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bulletin 7 5 T H A N N I V E R S A RY 1 9 3 7 volume 76, no. 15 june 18, 2012

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First Dragon Boat Israel festival a huge success

By Nicola Hamer The first Dragon Boat Israel festival was held May 17-18 on Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The event, conceived in Ottawa, was a tremendous success in its first year.

However, when Jewish Federation of Ottawa Chair Debbie Halton-Weiss told Mitchell Bellman that she and several teammates from her Ottawa dragon boat team wanted to hold a dragon boat festival in Israel, he told her it was one of the craziest ideas he’d ever heard.

“But I also thought it was a great idea,” said Bellman, the Federation’s president and CEO. Shaul Zohar, an Israeli member of Partnership2Gether, echoed that sentiment.

“When they told me what they wanted to do, I said, ‘that’s completely crazy.’ But sometimes crazy is what you need to get new things done.”

Zohar lives in the northern town of Kiryat Shmona, very near the Canada Centre in Metulla.

“We already think Canadians are crazy,” he said. “They built a skating rink up here. Why not a dragon boat festival?”

“That’s crazy,” said HaltonWeiss, also chair of Dragon Boat Israel (DBI), is what everyone said to her, when she first told them what she wanted to do.

“But, all I was hearing while doing community work was that we need new ways to connect people to Israel. And what is better than a team sport like dragon boat racing?

Young, old, disabled, men, women, they can all paddle a dragon boat.

And it is a great spectator sport. To me, it seemed perfect.”

There were many significant hurdles to get over in the two years since Halton-Weiss approached Bellman with the idea. They got

Ottawa dragon boat team L'Chaim on the Mayim with drummer Shelli Kimmel.

(Continued on page 2)

(Photo: Peter Waiser)

Team Moishe’s Eddy Cook is top DBI fundraiser

By Nicola Hamer Before the Dragon Boat Israel (DBI) festival, Ottawa businessman Eddy Cook had never set foot in a dragon boat. Neither had most of his dragon boat teammates, so he knew they had no chance of winning a medal on the water. But there was one race he was determined to win: the donations race.

Cook, who has only been to Israel once before – “So long ago it doesn’t count anymore” – convinced his wife, Sandi, to go for their 25th wedding anniversary. When he heard about DBI and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Adventure Israel Tour, he knew it would be the perfect way to go.

“We’re very active and it looked like a lot of fun, so I collected my gang to come with us.”

The gang Cook refers to is called ‘Moishe’ and consists of Eddy and Sandi, Peter and Pam Stelcner, Debra and Peter Szirtes and Alan and Michelle Kufsky. Together, they formed the core of the DBI team Moishe. As they collected more friends for their team and the tour, they also set their sights on fundraising.

“Peter Stelcner put it this way, ‘when you go to someone’s house, you bring something to thank them for their hospitality. Why should it be different when you go to another country?’” said Cook.

DBI organizers had been hoping to raise $20,000 for the two Israeli charities it was supporting, Youth Futures and Net@. By the DBI festival weekend, team Moishe alone had raised almost $17,000, contributing to a total of more than $50,000 raised.

On the Adventure Tour, Moishe team members quickly got a reputation for their raucous, goofy behaviour.

“To be a member of Moishe, you have to be loud and annoying,” said Cook. “And have lots of fun.”

But their focus on having fun hid a serious side, as they never lost sight of their fundraising goal.

Cook, who was captain of team Moishe,

was DBI’s top fundraiser.

“It wasn’t difficult,” he said. “I just sent an e-mail to everyone I’ve known in the last 10 years. Then I followed up with a phone call. E-mail isn’t enough on its own. People want that personal connection.”

Cook is bringing that same determination to his role as chair of fundraising at the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation.

“We always go to the same few people in Ottawa, but the big givers are getting burned out. They want to see other people standing up. I tell people, ‘You don’t have to be a millionaire to give money. You have great lives: two cars, a big house and great vacations.

(Continued on page 2 )

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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Many DBI participants in Israel for the first time (Continued from page 1)

some very experienced dragon boat racers helping them out and some very savvy Israelis. But the dragon boaters knew nothing of Israel and the Israelis knew nothing of dragon boat racing. The Canadians were in the middle, negotiating everything.

When Halton-Weiss and the DBI steering committee started to get serious about the details of the race, they were hoping to get 10 Israeli teams signed up and 10 international teams. They also wanted fundraising to be an important part of the festival. But, according to committee member Myrna Barwin, getting DBI established was the first priority.

“We felt that, if we just managed to run a successful race and establish the festival this year, we could worry about establishing the fundraising next year. We decided we’d be very happy with $20,000,” said Barwin.

So they were “beyond delighted,” when they had to cap team registration at 39 teams and watched the fundraising total climb steadily in the months before the DBI festival, topping out at more than $50,000.

They were also beyond delighted at the success of the festival itself.

“It wasn’t just great for a firsttime festival,” said Canadian partic-

ipant Alayne Main. “It was a great festival. Everything was on time, the location was gorgeous and the lay-out of the site was intuitive. The Israelis were warm and welcoming and there was such a great sense of celebration.”

Teammate Claudia Hubbes agreed.

“We didn’t expect too much,” she said. “There were so many paddlers there who had never even been in a boat before. But the coaching was great and everyone showed such a sense of spirit and co-operation. It was so much fun.

Heck, they even had the nicest outhouses I’ve ever been in.”

Both women said a welcoming dinner at the end of the first day was a highlight of DBI. Featuring a huge traditional Israeli grill at Hamat Gader, a natural hot spring spa, the evening included Israeli dancing and singing.

“It was magical,” said Hubbes.

As with many of the other paddlers, Main and Hubbes are not Jewish and had never been to Israel before. Both toured the country before reaching the festival and both said the experience was not what they expected.

“I was amazed at how many cultures actually co-exist here in peace.

It is something you don’t really see

Ottawa dragon boat team Free Spirits included many Adventure Israel tour participants.

(Photo: Nicola Hamer)

from the outside,” said Main.

Zohar said he was delighted by the number of non-Jews DBI brought to the country.

“When they are here, they aren’t just reading about our country.

They are walking here and touching the land and meeting the people.

Then they will go back to their own communities and speak the truth to them.”

The festival also brought many Jews from Canada and other countries to Israel, many of whom were also visiting for the first time.

According to Halton-Weiss, while the most obvious indicators of the success were how smoothly the DBI festival ran, or how many happy paddlers they had, the real success was in how many people came to Israel for the fun of dragon boat racing and now have a new connection to the country and to the Jewish community.

“I have never been prouder than when I was singing ‘Hatikvah’ overlooking that crowd. We brought these people to Israel, many of whom would never have

come otherwise. Jews, Christians, atheists, old, young, gay, straight, disabled. We maintained our values of inclusivity and were welcoming, and we created as few barriers as possible. Together, we were singing the Israeli anthem all under one tent, joined in a common embrace,” said Halton-Weiss. “It was a perfect moment,” The second annual Dragon Boat Israel festival will be held on Lake Kinneret on May 9-10, 2013. Visit dragonboatisrael.com for more information.

Cook and Moishe gang inspired by trip to Israel (Continued from page 1)

You can afford to give more,’” he said, explaining his motivation.

The Moishe gang found the trip to Israel inspiring. “We had fun, but we also connect-

ed with the country in unexpected ways,” said Cook.

They are now thinking of going on an annual trip together, picking a different country each time and fundraising for a local cause.

Eddy Cook was determined to win the ‘donations race’ at the first Dragon Boat Israel festival.

(Photo: Nicola Hamer)

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June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 3

The Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge The Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge serves an important symbol that caring for our elderly is a priority for the Ottawa Jewish community. Support from the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation and the community-at-large truly helps to enhance this reputation.

This past year, Federation allocated $203,000 to the Lodge, which contributes to its enhanced nursing hours, quality kosher food, and a feeding assistance program that is the envy of other health care providers. As one of the premiere facilities in the Champlain Region, the Lodge is a destination of choice for many in the community as well as other Ottawans.

The Lodge is regularly inundated with phone calls and personal inquiries regarding the admission of a loved one.

Unfortunately, not everyone can be admitted as quickly as they would like.

Some delays are due to the current system for admissions while others relate to the fact that admissions are a government-regulated process under the local health authority.

We do, however, have control over transferring a resident to the room of his/her choice. We impress upon all applicants during the application process the importance of selecting all three room choices: private, semiprivate or basic.

Once in the Lodge, the resident can be transferred to the accommodation of his/her choice when the appropriate room becomes available. Unfortunately, those who don’t heed our advice about room options, are passed over.

At Hillel Lodge, private means your own bedroom and two-piece washroom.

Semi-private means your own bedroom and a linked/shared two-piece washroom.

Basic means two people sharing a large

room and a two-piece washroom.

By now, many of you are familiar with the unqualified success of the Lodge’s recent addition of 21 long-term care beds.

As the Lodge is an extension of the Ottawa Jewish community for whom we exist, this investment to enlarge our Home to 121 beds has the potential to offer the community increased opportunities for admission to the Lodge.

What you may not know is that, due to the increase in capacity, the Lodge’s waiting list has at least temporarily significantly decreased.

In recent years, those on the wait list could take as long as 18 months and longer to be admitted.

Today, if one qualifies; i.e., is on the list for placement by the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), the wait

for admission to the Lodge is generally six months.

While Jewish applicants are accorded priority by the CCAC, there are other priorities that continue to take precedence, which includes residents who are on the list for any long-term care facility and cannot be sent home, or if one’s spouse is already in a Home.

If long-term care is what your loved one needs and wants, I urge you to contact the CCAC immediately and ask for an intake worker.

Also, do not hesitate to call the Lodge for advice and we will gladly assist you with the process.

For more information about The Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge call (613) 728-3900 or visit www.hillel-ltc.com.

Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Social Action Mission participants win the DBI Spirit Award

By Nicola Hamer Like many others participating in Dragon Boat Israel (DBI), May 17-18 on Lake Kinneret, Ottawa’s Social Awesome team had never before attended a dragon boat festival. But they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the experience and returned home proudly showing off their Spirit Award.

The award is presented to the team with the best cheers and that brings the most energy, explained DBI Chair Debbie Halton-Weiss.

“The choice for us was easy.

It didn’t take long before everyone there knew the Social Awesome team.”

The best thing they did, said Halton-Weiss, was pre-

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sent a great example to young people on the Israeli teams.

“By the end of the festival, there were a few Israeli teams who were just as loud as Social Awesome. It was so wonderful to watch them get it,” she said.

The Social Awesome team comprised participants in the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s third annual Social Action Mission. The mission brings young adults to northern Israel to do volunteer work. This year, 18 participants travelled to the small town of Kiryat Shmona to work at Korchick Elementary School.

They worked at the school in partnership with students from Tel Hai College. The Ottawans stayed with Tel Hai students in their homes during the mission.

The mission members helped refurbish some of the classrooms, build an outdoor garden and paint murals with the school kids.

They were able to spend a lot of time with the children,

Ottawa’s Social Awesome team celebrates its Spirit Award at the first annual Dragon Boat Israel festival.

(Photo: Peter Waiser)

which turned out to be very meaningful.

“I thought I knew what to expect, because I’ve been to that area before, but I completely did not expect how attached I’d get to those kids in such a short period of time,” said participant Andrea Black.

Black hopes to go back to the area to work for a

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longer period.

It wasn’t only the Social Action Mission participants who were inspired by their work in the school. On the day before the DBI festival, the school hosted people from other Ottawa tours, who were very impressed by how much had been done and by the connection between the Ottawans and the children at the school.

“It literally brought tears to my eyes,” said Sharon Finn, whose son, Josh, was with the mission. “Our kids made a real difference in their lives, and in such a short period of time.”

Finn said she and her husband, Paul, who were on the Adventure Israel Tour, would love to return and do

something similar.

“This was for young adults,” said Paul Finn.

“We’d like to do something similar for old adults.”

The passion Ottawa’s young adults found in their work in the school, and their dragon boat cheering, is something they brought home, said Samantha

Banks, the Federation’s director of Initiatives for the Emerging Generation.

“They see what can be done when we work together,” said Banks. “They have brought that award-winning spirit back to Ottawa. Now it’s up to us to find meaningful ways to keep that connection.”

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June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 5

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Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Passing on our shared values from generation to generation Every day, I look at my hands and am reminded of a story that has inspired me since I was a little girl.

In 1946, my mother received a phone call from a stranger who pumped her for information about her and my father, asking detailed questions of how they survived the war.

The next night, my parents met Ernest, a man of about 30, who continued asking them questions. When he seemed satisfied with their answers, he pulled from his pocket a ladies’ handkerchief rolled in a ball. He told my father to unravel it. In it, my father found three large diamonds.

Ernest had been in Theresienstadt along with my grandmother. She had managed to hide the diamonds during her time in the camp, but, when she found out she was being transferred to Auschwitz, she sought out Ernest, a nice young Jewish man, who had been employed by my grandfather. She told Ernest that she had a son who had escaped to London in 1939. She asked Ernest – who she thought had a greater chance of surviving Auschwitz – to seek out her son after the

Federation Report Debbie Halton-Weiss Chair war and give him the three diamonds.

Ernest did survive Auschwitz and was determined to find my father. He had no money, family, or home, but maintained his dignity by doing what he felt was right, by honouring the past, and by giving something to the future – my father’s future.

Before she died, my mother gave me the ring she had been wearing since 1946, which contained the largest of the three diamonds. The ring reminds me of my mother and I am also reminded of my history and where I come from. I am reminded of the good of humankind, and our capacity to do the right thing in the face of adversity and challenges. And this diamond also reminds me of our potential for future growth and survival, if

we manage to define what we value as individuals and as a community and hand it down to the next generation.

A year ago, I talked about the objectives I hoped to achieve as Federation chair.

One was to engage the periphery of our community by developing new and creative initiatives and providing followup and leadership opportunities. We have made great strides in this area, particularly with the emerging generation and their increasing involvement in community activities, the Federation Board, committees and programs where they are well represented.

Dragon Boat Israel (DBI), which was completely funded by personal and corporate sponsors, was a huge success.

One hundred and fifty Ottawans went to Israel, the largest contingent of people from Ottawa to ever visit Israel together.

Most were first timers and many participated in the Federation’s Adventure Israel trip. DBI was an Ottawa initiative that resonated with people from across the country, Israel, and beyond.

The second objective was to ensure a

stronger fiscal foundation to meet the needs of our community. We have identified some innovative strategies to make our Annual Campaign and other funds more attractive and relevant to donors.

But, to truly meet this objective, we need to focus more on building stronger relationships with our top donors, our major stakeholders and our past leadership.

While the Federation has done a better job of communicating with these constituents, we need to find ways to embrace our history, to build on the foundation created by past leadership and engage those who have the background, experience and willingness to participate.

We need to continue to find innovative ways to be inclusive and accessible so that our community continues to grow, to thrive and feel proud.

As I look at my hands, I’m reminded of our common history and the importance of honouring our past, of finding ways to come together as a community.

I am reminded of the need to define our shared values so that they will be passed on to our future, from generation to generation, l’dor v’dor.

Supplementary schools are an essential component to Jewish continuity In the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin supplement dedicated to the religious education of our community’s children (May 21), a significant amount of space was dedicated to the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

The school has been promoted by community leaders as an essential component of our community’s commitment to Jewish continuity.

Having spent nearly a decade as principal of a liberal day school in Toronto, I can attest to the power of creative and forward thinking Jewish day schools in making a difference in a child’s life.

However, having also been principal of a supplementary school of more than 1,200 students, and having had the joy of working with the teachers, children and educational leaders of the Temple Israel Religious School (TIRS), I want to make the case that supplementary schools are not second-rate or second-class in the struggle for Jewish continuity.

I have witnessed the power of a Jewish supplementary school to transform apathy into commitment. I have watched marginal Jewish families energized by their child’s six-hour-a-week experience. I have shepped nachos from the graduates of Jewish supplementary schools making aliyah going to rabbinical or cantorial schools, standing next to their children on the bimah during a bar/bat mitzvah or a wedding, or even wanting to teach in Jewish day schools.

On May 27, the first day of Shavuot, six TIRS students celebrated their confirmation ceremony. These Grade 10 students continued their education after bar/bat mitzvah.

From the pulpit Rabbi Steven Garten Temple Israel They attended classes, they participated in social justice (tikkun olam projects), they travelled to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., two travelled to Israel, they read Torah in the sanctuary, and they passed a rigorous exam of 165 questions. Their celebration of accomplishment was not hollow. They were all invited to share with the congregation their thoughts on the occasion of their confirmation. I want to share with you a sample of their words.

“Being at TIRS, I felt a strong connection between learning and the synagogue. Probably because the school is located below the sanctuary and made me feel connected to God in a way. But TIRS has also helped me to realize that, without religion, and the proper Jewish education, you know nothing about Judaism.”

“I have been finding more and more that, because of my Jewish education, I have a better understanding of the world’s history. … Everything I have learned about the Jewish people of the world helps emphasize how diverse of a community we are. Yet, even within this diversity, there is a common history, and common traditions.”

“But, who is a Jew? Look around you.

Today, almost anyone you see walking down

the street could be a Jew. A Jew can have white skin, black skin, brown skin … Jews can have big noses or small noses. Jews can be from Canada, the United States, France, England, Korea, Japan. Jews are Jews. Even after everything, all the anti-Semitism that has been in the world, I am ready to make a commitment to continue to live as a Jewish adult.”

I shared these students’ words not only because I am proud of their thoughtful expression, not only because of their obvious pride in being Jewish, but because they are symbolic of how powerful a rich, creative supplementary Jewish education can be in

the life of a young person. I do not write to promote our school. I write to promote all supplementary Jewish schools that care about Jewish children and the future of the Jewish people.

In a community as diverse as ours, there is more than one way to create lasting Jewish memories. In our pluralistic Jewish world, no one educational path guarantees Jewish success for every child. If your children or grandchildren are not enrolled in a Jewish learning environment and you care deeply about our Jewish future, encourage them to check out the wealth of supplementary school options.

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June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 7

The Olympic Games should remember the Olympians murdered in 1972 The opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games will take place in London on July 27 and many people around the world are asking that a moment of silence be observed in memory of the 11 Israeli Olympians murdered by terrorists during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

Initially, two Israelis were murdered and nine more taken hostage by Black September, a PLO faction at about 4:30 am on September 5, 1972, during the second week of the games. Less than 20 hours later, at four minutes past midnight on September 6, the nine hostages were machine gunned to death.

The Munich Massacre shocked the world. It was, and remains, the darkest moment of the modern Olympic movement (rivalled only, perhaps, by Hitler’s use of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin as a showcase for Nazi pageantry).

This year, 40 years after the massacre, the State of Israel asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to remember the slain Olympians with a moment of silence at the opening ceremonies in London. All Israel asked for was a 60-second pause in the otherwise joyous celebrations. Israel was supported in its request by many throughout the world. As we reported in the

Editor Michael Regenstreif May 7 issue of the Bulletin, the Jewish Federations of North America asked Jewish communities to sign an online petition in support of Israel’s request.

However, the IOC has refused the request. Would the response have been different if the murdered athletes had come from almost any other country in the world? I’m tempted to think so.

Israel, in a campaign led by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, continues to campaign for the moment of silence and is being supported by political leaders in such countries as Australia, the United States and Canada.

On June 7, Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, a former minister of Justice, spoke about the issue in the House of Commons and said Canada should support Israel in its quest for remembrance.

“For 40 years, there has been no official Olympic remembrance, no honouring of

memory, no moment of silence,” said Cotler.

“Let us solemnly observe this 40th anniversary of remembrance. It is our duty to observe a moment of silence to remember. We remember. Never again. Never again, not for Jews, not for anyone.”

In response, Minister of State (Sports) Bal Gosal and Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird wrote to IOC Chair Jacques Rogge expressing “Canada’s disappointment with the International Olympic Committee’s decision not to agree to the request by the Government of Israel” and urged the IOC “to reconsider the decision given the gravity of the events that took place in Munich in 1972.”

As Gosal and Baird noted, “The terrorist attack targeted not only Israel, but the spirit and goals of the Olympic movement. Given the impact of this tragedy, on the Olympic community as a whole and the world, it should be marked publicly as part of the official opening ceremony of the games.”

Bulletin internship The late Barry Fishman, my predecessor as editor of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, was a strong advocate for young journalists.

Before he passed away in 2009 following a brave and dignified three-year battle with

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Barry suggested a fund be created to support an annual summer internship for a young journalist at the Bulletin.

This year, I’m pleased to welcome Alex Baker to the Bulletin as this summer’s intern. Rather, I’m pleased to welcome Alex back to the Bulletin. A 2007 Carleton University journalism graduate, Alex worked here with Barry while he was a student. More recently, Alex has been living in Western Canada where he did a stint in the Calgary Herald newsroom. We’re pleased to see him home in Ottawa and back at the Bulletin.

Alex came on board while this issue was in production and helped with the proofreading. He also plunged right into reporting and his articles – including coverage of events such as the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s annual general meeting and Walkathon, which took place this month after this issue’s deadline, but before you received the paper – will begin to be featured in the July issue.

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

To make a donation to the Barry Fishman Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Scholarship Fund, please call the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation at 613-798-4696, ext. 274.

Quebec’s student revolt shows how powerless a government can be The student revolt in Quebec – and I have no difficulty in calling it a revolt – makes no sense to me. What is clear is that the Quebec government has had no idea what it was and why it was.

Somehow, this seemingly normal protest when there was still snow on the ground morphed into an ugly daily confrontation with authorities when the trees were in full blossom and the tulips had already come and gone. It has been a marathon with broken windows, tear gas and even a co-ordinated smoke bomb attack in three of Montreal’s métro stations. There were also countless deliberate traffic jams caused by student demonstrations.

No one could have guessed the students had the determination to go this far.

It can’t be just about money. A $1,500 increase over five years, which the Quebec government agreed to make over seven years, can’t be the reason. The fact that Quebec already has the lowest tuition fees in Canada is so often repeated seems to make no difference either. That is because there is a belief in Quebec, and not just among students, that there should be a permanent freeze on tuition fees.

In fact, in a real sense, the student movement thinks tuition should be free,

Jason Moscovitz but acknowledges paying something may be the way it has to be – but not a cent more!

It should be noted that more than a decade ago a Parti Québécois government proposed a university fee increase that was also met with angry protests. All to say this latest protest is not necessarily a purely partisan move to embarrass the Liberal government in an election year.

One of the strange things is the lack of balance in this craziness. A $300 per year increase is money, but, in terms of what it costs to run Quebec’s universities, and CEGEPs (junior colleges) which are already free, $300 per year per student over seven years is really minimal. I remember a university professor telling students more than 40 years ago that our tuition hardly paid the cost of the toilet paper.

And what have the police costs been?

What has it cost to repair the broken win-

dows? What did it cost businesses in Montreal when the métro was closed down for a morning because of the smoke bombs? How much damage was done to Montreal’s reputation as a travel destination when the U.S. Consulate warned Americans of the violence? Had the government known those questions would be asked, would it have ever ventured into a minimal tuition hike in the first place?

But now, unfortunately, there is something really wrong with that analysis. It is about the price of civil disobedience. For young people to openly disobey court injunctions to allow their fellow students to go to classes is a brazen and scary act of civil disobedience. Where are we as a society if people of any age disobey the judges and our court system? Disobeying the Quebec government’s special Law 78 falls under the same category.

Where is Quebec society if gangs of students take over downtown streets on a nightly basis because they want to, because they know how to get attention, because they know, unlike in many other countries, the police action will be relatively and comparatively limited?

For a while, as the protests continued unabated, it seemed to be that radical

elements were really the leaders. There are anarchists, there are radical unions, there are motorcycle gangs, and there are all kinds of people and organizations capable of lawlessness in Quebec as elsewhere in Canada.

But, in the end, this was about students. There is no doubt others chimed in, but students led the way. This was a student revolt that has opened our eyes to how powerless politicians, a government and the police can appear to be.

At one point, Montreal Mayor Gerard Tremblay went on television to plead with parents to talk to their children about stopping the protests. That was well intentioned but pathetic. There was the education minister in Quebec resigning saying in an equally pathetic but honest way that she did not have a solution to offer.

Without getting into the silliness of determining winners and losers, it is nonetheless a safe bet that, regardless of what government is in power in Quebec, and regardless of when the moment is, it is hard to imagine any Quebec government proposing any kind of tuition increase anytime soon.

The student protestors will be old people by the time that happens.

Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

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Mailbag Third daughter I want to correct an error in the article Parents drawn to ‘community’ aspect of OJCS in the education supplement (May 21).

It mentions I have two daughters in Grades 3 and 5, which is correct, but failed to mention I have a third daughter in the ADK program.

Leila Ages Fiddler on the Roof: The Conservative movement in Ottawa The scene opens in Ottawa with the fiddler on the roof playing overtures to a small crowd of Jews offering different variations of the Conservative movement. We have Tevye singing “If I Were a Rich Man” about the new synagogue he would like to pray and study in all day long. We meet Golde, his traditional Jewish wife, who enjoys life as it has been.

They have a family of three daughters who tell their stories of life and love in a pluralistic fashion, showing the progression of times and the changes in “Tradition.”

Tzeitel and Motel the tailor have announced their engagement, the first step in recognizing that, in life, everyone is entitled to a little happiness, even if Yente the matchmaker did not impose the ancient rite of arranged marriage. The second daughter enters the scene with a university student bent on changing the world by bringing egalitarian thinking with women’s rights, but forgets to also state that, with these rights, come the same responsibilities as men. Finally, we have Chava who intermarries with Fydeka because “a fish may love a bird, but where will they live?” The limits become stretched to the maximum because how can you be accepting and tolerant of ways that are not yours?

Toward the end, the families all move to America where freedom and assimilation are a mixed blessing.

The story’s ending is still being written here in Ottawa because the Conservative movement needs to reconcile that traditional and egalitarian Judaism are not mutually exclusive and that a pluralistic vision is the only forward-moving business model that will replace the old tribal system of labels.

Ottawa is in need of people who want to be part of the solution, not the problem. We need people who want the future of their children and grandchildren to be one of growth, not further decline and apathy. So, engage your boards and membership and let’s make sure our future is not as a shaky as the fiddler on the roof.

David Kardish Liberal Judaism I am writing to request the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin publish a correction to the inaccurate and insulting information about liberal Judaism contained in the guest column by Daniel Gordis (What, not who, is a Jew?, May 21).

Gordis, who is not a liberal Jew, contends that “today’s liberal Jewish communities, in which rigorous observance of the ritual commandments is no longer part of the fabric of daily Jewish life, insist that a genuine desire to join the Jewish people and share in its fate, ought to be a sufficient standard for conversion.”

The first element, referring to rigorous observance of halachah, is not untrue, although the columnist fails to mention that tenets of liberal Jewish teachings do advocate leading a Jewish life. The maximalist position of Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, founder of the Reconstructionist movement, emphasizes that being Jewish should be a fundamental aspect of our daily lives and interpersonal relationships.

The second part of Gordis’ statement is more inaccurate and scandalous. Candidates for conversion to liberal Jewish communities are required to undertake a learning program, verified at a beit din, to ensure they are knowledgeable about

bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com the religion they are adopting. They are also required to assume some aspect of Jewish practice, though not total observance of all of the traditional commandments. They must also abandon the practice of any other religion.

I suggest that in the future you allow qualified members of the liberal Jewish community to teach its tenets.

Barry H. Schneider Editor’s note: Daniel Gordis is a Conservative rabbi. Before making aliyah, he was dean of the Zeigler School of Rabbinical Studies at the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University), which ordains Conservative rabbis.

Cemetery condition I was born and raised in Ottawa by two loving and caring parents, Joseph and Molly Sadinsky. Forty-some years ago, we buried my father, who passed away at the early age of 60.

In 2004, my mother passed away and, most recently, we buried my sister Carol Spiro (Sadinsky) Kimmel. I was just at the cemetery, which I visit each and every time I come to Ottawa.

I want to fully understand who is responsible for the shortand long-term maintenance of the cemetery. I would like to know why the grounds are in such poor condition, badly in need of levelling, re-sodding and general weeding and trimming. The yearly planting is done poorly and, last year, I was so embarrassed by the condition of the plants, for which I pay what I think is a reasonable amount of money to ensure a proper arrangement is installed.

Does the Ottawa Jewish community not care about preserving the memories of our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters who worked so hard to maintain, build and be part of this Jewish community?

How is money raised – if it is – to support this facility?

Why is more of community money not dedicated to this important and holy place?

I would be happy to donate, but it will take numerous families and donations to achieve a better-maintained cemetery.

Larry Sadinsky Cemetery committee responds This past year, the Jewish Memorial Gardens hired an experienced contractor to care for the grounds. We expect this to be an improvement. However, the annual spring maintenance and planting program has been delayed this year due to poor weather. We hope that, by your next visit, you will notice a difference.

It is characteristic of a cemetery that land sinks. Therefore, in the early years, we top up new gravesites. Long term, we level the older sections in rotation as funds become available.

We depend on interest income from funds held in trust, support from the synagogues and donations. We are aware of the importance of the cemetery and strive constantly to stretch our dollars and provide the best care for the available funds.

We welcome all donations and offers of support to help improve the state of our cemeteries.

Jonathan Freedman Chair, Jewish Memorial Gardens

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.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 9

Forty Shades of Grey:

Advertorial

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Irish filmmaker forsakes anti-Israel stance Oliver Javanpour president

Thanks for a wonderful year with JNF Ottawa It has been a wonderful year with the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in Ottawa. I would like to thank all the board members and friends of JNF who have helped us with our fundraising, outreach and mentorship.

I am delighted to welcome four new board members to our JNF family: David Baker, Naomi Ballon, Rabbi Scott Rosenberg and Karen Zunder.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank three retiring board members for their dedication and efforts for the past several years: Tracy Bielak, André Brantz and Valerie Eisen, who will remain JNF friends.

It has been a great year with our new Regional Executive Director, Gail Grief, who is stationed in Montreal. I would also like to thank Susan Schwartzman, who maintains our Ottawa office and ensures our volunteers and supporters’ daily needs are met.

Finally, I would like to thank our Negev Dinner campaign cabinet and friends of JNF Ottawa: Vera Klein, Ron Prehogan, Harvey Slack and Arnie Vered for their mentorship, friendship and collaboration.

JNF Ottawa Board 2012-2013 will be presented at our Annual Meeting on June 28, 2012: Oliver Javanpour - President Brian Pearl - Immediate Past President John Greenberg - Past President Dr. Norman Barwin, C.M. - Past President Elizabeth (Lisa) Cogan - Past President Alan Blostein - Vice-President David Baker - Member-at-Large Naomi Ballon - Member-at-Large Rabbi Dr. Reuven P. Bulka - Member-at-Large Barbara Crook - Member-at-Large Norman Lesh - Member-at-Large Rabbi Scott Rosenberg - Member-at-Large Karen Zunder - Member-at-Large Naomi Lipsky Cracower - Chair, Blue Boxes Jane Gordon - Chair, Telethon Martin Gordon - Chair, Telethon Jacqueline (Jackie) Sitwell - Chair, Inscriptions Gail Grief- Executive Director - Eastern Canada Susan M. Schwartzman - JNF Ottawa Coordinator We look forward to an equally exciting and fulfilling year ahead.

For the current list of our environmental and community related projects in Israel please contact us at JNF Ottawa 613-798-2411 or by email: ottawa@jnf.ca.

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

To order, call the JNF office (613.798.2411).

By Fred Litwin Free Thinking Film Society The latest battleground in the cultural boycott of Israel is Ireland. Over the past couple of years, hundreds of Irish artists, musicians and writers have pledged to boycott Israel.

The Irish traditional group Dervish recently cancelled its concerts in Israel with lead singer Cathy Jordan citing an “avalanche of negativity” and “venom” directed toward them on the Internet.

But there’s some good news in this story.

Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter has attacked the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Group for its cyber-bullying of Irish artists and there’s been pushback on the issue from filmmaker Nicky Larkin.

Larkin was born in Birr, Ireland, in 1983. He studied Fine Art and started working in experimental film. In 2007, he shot Pripyat, a short film on Chernobyl, which was screened at several film festivals. Since then, several other Larkin documentaries have been shown in Europe.

In 2011, Larkin went to Israel to make an “Israel is evil” documentary However, once there, he realized the reality is a more nuanced than the anti-Israel propaganda he’d been exposed to and changed his mind and the focus of his film, Forty Shades of Grey.

Back in Ireland, Larkin published an op-ed in the Irish Independent (March 11, 2012) explaining his change of heart.

“Israel is a refuge – but a refuge under siege, a refuge where rockets rain death from the skies. And as I made the effort to empathize, to look at the world through their eyes, I began a new intellectual journey: one that would not be welcome back home,” he wrote.

“The problem began when I resolved to come back with a film that showed both sides of the coin. Actually there are many more than two, which is why my film is called Forty Shades of Grey. But only one side was wanted back in Dublin. My peers expected me to come back with an attack on Israel. No grey areas were acceptable.

“An Irish artist is supposed to sign boycotts, wear a PLO scarf, and remonstrate loudly about the occupation. But it’s not just artists who are supposed to hate Israel. Being antiIsrael is supposed to be part of our Irish identity, the same way we are supposed to resent the English.

“But hating Israel is not part of my personal national identity. Neither is hating the English. I hold an Irish passport, but nowhere upon this document does it say I am a republican, or a Palestinian.”

Larkin will show his film, Forty Shades of Grey in Ottawa on Monday, June 18, 7:00 pm, at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street. Tickets are $15 (general admission) and $10 (students) and will be available at the door.

The event is presented by the Free Thinking Film Society.

Following the screening, Larkin will talk about his experience and answer questions. Find out why Nicky Larkin changed his mind about Israel.

Nicky Larkin

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Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Author Alison Pick to help second and third generation survivors tell their stories

By Louise Rachlis When she read Alison Pick’s historical novel, Far to Go, Mina Cohn was impressed. “I felt compelled to invite her to speak to our second and third generation group, said the chair of the Shoah (Holocaust) Committee of Ottawa.

Pick, whose novel won the Canadian Jewish Book Award for Fiction, will be guest speaker at the Shoah Committee workshop for second and third generation survivors, Thursday, June 21, 6:30 pm, at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre.

Far to Go is about a Jewish family and their nanny in Czechoslovakia in 1939 before the Nazi invasion. Trying to protect their six-year-old son, the family decides to

send him to temporary haven via a Kindertransport to England.

Since publishing the book, Pick has done many readings and talks, but said this will be her first time working with second and third generation survivors. “It’s a unique-sounding program, and I’m looking forward to doing it,� she said.

While Far to Go is not autobiographical, it was inspired by her own family’s experiences.

Pick grew up not knowing of her Jewish background. “There was a lot of family secrecy, a long process of slowly finding out what happened,� she said. “When my grandmother passed away in 2000, my family atmosphere changed because her strategy was to deny and repress. It was a story I knew I wanted to explore for a long time, but I first had to figure out how to be a writer before I could do the book. Writing is a way to externalize difficult and heavy emotions. It’s really intense.�

Born in Toronto in 1975, Pick grew up in Kitchener and Quebec’s Eastern Townships. She lives in Toronto

and is on the faculty of the Humber School for Writers’ Creative Writing by Correspondence program.

The Shoah Committee workshops were created because “one day, our Holocaust survivors will not be able to take their personal stories to schools and to other educational institutions,â€? said Cohn. “While we know that there is no substitute for the survivors’ personal accounts of the horrors and trauma of the Holocaust, we realized ‌ the second and third generations of Holocaust survivors must find a way and take up the challenge.â€?

Cohn added, “Just like in other situations, there is a distinction between primary and secondary witnesses and their respective narratives. Considering their emotional attachment to the stories and their complexity, our tasks and responsibilities to help prepare them are enormous.�

Cohn looked for a suitable program for second and third generation survivors.

Finding that none existed, she embarked on creating one, realizing that “preparing to move from the age of witness to the age of memory is going to be daunting.�

The first workshop for second and third generation survivors in Ottawa was held in November 2010 with more than 30 participants.

They participated “because they are a product of their parents’ and grandparents’ Holocaust experiences and they feel compelled to remember and honour them.�

So far, there have been four more workshops. “The workshops provided participants with the tools necessary to research and write creatively about growing up as a second and third generation, and about their parents’ and grandparents’ experiences, with the goal of sharing it with the next gen-

Author Alison Pick’s latest book is based on her family’s experience during the Holocaust.

eration,� said Cohn. “Since we began this process a year and a half ago, the group has started to gather details about their personal stories and has already started documenting the stories with the intention of eventually presenting them to the public.�

Pick’s workshop presentation will include a talk about her family story and how she researched and put the pieces of her story together. She will also provide tools for creative writing and answer questions.

This program is open only to the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. “I would like to see more of the third generation come forward and join us by taking up this important task,� said Cohn. “My hope is that Alison Pick’s story will attract and motivate more young people to join us in this important mission.�

To participate in the workshop, contact Sarah Beutel at sbeutel@jewishottawa.com or 613-798-4696, ext. 253.

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June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 11

Guest Column

Morah Ricky: My 44 years of teaching and learning

By Ricky Grebler Ottawa Jewish Community School Editor’s note: Ricky Grebler retires this month after 44 years as a teacher, including 30 years at Hillel Academy (now part of the Ottawa Jewish Community School).

The teacher entered the classroom scowling. Her gloomy demeanour permeated the space, petrifying the children. She appeared far older than her years. To the students there was no debate – she was a witch, one to be feared. As she took her place at the head of the class, the children frantically opened their notebooks. She levelled a bony finger at a nearby child.

“Boy, you read the answer to question one!” her voice crackled.

The scared boy gulped deeply knowing that if his work was anything but perfect, the witch’s face would grow redder and redder until she would explode, venting at the boy with anger and derision.

Could this story possibly be true?

Indeed, it was. She was my geography teacher, and making our lives miserable was far more important to her than helping us to learn geography.

I was only nine years old, but it was then I made a vow to myself that, when I grew up, I would become a teacher. I promised myself I would create an atmosphere that was comfortable and welcoming, where a child could understand the content and learn the reasoning behind it. I wanted to instil a love for learning in my students, to ignite

Judaic Studies teacher Ricky Grebler of the Ottawa Jewish Community School retires this month after 44 years in the classroom.

their curiosity, spark them to challenge themselves, and, ultimately, to realize knowledge is the greatest treasure there is.

For 44 years as “Morah Ricky,” my love for teaching has continued to grow. So many education-related discoveries have evolved during my tenure, including new methodologies, approaches and techniques.

I have endeavoured to keep up to date with

these while doing everything in my power ums, historical and community events and to create an inclusive, fertile and comfort- for many performances on Parliament Hill able atmosphere for my students to learn in. during commemoration of Jewish events.

I believe I speak for all Judaic Studies As I retire from the Ottawa Jewish Comteachers in saying that our task is not just a munity School, my heart overflows with so job, but a mission. As educators, we carry many fond memories. My biggest rewards the ancient torch illuminating and passing reflect the career and love to which I dedithe knowledge of our Jewish heritage, roots, cated so many years of my life. When a stucustoms, history and the Torah. To us, the dent quotes a pasuk from the Torah, when Bible is not old stories from a faraway students speak in Hebrew using newly acplace, but rather a living guide for today. quired vocabulary, when recalling the esThere is no deeper spiritual joy as an edu- sential ideas and morals they learned in the cator than helping a child understand his or class – these are the true fruits of my labour. her background and to feel genuine pride to I am eternally grateful for them. be a Jew. To my students and all whom I’ve enAmongst the many committees and pro- countered during these years, please accept jects I was involved in, my absolute pride this as my blessing for you: May the Torah and joy has been conducting school choirs. and everything that you have studied acI’ve taught in schools in Israel, and here in company you for the rest of your life and Ottawa at Ottawa Modern Jewish School, may you derive joy from it. École Maimonides, Temple Israel Religious School and, of course, for 30 years at Hillel Academy. At every school, I’ve had the joy and privilege and of organizing Robert Horwitz and conducting a choir.

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Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Letovsky helps people ‘go shopping’ in their own closets

By Louise Rachlis “You’ll save a lot of money on clothes,” my manager said to me when I accepted a voluntary buyout package from the Ottawa Citizen more than a year ago.

With a male perspective, he implied that with no office to go to, I’d just be wearing sweatpants all the time.

To prove him wrong, I resolved that, although I was now freelancing from home, I would never wear sweatpants outside the house.

Whether meeting friends for lunch, doing work interviews or running errands, I put on a dress or skirt.

Nevertheless, when I read

Sharon Letovsky’s description of who has “clothes, clothes everywhere and not a thing to wear,” I did, indeed, recognize myself in her description of “wardrobes and drawers full of clothes that we never wear,” with clothes that are “too big, too small or just plain out of style, but we keep them anyway.”

As she says, “even if we want to give them away, what’s garbage, what’s charity, what’s worth a trip to the consignment store?”

Letovsky goes into people’s homes and helps them make those decisions.

“The best and most economical place to go shopping is in our own closet,” said

Sharon Letovsky examines the contents of Louise Rachlis’ clothes closet.

(Photo: Louise Rachlis)

Letovsky, who launched her wardrobe consultation busi-

ness last month. “We already have what we need. We just

Promoting quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities in a Jewish environmnent Tamir acknowledges with sincere thanks the following donations, which were received as of May 23, 2012.

Mazel tov to: Hedy and Michael Segal on their special wedding anniversary by Angie and Melvyn Fields Mrs. Sally Taller on her birthday by Evelyn and Norman Potechin Nicola and Mitchell Bellman on their son’s Bar Mitzvah by Sharon and Paul Finn Mr. and Mrs. Ken Mintz on their wedding anniversary by Larry Weisz Dr. Newton Markus on his special birthday by Irene Waxman and the family of Sandy and Gerry Bayne Ms. Liane Freedman on her special birthday by Esther and David Kwavnick Ms. Molly Hirsch on her birthday by Esther and David Kwavnick Mr. Marcelo Grinfeld on his special birthday by Polly and Jack Moran; by the Ostrosckis; by Christine and Joe Irvine; by Ginsberg-Wolff family; by Bernard, Susana, Jessica and Carina Bleuer; by Vero, Paul, Max and Octavio Lares; by Carlos Fox and Joanne Stewart; by Monica Batallanos and Javier M. Pretell; and by Grant and Sylvie Thomas Judi and Ed Kerzner on the upcoming marriage of their granddaughter Marissa and wishing them a safe journey by Debbie, Norm and Vicky Ferkin and by Jerry and Lily Penso Mrs. Esther Tarasofsky on her 75th birthday by Richard, Meike, Jacob and Yael Stephen and Arla Green on their upcoming marriage by the Ben-Reuven family Dorothy and Hy Hymes on their 60th wedding anniversary by Norm and Evelyn Potechin

Dodie Potechin on her special birthday

by Lynn and Brian Keller Mrs. Bluma Dieks-Goldenberg on her grandson’s Bar Mitzvah by Jerry and Lily Penso Mrs. Sharon Reichstein on receiving the Freiman amily Young Leadership Award

by Hymie and Marlene Reichstein; by Debbie, Norm and Vicky Ferkin; by Nathalie and David Feldberg; and by Paul and Sharon Finn Refuah Shlemah to: Mrs. Inez Zelikovitz by Sharon and Paul Finn Mr. Danny Kimmel by Debbie and Norm Ferkin Mrs. Sandra Levinson by Debbie and Norm Ferkin In Memory of: Ethel Murray by Dorothy and Ben Greenberg; by Lorraine and Bob Kisby;

by Angie and Melvyn Fields and family;

by Karen and Ian Zunder and family; by Phil Gosewich; and by Dora and Sam Litwack Doris Leibovitch by Dodie and Bram Potechin and family; by Debbie and Norm Ferkin; and by Evelyn and Norman Potechin Sue Slack by Sharon and Paul Finn and family Minnie Milson by Sharon and Paul Finn; by Evelyn and Norman Potechin; and

by Robin, Geoff, Michael, Lesley and Jack Cramer Irving Taylor by Jonathan Fisher; by

Debbie and Norm Ferkin; and by Abe, Lisa and Ian Murray Jack Weinman by Esther and David Kwavnick Russell Glatt by Brenda and Bob Silverstone; by Lorraine Pearce; by Sonia and Sheldon Shaffer; by Rosalie and Harold Schwartz; by Marilyn and David Binder; Mark and Rhona Viner; by Jerry and Lily Penso; and by Sam and Sandra Zunder Isy Miller by Barbara Schulman Rhoda Buckspan by Max and Ellie Greenberg and family; and by Jerry and Lily Penso and family Harry Kofsky by Sharon, Sol, Noah and Kayla Reichstein Kenneth Jacob Ain by Jonathan Fisher; and by Jerry and Lily Penso Lou Goldmaker by Jerry and Lily Penso Diana Hershorn by Jerry and Lily Penso General In appreciation to Libby and Stan Katz

by Evelyn and Norman Potechin In appreciation of their hospitality to Linda and Steven Kerzner by Sharon and Paul Finn Wishing much success and happiness on the opening of his new gallery to Mr. Michael Gennis by Deb, Norm and Vicky Ferkin In appreciation of their hospitality to Mr. and Mrs. Irving Gershkovitch by Esther Kwavnick Wishing good health and much success in her new career venture to Anita Almstedt

by Jerry and Lily Penso

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don’t know it because it is hidden.”

Awaiting her visit to my home for this interview, I looked at my racks and drawers of clothing with a newly critical eye. I pulled a pile of rarely, if ever, worn pants, tops and sweaters off the rack and into a clear plastic bag.

I left the bag beside the closet to see if she agreed with my rejections.

As well as her wardrobe consultation business, the entrepreneur, who prefers “artsy” fashion, wears a lot of hats. Under the name Serena Williamson, she is a management consultant specializing in psychology, an author, a poet, a singer-songwriter and a comedienne.

Originally from Montreal, she was chief of counselling

for Transport Canada for seven years, before going out on her own doing a combination of management consulting seminars, book writing and coaching.

She’s having a lot of fun with her latest endeavour.

“My point is to help people simplify their lives.

Sometimes, after just talking to me, they are going home to do it themselves.”

Her list of basic questions for crowded closets: Does it fit? Is it in good shape or has it seen better days? When you put it on, does it feel good? Is it comfortable? Is it in style? Does it make you smile when you put it on?

“That’s the key. I’ve seen people put on a suit and say, ‘It’s a really good suit.’ But they have a castor oil look on their face.”

“I don’t force people to put things in the bag,” she says. “People are sometimes afraid I’ll decimate their closet. I won’t. More often, they are surprised how nice their wardrobe is when they get rid of the stuff they can’t wear.”

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June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 13

Concert of Jewish composers celebrates 50th wedding anniversary

By Teena and Walter Hendelman Music was a major part of our wedding at Adath Jeshurun Synagogue in Montreal in 1962 and has remained an important part of our lives. In our 50 years of marriage, we have been supporters of music, concert-goers, singers, folk dancers and fledgling musicians.

And, now, we will celebrate our golden anniversary with a concert, Jewish Composers through the Ages, a program of chamber music to be performed Friday, July 6, 2:00 pm, at Dominion Chalmers United Church, as part of the Music and Beyond Festival.

While we have become accustomed to hearing music by Jewish composers, whether classical, operetta, folk or popular, until the1800s, Jewish composers wrote primarily for the synagogue, very few composed court or secular music. The Enlightenment allowed for the entry of Jews into the larger European society, particularly in Germany, and, by the 19th century, Jewish composers and virtuoso performers became famous – even if some, such as Mendelssohn and Mahler converted to Christianity in order to be accepted.

For the upcoming concert, we have selected short works by six composers, spanning three centuries, to provide a variety of musical offerings.

One of the earliest Jewish composers is the Renaissance Italian, Salomone de Rossi (1578-1628). A member of a clan of Jewish musicians in Mantua, he composed unique choral works, mainly Hebrew texts set to music for the synagogue, as well as secular music.

Rossi’s “Sonata Settima sopra l’Aria d’un Balletto” will be performed.

Also on the program is the beautiful “Quintet for Clarinet and Strings” by Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864). Born Jakob Beer, he added his mother’s family name to become Meyerbeer. Known for his innovative operas, Meyerbeer resisted pressure to convert. His reputation as a fine composer, marred by vindictive remarks by the antiSemitic Richard Wagner, is being revived of late.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), a romantic composer, was born in Brno – now in the Czech Republic – and moved to Hollywood in the 1930s. In 1938, he won an Academy Award for his

score to The Adventures of Robin Hood. Often compared to Mozart, Korngold was one of the most gifted composing child prodigies in the history of music. His “Suite for Two Violins, Cello and Piano” will be played.

American George Gershwin (1898-1937) composed in both popular and classical genres.

Among his best known works are orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris, and the opera Porgy and Bess.

Gershwin’s “Lullaby” for strings will be performed.

Aaron Copland (1900-1990), an American composer, teacher, writer and conductor, helped develop an American style of composition. Copland’s “Quiet City” for trumpet, English horn and strings will be performed.

Srul Irving Glick (1934-2002), a Canadian composer, radio producer, conductor, and teacher, studied in Toronto and Paris, France, and taught theory and composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music and York University. Glick’s well-loved “Old Toronto Klezmer Suite” will be performed.

Jewish Composers through the Ages, in honour of our golden wed-

Teena and Walter Hendelman at their wedding in 1962. A concert of music by Jewish composers will be held in honour of their golden wedding anniversary, July 6, during the Music and Beyond Festival.

ding anniversary, features musicians Julian Armour, Guylaine Lemaire, Dina Namer, Steven Van Gulik, Paul Marleyn, Sean Rice, Jeremy McCoy and others and is one of 80 performances in the Music and Beyond Festival from July 4 to 15.

Single concert tickets are $20, festival passes are $100 (general), $300 (diamond), $60 (student), $50 (three-day). For information or tickets, visit musicandbeyond.ca or visit Music and Beyond office at 51 William Street, or call 613-2410777.

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Judaism is not child’s play! It is a serious business that requires a lifetime of studying and a lifetime of living. Most Jewish schools advertise what their youngest students do or emphasize what their Bar/Bat Mitzvah candidates learn.

At Temple Israel Religious School, we are proud and excited that our youngest children love coming to school. We are equally proud that our B’nai Mitzvah have developed skills that allow them to chant from the Torah, chant Haftarah, lead segments of the Shabbat morning service and publically discuss their Torah portion.

There is no doubt we are proud that many of our children continue with their Jewish education beyond Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

We are proud of the Jewish life skills we teach our children.

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serve in Avodah, a year long Jewish Social Justice programme.

• The graduates of our programme who participated in the March of the Living • The graduates who spend a semester of grade eleven studying in Israel • The grade ten students who spent March break in Israel • The graduates of our school who spent their summers working at the URJ Camp Geoprge or other Jewish camps or continue in Jewish youth groups like FROSTY • Our students who donated time each year to serve food to the poor and needy at Parkdale United Church.

• The students who made items to sell in order to raise money for the Ugandian Jewish community and build fresh water pumping stations in Africa.

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• The students who raised thousands of dollars to rebuild forests in Northern Israel.

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pride in producing Lifelong Jews.

From Michelle Lajzerowicz and Bruce Gottfred and family: We have been at Temple Israel Religious School five years, and during that time, our children have truly integrated their identity as Jews. While they sometimes find the idea of additional schooling difficult, they have enjoyed their classes, connected with their teachers, grown to love their vice-principal Penny Giaccone (who is there for the children constantly), and learned a remarkable amount of judaism. They surprise us with their knowledge, and we are beginning to have faith that they will both be able to read Torah when the time comes for them to be B’nai Mitzvah! Our children feel a great sense of attachment to the jewish community through their involvement with TIRS, and with our synagogue.

From Penny Gershon-Giaccone and Roberto Giaccone and family: Temple School is much more than a place to learn Hebrew reading. It has given our children membership in a unique community. When their grandfather passed away, it was their Temple friends that they leaned on. When Jewish holidays come, it is these families that we all celebrate with. This beloved

community has become a security blanket for all of us and it began the first year of Temple school with Morah Hannah and Morah Sigal!

From Marie Carmen Berlie and Charles Khazzam and family: Anne: I like meeting other Jewish kids from all around Ottawa.

David: I like that we not only learn Hebrew, but also Jewish history and the meanings of things in the Jewish religion. Emma; I like learning many aspects and dimensions of being Jewish. Marie Carmen: Temple Israel Religious School has a warm, inclusive, welcoming atmosphere that fosters learning, growth, and pride in a Jewish identity. Charlie: It is a pleasure to watch my children enjoying religious school while solidifying their Jewish identity.

From Karen Marcus and Roland Collins and family: Temple Israel has been a great place for our two boys to attend Hebrew school. The school, along with our family’s commitment to Judaism, has provided them with a comprehensive knowledge on Judaica plus imprinted in them a huge sense Jewish pride. This is invaluable to us.

Temple Israel Religious School, 1301 Prince of Wales Drive • 613-2243133 • www.templeisraelottawa.ca

Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

OJCS Grade 12 graduates ready for the next level

By Sara-Lynne Levine Ottawa Jewish Community School For the graduating class of Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS)-Rabin Secondary, June is bittersweet. Our five graduates are finishing their last semester and looking forward to the paths they’ve chosen to pursue their educational dreams. Leaving familiar surroundings, classes and teachers for larger university classes may be daunting for some, but these seniors feel prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

“I’ve learned a lot through my experiences at OJCS,” said Jacob Landau.

“The teachers here are amazing and have taught me valuable lessons for life.”

In September, Landau will attend the University of Guelph.

“Overall, I am very pleased with my experience here and look forward to next year studying international development.”

Hartley Melamed’s expe-

OJCS Grade 12 graduates: (front, from left) Michaela Sadinsky, Adina Steinman; (back) Anna Frenkel, Jacob Landau, Hartley Melamed.

rience was extremely positive. He will study computer science at the University of Waterloo.

“Rabin provided me with the care and support needed to grow academically, socially and spiritually,” said

Melamed. “In my four years at the school, I went from a C average to a 97.5 per cent admission average heading into university. I have competed in several mathematics and computer science competitions at the national level

and received recognition in every one.”

Anna Frenkel has flourished at OJCS. Frenkel served as editor-in-chief of the yearbook, was a member of the Reach for the Top team, a RAVSAK Moot Beit

Dein participant and a member of the school’s track and field team.

“I am so lucky to have attended a small school, where all the students know each other extremely well and teachers care about our success. This school has done so much for me, shaping the way I think and challenging me with extracurricular activities, I’m glad to be a part of Rabin,” said Frenkel who will study concurrent education at Queen’s University.

She received a Queen’s Scholarship for Excellence.

Student council co-presidents Michaela Sadinsky and Adina Steinman look back on their OJCS experience as opportunities offered and taken.

“I would not have had the courage to participate in trying some of the things I have done if I had attended a bigger school,” said Sadinsky.

“OJCS has allowed me to reach my fullest potential in a variety of subjects, allowing me to take advantage of my small classes and to re-

ceive personal attention from my teachers. I really enjoyed furthering my knowledge in Judaic subjects and applying the lessons learned to modern issues.”

Before attending McGill University, where she received an academic scholarship and will study science, Sadinsky will spend a year in Israel.

Steinman will study liberal arts at Brandeis University.

“I had acquired the discipline, study skills and time management skills that will allow me to succeed in further study. Rabin has prepared me well for university.

In Jewish history class, we learned about the David Project and I now feel prepared to advocate for Israel on campus,” she said.

“Rabin’s small classes and individual attention helped me succeed in all my courses and I am thankful for the support and dedication I received from my teachers.”

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 15

JYL Raffle an Unqualified Success!

BS”D

The Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa is a special place to so many people.

It is home not only to a beautiful library, filled with every resource imaginable, but also to the Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool during the year, Camp Gan Israel in the summer, and the Friendship Circle all year round. It is a place of creativity, music, Yiddishkeit and friendships, and a place that people never forget.

This was evident over the last few months as the JYL held its annual raffle in support of its programs. The Ottawa Jewish community responded with such enthusiasm to the raffle, that not only did it exceed its goal of $60,000, but all 600 tickets sold out!

On the afternoon of the draw, a group of young helpers proudly held up the numbers to show that the Raffle had raised a record-breaking $82,312!

So many of the ticket purchasers mentioned that either they themselves or their children had attended the original preschool known as “Tiny Treasures,” or, later, the Jewish Preschool of the Arts. Their fond memories of the Caytak

Family and their wonderful school experiences prompted them to show their support and buy a ticket or even a few – often without even hearing the price or the prizes.

And there were some incredible prizes – 18 separate prize packages, including a trip to Toronto with lots of special treats, airfare to New York City for two, an iPad, and great birthday party packages. There were also two early-bird draws for a fantastic Ottawa Senators prize package and a $200 VISA gift card.

Raffle tickets were purchased by so many members of the Ottawa community, as well as friends from Toronto and Montreal, and from as far away as Minnesota. And, at the end of the day, whether a prize pack was won or not, everyone was a winner for supporting this special cause.

In addition to supporting the JYL and its programs, this year’s Raffle funds will be going toward building a ramp into the building and making it truly accessible for the entire community.

Thank you everyone for your support, for fabulous prize donations, for purchasing tickets, and for sharing

your special memories of your experiences at the Jewish Youth Library.

Congratulations to all of the prize winners – we hope that you enjoy your prizes!

Jewish Youth Library Co-Director Devora Caytak and Raffle Chair Sarah Silverstein proudly show off the completed Raffle Thermometer.

The Boyarsky Girls enjoy refreshments at the Raffle Draw on May 21, 2012.

Current students of the Westboro Jewish Montessori Preschool enjoy having a class outside on a beautiful spring day.

Prizes and winners Tantalizing Toronto 2 Round-trip tickets Ottawa-Toronto ($550) compliments of VIA, 2 nights ($720) compliments of the Sheraton Centre Downtown Hotel, gift card for 24piece gourmet Kosher chocolates ($36.95) compliments of Chocolate Charm, 2 passes ($40) compliments of the Art Gallery of Ontario, ($20) gift card compliments of Grodzinski Bakery, ($50) gift card compliments of Joe Boo’s Cookoos Kosher Restaurant.

Winner – Mr. Jeff Polowin Flying Photographer Two short-haul round-trip tickets of 25,000 air-miles each ($1000) and camera ($90) donated by Sharonne Katz.

Friends of the Jewish Youth Library hold up the final amount raised from the 2012 Raffle: $82,312!

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Nutrition Counselling: Initial Consultation ($150) and Gift Certificate for a place in Nutrition 101 Class ($129) donated by Heather Moxley, ($25) gift card compliments of “well.ca” and ($35) gift card compliments of Herb and Spice Shop.

Nursing cover ($60), “Learn the Alphaber Magnet Set” ($20), 2 packages of Kosher Organic Baby Cookies ($12), Family Day Pass for Little Ray’s Reptiles ($40), one-year Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa Family Membership ($36), ALEX Blacklight Activity “Glow-a-Doodle” Kit ($25)

iPad 16 MB ($519) donated by Bernie and Stephanie Minuk

Winner – Dr. Andrew Szilagyi (Montreal)

Winner – Dr. Jonathan Gray Groceries N’ Grill Costco ($200) gift card and BBQ Set ($55) donated by Sharonne Katz

Winner – Mr. Harold Levin Birthday Bash Incredible Birthday Party Package for 10 children ($200) compliments of Nepean Putting Edge and gift certificate for 1 dozen delicious cupcakes ($17) compliments of Rideau Bakery

Winner – Mr. Irving Studin (Toronto)

Perfect Party Fabulous Birthday Party Package ($180), compliments of Starr Gymnastics and gift certificate for 1 dozen delectable cupcakes ($17) compliments of Rideau Bakery

Winner – Ms. Sandra Zagon Sensational Seating Two beautiful Rosewood Armchairs ($1000) donated

by Tzvi Gross

Winner – Mrs. Miriam Peters

Winner – Rabbi Zischa Shaps Package O’ Pampering Evening Extravaganza Dinner for 4 ($55) compliments of United Kosher Deli, voucher for 2 ($100) compliments of the NAC Foundation, ($25) Esso gift card, Hilarious Evening at Yuk-Yuk’s for 10 people ($180) donated by Mr. Harold Levin, and Taxi Chits to get everyone home safely donated by Westway Taxi

Winner – Dr. Elianna Saidenberg

Cut, Wash and Style ($50) compliments of Gloss Hair Salon, personal make-up consultation and lesson in your home donated by Tamara Woolf ($100), 1-hour private yoga session in your home ($60) by Amama Yoga donated by Roberta Brodie, original handcrafted silver jewellery piece by Marvalee Designs ($50) donated by Marcia Cantor

Winner – Appotive Children c/o Mr. David Appotive

Basket O’ Beauty

Fabulous Fare Nursing cover ($60), Learn to Count Magnet Set” ($10), 3 packages of Kosher Organic Baby Cookies ($18), Dovercourt Recreation Centre ($100) Gift Card for any Aquatics/Aquatic Leadership Programs, Crocodile creek ABC Floor Puzzle ($20)

Winner – Mrs. Bonnie Boretsky Decorative Dishes Twelve-place settings of beautiful Fine China ($2,300)

Basket of Organic Beauty Goodies from Revolution Organics ($150) compliments of Melissa Shabinsky and Beautiful silver custom-made necklace by Jumping Junipers! ($150)

Legal Loophole

Winner – Mr. Zachary Muroff

Winner – Dr. Elana Cherry

Legal Services of your choice provided by Piazza Vandusen Tanner Law Firm ($500) donated by Harland Tanner

Winner – Sanderson Roofing c/o Mr. Don Mann

192 Switzer Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Z 7H8 • www.jewishyouthlibrary.com • 613 729 7712

Winner – Belfor Property Restoration c/o Mr. Mark Rushton Power Play Gift Basket of Fun compliments of Gymboree Play and Music Ottawa East ($100), Custom-made Superhero Cape and Crown ($55), Kiddytown gift certificate ($25)

Winner – Mrs. Bluma Michaan Creative Carving Beautiful and original handcrafted Wood Sculpture created and donated by Dr. Lewinshtein ($300)

Winner – Mrs. Michelle Sachs Sensational Sabbath Stunning Challah Board and elegant Challah cover ($160) donated by Judaica World, 2 fantastic Shabbatthemed children’s books ($20) donated by the Jewish Youth Library of Ottawa, and 2 fresh Challahs to enjoy!

Winner – Mr. Justin Perl (Minnesota)

Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Ottawa teens recognized at BBYO convention

By Pamela Rosenberg Soloway JCC Four Ottawa teens were recognized for their leadership skills at the B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) Eastern Canada Region Big Bang Spring Convention, May 11 to 13 in Montreal.

BBYO encompasses B’nai Brith Girls (BBG) and the boys’ group, Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA).

Tom Podolsky received the Kathleen Silver Award and a scholarship to international leadership programs for his exceptional leadership skills while his brother, Eyal, received the Stuart Nulman Brotherhood Award and was elected as regional s’gan (AZA vice-president).

Leah Susser received the Outstanding Leadership Award and newly elected regional n’siah (BBG president) Sapir Fellus earned the ABCD Award for going “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.”

The weekend, which brought together 53 teens from Montreal and Ottawa, included Shabbat dinner and Friday night services, followed by a giant-sized trivia board game. Then the teens separated into BBG and AZA groups to hear

Outgoing BBG regional executive and chapter presidents at the BBYO convention in Montreal: (from left) Jordana Schwartz, Leah Susser and Sapir Fellus of Ottawa, Carolyn Booth, Amanda Becker, Jessica Hier and Allie Cohen.

the regional presidents give an overview of the year’s accomplishments.

Saturday morning services were followed by games and chal-

lenges that centred on the Big Bang theme and different time periods throughout history.

The day wrapped up with a Havdalah service during which

the youth recited prayers and sang some of their favourite songs.

The convention concluded Sunday with Life Ceremonies, a BBYO ritual in which senior grad-

uating members talk about their experiences in BBYO and the people who have influenced them, recognize other members old and new, and give away special BBYO memorabilia.

“Life Ceremonies is a very emotional thing,” said Gail Lieff, Ottawa’s BBYO director.

“It is about friendships, the feeling of always being included and the experience they have gained.”

The main objective of BBYO is to help Jewish youth enhance their knowledge and appreciation of their culture by providing opportunities to learn Jewish skills and develop leadership potential, develop appreciation for tzedakah and commitment to the State of Israel, and encourage friendship with other Jewish youth.

“BBYO offers youth opportunities to grow in many different ways,” said Lieff.

“In BBYO, there is something for everyone, including social, athletic, cultural, religious and community service programs,” For more information about BBYO, contact Gail Lieff at 613-798-9818, ext. 303, or glieff@jccottawa.com.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 17

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Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Donna Balkan (centre) as Yente the Matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof. The production played June 7 to 9 at Arnprior District High School.

Guest Column

Being Yente: Rediscovering my Jewish heritage with Fiddler on the Roof

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By Donna Balkan When I was 11, my mother took me to see a new musical on Broadway. I was already in love with musical theatre and had performed in a summer camp production of Damn Yankees. I could sing every song from South Pacific, Oklahoma and The Sound of Music.

But Fiddler on the Roof was different. It was about my people.

It wasn’t that my childhood was inundated with Jewish culture. My mother had come from a secular family and grew up almost oblivious to her Jewish heritage. While my father was from a religious background (his father had immigrated to Canada from a Russian shtetl not unlike Anatevka), my mother’s views prevailed in our home.

Fiddler was a reminder of who I was and where I came from. It was an experience I would never forget.

Fast forward nearly five decades. I live in a semi-rural community just within Ottawa city limits. My husband is not Jewish and I can count my Jewish friends on the fingers of one hand.

So, when Two Rivers Musical Productions, a community theatre group in Arnprior, announced auditions for Fiddler on the Roof, I thought, “A Fiddler on the Roof in Arnprior: sounds crazy, no?”

My second thought was I want to be part of this!

When the cast list came out, I was ecstatic to see my name next to ‘Yente the Matchmaker.’

But I wasn’t prepared for my other role in this production: cultural interpreter and dialect coach. Given my secular background, it gave me pause. I hadn’t darkened the door of a synagogue for decades. Was I the right person to do this?

From the very first rehearsal, the memo-

ries came flooding back. How to pronounce l’chaim, the proper vowel sounds in Motel and Hodel, what our rabbi – a United Church minister in real life – should say when he blesses the sewing machine. Chava-LEH, not Chava-LAH. Tzeitel, not Zeitel. LAY-ah, not LEE-ah. SHAIN-del, not Shan-DEL. I felt like Henry Higgenstein!

The week before Purim, I asked my friend Val about creative ways I could introduce the cast to Jewish culture. She suggested hamentaschen, accompanied by the story of Esther.

I arrived at the next rehearsal with a box of hamentaschen and a handout about the story of Esther. Mission accomplished, and the hamentaschen were delicious.

My initial nervousness about my interpreter role quickly dissipated as I realized that my fellow cast mates appreciated my contributions, culinary and otherwise, even when I repeatedly corrected their pronunciation.

They seemed truly interested in the culture they were portraying, and peppered me with questions about everything from the breaking of the glass at a wedding to the difference between Yiddish and Hebrew.

What was even more revealing was how comfortable I felt in the role of Yente. When I rehearsed my lines, the intonation came without effort. I heard echoes of my grandmother and assorted great aunts kibitzing over plates of gefilte fish so many years ago, but, this time, the voice was my own. To quote Motel the Tailor, the part was a “perfect fit, like a glove.”

It’s ironic that it took a play in a community with a negligible Jewish population to make me delight in my own Jewishness. Perhaps that’s the magic of Fiddler on the Roof – the knowledge that we all carry, as Golde sings, “a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” which reminds us what being Jewish is all about.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 19

Na’amat leadership seminar was a trip of a lifetime

By Andrea Malek and Eileen Barak for Na’amat Canada Whether it was a return trip to Israel after one year (for Eileen) or after 20 (for Andrea), we agreed our participation in Na’amat’s Freda Sohmer Leadership Seminar in Israel, from May 6 to 14, was the trip of a lifetime.

Along with other dedicated Na’amat volunteers from across Canada, we were kept busy from early morning until night for six days visiting Na’amat facilities, touring the country and learning about the Israeli way of life.

One of our favourite, and most inspiring, highlights was a visit to the Petel Day Care Centre in Yavneh. The children put on a wonderful Shabbat service and we were fortunate to be present for the dedication ceremony of a new play structure. Amazingly, Toronto Na’amat member Sarah Mann single-handedly raised the money for this project by teaching mah-jongg at home. She also donated her own money for the structure, in memory of a cousin who lost her life in the Mount Carmel forest fire in 2010. The ceremony was very moving – it was so inspiring to see what just one person

Na’amat members from across Canada at the Kotel in Jerusalem: (from left) Fauna Grill, Maya Feldman, Sarah Mann, Aviva Lowe, Gail Milner, and Ottawans Andrea Malek and Eileen Barak.

was able to accomplish. This is a message we’d like to bring home to all our members: each one of us can make a real difference!

We were also very excited to visit the Na’amat Canada Glickman Centre for Family Violence Prevention. This shelter in Tel Aviv provides secure surroundings for

women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Na’amat Ottawa raised a lot of money toward the addition of new rooms to the Glickman Centre. We were glad to see the renovations were underway and on schedule to be completed by September. This will enable each family to have its own room, instead

of sharing with two or more families. We also observed underprivileged students learning at the Na’amat Canada Technological High School in Hadera and met with Israeli Na’amat volunteers in Karmiel. We visited the Rabin Museum and went to a nightclub one evening, where we watched our

leaders dance on the tables!

We both feel so proud and fortunate to be part of such a wonderful organization. Na’amat can be found in every corner of the country and we hope we can all work even harder together to create a better quality of life for women and families in Israel.

Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Initially resistant, Israelis take to dragon boating

By Nicola Hamer One of the problems facing organizers of Dragon Boat Israel (DBI) was that Israelis had never heard of dragon boat racing and didn’t know why they should care about it.

Shaul Zohar, who lives in Kiryat Shmona near Lake Kinneret, runs the Israel Tennis Center there. Far more than just an athletics facility, the Tennis Center runs programs for kids with special needs, including children at risk, developmentally delayed and physically disabled. So Zohar, more than most, is open to using sports to build community. And yet he initially voted against supporting DBI. Zohar, an Israeli member of Partnership2Gether (P2G), said that, when DBI came back to P2G again the next year, he’d changed his mind and supported the idea. Then he decided to enter a boat in the race.

Zohar has been with the Tennis Center since it opened in 1979, and is very proud of its achievements. He points to the success of people such as Tamir Segal, who

won medals in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Greece in 2011 and China in 2007. He convinced Segal and other tennis players to join the Tennis Center dragon boat team, as well as other members of the community.

He admits it wasn’t always easy.

“I had to beg people to trust me,” he said. “I had to promise them, swear to them, that it would be fun and they should try it.”

In the end, he even managed to convince the mayor of Kiryat Shmona, Rabbi Nissim Malka, to join the team.

“The moment they got out of the boat after their first race, they started to ask me, ‘When can we do this again?’ They loved it.”

A proponent of using sports to teach cooperation and teamwork, Zohar is delighted that dragon boat racing has come to Israel.

“It is a great sport for team-building. You all have to work together or you won’t get anywhere. It was a huge success among the Israelis. Next year, I won’t have to beg anyone. They are going to be fighting to get into the boat.”

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Dragon boaters from the Israel Tennis Center in Kiryat Shmona ready to race on Lake Kinneret.

(Photo courtesy of Israel Tennis Center)

Koranyi’s new book recalls cousin lost in the Holocaust

By Jane Gordon Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation Echo of Edith, the second book by Erwin Koranyi, was launched, May 24, at Congregation Machzikei Hadas at an event sponsored by the Canada Israel Cultural Foundation (CICF).

Koranyi was born in Budapest in 1924. He survived the Holocaust with the help of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg and studied medicine in Austria. After spending time in Israel, Koranyi and his wife Edie settled in Canada. He is a professor emeritus of neuropsychiatry at the University of Ottawa, past chief of psychiatry of Ottawa General Hospital and former head of the Neuropsychiatric Unit at the Royal Ottawa Hospital. He enjoys an international reputation as a psychiatrist and teacher.

While Koranyi told his own story in his autobiographical first book, Dreams and Tears, he tells the story of a much-loved cousin in Echo of Edith.

Edith Bock was a young Jewish woman whose greatest desire was to become a doctor, but was caught in the Nazi net in Czechoslovakia.

The book tells how she used her medical training to help others in the internment

Author Erwin Koranyi (right) and Jacques Bradwejn, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at University of Ottawa, at the (Photo: Kevin Barwin) launch of Echo of Edith.

camp where she eventually lost her life. But the story is not just about the author’s cousin and mentor; it is the story of millions of interrupted, lost lives during a time of madness.

At the launch, Judith Stoler read passages from Echo of Edith with great feeling, eloquence, sensitivity and humour.

“As a member of the second generation, the children of Holocaust survivors, my thoughts, after reading Dr. Koranyi’s incredible book, are of pride, awe, inspiration and unswerving devotion to

these heroes,” said Harry Prizant, president of Machzikei Hadas.

“The biggest fear which survivors face is that their suffering will be for naught.

This book is an eloquent reminder of our constant commitment to never forget – even more, to actively remember. That is our legacy, our promise to Dr. Koranyi, to his entire generation.”

Echo of Edith is available through the Canada Israel Cultural Foundation.

For information, contact Norman Barwin at nbarwin@hotmail.com.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 21

Sam Ages, gabbai rishon of Ottawa Chevra Kadisha for 14 years, retires

By Paul Bregman for Ottawa Chevra Kadisha Sam Ages, president and gabbai rishon of the Ottawa Chevra Kadisha since 1997, retired on April 1.

He was succeeded by Henry Molot.

The holy work and principal responsibility of the Chevra Kadisha is to perform the tahara – to prepare, cleanse and dress a deceased person for burial. As gabbai rishon, Sam oversaw many hundreds of taharas for deceased members of Ottawa’s Jewish community.

The role of the Chevra Kadisha is an important and very demanding responsibility because Jewish tradition requires burial as soon as possible after death. Consequently, Sam has had to be available and ready at any time, except Shabbat and Jewish holidays, to assemble teams of volunteer members to perform the tasks associated with preparing a body for its last resting place and for officiating at funerals.

Moreover, Sam also had to concern himself with administering the day-to-day affairs of the organization, including the maintenance of the Jewish Community Memorial Chapel on Cuba Avenue.

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In recognition of all his volunteer efforts over the years, carried out in his usual low-key, efficient and quiet manner, Sam was honoured in 2007 with the Jewish community’s Shem Tov Award.

“After so many years of successfully leading the Ottawa Chevra Kadisha, Sam came to the conclusion that it was time City of Ottawa License #M668442 for younger members of the Chevra to take on the leadership of the organization” said Henry Molot.

“Those of us who now have assumed this role have no FUND RAISING JEWELLERY SALE illusion that we have big shoes to fill. The role of the Chevra Saturday, June 23, 2012 Kadisha is, and will continue 10am – 5pm to be, a very important community responsibility.”

Sunday, June 24, 2012 The Ottawa Chevra 10am – 5pm Kadisha was founded in 1901 and is one of the few all-volunteer Chevra Kadishas left in ART STUDIO OF North America. It is essential TEENA TARANTOUR that there is always a largeGOLDBERG enough complement of members to carry out its very im1018 Kitoman Crescent portant work. New members Manotick, ON K4M 1K4 are therefore most welcome.

Tel. (613) 692-6666 Enquiries about joining the Chevra Kadisha may be made A portion of the proceeds to Henry at 613-355-0262. will be donated When a death occurs, Jewto the Cancer Society ish Memorial Gardens (JMG) should be contacted so that necessary arrangements can University of Ottawa be made, including the tahara and funeral. Shelley Fiennes, JMG executive director, assists in co-coordinating the tahara, working with the funeral home and the appropriate rabbi and in making An academic program promoting the understanding of Jewish life, culture, language, arrangements at the cemetery.

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Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Adventure Israel: A different way to see Israel

By Nicola Hamer For many years, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa ran missions to Israel that took participants on tours of the country.

In addition to such tourist hotspots as Masada and the Dead Sea, they went behind the scenes to see what life is like for regular Israelis, and how their donations were being put to use.

The goal was to forge a stronger connection between Israel and our local Jewish community.

However, interest in such missions waned and the Federation began concentrating on finding differ-

ent ways to connect Ottawa’s Jews with Israel. In that spirit, Rony Podolsky, the Federation’s new chief development officer, suggested an adventure tour to precede the first Dragon Boat Israel (DBI) festival. “If people wanted to go to Israel for a dragon boat race, it makes sense that a tour should be in a similar vein. So I thought of everything fun and physical I liked to do in Israel and put that in the trip,� said Podolsky, who moved to Ottawa from Israel 11 years ago.

The tour included rafting on the Jordan River, hiking in the Ein Gedi Nature Re-

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serve, rappelling down a cliff in the Negev and scuba diving in Eilat. “By the time we got to the festival, we were exhausted,� said Paul Finn, a lay leader on the two-week trip along with his wife, Sharon. “Of course, our energies revived quickly with the excitement and competition of the races.�

Many of the 49 participants had never been to Israel, or hadn’t been in many years. All said the active nature of the tour was the main attraction. “We wanted to see Israel in a different way. When we heard about a dragon boat race, it sounded like fun,� said Sharon Finn, who had never before stepped into a dragon boat. “We just wanted to do something new.�

This was what the creators of DBI hoped would happen when they brought dragon boat racing to Israel. “We’ve realized that you don’t need to be heavy and serious all the time to get people to connect with Is-

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Adventure Israel participants hiking in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.

(Photo: Nicola Hamer)

rael,� said DBI chair Debbie Halton-Weiss. “You just need to get them there. The country does the rest.�

Amid the fun, there was a bit of education on the trip.

For example, an ATV ride took participants to a mountain overlooking the Syrian border, where the guide

showed where Syrian tanks invaded during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and described the battle.

For a number of participants, a quick visit to Korchick Elementary School in Kiryat Shmona to see the work being done there by young adults on the Federa-

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tion’s Social Action Mission had the biggest effect. “What amazed me was the connection between our Ottawa kids and the students in the school, and the incredible spirit of the Israelis living there,� said Joel Diener.

Diener and his wife, Barbara, went on the Adventure Israel tour as a fun way to see Israel. They now want to return for a different reason. “We’d really like to go back and do some volunteer work in northern Israel. We lead very blessed lives here in Canada,� he said.

Mitchell Bellman, the Federation CEO, said he’s heard a lot of similar feedback and couldn’t be happier. “The northern part of the country is often overlooked by people visiting Israel, but, when we find a way to bring people there, they fall in love with it.�

Bellman said hearing how much fun people had on the Adventure Israel tour and at the DBI festival is great, but “hearing they want to be more engaged in community work or want to go back to Israel, that’s when we know our trip has been a true success.�

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 23

Guest Column

A tale of two funerals

By Daniel Gordis Editor’s note: Daniel Gordis is the Koret Distinguished Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem. One of Israel’s most respected commentators, he is the author of 10 books and his columns appear regularly in the Jerusalem Post and New York Times. He is also a dynamic speaker and will give the keynote address at the Jewish Federation of Ottawa Annual Campaign launch, September 9, at Centrepointe Theatre.

When he passed away this past November 8 in Jerusalem, American-born Rabbi Natan Tzvi Finkel was widely credited with having transformed the Mir Yeshiva into the world’s largest. Some 100,000 people flocked to his funeral. His death was considered a loss of a once-in-a-generation leader.

Amazingly, though, outside the Mir Yeshiva community, almost no one noticed. Most Israelis could not name him and were unaware he had died.

Even North American Jews who know of the Mir Yeshiva could not have named the person who headed it. Nor did they hear he had died.

We’re living increasingly in a world of parallel but non-intersecting Jewish universes, each with its own ideals and heroes, neighbourhoods and values, each too readily dismissive of the other. In the aftermath of Rabbi Finkel’s passing, and the images of his funeral, which were a sea of black, it’s worth comparing that moment to another Jewish funeral, also attended by some 100,000 people.

That was the funeral of the brilliant Yiddish writer Y.L. Peretz, who died in Warsaw in 1915. Ruth Wisse, writing in Commentary (March 1991), described his funeral as follows: “Published reports of the funeral lingers on the by-then extraordinary fact that each of the splintering political, religious, social and cultural groups was officially represented in the procession – Hebraists and Yiddishists, observant Jews and all manner of secularists,

Zionists and socialists and Territorialists in all their tangled branches, conservative community leadership and radical workers’ opposition.”

What a striking difference! How many secular Jews could be found at Rabbi Finkel’s funeral? How many observant Jews not in black? None of the former, I would imagine.

And very, very few of the latter.

Which leads me to the following question: Who is there anywhere in the Jewish world whose passing would evoke the sense of shared loss that was felt when Peretz died? Is there anyone in the Jewish world – in Israel, the United States, or anywhere else – who would be mourned by secularists and religious Jews alike, conservatives and liberals, Zionists and those more dubious about the Jewish state? Were Haim Nahman Bialik to die now, would the Israeli religious community mark his passing? (In 1934, it did.) Were Rabbi Shlomo Goren alive now, would American Reform and Conservative Jews see his loss as theirs, too? Would Israeli Orthodox Jews take note of the loss of Abba Hillel Silver? There are (a very few) Israeli national leaders who will likely be mourned across the religious divide, but will their passing be marked in any meaningful way in North American Jewish life? Is there a single North American Jewish leader of whom Israelis would take note after his or her death? To tell the truth, I can’t think of a single Jewish person whose loss would evoke the kind of cross-chasm mourning that Peretz’s did. We live in a very different and much impoverished age.

What matters, of course, is not really who mourns whom at funerals. What matters is who takes whom seriously during their lifetime. And increasingly, I fear, we take seriously those people who are more or less like us. We embrace (and then “like” on Facebook, or forward to others) the views of those with whom we agree, and disparage (and

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don’t “like” or retweet, and gious assessment of secular never forward) the views of Judaism? We’re all part of those whose views we don’t this troubling phenomenon, share. to some extent. After all, If people on the right don’t we subscribe to those read writers like Peter newspapers and magazines Beinart, it’s not because they that say what we already think they might have somethink, and avoid like the thing to learn from him plague those that might (even if they disagree with cause us to rethink the posihis conclusions), but rather, tions to which we’re now simply to show how comcommitted? Aren’t we, too, pletely off-base he is. And divided between CNN and Daniel Gordis when people on the left read Fox watchers, each of us Caroline Glick, it’s also not because they proud of the fact that we never watch the think there might be something to glean from other? Perhaps, I sometimes wistfully allow arguments with which they ultimately dis- myself to imagine, it is time for those on the agree. It’s simply to confirm their (incorrect) left to subscribe to the Weekly Standard and preconceived notion that anyone to their right those on the right to buy the Nation. is a Neanderthal.

For the vast majority of the Jewish world, How different we are from the sages of the the death of Rabbi Finkel went unnoticed.

Talmud, who carefully preserved the opinions And even for those outside his community of those with whom they disagreed, including who did hear about it, his passing and his fueven those opinions that were ultimately re- neral are yesterday’s news. But those images jected. of the sea of black – and only black – on the Our sages understood that even the losing streets of Jerusalem during his funeral propositions had what to teach, that there are cession ought to be a reminder of how differmoral and strategic insights to be gleaned ent our world is from the world that Y.L. even from those whose conclusions we do not Peretz inhabited. Our response, I believe, share. ought to be to ask how we can begin to recreBut are there any rabbis in Israel’s reli- ate the deeply interconnected Warsaw comgious community who urge their students to munity, so lost in so many ways. read Ahad Ha’am’s vision for Zion or Amos Perhaps we ought to start with reading, reOz’s social critiques, or secular Israeli high minding ourselves that the important reading school teachers who encourage their students we do is not the reading with which we agree, to read Rav Kook’s (not so disparaging) reli- but the reading that actually makes us think.

Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

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 May 2 and 29, 2012 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: Yetta Arron by Marilyn Adler In Observance of the Yahrzeit of: Leona Adler loving mother by Jeff, Marilyn and Elayne Adler; and by Esti Fogel Elsie Baker Endowment Fund In Honour of: Eleanor Cutler Happy 75th birthday by Polly and Jackie and Sammy Moran Boris and Dolly Blacher Family Fund R’fuah Shlema: Marilyn Adler by the Blacher family

In Honour of: Issie Scarowsky Mazal tov on receiving the Shem Tov award from the JFO by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale Malcolm and Vera Glube Endowment Fund In Memory of: Kenneth Ain by Malcolm and Vera Glube Yetta Arron by Malcolm and Vera Glube Rose Konick by Malcolm and Vera Glube Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Honour of: Daniel Horwich Mazal tov on your new job

by Julia Gluck and Ted Overton Tim Overton Mazal tov on your promotion to General Manager by Julia Gluck and Ted Overton Carl and Esther Gluck Mazal tov on the birth of your granddaughter Rivka Ozur by Julia Gluck and Ted Overton Donna Klaiman Mazal tov on the birth of your granddaughter by Henry and Maureen Molot In Memory of: Husband of Fran Edelstein by Julia Gluck and Ted Overton Yetta Arron by Julia Gluck and Ted Overton Herb Beiles by Henry and Maureen Molot Moe Greenberg and Elissa Greenberg Iny Fund In Honour of: Elissa Iny Congratulations on winning the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland award with love by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel and family Gunner Family Fund R’fuah Shlema: Evelyn Greenberg by Sol and Estelle Gunner

Jenny and Murray Citron Endowment Fund In Memory of: Rose Konick by Murray Citron

Morris and Lillian Kimmel Family Fund In Observance of the Yahrzeit of: Leona Adler by Janet, Steve, Tobin and Aaron Kaiman

Friedberg and Dale Families Fund R’fuah Shlema: Naomi Krym by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale In Memory of: Yetta Arron by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale

Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Family Fund R’fuah Shlema: Marilyn Adler by Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Ingrid Levitz by Stephen and Debra Schneiderman

In Memory of: Lou Goldmaker by Stephen and Debra Schneiderman In Honour of : Marina Kourianova by Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Harold and Lillian Shoihet Memorial Fund In Memory of: Sarah Shoihet by David Shoihet Sarah and Arnie Swedler Family Fund In Honour of: Larry and Sheila Hartman Happy 48th wedding anniversary by Arnie Swedler and Rhoda Zaitlin Roslyn and Myles Taller Family Endowment Fund In Memory of: Rose Konick by the Taller family Milton and Mary (Terry) Viner Family Fund In Observance of the Yahrzeit of: Joe Viner beloved brother by Millie Schaenfield and family Eric Weiner and Arlene Godfrey Family Fund In Memory of: Yetta Arron by Miriam Weiner Carole and Norman Zagerman Family Fund R’fuah Shlema: Chuck Polowin by Carole and Norman Zagerman In Honour of: Harriett Slone Happy special birthday by Carole and Norman Zagerman In Memory of: Yetta Arron by Carole and Norman Zagerman and Laurie and Andrea Arron ******************** Biking for Bubbies Event In Memory of: Yetta Arron by Doris Blinick Feeding Fund In Memory of: Yetta Arron by Heidi and Stephen Polowin; and by Susan Heisel and Sye Mincoff In Honour of: Judith and Danny Kaufer Congratulations on Emily’s achievement with love by Joy, Seymour, Jess, David and Jared Mender Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Devora Caytak In honour of the marriages of your son and daughter by Heidi and Stephen Polowin Therapeutics Fund In Memory of: Minnie Milson by Joanna Abrams

Yetta Arron by Ira and Joanna Abrams In Honour of: Marina Kourianova Congratulations on your marriage by Joanna Abrams IN HONOUR OF: Marina Kourianova Congratulations on your marriage by Morag Burch Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz on their 40th wedding anniversary by Steve and Roz Fremeth Ben Miller Happy birthday by Dorothy and Jacob Huyer Larry and Sheila Hartman Best wishes on your anniversary with love by Alvin and Monica Stein Ken Mirsky Best wishes on your special birthday by Barb Fine and Steve Levinson IN MEMORY OF: Lou Goldmaker by Merna and Jerome Davidowitz; by the Ricciuti family; by Sally Taller; by Carol and Stephen Cowitz; by Ralph and Patricia Raymond; and by Edie Landau Fanny Gosevitz by Carol and Stephen Cowitz Kenneth Ain by Noreen and Syd Bosloy Maurice Ryant by the Chemistry Class of 1963 Diana Hershorn by Angelo D’Amico; by Greta and Jerry Gray; by Linda and Harvey Raymer; by Joseiane and Manny Glassman; and

by Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz Yetta Arron by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge; by Magda and Peter Benedek; by Carol and Laurie Pascoe; by Ingrid Levitz; by Muriel Schachtel and Horace Beilin;

by Brenda and Bob Silverstone; by George and Elaine Citrome; by Goldie Cantor; by Anita Saslove; by Barbara Fine; and by Rosalie and Harold Schwartz and family Rose Konick by Ingrid Levitz; by Evelyn and Robert Elder; by Sylvia Monson; by Goldie Cantor; and by Anita Saslove R’FUAH SHLEMA: Lee Raskin by Noreen and Sid Bosloy Ingrid Levitz by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge Marilyn Adler by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge

The Lodge was the beneficiary of a life insurance policy from Frances Torontow of blessed memory.

This gift was made by the late Ms. Torontow in honour of her mother, Ann Torontow, a former resident of the Lodge.

This insurance policy was the result of discussions with her insurance agent, Seymour Eisenberg in 1985.

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 728-3900, extension 111, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday. You may also e-mail your orders to donations@hillel-ltc.com or online donations can be made through CanadaHelps.org. All orders must include name, address, postal code, and any message to person receiving the card; and, amount of donation, name, address and postal code of the person making the donation. Cards may be paid for by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cheque or Cash. Contributions are tax deductible.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 25

Revisiting beloved books from childhood I turn 40 this month and have noticed that two of my beloved childhood books, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, both by Judy Blume, also turning 40 this year. As I’ve been reading Blume’s books to my daughter lately, I thought it would be fitting to revisit one of my favourites, Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret, through 2012 eyes, both as a parent of a daughter (and a son), and as a girl who can no longer deny she’s a grownup.

The 1970 classic tells the story of a Grade 6 girl as she negotiates a family move from New York City to the suburbs, leaving behind her grandmother, her old friends, and soon, as she is on the cusp of puberty, her childhood. Margaret’s mom is a lapsed Christian and her father is a secular Jew, so Margaret deploys frequent private discussions with God to make sense of her own identity.

Blume’s use of intermarriage as a plot device was prescient as intermarriage rates were on the rise in North America. Margaret’s maternal grandparents had disowned her mom for marrying a Jew. Perhaps, because of this, Margaret’s parents present her background less as two heritages to be celebrated than as burdensome theological obligations to be shed, in the words of an old friend who describes his own Jewish identity this way. In today’s much more pluralist climate, Margaret’s parents’ world might seem outdated to some, at the same time that her own private spiritual quest feels entirely current.

There is much of the simple intimacy of 11-year-old female friendships to mine, with summer sprinklers, friendship clubs, and kids not so over-programmed that they can spend afternoons just hanging out and talking.

I had recalled much in the book about periods and bras.

Having passed through puberty, it’s hard to say the fascination with them ever goes out of style. With each decade of age, the contours of the questions and focus of the fascination simply shifts a few bodily inches vertically in some places and horizontally in others.

Of course, it’s easy to giggle at the antiquated feminine hygiene products depicted in the 1972 book; subsequent editions, apparently, have replaced the belts, that even predated me, with adhesives. But the most shocking part to my 2012 sensibilities was the scene of Margaret and her friends looking at an issue of Playboy, a magazine the father of Margaret’s friend typically keeps in the family magazine rack. Eleven-year-olds looking at the naked breasts of an 18-year-old girl-woman from pornography belonging to one of their dads seems, well, unsavoury. I hadn’t recalled that scene as I worked through the book with my daughter who, luckily, thought they were reading a medical book before I skipped ahead.

Playboy in the early-1970s wasn’t what most pornography is today. Coming out of the ‘50s, many would have viewed reading Playboy as an outright act of social liberation. Neither was the old joke about reading Playboy for the articles entirely bogus. Both Saul Bellow and Isaac Bashevis Singer were published in Playboy.

Playboy wasn’t Bible comics, but neither was it the kind of trashy and frequently violent porn that has replaced the tamer and more artistic erotica of the pre-digital age.

The final thing that strikes me today is how hetero-normative the book seems. Margaret and her friends concoct lists of boy crushes and attend parties dominated by boy-girl spin the

Space Exploration, and commercialization of government Innovation “SpaceX’s Dragon Spacecraft Safely Completes Historic Mission to the Space Station” was the headline, May 31, at SpaceX.com.

This was an important event in the history of the United Sates given that the government-run space shuttles were decommissioned by NASA last July ending a 30year program of what NASA likes to identify as “space exploration.” Initially innovative, the program became the workhorse for NASA to haul objects into orbit after the first 10 years. Meanwhile, the Russians stuck to what they did best, continuing their space deliveries through use of rockets.

The transfer of military or state-developed technology into the hands of the private sector is a common occurrence, especially in the United States. From the privatization of the army’s railroad in the 1800s to the commercialization of 1960s ARPANET, now called the Internet, in the 1990s, military innovation reaches its full maturity and is handed off to the private sector for further innovation and application. In this instance, the important element is the application of rocket technology.

The race to space and space exploration was initially very expensive. It was time consuming and required an intense knowledge base, which quickly became the domain of the U.S. and the old Soviet Union. Today, the Europeans and the Chinese are in close competition with the U.S. and Russia, developing their own knowledge bases and planning not only to explore space, but also to create tangible projects designed to resolve certain needs on this planet.

While Google chair Eric Schmidt and billionaire cofounder Larry Page, along with film director James Cameron, shocked the most sensible space enthusiasts and

experts by announcing that they have teamed up to underwrite an ambitious space exploration and natural resource extraction venture this past April, the Chinese quietly unveiled plans for a solar power station in space last September.

Space, as a new and strategic frontier, is subject to the application of unique foreign policies and collaborations.

Today, due to the globalized nature of our world, we see collaboration among most nations in the space arena, which has made maintaining leadership very difficult. Some countries have become more specialized, such as Russia, where they lead in hauling a significant amount of goods into space with their effective space delivery vehicles, as well as their docking mechanism. Others, such as China, have developed dual-use technology programs that ensure all advances, especially the rockets, could be used terrestrially for military purposes.

One of the most exciting and tangible projects that the U.S., Europe, Russia and Japan are working on is the spacebased power station. The abundance of solar radiation in space could be harnessed through a large stationary satellite and transmitted to a ground station in the form of concentrated microwaves. While the idea has been around since 1968, proposed by Peter Glaser and patented in 1973, we now have the technical know-how and the ability to transport large objects into space. The building of large objects such as power plants is not out of the question.

It is estimated that the first Western power station could be operational around the year 2030. However, last year the Chinese put together a team to advance their project with 2040 as the target. This is shaping up to be a race between the well-advanced space nations and the newcomer. The

Values, Ethics, Community Mira Sucharov bottle. Would a young lesbian or a gay male teen find a space for themselves in Blume’s world? Writing in the early-‘70s, Blume likely wouldn’t have considered the GLBT market.

But there is so much timelessness to her stories that I almost wish she could slip in some more sexually pluralistic references alongside the updates of feminine hygiene products. I have tweeted Blume on the topic. Who knows? Maybe an idea will be sparked.

Unlike much of what passes for children’s lit these days – for example, Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series – Blume doesn’t peddle in demeaning stereotypes and toxic patterns of interaction where power is wielded capriciously. Her characters argue, experience real and robust emotions, and are often plagued by self-doubt. But the fights are clearly between people who care deeply about each other, and the self-doubt is eroded as the characters grow and mature. In short, they are both human and humane.

Celebrating my 40th in the real company of my own treasured relationships, and in the imaginary company of Judy Blume’s characters in all their tender complexity, is not a bad way to usher in a new decade.

Mira Sucharov, an associate professor of political science at Carleton University, blogs at Haaretz.com.

World Affairs Oliver Javanpour Chinese, however, have a few advantages, such as a larger number of younger resources, deeper pockets and the ability to innovate at the technology application level much faster.

China’s earth-based solar power capacity (a mixture of thermal solar energy and photovoltaic) production is estimated to be a little over 800 megawatts per year. In comparison, the U.S. produces 507 megawatts in thermal solar energy. But, the U.S. produces a little over 2,000 megawatts of photovoltaic power (solar energy direct to electric power), half of which is produced in California.

You may have chuckled when that Schmidt, Page and Cameron were planning to dig for platinum on some asteroids and ship it back to earth. They believe it would add trillions of dollars to the global economy. While the idea of space mining may not be new, today we have the technology to do it. Most governments lack the ambition or the ability to apply the innovations they fund and produce. It is usually the private sector that develops tangible commercial applications resulting from highly advanced government-funded innovation.

While one doesn’t have to introduce drastic cutbacks in space investment as U.S. President Barack Obama did in order to commercialize some of the innovation, this type of commercialization is critical to maintain the United States’ lead. Governments everywhere should be doing more to fund scientific innovation and move it into the commercial sphere.

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

Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

Bernie Finkelstein looks back at his long career in the Canadian music biz True North: A Life in the Music Business

By Bernie Finkelstein McClelland & Stewart 294 pages “This is not a history of the Canadian music business,” notes Bernie Finkelstein right at the beginning of True North: A Life in the Music Business. However, both casual readers and those intimately familiar with it will learn much about the history of the Canadian music business and how it developed into an industry by reading this entertaining, anecdotal autobiography by an artists’ manager and independent record company proprietor who has been one of Canada’s most significant music business movers and shakers since starting out as a Toronto rock band manager in the 1960s.

Finkelstein was born in Toronto in 1944. His father was in the RCAF and stayed in the air force after the war, so Finkelstein grew up as an air force brat moving from base to base, in Canada and overseas. Usually, the Finkelsteins were the only Jewish family on any particular base. It was such an unusual event for the son of a Canadian serviceman to celebrate his bar mitzvah at the synagogue in Nottingham, England, the event made the front page of the local newspaper.

Back in Toronto by high school time, Finkelstein

dropped out just as the music scene in the downtown Yorkville Village began to explode. Hanging out in Yorkville clubs, the young entrepreneur was soon managing Kensington Market and the Paupers, two of Toronto’s most significant rock bands of the era. By the end of the ‘60s, he had shifted his focus to managing such singersongwriters as Murray McLauchlan and Ottawan Bruce Cockburn – whom he still manages more than 40 years later, one of the longest-lasting artist-manager relationships in pop music history – and to establishing True North Records, which quickly grew to be one of Canada’s most significant independent record labels. (Finkelstein sold the record company in 2007. Among the buyers was Ottawa music business veteran Harvey Glatt.)

I should note that I’ve known Finkelstein for the better part of four decades. Working as a Montreal concert producer, and as an artists’ agent, in the 1970s and early-‘80s, I occasionally had business dealings with his company. As a journalist and broadcaster, I’ve interviewed and written about many of his artists, and Finkelstein and I once served together on a Juno Awards advisory committee. Reading the book, I smiled at many “oh, yeah” episodes I knew about, and learned about a lot of things I didn’t.

As he details in the book, Finkelstein was very much at the centre of the action in establishing a viable music business in Canada. He was among the industry figures who fought for, and achieved, the Canadian content regulations,

Book Review Michael Regenstreif which were essential for opening up the country’s airwaves to homegrown musicians. Later, when music videos became an important tool in music marketing, he was instrumental in setting up and chairing VideoFACT – now MuchFACT – which provides funding for Canadian music videos and websites.

Much of the book is devoted to anecdotes about Finkelstein’s many business dealings on behalf of his clients and about many of the records he released on True North over the years. Among the funniest stories is one about his having to fight back after client Murray McLauchlan was banned from performing at the CNE because the talent booker confused him with McLean and McLean, a brother duo known for their raunchy material.

Although he has wound down much of his day-to-day involvement in the music business, Finkelstein still keeps his hand in as Bruce Cockburn’s manager. But, whether it’s fulfilling that role or acting as a record company chief, what comes through loud and clear in the memoir is that, throughout his long career, Finkelstein has always been motivated, first and foremost, by his passion for the music and for the artists who make it.

More than almost anyone I’ve ever known in the music business, Bernie Finkelstein has always been a mensch.

Every piece of information is a potential clue Everyone doing genealogy finds they hit brick walls occasionally. One dead end in my research involved a mysterious relative named Joseph Diener. About 15 years ago, my mother told me my parents exchanged Rosh Hashanah cards in the 1950s and early-‘60s with a Joseph Diener in New York City. She also thought he owned cabins in the Catskills. She did not remember ever meeting Joseph, or his wife, who she thought was named Rose, and suspected they had made the connection through my father’s aunt in New York.

In 2003, through documents found at Yad Vashem, I discovered second cousins living in London and Paris, which led to a visit overseas. When my mother and I sat down with our British cousin, Alice, in London to begin discussing the family, Alice told us there had been a Joseph Diener living in London who she remembered from childhood. She recounted a story about Joseph, his wife Rosa, and a son named ‘Siggy’ who had all attended her brother’s bar mitzvah in 1947. Like my mother, she didn’t know how she was related, or what happened to Joseph and Siggy. I can still remember my mother looking over at me, and I knew she was wondering if our mysterious Joseph was the same one Alice spoke of.

My brother Joel also had a Joseph story. He had begun looking into our family history about 30 years ago and remembers visiting an older Diener woman who he thought might have been Rose, Joseph’s widow. He located her by looking through the New York telephone directory.

Last year, while looking at Ancestry.com, I found death records for several Joseph Dieners who had passed away in New York. The same for people named Rose Diener. I looked for a Joseph and a Rose who had the same zip code and found the matching records. Both had died in zip code 10040. So, armed with this info, and with their social security numbers, which were provided online, I wrote to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for a copy of the form that Joseph would have filled out to apply for a social security number. Several weeks later, when an envelope arrived

Connecting the branches John Diener from the SSA, I was thrilled to see that this Joseph Diener had declared that he was born in Grzymalow, our ancestral shtetl, in 1894 and that his parents were Efroim Diener and Rachel Wallach. While this confirmed that this Joseph was almost definitely a cousin, and that he was the one with whom my mother and brother had contact, I still did not know exactly how we were related.

Fast forward to this past March when I received a phone call and an e-mail from two family friends in Ottawa who had just read an article in the Spring 2012 issue of CJ: Voices of Conservative/Masorti Judaism, the magazine for members of Conservative congregations in North America. The story, by an Artie Dean in Connecticut, talked about the Kiddush cup passed down to him from his father. Artie mentioned his grandfather’s name was Joseph Diener, that he was originally from Poland, and had lived in Vienna and London before coming to America in the late-40s.

Was this the same elusive Joseph Diener? I found Artie’s office e-mail address and sent him a letter. Weeks passed with no response. I resent it and still nothing. Finally, I looked up Artie’s number and called him at home. I told him I had read his article and was interested – as a genealogist – in finding out if we were related.

He asked me where my family came from.

“Grzymalow, formerly in Austria and Poland, but now in Ukraine,” I responded.

There was a pause and then he told me his grandfather was born in the same town. He said he didn’t respond immediate-

ly because he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

Since then, there have been many e-mails, photos and documents sent between Ottawa and Connecticut. Artie told me his father shortened his name to Dean while serving in the British Army during the Second World War. That triggered the memory of another document that was in my possession – a letter written in 1947 by a Sgt. Dean of the British army looking for information on relatives who had lived in the Grzymalow area before the War. The list of names included relatives known to me, but I had no idea this sergeant was Sidney Dean, Artie’s father. After finding that Joseph’s son was Sidney, I was able to find the manifest from the Queen Mary showing the family coming to the U.S. in 1949, using a British genealogical website.

Artie also told me about a couple from Canada who visited his grandfather’s cabins in the Catskills in the 1960s and brought a Canadian commemorative coin set as a gift, which Artie still has in his possession. We determined this couple were the late Sam and Goldie Silbert, who were my father’s sponsors when he immigrated to Canada after the war.

My new-found cousin was overwhelmed with these discoveries. While he grew up knowing he had lost family in the Holocaust, he had never met, or known of, any Diener cousins. I will definitely be meeting him sometime this summer either here or in the US. We also found it interesting that we both write columns for our local Jewish newspapers. I write for the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin and Artie writes for the Jewish Leader, the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut’s newspaper. We both wonder if perhaps an ancestor in Grzymalow did the same in his/her community.

I would like to emphasize that every piece of information you obtain while working on your family tree is a potential clue. What made little sense to me years ago when interviewing my mother and my British cousin, and four years ago when obtaining the letter from Germany, all fit together after locating Artie. Keep revisiting your files and make good notes. You never know when those pieces will actually fit into the puzzle.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 27

Go against the grain this summer!

613.852.8405 613.863.9941

Made with Love Cindy Feingold have a steady source for skirt steak again!

Skirt steak is a long flat cut of beef. It comes from the plate section of the cow. In order to minimize toughness, it is typically grilled very quickly or braised slowly for a very long time. It has very strong graining and the key to tenderness is in slicing correctly. You must slice against the grain. If you slice with the grain you will end up with tough stringy beef. It wasn’t until years later, after I had eaten and enjoyed countless skirt steaks, that I discovered the plate section of the cow is also known as the diaphragm. Had I

Grilled Skirt Steak with Poblano Chili Marinade Serves 4 2 1-pound skirt steaks, each trimmed and halved crosswise 2 large shallots, unpeeled 2 poblano chili peppers 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons honey 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/3 cup water On a gas barbecue, grill unpeeled shallots and poblano chilies over medium heat, turning often, until charred and soft. This may take about 10 minutes. Let shallots and peppers cool slightly.

Peel shallots and discard skin. Peel peppers, cut in half, scrape out seeds and discard skin and seeds.

Place peeled shallots, peppers, salt, olive oil, honey, red wine vinegar, and water in blender. Purée until very smooth.

Pour marinade into a large Ziploc bag. Add skirt steaks and marinate in fridge for 4-6 hours.

Grill steaks over medium high heat, for about 3-4 minutes per side. Let skirt steak rest for about 5 minutes. Cut each skirt steak in half again crosswise and then slice thinly, against the grain.

www.grgmaintenance.com Email: gilles@grgmaintenance.com • • • • • • •

been given this tidbit of information 15 years ago, I may never have tried this wonderful cut of beef.

The timing of this anatomical knowledge coincided with my taking up yoga about 12 years ago. I had been practising yoga for about 12 weeks and, when we got to class one day, Cathie, our teacher said we were going to do a pranayama practice that day. Simply speaking, pranayama is the science of breath control. As we lay on the floor, we learned different breathing techniques that focused on utilizing both the lungs and the diaphragm. As I lay there, trying to fill my lungs with oxygen, beginning at the base of the diaphragm, I had a hard time not thinking about skirt steak. To this day, more than 12 years later, I still get hungry during pranayama practice.

I created this marinade for skirt steak after seeing a recipe on saveur.com for Grilled Skirt Steak with Grilled Chilies. The original recipe called for serving the skirt steak topped with grilled red hot chilies. I love spicy foods but not painful spicy. I decided to use poblano chilies instead.

Poblanos look like a heart shaped green pepper. They are very mild on the heat scale. I buy them at Farm Boy. I made a very flavourful marinade with some grilled Poblano peppers, shallots, olive oil, honey and red wine vinegar.

Shake things up on your grill this summer and try skirt steak!

The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin is introducing a

FREE

One of my favourite cuts of meat to grill in the summer is skirt steak, a little known cut of beef with big flavour.

While it is a kosher cut of meat, you can’t get it at the kosher butcher at Loblaws, so I’ve been hesitant to write about skirt steak in the Bulletin.

I remember the first time I ever had skirt steak. It was in Florida about 15 years ago in a Mexican restaurant called Armadillo. I had my doubts when we pulled into the parking lot. It looked like a dump, but it was packed, always a good sign.

I just know my husband is shaking his head incredulously as he reads the above paragraph. He’s probably thinking, “She remembers a restaurant we ate in 15 years ago, but can’t even remember the details of our wedding day.” Sad, but true, I am not a romantic, but food I have a memory for.

I’m not quite sure what prompted me to order the skirt steak, as I had never heard of this cut of meat. But it was part of the Fajita platter and, as I watched them bring a sizzling hot black cast iron plate covered in beef to the next table, I knew I had to have it. It was like no cut of beef I have ever had before. Rich and beefy, a little bit chewy and so flavourful. I was an instant fan.

As soon as I got home, I called Joe Lichtenstein at United Kosher Meat and Deli and asked if he could get me some. He became my supplier for several years. Sadly, in 1999, he closed his doors. After that, it became difficult to get skirt steak in Ottawa. When the kosher butcher shop opened at College Square, I was very excited, only to have my hopes dashed when I was told they could not get me this cut of meat. Luckily, I discovered that Joel Diener of Sasloves Meat Market brings in kosher meat from Hartmans Fine Kosher Foods in Toronto once a week. Now I

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Page 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

March of the Living 2012 The view from the participants: ‘An unforgettable journey’

By Jacob Silverman and Alexa Wyczynski Note: For two weeks in April, 15 teens from Ottawa, and one from Kingston, joined thousands more from around the world for a twoweek journey to Poland and Israel. Here is an account of their experience from two participants.

The actual March of the Living is the three-kilometre walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau. During the Holocaust, Jews walked that route to their deaths.

The next Ottawa delegation on the March of the Living is in April 2014. Students in Grades 10 to 12 are eligible.

For information, contact Benita Siemiatycki at 613-798-4644 or infocentre@jewishottawa.com.

We recently returned from the March of the Living (MOL), a two-week journey to Poland and Israel. With 13 other Jewish teens from Ottawa, one from Kingston, and 10,000 more from around the world, we travelled across Poland to bear witness. We were accompanied by three amazing survivors and learned about their horrifying Holocaust experiences. We visited ghettos, shtetls and Nazi concentration camps. We then continued our journey into Israel to experience Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut. We visited Masada, the Dead Sea, the Golan Heights, the old city of Jerusalem and the Western Wall.

On arrival, Poland seemed like a dark, sombre place. The grey atmosphere seemed to match our moods. We visited two Jewish cemeteries and learned about the large and vibrant Jewish communities obliterated during the Holocaust. We travelled to small Jewish towns like Tykocin, where the Jews were taken to a forest, murdered, one by one, and left in mass graves. The destruction of a Jewish community became real to us.

The most painful sites were the concentration camps. We visited Auschwitz, Birkenau, Plashov, Treblinka and Majdanek. Physical proof still exists of the atrocities that occurred there. After seeing the barracks, gas chambers, crematoria, electric fences and vast empty fields, it was impossible to imagine people living in these horrible places.

The most unbelievable and uplifting experience in Poland was the March of the Living. All

10,000 participants, dressed in our blue jackets, many draped in Israeli flags, gathered at Auschwitz and marched solemnly together for three kilometres to the death camp of Birkenau, where we had a ceremony for Yom HaShoah. Despite the surroundings, it was exciting to meet fellow Jews from around the world who all came to Poland for a common purpose: to remember the atrocities of the Holocaust.

After the physically and emotionally draining week in Poland, we were ready to experience happiness and fun in Israel. We knew it would represent our strength and hope for the future.

For many of us, it was not our first time in Israel. Although every trip to Israel is an unbelievable experience, this one was completely different.

We were not simply visiting Israel. We had just come from the site of a terrible chapter of our history, so the contrast between antiSemitism and Jewish pride was evident. We saw how vibrant and strong Jewish life is only 67 years after it was almost wiped out in Europe.

One of the highlights of our trip was observing Yom Hazikaron

Marchers enter the Lupochowa Forest containing mass graves of murdered Jews outside Tykocin, Poland.

and celebrating Yom Ha’Atzmaut with the entire Canadian MOL group. These were both amazing events.

Another highlight was seeing the Old City of Jerusalem – where you can see Israel’s culture in its markets and town squares – and the Western Wall. After seeing the death camps of the Holocaust, being able to openly pray at Ju-

daism’s most holy site was very special.

The March of the Living was an unforgettable journey. Each of us became a witness to the Holocaust. We have each returned home with a duty to make sure the world never forgets.

We are so grateful to our chaperones, Karen Palayew and Evan Zelikovitz, who taught and sup-

ported us prior to and during this trip. Most of all, we are very thankful to have travelled with three survivors – Robbie Waisman, Mariette Doduck and Fania Wedro – who shared with us their most painful memories so that our generation could learn from their suffering and look brightly into the future.

Am Yisrael Chai!

The view from the chaperones:

Blessed to have shared this experience

By Karen Palayew and Evan Zelikovitz The March of the Living, 25-years strong, is an educational journey that pays tribute to victims of the Holocaust, survivors and those who fought for freedom at a time when all humanity seemed lost.

Participation came with a commitment to education prior to the trip. We studied the history of the Jews and the roots of anti-Semitism in Europe. We learned about the war years – destruction, resistance and liberation. We met with David Shentow, whose story of survival became an integral part of our experience. And we expanded our knowledge of the State of Israel, our homeland.

On April 15, the Ottawa contingent left for Poland. Eighteen individuals connected by a sense of duty to bear witness to our past and celebrate the present. We had no way of anticipating the impact this journey would have on us and the everlasting bond that would connect us as Jews, as witnesses, as human beings.

Together, we encountered the remnants of our past. We danced blissfully in the Tykocin synagogue, only to discover the inexplicable horrors that took place in the nearby Lupochowa Forest.

We witnessed the sheer vastness and harsh realities of Birkenau, Auschwitz, Treblinka and

Majdanek. We held each other and we wept.

The greatest privilege we had was the presence of three remarkable survivors: Robbie Waisman, Mariette Doduck and Fania Wedro.

They taught us about the strength of the human spirit, courage, resiliency and hope. They taught us about optimism and how life can retain meaning in the face of tragedy.

The March is not about revenge, hate or anger. There are no explanations for the evil of the Nazi regime. The March is about the solidarity, strength and survival of the Jewish people. It is about experiencing hope for our future and an indescribable pride in being Jewish. This pride was so clearly demonstrated when 10,000 Jews from around the world marched hand-in-hand in silence from Auschwitz to Birkenau, in a magnificent sea of blue jackets and Israeli flags.

There are no words to describe the irony – no, the ultimate victory – of proudly waving an Israeli flag in a Nazi death camp.

One week later, in stark contrast to our march in Poland, the same 10,000 marched on Yom Ha’Atzmaut from outside the Old City of Jerusalem to the Kotel – not in silence, but unified in song and dance, again waving Israeli flags and embracing our freedom as Jews. Our people had triumphed and we honoured those

who, just a few generations ago, could only dream of the possibility of a Jewish homeland.

We returned home on April 29, but we were not the same. We returned as witnesses to horrific transgressions against humanity and we now have the responsibility to carry on the legacy of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. We each have a moral obligation to embrace humanity, to be strong voices within our community and to find a way to make a difference in the world around us. This represents the essence of the March of the Living.

To our wonderful participants – you made us proud. You were respectful, thoughtful and compassionate, and you all showed incredible strength of character. When one of you needed a hug or a shoulder to cry on, you were there for each other. The ultimate compliment came from our beloved survivor, Robbie Waisman, who told you he was going home with a sense of comfort knowing the future of the Jewish people was in good hands – your hands! Now the incredible stories of survival will be told through your eyes, and we will ensure the world never forgets. We look forward to our continued journey and we feel blessed to have shared this experience with all of you.

Am Yisrael Chai!

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 29

March of the Living 2012

By Howard Jacobson We sent our children to bear witness To a land where we were gassed, forced to toil 10,000 of our kids inside barbed wire Their relatives’ ashes a part of this soil These brave children entered the death camps With tears … with fear … but so bold Smokestacks of crematoriums Still standing frightening and cold It’s impossible to stand within the gates That said “work will set you free” Without appreciating that you have the privilege To be everything you want to be Frightened families had entered these camps Still feeling hope, but filled with despair Now all that’s left to remember most Are mountains of shoes and piles of shaved off hair Confused, they were hauled off cattle cars With yellow stars, heeding the monsters’ calls Our brave children walked through those very same gates Israeli flags proudly worn as shawls Survivors stood stoically beside them With such strength, such grace and charm Remembering being stripped of all their identity Seen as nothing but the number still scrawled on their arm Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek Names that will forever evoke a chill They listened to survivors’ stories Their eyes with tears, did fill 10,000 marched in silence With survivors that still remain They vowed to always remember So this can never happen again Parents watched their children from afar As they went through the most painful Polish week Immersed in the horrors of history No answers to the questions they seek We all wept when we read one survivor’s story Feeling so sad and yet revived Hearing how he looked up to the heavens Triumphantly saying Mama … your baby survived They took one big collective breath together They’d witnessed the painful memories and strife Once but a group of strangers Now … they were family for life

Ottawa’s March of the Living participants in Israel (Front row, from left) Hannah Silver, Alexa Wyczynski, Jaclyn Friedlich, Shira Benlolo, Tori Vered, Dayna Zunder, Charlotte Hamburg; (second row) Bram Taylor, chaperone Evan Zelikovitz, Jacob Silverman, Sam Morgan, chaperone Karen Palayew, Abbey Jacobson; (back row) Hannah Berdowski, Sabrina Engel, Nathan Cantor, Jordan Molot, Cody Miller, trip physician Dr. Allan Shefrin.

The view from a parent:

‘One of the greatest investments we had ever made’

By Susan Weisman Teaching our children about Judaism is very important to my husband and me. While we have learned “it takes a village to raise a child,” it takes many different life experiences to raise a Jewish one.

Our son, Bram Taylor, asked if he could go on the March of the Living to Poland and Israel. We attended the information session and were pleased after hearing about the trip and who the chaperones would be.

Then we heard the cost and took a step back. With a child at day school, two kids at summer camp, a child about to enter university and a bat mitzvah to plan, we couldn’t imagine any more expenses. We finally came to the decision that this was a tremendous opportunity for Bram, one that could not be cloned in any other way. So we dug deeper, filled out the forms and watched as the program unfolded. We had no idea this was about to become one of the greatest investments we had ever made in our child.

March of the Living wasn’t just a trip, it was a commitment. Bram met regularly with the other participants, chaperones and speakers to learn about the Holocaust. Sometimes, he was tired and didn’t want to go, but attendance was mandatory. Finally, after months of learning, the 16 teenagers and two chaperones were off.

I didn’t realize how profoundly the trip had affected him, until he returned home and I read his journal.

Bram graduated from Hillel Academy, attends Jewish sleep-away camp and goes to shul regularly. We celebrate Shabbat and the holidays, but it was the March

of the Living that culminated in all he has learned and made it relevant.

One of the experiences he wrote about was standing among 10,000 other teenagers, singing “Hatikvah,” after completing the three-kilometre march from Auschwitz to Birkenau. While he had sung “Hatikvah” many times before, this time it was even more meaningful and powerful. It felt like a victory and made him realize how important it is that we have a homeland, Israel, where we can go.

His most inspirational moments came from spending time with Robbie Waisman, an 81-year-old survivor. Robbie taught him to think about all he has to be grateful for. Bram felt he had been taught more life lessons in an hour than in his entire life. He lit a Yahrzeit candle with Robbie and they said Kaddish together. Bram said he had never felt so connected to prayer.

Zachor means ‘remember,’ and we have an obligation to remember the Holocaust. While most children learn about this in a classroom, 16 of our Ottawa/Kingston youth are now able to put a face to the horror experienced by a previous generation. It is said that one must experience injustice in order to recognize and pursue justice in the future. Hopefully, this trip will make it easier for them to recognize injustice and, through tikkun olam, they will undertake to do something about it. They have walked through history, hand in hand with survivors, and have embraced the concept that the greatest tragedy of modern history must never be forgotten, and, most importantly, must never be repeated.

Page 30 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

The sisterhood of the running shoes This spring, seven women ranging in age from 46 to 67 came together to challenge themselves. Four of them wanted to learn how to run. The other three were previously avid runners wanting to get back into the sport.

Just hours before the start of the running clinic, I received an e-mail from one of the participants. “Looks like rain,” she wrote. “Will the class be cancelled?”

“No way! We go rain or shine. See you soon,” I replied.

At the start of the first class, some of the women expressed self-doubts.

“I know you can do this,” I reassured them. “If you really didn’t think you could do it, you wouldn’t be here.”

Over the next few weeks, they would prove me right.

After presenting tips on form and technique, I led the group outdoors for a warm-up. A mistake many new runners make is to burst out of the gate at full speed, only to experience breathing difficulties or pain. As a result, they often abandon running. We started by running slowly for one minute followed by a five-minute brisk walk. We repeated the run/walk intervals several times as we covered a four-kilometre route.

With a storm approaching, the sky went from slightly overcast to an ominous gray and we had to run against heavy wind.

I was concerned the newbies might get discouraged by the weather, but everyone enthusiastically carried on. As we headed back to the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, a beautiful rainbow appeared. We couldn’t help but smile. There were plenty of cheers and high-fives upon completion of our first run.

I immediately began to address the women as “runners.”

They’d already earned my respect. Week by week, I increased the ratio of minutes of running to walking with the aim of

Focus on Fitness Gloria Schwartz building endurance. These determined ladies quickly evolved into a cohesive sisterhood of support and camaraderie, reminiscent of the little engine that could.

After one of the classes, I brought in a motivational guest speaker. Pam MacCormack had been obese for decades despite many attempts to lose weight. She finally decided to change her lifestyle and started by regularly walking. With the help of several professionals, including a doctor, a dietician and a personal trainer, Pam lost 150 pounds. She took up running after the age of 60 and gained local media attention as she participated in many organized races. After coming in first in her age category in one race, a naysayer mocked her by asking her how many people were in that age category.

“I was the only one,” Pam retorted. “But I showed up.

Where were the others?”

Just like Pam, the women in my running clinic showed up, week in and week out. They made a commitment to themselves that they were going to run – and run they did. At the last class, we performed intervals of fives and ones for 45 minutes, covering more than five kilometres – a big achievement considering that just six weeks prior, running one minute had been a challenge for many.

Jürgen rants, Rubin takes notes I recently realized that, lately, I’ve been having trouble writing anything of length.

Let me rewrite that for a tweet: “Just noticed – can’t write long stuff now.”

Who knows? Maybe it’s even better. I have less patience now. I switch web pages if it takes more than five seconds to download. This all makes sense. We only have so long to live.

Why waste it waiting.

I think I have acquired a short attention span. So I texted my political expert, Jürgen, about this and asked for his help in writing the column.

Jürgen called me and launched into the following bit.

While playing mah-jongg on the computer, I just had to listen and take notes: “Want to remember another world a lifetime ago? Think Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin. Who? “And Layton? Didn’t he say something like, ‘Being un-

afraid is better than being afraid; being relaxed is better than being worried; being happy is better than being sad. So don’t be afraid, don’t worry and be happy.’ Can’t remember, but as long as I got the gist.

“On the Newsweek cover, I noticed that Obama is the first gay president. That doesn’t mean he can give you the low down on the down low. It just means that he had to struggle to figure out who he was. That makes sense. He’s the first black president who is white, the inverse of Bill Clinton. And anybody who thinks dog tastes fine with ketchup has some cultural adjustments to make.

“But that would make Romney pretty gay too. He would be the first Mormon president. Think of how much he has had to adapt to fit in with evangelicals who think he is a member of a kooky cult. Yet, now, evangelicals would swallow their prejudices, hold their noses and vote for him. How about that for making a transition? He might be OK with having more

Rosh Hashanah is approaching and the Bulletin is planning our annual community-wide edition.

Let the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin convey your wishes September 10, 2012.

Three options available: $36, $54, $72 (including HST) Greetings must be submitted before Wednesday, August 15, 2012 For more information, contact Barry Silverman 613-798-4696, ext. 256 bsilverman@ottawajewishbulletin.com

Participant Susan Landau-Chark shared with us that her mother had been a marathoner for many years, but has “slowed down. Now that she’s eighty-six years old, she only runs 10 kilometres.”

Susan, who had not run for several years, must get her zeal from her mother. On our last run, Susan headed up the rear.

The rest of us had just entered the Jewish Community Campus as the black sky ruptured and released a torrential downpour. We cheered Susan on as she tenaciously sprinted across the parking lot.

Susan later told me the clinic helped her realize “that, if I put my mind to it, I can still run” and “I am not crazy for wanting to do this. Other women also take the idea of running seriously.”

When asked what she got out of the clinic, Julie Klucha noted the “small group of ladies of all levels and ages was non-judgmental, regardless of age or ability. That is huge for anyone’s self-confidence.”

When the clinic was finished, everyone had an adequate knowledge base and enough mileage on their shoes to keep moving forward with their pursuit of running. More importantly, they had replaced self-doubt with confidence and each of them could proudly and rightfully declare, “I am a runner!”

Foot notes: Ottawa Race Weekend took place May 26-27.

I ran the half-marathon and was thrilled to achieve a new personal record. And a hearty mazal tov to running clinic participant Maria Hunter who ran the 5k race and achieved her personal goal of completing the event in less than 25 minutes. In fact, she placed in the top two per cent of the 4,903 women who participated!

Send your questions and comments to gloria.schwartz@rogers.com.

Humour me, please Rubin Friedman wives than Mohammed. But he hasn’t come out of the closet yet on that.

“Ron Paul has finally ended his active campaigning for the presidency. Not because anyone forced him, just because he made a free and individual decision. And because he didn’t have any money! Apparently, even libertarians in American society can’t get anywhere unless they organize a movement, which is the equivalent of someone deciding to herd cats.

Good luck with that.

“In Canada, Mulcair and Harper are presented as slightly skewed mirror images of each other. Except that Mulcair has the warmer eyes, the beard and moustache, and is very reassuring in his nice suit. Oh, and he wants to really tax the rich and slow down the growth of the oil industry.

“Harper just wants to get us used to having a smaller government, but realizes Canadians are junkies who need to withdraw slowly. So he is proceeding like an illusionist, trying to distract us while his other hand holds draconian laws on crime or by letting some of his MPs open other issues.

“Meanwhile, the Liberals are undertaking a kind of striptease before announcing their leadership process. Who is hiding behind all those veils of process and leadership race regulations? Could it be Bob Rae who is coyly but demurely flashing those big baby blues? This strategy completely confuses the other parties. They are not quite sure who to attack yet. But one would caution them not to wait too long or the voters might not know who the leader is in the election.”

Jürgen finished and I learned that sometimes it pays to just listen and nod. In this case, I got a column out of it.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 31

FOUNDATION DONATIONS Our future is in your hands To make a donation and/or send a tribute card, call Jessica Borenstein (613-798-4696 ext. 274) e-mail: donation@ojcf.ca website: www.OJCF.ca

Join us in building our community by supporting these local agencies AJA 50+ ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Kenneth Ain by Ingrid Levitz.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Evelyn Greenberg by Elaine and Norman Wolfish.

HILLEL ACADEMY ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Sharon Reichstein on receiving the community award by Leila and Stuart Ages.

HILLEL LODGE LEGACY FUND In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Jennie Morin; and by Leonard Shore and Jane Ehrenworth.

HILLEL ACADEMY CHILDREN OF THE BOOK AWARD FUND R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Evelyn Greenberg by Marilyn and William Newman.

JEWISH YOUTH LIBRARY OF OTTAWA ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Dr. and Mrs. Josef Caytak on the upcoming marriages of their children by Esty Bybelezer.

PINCHAS ZUKERMAN MUSIC EDUCATION FUND R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Beryl Fraenkel by Mia and Manny Bernard.

SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Helene Gluckstal by Brenda Smith.

AJA 50+ DAVID SMITH OTTAWA JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND AKIVA EVENING HIGH SCHOOL ENDOWMENT FUND ADINA BEN PORAT MACHON SARAH TORAH EDUCATION FUND SHIRLEY AND SHIER BERMAN FUND FOR OTTAWA JEWISH ARCHIVES DORIS BRONSTEIN TALMUD TORAH AFTERNOON SCHOOL FUND

BARRY FISHMAN OTTAWA JEWISH BULLETIN SCHOLARSHIP FUND MARTIN GLATT PARLIAMENT LODGE B’NAI BRITH PAST PRESIDENTS’ FUND MENDEL AND VALERIE GOOD HOLOCAUST CONTINUING EDUCATION FUND GREENBERG FAMILIES LIBRARY FUND JEWISH COMMUNITY CEMETERY HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES AGENCY FUND JEWISH MEN’S SOFTBALL LEAGUE FUND JEWISH STUDENTS ASSOCIATION HILLEL FUND DAVID “THE BEAR” KARDASH CAMP B’NAI BRITH MEMORIAL FUND OTTAWA JEWISH CEMETERIES ZICHARON FUND OTTAWA JEWISH COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT FUND OTTAWA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY FUND OTTAWA LODGE B’NAI BRITH #885 PAST PRESIDENTS FUND OTTAWA LODGE B’NAI BRITH #885 PRESIDENTS SCHOLARSHIP FUND OTTAWA MODERN JEWISH SCHOOL FUND OTTAWA POST JEWISH WAR VETERANS FUND OTTAWA TORAH INSTITUTE TORAH EDUCATION FUND RAMBAM MAIMONIDES JEWISH CONTINUITY FUND SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FUND SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE YOUTH SERVICES FUND TORAH ACADEMY OF OTTAWA TORAH EDUCATION FUND SARA AND ZEEV VERED ISRAEL CULTURAL PROGRAM FUND YITZHAK RABIN HIGH SCHOOL FUND IN MEMORY OF EVA WINTHROP

The Board of Directors of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation acknowledges with thanks contributions to the following funds as of May 29, 2012.

ROSE AND LOUIS ACHBAR MEMORIAL FUND Condolences to: Rhoda Blevis on the passing of her brother Kenneth Ain by Zelda Freedman.

Mazal Tov to: Sally and Elliott Levitan on the birth of their great-granddaughter Elisheva by Zelda Freedman.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Evelyn Greenberg by Zelda Freedman.

Sandra Levinson by Zelda Freedman.

William Newman by Zelda Freedman.

FRANCEEN AND STANLEY AGES ENDOWMENT FUND Condolences to: Dr. Vivian Klein and family by Fran and Stan Ages.

In memory of: Vivian Caplan by Fran and Stan Ages.

APPOTIVE FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Manny Brot by Gloria and Dan Zwicker and family; by Sharon and Jeff Appotive; and by Deborah Feinstat.

ANNE AND LOUIS ARRON MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Leema Magidson by Daphne and Stanley Arron.

In memory of: Helen Krane by Daphne and Stanley Arron.

Irving Taylor by Daphne and Stanley Arron.

Mazal Tov to: Allan and Alyce Baker on the birth of their granddaughter Hannah by Daphne and Stanley Arron; and by Jen and Shawn Stevens.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Sandra Levinson by Daphne and Stanley Arron.

YETTA AND LAWRENCE ARRON ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Yetta Arron by Daphne and Stanley Arron; and by Jen and Shawn Stevens.

ALYCE AND ALLAN BAKER FAMILY FUND Mazal Tov to: Alyce and Allan Baker on the birth of their granddaughter Hannah by Barbara and Leonard Farber; by Stan and Libby Katz; by Lilyan Philipp; and by Rick and Helen Zipes.

IRVING AND ESTHER BELLMAN MEMORIAL FUND In honour of: Ernest and Rayzel Goldstein’s granddaughter Katie’s Bat Mitzvah by Joyce and Seymour Bellman.

CLAIRE AND IRVING BERCOVITCH ENDOWMENT FUND R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Daniel Kimmel by Claire and Irving Bercovitch.

Sandra and Jacie Levinson by Claire and Irving Bercovitch.

JAMIE BEREZIN ENDOWMENT FUND In honour of: Jamie Berezin attaining his Master’s in Philosophy in Political Theory from Oxford University by Shirley and Norman Levitt.

In memory of: Bella Huss by Shelley, Gary and Jamie Berezin.

ALEX AND MOLLIE BETCHERMAN MEMORIAL FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Mollie Betcherman, a beloved mother and grandmother by Joy Rosenstein and Bonnie Greenberg.

LT. COL. EDMOND BLAIS MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Lt. Col. Edmond Blais by Mitchell Bellman and Nicola Hamer.

JESSICA AND KEVIN CANTOR FAMILY FUND In appreciation to: Evan Zelikovitz for his wonderful leadership and attention to Nathan by Jessica and Kevin Cantor.

Dr. Karen Palayew for her wonderful leadership and attention to Nathan by Jessica and Kevin Cantor.

In memory of: Harry Kofsky by Jessica and Kevin Cantor.

Irving Taylor by Jessica and Kevin Cantor.

Mazal Tov to: Rhoda and Joe Levitan on the birth of their granddaughter Elisheva by Jessica and Kevin Cantor and family.

SANDI AND EDDY COOK AND FAMILY COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Sandi Cook by Fran and Stan Ages; and by Sharon and Gary Steinberg.

Condolences to: Laura and Jaime Johnson on the passing of her father Wolfgang Biene by Sandi and Eddy Cook and family.

In memory of: Yetta Arron by Sandi and Eddy Cook and family.

Mazal Tov to: Alan Cohen on being the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Municipal Law by the Ontario Bar Association by Sandi and Eddy Cook and family.

Carole and Richard Zuckerman on Stephen receiving his MBA and on the recent engagement of Stephen and Diana by Sandi and Eddy Cook and family.

Dorothy and Hy Hymes on their 60th wedding anniversary by Sandi and Eddy Cook and family.

Richard Zuckerman on his 60th birthday by Sandi and Eddy Cook and family.

NATHAN AND REBA DIENER ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Reba Diener.

Mazal Tov to: Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Dean on the marriage of their son Adam by John and Dayra Diener.

JOSEPH AND ESTHER EISENSTADT MEMORIAL FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: David Sacksner by Joan Sacksner.

Continued on page 32

Page 32 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

FOUNDATION DONATIONS Gaston Marx by Joan Sacksner.

In memory of: Fern Eisenstadt by Joan Sacksner.

Joseph and Esther Eisenstadt by Joan Sacksner.

CYNTHIA AND ABE ENGEL ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Yetta Arron by Cynthia Engel.

Mazal Tov to: Marcia and Lloyd Slaven on their 50th anniversary by Cynthia Engel.

LESLIE AND CORNELIA ENGEL ENDOWMENT FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Cornelia Engel by Dr. Andre Engel and family.

MOSHE AND LILY FEIG ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Harry Kofsky by Lily Feig.

Kenneth Ain by Lily Feig.

SAM AND SUSAN FIRESTONE ENDOWMENT FUND Condolences to: Jeff Arron and family on the loss of his mother Yetta Arron by Sam and Susan Firestone.

Erratum: The Foundation apologizes for an error published in in the May 7 Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. Evelyn Eisenberg made a donation in memory of Irving Taylor into the Jeremy Kanter Memorial Fund.

In honour of: the marriage of Ellen Nadolny and Frank Grimsley by Sam and Susan Firestone.

ALFRED AND KAYSA FRIEDMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In honour of: Jerry Grey winning the Council of the Arts Award by Alfred and Kaysa Friedman.

In memory of: Bill Edelstein by Alfred and Kaysa Friedman.

Claudette Logue by Alfred and Kaysa Friedman.

FRAN AND SID GERSHBERG FAMILY FUND Condolences to: Irving Huss and family on the loss of his mother by Fran and Sid Gershberg.

EVA, DIANE AND JACK GOLDFIELD MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Yetta Arron by Morley Goldfield and family.

JACK AND GERT GOLDSTEIN MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Edith Krupski by Allen and Diane Abramson.

Mazal Tov to: Dorothy and Hy Hymes on their 60th wedding anniversary by Allen and Diane Abramson.

HERB AND DENA GOSEWICH ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: Dorothy and Hy Hymes on their 60th wedding anniversary by Herb and Dena Gosewich.

SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB B’NAI MITZVAH FUND

What do your “kids� really care about?

Do they care about hanging out with their friends? Playing sports?

Playing their musical instruments?

How about helping the homeless in their community? Fighting antiSemitism? Supporting people with disabilities?

Through the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation, our community’s youth can achieve both! They can be the active individuals that they are all while making a difference through tzedakah, one gift at a time.

Teens can make their Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s an extra special event by opening a B’nai Mitzvah Fund in their name. This gives them the vehicle to support causes dear to their hearts.

Forever!

You can make a difference in your child’s life by encouraging your son or daughter to establish a B’nai Mitzvah Fund. Their participation in the B’nai Mitzvah Club, which is for teens age 12 up to pre-post secondary, will affect the rest of their lives in a positive and philanthropic manner.

In appreciation to: Harriet and Irving Slone by Herb and Dena Gosewich.

In memory of: Fanny Gosevitz by Herb and Dena Gosewich and family.

Louis Goldmaker by Herb and Dena Gosewich.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Evelyn Greenberg by Herb and Dena Gosewich.

Sandra and Jacie Levinson by Herb and Dena Gosewich.

ARTHUR AND SARAH KIMMEL MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Del Simon by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel and family.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Morris Melamed by Isabel and Norman Lesh.

JEFFREY AND ENID GOULD FAMILY FUND In memory of: Edith Krupski by Jeffrey and Enid Gould.

NORMAN AND SONIA KIZELL FOUNDATION Mazal Tov to: Lovella Abrams on the birth of her first great grandson, Elijah Naftali by Gita and Jerry Pearl.

GREENBERG, HUTT, KONICK ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Rose Konick by Stanley and Libby Katz.

LARRY AND SHEILA HARTMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Kenneth Ain by Larry and Sheila Hartman.

Mazal Tov to: Fran and Morton Ross on the birth of their grandson Benjamin by Larry and Sheila Hartman.

HY AND PAULINE HOCHBERG ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Rose Konick by Pauline Hochberg.

Yetta Arron by Pauline Hochberg.

Mazal Tov to: My grandson, Dr. Michael Sklar on his graduation with honours and on winning a gold medal from the University of Saskatchewan, School of Medicine by Pauline Hochberg.

My granddaughter, Jaime Sklar on her graduation with honours from the University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Medical Sciences by Pauline Hochberg.

DOROTHY AND HY HYMES ENDOWMENT FUND In honour of: Dr. Susan Lieff’s academic achievements by Dorothy and Hy Hymes.

In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Dorothy and Hy Hymes.

Mazal Tov to: Dorothy and Hy Hymes on their 60th wedding anniversary by Blossom Read; by Joan Bloom; by Manny and Ruth Shacter; by Dundi and Lyon Sachs; and by Jennie Morin.

DANIEL AND MARILYN KIMMEL ENDOWMENT FUND R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Daniel Kimmel by Leema Magidson and family.

SHARON KOFFMAN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND Condolences to: Beata Kubicki on the loss of her mother by Fay Koffman; and by Sandra Zagon.

Jeff Arron and family on the loss of his mother Yetta Arron by Sandra Zagon.

Trudy Hurvitz on the loss of her mother Fay Hurvitz by Fay Koffman.

Garry and Trudy Hurvitz on the loss of her mother Fay Hurvitz by Sandra Zagon.

Mazal Tov to: Bev and Steve Margolian on the occasion of the engagement of their children Sheri to Mark and Josh to Inna by Sandra Zagon.

Barbara Fine on her engagement by Sandra Zagon.

Greg and Lee Curry on the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter Meaghan to Kabir by Sandra Zagon.

Reva and Sandor Derrick on the engagement of their daughter Kate by Sandra Zagon.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Evelyn Greenberg by Sandra Zagon.

Franceen Shier by Sandra Zagon.

Murray Allice by Sandra Zagon.

Sandra Levinson by Sandra Zagon.

KRANTZBERG KRANE FAMILY FUND In memory of: Dani Moses by Myra and Sam Krane.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Evelyn Greenberg by Clair Krantzberg.

SUSAN AND DAVID KRIGER ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Dorothy Wisenthal by Susan and David Kriger.

Continued on page 33

Now is the time to encourage your child to become a charitable, responsible member of the Jewish Community.

To obtain information on how to open a B’nai Mitzvah Fund for as little as $250, call the Foundation office today at 613-798-4696 extension 252 or email info@ojcf.ca.

Additional information can be found on our website at www.OJCF.ca.

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613-233-1143

www.mcgarryfamily.ca

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 33

FOUNDATION DONATIONS In memory of: Norma Shugar by Susan and David Kriger.

RIVA AND ABRAHAM KROLL MEMORIAL FUND Condolences to: Emanuel and Leon Litvak and family on the passing of Vera by Yvonne and Harvey Lithwick and family.

ISSIE AND EDITH LANDAU ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Edward Kertzman by Edie Landau.

Mazal Tov to: John Kershman and Sabina Wasserlauf on being honoured by JET by Edith Landau.

Hadassa Landau on winning the bible contest

by Edie Landau.

GOLDMAN/LANDAU FAMILY FUND Condolences to: Rhoda Blevis on the loss of her brother Kenneth Ain by Faye and Michael Landau.

Mazal Tov to: Rhoda and Joe Levitan on the birth of their granddaughter Elisheva by Faye and Michael Landau.

LEON AND BYRTHA LECKIE MEMORIAL FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Leon and Byrtha Leckie by Esther Leckie.

NORMAN AND ISABEL LESH ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Fanny Gosevitz by Norman and Isabel Lesh.

Louis Goldmaker by Norman and Isabel Lesh.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Lee Raskin by Norman and Isabel Lesh.

Evelyn Greenberg by Norman and Isabel Lesh.

SANDRA AND JACIE LEVINSON ENDOWMENT FUND R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Sandra and Jacie Levinson by Joany and Andy Katz and family; and by Marilyn and William Newman.

RON AND RUTH LEVITAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Kenneth Ain by Ron and Ruth Levitan.

SALLY AND ELLIOTT LEVITAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Kenneth Ain by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

Mazal Tov to: Barbara Hymes-Fine on her engagement by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

Evelyn Lieff on her daughter Susan’s latest accomplishment by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

Rhea and Jeff Hochstadter on Alana’s graduation from medical school by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Sandra Levinson by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

JOHN AND ESTELLE LIBERMAN ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Diana Morgan by Estelle Liberman.

Condolences to: Seymour Rosen on the loss of his son Michael Rosen by Estelle and John Liberman.

JOSEPH AND EVELYN LIEFF ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Barbara Sugarman by Evelyn Lieff.

Belle Greenspoon by Elissa Lieff, David, Zac and Kayla Resnick.

Mazal Tov to: Dorothy and Hy Hymes on their 60th wedding anniversary by Evelyn Lieff; and by Elissa Lieff, David, Zac and Kayla Resnick Dorothy and Hy Hymes on Barbara’s engagement to Steve Levinson by Evelyn Lieff.

ARNOLD AND ROSE LITHWICK MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Abraham (Al) Esar by Yvonne and Harvey Lithwick and family.

LOBEL FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Eileen Goldberg by Goldie Lobel and family.

Yetta Arron by Goldie Lobel and family.

SAMUEL AND LEEMA MAGIDSON ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Leema Magidson by Daniel and Marilyn Kimmel.

Mazal Tov to: Allan and Alyce Baker on the birth of their granddaughter Hannah by Leema Magidson.

JACOB MALOMET MEMORIAL FUND In honour of: Dorothy and Hy Hymes 60th wedding anniversary by Diana and Alvin Malomet.

CHUCK AND BONNIE MEROVITZ FAMILY FUND In memory of: Bev Libin by Chuck and Bonnie Merovitz.

Doris Leibovitch by Barbara and Leonard Farber.

JACK AND HONEY MONSON ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Yetta Arron by Joy and David Kardish; and

by Honey Baylin.

TANYA AND SAMUEL MOSES MORIN MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Harvey Morin.

In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Samuel Moses Morin, a dearly beloved father

by Gertrude and Harvey Morin.

Kenneth Ain by Fran and Morty Ross.

Robert Horowitz by Fran and Morty Ross.

Yetta Arron by Fran and Morty Ross.

Mazal Tov to: Fran and Mort Ross on the birth of their grandson Benjamin by Rick and Helen Zipes.

JEAN AND MAX NAEMARK ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Joe Osterer by Jean Naemark.

Sylvia Monson by Jean Naemark.

In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Leah Torontow by Jean Naemark.

HARRY AND BERTHA PLEET MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Mark Goldhamer by Pinchas and Barbara Pleet.

In memory of: Fanny Gosevitz by Pinchas and Barbara Pleet.

In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Leib and Rachel Pleet by Pinchas and Barbara Pleet.

JACK AND MIRIAM PLEET ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Kenneth Ain by Miriam Pleet.

GERALD AND MARY-BELLE PULVERMACHER FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Gerald Pulvermacher by Roslyn and Arnold Kimmel; by Tracy Pulvermacher, Gianni, Mia, and Jordan Donatucci; and by Michelle Pulvermacher, Brandon, Tyler, and Aaron Fathi.

MOE AND SARAH RESNICK ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Gordie, Penny, Zack, and Steven Resnick.

FLORENCE AND GDALYAH ROSENFELD ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Rose Konick by Florence and Anita Rosenfeld and Jocelyn Slatt.

FRANCES AND MORTON ROSS FAMLY FUND In memory of: Doris Leibovitch by Fran and Morty Ross.

Jack Weinman by Fran and Morty Ross.

An unveiling

will take place

Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 11:00 am

Bank Street Cemetery

SHMELZER-HOROVITCH ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Peter Shmelzer, our loving son, by Anne and Sol Shmelzer.

In memory of: David Ritt, beloved husband of Eva, father of Simon, Linda and Michael by Sol and Anne Shmelzer.

Mazal Tov to: Missy Marston, our dear daughter-in-law on her newly published novel, The Love Monster,

by Sol and Anne Shmelzer.

ISRAEL AND REBECCA SHORE MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Kenneth Ain by Leonard Shore and Jane Ehrenworth.

JACK AND SARAH SILVERSTEIN FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Issie Scarowsky on receiving the Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award by Jack, Sarah, David, and Lev Silverstein.

IRVING AND HARRIET SLONE ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Harriet Slone by Donna Levin; by Carol and Stuart Levine; and by Blossom Read.

GUSTAVE AND ESTHER SOLMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Gus Solman by Margaret and Peter Kasurak.

Continued on page 34

in memory of

Lou Eisenberg

ANNE AND IRVING SABRAN MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Harry Kofsky by Rena and Max Cohen.

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Page 34 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

FOUNDATION DONATIONS CASEY AND BESS SWEDLOVE ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Rose Konick by Carol-Sue and Jack Shapiro.

CLAIRE AND SAM TANNER MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Stephen and Lana Tanner.

Rose Konick by Stephen and Lana Tanner.

CHARLES AND RAE TAVEL MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Leema Magidson by Lilyan Philipp.

Donating made easy at www.OJCF.ca Donations can be made for all occasions and life-cycle events.

Use our online donation form to send one or multiple tribute cards to your friends and loved ones in one secure transaction.

Charitable receipts are issued and sent directly to your email account.

Try it TODAY!

THE WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM Providing support for services and programs that directly benefit women and children.

Jaye and Brody Appotive.

Stephanie Appotive by Sharon, David, Ryan, Jaye and Brody Appotive.

Debra Bick by Sharon, David, Ryan, Jaye and Brody Appotive.

Miriam Bronstein by Lauren Bronstein.

Sylvia Bronstein by Lauren Bronstein.

Sandi Cook by Marc, Jessica and Jack Borenstein.

Nina Cass by Shelley Rothman.

Jeanette Goldman by Mike, Faye, Jacob, Meera and Talia Landau.

Alicia Green by Ella and Elijah Green.

Arlene Green by Alicia, Ella, Elijah and Evan Green.

Ethel Kesler by Fran and Carly Kesler.

Edith Landau by Mike, Faye, Jacob, Meera and Talia Landau.

Isabel Lesh by Steven and Hildy Lesh.

Jana Levitan by Ron and Ruth Levitan.

Riva Levitan by Ron and Ruth Levitan.

Joy Mender by Sharon, David, Ryan, Jaye and Brody Appotive.

Bertha Palmer by Fran, Devra and Carly Kesler.

Marlene Reichstein by Steven and Hildy Lesh.

Sarah Rhamey by Angus Smith and family.

Lisa Rosen by Margo and Frank Rosen.

Natalie Rosen by Margo and Frank Rosen.

Connie Schwartz by Nancy Werk and Saul Schwartz.

Elaine Singer by Margo and Frank Rosen.

Sandra Steinhouse by Gary Stein and family.

Sally Taller by Beth Roodman.

Julie Taub by Tamara, Dave and Leora Taub Margo Viner by Joshua Viner.

In honour of: Marlene Solomon and Shelly Alspector’s wedding by Rhoda and Joe Levitan.

In memory of: Harry Shackelford by Lynne, Bobby, Taryn, Eleni and Hart Wener.

Kenneth Ain by Carol Greenberg.

Mazal Tov to: Elaine and Fred Newman on Rick’s marriage

by Rhoda and Joe Levitan.

Katie Krupski and family on her Bat Mitzvah

by Rhoda and Joe Levitan.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Elaine Orfus by Rhoda and Joe Levitan.

WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE ENDOWMENT FUND 26 Mother’s Day cards were done anonymously.

Happy Mother’s Day to: Sharron Appotive by Sharon, David, Ryan,

THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM RYAN JEREMY BAKER B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Mazal Tov to: Rhoda and Joe Levitan on the birth of their

MOSES, CHENYA AND HENRY TORONTOW MEMORIAL FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Henry Torontow by Jean Naemark.

Ralph Torontow by Beatrice Torontow.

STEPHEN AND GAIL VICTOR ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Minnie Milson by Stephen and Gail Victor.

Mazal Tov to: Elissa Iny on being this year’s recipient of the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award by Stephen and Gail Victor.

RUTH AND JOSEPH VINER ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Louis Goldmaker by Ruth and Joseph Viner.

MIRIAM AND LOUIS WEINER ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Goldie Lobel by Miriam Weiner.

IRVING AND DIANE WEXLER FAMILY FUND In memory of: Sylvia (Sue) Slack by Sandra Marchello.

SAM AND HELENE ZARET MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Dodie Potechin by Debi and Neil Zaret and family.

Mazal Tov to: Jaye Appotive on attaining her Masters of Social Work by Debi and Neil Zaret and family.

Barb Levine and David Spring on the occasion of their daughter Shannon’s marriage to Larry by Debi and Neil Zaret and family.

ZIPES KARANOFSKY FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Sigi Muenz by Rick and Helen Zipes.

granddaughter Elisheva by Benita and Steven Baker.

STACEY SAMANTHA KATZ B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Mazal Tov to: Rhoda and Joe Levitan and family on the birth of their granddaughter Elisheva by Joany and Andy Katz and family.

R’Fuah Sh’lemah to: Stacey Seller by Joany and Andy Katz and family.

DANA AND REMI PEARL B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Mazal Tov to: Marlin and Allegra Pearl on achieving second prize on their science project in the Ottawa Jewish Day School by their grandparents, Gita and Jerry Pearl.

DAHLIA AND ZACHARY SHABSOVE B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Condolences to: Jennifer Kardash on the loss of her mother Bev Libin by the Shabsove family.

Neil Frenkel on the loss of his mother by the Shabsove family.

Mazal Tov to: Mendy Taller on the birth of his grandson Riley by the Shabsove family.

JONATHAN, MATTHEW AND ADAM SHERMAN B’NAI MITZVAH FUND In memory of: Harry Kofsky by Randi, Ian, Jonathan, Matthew and Adam Sherman.

NOAH ZELIKOVITZ B’NAI MITZVAH FUND In memory of: Harry Kofsky by Evan, Lenora, Noah and Arielle Zelikovitz.

Contributions may be made online at www.OJCF.ca or by contacting Jessica Borenstein 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.

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

Deadline: Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

June 18, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 35

Torah High NCSY Seventeen Ottawa teens spent the Victoria Day long weekend in Chicago for an NCSY Youth Convention. (From left) Yona Steinman, Josh McCarthy, NCSY Ottawa Executive Director Bram Bregman, Shmuel Prizant, Eric Buckshon, Matthew Silverman, Ethan Sabourin and Gabriel Hamburg.

Torah High’s Jewish leadership class had a Skype session, May 9, with the noted sociologist Steven Cohen of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The class chose to learn about Jewish affiliation and assimilation and Cohen is considered one of the world leaders in this field. Cohen told them Jewish education from kindergarten to Grade 12 was the greatest determining factor of Jewish engagement and affiliation.

Ottawa Police Service visits Jewish community OTI students vs. Ottawa Police The Ottawa Police Service hosted Ottawa Torah Institute (OTI) students, April 26, for their annual ball hockey game. The police defeated OTI 11-5. Among the spectators was Chief Charles Bordeleau, pictured on the far left with the OTI students. Also pictured are referee Jon Braun on the far right and OTI’s (Photo: Issie Scarowsky) volunteer goalie Glen Guillet in the centre.

The Ottawa Police Service held an information event with the Jewish community, May 30, at the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building.

Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau (left) and Mitchell Bellman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, are pictured listening to a presentation by Councillor Eli El-Chantiry, chair of the Police Services Board.

(Photo: Michael Regenstreif)

Yarchei Kallah Rabbi Ari Galandauer leads a class during Yarchei Kallah last year. JET’s weeklong educational extravaganza returns for a 15th year July 9 to 14. Visit jetottawa.com or call 613-798-9818, ext. 247 for more information or to register.

Page 36 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – June 18, 2012

WHAT’S GOING ON June 18 to July 22, 2012

CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE Jun 22 Jun 29 Jul 6 Jul 13 Jul 20 Jul 27 Aug 3 Aug 10

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡

8:39 pm 8:35 pm 8:33 pm 8:30 pm 8:17 pm 8:17 pm 8:08 pm 7:58 pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 19 CAARI program information meeting: Canadian American Active Retirees in Israel hosts a presentation on this travel program to Israel for people aged 50 and up. Travel dates January 10 to February 27, 2013. Meet with Susan Horwitz, CAARI program director in Israel, and CAARI Canadian alumni, 7:30 pm. Info: 613-2263311.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 Sizzlin’ Summer Patio Party, a fundraiser in support of the Glebe Shul.

Sponsor packages available, home of Ross Diamond and Sarah LaFreniere, 86 Merton Street,

For more community listings, visit jewishottawa.com Select “Click to see more months”

6:00 pm. Info: 613-7989818, ext. 247.

Congregation Beth Shalom Town Hall Meeting to provide an update on the future of the congregation.

RSVP requested, 151 Chapel Street, 7:00 pm.

RSVP and info: 613-7893501, ext. 221.

Library, and AJA 50+ members, 1:00 pm. Info: 613798-9818, ext. 245.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24 Shalom Ottawa, our community television program on Rogers 22, 12:00 pm. (Repeats June 25 at 6:00 pm and June 27 at 6:30 pm.)

JULY 9 TO 14 JET’s 15th Annual Yarchei Kallah, Jewish Educational Extravaganza with special guests Rabbi Dovid Zauderer of Toronto and Dr. Jonathan Lasson of Baltimore. Classes run week-long during the day (at Hillel Lodge) and evening (at SJCC) on a variety of topics. Shabbaton at Congregation Beit Tikvah, 15 Chartwell Avenue.

Info: www.jetottawa.com or 613-798-9818, ext.

247.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 “The Boys,” part of the Greenberg Families Library Film Series, examines the lives of Robert and Richard Sherman, the prolific Academy Award-winning songwriting team. Open to SJCC, Greenberg Families

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 Jewish National Fund of Ottawa Annual General Meeting, 237 Coltrin Road, 6:30 pm. Info: 613-7982411.

MONDAY, JULY 16 19th Annual Jewish Federation of Ottawa Golf Tournament, Rideau View Golf Club, 6044 Rideau Valley Drive North, Manotick.

Info: 613-798-4696, ext.

241.

TUESDAY JULY 17 “A Matter of Size,” part

of the Greenberg Families Library Film Series, is a comedy set in Israel about a group of overweight men who turn to Sumo wrestling to obtain respect in life.

Open to SJCC, Greenberg Families Library, and AJA 50+ members, 1:00 pm.

Info: 613-798-9818, ext.

245.

COMING SOON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1 2nd Annual Jewish Federation of Ottawa Women’s Golf Tournament, Canadian Golf and Country Club, 7800 Golf Club Way (formerly Highway 7), Ashton.

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

Unless otherwise noted, activities take place at The Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private.

This information is taken from the community calendar maintained by the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre. Organizations which would like their events to be listed, no matter where they are to be held, should send the information to InfoCentre coordinator Benita Siemiatycki via e-mail at bsiemiatycki@jewishottawa.com or fax at 613-798-4695. She can also be reached by telephone at 613-798-4644. Accurate details must be provided and all events must be open to the Jewish public.

Condolences Condolences are extended to the families of: Yetta Arron (née Weinstein) David Binder Deborah Breathross (née Flatt) Jack Goldhamer, Cornwall (father of Barbara Goldhamer) Rose Konick (née Greenberg) Donald Ladouceur Beverly Libin, British Columbia (mother of Jennifer Kardash) Sydney Lithwick, Montreal (brother of Freda Lithwick and father of David Lithwick) Norma Shugar

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

JEWISH MEMORIAL GARDENS

JULY 4 FOR JULY 23 AUGUST 1 FOR AUGUST 20 AUGUST 15 FOR SEPTEMBER 10*

Your one-stop resource centre for funeral planning

* Community-wide Issue (all dates subject to change)

613-688-3530

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