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www.ottawajewishbulletin.com Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. •
bulletin 7 5 T H A N N I V E R S A RY 1 9 3 7 volume 76, no. 7 february 6, 2012
21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9
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Publisher: Mitchell Bellman
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- 2 0 1 2 shevat 13, 5772
Editor: Michael Regenstreif $2.00
JYL launches MS St. Louis Commemorative Project By Michael Regenstreif The MS St. Louis set sail from Hamburg to Havana on May 13, 1939 carrying 937 refugees from Nazi Germany – 930 of them Jewish. In what became known as the Voyage of the Damned, they were turned away from Cuba, which demanded $500 per person in addition to the entrance visas they had purchased before embarking, and by all of the countries in Latin America. The United States and Canada also refused them, forcing the ship’s return to Europe. Many were eventually deported to the Nazi death camps where 254 of them were murdered during the Holocaust. In 2010, the Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa (JYL) received a grant from Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a project to commemorate the MS St. Louis.
The completed project, a mural – Turbulent Seas by artist Michoel Muchnik – and a children’s book – So Near, and Yet So Far: Klara’s Voyage on the MS St. Louis, poignantly written by Sara Loewenthal and beautifully illustrated by Nicholas Jackson – was launched, January 25, at a frequently moving event at Ben Franklin Place. The most affecting moments came when author Loewenthal read the book to the audience and when Herbert Karliner, a passenger on the MS St. Louis at the age of 12, told his story. Loewenthal wrote the book from the perspective of Klara, an eight-year-old at the time of the voyage, and read the entire book in Klara’s voice as the pages – with her words and Jackson’s superbly drawn images – were shown on the (Continued on page 2)
Dignitaries attending the launch of the MS St. Louis Commemorative Project include (from left) U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson, MP Rick Dykstra, MS St. Louis survivor Herbert Karliner, Israeli Ambassador Miriam Ziv, Ottawa City Councillor Katherine Hobbs, Jewish Youth Library co-director Devora (Photo: Peter Waiser) Caytak.
In Memoriam
Community leader Joseph Lieff passes away By Benita Baker Joseph Lieff, a beloved family patriarch, lawyer and community leader passed away, January 7, at the age of 94. Born in Ottawa in 1917, Lieff was the youngest son in a family of seven children. Lieff’s deep-rooted commitment to community service began with his voice. At age 10, he joined the Agudath Achim Choir and, for more than 40 years, he sang in congregational and community choirs, as well as the pop-
ular Hadassah-WIZO fundraising shows. His voice also served him well in public speaking. As a teenager, Lieff won several oratorical and debating competitions and was a speaker for the Palestine Appeal. In 1937, he won the Moses Bilsky trophy for oratory. Lieff became a community leader at a young age. He joined the Ottawa chapter of AZA, B’nai Brith’s new youth group, and ultimately became its president. This began his longstanding affiliation
with community service organizations. He was a charter member and past president of B’nai Brith’s Parliament Lodge, as well as a charter member of Knights of Pythias’ Aurora Lodge, where he held positions as the group’s chancellor commander and deputygrand chancellor. He was a member of the first board of governors of the first all-Canadian B’nai Brith district. In 1968, Lieff retired from a 10-year stint as a member and executive member of the Ottawa Tal-
mud Torah/Hillel Academy board, during which he served two terms as vice-president. He sat on the board and executive committee of Agudath Israel Congregation for 10 years and served as its president from 1975 to 1977. His tenure saw the creation of Ottawa’s first mixed choir. In 1971, Lieff was a trustee of the Jewish Community Council of Ottawa/Vaad Ha’Ir – now the Jewish Federation of Ottawa – when he was invited to join the Vaad executive under president Gilbert
Greenberg. From 1981 to 1983, he served as president of the Vaad, a position that had also been previously held by his brother, the late Abe Lieff, who served from 1954 to 1956. “Our father was a simple man, void of any ego,” said his daughter Elissa in her eulogy. “From a community perspective, he was most proud about his service as president of the Vaad. It was important to him to impress upon, and for the community to understand, that (Continued on page 2 )
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