shopping Centre during the busy shopping season.

“This is one of our great shopping spots in the west of our city and a great venue to have a public Menorah lighting.”

For many years, the Chabad movement has been displaying the joys of Chanukah in malls and shopping centres throughout the world. Chabad attracts thousands of people to these holiday celebrations.

“The large-scale public menorah lightings come to proclaim the universal message of religious freedom that the Maccabees were

fighting for in the Chanukah story. Thank God we enjoy this freedom in Canada,” said Rabbi Blum.

The Chanukah celebration at the Bayshore Shopping Centre will take place, Thursday, December 22, the third night of Chanukah, at 6:00 pm in front of The Bay. The event, which is free and open to the entire community, will provide entertainment and traditional Chanukah refreshments.

Bayshore’s first Menorah lighting will

proclaim the universal message of religious freedom. Children will have the opportunity to take a picture with “Judah the Maccabee” and enjoy a juggling and magic show.

“If you have some last minute shopping to do for Chanukah gifts, this a great way to enjoy the holiday sales while participating in a community Chanukah event,” chuckled Rabbi Blum.

Visit ottawatorahcentre.com or call 613843-7770 for more information.

Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Guest Column

‘A discourse of justice means a discourse of respect and inclusiveness’

By Ilan Liebner Israel Advocacy Co-ordinator Hillel Ottawa The wide embrace of the campaign to delegitimize Israel has affected us all. We are all aware of the presence of agents of hate in society. We’ve seen the claims that Israel is a genocidal entity, that Zionism is racism, that the State of Israel must be destroyed. I would hope that we’ve also questioned the implications of these assaults on our civil discourse.

We must be aware of this movement, not only as Jews, but as Canadians who care about justice and human rights.

The foundation of rights discourse is respect for the identity of individuals and groups, and openness to engaging in debate and dialogue.

It is naive to write that standing for justice entails not excluding another group as congenitally illegitimate. We must recognize such assault as the antithesis of human rights ideals, the most elemental form of hate we must tackle toward a better future.

This means engaging in rigorous debate, trying to understand competing narratives, and striving toward a just, open discourse and more discerning conclusions. I must admit, it is frustrating to hear what feels like almost nothing comprising an inclusive discourse from pro-Palestinian groups. Instead, we hear a discourse of exclusion without recognition that such calls violate the very premise of human rights. I expect more from these groups in the same way I demand rigorous debate and understanding from

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These groups are adapting their strategies for broader appeal, but they have done nothing to turn their backs on hate. Hateful defamation in one campaign is joined, through a second, with partnership with human rights organizations, and by propaganda within a rights discourse exclusive of Jews. Students in a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign will first talk to you about alleged oil and mining abuses. One often has to look at their literature to see that they are primarily supported by a hateful group and call for BDS of the Jewish state to the exclusion of others.

Hateful propaganda is assault on identity. Hateful declarations targeted at the exclusion of Israel from the family of nations is deplorable discrimination and, by virtue of Israel being the Jewish state, stirs anxiety in Jews about public expressions of the identity with which we grew up.

We must speak out. We must make it clear that we do have both a right and a responsibility to invoke our will in public spaces when that identity is under assault.

A discourse of justice means a discourse of respect and inclusiveness. A discourse that excludes a Jew’s right to invoke his or her will, which excludes one’s right to express his or her national aspirations, is not a discourse embedded in human rights. It is antithetical to what we want to create.

We can only move forward with a discourse worthy of what we want. Acceptance of hate and exclusion cannot be part of it.

Hillel Ottawa Shabbat dinner in honour of survivors promotes tolerance

By Ross Diamond Hillel Ottawa Director Students and community members joined honoured guests at Congregation Beth Shalom, November 18, for Hillel Ottawa’s fourth annual Shabbat Dinner Honouring Survivors of the Holocaust.

What’s amazing isn’t just that the event sold out, but the diversity of people in attendance. The audience represented a large cross-section of the university and local community encompassing diversity in age, ethnicity and religion.

Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi spoke of the importance of education and tolerance and understanding.

Students Jenna Katz, Alexa Wall, Sarah Spitz and Randy Fox shared stories about grandparents affected by the Shoah, the March of the Living, and the impact these factors have had on their lives.

Then, in small groups, guests heard firsthand from our honoured guests about what

happens during the absence of tolerance.

Two exchange students stared in amazement when David Shentow rolled up his shirt and shared his tattoo.

The discussions that followed dealt with the importance of standing up for the rights of others and of promoting tolerance on campus, in the greater Canadian community and in the world.

“This is what we need more of,” commented Carleton University Student Association President Obed Okyere. “I am so happy to be a part of this.”

Hillel student leaders are already planning for next year. One change they are considering is hosting the dinner on a day other than Shabbat. This would allow us to preserve the memories of the event as well as allow honoured guests to use a microphone.

It is this forward thinking that is inspirational about Hillel Ottawa leaders. They reflect on success and ask, “How can we make this better next time?”

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Call Cindy Manor-Kennedy, 613-798-4696, ext. 256.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 13

First mainstream Canadian seminary opens officially of rabbis in Canada being American.

The school will eschew the traditional Jewish categories of Reform, Conservative or Orthodox and embrace “Classic Judaism.”

According to Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum, president of the yeshiva and rabbinical school, Classic Judaism the European Judaism of the 1700s in which denominational differences were absent.

“We don’t think the struggle between Reform, Conservative and Orthodox is a good thing for Jewish life. We believe that it is destructive,” he said. “There are reasons why during the Enlightenment these groups began, but it is important to go back to when Jews were just Jews.”

The school will not ordain women, but they will be able to attend and receive a degree in Jewish theology.

The seminary and yeshiva is housed inside a Catholic school of theology,

(JTA) – The first mainstream Jewish rabbinical seminary in Canada held its official launching, November 27.

The Toronto-based Canadian Yeshiva and Rabbinical School is “fully halachic yet modern, the home of Classic Judaism,” according to its website. “We are, first and foremost, a rabbinical school for Canadians who wish to grow and serve in the community they love.”

The yeshiva opened its doors last September with several classes open to the general community. Its seminary is expected to open in September. The “inaugural convocation” installed Jerry Grafstein, a former Canadian senator, as the institution’s honorary chair.

Until now, Canadians wanting to be rabbis usually went to New York, Cincinnati or Israel for training and ordination – and many never returned to Canada.

The lack of a seminary has also led to the majority

Rabbi Wayne Allen, provost of the Canadian Yeshiva and Rabbinical School, installs a mezuzah on the doorway to the school’s administrative offices as the school president, Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum, looks on. The dedication of the yeshiva’s administrative offices took place during Chanukah 2009.

which is part of seven Christian colleges that comprise the Toronto School of Theology.

“I have never heard of a

Gershom Gorenberg in Ottawa Noted Israeli journalist and author Gershom Gorenberg listens to a question from the audience after speaking about his new book, The Unmaking of Israel, November 23, at Temple Israel. Gorenberg’s Ottawa visit was co-sponsored by Canadian Friends of Peace Now and the Temple Israel Adult Education Committee.

A review of The Unmaking of Israel will be published in a future issue of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

(Photo: Michael Regenstreif)

What’s happening at

Congregation Beth Shalom Every Sunday

Rabbi’s Lecture Series

9:30-10:30 am

Rashi on the Torah

First Sunday each Month

Rabbi’s Lecture Series

Friday, December 16

Shabbat Dinner

Sunday, December 25

Chanukah Crafts with Jennifer (our Youth Director) Family Havdallah

10:30-11:30 am 6:00 pm

2:00-4:00 pm

Critical Thinkers of the Conservative Movement

Watch for more upcoming events

Saturday, January 14 5:30 pm

Watch for more upcoming events Everyone Everyoneis is Welcome!

Welcome!

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

situation like this in the world in which a Jewish seminary is among Christian theological schools and seminaries,” Rabbi Tanenbaum said.

Readers and advertisers are advised that the next edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin will be published on Monday, January 23, 2012.

The deadline date is Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Guest Column

Finding added value in Jewish day school education

By Randal F. Schnoor Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program University of Ottawa I am delighted to return as a visiting professor to the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program at the University of Ottawa. My course, Contemporary Canadian Jewish Life, examines a broad range of social, cultural, political and religious issues of concern to Canadian Jewry. These themes include hot-button community issues such as Jewish identity, assimilation, intermarriage, gender relations and sexuality.

The class will be held Thursdays from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in the January to April semester. There is still room for more students and community members are welcome to audit the course. Feel free to contact me at randal.schnoor@primus.ca or Professor Seymour Mayne, co-ordinator of the Vered program at 613-562-5800, ext.1148, for more information.

Allow me to give you a taste of some of the research issues in Jewish identity I have been working on over the past several years. We know that Jewish day school education is considered one of the key strategies in stemming the tide of assimilation in North America. Indeed, research has shown that day schools are effective in instilling Jewish identity in its students, and its graduates are more likely to marry a fellow Jew and lead an engaged Jewish life. What has been less explored among academics is the wider impact Jewish day schools may have on the parents of these students.

My 2008 book, co-authored with Alex Pomson, Back to

School: Jewish Day School in the Lives of Adult Jews, explores this domain of day school parents.

Through in-depth observations at a number of Jewish elementary schools in the United States and Canada, we argue that, when parents choose Jewish schools for their children, they often look for institutions that satisfy not only their children’s academic and emotional needs, but also their own social Randal F. and personal concerns as Sociologist Schnoor is a visiting proJewish adults.

We found, at times, an fessor in the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program uncommon degree of inat uOttawa. volvement and engagement on the part of the parents, as genuine friendships and camaraderie blossomed between parents, faculty and administrators. In addition, we discovered that parents who considered themselves secular Jews were sometimes introduced to or reacquainted with the depth and meaning of Jewish tradition and rituals through observing or taking part in school activities. The book thus offers important policy

implications for how Jewish day schools might begin to reimagine their relationships with parents.

My co-author and I are currently in the second year of a four-year grant, which is allowing us to develop our followup book, tentatively titled Jewish Parents and their Children’s Schools: Beyond Elementary Relationships.

Building on our first work, which concerned elementary school, we are exploring how Jewish parents negotiate high school choice with their teenaged children and how closely parents continue to be engaged in and influenced by their children’s high schools. We seek to challenge the commonsense claim that, because their children are now adolescents seeking out their own independence, Jewish high schools no longer offer a place of religious and ethnic engagement for parents.

Stay tuned for some surprising findings about the roles that Jewish high schools can play beyond its own students.

The themes of these books are part of a fascination I have with the ways that Jewish adults are creating religious meaning in new and diverse ways and in a range of unconventional sites – often beyond the walls of their synagogues. While some argue that traditional Jewish norms and behaviours are essential to living a proper Jewish life, increasingly Jews in North America today feel free to express their Jewish identities in more personalized and unconventional ways. Can the school replace the shul as the centre of adult Jewish engagement? Should it?

These are the kind of debates and discussions I encourage in my upcoming course. I hope to see you there.

Ottawa Jewish Community School connects with the community

By Sara-Lynne Levine Ottawa Jewish Community School The Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS) is trying new ways to connect with the community.

As Ottawa’s community school, one of our goals is to let Ottawa’s Jewish community know that we are an excellent choice for those looking for a quality educational institution.

Our newly approved mission statement describes OJCS as an “all-day trilingual elementary and high school that aims to develop academic and personal excellence in its students, in an inclusive, caring and pluralist environment that is based on Jewish religion, culture and values.”

Great things are happening at our school. Sheldon Friedman, our new principal has breathed new life into our building, reinvigorating teachers, reviewing administration and academic policies, enhancing our Jewish studies curriculum and setting a clear direction for where we are going and what we stand for.

We’ve also improved communi-

cation with our parents, from an often-used Facebook page, to an expanded weekly newsletter, to improved teacher web pages.

Two recent coffee sessions with Friedman allowed parents to chat informally, get to know our principal a bit better and ask questions about things on their minds. Other coffee sessions will take place this winter.

We’ve also opened our doors to alumni and perspective students.

In October, our Board of Governors’ breakfast doubled last year’s attendance.

Our All Day Kindergarten (ADK) Open House included a tour of the facilities, a questionand-answer session with ADK teachers and a tour of the classrooms to see the kindergarten students in action.

In late-November, we hosted a parent information session for Grade 8 parents to see our high school and learn more about our individualized program. That was followed by a shadow day for Grade eight students so they could spend a day in our high school and see what life would be like as an OJCS high school student.

OJCS students who embody the themes of Respect, Responsibility and Reaching for Excellence are recognized at a school assembly, November 15.

Our newly formed school parent ambassador program allows each class to have an ambassador to answer questions and provide information about school-related issues or to direct parents to administration to have questions answered quickly and efficiently.

Perhaps most importantly, we’re connecting with our stu-

dents. The three main themes of our mission statement are Respect, Responsibility and Reaching for Excellence. Students are embracing these themes in actions and in deeds, showing pride for themselves and their school. At a school assembly attended by Mayor Jim Watson, November 15, students were recognized for ex-

hibiting Respect, Responsibility and Reaching for Excellence.

We hope you come and see the new OJCS! Great things are happening here.

For more information, call 613722-0020, visit theotteawajewish communityschool.ca or ‘like’ us on Facebook at facebook.com/Ottawa JewishCommunitySchool.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 15

Machzikei Hadas program director sets goals

By Jack Botwinik for Congregation Machzikei Hadas What do Sephardic Shabbaton, inter-synagogue basketball tournament, kosher cooking for men, Melaveh Malka with video shiur and a Torah and science learning series all have in common?

They are just some of the programs Rabbi Moshe Baron, the new program director of Congregation Machzikei Hadas, plans to implement in the coming months.

High energy and efficient, Rabbi Baron and his wife, Melissa, relocated from England during the hectic days right before Rosh Hashanah, and immediately put together and started an array of programs amidst unpacking and settling in.

For the High Holidays, Rabbi Baron implemented Free Rosh Hashanah Pass for newcomers, offered classes such as ABCs of Rosh Hashanah for anyone wanting a more meaningful experience, held Pizza in the Hut for teens and co-ordinated a Sukkot barbecue in conjunction with the Kollel of Ottawa for families of all ages.

“Rabbi Baron is an extremely personable, friendly, outgoing and dedicated individual,” said Rabbi Reuven Bulka.

Since then, Rabbi Baron has been busy with Munch and Learn, which explores the weekly Torah portion, Lunch and Learn for ladies with a special speaker each month, regular Shabbatons at shul as well as Shabbat

Rabbi Moshe Baron, program director at Machzikei Hadas, with wife Melissa and daughter Liora Simcha.

Meals @ the Barons’, which could be cozy get-togethers by age, profession or theme.

For Chanukah, you can expect a Chanukah party with an inject-your-doughnuts event for kids.

Rabbi Baron and Melissa, both native Montrealers, are fluent in French and English.

After graduating from Yeshiva University with degrees in biology and Jewish studies, Rabbi Baron attained rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Noam HaTorah in Montreal.

He is also a certified mohel.

In addition to being program director at Machzikei Hadas, Rabbi Baron teaches part time at Torah High.

In England, where he spent the past three years, Rabbi Baron was the university chaplain for the Bristol and Western Region and ran weekly kosher café learning sessions, lunch and learns, social events and numerous other activities. He also offered Torah and Modern Hebrew classes to students at Bristol University and surrounding cities.

Rabbi Baron’s mandate is to design and

implement new programming for Machzikei Hadas, as well as perform outreach. The goal, he says, is to attract more people to the shul.

Rabbi Baron recently held a parlour meeting for the 50-plus age group, and another meeting for young families, to gauge the needs and wishes of shul members. While he intends to cater to all ages, his priorities are young families, couples and professionals.

“They are the future of our shul,” he said.

He is already planning hockey games for February and kayak groups in the summer based on members’ input. He is also contemplating Shabbaton retreats, bowling-and-beer night, Israeli movie series, and even a trip to Toronto to see the Raptors.

Rabbi Baron is Sephardic, but is equally at home with Ashkenazic culture. He sees his Sephardic background as an asset, enabling him to bring an added dimension, and possibly also attract Sephardim to the shul.

Rabbi Baron recognizes there is an enormous amount of work involved in implementing his many ideas. He hopes to recruit many volunteers to assist with organizing events and believes that it will also bring the community closer together.

“These programs are open for all to join,” he said. “The important thing is for people to have fun and enjoy themselves. That’s the greatest sign of success.”

For further information, contact Rabbi Baron at machzikeiprograms@gmail.com or 613-400-9162, or visit machzikeihadas.com.

Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

A scene from Die Folkshpieler production of Die Sutzkova Saga: (from left) David Michaelson, Clara Halasz, Miriam Litman, Marsha Kaiserman (seated), Minda Wershof, Judith Weinman, Pincus Pleet, Katherine Shapiro Moss, Ander Moss and William Moss.

(Photo: Sylvia Klein)

Die Folkshpieler celebrates 10 years

By David Michaelson Die Folkshpieler Die Folkshpieler, the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) Yiddish players, are now celebrating our 10th season of laughter and song.

We are Ottawa’s only Yiddish language theatre troupe. While some of our skits are taken from such well-known writers as Shimon Dzigan and Yisroel Schumacher, Shirley Steinberg, our founder, producer and director, also creates skits and plays for our use. Other cast members, including Bulletin humour columnist Rubin Friedman and myself, often help.

Among the fun and hilarity we are planning for our 10th anniversary is the possibility of a display of our history during Ottawa’s Heritage Week in February, and a reception as part of our annual show on June 17.

Watch these pages for news of more celebratory events to be announced. For more information about Die Folkshpieler, contact Roslyn Wollock, Soloway JCC adult program manager, at 613-798-9818, ext.

254, or rwollock@jccottawa.com.

Getting married, celebrating a special birthday or anniversary, just had a Bar or Bat Mitzvah?

Share your good news (photo too)!

To advertise call Cindy Manor-Kennedy 613-798-4696, ext. 256 Email: cmanor@ottawajewishbulletin.com

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Tamir in Calgary Dreamcoat: A Documentary, the film about Tamir’s acclaimed production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was screened, November 20, at the Beth Tzedec Jewish Film Festival in Calgary.

Several of the Dreamcoat cast members travelled to Calgary for the festival and were joined by the Akiva Academy and Calgary Jewish Academy school choirs for a performance following the film screening.

The Dreamcoat cast members, wearing cowboy hats, are seen here with the Akiva Academy Choir and members of the film festival committee.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 17

Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Canada Post Chanukah stamps

David Shentow film Sections of David Shentow, Prisoner of the Nazi Holocaust, Number 72585, a new film-interview, were screened, November 20, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre as part of Holocaust Education Month.

Director Floralove Katz (left) talks with with Rose and David Shentow during (Photo: Peter Waiser) the question period following the screening.

Canada Post has issued two stamps this year to mark the Chanukah holiday. One depicts a fully lit Chanukah menorah, the other two dreidls. The stamps are available for order online at canadapost.ca/Hanukkah.

Staying connected has never been more affordable 19 issues of community news Call 613-798-4696, ext 256 or 242. See page 32 for details.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 19

Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

SAY IT WITH TREES 613-798-2411

●

To remember

●

To congratulate

●

To honour

●

To say I care

TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED Condolences to: Philip Anido in memory of your brother David Anido by Elaine Pressman & Ruud Bom Leslee Balsam in memory of your mother Celia Monson Levitan by Dorothy Browns Blumberg family in memory of Maxine Blumberg

by Marsha & Art Saper, Mike & Jon Maurice & Myra Borts in memory of your mother Lily Borts by Ketty & Morris Samel The family of Patrick Caluori by Norm Barwin Susan, Clyde, Scott, Brett Crandall in memory of your mother Esther Crandall by Judy, Mike, Jeremy & Lindsay Aranoff Janet Davis in memory of your husband Peter Davis

by Jane & Martin Gordon; by Valerie Simmons Pat & Diane Dillon in memory of Harold Dillon by Tom & Alannah Grossman Sharon Abron Drache in memory of Edythe Abron

by Linda Rossman Lucy Dumas in memory of your husband Henri Dumas by Yvonne & Yehuda Azuelos Evelyn Eisenberg in memory of Lou Eisenberg by Gladys & John Greenberg; by Tom & Alannah Grossman Flor Feldman in memory of your father Misha Feldman by Floralove Katz Janice Felman in memory of your grandmother by Dafna, Jamie and family Joe Forberg in memory of your father David Forberg by Cynthia & David Blumenthal Debra & Ron Fox in memory of Harold Rosenthal

by Allan Scope The family of the late Einick Gitelman by Roz Taller & family Arlene Glube in memory of your father Harry Fleisher by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman; by Rochelle & David Greenberg Elizabeth Gluckstal in memory of your mother Helen Gluckstal by Fern Goldman, Arielle & Elie Bill Green in memory of Suzy Filion by Linda & Arthur Cogan Bessie Hiet in memory of your husband Harry Hiet

by Esther Klein, Louise & Howard, Ken & Ann Julie Kanter in memory of your father Lou Eisenberg by Rochelle & David Greenberg; by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman; by Norm & Myrna Barwin Joel Kaplan in memory of Warren “Red” Kaplan by Helen & Sol Rauch The family of the late Morris Krantzberg by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Larry Long in memory of your father Julius Long

by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Kayla Mallay in memory of Alvin Mallay by Rena Cohen Alvin Miller in memory of your father Bernard Miller by Marla & Danny Seller Stefan Moldovan in memory of Louise Moldovan by the Rossman family Margie & Aaron Moscoe in memory of Lou Eisenberg by Marion Silver & Alan Brass Nellie Roest in memory of Rimo by Hagit Hadaya Barbara Rootman in memory of your father by Annette Albert The family of Gdalyah Rosenfeld by Rose & Morrie Konick; Maureen & Jeff Katz

Phyllis Sapsowitz in memory of Sidney Sapsowitz

by Eva Gelbman; by Gaby Avni Rosalie Schwartz in memory of your mother Annetta Leighton by Chaim & Raina Feig & Rachel Cohen David & John Sharkey in memory of your father Tom Sharkey by Lorna Bernbaum David Sharkey in memory of your mother Shoshana Sharkey by Lorna Bernbaum Denise Sherman in memory of your father Steve Sherman by Chaim & Raina Feig & Rachel Cohen Gail Silver in memory of your mother Judy by Linda Rossman Faye Singer in memory of your husband Ed Singer

by Arthur, Maureen, Hillary, Rebecca, Daniel & Evelyn Gillian & Chad Skocik in memory of Joseph Skocik by Tom & Alannah Grossman Martin Snyder and Norman Snyder in memory of your mother Ruth Snyder by Marilyn GoodmanGalbraith & David Galbraith Laura & Gordon Spergel in memory of Ruth Strauss by Matthew Ryan The family of the late Norman Stein by Arnold & Faye Tennenhouse Susan & Paul Sullivan in memory of Margaret Mary Cole by Tom & Alannah Grossman Dr. Peter Teitelbaum in memory of your father Philip Teitelbaum by Linda Rossman The family of the late Alex Tennenhouse by Selma Tennenhouse, Les Perley & Naomi Perley; by Arnold & Faye Tennenhouse Joy Woolf in memory of Colin Woolf by Laraine & Victor Kaminsky Wishing Speedy Recovery/Refuah Shleima to: George Gara by Rochelle & Brian Pearl Bryan Glube by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Rita Hornstein by Maureen & Jeff Katz Sheryl Kardish by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Paula Silver by Marcia & Barry Cantor In Honour of: Orly Aaron with appreciation by Margo Blostein Lester Aronson on your special birthday by Laraine & Victor Kaminsky Libby Avram on your second birthday by your grandmother Simona Avram Alyce Baker on your special birthday by Vera & Les Klein Myrna Barwin on your special birthday by Jane & Martin Gordon Cynthia Blumenthal on your special birthday by Vera & Les Klein Donald Brown with birthday wishes by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Elaine Citrome on your special birthday by Alan, Margo, Scott, Matt & Amy and Bailey Lenny Cogan on your special birthday by Gail & Stephen Victor Jordan & Annette Cole on the birth of your twin boys Nathan & Chase by Ken Kavanat Larry Dobsinsky with thanks by Magda & Peter Benedek Ella & Ernest Ehrman with thanks by Magda & Peter Benedek Kathy Ehrenwerth on your 100th birthday by Eva Simkover

Lili-Ann Foster on your special birthday by Vera & Leslie Klein Jay Fund on your 60th birthday by V, E, D, and S Moher Libby Gillman on your special birthday by Burt & Jackie Gorenstein Sharon & Norman Gottlieb on your 40th anniversary by Noemi & Lorne Shirinian Noga Hoffer on your special birthday by Margo & David Kardish Ellen Izso in appreciation by Yvonne & Yehuda Azuelos Gail Kardish on chanting the Haftorah on the yahrzeit of your grandfather by Ken Kavanat Maureen & Jeff Katz by Susan Heisel & Sye Mincoff Libby & Stan Katz by Laraine & Victor Kaminsky Linda Kerzner with birthday wishes by Margo & Alan Blostein Roz Kimmel on your special birthday by Vera & Les Klein Barbara & Joseph Konst on your 50th anniversary

by Yvonne & Yehuda Azuelos Cantor P. Levinson with thanks and appreciation by Elly & Al Bruner Michael Moskovic on your special birthday by Ken Kavanat Jeannie Polisuk on your special birthday by Bert Knoll Lorne Rachlis on your special birthday by Rabbi Garten, Heather Cohen & Annie Garmaise Susan Schwartzman by Lorna Bernbaum Sylvia Shell on your special birthday by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman David & Rose Shentow for your courage & determination during the Holocaust and your presentations to schools & organizations regarding your personal experiences by Floralove Katz, David Hoffman & the Shoah Committee of Ottawa Luba & Daryl Sittler on your anniversary by Haley, Dalia, Lisa & Mitch Miller Alan Spergel with birthday wishes by Rose & Morrie Konick Laura & Eric Vernon on your 25th anniversary by Kinneret Globerman Mayor Jim Watson for your support of Bullying Awareness Week by the Ottawa Jewish Community School Mazal Tov To: Samantha Abrams on your Bat Mitzvah by Barbara & Alec Okun Marc & Morli Bissel on the birth of your son Jonathan by Toby & Tedd Nathanson Jonathan Calof on your milestone birthday by Marion, Alan, Lawrence, Rafi & Shira Antoinette Capelle on your special birthday by Laraine & Victor Kaminsky Dorothy Chechik on your very special day by Fern Goldman, Arielle & Elie Fred & Lisa Cogan on the birth on your granddaughter Abigail Elizabeth Miranda Cogan by Gail & Stephen Victor; by Margo & Alan Blostein Noa Cowley on your Bat Mitzvah by Sophie Moher Yacov Dahan on your 80th birthday by Roz Taller & family

Dana Davis on your Bat Mitzvah by Florence Rosenthal, Haley & Miranda Abe Feinstein on your prestigious honour by Margo & David Kardish Rabbi Howard & Rivka Finkelstein on your 20th anniversary with Congregation Beit Tikvah by Gloria Pivnick Karen & Walter Fogel on your 30th anniversary

by Sheryl & Harvey Kardish; by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Roz & Steve Fremeth on the marriage of Howard & Melanie by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Mr. & Mrs. Irving Gershkovitch on your 50th anniversary by Maureen & Jeff Katz Andrew & Alia Klein in honour of the bris of your son William Leopold Klein by Lawrence Hercz Susan & Edward Javinsky on the Bar Mitzvah of your son Benjamin Bernard Javinsky by Rabbi Steven Garten & Lisa Hans Marie Carmen Berlie & Charles Khazzam on the Bat Mitzvah of your daughter Emma Khazzam by Rabbi Steven Garten & Lisa Hans Dr. Stanley & Roz Labow on your special birthday and 50th anniversary by Maureen & Jeff Katz Roz & Stan Labow on the Bat Mitzvah of your granddaughter Hannah by Lucian & Jackie Sitwell Shari & Mitchell Leckner on the birth of your first child Ethan Sage by Carol & Laurie Pascoe Jack Levin on your special birthday by Laraine & Victor Kaminsky Barbara & Alec Okun on the marriage of Lisa Beth Okun to Ilios Nisan Steryannis by Rabbi Garten, Heather Cohen & Annie Garmaise Wilma & Phil Pinkus on your 60th anniversary by Yvonne & Yehuda Azuelos Felice & Jeff Pleet on Erin’s Call to the Bar by the Pascoe family; by the Schwartzman family Avalee & Ron Prehogan on the birth of your grandson by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Ron Prehogan on being named as Chair of Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation by Rochelle & David Greenberg Sylvia Rettig on your 100th birthday by Neome & Gary; by Warren Omri Rosner on your Bar Mitzvah by Burt & Jackie Gorenstein Shelley Rothman on Stuart and Laura’s marriage by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman The Routtenberg family on Oliver’s Bar Mitzvah

by Brenda & Marvin Segal Dina Schneider, Matt Wilbur, Jonah & Ariel on the birth of Lily by Rabbi Garten, Heather Cohen & Annie Garmaise Bess Segalowitz on your 90th birthday by Raezelle, Gustave & Laurie Goldmann Sharyn Shell on Jeremy’s engagement by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Sondra Sherman on Matthew & Alexandra’s marriage by Susan & Charlie Schwartzman Lawrence Soloway on your prestigious honour by Margo & David Kardish

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.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 21

Down Memory Lane

For many, it was their first mixed party, circa 1958, but the boys and girls were photographed separately.

Boys (standing, from left): Stanley Lithwick, the late Alan Swedlove; (front) Gerry Lampert, the late Lawrence Greenberg, Harvey Levine, Allan Baker, Steven Tanner, Murray Ages, Andy Maser and Brian Rothberg.

Girls (back row, from left): Brenda Blum, Beverly Allice, Anna Bilsky, Carol-Sue Swedlove, Reesa Greenberg; (front) Sandra Globerman, Carol Weiner, Judy Molot, Ann Max and Ingrid Gluzman.

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.

Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

The Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa invites you to attend the public launch of the MS St. Louis Commemorative Project

B.H.

www.jewishyouthlibrary.com

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7:00 pm Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive Come meet: • Author Sara Loewenthal and Illustrator Nicholas Jackson of the book, So Near, and Yet So Far: Klara's Voyage on the MS St. Louis • the Artist of the magnificent mosaic mural, Michoel Muchnik • a Survivor from the ship, Herbert Karliner Space is limited. RSVP by January 16, 2012 to Erica Phillips-Posner (613) 729-1619 or ms.stlouiscom@yahoo.ca Funded by:

Chanukah Feature

Pump up the volume: Music propels the way to a rededicated Jewish life

By Dasee Berkowitz (JTA) – My three-yearold son is obsessed with showing people his room, sidling sheepishly over to guests and asking, “Can I show you my room?”

My son reminds me how important our “place” is – “A Room of One’s Own,” in Virginia Woolf’s words. Our rooms make us feel secure and anchor us. (Just ask a teenager how important that is.) A room enables us to recharge before heading out into the world to do our work, and contains the objects, pictures and music that entertain us, occupy and preoccupy us, and evoke memories of another time.

I’ve been thinking about this room metaphor as Chanukah nears. Chanukah means dedication. What we are celebrating is the courage of the Maccabees to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, the centre of our Jewish lives, after it was defiled by the Assyrian Greeks in 164 BCE. They re-established the room for the Jews to do their sacred work in the world.

What would it mean for us to dedicate a space and to make room for Judaism in our own lives? More specifically, what does our Jewish room (read: Jewish identity) look like? What are the objects and pictures in it? What is the ambiance of our Jewish room?

Is it a place that we feel like ourselves, or do we feel stiff and formal in it? Is our Jewish room more like a closet tucked away, a place that is in desperate need to be organized, the dust cleared away and precious gems of our past revived? Is it a place that we feel a tinge of guilt each time we pass because it has fallen into neglect?

Chanukah is an opportunity to do a little rededication of our Jewish rooms and Jewish lives. But what aspect of Jewish life do we want to rededicate?

In “Light One Candle,” Peter, Paul and Mary sing about Chanukah as part of the age-old struggle for justice.

Classic and contemporary Chanukah music can help answer the question. We all know how central music is to enlivening a room.

One of my favourite Chanukah songs is “Al Hanisim (Of the Miracles).”

Traditionally inserted into the standing silent prayer, or Amidah, the blessing after meals and sung throughout the holiday, it praises God for the “miracles, and for the salvation, and for the mighty deeds, and for the victories, and for the battles which You performed for our ancestors in those days, at this time.” It clearly affirms God’s centrality to the story of Chanukah and for the miracle of oil that lasted eight days, and renders less central the military victory of the Maccabees.

Another classic, “Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages),” written around the 13th century in Europe, is a brief recounting of Jewish history and also focuses on God’s centrality.

A more contemporary Chanukah song, “Mi Y’malel (Who Can Retell),” has an opening line that goes, “Who

can tell of the heroic deeds of Israel? ... Yes in every generation a hero arises to save the people.” The Russian-born Zionist Menashe Ravina plays here on the words from Psalm 106:2, “Mi y’malel g’vurot Adonai (Who can tell of the mighty acts of God?)”.

The song places human strength and know-how at centre stage. It is not surprising that the Zionist take on the Chanukah story emphasizes human agency over heavenly intervention. After all, the Zionists created the “new Jew,” who left the beit midrash (house of study) to work the land.

This Chanukah, how will you rededicate yourself to understanding Israel and its story better?

“Light One Candle,” written by Peter Yarrow – and recorded by his group, Peter, Paul and Mary in 1983 – casts the particular story about the Maccabean struggle for religious freedom within a universal context and links it to other movements of defiance and protest that bring about a (Continued on page 23)

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 23

Music helps turn ‘discomfort of difference into a source of pride’ (Continued from page 22)

more just society.

With the closing stanza comes the charge to use the memory of the past as a clarion call to do justice: “What is the memory that’s valued so highly/ That we keep it alive in that flame/ What’s the commitment to those who have died/ We cry out ‘they’ve not died in vain’/ We have come this far, always believing/ That justice will somehow prevail/ This is the burden and this is the promise/ This is why we will not fail!”

This Chanukah, how does our particular centuries-old struggle against the Assyrian Greeks to win religious freedom help motivate us to help others with their struggles?

Of course, some contemporary fare is a bit more lighthearted. Debbie Friedman’s “Latke Song” doesn’t let us forget that our holiday celebration would be nothing without traditional foods with lyrics like “I am a latke, I’m a latke, and I am waiting for Chanukah to come!” The song reminds us how important traditional food can be to help us create rich associations – and full bellies – during the holiday.

What traditional recipes

will you try this year? How might you spice up your repertoire with some contemporary cuisine – sweet potato and ginger latkes anyone?

Matisyahu takes a different tack.

The hip-hopping Chasid’s Chanukah tune, “Miracle on Ice,” sets up the opposition between Chanukah and Christmas. It confronts us with the threat facing Judaism in a majority culture that seduces us to participate and our need to look heavenward for support. “Born to struggle and fall/ But my strength does comes not from man at all … /Eight nights, eight lights, and these rites keep me right/ Bless me to the highest heights with your miracle.”

While it is easy to morph December into one big holiday season, what are the ways that you want to draw distinctions between your identity and practice and those of your Christian neighbours? How can you turn the discomfort of difference into a source of pride?

Yeshiva University’s a cappella group, the Maccabeats, with its 2010 YouTube sensation, “Candlelight,” a parody of Taio Cruz’s song “Dynamite,” and

Temple Israel Shabbat Services Fridays 6:15 pm Once a month following Services on Friday there is a “Bring your own dinner”. Next dinners Dec. 9, Jan. 13 Shabbat Services Saturdays 10:15 am Chanukah Celebration of Freedom Lecture: Sunday, December 18, 7:00 pm. Speaker Lawrence Greenspon

Happy Chanukah to the entire community with warm wishes 1301 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 1N2 www.templeisraelottawa.ca 613-224-1802

The Maccabeats, Yeshiva University’s a cappella group, with their 2010 YouTube sensation, “Candelight,” freshens up the Chanukah story.

the Israeli group, the Fountainheads, with “I Gotta Feelin’ Hanukkah,” a spoof of the Black Eyed Peas hit, “I Gotta Feelin’,” present us with a final challenge: How can we make traditions and stories

that we tell from year to year fresh, dynamic and fun?

The Maccabeats retell the story, singing “I’ll tell a tale/ Of Maccabees in Israel/ When the Greeks tried to assail/ But it was all to no

avail/ The war went on and on and on/ Until the mighty Greeks were gone/ I flip my latkes in the air sometimes sayin’ ‘ayy ohh spin the dreidl’/ Just wanna celebrate for all eight nights singin ‘ayy

oh, light the candles.’”

So, this Chanukah season, crank up the volume in that Jewish room of yours. Play the music loud, even wake the neighbours and discover the power of rededication.

Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 25

Chanukah Feature

Chanukah in Israel: Sufganiyot on the streets, burning lights, cultural extravaganzas and family fun

By Marcy Oster Jerusalem (JTA) – They’re making sufganiyot on the streets of Israel; Chanukah must be near.

Actually, it started feeling like Chanukah here about two days after Sukkot, when the first vendors started frying the delicious and caloric doughnuts in vats of oil in front of bakeries and on the street in towns throughout the country.

As malls in North America rush the Christmas season by putting up decorations right after Halloween, some vendors in the heart of Jerusalem were making sufganiyot in the middle of Sukkot.

I spend the weeks until Chanukah checking out the sufganiyot offerings – jelly, chocolate, custard, you name it. At a rumoured 1,000 calories each, I can only allow myself one or two throughout the whole season, so they better be good.

One of the highlights of my family’s Chanukah is our annual venture to a fancy coffee shop for sufganiyot and hot cocoa (for the kids, coffee for me). Last year’s offerings included sufganiyot filling with flavours such as champagne, taffy and pistachio.

But Chanukah in Israel is not all about sufganiyot. With the kids out of school for a week, family fun rules. Workplaces mostly stay open, but stay-at-home moms and parents who manage to get some

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end-of-the-year time off, do not want for kid-friendly activities during Chanukah.

Cities throughout Israel offer many cultural extravaganzas during the holiday.

There are musicals and plays for children, often starring some of the best known Israeli television and music personalities. Malls feature children’s programming like arts and crafts stations, or they set up stages with visits from jugglers, singers and often characters from beloved Israeli children’s shows such as Yuval Mibubal (Yuval the Confused) or Kofiko, a monkey with very human traits.

One of our favourite happenings in recent years featured candle dipping. Others included demonstrations of making olive oil and pita (and eating).

There are also plenty of Chanukah parties to attend in the evenings, either public or private. Like in North America, synagogues, schools and other institutions host parties, and kindergartens put on pre-Chanukah extravaganzas with song-and-dance presentations for parents. Families get together to light candles and fry latkes in celebration of the miracle of the oil.

Our extended family gets together every year for

Chanukah, though co-ordinating the event becomes more difficult each year as more of the nieces and nephews marry, move away from the community and have children of their own. One of the highlights of our party is the family sing-along, which begins with songs for Chanukah, moves on to well-loved national Israeli songs and finally moves into a different realm – Simon and Garfunkel and show tunes.

There are plenty of public lightings of the chanukiyah – in the Knesset, on army bases, at the Western Wall.

The president and the prime minister travel to significant spots throughout the country, and sometimes the world, to kindle the Chanukah lights.

Also as in North America, and throughout the world, Chabad is a palpable presence in Israel during Chanukah, with their chanukiyot sprouting in town squares, public parks and on the backs of cars. In our own community, the local Chabad lights a tall chanukiyah in the middle of our open-air mall, inviting children to come each night to sing the blessings and enjoy sufganiyot.

Perhaps the best part about being in Israel during Chanukah is walking down

A woman on King George Street in Jerusalem appears perplexed picking from the array of sufganiyot choices for Chanukah.

(Photo: Nati Shohat/Flash90)

the streets of many cities and seeing Chanukah lights burning, often in special glass containers, outside next to the front door. With the mezuzah on one side and the Chanukah lights on the other, the home is surrounded by mitzvot, according to tradition. And since everyone in many families lights their own chanukiyah, it is not uncommon to see a home with dozens of lights burning in the window.

It truly makes Chanukah feel like a national celebration.

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Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder explains how to do well by doing good

By Suzanne Kurtz (JTA) – A scoop of Ben & Jerry’s may taste like heaven, and, for company co-founder Jerry Greenfield, the business of making ice cream has a spiritual side as well.

“There is a spiritual aspect to business, just as there is to people,” Greenfield told a crowd of 300, November 16, at a Jewish Federation of Greater Washington event.

The ice cream company known for its colourful pintsize containers, funky flavours and creative marketing has implemented smart business practices that have advanced its bottom line as well as its do-good corporate

ple in society and around the world.”

In his mid-20s, after being rejected from some 20 medical schools and not content with working as a lab technician, Greenfield split a five dollar correspondence course on ice cream-making with Cohen and embarked on a new business venture.

In 1978, with $12,000 scraped together from loans and savings, they opened Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. in a renovated gas sta- Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield speaks at a Jewish Federation of Greater tion in Burlington, Vermont. Washington event, November 16. (Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Washington) Their single storefront venture would grow eventually Unilever Corp.

One oft-cited example of participate,” said Greenfield, into a $300 million global ice Neither Greenfield nor Ben & Jerry’s socially con- and one in every 100 Vercream empire owned by the Cohen is still active in the science business practices is mont families became shareday-to-day running of the its purchase of $8 million an- holders in the company. “As company. Instead, Greenfield nually of chocolate brownies the business supported the said, his present role with baked at the Greyston Bak- community, the community Ben & Jerry’s holds “no re- ery in Yonkers, N.Y., a non- supported the business.” sponsibility and no authori- profit that offers job training In 1985, the company ty,” joking that it should be a and hires workers who might made a public stock offering position that those attending have a difficult time finding and also established the Ben the federation event also jobs elsewhere, such as ex- & Jerry’s Foundation. It bestrive for in their careers. convicts, former substance gan donating 7.5 per cent of But their vision for an ice abusers and welfare recipi- pre-tax profits to nonprofit cream company that would ents. organizations – the highest be both profitable and care “We came up with this percentage of any publicly about the needs of society popular flavour [for using the traded company at the time, With YOUR help – MDA continues to provide has left a lasting impact on brownies] and the bakery is he said. uninterrupted emergency services to the people of Israel both employees and cus- pretty happy with it, too!”

“As you give, you retomers. said Greenfield. ceive,” Greenfield said. “As ISRAEL CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT MAGEN DAVID ADOM “Simply operating this In 1984, when the compayou help others, you are MAGEN DAVID ADOM CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT YOU way had so many benefits for ny needed to raise additional helped in return.”

Seymour Eisenberg Sam Litwack the company,” said Green- capital to grow the business, He added, “And just bePresident Honorary National Director field, as he detailed some of they let their Vermont neigh- cause the idea that the good Tel: 613-224-2500 Tel: 613-738-7778 the values-driven business bours “get a scoop of the ac- that you do comes back to Email: seyeis@rogers.com Fax: 613-738-1752 practices that also saw him tion” by holding an in-state you is written in the Bible Email: samdora@sympatico.ca and Cohen named U.S. Small public offering. and not in some business Business Persons of the Year “People of essentially any textbook doesn’t mean that it Donate at www.cmdai.org in 1988. economic situation could is any less valid.” culture.

Raised on suburban New York’s Long Island, Greenfield, 60, and his longtime friend and business partner Ben Cohen met in gym class in junior high school after discovering a shared dislike of running track. They were chubby kids who always enjoyed eating, Greenfield said, and both attended Hebrew school and had their bar mitzvahs at the Reform Congregation of Merrick.

Though a self-described “cultural Jew,” Greenfield said his religious education helped sensitize him to discrimination, marginalization and the needs of “other peo-

The Ottawa Chapter wishes all our Donors, Families and Friends a Warm and Festive

Chag Ha’Chanukah

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

A

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 27

Visit our web site: www.hillellodge.ca

LL

ife at the odge

2011 Auxiliary Tea donations earmarked for two whirlpool baths Rather than honour an individual, the 2011 Auxiliary Tea honoured all the residents of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge as a way of recognizing the Lodge’s 21 bed expansion. The Auxiliary called this year’s Tea, The 21 Bed Salute.

“We in the Auxiliary are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Hillel residents. What better way to honour our mothers and fathers than to participate in the mitzvah of adding 21 new beds,” says Dee Gaffen, the convenor of this year’s Tea. The Auxiliary raised just over $50,000 with donations coming from more than 800 individuals. The money has been earmarked to pay for two whirl pool baths for the new Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Pavilion. One of the new whirl pool baths will be equipped with a lift for residents who require it.

Biking for Bubbies 2012 The organizing committee is busy and the date is set. Get your calendars out and mark Sunday, September 30th.

This year, it will be harder to say no.

In addition to the 54-km ride, there will be a 18-km ride for those who want to do a little less biking. More opportunities, more riders, more pledges, more donation dollars.

This year, $54,000 was raised. With your help, and all those new bikers, we will do better in 2012.

Please contact Joel Diener at 613-7220086 (work) or 613-727-19995 (home).

The organizing team of 2011 Auxiliary Tea.

Every year, donations to the Auxiliary are almost always used to buy equipment that enhances the facility and, more importantly, improves the quality of life for the Lodge’s soon-to-be 121 residents.

The Auxiliary would like to thank all the

From left to right: Shira Silver, Marion Silver, Inez Zelikovitz and Rosalyn Fremeth.

donors who made this year’s gift of the whirl pool baths to the Lodge possible.

Hillel Lodge would like to particularly thank Dee Gaffen, Rosalyn Fremeth, Carolyn Katz and Marion Silver for their leadership in realizing this year’s success.

Four generations of the Stein family with resident Rose Stein (right).

REMINDER As the calendar year comes to an end, if you have not yet renewed your 2011 Hillel Lodge Membership, please contact Bev Glube at the Foundation office at 613-728-3900, ext. 111.

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 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

In support of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge In the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Long Term Care Centre Card Donations Card donations go a long way to improving the quality of life for our residents.

Thank you for considering their needs and contributing to their 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 November 9 and 22, 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 Memory of: Adele Shlien by Marilyn Adler Arthur Kizell by Marilyn Adler Helen Trachtenberg by Marilyn Adler In Honour of: Leo and Aviva Lightstone Mazal tov on Nava’s engagement by Marilyn Adler and Neil Blacher Michael Roytenberg Mazal tov on your Bar Mitzvah by Marilyn Adler, Neil and Daniel Blacher Gloria and Ervin Stein Best wishes on your 50th wedding anniversary by Elayne Adler, Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler; and by Marilyn Adler, Neil and Daniel Blacher Fred and Esther Ballon Family Fund In Memory of: Betty Ballon by Lori and Shabetay Lazarovitz and family

Jenny and Murray Citron Endowment Fund R’fuah Shlema: Sam Litwack by Murray Citron Friedberg and Dale Families Fund In Honour of: Debbie and David Fischman Mazal tov on the birth of your granddaughter by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale Annie and Joel Tencer Mazal tov on the engagement of your granddaughter Serena to Yitzchak Cohen by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale Jenny and Benny Traurig Mazal tov on Serena’s engagement to Yitzchak Cohen by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale To Commemorate the Yahrzeit of: Fanny Friedberg by Elaine Friedberg Malcolm and Vera Glube Endowment Fund In Memory of: Bea Greenberg by Malcolm and Vera Glube Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Memory of: Father of Natasha Pankhurst by Henry and Maureen Molot David, Harvey, Victor Kardish Family Fund In Memory of: Warren Mason by Harvey, Sheryl, Mallory and Ryan Kardish Cecilia Levitan Harvey, Sheryl, Mallory and Ryan Kardish Joan and Russell Kronick Family Fund In Memory of: Bea Greenberg by Joan and Russell Kronick Bill and Phyllis Leith Familiy Endowment Fund R’fuah Shlema: Alvin Bloom by Arlene and Seymour Isenberg

Sarah and Arnie Swedler Family Fund In Memory of: Margaret Robson by Arnie Swedler and Rhoda Zaitlin Roslyn and Myles Taller Family Endowment Fund In Memory of: Helen Trachtenberg by Roz Taller Eric Weiner and Arlene Godfrey Family Fund In Honour of: Carol Gradus Very happy special birthday by Ingrid Levitz Toby and Joel Yan Family Fund In Memory of: Adele Shlien by Toby and Joel Yan Ilya Polonsky by Toby and Joel Yan Carole and Norman Zagerman Family Fund R’fuah Shlema: Ruth Freiman by Carole and Norman Zagerman In Honour of: Dorothy Nadolny Mazal tov on your granddaughter Noa’s Bat Mitzvah by Carole and Norman Zagerman and Laurie and Andrea Arron Ruth and Manny Shacter Happy and healthy birthday by Carole and Norman Zagerman Carol Greenberg Mazal tov on Rhonda’s forthcoming marriage by Carole and Norman Zagerman **************** Feeding Program In Memory of: Arthur Kizell by Carol and Larry Gradus In Honour of: Elissa and Avi Iny Mazal tov on the birth of your grandson with love by Carol and Larry Gradus R’fuah Shlema: Debi Shore with love by Carol and Larry Gradus **************** IN HONOUR OF: Dr. Jamie Levitz Happy birthday by Ingrid Levitz Mr. and Mrs. Steve Less Best wishes on your 50th wedding anniversary with love by Alvin and Monica Stein

Jeff Polowin Thank you by Brian Bailey Noah Zunder Mazal tov on your Bar Mitzvah by Brenda, Jerry and Eytan Rip Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Mazal tov on the marriage of Stacey to Stephen Rich by Corinne and Sheldon Taylor IN MEMORY OF: Wife of Gord Betcherman by Danny Levine and family Mother of Lisa Wishman by Danny, Rhonda, Samuel, Zachary and Shelby Levine Warren Mason by Danny, Rhonda, Samuel, Zachary and Shelby Levine Helen Trachtenberg by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge; by Your Friends at Statistics Canada- SASD Arthur Kizell by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge; Greta Florence and family; by Jules Sigler and Brian Lahey; by Mark Arbique; by Mariana Zurawski Betty Ballon by Ethel and David Malek; by Joanne Dereta; by Cynthia and Herbert Cowan; by Brenda and Gerald Rip; by Dorothy and Hy Hymes Bea Greenberg by Stanley and Roz Labow Lou Eisenberg by Cynthia and Herbert Cowan Iris Mayer by Janet and Norman Ironstone R’FUAH SHLEMA: Libby Katz by Cila Farber Debi Shore by Marilyn and William Newman; by Anna and Ronnie Cantor Mark Routtenberg by Alvin and Monica Stein Leah Miller by Alvin and Monica Stein; by Marnie, Samantha and Molly Stein; by Claire and Irving Bercovitch; by Anna and Ronnie Cantor

REMINDER As the calendar year comes to an end, if you have not yet renewed your 2011 Hillel Lodge Membership, please contact Bev Glube at the Foundation office at 613-7283900, ext. 111.

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.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 29

Search is on for new chief rabbi in Britain

By Alex Weisler London (JTA) – Increased transparency and the inclusion of women’s voices will be cornerstones of the process that Orthodox leaders in Britain have devised to find a replacement for Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the country’s longtime chief rabbi, who will step down in September 2013.

Stephen Pack, the president of the United Synagogue, the governing body for 130 Orthodox Jewish communities in Britain, said last month that he hopes a new chief rabbi will be found by next September, allowing for a “period of orderly handover.”

Though the formal search has not yet begun, Pack said more than a dozen names already comprise an informal shortlist of recommended rabbis. Only about half are Britons.

Rabbi Sacks has been Britain’s chief rabbi since 1991 and has used the position to wield tremendous influence over the Jewish world and beyond. A prolific author and frequent commentator on the BBC, he is among the most recognizable and respected religious figures in the country.

Rabbi Sacks has widened his influence beyond the British Jewish

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Britain’s chief rabbi, addresses the banquet of the international Chabad Lubavitch emissaries conference in Brooklyn, November 27.

(Photo: Baruch Ezagui)

community, authoring a popular translation of the traditional Orthodox prayer book that has been enthusiastically adopted by many communities around the world.

Within the United Kingdom, his tenure has been marked by a commitment to interfaith efforts and renewal of community life.

His two decades at the helm haven’t been without controversy.

Rabbi Sacks took over pledging an era of inclusivity, writing in a 1991

book that Orthodox Jews need to attach “positive significance” to the role that liberal Jewish streams have had in keeping identity and practice alive for many Jews.

But several incidents called that commitment into question.

In 1997, Sacks withdrew from a memorial service for Rabbi Hugo Gryn, a Reform leader and Holocaust survivor, after protests from the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. Subsequently, it

was revealed that Rabbi Sacks said Rabby Gryn was “among those who destroy the faith.” Rabbi Sacks also referred to himself as an “enemy” of non-Orthodox movements.

That incident and others have led some to argue that the office of the chief rabbi is unnecessary and that Sacks should be its last occupant. Liberal Jewish leaders have complained that, as an Orthodox figure, the chief rabbi is not truly representative of British Jewry.

“The Chief Rabbinate has run its course, and an alternative form of leadership is called for which recognizes the plurality of the community,” wrote Meir Persoff, an expert on Britain’s Chief Rabbinate, in a book titled Another Way, Another Time?

The first formal event of the selection process will occur in December when a representative group of about 300 leaders from United Synagogue member communities, will convene in London.

They will be asked to sign off on the job description and personal characteristics sought by United Synagogue for the next chief rabbi.

No such group has ever been established to choose a chief rabbi.

Other procedural changes Pack announced include the mandated inclusion of women – each synagogue will be represented by its chairman as well as a female member of the board.

Pack said the next chief rabbi may redefine the role somewhat, but will not fundamentally change the position.

“We’re not looking for wholesale revolution in the way that it works,” he said.

Page 30 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool opens toddler program

By Devora Caytak Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool Here come the toddlers!

Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool recently opened a new program for toddlers aged 18 months and older. The preschool is licensed by the Ministry of Community and Social Services and is seeing great interest in the program.

A full- or half-day program is available, with before or after school care available.

This is the first year we have offered a program for toddlers and we are overwhelmed by the response.

Children come eagerly to school each day, because they have so much fun!

Our experienced teachers and a well-planned day are an excellent recipe for a first-time school experience. Activities include yoga, baking, Shabbat parties, French songs, Hebrew alphabet, story time, outdoor play, and so much more.

Registration for next September has begun. For more information, call me at 613-729-7712 or visit westborojewishmontessoripreschool.com.

Toddler Joey Devorah Shmorgun learns the Hebrew alphabet at the Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool.

process December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 31

Jewish Heritage Month bill introduced in Ontario

By Michael Regenstreif Liberal MPP Mike Colle introduced a private member’s bill in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on November 30 that would proclaim the month of May to be Jewish Heritage Month in Ontario.

The bill, which has initial support from members of all three parties, was cosponsored by Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman and New Democratic Party MPP Cheri DiNovo.

A statement from Colle’s office said the bill, The Jewish Heritage Month Act, 2011, “offers all Ontarians an opportunity to recognize the important contributions that Jewish Canadians have made to Ontario’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric.

“Jewish Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the inspirational role that Jewish Canadians have played, and continue to play, in

communities across Ontario.”

The bill, which is expected to come up for debate in the legislature early in 2012, is also supported by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

“The Jewish community has a long, distinguished heritage in this province spanning well over 200 years. More than half of our country’s 360,000 Jewish Canadians live in Ontario.

We are proud of the role our community has played in the province’s history, and will continue working with Ontarians of all backgrounds to help ensure that Ontario remains a great home for future generations,” wrote David Spiro, CIJA’s Toronto co-chair, in a statement.

“We hope that, through our varied programs and events, Jewish Heritage Month will be meaningful not only for the Jewish community, but for all the people of Ontario,” Spiro added.

Liberal MPP Mike Colle

Conservative MPP Peter Sherman

NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo

Ottawa Community Chapter of Canadian Magen David Adom

“To save a life” – Mitzvah 265

Getting married, celebrating a special birthday or anniversary, just had a Bar or Bat Mitzvah?

Share your good news (photo too)!

To advertise call Cindy Manor-Kennedy 613-798-4696, ext. 256 Mail to: Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 2R9 Fax: 613-798-4730 Email: cmanor@ottawajewishbulletin.com

Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov Mazal Tov

Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov Mazal Tov

• Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov •

• Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov • Mazal Tov •

Be part of the tradition to do at least one Mitzvah:

SAVE A LIFE! There are 612 more good deeds that you can participate in.

A minimum donation of $200.00 towards one mitzvah will bring us closer to achieve our Ottawa community goal of purchasing a life - saving ambulance - a veritable “hospital-on-wheels.”

Magen David Adom - MDA Israel, is a full member of the

International Red Cross and offers its humanitarian aid to all citizens living within its borders, regardless of race, color or religion.

(Tsunami in Sri Lanka, Greek, Turkish and Haitian earthquakes), MDA is there SAVING LIVES.

Additionally MDA offers its services to all nations in times of crisis and/or natural disasters

Be part of this unique opportunity to donate our ambulance to MDA Israel

Donations can be made on-line, by phone toll-free: 1-800-731-2848 or by mail OTTAWA CHAPTER Seymour Eisenberg, President 95 Beaver Ridge, Ottawa, ON K2E 6E5 Tel.: 613-224-2500 Email: seyeis@rogers.com

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 6900 Decarie Blvd., Suite 3155 Montreal, QC H3X 2T8 Tel.: 514-731-4400 Email: info@cmdai.org

ISRAEL CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT MAGEN DAVID ADOM MAGEN DAVID ADOM CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT YOU

Page 32 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Staying connected has never been more affordable 19 issues of community news Ottawa area: $30.00 Canada: $36.00 International: $50.00 Order online at: www.ottawajewishbulletin.com or send a cheque to: Ottawa Jewish Bulletin 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa ON K2A 1R9 or call 613-798-4696, ext. 256 or 242.

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section 2

page 33

Section Two

December 12, 2011

Trip to Israel empowers women to build a thriving Jewish future

By Lauren Shaps JET One of the themes of Chanukah was the dedication of a small group of Jews who saw the challenging circumstances and stepped up to address them. Their courage and commitment inspires us to this day.

Today, Jews live in Israel and throughout the world with the freedom to practise Judaism openly. However, Jewish communities are facing significant challenges.

Believing that mothers are the key to Jewish continuity, the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) has created a birthright for mommies experience that engages and empowers Jewish women, increasing their passion for Israel and all things Jewish. JET (Jewish Education through Torah) is JWRP’s Ottawa partner in provid-

December 12, 2011 – Page 33

ing this exceptional experience.

There are a limited number of spaces available to each partnering organization, so candidates must go through an application and interview process. The women selected are highly motivated. They are looking for the knowledge and tools to give their families meaningful Jewish experiences, for a deeper understanding of their Jewish values, and for a connection to Israel that lifts them above the negative, anti-Israel messages that bombard them.

“Jewish education was not a priority for my parents. When I had my children, I wanted to be better connected with my heritage.

I am fortunate to provide my children with the foundation that I never had. I want them to grow up feeling more connected than I did.

I have never had the privilege of

going to Israel. I feel that a trip to Israel (especially with a group of Jewish women) will help me to reconnect Jewishly and be a huge step along my journey,” wrote Pam Belfer, a scientist and mother of two, in her application.

Through JET, 25 Ottawa women joined more than 1,000 others from around the world, November 6-16, on the latest JWRP trip. Their physical and emotional endurance was tested. Days were filled with walking and climbing. Jewish history came alive through visits to Safed, Tiberias, Masada and Jerusalem.

The connection was continuously made between our ancient heritage and our modern day challenges. The women began to deeply understand the unique gift Judaism has brought to the world and the imperative to transmit Jewish values to the next (Continued on page 34)

Truda Rosenberg speaks at the University of Ottawa after receiving the 2011 Faculty of Social Sciences Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award.

(Photo: Benita Baker)

uOttawa recognizes Truda Rosenberg for promoting inter-cultural understanding

By Benita Baker Love, truth and knowledge are key to removing barriers between nationalities and religions, says Holocaust survivor, psychologist, professor and author Truda Rosenberg. Speaking at the University of Ottawa, November 16, during Holocaust Education Week

Participants in the November JET-JWRP trip to Israel at Masada.

on campus, Rosenberg’s lecture, Building Bridges between Religions and Cultures included stories from her Holocaust ordeal along with personal observations on how the world can heal.

“When people from different backgrounds come together, they (Continued on page 34)

Page 34 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Passion and enthusiasm brought to family and community (Continued from page 33)

generation.

Tears flowed as women received a beautiful siddur, for many the first they have owned, just prior to their first visit to the Kotel. Walking through the halls of Yad Vashem, we felt immense sorrow, as we heard of the destruction and devastation of Jewish families and communities during the Holocaust.

We experienced great Jewish pride as we learned of the sacrifices made by previous generations, so that we could live today as Jews. Our desire to give to others with so much less was engaged by a visit to Kfar Yeladim, a home for children whose parents can no longer care for them. Hearts soared as we danced the hora with young Israeli soldiers, following Havdallah, on a star-lit rooftop overlooking the Kotel.

“The trip fortified me with energy so that I am able to stand by the Jewish decisions that I make in my home and for my family,” said Susie Weisman, a project manager and mother of three, who returned to Israel as a madricha (trip leader).

JET-JWRP trip participants (from left) Cybele Hamburg, Dena Kingstone, Nathalie Miller and Rhonda Levine on a Jerusalem rooftop overlooking the Kotel.

“It also introduced me to likeminded women who I know I can turn to for support. It helps to know that there are others who are as concerned about the continuation of the Jewish people and how we promote that to our children.”

Belfer reflected similar feelings.

“Although many of us have loving friends and family, we, as women, spend a lot of time feeling alone: alone in our fight to raise our children, alone in our fight to

find meaning in our day-to-day activities and alone in our fight to be better people,” she said.

“Through this incredible journey, I have come to realize that I am not alone. I am surrounded by a community of strong, intelligent,

compassionate Jewish women that support one another. As individuals we are only one link, but, once joined together, we make a mighty chain. We continue to build this chain and we are thousands of women strong. I am honoured to count myself among them.”

The trip was just the start of the women’s renewed Jewish journey.

Through ongoing classes and Jewish experiences, JET will continue to nurture the flames that have been sparked.

The more than 30 women who were on two previous JWRP trips continue to be engaged and involved. They are taking steps on their own Jewish journeys and bringing passion and enthusiasm to their families and to Ottawa’s Jewish community.

“This trip was only the beginning of that journey of learning and growing,” wrote Orly Aaron, lawyer and mother of four.

“Once you’ve been a JWRP trippie you realize how much more there is to know and how much you want to learn. It can only enrich your life and that of those that surround you.”

Rosenberg applauded for the compassion she inspires (Continued from page 33)

become friends and start loving each other,” said Rosenberg.

“Unfortunately, people do not understand the difference between loving and falling in love.”

Rosenberg pointed to the teaching of the Jewish sage Hillel as a beautiful statement of love. “Love yourself first because people who cannot love themselves cannot love someone else. But if I can only love myself, then who am I?” Introduced by both Faculty of Social Science Dean Marcel Mérette and Faculty of Arts Dean Antoni Lewkowicz, Rosenberg was presented with the 2011 Fac-

ulty of Social Sciences Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award.

The award recognizes alumni who have enhanced the reputation of their academic unit, of the faculty and of the university through their outstanding career, public service, community service or academic achievements.

Mérette talked about Rosenberg’s passionate sense of justice and equity and her efforts to promote harmonious understanding across all cultures, including a uOttawa research scholarship that she sponsors for the study of minority group discrimination and the promotion of harmonious mul-

ticultural relationships.

“We applaud the compassion you inspire in all of us,” said Mérette as he handed Rosenberg the award plaque. “Mazal Tov!” Rosenberg, who recently published Unmasked, a memoir about surviving the Holocaust, spoke briefly about some of her wartime experiences.

As a 19-year-old, she and her family were forced into a ghetto when the Germans invaded Poland. Her mother arranged to have Rosenberg smuggled out of the ghetto and escape to Warsaw.

“Trudinka, don’t let anything happen to your Jewish soul,” were

Readers and advertisers are advised that the next edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin will be published on Monday, January 23, 2012.

The deadline date is Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

her mother’s parting words.

Living in Warsaw as a Catholic, Rosenberg worked for the Underground, delivering weapons for the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

One day, travelling on a tram and carrying the weapons in a violin case, she noticed a man staring at her. Although completely terrified that she had been identified as a Jew, she confronted the man.

“Why are you staring at me?” she asked, acting affronted.

“You look so much like Holy Mary Mother of God,” the man replied.

“I didn’t want him to remember that she was a Jew,” said Rosenberg about the close call.

Rosenberg believes the term ‘Holocaust’ is not an appropriate word to describe the systematic extermination of European Jews, because it describes a natural phenomenon.

The more appropriate word, in her opinion, is ‘Shoah,’ which means destruction.

An audience member asked Rosenberg if she was hopeful the world situation will change.

“I would like to be an optimist, but people haven’t learned to love each other yet,” she said. “We

have to start with the little kids, teaching them the truth. If we know enough truth, then we can deal honestly with our fellow man.”

Another audience member asked Rosenberg how it was possible to build bridges when religions are so divisive.

Rosenberg answered with an anecdote from a recent trip to Austria to lecture on cultural understanding. Her Catholic hosts insisted she accompany them to church services one evening. As she walked into the building, the church choir began singing “Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.”

“There is only one God,” said Rosenberg. “We all worship him differently. The sooner we understand this, the sooner we will able to act accordingly. Parents should be able to say to their children, ‘This is Sarah. She does not go to our church, but we pray to the same God.’” Sharing the stage with Rosenberg was student Adam Moscoe, Hillel Ottawa’s Holocaust Education chair, who spoke about his own interfaith experiences as well as the many Holocaust Education events taking place on campus.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 35

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Friendship Circle holds kickoff for volunteers

By Devora Caytak Jewish Youth Library Friendship Circle of Ottawa held our kickoff training session for teenage volunteers, November 20. A large group of teens partici-

pated in the action-packed afternoon.

A program of the Jewish Youth Library, Friendship Circle matches teen volunteers with children with special needs.

Israeli piano duo performs in Ottawa Acclaimed Israeli pianists Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg performed a recital, November 19, at the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret Hall. Presented by the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation and the Embassy of Israel, the program included works by Stravinsky, Schumann and Ravel.

Karine Disend, whose PhD is in epidemiology and community medicine, gave a very informative and interesting workshop on what to consider when caring for youth with special needs. Each individual, she emphasized, is unique and should reach his or her potential.

Children with special needs can have unique health problems and difficulties doing daily activities, but a supportive environment will help the child to reach his or her goals. Friendship, provided by the teen volunteers, is so important to every child.

Following the very interesting workshop, it was time for some laughs. Comedian, and rabbi, David Rotenberg had the teens in stitches! The comedy and jokes were a real treat for everyone. He showed the lighter side of life, talking about some of his very funny experiences. Rabbi Rotenberg is principal of the Ottawa Talmud Torah Afternoon School and campus rabbi for Hillel Ottawa.

The teens were then treated to a sushi-making experience. It was fun putting in rice and vegetables and rolling the seaweed. It was even more fun to taste the sushi.

Friendship Circle teen volunteers Jesse Wolfsohn (left) and Michelle Mauskopf make sushi at the kickoff event.

The Friendship Circle mission is to bring friends and smiles to children with special needs and peace of mind to their parents; to foster the values of volunteerism and compassion among our youth; and to realize the community’s responsibility for its mem-

bers with special needs.

Families with special needs children, or potential teen volunteers, can call Esther Caytak or Yael Kolet at 613-729-7112 or visit jewishyouthlibrary.com for more information about Friendship Circle.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 37

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Can Tel Aviv become a centre for fashion?

By Jessica Steinberg TEL AVIV (JTA) – For Israeli fashionistas, last month’s inaugural Tel Aviv Fashion Week proved what they’ve known for years: Israeli fashion is creative, current and worthy of worldwide attention – and, hopefully, sales.

“I wanted to show that there is fashion and creativity in Israel,” said organizer Ofir Lev, deputy CEO of the Israel Textile and Fashion Association.

Lev drew on his extensive contacts abroad to bring together foreign fashion writers and Italian star designer Roberto Cavalli in Tel Aviv for the three-day fashion fest.

While the Israeli fashion scene has been around for decades, it has been many years since there was any kind of public fashion extravaganza.

In the 1970s, a fashion week was held twice a year at the Tel Aviv Hilton, recalls designer Gideon Oberson, and buyers came from the United States and Europe.

But the Israeli manufacturing industry then was quite different, with at least a dozen fashion companies manufacturing entire collections for export.

“Now we don’t have companies doing fashion, but we have solo designers, at least four or five talented ones emerging each year,” Oberson said. “I think this fashion week was created to offer information, to create a bit of a hubbub and make some noise.”

And, of course, to generate orders and positive media coverage. But does Tel Aviv have any chance of becoming a major stop on the fashion circuit?

Lev says he’s already planning another Fashion Week for next April.

Sasson Kedem, a creator of artsy, architecturally styled pieces for women, said Tel Aviv Fashion Week was an opportunity to show the world that “we’re not just about bombs.”

“We’re very clever,” Kedem said, referring to his

Israeli designer Dorit Bar Or (centre) acknowledges applause with models at the close of her show at Tel Aviv Fashion Week, November 21. (Photo: Meir Partush/Flash 90)

fellow designers. “But we are different because of this place. We have passion, and we have to grab our opportunities because no one can take our inspiration from us.”

Lev says Israel’s security situation is part of what encourages Israeli fashion creativity.

“It’s not an easy life here.

It pushes us to be very creative, makes us think differently and improvise,” Lev said. “We’re brave because of

the situation we live in.”

Well-known Israeli designer Ronen Chen was conspicuous in his absence from Fashion Week and acknowledged a certain amount of ambivalence regarding the concept.

“Department store buyers aren’t going to come here to order our clothes because we don’t have a long enough track record, we don’t have the standards necessary. I just didn’t know if it was worth-

while,” he said.

Designers had to spend some $7,000 each on runway shows, and some of the younger designers split the costs, each sharing half-hour shows with one or two others.

Lev estimated the week cost about $2 million, including costs for flying in Cavalli and the fashion writers, and putting them up at Tel Aviv hotels. He did snare some sponsorship money but, still, it wasn’t easy. The city of Tel

Aviv-Jaffa did not offer any financial assistance, except for free space at HaTachana, the recently refurbished Ottoman-era train station in Jaffa.

Lisa Armstrong of the British Telegraph, wrote about Israeli soap star and designer Dorit Bar Or, the designer of Pas Pour Toi. “Israeli editors declared the local flavour of her collection a bit parochial,” Armstrong wrote. “To outsiders, it was exotic: entirely black (despite the enviable climate, they’re not exactly embracing The New Colour), with impeccably executed gold embroidery, a lot drawn from Arab designs – and gorgeous gold earrings in the shape of leaves that curved up the lobes.”

That’s the idea, says Kedem: Israel is not Paris, but Israeli designers excel at “translating the land.”

“You see the Mediterranean in our clothing,” he said. “We do intimate clothing that offers the feel of our country.”

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For Chanukah, give yourself or loved ones the gift of serenity For Eric Peters, both yoga and Chanukah have an impact on the union between the mind and the body.

“Chanukah is a joyful time,” says the popular Ottawa yoga teacher. “We withdraw from our daily routine to focus as a family and a community on what really matters in our lives that we are often prone to forget.”

On Chanukah, we celebrate the historic regaining of the control of Jerusalem and the rededication of the Temple.

“In yoga, every time we return to our mat, we celebrate a personal re-gaining of control, a personal rededication of the ‘temple’ of our body, mind and spirit.”

There are many misconceptions surrounding yoga, he says. “Yoga is simply being open to experience moment to moment.”

“The body and mind tend to stiffen and tighten the older you get,” he says. “It’s much like some plants that are tender and supple when young, becoming hard, dry and woody with age.”

The dreidel spins so fast it appears still.

Our lives are more like a top in a frenzied chaotic spin with no stable axis.

– Eric Peters “Therefore, you start from wherever you are, and not from where you used to be, or where you would like to be.”

Yoga does not require an already established flexibility and strength. “My best students, like myself, started with very limited flexibility,” he says. But no matter what your age, as you practise daily, you will slowly build strength and joint flexibility, improve your balance and posture, and promote “a calm, purposeful response to life’s challenges.”

Diagnosed in childhood with scoliosis, (curvature of the spine) Eric Peters spent four of his adolescent years in a back brace. His book “Out of the Cage” chronicles his personal journey through physical pain and mental anguish before finding health through the practice of yoga. As a full-time yoga teacher since 1998, he

has helped numerous others experience the healing power of yoga.

As for Chanukah, it’s very much a time for fun, he says.

“When we play the dreidel game, for example, we manoeuvre a spinning top.

The dreidel spins so fast it appears still. It appears this way not because it is still, but because it’s spinning at full speed. For most of us, however, our lives do not resemble a smooth centred top, spinning so fast that it appears motionless. Our lives are more like a top in a frenzied chaotic spin with no stable axis. We know we are alive if we keep on spinning, but we are frequently off centre.”

On the other hand, “when we light the Chanukah candles, we are where we want to be. And, when we are in that moment,

we have so much more energy, and so much less conflict.”

He says that peacefulness happens when we can relax inside. “Accept that ‘it is what it is’ and then we can experience the peace of stillness and the joy of just being.”

Give yourself the opportunity to begin experiencing the many benefits of healing yoga in your home, in Eric Peters’ classes at the JCC, at Barrhaven Yoga Studio on Greenbank near Hunt Club, or at your workplace.

To purchase a gift certificate or to sign up for classes, please visit www.healingyogaottawa.com or call 613791- YOGA (9642) for more information.

– Louise Rachlis

Page 40 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

New GLOW program at SJCC empowers girls aged 10 to 14

By Pamela Rosenberg Soloway JCC The Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is doing its part to empower young girls and help build self confidence and self esteem with a powerful new program designed for 10- to 14-year-olds.

GLOW (Girls Leading Others Wisely) brings girls together over the course of eight weeks to communicate, sans technology, and open up in a non-judgmental environment.

Each session focuses on a different theme, including discovering your authentic self, decision-making and peer relationships. GLOW also teaches girls about healthy lifestyle habits including cooking,

Give a Chanukah gift subscription to the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin!

Special rates valid until January 13, 2012.

Call Cindy Manor-Kennedy for details 613-798-4696, ext. 256

skin care and etiquette, and introduces them to different forms of fitness, which makes it a natural fit for the Soloway JCC, said Health and Wellness Director Carla Gencher.

“The Soloway JCC Health and Wellness Department is all about living a healthy life,” said Gencher. “Starting girls on a positive path at a young age will set them up for a healthy and successful future.”

Every 90-minute session begins with a 45-minute circle, led by a qualified educator. The girls are split into two groups – ages 10-12 and 13-14 – and have a chance to check in and discuss, in a non-judgmental, confidential environment, whatever is on their minds. This is also an opportunity for theme-based activities and problemsolving.

Next, the girls have a healthy snack followed by a group exercise class. Soloway JCC female fitness professionals will lead them in a number of exciting exercise classes to get them moving and smiling, such as Zumba, Hip-Hop, Bootcamp, SpinFit, Stability Ball, Bosu Ball, yoga and Pilates.

“If we teach healthy habits at a young age and show them the benefits of exercise, it will become a way of life for them,” said Gencher. “I started exercising in high school and continue to enjoy the benefits.”

The Soloway JCC class, which runs from January 19 to March 8, marks the

GLOW program’s first foray outside Calgary, where it was created five years ago by educator Kim Tackaberry.

“GLOW isn’t just about the social or the physical; it’s about the whole girl,” explained Tackaberry. “Girls today are dealing with so many changes. Communication is all about texting and email, and it’s nice to sit and converse and have time to connect.”

Tackaberry said some of the positive feedback she has received over the years from both parents and GLOW graduates themselves is that they feel better about themselves and their bodies; they don’t seem as intimidated by other girls as they did before; and they take more of a lead in

voicing their own opinions and thoughts.

In an effort to measure growth, GLOW uses the LAWSEQ Self Esteem checklist (a questionnaire used for measuring self-confidence) on the first and final class of each session.

In a recently wrapped-up class of nineto 12-year-olds, all but one displayed improvement in their scores, said Tackaberry, adding the one who didn’t improve did say that, while she still felt lonely at school, she did feel she belonged at GLOW. For more information on GLOW at the Soloway JCC, contact Carla Gencher at 613-798-9818, ext. 278, or cgencher@jccottawa.com. To learn more about GLOW, visit glowprogram.com.

AJA 50+ winter programs for active seniors

By Dena Speevak for AJA 50+ Everyone aged 50-plus is welcome to learn about the wide range of programs available between January and April at the AJA 50+ Winter Registration Event, Wednesday, January 11, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC). Refreshments will be served.

With more than 350 members, AJA (Active Jewish Adults) 50+ offers something for everyone.

Programs will include stimulating speakers, such as the founder of Canadian Friends of Pearl, to the fun and frivolous Girl’s Night Out at Ottawa’s exciting Three Wild Women boutique.

For a cultural experience, delight in Tea with Jane Austen or partake in a backstage visit to the Ottawa Little Theatre and find out how set design is done.

AJA 50+ has also arranged behind-the-

scenes guided tours of the Art Bank, Ottawa’s new city archives, the new Humane Society facilities and OR DESIGN Glassworks.

Life skills are not being ignored. Members can learn about CPR, container gardening and how e-books are changing our reading experience.

Ongoing programs, always popular, include bridge, film series, music, chess, National Gallery art talks and Creative Connections.

Of special interest, AJA 50+ is pleased to include a talk in late March by former MP Richard Marceau, now general counsel and senior government adviser of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, who will speak about his recent book, Juif, une histoire québécoise.

To learn more, come out to Registration Day or contact Dan Sigler at 613-224-6110 or ajamembership@gmail.com.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 41

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Chanukah Feature

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By Rabbi Shai Held (JTA) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We are all of us afraid of the dark.

At night, anxieties suppressed or repressed come swimming to the surface. Am I safe? Am I loved? Am I needed? Is there meaning in the world or, ultimately, is it all just a swirl of chaos?

For some of us much of the time, and for all of us some of the time, darkness suggests peril and instability, the sense that life is fleeting, tenuous, random and senseless.

Physical darkness threatens, at least at moments, to conjure existential darkness. It is dark, and I am alone and afraid.

The Talmud reports that Adam and Eve were panic stricken when they first saw the sun go down, thinking the setting of the sun was a consequence of their sin and this new, intense darkness would spell their death.

They spent that entire first night weeping, until dawn broke and they realized, to their immense relief, that this was simply the way of the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; day followed by night, and night followed by day.

We who come after the first couple are aware that night is not permanent, and that morning, too, inevitably will come. And our fears are usually less that night is the outgrowth of our failures and more of what it suggests, of the feelings and concerns that night has the power to elicit.

But, if we think of night in metaphorical terms, who among us has never had foreboding akin to Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s? What if night never ends? What if meaningless and loneliness are simply all there is?

We also are aware of profound links between physical darkness and existential darkness â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, moods often shift, worries often mount, and hope often wanes.

Judaism does not ask us to ignore this darkness and the sense of doom it might educe. On the contrary, it asks us to face them squarely and defy them. How? In Genesis, God takes Abram outside and says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Look toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.â&#x20AC;? And, God adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;So shall your offspring be.â&#x20AC;?

On the surface, the meaning of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promise is clear. The children of Abram will be so numerous as to be beyond counting.

But the great Chasidic master, Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger (1847-1905), known as the Sefas Emes, offers a much different and deeply arresting interpretation of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promise.

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promise, he says, is not quantitative, but qualitative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be a Jew is, like a star, to bring light to places of vast darkness.

Thus, even and perhaps especially when Israel descends into the darkness of its Egypt, its mission is clear: to light up the darkness of the most depraved and immoral parts of the world.â&#x20AC;? (Shemot, 1878) Let me add one note to the Sefas Emesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; comments. In understanding our mission in the world, there is something crucial to keep in mind about the nature of stars. Stars do not eliminate the darkness, but rather mitigate it. They do not turn the world into a palace full of light, but rather find ways to shed light in places that otherwise would be consumed by absolute darkness.

In a similar vein, we ought to be wary, to say the least, of the fantasy that human beings can somehow remove all darkness from human life. Such notions are chimerical at best and unimaginably dangerous at worst.

But we can â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and to take the covenant between God and Israel seriously is to affirm that we must â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bring light into otherwise abandoned places, to bring flashes of meaning and companionship to places otherwise overrun by heartache and devastation.

What does all of this have to do with Chanukah?

Think for a moment about the central ritual act that marks this holiday. It is winter now. The days are becoming shorter and shorter, and the nights are getting longer.

Passover and Sukkot begin in the middle of the Jewish month, when the moon is full.

But Chanukah is different. It begins on the 25th of the month, when the moon has all but completely disappeared.

We are in one of the darkest periods of one of the darkest months of the year. All around us is darkness. And what do we do?

We light a fire. Not a bonfire, but a small fire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; now one, now another, and so forth for eight nights. In other words, we do not pretend to be the sun, but only stars. We do not bring an end to darkness, but soften its effects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The soul of man is the lamp of God,â&#x20AC;? the Book of Proverbs tells us. What this means is that, ultimately, our task is not to light candles but to be candles. We have the potential to be the bits of light that help bring God back into a world gone dark.

As the Sefas Emes puts it in discussing Chanukah, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A human being is created to light up this world.â&#x20AC;? (Chanukah, 1874).

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December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 45

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Cantor and visual artist Daniel Benlolo wants to organize a new Jewish artists’ guild in Ottawa.

(Photo: Howard Sandler)

Cantor/artist looks to form a new Jewish artists’ guild in Ottawa

By Diane Koven Everyone knows Cantor Daniel Benlolo of Congregation Beth Shalom makes beautiful music. But how many people know that his earliest, most enduring creative outlet was visual art?

“For as long as I can remember, since early in elementary school, I have been drawing and painting,” he said. “I was inspired by a favourite teacher, a rabbi who drew while he prayed. I would watch him and I couldn’t believe what I saw. He would use charcoal to depict the biblical themes of the prayers and Bible stories.”

This favourite teacher took Benlolo under his wing, showing him how to use charcoal, then ink and watercolours.

“I was bitten by the bug. Every day after school, my friends would be playing and I would be drawing,” he said.

Eventually, during the time he was cantor at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal, Benlolo opened an art gallery.

“I brought in unknown artists, giving them an opportunity and a venue to express themselves and become known. It became a community, neighbourhood gallery,” he said.

After a few years, due to time constraints and the increasing responsibilities of his full-time job, he had to close the gallery.

The excitement and energy of gathering

artists, of sharing ideas and creativity, is something he misses. Ottawa’s Jewish community has an abundance of talented artists and Benlolo would like to gather some of this talent into a new Jewish artists’ guild.

Such a guild once existed here and Benlolo feels the time is right to start again.

“Here in Ottawa, I know so many talented artists. I want to gather some, to hold joint exhibits and perhaps use the proceeds to support causes we believe in,” he said.

Ideas are percolating for what the guild can accomplish: projects such as group murals to be displayed in the Jewish agencies around the city; volunteers to teach art in the schools; group art exhibits.

“I need artists who have art as a passion and are willing to pitch in,” said Benlolo.

“Each artist has something to contribute to the pot.”

If you, or someone you know, are interested in exploring the possibility of forming a Jewish artists’ guild, this is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and help develop and shape it.

An introductory meeting will be held Sunday, January 15, 5:00 pm, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre. All are welcome to attend.

To discuss the idea of a Jewish artists’ guild, or for more information, call Benlolo at 613-868-2859.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 47

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CSN bar and bat mitzvah celebration The Rohr Chabad Student Network (CSN) celebrated a gala bat and bar mitzvah, November 20 at the Embassy Hotel, for three students – Eryn Benincasa, Kaitlyn Ashley St. Pierre and Sam Shteinman – who did not have a bat or bar mitzvah at ages 12 or 13.

Pictured (from left) Yocheved Boyarsky, bat mitzvah celebrant Kaitlyn Ashley St. Pierre, CSN President Rebecca Rosenstock and Rabbi Chaim Boyarsky.

Send a loved one or a friend a reduced-rate one-year gift subscription to the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

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Page 48 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Chanukah Feature

The word on new Chanukah books for kids

By Penny Schwartz (JTA) – Judah Maccabee, meet the Golem of Prague, and Rebecca Rubin, Engineer Ari, and Nathan and Jacob, two brothers who are part of a modern Jewish family.

They are among the characters who take centre stage in this year’s crop of new children’s books for Chanukah, the eight-day Festival of Lights that begins this year at sundown December 20. The lively mix includes the recent release of an e-book version of a popular chapter book and a dazzling work of design by a renowned paper artist.

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah!

Illustrated by Olga and Eleksey Ivanov Marshall Cavendish Ages 1-4 A brightly illustrated book version of the popular song features double-page paintings of a family – and their smiling pet dog – celebrating each of the eight nights of Chanukah. Sing along as they light the menorah, dance the hora, eat latkes and play dreidl. An end note explains the origins of the Hebrew and Yiddish versions of the song, a mainstay of the holiday.

Music and lyrics are provided. (A PJ Library selection) Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap

By Deborah Bodin Cohen Illustrated by Shahar Kober Kar-Ben Ages 4-8 Board a Chanukah train ride set in Israel, the latest addition to the award-winning series of Engineer Ari books that will especially delight train-loving kids. A stubborn camel provides the obstacle as Engineer Ari heads home with a trainload of Chanukah treats and toys. A Bedouin farmer named Kalil comes to the rescue, and together they celebrate the first night of Chanukah. Lively cartoon-like illustrations animate the fun and hopeful story. An author’s note explains the building of the first railway line between Jaffa and Jerusalem.

again, annoying Jacob. Jacob tries to understand that his brother’s autism causes him to think and act differently, but sometimes Jacob loses his patience. Jacob is embarrassed in front of new neighbours when Nathan blows out the Chanukah candles as if it was a birthday celebration, but he defends Nathan when a new friend makes fun of his brother.

The family’s creative response brings everyone together in a fun-filled Chanukah celebration. The story tackles a serious issue without being heavy-handed. (A PJ Library selection) Chanukah Lights

By Michael J. Rosen Artwork by Robert Sabuda Candlewick Press Ages 5 and up This gift book, a stunning collaboration between awardwinning writer and poet Michael J. Rosen and master pop-up artist Robert Sabuda, is one that kids might have to pry away from their parents – or they can enjoy together. In simple language, Rosen traces the history of celebrating Chanukah and its aspiration for freedom from ancient times to today, from the ancient Temple to the desert, across oceans, to shtetls and the cities of immigrant families, to an olive grove on a kibbutz in Israel. Sabuda’s mesmerizing paper creations emerge miraculously from the folded pages. The artwork is outstanding in both its detail and the simplicity of the images it evokes.

The Story of Hanukkah

By David A. Adler Illustrated by Jill Weber Holiday House Ages 4-8 Who was that guy Judah Maccabee and what does he have to do with Chanukah? Parents and educators seeking an informative and engaging book about the historic origins of the holiday will be attracted to David Adler’s signature straightforward style.

Adler, the award-winning and popular author of more than 200 books for children, including The Kids’ Catalog of Hanukkah, is skillful at enlightening readers unfamiliar with the two-millennia-old story of the great military victory of the Maccabees over religious persecution by their Greek rulers and the miracle of the oil. Jill Weber’s illustrations evoke ancient times with the golden glow of the Temple and dramatic battle scenes of mighty Greek warriors on horses and elephants. The story ends with a modern family celebrating Chanukah.

Back pages include Weber’s recipe for latkes and instructions for playing dreidl.

Candlelight for Rebecca

By Jacqueline Dembar Greene Illustrations by Robert Hunt American Girl Ages 8 and up

Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles

By Tami Lehman-Wilzig with Nicole Katzman Illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau Kar-Ben Ages 4-8 “Is it Chanukah? Is it Chanukah?” Jacob’s big brother Nathan repeats the question, and many others, again and

Set in 1914, Jacqueline Dembar Greene’s historical novel is the third in a series of six popular American Girl books featuring Rebecca Rubin, a Jewish girl who lives with her family on New York City’s Lower East side. Originally published in book form in 2009, it is newly available for electronic reading devices. Rebecca is uneasy when her class is assigned an art project to make a Christmas table decoration because her Jewish family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Rebecca grapples with timeless, universal questions about acceptance and religious freedom that resonate with readers from all backgrounds.

The Golem’s Latkes Adapted by Eric A. Kimmel Illustrated by Aaron Jasinski Marshall Cavendish Ages 4-8 Master storyteller Eric Kimmel delivers a deliciously mischievous Chanukah spin on the Old World legend of the Golem of Prague, a kabalistic creature with magical powers to help the Jewish people. When Rabbi Judah of Prague leaves his new housemaid Basha with a long list of chores for the holiday celebration, he cautions her not to leave the hardworking Golem alone in the house. The only way to get the Golem to stop working is to tell him, “Golem, enough!” Kimmel writes.

Kids will delight in the inevitable hilarity when Basha takes off to visit her friend and leaves the Golem alone making latkes. The fried potato pancakes pile up higher and higher, out the windows, and take over the city streets. A festive ending gathers the whole city for a latkes-eating Chanukah celebration.

Jasinski’s memorable illustrations show the fantastical Golem painted more like a Gumby-style robot than a frightening ghoul. Double-page spreads place readers in the action, from the cobblestone streets of Prague to the mountain-high towers of golden potato latkes.

In an e-mail, Kimmel, author of the popular Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, told JTA that he was inspired by earlier versions of the Golem story by children’s writer David Wisniewski, the classic story by renowned Yiddish writer I.B. Singer, and the tale of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

“Ghost and goblin stories make for good storytelling,” Kimmel wrote. “That’s why they’ve been around for so long.”

(A PJ Library selection) Playing Dreidel with Judah Maccabee A play by Edward Einhorn Theater 61 Press Ages 12 and up Edward Einhorn is the artistic director of a New Yorkbased theatre company who served as the director of the Festival of Jewish Theater. Einhorn’s play is a fantasy that travels in time between a modern-day synagogue and ancient Israel.

As the young Jonathan spins a dreidl, singing the familiar dreidl song, he is startled by the appearance of an old man dressed in armour. The conversation between Jonathan and Judah Maccabee starts out like a comedy routine, each questioning who the other is, but, over eight days, a warm relationship develops between the young adolescent and the ancient battle-weary warrior that sheds a contemporary light onto the long arc of Jewish history and ritual. Educators may find this a unique play for performing or reading aloud.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 49

Guest Column

Writing my family history was a difficult and fascinating project

By Lynne Cohen Writing a family history is both difficult and fascinating. I felt compelled to do it, beginning more than four years ago, for several reasons.

My recent ancestors, who spent much of their lives in the tiny village of Reserve Mines, Nova Scotia, are intriguing, and they had terrifying yet exhilarating lives.

My cousins, David and Judy Kalin, for their son’s bar mitzvah in 1984, put together a comprehensive family tree which both served as the all-important starting point for the book and greatly facilitated further historical research.

All my Ottawa, and one New York, Cohen aunts, uncles and parents had died.

Missing them, I needed to do this to get close to them again.

Finally, I wanted to write something for my children and extended family, so they could sense the little bit of Reserve Mines in all of us.

Bloodline: A Family History begins with my great-grandfather, Yeheil Kekon, preparing to leave his shtetl, somewhere in Lithuania, in 1902. After bribing the local Russian official for the needed emigration papers, he travelled by steam ship to Halifax, bringing with him the last three of his six children, including Moishe, my grandfather-to-be. His older children had arrived in North America in 1895.

Before too long, the younger Kekons, for reasons unknown, changed their name to Cohen. Within a few years, Moishe is introduced to Sophie, who had been working as an au pair in New York, but who had originally come from Bialystok, Russia. They marry, buy a small property outside Glace Bay in Reserve Mines, proceed to run the town’s general store and have seven children, including my father, Goodman, the youngest.

It is not possible for a large Jewish family – the only Jewish family, ever – in small town Reserve Mines to be boring. Indeed, their lives were quaint but engrossing. They experienced the brutal double murder of one of Moishe’s sisters and her husband in 1941. Then, later that year, a university dormitory fire in Sackville, New Brunswick, cost four young men their lives and made a hero of Goodman, who was badly injured.

Yoga for Toddlers

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Full- or Half-Day Program WestboroJewishMontessoriPreschool.com 192 Switzer Ave. (Carling/Kirkwood) 613.729.7712 I don’t want to give away too much because it will spoil the book for you. But, thank God, my father, unlike most of his siblings, loved to regale his children with stories of his childhood. One of my research tools was to dig through the recesses of my mind for those captivating stories.

Interviewing my few cousins-in-theknow, taping and then transcribing their responses was crucial for fleshing out the book. These special people – including a distant cousin from Cuba now living in Maryland – knew more about our family’s history than I could ever have hoped to find.

And, of course, I relied on documents – eulogies, letters, small books and reports – prepared for the 2001 Glace Bay reunion Kuma Haym (Come Home). There were even some papers hurriedly written only months before death by relatives who realized the importance of passing on family history.

For the more recent history in the book, I relied heavily on the memories of my sister and 11 cousins. After I requested the information, most of them wrote to me about their parents.

Two years before finishing the book, I put together a presentation for the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society. Now that was fun! Everyone who attended said the talk was excellent (although I might be a little biased).

I have copies of the book, published through Trafford Publishing, available at $18. I can be reached at 613-226-7313 or lynnebenami@rogers.com.

Page 50 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

An America searching to define itself in the 21st century The Submission

By Amy Waldman HarperCollins 304 pages (The Reporter) – Who owns a public memorial? How should a nation decide which symbol will express its grief?

Should the families of the dead receive special consideration? Does the intent of the artist matter or the work alone?

These are only a few of the questions raised in Amy Waldman’s absorbing first novel, The Submission, which envisions an America looking to commemorate those killed in a 9/11-style attack. The memorial selection process is an anonymous one, yet the winner proves controversial: the chosen design was submitted by a Muslim.

What need is there for a memorial? The head of the selection committee notes several commercial and political reasons for having a concrete symbol. For example, “the developer who controlled the site wanted to re-monetize it and needed a memorial to do so, since Americans seemed unlikely to accept the maximization of the office space as the most eloquent rejoinder to terrorism.”

The emotional needs of the population also had to be take into consideration as they affect the political climate of the times: “The longer the space stayed clear, the more it became a symbol of defeat, of surrender, something for ‘them,’ whoever they were, to mock.” Something is needed to fill the space so the public can either heal or, at a minimum, move on.

Yet, it’s not its discussion of politics that makes The Sub-

mission such interesting reading, but rather the personal perspectives offered by its characters. Waldman creates a group of fascinating, realistic people who are forced to look at their lives and prejudices during the course of a very public and emotional debate. Her complex studies show how public opinion can affect people’s personal desires and thoughts, leaving them wondering what path they should follow.

Among the many characters are: retired banker Paul Rubin, the grandson of a Russian Jewish immigrant, who sees his chairmanship of the memorial committee as a first step into a life of public service; Architect Mohammad (Mo) Khan, a non-practising Muslim who refuses to defend or disguise his heritage; Claire Burwell, a single parent whose husband, Cal, died in the attack, is at first a defender of the memorial, but she starts to second guess her decision when Khan refuses to explain his design choices; Sean Gallagher, whose brother died in the attack and who looks to redeem himself in his parent’s eyes by opposing the memorial; Asma Haque, an illegal immigrant whose husband also died in the attack and who seeks to remain in the U.S. for the sake of her infant son; Alyssa Spier, a reporter who’s always looking for the big story, whether or not its revelations will destroy other people’s lives.

All of these people find themselves being forced to view the world in shades of grey, even as they search for black-andwhite answers, those easy answers that no longer exist in contemporary times.

The Submission also looks at how the process of assimila-

Book Review Rabbi Rachel Esserman tion into American culture has changed. One conversation between Rubin and Khan shows the shift in thought between generations.

Rubin notes, “My grandfather – he was Rubinsky, then my grandfather comes to America and suddenly he’s Rubin.

What’s in a name? Nothing, everything. We all self-improve, change with the times.”

Khan, on the other hand, feels he should be accepted as is, suggesting that “not everyone is prepared to remake themselves to rise in America.”

Do people need to change and assimilate in order to be accepted? While many of those who arrived in the U.S. during the 20th century did so without thought, the Muslims in Waldman’s novel feel they can be fully American and fully Muslim at the same time.

Waldman’s greatest success is making readers understand the thought processes of all her characters. She does this by showing their strengths and their weaknesses in a way that makes it easy to empathize with them. Readers may find themselves agreeing with first one point of view and then another as each side of the debate is eloquently portrayed.

The Submission is an impressive work, offering readers a view of an America searching to define itself in the 21st century.

Rabbi Rachel Esserman is executive editor of The Reporter Group.

Members of the Ontario Liberal Caucus wish you a

Happy Hanukkah!

Hon. Dalton McGuinty Premier of Ontario Ottawa South 613-736-9573

Hon. Bob Chiarelli Ottawa West-Nepean 613-721-8075

Phil McNeely Ottawa-Orléans 613-834-8679

Hon. Madeleine Meilleur Ottawa-Vanier 613-744-4484

Yasir Naqvi Ottawa Centre 613-722-6414

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 51

Thinking outside the box about peace between Israel and Iran The nervousness level over Iranian nuclear ambitions has been rising since 1995. Last month’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran’s nuclear program asserts there are “strong indicators of possible weapon development.”

Will the IAEA report change anything for all the European and Chinese politicians who, until now, have hidden behind semantics and said that clarity and evidence is needed in order to identify whether Tehran has carried out “activities that are relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device”? Will the report change anything significantly? Most probably not!

Military options against Iran have never been a viable and winnable choice.

To provide a bit of perspective: The NATO coalition effort to liberate Libya from Gadhafi’s dictatorship took seven months and well over 7,000 strike sorties between April and mid-August 2011, not to mention the covert boots on the ground providing advice and intelligence. And Libya was unsophisticated and had very little military infrastructure in comparison with Iran.

On the diplomatic front, the Europeans could never agree to take a solid economic stance on Iran. With $28 billion per year in trade between Europe and Iran, the Europeans are far more interested in their own national economic benefits than in working toward nuclear prevention. Leading the pack are the Germans with $4 billion in direct trade with the Persian state, not counting billions in indirect trade via the various Gulf States, and a newly established land route through Turkey. It is no wonder that official visits by Iranians garner a great deal of respect from European governments.

One must face the undeniable truth that incremental sanctions, beginning some 30-odd years ago, have benefited Iran, enabling it to become far more self-sufficient and self-sustaining than anyone could have thought. People may have an

World Affairs Oliver Javanpour image of a Cuba- or North Korea-like existence for Iran. This could not be further from reality. Iran is a thriving nation, with a multi-faceted industrial and knowledge economy.

Although the Iranian administration and the theocrats are extremely unpopular domestically, the administration has solid internal support for its nuclear ambitions. It is a topic of national pride that has support through all age cohorts and socio-economic levels. Talk of dismantling the nuclear capability would quickly unite the nation across many divides.

Today, Tehran influences decision- and policy-making in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Iran has become a significant regional military and political powerhouse. Diplomatically, Iran’s reach has been far and wide.

They have established interesting and beneficial relationships from Central Asia to Africa to Central and South America.

But, in the Muslim world, it can be said with some certainty that Iran has rather overplayed its hand as a Muslim state. It initially worked with most of the Arab states until it was discovered there is very little trust between Persians and Arabs. But one must remember that Iranians have been extremely diverse in their diplomatic and global alliances, with a heavy reliance on China and Russia.

There has been much talk about more severe economic sanctions. Shutting down Iran’s economy may endanger the European Union’s bilateral trade with Tehran resulting in Eu-

Holocaust Education Week on campus is essential I don’t mean to brag, but my mentee is lucky I’m her mentor.

The Carleton University Journalism Society runs a mentorship program where upper-year students, like me, are partnered with first- and second-year students.

Without editing their work, we answer questions – How does this professor mark? What should I keep in mind for this assignment? How can I balance school with social life? – and guide them through their year in what can be an incredibly stressful program.

The reason I say my mentee is lucky isn’t because I think I’m all knowing (in fact, I know I’m far from it). It’s because she recently approached me with an idea for her end-of-term feature assignment, a major 1,200 to 1,500word article.

Her topic of choice: the National Holocaust Monument, which will soon come to exist in Ottawa thanks to a bill passed by Parliament in March.

I didn’t suggest the subject to her, nor do I even know if she was aware that I’m Jewish. Instead, she decided to research sources on the Charlatan (Carleton’s independent student newspaper) website. Because I was the Charlatan’s Judaism blogger last year, my name popped up.

Last year, I’d written about Holocaust Education Week.

The blog post mentioned my own zaidie’s story of survival, but, for the sake of space, it was an extremely condensed version.

This pained me – a Holocaust story written in as short and concise a manner as possible? It didn’t feel right. So, I

invited and encouraged readers to contact me if they wanted to hear more. No one did, and the blog didn’t get any comments. Time passed, and I thought little of whether anyone had even read it.

But here was my mentee, one year later, asking if she could sit down with me to discuss my views of the monument and hear a little more about my zaidie.

I was nervous. Normally, I’m the one doing the interviewing. I wondered if I even have a strong opinion on the Holocaust monument. Would I be able to recall the dates and facts that help illustrate – albeit, hardly – my zaidie’s history?

The answer, truthfully, was no.

I made up some formulaic answers to questions I thought I’d be asked about the monument and had my dad e-mail me a document with information about my zaidie’s life.

And then it hit me.

One of the questions she asked me was, “Do you think events like Holocaust Education Week make a difference?”

My answer: they are essential.

And, it’s just as essential that I take a strong stand on issues like the Holocaust monument and that I know my zaidie’s story like the back of my hand.

The continuing decline in the number of survivors is a topic often discussed. I don’t need to get into it all again: how the next generation will have to bare the torch and pass on the messages that departed survivors no longer can. We, the next generation, know this. But, we don’t necessarily

ropean job losses. It may endanger the flow of oil from the fourth largest producer of crude oil in the world. It may also be impossible to enforce. Who will be monitoring, enforcing and measuring the success of such sanctions when existing sanctions against the country see Europeans openly trading with Iran, directly and indirectly, with impunity?

With no hope that Washington would be able to come up with innovative approaches based on lessons learned from past experience, perhaps Israel will show some sophistication and out-of-the-box thinking.

It’s a long shot, but maybe Israel could open a direct dialogue with Iran. The Persians and the Jews have a great deal in common, excluding the spat of the past 30 years. Historically, the two countries were allies, not only in the recent past, but also back to biblical times. From a regional and global perspective, there are a great number of common and shared strategic needs.

There are a number of countries that could mediate and act as agents of peace between Iran and Israel. Coming to a mutual understanding with Iran would have significant dividends for all parties. Chief among the dividends would be a swifter resolution to Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

One can guarantee that a pseudo-peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority would not bring peace to the Middle East. However, from a cause-and-effect perspective, a mutual and official understanding aimed towards peace and a positive relationship between the Jewish and the Persian states might just foster such an outcome. Time is running out for securing a multilateral understanding between key parties, including the Iranians, the Israelis and the Europeans. The key to such a dialogue with Iran is to understand and know their ambitions and fears. Certainly sanctions are a reasonable step, but not something that will strike fear into Tehran’s heart.

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

Campus Life Ilana Belfer feel it or completely understand our imminent obligation.

Hillel Ottawa’s Holocaust Education Week was held from November 14 to 22.

At the annual Shabbat Dinner with Survivors, I was extremely pleased to see most of the Carleton Undergraduate Students’ Association executives, as well as many of my non-Jewish contemporaries.

I was also pleased to see a fair amount of traffic at the interactive exhibit on campus, which also features my zaidie’s story. Holding back tears, I read his story and visited his photo at the easel called “Survivors in Canada.”

When a random student stood beside me, I couldn’t help but point and say: “That’s my grandfather.” She responded simply with, “Really?” But, as I’ve learned, it’s not all about an immediate response.

In my blog entry from last year, I’d written that, if anyone gets the opportunity to speak to a survivor, they should do it.

It brings me great satisfaction to be giving my mentee advice before she meets with and interviews her first survivor.

Holocaust Education Week likely taught many previously unknowing students important lessons about the horrors of the past. But it also taught one informed student the importance of passing on her knowledge.

Page 52 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Jewish summer camps forge lifelong Jewish identities As we brace ourselves for winter, it’s nice to fantasize about next summer. One way of hastening the realization of our fantasies is by registering our kids for camp.

Last summer, we took our daughter to visit sleepover camp for the day. She loved it.

“What exactly did you love about it?” I asked. I loved it too, but was curious to get her take.

“Five words,” she responded. “I really want to go.”

Many nights she listens to the camp theme song, carefully learning the Hebrew lyrics. She watches the camp’s YouTube channel, absorbing the programs and jokes.

One evening, a couple of weeks after we returned, she sat up in bed, frustrated.

“Ah! I just want to go now!” she wailed.

Waiting a whole year can be hard for any seven-yearold. I pretended to comfort her, while secretly mouthing the word, “Yes!” When I was growing up in two Canadian cities, it seemed that kids wanting to go to Jewish camp had to choose between a camp with excellent recreational activities and facilities or a camp with superior programs, creativity and content – what I like to think of as soul. My family chose the latter for me.

I was thrilled with the programs, ruach and general sense of purpose we all shared. And, somehow, we wore our lacklustre facilities and limited waterfront program as a badge of honour. We had the camp with ruach and intense sense of purpose, where we were sometimes inspired to

Archive documents represent a genealogical goldmine In the 10-year period beginning in 1921, Canada admitted almost 1.2 million immigrants. People came from around the world eager to start a new life in this land of opportunity.

While the decade began full of promise, things took a drastic turn for the worst with the onset of the Great Depression in 1929. As the economy suffered, and unemployment soared, the Canadian government, under prime minister R.B. Bennett, brought in policies that virtually closed the door to immigration.

First, in September 1930, immigrants of any Asiatic race were banned. Then, in March 1931, an order-in-council, P.C. 695, was adopted, restricting admission to American citizens, British subjects and agriculturalists with economic means. The door was shut so tightly that, in the 1930s, only 140,000 immigrants were permitted entry, representing only slightly more than 10 per cent of the number admitted during the previous decade.

The Depression was taking its toll in Europe as well.

Hitler took power in 1933, and life for German and other European Jews became increasingly difficult. While these Jews were desperately trying to leave Europe, most countries in the western world were shutting their doors. As we all know, things only got worse, culminating in the extermination of six million Jews in the Holocaust.

Fortunately, some did manage to gain entry to Canada.

This was done through the waiving of the order-in-council.

The government had to be assured that the prospective immigrant would not be an economic burden. Entry was sometimes granted to people with special skills that were lacking in the country, or to those who were related to citizens who were well established. Often, it was for a spouse of someone already in the country. Each time an immigrant was granted entry, it was recorded in a Privy Council document.

Several months ago, while visiting Library and Archives Canada, Hymie Reichstein, president of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Ottawa, was told of these documents.

He asked to see some of them and noticed that they contained a wealth of genealogical information. Not only were there names and dates, but these pages contained city and country of origin, profession, religion, and names and locations of family members already residing in Canada. Many, especially those from the 1930s, were for Jews. Often, several paragraphs told the life story of the prospective immigrant.

These documents all begin with the following: “The Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the minister of immigration and colonization, advise that the provisions of order-in-council P.C. 695 dated the 21st March, 1931, prohibiting the landing in Canada of immigrants of all classes and occupations, with certain excep-

Connecting the branches John Diener tions, be waived in the cases of the immigrants named hereunder: ...”

It then goes on to list the names, ages, and origin of the immigrants in that particular document on an index page, and assigns each one of them a number. Within the body of the document, the full story of that applicant is presented.

Here is a typical example of what appears in those Privy Council documents. This one is dated March 6, 1934.

“This proposed immigrant, Moise Michel …, is a citizen of Poland of Hebrew race, 26 years of age, married, tailor by occupation, presently residing in France, who is desirous of joining his wife in Canada. The latter, formerly Brucha …, was admitted to Canada from Poland September, 1930, and is engaged as a dress operator in Montreal, claiming to have financial resources amounting to $1,000. At the time of her arrival she was represented as single but she states she proceeded to France in July, 1932, for the purpose of visiting her brother in Paris and while there became acquainted with the proposed immigrant and married him prior to returning to Canada in April, 1933. She is now anxious to have her husband join her in this country. She claims he is in possession of a Polish passport.”

When Hymie saw these documents, he realized that they represented a genealogical goldmine and struck a deal with Library and Archives Canada. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Ottawa arranged for the photocopying of these pages, with the intent being to eventually enter the information they contain into a database.

Over the summer, a student hired by Library and Archives Canada began the task, and we now have the first three years’ worth of pages photocopied. Hymie began scanning them and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Ottawa will soon enlist volunteers to assist with entering the information into a database. When the project is completed, the database and scanned images will be turned back to Library and Archives Canada to be made available to researchers on their website.

If you are interested in helping with this project, or in anything related to Jewish genealogy, please contact the society at jgsottawa@gmail.com.

Values, Ethics, Community Mira Sucharov think up the perfect cabin song tune and Maccabiah themes months in advance. (For the record, I understand my camp’s facilities, and the sports, aquatics and boating programming, have improved markedly since my time there as a camper and counsellor.)

But, at Camp Ramah in Canada, located on Skeleton Lake in the Muskoka region, my jaw dropped.

This was a camp that seemed to have it all. No Solomonic choice was required between waterskiing and Judaic wellness, basketball and Beit Midrash, or pottery and prayer.

The camp director addressed the parents of prospective campers gathered in a wooden gazebo nestled in the woods – makom ba’ya’ar (place in the wilderness), he called it – stressed this summer’s theme of friendship. Despite Facebook seeming to have created the social network trend of friending, he said it’s the Hebrew root that gives rise to the word l’hitchaver, which means both to befriend and to connect.

We toured the ceramics studio, where campers press collected leaves into their clay creations; the sewing room, where one camper was working on a multicoloured woman’s tallit; the woodworking studio, where they make yads for Torah reading; the enchanting outdoor shul overlooking the lake; the sports fields; and the extensive waterfront for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and waterskiing.

I felt in awe. I even bumped into my rabbi who comes annually to join the teaching faculty for several days.

The data about the importance of Jewish summer camp in forging lifelong Jewish identity is well known. Choosing the right camp for each kid is important.

But I have heard some parents say they give high-Jewish-content camps a wide berth because they simply don’t practise much Judaism at home.

To me, this misses the point. For kids, camp is a world unto itself. It’s precisely the place where you don’t have to compare and contrast how your family practises ritual relative to the families of other kids.

If a child arrives less knowledgeable of prayers or Hebrew, it’s no big deal. In two or three days of the kind of repetition and immersion camp programming entails, he or she will be a pro. They’re all in it together, helping to create – and be created by – a world of Jewish passion and commitment.

In my estimation, the best Jewish camps are the ones that deliver kids home with a strong sense of individual and collective self, new-found confidence in tackling private and group challenges, new and deepened friendships, and a honed sense of Jewish identity – including the breadth of Jewish knowledge that constitutes the building blocks of Jewish peoplehood. Hebrew, prayer, history, Israeli folksongs, Israeli dances and even nuanced and age-appropriate discussion of theology are all keys to unlocking the lifelong Jewish conversation.

If we can imbue our kids with the kind of experiential knowledge so powerfully delivered in a summer camp context, Jewish life is bound to continue far into the future, and be lived as richly as it ever was.

Mira Sucharov, an associate professor of political science at Carleton University, blogs at Haaretz.com.

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 53

Klezmatics celebrate 25 years with triumphant concert recording The Klezmatics Live At Town Hall Klezmatics Disc klezmatics.com The New York City-based Klezmatics, without doubt one of the most creative and influential of contemporary klezmer bands, celebrate their 25th anniversary this year with the release of a two-CD set recorded at their exciting 20th anniversary concert in 2006. The current lineup of the band was joined by their former clarinetists Margot Leverett and David Kraukauer, and a stellar bunch of 24 other guest singers and musicians, to play some of the best music from their nine previous albums in what really was a once-in-alifetime extravaganza.

Live At Town Hall opens with the exuberant, joyfully over-thetop “Man in a Hat,” a YiddishEnglish celebration of Manhattan, sailors, world travel and lust.

Lead singer Lorin Sklamberg sings the double entendre lyrics with an elastic facility few singers in any genre of music can match. Meanwhile the band – virtuoso players all – wails in triple time.

From there, we journey through a marvellous set that includes several extended medleys and suites.

Among the many highlights are four songs featuring special guest singers.

Joanne Borts and Sklamberg sing a duet on “Di Krenitse,” an Itzik Fefer poem set to music by Israeli singer

Rubin and Jack have another talk Jack looked at me and said, “I thought we had an unspoken agreement never to speak of that.”

“Huh? An unspoken agreement never to speak about what?”

“What you just spoke of. What were you just speaking of?”

“When?”

“Just now.”

“I was asking you what we had an unspoken agreement about.”

“No, no. Before that.”

“I don’t remember.”

“How can you not remember?”

“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think it was that important, so I didn’t pay much attention.”

“You’re not serious! Are you telling me you don’t pay attention to what you say?”

“Well, I am pretty laid back, not like you, always on edge.

So yes, sometimes I am just in the moment, answering and talking about whatever we were talking about, and not really retaining it for the future – just living for the now. Can’t hold a grudge if you don’t remember.”

“Oh I can’t stand that! That’s what’s the matter with our society: no respect for the past, no memory of anything.”

“Hey wait a minute! You know that’s how I live and that it’s a fundamental part of me. We agreed not to argue about it.”

“We did? I don’t remember.”

“Ah hah!”

“Ah hah what?”

“You didn’t remember just like I didn’t remember.”

“So what? And anyway, if you are ah hahing me, it’s like holding a grudge.”

“Hold on. You started this by saying we had an unspoken agreement not to speak of something and I couldn’t remember it.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“How will I know what I am not supposed to talk about if you don’t tell me? Besides, how did you know we had an unspoken agreement?”

“I knew we had an unspoken agreement never to speak of it because we never spoke of it. Why would we never speak of it unless we had an unspoken agreement not to do it?”

“That makes no sense. If it was unspoken, that means I

Humour me, please Rubin Friedman never agreed to anything. There are a million things we haven’t spoken of yet, but we never agreed not to speak of them. I’ve never spoken to you about, umm, give me a second, I’m sure there’s something. OK, we’ve never spoken about my great-grandfather.”

“What can you tell me about your great-grandfather?”

“Nothing, no one ever told me anything about him either.”

“Was that on your father’s or your mother’s side and on their mothers’ or fathers’ sides?”

“Actually, I don’t know anything about any of them.”

“So, how could you speak of them anyway? That’s ridiculous. You always come up with ridiculous examples.”

“I could have told you that no one had ever told me about my great-grandfathers, and now I have.”

“You know, there’s something fishy about your argument.”

“What?”

“Well, if you always live in the moment and you don’t remember what you said, how can you be sure what you’ve never talked about with me?”

“Hmm, let me work on that. But I definitely don’t remember what I said that you think we had an unspoken agreement never to speak about.”

“Actually, now I don’t remember either, but, if you agree, we’ll never speak of this again.”

“I’m not going to say I agree, but, if I never talk of this whole incident again, you will know we have an unspoken agreement never to speak of it.”

“Just a minute, that’s exactly what you said the last time!”

“I did? Whatever it was, can we agree just to forget it?”

“Agreed. I always liked spoken agreements better anyway.”

Music Michael Regenstreif Chava Alberstein. The arrangement draws on both klezmer and cabaret styles.

“Elijah Rock,” an African American spiritual that references biblical prophets Elijah, Moses and Ezekiel, features singer Joshua Nelson and an arrangement that could raise the roof on Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

Adrienne Cooper is featured on a powerful version of “I Ain’t Afraid,” a Holly Near song with added Yiddish lyrics

by Cooper and Michael Wex, which the Klezmatics turned into a post-9/11 anthem extolling both defiance to terrorism and reconciliation of peoples.

And Susan McKeown, the superb Irish traditional singer, joins the band on “Gonna Get Through This World,” one of several songs drawn from the Klezmatics’ two albums of the Woody Guthrie Jewish-themed lyrics they set to music.

Other highlights include several other songs from the Guthrie project including “Holy Ground,” sung beautifully

by Sklamberg with a choir of other Klezmatics and guests adding gorgeous harmonies and, just in time for right now, the celebratory “Hanuka Gelt.”

Along with Sklamberg, who plays accordion, guitar and piano in addition to his lead vocals, the core Klezmatics include Frank London on trumpet, horns, keyboards and percussion; violinist Lisa Gutkin; Matt Darriau on clarinet alto saxophone and kaval; Paul Morrissett on bass and tsimbl; and drummers David Licht and Richie Barshay. They are not just one of the best bands in klezmer music, they’re one of the best bands in any kind of music.

The Boxcar Boys Don’t Be Blue The Boxcar Boys theboxcarboys.ca The five musicians of the Boxcar Boys – one of whom is a woman – look like a klezmer band dressed in Depression-era clothing on the cover of their debut CD, Don’t Be Blue.

Their instrumentation of clarinet (John David Williams), trombone (Karl Silveira), sousaphone (Rob Teehan), violin (Laura C. Bates) and accordion (Ronen Segall) is probably more klezmerish than any other style of music being played these days. And they do sound very much like a klezmer band on original numbers like “The Handcuff King” and “Waltz for Rotman,” both composed by Bates, or “Mugg’s Island” and “Jägerbomb Blues” by Williams.

But this Toronto-based combo also draws on traditional jazz, folk, ragtime and even country music. Two of the best tracks are an unusual and very haunting treatment of the country classic, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams, and a happy-sounding version of the 1920s jazz tune, “I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll.”

Great stuff!

Page 54 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

Latkes are great for brunch Recently, I have become just a bit smitten with a new man in my life. Now, before tongues start wagging and gossip starts flying, let me set the record straight and say my marriage is sound and we have never been happier. It’s just a celebrity crush. I think all marriages permit one fantasy crush, right? Mine is with Chef Chuck Hughes from Montreal.

Chuck is the owner of the restaurant Garde Manger in Old Montreal. He also has a TV show on the Food Network, called Chuck’s Day Off. He is very sweet and very cute and, he has the cooking chops to back it up. He beat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America in “Battle Canadian Lobster.”

The premise of his show is that, on his day off, he cooks for all the people in his life who mean something to him. He cooks for the cops who patrol the area around his restaurant, the garbage men who are on his route, his bouncers and even his coffee supplier.

You gotta love this guy. His arms are covered in tattoos of lobster, arugula, bacon, shrimp and lemon meringue pie. This is a guy who lives to eat!

A few weeks ago, he made potato latkes with fried eggs and a dollop of ricotta on top to serve to his pots and pans suppliers.

Suddenly, latkes for brunch were all I could think about. What a perfect way to dress up fried eggs. He pre-

Potato Latkes with Roasted Tomatoes and Fried Eggs Serves 6 Roasted Tomatoes: 2 cups/500 ml cherry tomatoes 1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil 4 fresh thyme sprigs Salt and freshly ground black pepper Latkes: 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges 1 large egg 2 tablespoons matzo meal 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt corn or other vegetable oil for frying 6 fried eggs, sunny-side up or over For the roasted tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the oil. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool.

For the latkes: Grate potatoes in the food processor, using the grating disc. Place half the potatoes in a colander, set over a medium bowl, and set aside.

Replace grating disc with steel blade and add onion wedges to remaining grated potatoes in the food processor. Coarsely chop potatoes and onions until all pieces

are about 1/8 inch in size. This should take about 6 onesecond pulses.

Add chopped potatoes and onions to the shredded potatoes in the colander. Press potato mixture against sides of the colander to drain as much liquid as possible into the bowl below the colander.

Let the potato liquid stand for about 2 minutes until the potato starch settles at the bottom of the bowl. Pour off the liquid, but keep the starch in the bowl. This starch will help hold the latkes together. Mix egg, matzo meal, potato mixture and salt into the starch in the bowl.

Set a 12-inch sauté pan over medium high heat, add 1/4-inch depth of oil and heat until oil is shimmering, but not smoking. Greasy latkes result from frying in oil that is not hot enough. Measure out about 1/2 cup of potato mixture, squeeze out any excess liquid and place in hot oil, shaping into a 1/2-inch thick disc with a non-stick spatula. Repeat until about 4 latkes are in the pan.

Fry until golden brown on the bottom and around the edges, about 3 minutes. Turn with spatula and fry the second side until brown, about 3 or 4 more minutes.

Drain on a brown paper bag set in a wire rack set over a cookie sheet.

Repeat with remaining potato mixture, returning oil to correct temperature between each batch and replacing oil after every second batch.

Top each latke with a fried egg and some of the roasted tomatoes.

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Made with Love Cindy Feingold pared sautéed zucchini and roasted tomatoes to accompany the latkes.

I prepared this recipe a few weeks ago and we agreed the ricotta cheese and sautéed zucchini just muddied the pure potato and egg flavours. I loved the addition of the roasted tomatoes. They added a wonderful brightness and acidity, which cut through the richness of potato and egg.

If you are more of a traditionalist and insist on latkes with applesauce, try the second recipe, for roasted applesauce, from Chef Rose Rodgers.

Roasted Applesauce 3 1/2 to 4 pounds apples (Use a mix of crisp eating apples, like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Golden Delicious or Galas) Pinch of salt Up to 2 teaspoons sugar, as needed About 2 tablespoons unsalted butter A splash of apple cider vinegar, as needed (optional) Preheat oven to 375 F. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Toss with a little salt and, unless they are very sweet, a bit of sugar to taste. If they are tart enough to make you squint, add the full measure of sugar. Spread in a shallow baking dish that crowds the apples in a single layer. Drape with slivers of the butter, cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil, and bake until the apples start to soften, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on your apples.

Uncover, raise the heat to 500 F, and return the pan to the oven. Leave the apples to dry out and color slightly, about 10 minutes.

When the tips of the apples have become golden and the fruit is tender, scrape them into a bowl and stir into a chunky mash. Consider adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavour (try a drop on a spoonful to see if you like it.).

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December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 55

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Continued on page 56

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Happy Chanukah

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Page 56 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ottawa Jewish Bulletin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December 12, 2011

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Continued on page 57

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December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 57

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Beatrice Greenberg by Miriam Weiner.

SAMUEL AND RUTH ROTHMAN MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Betty Ballon by Sheldon and Corinne Taylor and family.

WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Antoinette Capelle by Judi Hoffman.

Myrna Barwin by Lynne Oreck-Wener and Bob Wener.

MAX AND PEARL SMOLKIN FAMILY FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Pearl Smolkin, a very dear mother by Bob Smolkin.

GUSTAVE AND ESTHER SOLMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Gustave Solman by Jeff and Adele Sidney and family.

SALLY AND MAX TALLER FAMILY FUND Mazal Tov to: Chuck Merovitz on his well deserved honour of being the recipient of the “Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser“ award by Sally Taller.

BARBARA AND GERALD THAW ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Michael Gennis on the opening of his new Gallery

by Barbara and Gerald Thaw.

LISE AND MARK THAW FAMILY FUND In memory of: Alvin Mallay by Lise, Mark, Alayna and Bryan Thaw.

Mazal Tov to: Andrew and Joany Katz on the marriage of their daughter, Jaclyn to Ivan by Lise, Mark, Alayna and Bryan Thaw.

Michael Gennis on the opening of his new Gallery by Lise, Mark, Alayna and Bryan Thaw.

ANITA THOMAS MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Anita Thomas, a dear aunt by Barry Ages.

THE WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM

In Appreciation The Family of the late Morris (Morrie) Krantzberg would like to extend their sincere gratitude to all who showed such support in our time of sorrow.

Sincerely, Gertrude Krantzberg and Family

Providing support for services and programs that directly benefit women and children.

THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM MAX MORGAN MITZVAH FUND Condolences to: Mina and Harry Cohn on the loss of their mother and mother-in-law by Steven Morgan and Sarah Beutel and family.

SAMUEL MORGAN B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Mazal Tov to: Chuck Merovitz on being recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) for the region’s “Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser” by Steven Morgan and Sarah Beutel and family.

DAHLIA AND ZACHARY SHABSOVE B’NAI MITZVAH FUND In memory of: Lou Eisenberg by Sara Shabsove.

Brenda Derrick by Sara Shabsove.

Speedy recovery to: Debi Shore by Sara Shabsove.

Contributions may be made online at www.OJCF.ca or by contacting Sarah Brantz at 613-798-4696 extension 274, 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.

Everyone has the ability to create a Jewish legacy.

Leaving a gift in a will or as part of your estate plans helps ensure the vibrancy of our community for years to come.

For more information visit www.OJCF.ca or call 613.798.4696 extension 248

Congratulations!

In honour of your marriage, the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin is pleased to present you with a six-month subscription.

Please fill in the requested information and mail to: Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, ON K2A 1R9 or fax to: 613-798-4730 Name Address City Postal Code

Province Phone number

Date of marriage* Email * Must have been married within the previous six months

Photo: Peter Waiser

Page 58 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

This Chanukah, give a gift that illuminates someone’s life.

Send a loved one or a friend a reduced-rate one-year gift subscription* to the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Ottawa area: $25 (reg. $30) Canada: $31 (reg. $36)

A letter will be sent to the recipient to announce your gift.

Call Cindy Manor-Kennedy 613-798-4696, ext. 256 We take VISA or MasterCard * Special gift rates valid until January 13, 2012

December 12, 2011 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 59

Eighteen things you may not know about Laurie Pascoe Anyone who has ever met Laurie Pascoe knows within minutes how passionate he is about the Maritimes. But few people realize that, while he graduated from Dalhousie University, attended Camp Kadimah and has Maritime roots, he was actually born and raised in Toronto.

Laurie’s varied volunteer activities have included being chair of Shalom Ottawa (Ottawa’s welcoming committee), cochair of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa Annual Campaign’s Legal Division, Hillel Academy committees, Cub and Scout leader for the Jewish pack and troop, and JNF Blue Box chair.

Laurie has great stories to tell and a wonderful sense of humour. It was very difficult to narrow it down to 18 things because he is such an interesting guy! Here are 18 things you may not know about Laurie Pascoe …

1. I enjoy being a family law lawyer, but started off wanting to be a dentist like my father. However, when I left my own blood on the chalk during the dental carving test, I switched from science to commerce and economics courses.

2. I went to overnight camps from ages six to 21, and would still be there today if they needed a lawyer on staff. I won Best Senior Boy Camper at Camp Kadimah – where I met my wife, Carol – in 1965 and still have the trophy. I was intermediate section head while at Kadimah. Exactly 30 summers later, my son, Byron, had the same position.

3. My mother and mother-in-law were childhood friends in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, and played on the same high school basketball team. My grandmother and Carol’s grandmother were also friends and used to travel to Florida together. Sadly, my mother and Carol’s grandmother never knew that Carol and I even met because they both passed away in 1965. Our son, Byron Ethan, is named in memory of both of them.

4. I quit my articling job with a Halifax law firm in 1975 to come to Ottawa because Carol got a job with the federal government. It was quite unusual for a husband to do so back then.

5. My first visit to Ottawa was in 1966 when I was given a tour of Stornoway by John Diefenbaker. He was a friend of my father’s family having started his first law practice next to my grandfather’s general store in Wakaw, Saskatchewan. Dief told me my grandfather, the first Jew he ever knew, was the most honest man he ever met. I still have the telegram he sent me on my bar mitzvah when he was prime minister.

6. I had one of the first commercial websites in Ottawa in 1995 and was runner-up in Monitor magazine’s Best Home Page contest. I sold my website name, knowyourrights.com, to a Minnesota law firm for $15,000. No one has yet offered to buy my new name, thepascoedifference.com.

Laurie and Carol Pascoe at Carol’s retirement party from the public service.

18 things ...

Sarah Silverstein 7. My extended family is important to me. I have 22 first cousins, most of whom are very close in age to me. I keep in touch with most of them and have produced family tree books for both sides of my family and distributed them to my cousins, including a first cousin I have never met and only communicated with when doing the book.

8. I captained a team in the Jewish Men’s Softball League in the late-1970s and wrote a short-lived constitution. My baseball career ended in 2005, when I knocked myself unconscious while chasing a fly ball in the first inning of my first game in the Jewish Men’s Senior League and an ambulance had to be called to take me to the hospital.

9. I played clarinet in my high school marching band, and at my son Byron’s bar mitzvah along with Sol Gunner. I played tenor saxophone in the U of T marching band.

10. My proper name is Lawrence and my Hebrew name is Aryeh. I was named in memory of my Uncle Lipman Chernin who, coincidentally, was good friends with Carol’s grandfather.

11. I own a huge collection of self-help books including the Mad Magazine Self-Help Book.

12. I enjoy all types of music except opera, even though my younger son, Noah, who attended Canterbury High School’s vocal program, sang Kiwanis opera competitively when he was not singing and playing guitar in his rock band No Rights.

13. In 1976, I started the tradition of the Annual Pascoe Fishing Trip in the Kawarthas. Only blood Pascoes are allowed, no spouses, just my father’s three children and eight grandchildren. Until my father died in 1999, we only missed one year, and now go about every second year.

14. Every year, I go on a winter golf trip and always buy my wife a beautiful pair of earrings.

15. I had a variety of summer jobs including driving taxi in Halifax, writing a column for the Dartmouth Free Press and working on a First Nations Reserve writing by-laws for the band council.

16. I readily admit I suffer from middle child complex, but deservedly so.

17. I have always been an avid photographer and chronicler of our family and friends’ special events. I took our boys’ photos every year on the first day of school.

18. I come from a golfing family and belong to the Rivermeade Golf Club. My brother and two sisters also golf, but none of us as well as our parents did. My father was a 12 handicap and my mother a 19. One day, I will take Sarah Silverstein golfing and let her drive the cart.

Readers and advertisers are advised that the next edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin will be published on Monday, January 23, 2012.

The deadline date is Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

Page 60 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – December 12, 2011

WHAT’S GOING ON

December 12, 2011 to January 22, 2012 Street West, 7:30 pm. Info: 613-729-7712.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14 Dreamcoat: A Documentary, sponsored by the Greenberg Families Library, recounts the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, staged by Ta-mir to mark its 25th anniversary. This moving documentary focuses on the challenges faced by several of the key players as they struggled to turn the undertaking into a reality, 1:00 pm. Info: 613798-9818, ext. 245.

CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE Dec 16 Dec 23 Dec 30 Jan 6 Jan 13 Jan 20

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡

4:00 4:03 4:08 4:14 4:22 4:31

pm pm pm pm pm pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 Keshet Chanukah Open House for all LGBTQ individuals, their friends, families and allies to gather for a Chanukah potluck, Keshet Ottawa and Glebe Minyan, 612 Bank Street, 4:00 pm. Info and to coordinate food donations: 613867-5505.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 Family Chanukah Breakfast, co-sponsored by JET and the SJCC, with family-centred activities, light breakfast bar and yummy Chanukah treats, 10:00 am. Registration required. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 303 or 247.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20 Light 1st Chanukah Candle.

Lighting continues until December 27.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 A Family Chanukah Benefit Concert featuring “8th Day Band,” sponsored by Friendship Circle of Ottawa, Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre, 1233 Wellington

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15 Nu Creations in Yiddish, a new and exciting look at Yiddish works in the areas of film,

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

literature and music, with Prof.

Rebecca Margolis of the University of Ottawa’s Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program, 10:30 am. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 254.

Song of the Lodz Ghetto, a documentary by David Kaufman, presented by the Greenberg Families Library. A haunting musical program of songs from the Lodz Ghetto, performed by Brave New World, this film also offers chilling narrative, unforgettable photographs, and interviews with Lodz survivors, 1:00 pm. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 254.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22 JET Spa Day Retreat: Relax, eat and stimulate your senses with an inspiring lecture and a soothing spa treatment, The Spa Day Retreat, 26 Castlefrank Road, Kanata, 11:00 am. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 247.

COMING SOON SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012 Na’amat Ottawa January Party and Fundraiser, an annual winter party where friendships, great food and incredible auction items can be had.

Help raise funds for women and children, Nepean Sailing Club, 3259 Carling Avenue, 8:00 pm.

Info: 613-225-2662.

Happy Chanukah December 20 to 28

Unless otherwise noted, activities take place at The Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private.

This information is taken from the community calendar maintained by the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre. Organizations which would like their events to be listed, no matter where they are to be held, should send the information to InfoCentre coordinator Benita Siemiatycki via e-mail at bsiemiatycki@jewishottawa.com or fax at 613-798-4695. She can also be reached by telephone at 613-798-4644. Accurate details must be provided and all events must be open to the Jewish public.

Condolences Condolences are extended to the families of: Myrtle Borts Daniel Doctor Irene Stein

May their memory be a blessing always.

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

There is no charge.

For a listing in this column, please call 613-798-4696, ext. 274.

Voice mail is available.

BULLETIN DEADLINES JANUARY 4 FOR JANUARY 23 JANUARY 18 FOR FEBRUARY 6 FEBRUARY 1 FOR FEBRUARY 20

JEWISH MEMORIAL GARDENS Your one-stop resource centre for funeral planning 613-688-3530

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