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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. 18 september 10, 2012

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Mitchell Bellman: Federation CEO announces resignation

By Alex Baker Mitchell Bellman, president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa for the past 15 years, has announced he will step down.

Bellman submitted his resignation to the Federation Board of Directors on August 22 and informed Federation staff of his decision the following morning.

“I think the time is right,” Bellman told the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. “I want to find a new challenge and this allows the community to benefit from new ideas and new relationships. “ It’s an opportunity for someone to come in and help the community move forward, to address the most pressing challenges and issues the community is facing.”

The 45-year-old Bellman will stay on with the Federation for the time

being, likely through the time necessary to find and put in place a CEO for the flagship organization of Ottawa’s Jewish community.

“I love this community and my first preference would be to remain in Ottawa, but I want to take my time and explore all my options. When you try to reinvent yourself, that takes time, and I want to do it right,” said Bellman, when asked about his future plans.

The decision to leave the Federation did not come easy, but Bellman expressed satisfaction with his tenure and his accomplishments.

“I’ve witnessed some great moments in the history of the community and the Jewish people,” he said.

“When I reflect on my time here, the thing that really sits with me is all the relationships my wife and I developed over the years, the sense of community here, the sense of togetherness. There

are so many things that divide us into smaller groups, but we’ve stayed together and worked to create those bonds.

“This is a very special place and I hope we won’t become a community of communities.”

The job of announcing Bellman’s departure to the community fell to Federation Chair Debbie Halton-Weiss, who was effusive in her praise for the long-time CEO. “Mitchell led the Federation through a period of incredible growth.

He joined the organization just as a capital campaign was being launched to raise funds to build a new campus.

He oversaw the development of the new Jewish Community Centre and long-term care centre and the move of the community’s institutions to the new west-side campus,” she wrote (Continued on page 2)

Mitchell Bellman has submitted his resignation after 15 years as president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa.

Emerging Generation Campaign aims to increase engagement of young adults in community

By Alex Baker Dan Shugar and Shayna Miller are the co-chairs of the Emerging Generation Campaign, a division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Annual Campaign. The division will focus on attracting new social and financial contributions from young adults in the community.

“The idea of the campaign is to try to get a younger generation involved in the maintenance of,

and contributing to, our community, to make it the community it should be,” said Miller, a consultant at Ernst & Young.

Together with Sam Banks, the Federation’s director of Initiatives for the Emerging Generation, Shugar and Miller have become key players in the effort to involve more of the city’s young Jewish families, young professionals and students.

“A lot of this started with

openOttawa. Ever since, the emerging generation has been more involved in the community,” said Shugar, a paramedic with the City of Ottawa. “With more going on, we created a campaign where we can reach out to the emerging generation based on having a peer group involved in the Annual Campaign.”

One issue that needed to be determined was defining the emerging generation.

“It’s less of a number or demographic, more of what the emerging generation is now becoming capable of. Essentially, it’s the people who are shaping the community over the next decade,” Miller said.

“There are two different groups: a big group that has made use of programs and initiatives that are out there – which is a much easier group to bring in – (Continued on page 2)

Shayna Miller, co-chair of the Emerging Generation Campaign.

(Photo: Valerie Keeler)

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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

‘A passionate Jewish professional and strategic leader’ (Continued from page 1)

in an announcement emailed to the community.

“He is an inspirational leader who is able to convey the connection of Jews to Israel and show how those bonds could be used to strengthen our own Jewish community in Ottawa.

“Mitchell is a passionate Jewish professional and an outstanding strategic leader. He carried out his responsibilities with the highest integrity and, despite facing many challenging situations, he never lost his calm and rational approach to problem solving.”

Despite his sense of optimism,

Bellman said it will be tough to leave the Federation.

“I really feel a sense of camaraderie here. I told the staff I was very proud of the work we’ve done and the relationships we’ve built. There are organizations where the CEO is feared, but here nobody fears me, no one would be

afraid to make a joke at my expense.”

The Federation Board of Directors has begun planning its search for a new leader.

“Our top priority is to identify a new CEO who will help the organization continue to grow and thrive as it serves the interests of

Ottawa’s Jewish community,” wrote Halton-Weiss.

“There are a lot of young Jewish professionals out there. When you’re looking for a new CEO, you want someone who makes up for the deficiencies of the last person. So I’ve left them a lot to work with,” Bellman said with a smile.

openOttawa Road Hockey Tournament

Dan Shugar, co-chair of the Emerging Generation Campaign, participaties in the road hockey tournament, August 19.

Emerging Generation campaign launched (Continued from page 1)

There was lots of action and a good time was had by all at the openOttawa Road Hockey Tournament held August 19 on the Jewish Community Campus in support of initiatives for the emerging generation in Ottawa’s Jewish community.

(Photos: Peter Waiser)

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and the other group, which is not aware of the Federation and what they do. This is a harder group to engage, but that’s our challenge.”

This new campaign has already begun to bring in new people. The road hockey tournament on August 19 was a great success and is cited as a model for the type of secular, non-denominational programming that will attract new involvement.

The challenge is to connect with an increasingly fragmented younger generation and convince them to both participate in programming and contribute financially.

“There are so many different networks within the emerging generation right now – people in university and grad school, people who play on sports teams together, people who grew up in the city together. There are all different pods of people,” said Shugar.

“But there’s someone within every network who does understand what the Federation does and can do, and they’re the people we need,” said Miller.

Considering the two co-chairs are already finishing each other’s sentences, the future appears bright.

“I know success is going to be measured in a dollar amount,” said Shugar, “but a huge measure of success will be how many people are donating for the first time, coming to an event for the first time and building awareness of the campaign for the first time.

“I’m excited to see how this plays out over the next few months.”

For more information about the Emerging Generation Campaign, or to become involved, contact Sam Banks at sbanks@jewishottawa.com or 613-7984696, ext. 270.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 3

shana tova

Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

New staff working with Jewish university students at Hillel Ottawa

By Alex Baker Hillel Ottawa, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, has appointed three new staff to begin the 20122013 school year.

Scott Goldstein is the new executive director, Emile Scheffel is Israel advocacy co-ordinator and Noah Borer is student life co-ordinator. With the new school year already begun, they are working with Jewish student leaders and Jewish organizations at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.

“Our focus is making sure Hillel is accessible for students – in terms of both the student leadership and everyday students, and is creating empowerment and

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lasting connections with the Jewish community,” said Goldstein, who recently moved to Ottawa from Sudbury with his wife, Zahava, and sons Yehuda, 10, and Ben, 6. “We’re here to provide the support that’s needed for them to succeed and to make connections with Judaism and Israel.”

Goldstein grew up in Israel after making aliyah with his family at age five.

After studying to be an addiction counsellor in Israel, he moved to Sudbury to help his father-in-law open a series of addiction clinics and take psychology at Laurentian University.

There, he founded a Jewish student association, which became part of Hillel.

“While I was at Laurentian, I met some other Jews and was surprised to discover I wasn’t the only one, so I started a Jewish student association,” he says. “A year after that, Hillel approached us and asked if we were interested in becoming part of the nation-

Hillel Ottawa staff (from left): Emile Scheffel, Scott Goldstein, Noah Borer.

al organization.

Now, switching over to an organization that works and deals with students is something I was familiar with.”

Scheffel said the Israel advocacy position interested him both because of his connection to Ottawa and previous work he has done on behalf of Israel. Originally from Kamloops, B.C.,

Jewish Cemeteries in Ottawa Information Session The Jewish Memorial Gardens is holding a community information session to discuss: •

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This is the community’s opportunity to ask important questions.

Date:

October 11

Time:

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Place:

Soloway JCC, Social Hall A

RSVP:

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Scheffel attended Carleton University, where he became involved with the Israel Awareness Committee.

“I got involved mainly because of personal experience – experiences that showed me anti-Semitism is still a live issue on campuses, one that is often cloaked in anti-Israeli sentiment,” Scheffel said. “We did a really good job as a team, doing what needed to be done to fight back against anti-Israel sentiment.

“I know Ottawa pretty well, and the advocacy landscape at the universities here, so it was a job I could come into knowing the players and the opportunities.”

Borer is the lone Ottawa native on the new staff. He,

too, has experience working with student organizations in Canada and the U.S. A graduate of Toronto’s Humber College broadcast television and videography programs, Borer spent two years working in the television industry in Los Angeles. As an intern for a marketing company this sum-

mer, he travelled to 40 different college campuses in 25 states to meet with leaders of Jewish organizations.

This experience, he said – combined with his time spent as the head of the counsellor-in-training program at Camp Kadimah in Nova Scotia – gives him a broad network of contacts and a familiarity with young Jews in Canada and the U.S. “One of the major things we want is for Jewish students to be comfortable using Hillel Ottawa as a platform to be Jewish and to be Jewish on campus. We want students to be able to be proud of being Jewish and use our events and meet other Jewish students. It’s not just making events for the campuses, it’s also for the larger community. I’m excited to get on campus and go in the trenches and work with them.”

Hillel Ottawa is located at 284 Laurier Street. Call 613-236-2345 for further information.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 5

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Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Bridging generations: Honouring the past and looking to the future The Jewish Federation of Ottawa will provide opportunities in the coming months for past leaders and major stakeholders to feel involved, informed and recognized in our community.

Reflecting on this initiative, I thought of a trip my entire family took in 1989 to what was then Czechoslovakia, where my parents were born but had not returned for 50 years, my father being the sole survivor of a prosperous Czech Jewish family. Although the Berlin Wall was about to topple, a communist state still greeted us. It was an amazing journey into our family history and, when we proudly sang Shabbat blessings at a rooftop restaurant in Prague, we all instinctively understood that Hitler had not succeeded. Our family survived, thrived and returned.

A day or two after arriving home, I received a call from Jewish Family Services asking me to greet two Czech families soon to arrive in Ottawa who needed a host family to provide support and act as mentors as they began their new life. The caller was not aware of either my recent travels or my background.

Greeting Yana and Rena, their husbands

and children at the airport, with all their belongings, and dropping them off at a rundown but clean hotel, I knew, but for the grace of God, that could have been me and my family walking off that plane. I felt so privileged and blessed to be in a position of giving what I could to these talented and educated young families so they might reach their potential.

That was the first time I really understood how I was in the enviable position of being able to mentor and support others, as well as having a unique opportunity to bring my past and present together in a meaningful and productive way to help those two families embrace their own brighter futures in Ottawa.

Five years later, my family travelled to London, where my parents had survived the War, to experience the next chapter in their lives. There, my father spoke of the 1948 Olympics and how privileged he felt to attend many of the events.

I was reminded of those two trips as I watched the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games this summer.

With my family, I waited with great anticipation to find out who would carry the

Federation Report

torch to light the Olympic flame. We watched sports celebrity David Beckham hand the torch to Steven Redgrave, a fivetime Olympic gold medal rowing champion, who was given the honour of running into the stadium with the torch held high to the thunderous applause of 80,000 spectators.

But it was who he handed the torch t that reminded me of how important and inspiring it can be to remember our past while embracing our future.

A group of seven young British athletes, aged 13 to 23, stood with pride and anticipation as the torch was given to them. Passing the flame from one to the other, they ran together around the stadium as representatives of their generation and as the hope for the future.

Each of the seven young people was nominated by a mentor, a past Olympic medal winner. The mentors, ranging in age from 35 to 73, had a unique opportunity to mentor, advise and support an up-and-coming young athlete and help symbolize the 2012 Olympic motto, “Inspire a generation.”

“Wow,” I thought to myself. This Olympic organizing committee got it right:

Debbie Halton-Weiss Chair Honouring the past and looking forward to the future, recognizing the importance of bridging the generations by providing the opportunity for engagement, relationship building and involvement by all participants.

This is what the Federation will be doing over the coming months as we involve past leaders and major stakeholders. We will welcome their expertise and experience to advise, support, inspire and mentor our next generation and others, hopefully striking the fine balance between embracing the future and acknowledging the past.

As we approach the Jewish New Year, a time of reflection and renewal in the Jewish world, we should remind ourselves of how lucky we are with all that we have in our community, with its strong foundation and history, and find a way to support one another so our future will go from strength to strength.

From our home to yours, Ron and my children join me in extending wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.

The sun, the rain, and what we should have asked for At the very outset, my warmest wishes to you all for a happy, joyful, prosperous and nahat-filled year.

Every year, around Rosh Hashanah, we do a Year in Review exercise, wherein we try to identify the main stories of the year.

Everyone has their own take on what is the leading story and, from the time of my writing until the time you read this, everything may have changed.

At the risk of rendering this message irrelevant, my vote goes to the drought. And here is why.

This summer, for sun lovers, was pure heaven. There was hardly any rain and the forecasts usually had a POP (probability of precipitation) of next to zero. It was not only an open invitation to enjoy the outdoors, it allowed people to plan, with almost a guarantee, there would be no cancellation of the cookout, golf, tennis or outing. What could be better than that? To say it was ideal is to understate the bliss.

But, and there was a big but. The farmers! For them, this was a summer from hell.

The crops were affected and, for many, their livelihood was in jeopardy. Some gave up on farming altogether. At the same time others were gloating, farmers were agonizing.

During this crisis, there was precious little we could do tangibly for the farmers.

We were faced with an interesting and challenging dilemma. Not that it would make a difference for farmers, the question facing

From the pulpit Rabbi Reuven Bulka Machzikei Hadas us was, what should we wish for? Should we wish for more sunshine, or should we wish for incessant rain, which would help the farmers, but ruin our summer?

It was not a question many people asked in July. But it is not too late to ask, what should we have wished for – more sun or more rain?

“What difference does it make?” you might ask.

For farmers, precious little. For us, an enormous amount.

Imagine a family about to embark on a camping trip. Just before, the parents gather the children and, together, they pray for rain.

“But the rain will ruin our trip,” say the kids.

“Yes,” say the parents, “but it will help our struggling farmers.”

What a beautiful lesson in transcendent thinking this is. What an enormous affect it can have on the family. Adults and children together experience the uplifting thrill of true caring.

Are there any doubts that people who think like this are more likely to volunteer, to give of their time, to give of their resources, to help others?

“Good point,” you say. “But what does this have to do with Rosh Hashanah?”

Everything! Because we gather together on Rosh Hashanah to pray for the entire world, it is judgment time for everyone. And we desire the best for every well-meaning, peace-loving person.

The prayers of the day, referred to in the

prayer book (Mahzor) as the birthday of humankind, are for God’s mercy to be upon everyone. Are there any doubts that, if we pray for the good of everyone, we will be inspired to carry that prayer forward into action, or at least be more likely to do so?

Yes, for me, the drought is the leading story. It is a story with a past and a future. It plants the seeds for our becoming more caring as individuals and as a group. All we need to do is water the seeds.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 7

United Church takes anti-Israel stance despite members’ opposition The General Council of the United Church of Canada (UCC) – the largest Protestant denomination in the country – met here in Ottawa three weeks ago. As noted in a brief article on page 24, the UCC decided at the conclave to boycott products from Israeli settlements on the West Bank and in eastern Jerusalem after deciding that Israeli settlements are the principal obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

The UCC also apologized to the Palestinians for having once passed a resolution asking them to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

The UCC passed its anti-Israel resolutions – based on a UCC working group’s report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which placed almost all responsibility for the stalemated peace process at Israel’s feet – despite understanding the ramifications the action would have on relations with Canada’s Jewish community and, perhaps more significantly, the one-sided stance does not represent the views of the greater UCC membership.

An independent survey of United Church members – commissioned by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Faithful Witness, a grassroots group of UCC clergy and congregants – was conducted by the Gandalf Group, a leading polling and research firm, in July. Among the survey results were that 78 per cent of UCC members felt the Church should remain neutral on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Editor Michael Regenstreif As well, only five per cent agreed with the UCC working group report’s conclusion that Israeli settlements are the principal obstacle to peace. Only seven per cent believed a boycott would advance the cause of peace and only nine per cent believed favouring one side over the other would strengthen the Church’s credibility as a voice for peace.

Clearly, the vast majority of UCC members rejected the working group’s report and recommendations. The survey results would suggest most UCC members would lend their support to those on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide who advocate and work for peace.

Unfortunately, the UCC General Council did not seem to care about how the overwhelming majority of Church members felt about the issue when it passed its resolutions. And the Council certainly did not seem to care about a rift – perhaps irreparable – it knew would be created between the United Church and the mainstream Jewish community, should it approve the working group report. Jewish organizations, including CIJA and B’nai Brith, warned of such a consequence. So,

too, did a group of nine members of the Canadian Senate, all UCC members. So, too, did Faithful Witness, a group of UCC clergy and members organized by Reverend Andrew Love of Grace St. Andrew’s United Church in Arnprior.

In the wake of the anti-Israel resolutions passed by the UCC General Council, CIJA, in a memorandum to Canadian Jewish community leaders on August 23, called for a complete “moratorium on all dialogue and partnership activities between the institutions of the Canadian Jewish community and the United Church of Canada, its regional conferences, local presbyteries, and individual congregations. This moratorium specifically includes bilateral discussions involving the UCC and Jewish communal institutions, broad interfaith groups in which the United Church is one [of] several partners, and educational activities.

We ask the rabbinic and lay leadership of the Canadian Jewish community to respect the highest degree of solidarity with this moratorium.”

While calling for the moratorium, CIJA also recognized and thanked those “within the UCC who worked to defeat the General Council resolutions on Israel-Palestine and who spoke out against a boycott of Israeli goods. The Centre Board will consider how and where to maintain contact with those whose principled opposition to the decision to boycott Israeli goods led them to oppose the resolutions.”

A rational analysis of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians shows it is an

extremely complicated situation and the Palestinians – whose authority is divided between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas – bear much of the responsibility for the lack of progress in the peace process. While Israel constantly expresses its readiness to resume negotiations without pre-conditions, it is the Palestinians, sadly, who will not come to the table.

But Palestinian rejectionism, Hamas rockets and Iran’s nuclear threats were not part of the UCC discourse. The UCC General Council also seemed silent on the massacres that come to light almost daily in the brutal civil war in Syria or the repression of Christians in post-revolutionary Egypt. No, it was all about Israel.

Happy New Year As this the Rosh Hashanah communitywide edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, some of you may be reading Ottawa’s Jewish community newspaper for the first time – or for the first time in a long time.

The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin is published 19 times per year and is the best way to keep up with Ottawa’s vibrant Jewish community. Please see the subscription information on page 44.

By the way, we’ve been celebrating our 75th anniversary throughout 2012 with reprinted articles from the past on page 5.

We’ll publish a special 75th anniversary supplement with our November 26 issue just before Chanukah.

On behalf of all of us at the Bulletin, Shana Tova!

‘Believing tomorrow will be just a little bit better than today’ It is a favourite time of year for many of us. That time when the freshness of the air ushers in new beginnings as we look forward to the Jewish New Year, the new school year and the return to our daily routines with renewed hope and optimism.

That being said, it is always wise to be realistic about our hopes and dreams. I have heard it said that, as Jews, we should hope tomorrow is just a little bit better than today. I like the perspective of that.

What I don’t like is what is going on in the world. I am finding my usual September optimistic outlook harder to come by.

I look around and see all kinds of issues to be concerned about. I wonder, very broadly speaking, where the world is going.

The Arab springs, which were celebrated by so many, leave so many serious questions unanswered. The Syrian revolt is the latest that leads to the same basic questions: Who are the revolutionaries?

What comes next? How will democracy, which should be applauded, ultimately affect Israel? As democracy is cheered and encouraged by the world, Israel is

Jason Moscovitz wondering where all this good stuff will lead.

While any hope for democracy is the furthest thing from the minds of the leaders of Iran, the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program is literally the hottest button no one wants pushed. This ongoing dilemma should have the world convinced Israel will conceivably do what it feels it must to protect itself and its people from the threat of a nuclear attack.

In all likelihood, nothing will happen until the end of the American election campaign in November, but the whole Iran thing is just scary and getting scarier by the day.

In Europe, countries are going broke.

The strain on the euro is fierce. The money markets have reflected those trou-

bles for months. How many of our daily conversations begin and end with, “Boy, the markets had another terrible day.”

There is no easy, quick fix for Europe.

In the United States, citizens can still buy as many guns, automatic assault weapons and bullets as they want online or over the counter. They can walk into a movie theatre or a Sikh temple and shoot innocent people at random for no better reason than they just want to, feel they have to, or feel they are entitled to. The lack of gun control in the United States makes it too easy to feel entitled. What a sick thought that, in the aftermath of these shootings, neither presidential candidate would welcome, let alone engage, in a debate over gun control.

The drought this summer, particularly in the United States, will have repercussions. Food costs, across the board, are expected to increase significantly. It is a chain reaction: not enough corn to feed the cattle, so meat prices rise as well.

We can survive a drought – the last big one was not so long ago in 1986 – but is this more than just the drought of 2012? I have followed the debate over global

warming and, while I’ve tended to be on the side of ‘let’s not be alarmist about it,’ I don’t know anymore. Last fall was like summer, last winter wasn’t a winter, and this summer had a lot of heat and little rain. Something is changing and it is not reassuring.

Perhaps it is worth remembering there have been other times in world history when it appeared everything was falling off the rails. The 1930s and 1940s were nothing to write home about. In fact, we are better off today than our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were then, but it is not always easy for us to put things in perspective.

Optimism is such a beautiful thing. It is so much easier to see a glass half full than half empty. So, we can look around at today’s world and say the glass can still be half full, if we choose to believe and remember things are not as bad as they can appear to be, or as bad as they once were.

At this time of year, renewal does not have to be about losing hope. Instead it really can be about believing tomorrow will be just a little bit better than today!

shana tova

Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Mailbag Sucharov’s struggle I respect the intention of Values, Ethics, Community columnist Mira Sucharov to comprehend the Arab Palestinian perspective on life in Israel and in the Palestinian territories (Struggling to explain the occupation, July 23). But, unless we are absolutely determined to fall all over ourselves in condescending to the Palestinian narrative, we should be able to see that the full and sufficient reason for the present suffering of the Palestinian Arab population is the sheer, cussed refusal to admit the right of Israel to exist.

The fact that Israel is required, even to this day, to maintain a military presence at all times, as well as a right to escalate that presence in times of exceptional terrorism, follows from a fateful decision made in a moment of time by the Arab nations. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly, by a two-thirds vote, called for the partition of the Mandate of Palestine, held then by Britain, into “a Jewish state” and “an Arab State.” While official Jewish voices accepted the judgment of the UN, the official Arab voices refused to admit Jewish title to any part of Palestine, and thereupon appealed to the God of War. To this day, they remain unready to repent their original decision.

There is an ugly side to the occupation by Israel of some parts of the Palestine Mandate that had been intended by the UN to go into “an Arab State.” That was the original two-state solution.

The outcome of the several wars that followed is that Israel now has title to a larger state than envisioned by the UN resolution and the Arabs are still clamouring for title to it all. While governments everywhere, including our own, have allowed themselves to be double-talked into believing that they are supporting a twostate solution, every Arab government, every recognized representative of Arab and Muslim opinion everywhere in the world (not to mention all the unrecognized ones), promotes the elimination of the Jewish presence from the Middle East. They have already accomplished this goal by force in all of the Arab nations of the region.

I am a Christian, not a Jew. But I do not for a moment imagine I am an outsider to this issue. The life and future of us all depend on our ability to see clearly the legitimacy of Israel’s right to self-defence. Sucharov, imagining there is some possibility of standing above the rival narratives of Arabs and Jews and treating them as equally valid, is simply forgetting history. More basically, she is forgetting the maxim: “If I am against myself, who will then be for me?” The Jews of Germany were slow to learn that maxim. The Christians of Germany were even slower.

Paul C. Merkley Professor Emeritus of History – Carleton University Author of Those That Bless You I Will Bless: Christian Zionism is Historical Perspective

bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com

Blaming one side or the other I read Palestinians can end the ‘occupation’ (Guest column, August 20) by Jess Sadick and Golda Feig Steinman the day after returning from Israel – my third trip there in less than 18 months.

During those trips, I have stayed with Israeli family and friends, and travelled with Arabs (not that this makes me an expert on the subject).

The problem I have with this column, and many others one often finds on Israel and Israeli-Palestinian issues, is it reminds me of old Hollywood cowboy movies. You know the ones – there were guys with white hats, and they were always good, and there were guys with black hats, and they were always bad. If only life were so simple!

The truth is there are not a lot of purely bad and purely good guys out there – some, yes, but by no means the majority. I know from personal observation there are Israelis who have nothing but contempt and hatred for Arabs and Muslims. I have been told by friends who made aliyah many years ago that, indeed, many Israelis share that view. And those attitudes inevitably translate into the policies and behaviour of the state. I also know from personal experience there are Arabs who do not hate Jews. Imagine that!

Israel is an amazing country and its people have accomplished amazing things. And it has held out an olive branch many times.

But that is not the whole story – there is no shortage of blame to go around on this issue. To paraphrase the last sentence in Sadick and Feig Steinman’s column, continuing to blame only one side or the other for the ongoing conflict only further delays the resolution of the conflict.

Ira Greenblatt Agudath Achim Synagogue In March, I received a grant from the City of Ottawa to publish a book about the architecture of Ottawa’s synagogues. The title will be In Search of Sacred Space: The Architectural History of the Synagogue in Ottawa.

Despite an extensive search, I have not been able to locate an image of the interior of Agudath Achim Synagogue, also known as the Rideau Street Shul. [The building, at 417 Rideau Street, was demolished in 1956 after Agudath Achim merged with Congregation Adath Jeshurin to form Congregation Beth Shalom.]

I was wondering if any readers of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin might have – or know someone who has – a picture of a wedding, or any other special event, which took place in the building and might show some of the interior details.

I will be happy to hear from anyone willing to share such a treasure. I can be reached at insearchof305@yahoo.com or 613232-5349.

Hagit Hadaya

Jewish Family Services of Ottawa Annual General Meeting and Installation of Board of Directors and Officers

Honouring Ottawa’s Women of Valour - Eshet Chayil Elaine Rabin Award for Community Service: Anne Mozersky Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented to: Mrs. Vera Gara, Mrs. Elly Bollegraaf, and Mr. David Shentow Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at 7:00 pm. Agudath Israel, 1400 Coldrey Ave.

Please RSVP to 613-722-2225 before October 22

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 9

Federation requests building proposals for vacant land on Kerr Avenue

Advertorial

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND More than trees 613.798.2411

Oliver Javanpour president

Ottawa Negev Dinner honours Foreign Minister John Baird Since 1948, Canadian Negev Dinners have been key fundraisers for many JNF projects across Israel. Originally created to support the development of the Negev desert regions, comprising about 60 per cent of Israel’s land, Negev Dinners now support a variety of agricultural, environmental, recreational and educational projects across Israel. However, the Negev Dinner has always been about more than raising money. Negev Dinners are JNF’s way of honouring people who have contributed to Israel in remarkable ways or recognizing events that have helped shape Israel. Negev Dinners are a way to honour community leaders who understand the challenges Israel faces and take action to overcome those challenges.

I am delighted to announce the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has agreed to be our Negev Dinner honouree. This will be an opportunity to pay tribute to Minister Baird’s success in public service and acknowledge his support of the people and the State of Israel. Minister Baird’s friendship with Israel is widely acknowledged, and we are proud to be given the opportunity to salute his efforts amongst the larger Ottawa community. We are also very pleased to have Rex Murphy as our keynote speaker.

Mr. Murphy is a well-known Canadian journalist whose humour and insight will both inform and entertain us.

Mr. Baird has chosen to support the research and development stations in the Negev, which foster sustainable food sources and help Israel compete in the global agriculture market. They study the unique Negev conditions and develop farming methods specific to this region.

The research carried on here can benefit other countries with similar climate, soil and water challenges. Thanks to these research stations, Israeli farming methods are among the most advanced in the world and are as much of an export as the agricultural products they help to grow. Your contribution and attendance to this year’s Negev Dinner will help advance both the research and the agricultural capacity of Israel.

Save the Date – Tuesday, November 20, 2012 is the date to set aside in your calendar. We are looking forward to an outstanding Negev Dinner and we hope you can participate with us in honouring a great friend of Israel. I’m delighted to share with you that Barbara Farber has graciously agreed to be this year’s Negev Dinner chair. As many of you know, Barbara is a well-known Ottawa business leader, community leader and volunteer, having led several Jewish organizations in our community. We are very lucky to have Barbara’s support, and the team is looking forward to working with her to make this a memorable and successful Dinner.

Sponsorship, Advertising & Tribute Opportunities – This year, there are multiple ways to show your support for the event by sponsoring various components of the Dinner.

As usual, we welcome your tributes and advertising in the Negev Dinner Tribute Book 2012.

For tickets or corporate sponsorship, please call Susan Schwartzman at 613-798-2411 or Gail Grief, Executive Director, Eastern Canada at 1-514-934-0313, ext. 240.

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 Alex Baker With a goal to enhance current facilities and create something that will continue to improve and increase engagement in the community, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa is looking to sell the vacant property on Kerr Avenue across from the Jewish Community Campus and has requested proposals from Jewish community organizations interested in building there.

An information session on the land held by Federation representatives on August 23 was attended by representatives of Tamir and two synagogues, Beth Shalom and Temple Israel.

The session was led by Jewish Community Campus Chair Neil Zaret and Federation CEO Mitchell Bellman.

Attendees were told the successful application to purchase the land will be one that best enhances the community’s ability to engage new members, increases interaction among Jews in Ottawa and with Jews in Israel, builds partnerships between Jewish agencies and commits to the Federation’s vision.

However, Bellman made it clear the Federation will not restrict interested organizations in terms of their ideas for the land, and said it is up to them to propose potential uses and to define how they plan to fit into the overall vision. The discussion also covered the need for a new environmental impact assessment of the land and other required land studies depending on the proposed building project. An environmental impact assessment was last done in 2006, when the land was purchased.

The 49,000 square-foot property runs between Kerr and Carling Avenues and has access from Boyd Avenue. It is two different, though adjacent, plots of land – the first is zoned as Commercial/Mixed Use Zone, Arterial Mainstreet Zone, while the other is Industrial Zone, General Industrial Zone.

Proposals for the purchase of the land must be submitted to the Federation

Deadline to submit proposals for building on the vacant land on Kerr Avenue is September 30.

(Photo: Alex Baker)

by September 30, at which point there will be a 60-day evaluation process. The detailed Request for Proposals can be downloaded from jewishottawa.com.

Any additional inquiries may be directed to Mitchell Bellman at 613-798-4696, ext. 244 or mbellman@ jewishottawa.com, or Neil Zaret at 613-739-7696, ext.18 or nzaret@gmail.com.

Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

shana tova

University of Ottawa student discovers she is Jewish

By Alex Baker Hana Kokanovic is a lovely, intelligent young woman. The 25-yearold University of Ottawa student is working on her master’s thesis and spent much of the summer in Israel on an exchange program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

While many students – particularly Jewish students – visit Israel on such programs, Hana only recently found out she was Jewish.

“It felt like I had this huge hole,” said Hana in an interview with the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin just before she left for Israel. “For so long, I was convinced of something that wasn’t true.”

Hana was born in Sibenik, Croatia – then part of Yugoslavia – during the run-up to the terrible Balkan wars of the early 1990s, which split Yugoslavia into fragments. Her Croatian mother and her father, a Serb serving in the military, had to deal with the tensions associated with being ethnically diverse and belonging, literally, to warring factions.

As a result, they packed up Hana and her infant brother and moved to a Serbian military refugee camp in Kosovo when she was four-and-ahalf. Shortly thereafter, the family

escaped the conflict by immigrating to Canada.

Spending her formative years in Ottawa, Hana remained close to her grandparents and was especially fond of her grandfather, who she describes as an “intelligent and curious man.” It was after his death last November when Hana began to research her family tree and learned of her Jewish heritage.

“I discovered that both my grandparents had ancestors of Polish decent, and there was a wave of Polish Jews going to Croatia at the end of the 1800s,” she said. “I learned that my great-grandparents [on her mother’s side] were Jewish.”

With this discovery, Hana’s image of herself and her family was turned upside down. She has since embarked on a quest to learn as much as she can about her heritage.

“It’s obsessive,” she said. “I can’t stop calling people. I’m practically stalking people!”

This revelation, she said, “has created a domino effect. My mother is now getting in touch with cousins she didn’t know and relatives she hasn’t seen in years.”

Hana found certain aspects of her life that never seemed to have special significance, like puzzle pieces

slotting into place, began to make sense.

An example, she said, was her name.

“I was the first person from Sibenik to ever be named Hana. My mother told me she had always had a suspicion we might be Jewish, but she never knew for sure, so that’s how she named me.”

As Hana discusses her life story, she is relaxed, leaning back in her chair in a quiet coffee shop. But, when she begins to relate the discoveries she has made through her genealogical research, she is immediately at the edge of her seat, eyes wide and bright and her voice exuding excitement. Nurturing the seed of her family tree, it has blossomed from a thin vine into a bushy shrub, with offshoots growing every day.

From a cousin named Oskar Morawetz – “a musical genius who came to Canada during the Second World War” – to a 101-year-old great-aunt living in the U.S. with the same name as her father, there are still many branches to the family tree obscured in the foliage of wartime immigrations and forced evacuations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

For Hana Kokanovic, the journey of discovery is just beginning.

Hana Kokanovic explores a Jerusalem bazaar during a student exchange at Hebrew University.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 11

Tamir seeks permanent solution for residents of Van Lang complex

By Alex Baker In light of a violent stabbing incident, August 22, in a community housing apartment building that is home to 25 Tamir residents, the organization has called for in-creased security in the building and is looking for a permanent solution to get out of the troubled tenement.

Police responded to the mid-afternoon stabbing on the seventh floor at 31 Van Lang Private in Westboro while the Tamir participants were away on a day-trip. The victim was recovering from critical injuries in hospital at the time of publication and a warrant has been issued for the arrest of a 35-year-old man.

This was not the first violent incident in the building.

In June 2010, police shot a 19-year-old man on the ninth floor.

“Unfortunately, a situation like this brings to light these issues that are happening every day,” said Tamir Executive Director Mark Palmer.

“We’ve had issues of theft, assault, drug dealing, prostitution and harassment on a number of levels, and we have pleaded with them [the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCH), the city-owned entity that owns and administers the complex] to improve security and surveillance. They tend

The Ottawa Community Housing Corporation building at 31 Van Lang Private, home to several Tamir participants, has been poorly maintained and has been the (Photo: Alex Baker) scene of several violent incidents.

to improve security for a short time and then it drops off.”

Tamir participants have been living in the Van Lang complex since 1992, when circumstances were significantly different than today.

“This was state-of-the-art social housing when we first moved in,” Palmer said. “In

the heart of Dovercourt, it was a great solution at the time. Fast forward 20 years and the building has deteriorated with respect to safety, security and upkeep.

“When you deal with social housing, you’re going

to have some undesirable elements. How do you mitigate problems and reduce issues? There is very poor pride-of-place on the part of the tenants there.”

According to Palmer, the OCH, which houses approximately 32,000 people in nearly 15,000 locations throughout Ottawa, has not done enough to maintain the Van Lang complex and ensure the safety of residents, despite repeated petitions by Tamir.

“What we have done is we have gone door-to-door to talk to as many residents as we can and we have indicated to them it appears to be an isolated incident,” said JoAnne Poirier, chief executive officer of OCH. “As a landlord, we think it’s important to provide assurances. When we tell tenants we’re aware and we’re stepping up patrols and working with Ottawa police, it provides reassurances, and we reiterate our tenants have a responsibility to be our eyes and ears in the building, to take ownership.”

However, Palmer said this is not enough. Besides the security and integrity of the building, a 2009 letter to Poirier alleged random acts of vandalism to cars in the parking lot, backed up garbage shoots, unsanitary

conditions on balconies due to pigeon droppings, a cockroach infestation, and cracked and damaged plumbing and fixtures, among other problems.

“To OCH’s credit, they have made some improvements with regards to pest control, garbage pick-up and minor improvements to the building,” Palmer said.

“There have been some real successes in rooting out the criminal element, but it’s not easy to evict people. We are not optimistic that things will dramatically improve – it is clear that OCH is not going to address these problems sufficiently.”

As a result, Tamir has turned its attention to a longterm solution, pinning its hopes on the creation of a new “integrated living complex” beside the Jewish Community Campus.

Tamir is crafting a proposal to buy the vacant land

for sale on Kerr Avenue, for which the Jewish Federation of Ottawa is soliciting proposals from Jewish organizations.

“As our people are aging, we cannot care properly for them in that facility. The average age of Tamir residents is 57,” said Palmer of the developmentally disabled inhabitants of Van Lang, who run the gamut from those able to live with a certain amount of independence, to those requiring around-theclock care.

“These people are among the most vulnerable citizens of our community and we hope, with the leadership of the community, we can provide a real, long-term solution, which is to build our own independent living centre on the Kerr land site.

“But we will go to ‘plan B’ if necessary. A real, lasting solution is not an OCH future.”

shana tova

Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

JET announces fall programs and High Holiday services

By Ilana Albert-Novick JET “The High Holidays are a time when many people are looking to connect in a meaningful way with their Jewish roots and heritage,� said Rabbi Zischa Shaps of Jewish Education through Torah (JET).

JET offers inspirational, educational and experiential High Holiday services that appeal to Jews of all backgrounds.

What does this mean? “It doesn’t matter if you can read Hebrew or not,�

Rabbi Shaps said, “Explanations of the structure and meaning of the service are

provided throughout – and questions are encouraged.

JET’s unique service is innovative and traditional at the same time. And, as an aside, JET does offer a crash course in Hebrewreading throughout the year.�

JET is in its eighth year of hosting High Holiday services. Joining Rabbis Zischa Shaps and Michael Goldstein in leading the services will be JET’s newest staff member, Rabbi Tuvia Hoffman. Rabbi Hoffman has led High Holiday services in a tent in Montreal, which attracted more than 300 people.

MARK S. BORTS Insurance & Financial Services Mark S. Borts, B. Comm., CFP, CLU, CH.F.C, RHU Telephone: 613 565 6275 Facsimile: 1 866 267 5635 Cell: 613 851 1198 mark@bortsfinancial.com Suite 350-117 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5X3

JET’s High Holiday services will be held for people of all ages, including youngsters, in the social hall of Young Israel of Ottawa at 627 Kirkwood Avenue.

Babysitting will be available. Call JET at 613-7989818, ext. 247, to reserve your spot.

Other JET programs being offered this fall include Friday night services at the Shaps home and a variety of classes and oneon-one learning sessions for all levels. “JET gave me the ability to converse with my family on a different level,� said Evie Miller of her experiences with JET classes. “Now, when my kids ask questions, I usually have the answers and can hold my own. I also have a place I can turn to if I don’t have the answers.�

JET is also well known for its Jewish Women’s Renaissance trip to Israel. “The JET trip gives me the opportunity to learn from intelligent, dynamic

The Ottawa Chapter wishes all our donors, families and friends a very Healthy and Happy New Year

Shana Tova - 5773

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

Magen David Adom is not only emergency vehicles. • Magen David Adom provides emergency, medical and disaster services. • Magen David Adom is responsible for all of Israel’s blood services. • Magen David Adom maintains a lifesaving network.

Magen David Adom must constantly replenish all of its medical equipment and supplies. With your help and support, Israel’s second line of defense will go further.

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Rabbi Zischa Shaps (centre) with participants in a JET crash course in reading Hebrew.

Jewish leaders – spiritual, religious, political and cultural – and to continue the experience at home with a community of wonderful Jewish women in Ottawa on parallel journeys,� said Lynda Taller-Wakter, who will be going on her second JET trip to Israel in November. “JET has very simply triggered my interest in text-based learning and fostering more joy in Judaic discussion, debate and tradition around our diningroom table.�

The Glebe Shul, a JET program for young professionals, offers Shabbat din-

ners, parties, barbecues, classes and even a running club. The Glebe Shul’s Rabbi Michael and Stacy Goldstein have welcomed hundreds of young Jewish

adults into their home and into their lives.

Visit jetottawa.com and glebeshul.com for more information about JET and Glebe Shul programs.

See page 44 for details on how to subscribe to the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 13

Daniel Altshuller may be the next Jewish NHLer

By Alex Baker Jewish players in the NHL are a rare breed with Mike Cammalleri, Jeff Halpern, Mike Brown and Stephen Weiss among the current stars.

The next to join that exclusive list might well be Ottawa’s own Daniel Altshuller.

Currently a goaltender with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, he was picked in the third round of the 2012 NHL entry draft, 69th overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Altshuller, 17, a six-foot, three-inch Nepean native who played for the Nepean Raiders junior-A team, was the sixth goalie taken in the draft and said he is proud to be joining the Hurricanes organization.

“It’s an honour to get picked at all. When it came down to that day at the draft, I just wanted to get picked,” the modest Altshuller told the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin a few weeks after the draft, upon his return from a prospect camp in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“It’s great to be drafted into an organization like Carolina’s.”

Attending the June 23 entry draft in Pittsburgh with his parents and friends, Altshuller described the thrill of hearing his name called.

“It was a great experience. When you’re there, there’s a lot of buzz going around.

You see all the team personnel and the current players,” he said. “When I heard my name called, it was a hard-to-believe feeling. I had to kind of double-check with my family there – I said, ‘Is that what actually happened?’ It’s a really happy and exciting moment.”

Of course, it was also a mother’s dream come true.

“It was amazing,” said Sheryl Altshuller.

“We’ve seen him go from Timbits to getting drafted into the NHL. We tried not to think about it too much. Just go to practices, focus on games and not worry about it. Let

it take care of itself. But, now, it’s an amazing feeling.”

As if that moment wasn’t enough, Altshuller was introduced to one of the greatest hockey players of all time, current ‘Canes executive Ron Francis, as well as former all-star Cory Stillman.

“Right after the draft, I got to go to the team’s room and shake the hands of great hockey players,” he said. “Then I went down for the rookie camp for a week after the draft and got to go on the ice and learn from Stillman and Francis. They are great at communicating and they try to teach you as much as they can.

“The main thing I took away is how much hard work it will take to get to the next level – I got a glimpse of what NHL players have to do to get to the NHL and stay there.”

Altshuller, who went to Hillel Academy and Ashbury College, also took some time to contemplate what it means to be a Jewish hockey player.

“I feel honoured any way I can to represent Jewish people. I don’t really think about it that much, but I just try and reflect positively. It’s just like how you want to represent your country. You want to set a good example, regardless.”

Being a Jewish athlete, as anyone familiar with former baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax can attest, sometimes demands sacrifices.

“Our family practises the high holidays, and I had to miss a road trip last year for Yom Kippur,” he said. “It’s sometimes hard to keep all the commitments when you’re away from home and living with a billet.”

Altshuller made sure to acknowledge all the coaches and other people who have helped him throughout his young career.

And, with the real possibility of a longterm career in hockey, there may be many more High Holiday dilemmas in his bright future.

Shana Tova to our friends in the Ottawa Jewish Community Paul Dewar Member of Parliament / député Ottawa Centre Constituency Office / Bureau de circonscription 304-1306 Wellington Ottawa, ON K1Y 3B2

613-946-8682 paul.dewar@parl.gc.ca • www.pauldewarmp.ca

Daniel Altshuller was in nets for the Oshawa Generals when they faced the Ottawa 67’s on October 15, 2011.

(Photo: Ian Goodall)

shana tova

Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Elissa Iny to receive Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award

By Francie Greenspoon Elissa Iny, a devoted community volunteer and leader, will receive the Kipnis-Wilson/ Friedland Award at the International Lion of Judah Conference, September 10, in New York City.

Established in 2004, the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award recognizes extraordinary women who set a high standard for philanthropy and volunteerism in their communities. The award was created in recognition of Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland, founders of the Lion of Judah. The Lion of Judah pin has become a symbol of a woman’s commitment to the worldwide Jewish community.

Over many years, Elissa has served Ottawa’s Jewish community in a variety of roles and on many boards and committees.

In 1976, Elissa was named Rookie Canvasser of the Year and has continued to be one of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s most dependable canvassers. As a dedicated Lion of Judah, Elissa has been both chair and co-chair of the division many times. In 1986, she co-chaired the Women’s Campaign. She has co-chaired the Lion of Judah Dinner and has been an active recruiter for events such as Southern Hospitality and the International Lion of Judah Conference.

Elissa has volunteered on behalf of Soviet Jewry, State of

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.

Israel Bonds and the National Council of Jewish Women. She was president of the Hillel Lodge Auxiliary for five years and is still an active volunteer with the Auxiliary. Her commitment to the continuity of Ottawa’s Jewish community inspired her to endow her gift as a Lion and to set up funds, together with her husband Avraham, through the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation and the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge. In 2011, Elissa participated in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival as a member of the Sea Lions.

As the proud mother of Michally and Daniel and the devoted grandmother of six, investing in youth and their future is what drives her philanthropy. She was part of a dedicated group of Ottawa Lions who donated funds to bring the PJ Library program to Ottawa. This program helps families raising Jewish children explore core values of Judaism through free books and music.

“I am very proud to receive this award,” Elissa said. “It represents so much about what is important to me. A motivating factor throughout my life has always

Elissa Iny will receive the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award at the International Lion of Judah Conference. (Photo: Francie Greenspoon)

been to reach beyond my own backyard and help others. It feels great to receive an award that validates my work.”

Elissa is one of 13 Ottawa Lions attending the conference.

Ottawa currently has 84 Lions of Judah.

Hillel Lodge Auxiliary invites you to our

ANNUAL TEA AND FUNDRAISER

Sunday, October 21st, 2012 — 2:00 - 4:00 pm 10 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 15

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Shana Tova,

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Richard Roth

Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Guest column

Rethinking High Holiday services for the 21st century

By Bram Bregman NCSY Ottawa A quote often attributed to Albert Einstein says, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

On the High Holidays – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – synagogues typically see their largest crowds of the year. Although thousands of Jews pile into synagogues in Ottawa on these three days, there has been an overall decline in recent years, both locally and across North America.

We need to start asking ourselves why this is happening and what we can do to turn it around.

In decades past, many Jews attended synagogue on High Holidays because they felt an obligation. They felt it was the right thing

to do. The vast majority only attended synagogue on the High Holidays and no other times throughout the year.

In those days, synagogues could run traditional, longer prayer services and Jews would buy tickets and come out. They would come no matter what.

That is no longer the case. This generation of Jews is seeking value.

They want to know they are getting something meaningful and relevant from their synagogue experience.

There is no longer a sense of obligation, which I believe is a good thing, as Jewish identity must be based on personal meaning, not guilt.

I believe we can, and must, turn things around. We can do better.

For starters, we need to change the High Holiday experience – the

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one Jewish experience of the year for many. What they experience is a service that is long and boring. We cannot keep repeating this same service over and over and expect the decline to stop.

Many synagogues in Ottawa and across North America conduct the same High Holiday service today as they did 30 years ago. Choirs and five hour services, which are not understood, do not speak to this generation. We are missing out on a once-a-year opportunity to inspire and connect with these Jews.

Synagogues can maintain the traditional liturgy, but need to start offering shorter High Holiday services with more participation, explanation, dialogue and tunes people can enjoy and sing along with. Many forward-thinking synagogues are now offering multiple services to appeal to different age groups and interests, as well as classes on topics people can relate to, because not everyone connects to prayer services. I know a synagogue that holds a barbecue after Rosh Hashanah services. Many synagogues hand out booklets with articles, stories, insights and jokes

to complement the prayer service. If we want Jews to attend synagogue throughout the year, common sense dictates they must enjoy their time there on the High Holidays.

For the past eight years, I have been running a Teen Alternative Program at my synagogue. It entails a game or activity with a message relating to the High Holidays (and I serve doughnuts, brownies and candy). I started it because I saw most teenagers were being forced to come to synagogue and I wanted to give them a meaningful and fun experience. We need to do this for all Jews. The reason so many do not want to go to synagogue today is because they were forced to do so in their youth and it was not a positive experience for them.

A second, but distinct, thought is my belief those who only attend synagogue once a year would be better coming on fun Jewish holidays like Purim, or Simchat Torah, which is about joy, celebration and dancing. So many Jews today only attend synagogue on Yom Kippur and then associate Judaism with fasting, affliction and suffering.

This is not my Judaism. My Judaism

brings me personal meaning and brings pleasure in this world!

I believe this is why attendance at synagogues has been slowly declining. If, as a community, we continue to push High Holiday attendance as being paramount, we are furthering the idea of Judaism as synonymous with deprivation, long, meaningless services and irrelevance. As a community, we need to encourage Jews to come to synagogue for fun holidays and experience Judaism in a way that resonates with them. We need to offer meaningful and joyous services and activities that inspire – not ones that have us racing for the exit or checking our watches.

I encourage synagogues to rethink how they present Judaism in the once-a-year opportunity they get to have hundreds in attendance.

Synagogues should continue to be important centres of Jewish life, but must start offering innovative prayer services and programs that speak to this generation of Jews.

Together, let’s make Judaism, and synagogues, relevant and meaningful to the lives of every Jew of the 21st century.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 17

Local player represents Israel at European Lacrosse Championships

By Alex Baker Ottawa’s Ben Silverman is back in Canada playing lacrosse for the Bishop’s University Gaiters in Lennoxville, Quebec, where’s he’s a fourth-year student in politics and economics.

Silverman spent last semester at Tel Aviv University. Wanting to continue his involvement with Canada’s national summer sport while he was away, Silverman joined the Tel Aviv Lacrosse Club. Then, in June, he was a member of Israel’s men’s national lacrosse team at the European Lacrosse Championships held in Amsterdam.

It was a hodge-podge of a squad that came together over weeks and months of practices, exhibition matches and bonding experiences across several different countries. It was Israel’s first entry in the European tournament.

“The tournament was an amazing experience,” said Silverman, 21. “Being able to compete at an international level was amazing and, with Israel across my chest, it was even more incredible.

There was a lot of pride for me.”

The players, in their white and blue Magen David-adorned lacrosse uniforms, represented Israel admirably, reaching the quarter-finals before bowing out to the host nation and eventual fourth-place finish-

Ben Silverman on the field for Israel in the European Lacrosse Championships.

(Photo: Larry Palumbo)

er, the Netherlands. England defeated Ireland for the championship, while the bronze medal went to Sweden.

The Israeli team was undefeated in round-robin play, beating Slovakia, France, Norway and Wales to win its division, before being eliminated in the finals.

“There was a big gap, you could say, between skill levels,” said Silverman, who played for Nepean’s Sir Robert Borden Bengals high school team before entering Bishop’s. “There were some glimpses of a very high level of play. Some countries were unbelievable, at the top of the world, and some coun-

tries – like us – were there for the first time.”

Although the Israeli team was a tournament neophyte, the players themselves brought a wealth of skill and experience in lacrosse. According to Silverman, most of the players were athletes who were born in Israel, but had lived in Canada and the U.S. and picked up the sport there.

Noam Goldstein, who grew up in Israel, but spent his teenage years in Ottawa, provided another Canadian connection. Players’ ages ranged from two 16-yearolds to one player who was over 40. As a result, there was a special emphasis on

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team bonding.

In the lead-up to the championships, the team came together for what Silverman called a “miniBirthright,” visiting Masada, the Dead Sea and Ashkelon.

They then travelled to Istanbul for pre-tournament friendlies against the Turkish

and Bulgarian national teams.

They also spent time together exploring the canals and sights of Amsterdam, when they weren’t hanging out with the other teams in the makeshift athletes’ village created by tournament organizers at a campsite 45 minutes from downtown Amsterdam.

“We had a couple of full days to ourselves and, at night, we could go out,” he said. “We went as a team to the Anne Frank Museum wearing our Israel Lacrosse gear. It was a really cool experience to go there as a team.”

To build their roster, Israel Lacrosse successfully petitioned the European Championship organization to allow up to four rosterspot exemptions for players with national family heritage, but who were not necessarily born in Israel. Silverman said he didn’t find out he would be able to play in the tournament until the day before it started.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be

able to participate, because I’m not an Israeli citizen.

But, because of my Jewish ancestry, I was able to prove my family had some ties to Israel,” said Silverman. “We did some paperwork and were able to set a precedent, so I got to play. Essentially, going into the future, the Israeli team will be able to pick four Jewish athletes to play for them.

“Each team had a few guys who took advantage of the exemption rule, so there were a few Americans and Canadians on each team, which is good and will help grow the sport.”

With lacrosse still in its infancy in a country that is fanatical about soccer and serious about basketball, Silverman said it was both a challenge and an opportunity to create excitement around the team’s accomplishment.

“Israelis didn’t know much about the sport,” he said, “but, when we returned and told people about what we’d done, they were amazed.”

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Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

shana tova

INSIGHT INTO JUDAISM

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An Educational & Spiritual Journey Held each Monday evening beginning early Fall of 2012, at Temple Israel, each Insight Into Judaism session will feature a speaker on a specific aspect of Jewish faith, Jewish culture and Jewish life.

Together, we will explore Torah and Talmud, the history of the Jewish people, Jewish holy days, ritual, and life-cycle events. We will cook together, sing together, celebrate “simchas” together, and explore Jewish heritage as it is expressed in film and literature.

Insight Into Judaism includes a weekly Hebrew language component, taught by a native-speaker, that will have all participants comfortably reading the Siddur and common Hebrew prayers.

Insight Into Judaism is ideal for anyone who is interested in learning more about Jewish life and Jewish heritage or for those seeking conversion under Reform auspices.

If you are interested in enrolling in the course or for any other inquires, please contact Tova Brito & Angus Smith. This course runs each Monday evening from October 2012 to June 2013. insightintojudaism@gmail.com 1301 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 1N2 www.templeisraelottawa.ca

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By Percy Ostroff Ottawa Hebrew Free Loan Association For nearly 80 years, the Ottawa Hebrew Free Loan Association (OHFL) has been a vibrant and involved part of Ottawa’s Jewish community.

The OHFL is one of a number of independent Jewish loan associations in cities across Canada that lend money to members of their local Jewish communities on an interest-free basis.

No interest is charged to borrowers, based on the biblical statement, “If you lend money to any of my people, even to the poor with thee, thou shall not be to him as a creditor, neither shall you lay upon him interest (Exodus 22:24).”

According to Maimonides, interest-free loans are among the highest forms of charity because they respect the dignity of borrowers, providing them with a means of self-sufficiency while not saddling them with large debt.

OHFL loans help borrowers become educated, self-reliant and future contributors to Ottawa’s Jewish community.

At its inception in 1933, the OHFL loan limit was a few hundred dollars. Now, loans of up to $4,000 may be made. In special circumstances, loans greater than $4,000 may be made. For families, separate loans to each spouse are possible.

The OHFL strives to maintain the dignity

and privacy of its recipients at all times.

Recipients of an OHFL loan must be at least 18 years of age and a member of Ottawa’s Jewish community. Two acceptable persons must co-sign for the loan. Repayment is made over time by post-dated cheques on an agreed upon payment schedule.

Loans are made to meet an assortment of temporary or emergency financial needs and can be used for such things as medical or dental expenses, a home move or renovation, life cycle events, purchase of tools-of-the-trade, debt consolidation, and legal expenses. Full details on loan requirements are available through the OHFL office.

The OHFL is funded by donations, which are tax deductible and can be made at any time. Tax receipts are issued for donations over $18.

The OHFL is looking at ways to further increase our profile and the assistance we offer to the community.

Individuals interested in a loan or wanting information about donating money or becoming involved in the OHFL are invited to contact us at hebrewfreeloanottawa@gmail.com or 613722-2225, ext. 319. It is a great way to assist members of the community and make a positive and meaningful difference in their lives.

The OHFL meets Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:00 pm, at Jewish Family Services, 2255 Carling Avenue, Suite 300.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 19

Rabbi and rabbinical student to lead OrH High Holiday services

By Michael Salter for Or Haneshamah Or Haneshamah (OrH), Ottawa’s Reconstructionist community, is looking forward to visits from both a rabbi and a rabbinical student and welcomes everyone to join the congregation for services and other events.

The OrH High Holiday services will be led

by Rabbi Marna Sapsowitz and rabbinical student Alanna Sklover.

“I am thrilled to be returning to Or Haneshamah for the Yamim Nora’im, and I look forward to the sacred time we will build together,” said Rabbi Sapsowitz, who led High Holiday services at OrH last year.

Rabbi Sapsowitz has a passion for the revival of liberal/progressive Jewish communities in Eastern and Central Europe and has spent time working with congregations in both Prague and Warsaw. She was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) in 1989 and served Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia, Washington, for 13 years.

Rabbi Sapsowitz later served congregations in Boston and near Seattle in an interim capacity and has been a visiting rabbi at many other congregations.

Beginning in September, Alanna Sklover, now in her sixth and final year of study at the RRC, will be providing spiritual and educational leadership to OrH. She expects to receive her master’s degree in Hebrew letters and be ordained as a rabbi next June.

“I’m passionate about working with mindful Jewish communities and finding ways to marry contemporary values and interests with Jewish tradition and Halachah,” Alanna said.

She describes herself as a dynamic and musical service leader who is comfortable with both traditional nusach and melody and who enjoys creating diverse and meaningful worship experiences.

Rabbinical students working with OrH visit on the first weekend of each month and have a busy schedule. They meet on Friday night with

OrH’s B’nai Mitzvah group, lead Shabbat services, teach adult education sessions on Saturday evening and Sunday morning and typically find time for pastoral care.

Alanna grew up in Washington, D.C. She graduated with a BA in theatre and religion in 2005 from Goucher College in Baltimore where she was deeply involved with Hillel as a worship leader and in governance.

She then spent two years as the full-time youth activities director at Congregation Beth Emeth, a 650-family Reform synagogue in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was a passionate and creative Jewish educator who developed a comprehensive, multi-grade youth program and spent her summers as drama director and later education director at Camp JRF. In 2007, Alanna began rabbinical studies at the RRC in Philadelphia. She spent her required year of academic study in Israel at the Hebrew University and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She remains committed to youth education and camping, and has served as program coordinator for No’ar Hadash, the North American Reconstructionist Youth Movement, developed programming at Machane Ramah Yomi and taught Hebrew and other subjects at several congregations.

Alanna has served as a rabbinic intern at two synagogues – the Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore in Plandome, New York, and Congregation Beth Or near Philadelphia. This past year, she was the rabbinical student at the Germantown Jewish Centre.

Or Haneshamah, an egalitarian and democratic congregation, conducts High Holiday services at two locations in Ottawa. We also offer child care and child-centred family services. High Holiday passes are available for the month of Tishrei, beginning on Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 16, until the end of Simchat Torah on October 9. Visit orh.ca for more information.

AJA 50+ Bridge and Mah-Jongg Fundraiser, November 1

By Dena Speevak for AJA 50+ Whether you are a competitive or social bridge player, a mah-jongg wiz, a scrabble nut, a chess lover, or want to laugh over a game of canasta, there will be a table waiting for you at the AJA 50+ 2012 Bridge and MahJongg Fundraiser. This event promises lots of fun and schmoozing, great door prizes, a 5050 draw, lunch by Creative Kosher Catering, as well as the wonderful opportunity to support the AJA (Active Jewish Adults) 50+ programming enjoyed by more than 450 Ottawa seniors.

The event takes place Thursday, November 1, 11:15 am to 3:00 pm, at Agudath Israel Synagogue and everyone is welcome. Liz Schwartz will oversee duplicate bridge again

and there will be many tables for casual contract bridge, mah-jongg, Scrabble, Wizard, chess and Canasta.

The cost is $40 per person, which includes lunch and prizes. To register, print the registration form at aja50plus.ca on the ‘Special Events’ page or phone Flo Morgan at 613224-8286.

You can also support the fundraiser by becoming a sponsor (tax receipts provided).

Sponsorship categories range from $18 to $500+. For more information or to become a sponsor, contact Steve Rauch at steve.rauch.2006@gmail.com or 613-4226766.

Visit aja50plus.ca to see the current AJA 50+ Program Guide, to obtain a membership form or to find additional information.

shana tova

Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Local golf phenoms to represent Canada at Maccabiah Games in Israel

By Alex Baker After impressing the coach of the Maccabi Canada golf team, two young golfers from Ottawa have been selected to represent Canada at next year’s Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Isaac Lieff and Lewis Miller both shot great rounds of golf at the Elm Ridge Country Club near Montreal, earning invitations to compete in the 2013 Games.

However, the two are no strangers to success on the fairways.

Avid golfers for some time, the pair has been training hard, joining Lewis’ older brother, Aaron, once again, on the Rideauview Junior Intersectional team this year. That trio has contributed to Rideauview’s victories in the past two Ottawa Valley Golf Association Junior Intersectional champi-

onships, winning the tournament for the second year in a row on August 23.

Isaac and Lewis, as well as Aaron and his partner, Adam Johns, also qualified and competed in this summer’s Ottawa Sun Junior Scramble, with Lewis and Isaac winning the tournament.

Earlier this summer, Isaac won the Ottawa Valley Golf Association Junior Match Play tournament and repeated as Rideauview’s junior champion, accomplishments he is especially proud of.

The buzz created in golf circles by Isaac and Lewis’ meteoric rise drew the attention of Maccabi Canada organizers. Even more remarkable is the fact that Isaac has been golfing competitively for just four years, while Lewis only began serious competition a year ago.

(From left) Isaac Lieff, Lewis Miller, Aaron Miller and Adam Johns at the Ottawa Sun Junior Scramble golf tournament.

“I’m going to do whatever I can in the offseason to prepare for the Games in Israel next year,” said Isaac.

“You can’t really golf much in the winter, so I’ll do a lot of dry land training. My dad suggested I take up yoga and become more flexible,

because flexibility is key in golf.”

For Isaac, winning has become contagious, and doing it with his best friend, Lewis, and Aaron, makes it that much sweeter. He is anxious to maintain his level of success. He says there is

nothing better than winning a tournament in front of family.

“I do everything with that trophy,” he said of the prize he was handed upon his victory in the recent Ottawa Valley Golf Association Junior Match Play tournament. “I knew my dad was some-

where on site around the course and I was going to try to play it off all cool, but, as soon as I saw him and our eyes met, I broke out in this huge smile.

“I couldn’t help it. It was the greatest feeling of my life.”

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 21

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Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

shana tova

Community Milestones Diane Koven is proud to announce the marriage of her son, Jeremy Poriah, to Aviva Attis, daughter of David and Margaret Attis of Shediac, NB. The wedding took place on August 5, 2012 at Shediac Bridge, NB. Jeremy and Aviva reside in Toronto.

The Right Honourable Herb Gray (right) was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by Governor General David Johnston in a ceremony on June 26. Mr. Gray was Canada’s first Jewish federal cabinet minister and held several different portfolios, including deputy prime minister. First elected in 1962, he retired in 2002 and was the longest serving member of Par(Photo: MCpl Dany Veillette, Rideau Hall) liament in Canadian history.

On August 11, Erica Bregman was honoured by MPP Yasir Naqvi, Ottawa Centre, at the 4th annual Harmony Iftar dinner at the Jim Durrell Centre, for “truly enriching our community, making it a better place for everyone to live.” Erica works at Jewish Family Services and coordinates the Jewish-Somali Mentorship Program.

Leon Katz (right) was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by Governor General David Johnston in a ceremony on June 26. Among Mr. Katz’s medical device inventions was the first heart-lung pump used in open heart surgery. For the Bureau of Medical Devices (Health and Welfare Canada), he investigated thousands of reports of problems with medical devices and devised solutions to protect the Canadian public.

(Photo: MCpl Dany Veillette, Rideau Hall)

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Jacques J.M. Shore (centre) was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal at a ceremony at Ottawa CIty Hall on July 4.

Mr. Shore recently completed 13 years as a member of the Carleton University Board of Govenrors, including a term as chair. (From left): Senator Vernon White, Mr. Shore and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

Send us notices of your important family milestones – an engagement, wedding, special birthday, birth announcement or other significant events!

Email your photos to: bsilverman@ottawajewishbulletin.com.

Community Milestones will be published on a space-available basis.

Norman Barwin (left) was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by Governor General David Johnston in a ceremony on June 26.

Dr. Barwin is a gynecologist, researcher and medical educator and volunteer who has devoted his life to women’s health and family building. He has also served on the boards of many Jewish community organizations.

(Photo: MCpl Dany Veillette, Rideau Hall)

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 23

Tamir golf ‘fun-raiser’ The 14th Annual Tee-up for Tamir Golf Fun-raiser, August 13 at Rideauview Golf and Country Club, raised more than $40,000 in support of Tamir’s residential programs.

Funds raised at the event support projects not entirely covered through funding received from the Ministry of Community and Social Services, such as repainting, minor repairs, replacement of furniture and other equipment. Tee-up for Tamir plays an integral role in raising crucial funds to ensure the residences remain safe and secure and are a home for Tamir participants to call their own. Without the help from so many, these improvements would not be possible.

Plans are already underway for the 2013 Tee-up for Tamir Golf Fun-raiser. Tamir is always happy to welcome new participants.

To make a donation or to find out how you can get involved, visit tamir.ca or call 613-725-3519, ext. 113.

Your friendly, Modern Orthodox synagogue in Ottawa’s West End.

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Rabbi Howard Finkelstein For more information about how you can become a part of the Beit Tikvah community, please contact the shul office at (613) – 723 – 1800 or shul@cbto.org or visit our website at www.cbto.org

Please join us for services (daily, Shabbat, and all Chagim) as well as classes and programs throughout the year including joint programming with JFS, JET and the Kollel of Ottawa.

New Members Welcome! st 1 year offers a 50% discount.

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shana tova

Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Welcome to Shelbyville The Jewish-Somali Mentorship Program (JSMP), a partnership between Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Ottawa and the Somali Centre for Family Services, in collaboration with the United States Embassy in Ottawa, hosted screenings of two films, Welcome to Shelbyville, produced and directed by Kim Snyder, and Networking with Results, produced by JSMP staff, June 27 at Rainbow Cinemas.

(From left) Mark Zarecki, JFS executive director; Kim Snyder, director and producer of Welcome to Shelbyville; Fathia Warsama, JFS settlement worker.

United Church of Canada approves boycott of settlement goods (JTA) – The United Church of Canada has voted to boycott goods from Israel’s Jewish settlements.

Meeting in Ottawa at Carleton University, the church’s governing General Council voted August 17 on a final set of resolutions and passed a measure to boycott products exported by Israeli settlements on the West Bank and in eastern Jerusalem.

The resolution calls on church members “to avoid any and all products produced in the settlements”; requests the Canadian government ensure “all products produced in the settlements be labelled clearly and differently from products of Israel”; and requests products produced in the settlements “not be given preferential treatment under the CanadaIsrael Free Trade Agreement.”

Other resolutions relating to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict singled out the settlements as a principal obstacle to peace in the region; called on Israel to suspend settlement expansion; and expressed regret for previously asking Palestinians to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state as a precondition to peace.

The resolutions relating to the Middle East were contained in a 29-page report released in May, angering many in the Jewish community.

Previous United Church measures advancing economic sanctions against Israel failed because of inflammatory language. This time, the church stressed the boycott was not directed against Israel proper, but against “illegal” Jewish settlements.

Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, told the Toronto Star, “The only comments I’ve received so far are those advocating a complete severing of ties with the United Church.”

Fogel called the church’s approach “simplistic and uninformed. Palestinian suffering has its genesis in the rejection of the State of Israel, which the church has now voted to allow the Palestinians to continue.”

Details of how the boycott will be applied will be determined in the coming weeks and months, church officials said.

The church also chose Reverend Gary Paterson as its new leader, or moderator.

Paterson, who recently spent a two-month sabbatical in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, said he is anxious to talk with Jewish leaders “about the plight of the Palestinian people in the settlements and also to recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel.”

“I think, if you read the report rather than the headlines, you will see that there is a deep commitment we have always had to Israel and the Jewish people, and we recognize the existence of anti-Semitism and legitimate fears,” he told the QMI news agency.

Avi Benlolo, head of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, said he fears “a relationship of trust and friendship is irreparably broken. I don’t know if church members truly understand how utterly offensive and imbalanced this proposal is, or whether a latent anti-Semitism within the church is slowly coming back to life.”

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 25

Tamir’s Keshet for Kids campers spend three days at Camp B’nai Brith

By Katherine Carter Tamir Summer camp is always fun, but Tamir’s Keshet for Kids camp took it up a notch this year with a threeday-and-night stay at Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa (CBB). Keshet campers took part in a variety of activities, from taking rides in speed boats, to arts and crafts, to playing a role in camp life by doing chores and working together as a team.

“It was a great opportunity for our campers,” said Tabitha, a longtime Keshet shadow. “Lots of kids get to go to summer camp, but many of our guys had never experienced anything like this before. For some, it was their first time away from home, and we had a blast.”

Established in 2004, Tamir’s Keshet for Kids was created to provide children with developmental disabilities an opportunity to take part in meaningful summer activities. Keshet for Kids matches children with disabilities with high school or college students hired as shadows to provide one-on-one support to assist in camp participa-

tion. Campers take part in a variety of activities including hiking, picnics and swimming.

This year’s trip to CBB certainly had an impact on Samantha. She has been attending Keshet for years, but this was her first time staying overnight.

“It was kind of scary, but it was also a lot of fun,” she said. “It was a great time with lots of group activities and the people were a lot of fun.”

Asked about her fondest memory of the trip, Samantha replied, “We got to take a ride in a boat out into the middle of the lake. I had never done that before, so I just yelled ‘cannonball!’ and jumped right in and started swimming with everyone. It was great!”

The fun was contagious – a full schedule of activities set the stage for friendships, new experiences and some wonderful memories shared by all.

This expansion of Keshet for Kids reflects Tamir’s broader vision of community inclusion and equal opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Campers and shadows from Tamir’s Keshet for Kids camp enjoy their three-day visit to Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa.

shana tova

Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Hillel Lodge Tea to honour residents

Shana Tova Best wishes for a Healthy and Happy New Year! jim.watson@ottawa.ca • 613-580-2496 • jimwatsonottawa.ca 110 Laurier Ave West, Ottawa, ON, K1P 1J1

By Marion Silver-Brass for Hillel Lodge Auxiliary Plans are underway for the Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge Annual Tea and Fundraiser to be held Sunday, October 21, at 2:00 pm.

This year, the Auxiliary, under the leadership of Roz Fremeth, has chosen to again honour the residents who make Hillel Lodge their home.

Chair Dee Gaffen has announced some exciting new dimensions to this year’s event.

A fashion show – with Auxiliary members acting as models – will be the highlight of the afternoon. There will also be a silent auction with bidding beginning one month prior to the tea.

The funds raised by the Auxiliary in this year’s campaign will support the purchase of two Arjo whirlpool baths in the new wing of Hillel Lodge. One bath allows residents who are more mobile to step into the tub without a lift, while the other is equipped with a lift for those who require more help.

Please support this worthwhile fund drive.

It is only with your continued financial assistance that we can ensure our seniors live with dignity in a state-of-the-art facility.

The Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge Annual Tea and Fundraiser is a much anticipated social event for the residents, their families and friends. The event is also an opportunity for

community members to express their affection for the people at Hillel Lodge. Be sure to mark your calendars for this most enjoyable afternoon.

The Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the Lodge residents through a variety of programs.

Besides celebrating holidays such as Sukkot, Chanukah and Purim at Hillel Lodge, Auxiliary volunteers serve breakfasts on Mother’s and Father’s Days and provide small gifts to all the residents on these occasions. And, thanks to the Auxiliary, no Shabbat ever passes without lovely fresh flowers gracing each table in the dining rooms.

The Hillel Lodge Gift Shoppe is also an initiative of the Auxiliary, which uses profits to enhance the well-being of the residents.

From jewelry to that perfect little present, it is all there. Be it for a simcha gift or a little treat for yourself or your home, you will find it at the Gift Shoppe. Specialty Judaica items can be ordered as well.

Would you like to advertise in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin?

Contact Barry Silverman 613-798-4696, ext. 256.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 27

New executive in place at Chabad Student Network

By Sammy Hudes Chabad Student Network The timing of the Jewish New Year marks not only the start of 5773 on the Jewish calendar, but also the beginning of the new school year.

The Rohr Chabad Student Network of Ottawa (CSN) has a full year of events planned to give Jewish university students a home and a connection to Judaism while on campus.

Composed of eight students, four each from from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, this year’s student executive board hopes to bring the campuses together through a joint effort led by CSN directors Rabbi Chaim and Yocheved Boyarsky.

The executive put in hours of hard work over the summer planning religious, educational and social events for students at the two universities and Algonquin College.

I will be serving as the CSN president this year at Carleton, where I am a journalism student. My uOttawa counterpart is Kaitlyn St. Pierre, who is in international studies.

The vice-presidents are fellow Carleton

journalism student Franny Weigensberg and Zach Segal, also a uOttawa international studies major.

Carleton’s representation on the student board includes community service chair Lewis Novack and women’s programming chair Erin Benincasa. Representing uOttawa are learning initiative chair Reuben Goldberg and law school programming chair Shawn Steinlauf.

Some of the early-semester events scheduled to have taken place at Chabad House (59 Sweetland Avenue) before this issue’s publication date include a September 4 barbecue for new and returning students and our first Shabbat dinner, September 7, where guests got a taste of what’s to come every Friday night.

The guest speaker at our next Shabbat dinner on September 14 will be Richard Marceau, general counsel and senior government adviser at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. The following week’s Shabbat dinner will be the first of four dinners to be held at Carleton this year.

Visit chabadstudentnetwork.com for more information about CSN and upcoming events.

OTC Sukkot celebration to feature motorcycle stunt show

By Pherris Hamilton What do motorcycles and Sukkot have in common?

Not much – until you factor in the creativity of Ottawa Torah Centre Chabad (OTC) in Barrhaven in offering outreach programs that appeal to a broad spectrum of the community.

Rabbi Menachem M. Blum, OTC’s director, calls it “thinking out of the box programming.”

“At OTC, we are constantly reassessing our programs and thinking of new initiatives and new ideas to best service the constant growing needs of our community,” said Rabbi Sender Gordon, OTC’s program director.

An example is this year’s Sukkot in the Air event. OTC promises the family Sukkot celebration will keep participants on the edge of their seats while they celebrate and enjoy dinner in the Sukkah.

“A spectacular show by professional motorcycle stunt riders … (will) push the limits of the motorcycle and defy the laws of gravity,” promises the OTC website.

Aside from the fun aspect of such programs, OTC is unique in its non-judgmen-

tal, welcoming approach. OTC strives to reach out to all members of the community, regardless of their level of affiliation or knowledge, making Judaism a wonderful and enjoyable experience. OTC’s High Holidays services have the same flavour, toning down the formality that many may be used to.

“Whether it’s synagogue services, Hebrew school or any other programs, our main focus at OTC is to make the Jewish experience one that is meaningful and memorable for the whole family,” said Rabbi Blum.

“You may see yourself as unaffiliated, Reform, Conservative or Orthodox. At OTC, we see you as Jewish. As far as I am concerned, labels are for clothes.”

The High Holiday services at OTC are conducted in both Hebrew and English and are casual and easy to follow. The HebrewEnglish prayer books, along with the songs and commentary, enable everyone to participate in the service.

Visit ottawatorahcentre.com or call 613-843-7770 for more information on OTC programs during the High Holiday season.

Please support our advertisers and tell them you saw their advertisement in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

Make a promise to yourself this New Year to learn about the future of modern medicine and the potential to enjoy a longer, healthier life.

SAVE THE DATE Tuesday October 30, 2012 Guest Speaker: Dr. Ido Amit, Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science Moderator: Michael O’Byrne, News Anchor, CTV News Co-Chairs: Mrs. Esther Kulik and Dr. Sharon Letovsky

The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus Amphitheatre 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm - Followed by a dessert reception alexa@weizmann.ca 613.236.3391 $18 minimum donation

shana tova

Page 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

High Holidays feature – 5772 year in review:

Jews grapple with growing sense of insecurity

By Uriel Heilman (JTA) – The Jewish year 5772 marked a period of growing uncertainty for the Jewish people.

From the threat of a nuclear Iran, to Egypt’s newly cold stance toward Israel to the increasing chaos across the border in Syria, Israel found its longtime status quo imperiled on multiple fronts.

On top of that, a marked increase in attempts on Jewish targets overseas – from Israeli tourists in Bulgaria to Jewish schoolchildren in Toulouse, France – helped stoke Jewish insecurities.

That sense was fuelled by calls in a growing number of European countries to ban ritual circumcision and shechitah (Jewish ritual slaughter).

As might be natural for those faced with great uncertainties, the Jewish state seemed to retreat to conservative positions.

Negotiations with the Palestinians stayed at a

standstill, with seemingly little motivation by Israel, the Palestinian Authority or the United States to get things going again. Israel’s left wing remained unable to muster a significant political opposition movement or a viable alternative to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s conservative prime minister.

The Jewish year started with a measure of relief for many in the pro-Israel community as the unilateral Palestinian bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations ended in more of a flop than a showdown. After rebukes at the UN General Assembly from Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama a week before Rosh Hashanah, the Palestinian effort died in the UN Security Council, where a clear majority supporting statehood failed to emerge, obviating the need for a U.S. veto.

The only UN body in which the Palestinians made significant progress was

The threat of Iranian nuclear weapons dominated talks when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) met with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, March 2, on (Photo: Michael Regenstreif) Parliament Hill.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which voted in late October to accept the Palestinians as a member. That resulted in an automatic cutoff of U.S. funding, costing UNESCO some 22 per cent of its annual budget.

For much of the year, however, the Palestinians were hardly Israel’s biggest concern. Intense will-they-

or-won’t-they-attack speculation dominated the conversation about Iran, while U.S. and Israeli officials held a series of top-level meetings on how to deal with the Islamic Republic’s suspected nuclear weapons program.

The Iran nuclear program also dominated talks at Netanyahu’s Ottawa summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in March.

The outcome was more

sabre rattling, tightening of U.S. and EU sanctions focused mostly on banking and oil, and a campaign of clandestine cyber warfare against Iran’s nuclear facilities. The efforts may have slowed Iran’s program, but they did not derail it. Iran continues to enrich uranium even as sanctions have handicapped the country’s economy.

On the strategic level,

Israeli and U.S. officials did not resolve their differences on their respective Iran red lines. Israel held firm to the notion that Iran could not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons capability, while the Obama administration said it would not allow Iran actually to weaponize. But the two allies seemed to reach an understanding whereby Israel would hold off on attacking Iran – possibly through the fall election – in exchange for a pledge to send more sophisticated U.S. weaponry to Jerusalem and more explicit rhetoric from Washington about the military option on Iran.

Iran was hardly the Israeli defence establishment’s only source of anxiety.

The newly bellicose tone from post-Mubarak Egypt was met with increasing concern north of the border. The year started with Israelis still shaken by the Egyptian mob attack and ransacking of the Israeli Embassy in Cairo last (Continued on page 31)

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 29

Weizmann Institute a world leader in quest for personalized medicine

By Sharon Letovsky Weizmann Canada Out of nowhere, my 31-yearold daughter needed two sevenhour heart surgeries in the past year. Then, when I heard that she had yet another doctor’s appointment, I picked up the phone immediately – I knew it was too soon for a follow-up.

“Nothing, Ma,” she said, “Just genetic testing.”

Huh? Her dad and older sister also have heart problems, but the diagnoses are all different. Her doctor wondered whether there was a common gene in their DNA that could be at fault. That, in a nutshell, is the start of personalized medicine.

The medical term personalized medicine means more than your doctor taking an interest in your personal health. Personalized medicine involves using your genetic information and environmental factors to manage your healthcare. It all started with the Human Genome Project, the

attempt to identify all of the genes on a strand of DNA. In 2003, 1,800 disease genes were identified on the strand.

Drug companies’ ears perked up. Wow, they thought, ‘if we could identify all of the diseasecausing genes, then we could target medicines for each one.’ Chaching and healing all at once!

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We have, however, come a long way.

There are companies, particularly in the U.S., that offer, for a mere $10,000 or so, to sequence your genome. They will tell you what the genes in your personal DNA might be saying about your present and future health. That is a lot of information, and the operant word is might.

The problem is that our wonderful technological skills have exceeded our knowledge. Medical science does not yet know what to do with all the information this gene sequencing could give us.

There is also the potential for individuals to run amok with small

medical hints that may, indeed, mean nothing. Here is a little taste of what we do know.

We have had some success with one-gene diseases like cystic fibrosis. We have identified biomarkers for breast cancer and macular degeneration. The poster child for personalized medicine is the drug Herseptin. In early stage breast cancer, in combination with other standard treatments, it can reduce recurrence by 50 per cent.

But it only works in patients with the gene HER2. It is a waste of money, medicine and high hopes to give it to everyone.

Another example is the blood thinner warfarin. It works on some people and not on others, and can even cause adverse responses as certain genetic variations – or SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) – affect warfarin sensitivity and metabolism. A group at Ohio State University has developed a new rapid method to genotype SNPs that will help clinicians choose who should not get the drug, who should, and how much.

For more complex diseases such as heart disease and other forms of cancer, however, we still have a long way to go.

So, what’s next?

We can sequence our DNA and get tons of genetic information that could potentially keep us healthy, prevent certain diseases and focus treatment much more appropriately should we become ill. However, it will take years and mountains of research to unscramble all that information.

The State of Israel and the Weizmann Institute of Science are world leaders in this quest. The Weizmann Institute of Science is heading an effort to establish a national centre for personalized medicine in Israel.

The main driver for this project is the quest to solve medical mysteries and develop treatments for disease. A national centre would be expected to recruit generous funding and consolidate resources efficiently in the quest to solve medical mysteries and develop new treatments for disease. Math-

ematicians and computer scientists are now serious partners in revolutionizing medicine and all the technologies will be brought together in a single core facility to provide nationwide services to academia, industry, and hospitals.

The centre will offer scientists and clinicians a comprehensive framework for studying human diseases. These types of studies involve large-scale screening and analysis of biological content, such as cell DNA and protein make-up. They offer an in-depth and comprehensive means of discerning the unique profile of diseased cells, characterizing malignant processes and identifying potential lead compounds for drugs. With all this potential research, the future could be closer than we think.

Professor Ido Amit, a senior scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, will speak about the future of personalized medicine on Tuesday, October 30, 7:30 pm, at the Civic Campus Amphitheatre of the Ottawa Hospital. The lecture will be followed by a dessert reception. Minimum donation is $18. For information or reservations, contact Weizmann Canada at alexa@weizmann.ca or 613-236-3391.

shana tova

Page 30 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

New computer lab and website at OJCS

By Sara-Lynne Levine Ottawa Jewish Community School New technology upgrades installed at the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS) over the summer are already benefiting students this academic year.

A new computer lab, new laptops, a new website and a new administrative and student information system are allowing students faster access to information and providing better tools for learning. They also allow for greater parent communication and awareness of what is taking place in the classroom.

“We are very pleased with the new technological advancements made over the summer,” said Sheldon Friedman, OJCS principal. “Our goal is to provide a school of excellence and, with these new tools, we are confident our students will be able to excel and our parents will be more aware and engaged.”

The school’s new website was launched in August at www.theojcs.ca and provides a simple, single point of access to all of the key information students and parents need regarding homework, attendance, progress reports, activity schedules, athletic scores, lunch menus, school news, grades and much more.

The new computer lab – with its new

computers and flat screen monitors – is a place to work on projects and research assignments. Along with a new school server and a rebuilt and enhanced network with faster Internet speed, the computer lab will allow students to work comfortably and efficiently in a modern facility.

Our high school students will also benefit from new laptop computers. OJCS is a laptop high school, where every student receives a laptop for school use. The laptops are essential for effective and efficient curriculum delivery and learning.

To learn more about OJCS, contact SaraLynne Levine at sl.levine@theojcs.ca or 613-722-0020, ext. 327.

Please support our advertisers and tell them you saw their advertisment in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin. ʣ´ʱʡ

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 31

5772 in review: Schalit released after five years (Continued from page 28)

September, and by a deadly terrorist attack in Eilat the previous month, which originated in Egypt’s Sinai Desert.

In 5772, the Sinai continued to be a source of problems, including as a staging ground for attacks against Israel. The Egypt-Israel natural gas pipeline, a crucial source of energy for Israel that flows through the Sinai, was repeatedly sabotaged.

Then, in April, the government in Cairo announced it was halting all gas delivery to the Jewish state.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Islamists led by the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent organization of Hamas, triumphed in Egyptian parliamentary elections and the country elected a new president from the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Morsi.

While the 30-year-old peace between Israel and Egypt largely held – thanks in part to the Egyptian army’s forceful and undemocratic dominance of Egyptian politics – Israel began to adjust to a new reality in which the quiet along the Egypt-Israel border could no longer be taken for granted. Likewise, Syria’s devolution into civil war raised Israeli fears that the quiet along Israel’s border with Syria

might end, too.

The biggest problem facing Israel along its southern border this year was not the intermittent shooting attacks from the Egyptian side, but the continued flow into Israel of Africans – most of them economic migrants, but some of them refugees – from countries including Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan.

In late spring, riots broke out in Tel Aviv targeting the African migrants and calling for their immediate deportation; in some instances, crowds were egged on by Israeli politicians. The government worked on erecting a barrier along unfenced portions of its border with Egypt, started building a long-term detention facility for the migrants and enacted new laws to detain and deport them.

But the big showdown in Israeli society came over the summer in the lead-up to the Supreme Courtordered expiry of the Tal Law, which had granted haredi Orthodox Israelis exemption from the military draft. Reforming the law was one of the four major agenda items set by the remarkable coalition government that came together in May, when Israel’s centrist Kadima Party, led by Shaul Mofaz, joined

Gilad Schalit is greeted by cheering crowds as he finally returns to his family home in Mitzpe Hila, Israel, after five years of captivity in Gaza, October 18, 2011.

(IDF photo)

Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, creating a super-majority of 94 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.

It was that same issue, however, which prompted Kadima to withdraw from the coalition just two months later, with Mofaz charging that Netanyahu’s proposed reforms did not go far enough and Netanyahu blaming Mofaz for playing politics.

Their breakup was overshadowed almost immediately by the

year’s first major successful terrorist attack against Israelis overseas following several mostly failed attempts in India, Azerbaijan and the Republic of Georgia, among other places. Israel blamed Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, for the July 18 bombing that killed five Israelis and their bus driver in the coastal Bulgarian city of Burgas.

It was the year’s second major attack against Jews, following the shooting deaths in March of three

Jewish schoolchildren and a rabbi at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, by a Muslim gunman, Mohammed Merah.

European Jews were also unnerved by what they saw as growing attacks against Jewish practice – from the Dutch Senate’s consideration of a shechitah ban – which was later dropped – to a court ruling in Cologne banning circumcision that German lawmakers later clarified did not actually outlaw Jewish circumcision. Nevertheless, the ruling prompted the Jewish Hospital in Berlin and two Swiss hospitals to halt religious circumcisions, and Jews to worry whether other European institutions or countries would follow suit.

The year was not without its high points. In October, longtime Israeli captive soldier Gilad Schalit was released after more than five years in captivity in a swap that saw more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel. Some criticized the Israeli government for releasing terrorists with blood on their hands, but Schalit’s liberation was greeted with euphoria by Jews around the world.

With files from the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

shana tova

Page 32 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Carleton grad works with African refugees during internship in Israel

By Gabriella Goliger Lilah Jaffee’s recent five-month stay in Israel opened her eyes to the plight of people fleeing persecution to reach the Promised Land.

But her experience entailed African asylum seekers, not Jews.

Jaffee, 26, a Carleton University graduate with an MA in international affairs, went to Israel in February seeking a career-building opportunity. An innovative program, Careers Israel, placed her in a volunteer

internship with the African Refugee Development Center (ADRC).

Jaffee knew nothing about Africans in Israel, only that she wanted interesting, worthwhile work that would give her direct contact with people. She found herself on a fast learning curve. Almost immediately, she was deep into the bureaucracy of refugee claims and meeting face-to-face with desperate individuals. Toward the end of her stay, she witnessed an ugly eruption of intolerance that made headlines around

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the world when violence broke out against Africans in Tel Aviv.

“I have a different view of Israel now,” Jaffee said.

“I’m able to see it critically, though I still love the country.”

The ARDC is a small, privately funded Israeli NGO focused on African asylum seekers. Some 70,000 have slipped across the Israeli border through the Sinai in recent years, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan. They have fled a variety of circumstances, including war and government persecution.

They sought Israel partly because of the Holy Land mystique – especially among Eritreans, who are Christians – but also because Israel is the safest, most stable country in the region.

Though Sudanese and Eritreans are generally recognized as bona fide refugees in the West, the Israeli government does not

PEACE CAMP OTTAWA invites you to a multi-cultural film event to view

My So-Called Enemy Thursday, October 4, 2012

Lilah Jaffee outside the ARDC office in Tel Aviv.

allow them to apply for refugee status. Instead, they are granted vague, temporary protection, which excludes the right to work or receive health benefits.

The official view is that most of the Africans are economic migrants. The usual routine is that the “infiltrators” are first put in jail for several months, then dropped off in Tel Aviv or another city and expected to somehow survive. Many find under-the-table jobs at exploitative wages. Others

simply live hand-to-mouth.

Despite these circumstances, the crime rate among migrants is lower than that of the rest of the Israeli population, Jaffee points out.

“I never had a bad experience [with the asylum seekers]. They were very sweet people – so nice and polite and grateful. All had been through hell … many had lost hope.”

From cramped quarters in the back of the central bus station in Tel Aviv, the

ARDC offers the migrants aid and counselling. Jaffee’s job was to help the growing tide of Africans seeking immigration to other countries.

The impediments were many, the opportunities few, but Jaffee was able to assist some in reuniting with family members who had escaped to safe havens in the West. To others, though, she had to deliver the bad news that she could do nothing to help them.

(Continued on page 36)

7:00 pm Library and Archives Canada 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa In July 2002, 22 Israeli and Palestinian teenage girls travelled to the United States to participate in a women’s leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace. “My So-Called Enemy” is about 6 of these girls and how knowing their “enemies” as human beings complicated and enlightened the next 7 years of their lives.

The film’s director/producer, Lisa Gossels, will lead a question and answer period following the showing of the movie. (www.mysocalledenemy.com)

Tickets (available at door; cash only, please): $15; Students: $5 No solicitation R.S.V.P. judithstoler@mac.com Refreshments will be served Peace Camp Ottawa is an operating arm of the Ottawa Peace Foundation

The Orthodox Community Ohev Yisroel 516 Rideau Street (between Cobourg and Augusta) Welcomes everyone to High Holiday services in Downtown Ottawa

Led by Rabbi David Rotenberg Principal of Ottawa Talmud Torah

Why come to Ohev Yisroel? ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

Traditional and inspirational services Warm and friendly atmosphere Affordable high holiday seats and membership Students attend for free

For information or prayer schedule go to: www.ohevyisroel.ca or call: 613-565-6194

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 33

Ȑ ɬȨɜȣ ɤɕ ȘɄɑ

THE HIGH HOLY DAYS

Congregation Beth Shalom’s history goes back more than a hundred years, yet as old and as traditional as we are, we pride ourselves on our modern approach to Judaism.

Under the inspired leadership of Rabbi Scott Rosenberg, and the beautiful rendition of prayer from Cantor Daniel Benlolo and the Beth Shalom Choir, our services come alive with insight, feeling and meaning, as well as all-important congregant participation.

This, combined with our youth services and child care programs, makes for a most spiritual and memorable Beth Shalom experience.

Join our Beth Shalom family and feel the warmth and welcome.

Become a member today!

Schedule of Services

Rosh Hashanah: Mon. Sept. 17 and Tues. Sept 18, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Kol Nidre: Tues. Sept. 25, 6:20 p.m.

Yom Kippur: Wed. Sept. 26, 9:00 a.m.

Sermon followed by Yizkor, approximately: 10:45 a.m.

Neilah: 6:10 p.m.

Congregation Beth Shalom 151 Chapel Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7Y2 • 613-789-3501 info@bethshalom.ca • www.bethshalom.ca

shana tova

Page 34 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Arnprior teacher returns from special program at Yad Vashem

By Alex Baker For the past 10 years, Ryan McKenna, a history, politics and world religion teacher at Arnprior District High School, has been teaching students about the Holocaust and the Second World War. Part of his curriculum has been in-class testimony from Holocaust survivor David Shentow, and from Peter Hessel, a German witness to Kristallnact, who spent the war as a member of the Hitler Youth.

“I started doing this in connection with the courses I teach, but it also just seemed like the right thing to do,” says McKenna. “It’s a lesson in respect and tolerance and dignity that the students can really understand.”

A past recipient of the Ottawa Shoah Committee’s Arie Van Mansum Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education, McKenna recently returned from a summer trip to Israel, where he was part of an international group of 42 teachers, including 18 Canadians, brought to

Yad Vashem for a threeweek educators’ seminar in July at the International School for Holocaust Studies.

The teachers spoke with Holocaust survivors, experienced Israel and gathered new ideas to bring back to their classrooms.

“The more you learn, the more difficult it is to understand,” said McKenna.

“After teaching for 10 years, I thought I had a good handle on it, but I walked away from Yad Vashem with a greater understanding and appreciation of the possibilities of teaching Holocaust education and being able to reach more students.”

He was also moved by the stories he heard from survivors, including an elderly couple who met as prisoners in Oskar Schindler’s factory, fell in love there and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at Schindler’s gravesite in Jerusalem.

“There was hardly a dry

Eighteen Canadian teachers were among the educators taking part in a three-week seminar at Yad Vashem’s Inter(Photo courtesy of Canadian Society for Yad Vashem) national School for Holocaust Studies in July in Israel.

eye in the group after talking to this couple,” McKenna said. “It’s really just an incredible story of hope and survival and love. In a lot of ways, it reinforced the message we received from Yad Vashem – the idea that revenge would come, not just in surviving, but in having children and grandchildren and recreating that family cycle that was lost.”

Another highlight was a

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survivor who told stories about growing up down the street from the Frank family, describing Anne as a girl who was “always up to mischief and didn’t care for school much,” McKenna recalled. She even described her father teaching them to ride a bike when they were in kindergarten, a story McKenna said can make all the difference to a young student in the classroom.

“With Holocaust education, you can’t relate to it, but you can relate to someone riding their bike – it adds a human element,” he said. “Some people’s initial step towards Holocaust education is pictures and horrors and death camps, and that’s their introduction and conclusion – it’s very limited.

“I hear from other par-

ents, teachers and students the impact it’s had on them to hear Mr. Shentow and others speak,” he said.

“Having that personal connection and interaction can’t be replaced. If you ever want to see 150 Grade 10 students not move a muscle, come see Mr. Shentow speak to them.”

This is especially important since, McKenna says, very few of his students are Jewish. He recalls an especially poignant situation involving a student whose grandfather was an SS officer.

“His parents were concerned about his perceptions of Nazi Germany based on the love he had for his grandfather, all these memories of him and this fondness for him,” McKenna said. “I

think he was trying to reconcile the love he had for his grandfather with the things he was hearing in Mr. Shentow’s story. It had a really powerful effect on him.”

Those breakthroughs are what McKenna strives for as a Holocaust educator. He wants his students to understand that even such a terrible chapter of human history ultimately comes down to individual choices and decisions.

“It brings up moral questions for students. People in those countries made choices to do things like deportations, ghettos, camps – there were local people involved.

For a lot of people, they had a choice – to be a perpetrator or bystander, or to be one of the Righteous Among the Nations.”

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 35

Israeli students learn English with help from Ottawa seniors

By Alex Baker Rabbi Sender and Sarah Gordon, a young Chabad couple, have launched Connecting Miles of Smiles, a program to harness the wisdom of Ottawa seniors for the youth of Israel.

“As people grow older, they have more experience and more to give,” said Rabbi Gordon, who is also program director at Ottawa Torah Centre. “These are people with life experience under their belt – Jewish continuity is very important.”

Connecting Miles of Smiles is a simple idea that combines today’s technology with the dedication of volunteers. There are currently 10 Ottawa volunteers paired with Israeli students between 11 and 15, who are trying to improve their English-language skills. They use Skype, the Internet video-calling service, to speak to each other weekly.

“English skills are so important in Israel today, especially when you get to the high school and university level; lots of the textbooks and learning are done in English,” said Sarah, a teacher at the Rambam Day School. “The only way to really learn a language is through

Rabbi Sender and Sarah Gordon, founders of Connecting Miles of Smiles.

immersion, so we are making it so the child can be present in front of someone speaking English and create that immersion.”

According to the Gordons, the 15-minute weekly sessions have a standard format and “we really like it to bring out a theme or moral, to

create discussion,” said Sarah.

There are two parts to the talk: first, the participants are assigned a weekly Torah portion to read and discuss. They may also talk about Jewish poetry or writings, upcoming holidays or Jewish heroes, both ancient and modern. The second

half of the talk involves a virtual tour of Israel, which often allows for more sharing of stories and anecdotes.

“This often brings back memories and experiences for the volunteers to discuss and relate to the students,” said Rabbi Gordon. “The

volunteers are much older and have stories and memories. It brings out the love for the land.”

With the first year of the Connecting Miles of Smiles program behind them, the Gordons are thrilled with the response to their initiative and say they have received positive feedback from all participants.

“I was thrilled to take part, and to visit with a remarkable young woman, who knows a great deal of English, but has little opportunity to speak English outside the classroom,” wrote Judy Ross via email.

Ross is one of the volunteers passing on her wisdom to a young Israeli.

“We try to visit weekly and learn together. As my young friend’s confidence and skills soar, so does my understanding of the parsha we read and discuss. We enjoy speaking with one another, which is why we have continued to be in touch during the summer.”

Rabbi Gordon said the program has been so successful they now have a waiting list for both volunteers and students in Israel. They have begun to work with schools in the Partnership 2Gether program (Continued on page 36)

shana tova

Page 36 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Despite concern, love for Israel stronger than ever (Continued from page 32)

Scott Miller and MBM Intellectual Property Law would like to wish the Ottawa Jewish Community a very happy, healthy New Year.

Despite the heartaches, Jaffee loved helping refugees and hopes to continue on a similar path now that she’s back in Canada.

Anti-migrant acts, including last May’s riot targeting African migrants, shocked Jaffee. “How could this happen among people who were once refugees themselves not so long ago? I understand the government’s desire to keep the demographics Jewish. “I understand Israel is a small country and has many other problems and other countries aren’t perfect either [in their treatment of refugees]. Still, being a Jewish country can’t come at the cost of violating human rights. These people are really suffering.�

The Israeli government needs to develop a coherent policy, rather than “just dancing around the issue,� Jaffee said. Instead, she

added, attitudes have only hardened, with stepped-up deportations and the building of border barriers and detention centres.

Jaffe has nothing but praise for the Careers Israel program, which creates resumĂŠ building opportunities in business, the professions and NGOs for young Jews from around the world. The program also includes a month-long Ulpan and travel around Israel.

Jaffee found the hands-on internship improved her communication and people skills, her ability to assume responsibility and her overall confidence. And, despite disillusionment over the refugee issue, her feelings for Israel are stronger than ever. “I love the country, even though I can be critical,� she said. “I love the beauty, the culture. It feels like home, even though it’s not. It was the best five months of my life.�

Gordons hope to expand program throughout Israel (Continued from page 35)

and Emunah Children Centres and have also begun negotiating with Israeli school boards to expand the program throughout Israel and allow students to receive credit for participating – so far, it is an extra-curricular activity. “Some of our volunteers, after talking to their student on Skype, say they feel like their grandchild is visiting them,� said Rabbi Gordon. “We’ve gotten the most amazing emails from people.�

In fact, the weekly conversations have become about more than just English skills – they are designed to help students academically, socially and with their self-confidence. “I’m a very shy person and never had the

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confidence it took to really learn the language,� wrote student Ayali Halperin by email from her home in Jerusalem. “This year, through meeting weekly with my volunteer in Canada, I feel much more comfortable.

I would not use the word mentor, but friend – she is a caring person and offers to help beyond the Skype meeting.�

For the Gordons, this is only the beginning of what they hope to accomplish with Connecting Miles of Smiles. “In Chabad schools, we’re taught to reach out to every person,� said Sarah. “This is like a dream come true.�

Visit connectingmos.com or call 613-2767195 for more information about Connecting Miles of Smiles.

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Shana Tova to the Ottawa Jewish community

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 37

Theatre review

Chaim Potok novel brought skillfully to the stage We meet Asher Lev, the protagonist and narrator as the lights come up. In his early-20s, he is already acclaimed as one of the most promising New York artists of his generation. In a series of flashback scenes, we learn how he got to that point.

The theme of Asher’s conflicts between art and his strict, if not sheltered, Chasidic upbringing begins to develop early.

At the age of six, young Asher, who loved to draw, relentlessly begged his mother, Rivkeh, to bring him to an art museum.

Afterward, she is shocked to discover her son is quite accurately copying the museum’s masterpieces, many of them Christian-themed, at the kitchen table.

na a h S L’ ova T

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By Michael Regenstreif Ottawa audiences saw a powerful production of playwright Aaron Posner’s stage adaptation of Chaim Potok’s acclaimed 1972 novel, My Name is Asher Lev, when the 9th Hour Theatre Company mounted the play last month at the Arts Court Theatre.

Set in the 1950s, My Name is Asher Lev tells the story of a young member of the Ladover Chasidic sect – a fictionalized version of Chabad-Lubavitch – who, from childhood, displayed prodigious artistic skills and was driven to become a great painter, despite the conflict that would bring in his relationships with his parents, his devout community and his own identity as an observant Orthodox Jew.

As Asher grows up, the conflicts increase. His parents want nothing more for him than to abandon thoughts of an artistic career and follow in the footsteps of his father, Aryeh, who travels the world on behalf of the Ladover rebbe helping to build yeshivas – particularly in the Soviet Union where Jews are persecuted and religion suppressed.

Finally, though, it is the rebbe himself, who understands that Asher must be allowed to go where his art takes him.

The rebbe arranges an apprenticeship for Asher with Jacob Kahn, a successful Jewish artist, a Holocaust survivor, who long ago had given up the strictures of Orthodoxy for secularism.

Kahn takes the teenaged Asher under his wing teaching him both technique and a deep understanding of the artist’s need to express himself and introducing him to the New York art world, including the gallery owner who will help launch Asher’s star.

Drew Moore played Asher poignantly and with versatility.

The supporting actors – Sarah Gabriella Waisvisz in all of the female roles and David Whiteley in all the

Drew Moore (foreground) as Asher Lev with Sarah Gabriella Waisvisz as art gallery owner Anna Schaeffer and David Whiteley as Jacob Kahn in My Name is Asher Lev.

other male roles – were equally versatile and convincing.

The strength of the acting, under Bronwyn Steinberg’s deft direction, allowed theatregoers to embrace the actors as multiple characters or ages.

This production deserves to be remounted and seen by a wider audience.

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Thursday, November 15, 2012 7:00 pm Social Hall A The Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building

Meeting is open to the public.

For more information contact: 613-798-4696, ext. 236

Page 38 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

News from Maccabi Canada

shana tova

part to help all Jews erative that Maccabi Canada does its imp is it ts, roo ish Jew ir the to ion competition of t generat the biggest, most important sporting With the goal of connecting our nex in ing pet com e tim e sam the at le love of Israel whi r 60 countries compete in over strengthen their Jewish identity and of the best Jewish athletes from ove 0 750 r ove t tha el Isra in is It el.

Isra Games with 12 aththeir lives, the Maccabiah games in a delegation of over 500 people to the t sen we 9 200 In ld. wor the in es style gam 30 sports in the 3rd largest Olympic in July 2013. are es Gam t nex letes from Ottawa. The d, lead a healthy lifestyle, grow every Jewish athlete will compete har ch whi by am” Dre i ccab “Ma the te Canadian Jews to Israel At Maccabi Canada we work to crea ish journey. Our main goal is to bring Jew ir the of h pat the on step one become l experience for as a person, and thus the Games will ns and give them an Israel educationa itio trad ud pro , ure cult ish Jew rich ir them to the el through the passion of sport. to compete in the Games and expose future leadership and support for Isra ing ivat cult and tity iden ish Jew ing a lifetime! Our mission is promot as an example, you are a le, many people don’t realize that if, ilab ava are es niti ortu opp rt spo ry sters athletes -catego offers extensive opportunities for Ma While extensive junior and open age also iah ccab Ma new the er, play er l Masters socc Masters tennis athlete or a recreationa ic of the Maccabiah. mag the (anyone over 40) to experience c Committee as “an ed in 1960 by the International Olympi gniz reco e wer on, Uni rld Wo i ccab the Ma ate in our The Maccabiah Games, organized by of the Maccabi movement and particip t par ome bec to you te invi We ”. mpic standing Canada family and help realize the international sports federation of Oly e and become one with the Maccabi com er, nte volu or r nso spo ter, por Games, as an athlete, coach, sup Canadian Jewish Athlete’s dream. t important ccabi is without a doubt one of the mos “Ma ws: follo as es gam the of e valu marized the sical state of the Jewish people, The late David Ben-Gurion once sum its infusion of life by bolstering the phy in d cate indi is nce orta imp Its nt. sess physical stamina, just offshoots of the Zionist moveme eland and those born there must pos hom ir the to g rnin retu s Jew on. ersi s physical might weakened by centuries of exile and disp existence in our ancestral home require our ; gy nolo tech and nce scie in ur vigo llectual as they must possess spiritual and inte ce.“ llen no less than intellectual exce now largely a thing of the racteristic between 1900 and 1950, is cha was t tha ety soci ish Jew non ed to live in small The struggle for Jewish acceptance into ain. In the past, most Jews were forc rem cies ocra dem n ster We in s -Jew freedom s and non ities where Jews were allowed greater past. Today, few barriers between Jew mun com se tho in lly ecia esp ns, ptio s. There were exce century in central Europe when over-crowded and confining ghettoe Real changes began only in the 19th e. larg at ety soci in ate ticip par to Turnerschaft” - as to live wherever they preferred and Gymnastic Movement - the “Deutsche y’s man Ger of ks ran the join to ted bers earned were invi because some of their new Jewish mem German and Austro-Hungarian Jews aid rep l wel e wer ts hos ir The e. tim eloped at the mpic Games in Athens in 1896. well as other sports leagues being dev laurels for the Germans at the first Oly en gold won on, Flat x Feli and Alex them great honour. Two gymnasts, y at the second Games in Paris. i earned further honours for German wsk sero Gen ed nam t nas gym a r, Four years late ern Europe inspired the Jewish truction of Jewish communities in East des less ruth in times and s rom pog the , tury ld be able to defend their communities wou y At the end of the 19th cen the t tha so s Jew ng you ng physical education amo nizers also introduced leadership to establish and promote kinship with their fellow Jews, the orga of se sen a and hip ens citiz d goo of es ding halt. Yet it of danger. In order to develop principl entire movement in Europe to a grin the t ugh bro r Wa rld Wo ond Sec The Eretz Israel. program.

1932 and 1935 Maccabiah Games in the cultural and educational aspects to the nts, eve ding stan out t mos its ccabi enjoyed two of i Eretz Israel, suggested the was precisely in the thirties that Ma , Yosef Yekutiel, representing Maccab akia slov cho Cze , rava Ost at s gres Aviv, then a town of At the 1929 Maccabi World Union Con excited the delegates and in 1932, Tel idea The el.

Isra in s lete ath ish Jew ments for sponsorship of regular sports tourna nt. eve 50,000, hosted the first such hard on its plan to send 15 i Canada’s Ottawa Region is working ccab Ma us.

Join . held be will iah e Masters athletes.

Next year in July 2013, the 19th Maccab age athletes, and for the first time som n ope ors, juni e som with s age of ies will be held nting a mix y, July 18th and the closing ceremon athletes, more than in 2009, represe rsda Thu on m sale Jeru in ium Stad be held in Teddy Canada.

The amazing opening ceremonies will i Dream by partnering with Maccabi ccab Ma the ize real help can too in the new Ofer Stadium in Haifa. You accabicanada.com deductable donation receipts. www.m tax es issu such as and tion ocia Ass r Athletic Maccabi Canada is a Registered Amateu om, 613-762-3344 Region chair, Bill Izso, billizso@rogers.c wa Otta ada Can i ccab Ma tact con For more information, please ation receipts as such issues tax deductible don Amateur Athletic Association and 09 2321 RR001 140 No: le ritab Cha n adia Maccabi Canada is a Registered guidelines. Registered Can and cies poli ncy Age e enu Rev in accordance with Canada

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 39

High Holidays feature

Putting the high back into the High Holidays

By Rabbi Zalman SchachterShalomi and Joel Segel (JTA) – For many of us, let’s face it, the upcoming High Holidays will be anything but a high.

Oh, we’ll pack every pew in the synagogues, dressed in our holiday best. We’ll be there for hours, rising when told to, sinking thankfully back into our seats, reading responsively.

Many enjoy the communal aspect of it, the tunes they remember from childhood. Some feel genuine awe at the ceremony and other-worldly blast of the ram’s horn.

However, if Kol Nidre’s pleas to wipe out any unfulfilled vows and promises teach us anything, it is to mean what we say. Does language like “Our Father, our King, we have sinned before you; our Father, our King, we have no King but You” really speak for us? How do we avoid the High Holidays trap of spending hour after hour reciting prayers we don’t understand, in language we don’t subscribe to, to a God we may not even believe in?

Can we find a way to enter into the experience more fully without

putting our minds in the pawn shop and violating our Jewish compulsion for honesty?

One surprisingly simple and freeing solution begins with a distinction. Beliefs are the language of mind. Prayer, on the other hand, begins in the heart – not the muscle, but the metaphor, the realm not of cardiologists, but of poets. Real prayer, ‘davening,’ as we Jews used to say back in the old country, is not a rational matter. It’s a romance.

Prayer is the language of heart,

because real prayer deals with need, with loneliness and sorrow, with thankfulness and joy, with fear and dread. “No God,” the mind insists. But the heart, in its small, uncertain voice, cries “Oh God! Omigod!” In that cry, if we can allow ourselves to hear it, lies the beginning of prayer.

Now, take that distinction a step further. The trek through the liturgy is, in fact, a journey through four distinct spheres of human experience. The Jewish prayer book, it turns out, is more in sync with modern beliefs than we might think.

Developmental psychologists now speak of multiple intelligences, distinguishing kinesthetic intelligence from musical ability, say, or logical reasoning from emotional aptitude. Kabbalah prefers to think of four parallel landscapes, each with its own symbolic language and imagery, and each finding expression in the prayer service.

To kabbalists, the reality we know is rooted in assiyah (doing), the world of the tangible, the physical. This is the realm of the morn-

Warmest New Year Wishes from…

ing blessings that launch our prayers, the ones that thank God for our creature comforts and physical abilities.

Assiyah, too, is the dimension in which our bodies take action, rising when the ark is open, bowing, swaying back and forth in the silent Amidah, even prostrating ourselves in the High Holiday Musaf service.

The beating heart of prayer is found in the world of yetsirah (formation), a section of psalms that follows the morning blessings and opens us to our emotions. The key word here is ‘Hallelujah!’ and the key expression is song. Yetsirah is the home of what Martin Buber called our “I-thou” relationship with God. It is in yetsirah that we turn to the sacred Other, whatever we understand that to mean. But don’t think about it too much. Sing!

Your heart will understand.

The Barachu that follows takes us into the world of beriyah (creation), the realm of mind. The language here speaks of the heavenly orbs, of light and darkness, of the miracles of the universe. We are rising higher now. We marvel at creation, meditate upon it and

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Finally, “Hear O Israel” and the silent Amidah take us into atzilut (emanation), the highest and most abstract of the four worlds. Atzilut is the realm of spirit. Its language thrives on mystery, contradictions and dissolution of boundaries.

Our prayers don’t always make sense because making sense is not what we’re here for. Our journeys through life are more complex than that. And so our duty to the Days of Awe – and to ourselves – doesn’t end with procuring our tickets. We need more than just assigned seats and receipts that our synagogue dues are paid up. We want a ticket to transformation, a pass to the possibility that something in us feels genuinely moved.

As our synagogues open their door to us, so may we open our own inner doors to multidimensional experiences. As the ushers show us to our seats, so let us find a seat for prayer in our hearts.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Joel Segel are the authors of Davening: A Guide to Meaningful Jewish Prayer, forthcoming from Jewish Lights Publishing.

shana tova

Page 40 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

✄

JEWISH RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES 2012 - 2013

The following is a schedule of Jewish Holy Days for 2012-2013.

✡ All holy days begin the preceding sundown ✡ ROSH HASHANAH

Monday, September 17, 2012 Tuesday, September 18, 2012

YOM KIPPUR

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

SUKKOT

Monday, October 1, 2012 Tuesday, October 2, 2012

SHEMINI ATZERET

Monday, October 8, 2012

SIMCHAT TORAH

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

PASSOVER

Tuesday, March 26, 2013 Wednesday, March 27, 2013 Monday, April 1, 2013 Tuesday, April 2, 2013

SHAVUOT

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 Thursday, May 16, 2013

Shanah Tovah U’Metukah To My Friends in Ottawa’s Jewish Community

Phone: 613-990-7720 www.johnbaird.com

Cyber-warfare adds to Israel’s already complex battlefield

By Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA) – As the frequency of suicide bombings increased in the 1990s, Israelis began to realize their conflicts had shifted from the conventional battlefield to their streets, buses and cafés.

Now the country – along with the rest of the world – is adapting to a new battlefield, one defence experts call the ‘fifth dimension’: computers.

The impact cannot be underestimated, said Dror Mor, CEO of the Sdema Group, an Israeli company specializing in homeland security protection.

“A big part of the next war, wherever it is in the world, will be cyber-warfare to silence infrastructure, electricity, communications, movement of planes and trains,” he said.

Land, air, sea and even space have been battlefronts for decades or centuries, but cyber-warfare has gained prominence in the past few years and will continue to advance.

Although some industries have been computerized for more than 50 years, increasingly complex viruses have made computers more vulnerable than ever to cyber-attacks.

Several viruses already have figured prominently in the Middle East. In 2010, the Stuxnet virus hit computers in Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, and observers say it set back the Islamic Republic’s alleged nuclear weapons program by as much as two years.

Three months ago, Iran acknowledged another virus, allegedly created by Israel and the U.S. and called Flame, had infected its computers. According to the Washington Post, the virus tapped into Iranian computer networks and accessed intelligence.

In August, Gauss, a virus related to Stuxnet, hit personal computers in Lebanon and Israel, enabling the cyber-attackers to access financial data and the social network profiles of tens of thousands of people.

“The tech sector has become more open, which is good for business, but, when that happens, it’s bad for security,” said Avi Weissman, chair of the Israeli Forum for Information Security. “States have learned to take advantage of this to create malicious code.”

As the Gauss virus showed, cyber-warfare threatens private companies and governments. Transportation systems are especially vulnerable, Mor said.

“Someone can go in the system, confuse the stoplights and create big economic problems,” he said. A crisis also would ensue, Mor added, “if you get into the Israeli train system and put two trains on the same track that have no idea that they’re going toward each other.”

As to private companies, vulnerability to cyber-attacks means the actions of ordinary office employees could lead to a breach in a system’s security.

“It’s a cultural change as to how an organization deals with protection,” Mor said.

“You’re in an organization, you have a laptop

and a flash drive. The flash drive you use with your computer and the computer in the office.

How do we create a separation between the company network and the outside world?”

Mor said the dangers stretch even beyond national defence and safeguarding civilian infrastructure.

“If they stop the creation of cottage cheese, you think there will be a problem here?” he asked rhetorically, referring to a staple of the Israeli diet. “People can’t live without cottage cheese.”

Defence threats, however, especially concern information security experts in Israel, a country where national security issues dominate conversation. In fact, last year Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the National Cyber Staff, which is charged with improving Israel’s defences against cyberwarfare.

Israel has not fought a full-scale conventional war against another country in nearly four decades, principally fighting terror groups since the 1980s. Still, the biggest cyber-threats come from countries, which have the necessary manpower to develop and execute a damaging attack, according to Isaac Ben-Israel, a professor of security and diplomacy at Tel Aviv University and former head of military research and development for the Israel Defense Forces and Defense Ministry.

“Terror groups work with small groups of people, so the likelihood that they’ll attack our system is small,” Ben-Israel said.

Israel is also the birthplace of internationally well-regarded information security companies such as the Sdema Group. But some experts say the country remains unprepared to meet potential cyber threats.

“We’re OK relative to the world, but we are not OK relative to the threats in the region,” Ben-Israel said.

Weissman, of the Israeli Forum for Information Security, points out Israeli companies do not invest enough in cyber-defence because the danger doesn’t seem as real as that of bombs.

“This cyber-threat seems far away, so why put money into it?” he asked. “Organizations don’t bring in enough people, they cut corners.”

Furthermore, Weissman said, the government’s budget is too tight to invest the money it should to prevent cyber-attacks.

“Israel has a lot of problems: religious people and secular people, Arabs and Jews,” he said. “There aren’t any teeth to Israeli regulations, because there isn’t money.”

While Weissman calls for more money in technological education and cyber-defence, he said it is no substitute for conventional hardware such as planes, bombs and soldiers.

“It’s not going to take the place of conventional warfare, just like chemical warfare isn’t replacing conventional warfare and planes don’t replace ground troops,” he said, adding that cyber-warfare “will complete warfare.”

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 41

L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu Wishing you and your family health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year.

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Page 42 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

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Maccabi Ottawa swim team: (From left) Jack Miller, Coach Kayla Kershman, Sammy Miller.

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By Jon Braun Soloway JCC The 2012 JCC Maccabi Games took place August 12 to 17 in Rockland County, New York, and Team Maccabi Ottawa returned with 19 medals.

More than 1,200 athletes, aged 13 to 16, from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Venezuela and Israel took part in this annual celebration of Jewish youth.

Ottawa swimmers Jack and Sammy Miller were dominant in the pool. Jack led the way, winning nine medals while twin brother Sammy won seven. This was the third Maccabi Games for the Miller boys and they now have their sights on the 2013 Maccabiah Games next summer in Israel, where they hope to swim for Canada.

Ben Kirshenblatt represented Ottawa on the links and the young golfer had a very successful tournament earning, three medals in individual and team competition.

Team Maccabi Ottawa had a tremendous experience in the U16 basketball tournament. Competing against some of the finest 16-year-old Jewish basketball players from Philadelphia, Cherry Hill (New Jersey), Boca Raton (Florida) and New York, the boys showed great determination and

improvement throughout the tournament and had a strong showing in the playoff round, before losing a close game to the home team from the Rockland County JCC. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of the JCC Maccabi Games and the opening ceremony was a fantastic event, with all 1,200 athletes marching into the Rockland Community College Fieldhouse. During the ceremony, a moment of silence was marked for the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

In addition to the competitions, activities for JCC Maccabi Games participants included a pool party and barbecue, an evening at Dave & Buster’s restaurant and a family night at Yankee Stadium, when some of the host families took lucky athletes out to the ball game. There was also a day of sharing when Maccabi athletes spent time with special needs children, visited a seniors’ home and cleaned up trails at a New York state park.

Coaches for Team Maccabi Ottawa included Carlos Brown, Ben Sherman and Kayla Kershman. They and the young athletes represented the Soloway Jewish Community Centre with dignity and respect.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 43

Ottawa teens comptete in basketball, golf and swimming

Maccabi Ottawa basketball team: (kneeling, from left) Max Silver, Michael Benlolo, Daniel Novick, Eyal Podolsky; (standing) Coach Ben Sherman, Josh Wex, Noah Berdowski, Jared Wright, Daniel Blacher, Zach Shabinsky, Tristan Meyer, Coach Carlos Brown.

Maccabi Ottawa golfer Benjamin Kirshenblatt shows off his medals.

2012 - 2013 CALENDAR OF JEWISH HOLIDAYS 5773 *YIZKOR ROSH HASHANAH SEPTEMBER 17 & 18

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YOM KIPPUR SEPTEMBER 26*

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Page 44 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

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section 2

page 45

September 10, 2012 – Page 45

Section Two

september 10, 2012

Memoir

After 32 years, journalist returns to Zimbabwe where his Jewish identity was awakened

By Mark Buckshon On a July winter African day, Hylton Solomon invited me to the last synagogue in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe for Shabbat services. We joined about 25 other people in a former Reform temple that has been used as an Orthodox synagogue since the original Orthodox building burned down in 2003. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

I had travelled halfway around the world with some U.S. dollars in

my moneybelt to offer respect and thanks to the place where, in 1980, I discovered my Jewish identity.

At its height, Solomon said, there were about 1,200 families in Bulawayo’s Jewish community. Today, there are just 70 individuals, 15 of whom reside in the old folks home – the last surviving Jewish institution besides the synagogue.

In 1978, as a 25-year-old journalist, I travelled from Vancouver to Bulawayo to experience the political

transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. With some creativity, I obtained a work permit from the then-white government and a sub-editor’s job on the Bulawayo Chronicle.

Over a period of 18 months, I learned about war and peace, wealth and poverty, racism, nationalism, morality, generosity and hope. In a wild and wonderful evening in a police camp about 100 km from Bulawayo on Good Friday (Continued on page 46)

Hylton Solomon, gabbai of the Bulawayo Hebrew Congregation, in front of his grocery store.

(Photo: Mark Buckshon)

David Brooks (right) with University of Waterloo Chancellor V. Prem Watsa, receives an honorary doctorate of environmental studies, June 13.

Water policy a route to peace for Israel and the Palestinians, says David Brooks

By Alex Baker For David Brooks, retirement has meant more opportunities to apply his expertise on water policy and to focus it on a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He’s taking it easy.

“I’m still quite happy, quite vigorous. I still like to travel,” he said of the consulting and scientific work he continues to be involved with. “The big difference now is I don’t get paid.”

In June, Brooks’ accomplishments were acknowledged by the University of Waterloo when he was awarded an honorary doctorate of environmental studies in recognition of his work on alternative energy and water policies.

The citation also referred to his work on a water agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

With a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a master’s from the California Institute of Technology, both in geology, and a PhD in economics from the University of Colorado, Brooks had a long career pioneering both gov-

ernment and non-profit initiatives in the fields of mining, energy and water policy.

He began his career in the United States.

“It was the Kennedy era of the early ‘60s, and very exciting times in Washington,” he said. “As a young geologist, I was working mainly in mining and the environment. Then Kennedy was assassinated, Lyndon Johnson took over and the government decided to clamp down on a lot of those environmental initiatives we had been working on. For that and other reasons, I basically got fired.”

As a result, Brooks and his wife, Toby, together now for 57 years, looked for a new start.

“There were a small number of people with that type of background in geology and mining, and I was quite close with my Canadian colleagues. Suddenly, I was available,” he said. “In 1970, I was offered a job in Canada and never looked back.”

He was the founding director of Canada’s Office of Energy Conservation and later joined the (Continued on page 46)

shana tova

Page 46 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Little left of Jewish community in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (Continued from page 45)

in 1980, I experienced a Freudian insight that, if I could live through that experience, I could survive anything. Three decades later, I live in Ottawa with a wonderful family – but without so much excitement.

Solomon, the Bulawayo Hebrew Congregation’s gabbai, lives with his wife in a comfortable neighbourhood. His three grown children are in Cape Town, South Africa, and he visits there frequently.

“There is no anti-Semitism here,” he said, as he showed me the Jewish cemetery and Savyon Lodge, the seniors’ residence.

We passed the former Jewish day school. The building still houses a school, but there are no Jewish students. Solomon said the city also once had two Jewish sports centres, one of which was a country club.

Solomon explained the Jewish population in Bulawayo peaked in the early-1960s, just before Ian Smith, then the Rhodesian prime minister, declared unilateral independence from Great Britain, setting off international sanctions.

Britain’s policy was to deny independence in the absence of majority rule.

In the 1970s, a guerrilla war led by black nationalists Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo took hold. When I arrived in 1978, no one knew when the war would end, but I knew it could not go on forever. I decided to stay through the transition and learn some important truths.

The Rhodesia/Zimbabwe civil war offered a perfect opportunity for an idealistic young Canadian journalist to experience history first-hand. I filed several stories to Canada until Leo Rissin, then the Chronicle’s deputy editor, called

The Jewish cemetery in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

(Photo: Mark Buckshon)

The view from a room at Savyon Lodge, the Jewish seniors’ residence in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. There are 15 residents living there.

(Photo: Mark Buckshon)

me into his office in April, 1979.

“I have heard the police are looking into your writings,” Rissin told me in confidence, adding, quietly, that he, too, was Jewish. “Be careful.”

With that tip, I called the local police detachment and explained I wished not to cause any problems. I met two officers, showed them the stories I had filed to the Southam News agency and told them I would not do any more writing. The police decided not to take any further action. The whites were losing the war and, in any case, I had a valid work permit. (Rissin, who survived the Holocaust by immigrating to Shanghai and Rhodesia, has since died, but his son lives in Toronto.)

I carried on, working at my afternoon-shift sub-editor’s job

while trying unsuccessfully to learn motorcycle maintenance. When the war ended in late-1979, and the British government briefly reasserted colonial power to facilitate the transition to Zimbabwe’s independence, I resumed filing stories to Canada. I left the country about a week after independence celebrations in April 1980.

Earlier this year, my wife, Vivian Astroff, suggested we vacation in Europe while our son, Eric, was at camp. I discovered I had enough Aeroplan points to also visit Africa. While Vivian declined to travel to Zimbabwe, she understood why I wished to extend my journey here.

So, in July, I stood briefly outside the Bulawayo Chronicle’s door. The building is exactly the

same as it was in 1980. I didn’t go in. The Zimbabwe government has strict registration rules for foreign journalists and I held a tourist visa.

I smiled. I cried. Decisions made in Bulawayo three decades ago have led to a rewarding and happy life with love and success. Tragically, the Tjolotjo police camp where I celebrated my Jewishness became the scene of genocidal horror in the early-1980s when North Koreans under Mugabe’s direction massacred an estimated 20,000 black villagers.

Today, the Bulawayo Hebrew Congregation continues, though only a shadow of what it once was.

One member, Eric Bloch, is a respected economist who is quoted frequently in the Zimbabwean press and has the ears of political leaders.

Meanwhile, people line up at the cash registers at Solomon’s Grocery in an old building in central Bulawayo. When I visited, Solomon

accepted my modest cash contribution and accounted for it to the dollar. I think it will be used to build a section of fence to secure the local Jewish cemetery.

Two days later, I left Zimbabwe at the Victoria Falls Airport, and flew via Johannesburg, South Africa, and London, England, en route to reunite with my family.

Can we remember? Will there be a Bulawayo Jewish community in 10 years as the population ages and there are no young people are left?

I do not know.

However, Solomon said someone there is going through the stringent Orthodox conversion process.

As well, the community still assembles a minyan every week. While the community cannot support a full-time rabbi, it receives spiritual support and guidance from larger congregations in South Africa.

We need to remember the past as we live for the future.

‘Zionist peacenik’ helps bring sides together over water policy (Continued from page 45)

Ottawa-based International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a crown corporation.

“Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, instead of minerals I focused on energy,” he said. “I helped produce a soft energy study for Canada that was innovative in many ways, but, as soon as I got into development work, it was clear that water was a far more important factor than energy. I wondered if I could adapt the soft energy work to water.”

In 1988, Brooks got the opportunity to work on water policy when the IDRC came calling. He was with the IDRC until he retired

in 2003.

That he could help create and implement a water policy for Canada, Israel and the world held great appeal for Brooks.

“Just as in energy, it’s not really a technology issue; it’s a psychological issue,” he said. “If you’ve got a supply and demand problem, the best thing to do is to cut demand. We’re always trying to innovate and discover new ways to do that.”

Brooks believes the issue of water can play an important role in resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

“Water is one of the easier issues. It doesn’t rank high up

there with borders, refugees or Jerusalem, but it’s a building experience, an easy fix,” he said.

“Partly because it’s an easy thing, what officials have said to us – very quietly – is, ‘We need something to agree on,’ and keep the donors – the people with all the money – at the table, too.

“A good example is the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty. Water managers from each side got together – technical people, scientists. They had a nosh. Probably the Israelis brought some wine and the Jordanians drank it, and they were able to work out an agreement.

“This is what we’re trying to do

now – assuming the eventual peace treaty, a great deal of the water requires dual management.”

In other words, said the selfproclaimed “Zionist peacenik,” a win on water issues might just be the crack in the dam holding back the flood of peace. However, infrastructure is also a problem.

“By and large, the Palestinians have enough water to drink, but not enough for the economy.

There is plenty of water for Israel and the Palestinians, but it has to be managed better. Sanitation has to be managed, too. There isn’t a decent sewage treatment plant in the Palestinian territories, and that water is worth money and valu-

able for irrigation.”

Brooks continues to work on the issue. He will make two trips to Israel before the end of the year to implement ‘simulation games’ for his soft water proposals. He also remains active with the POLIS Water Sustainability Project, consults for the IDRC and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Brooks is also co-chair of the Ottawa chapter of Canadian Friends of Peace Now and is active in Adath Shalom Congregation.

It seems there is no rest for the weary, nor would Brooks have it any other way.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 47

shana tova

Page 48 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

High Holidays feature

For the New Year, renew the commitment to end global hunger

By Ruth Messinger (JTA) – In July, I travelled to Ghana with 17 rabbis. We spent 12 days constructing the walls of a school compound in partnership with a local Ghanian community ravaged by hunger, poverty and labour exploitation.

More important than our efforts to mix cement and schlep bricks, we built powerful relationships with Ghanaian human rights activists. We also engaged in rich discussions about what it

means to be faith-based leaders and global citizens.

One afternoon, a rabbi was exchanging stories with a young Ghanaian girl. In the middle of their conversation, she suddenly asked the rabbi if he had eaten lunch. When he said he was planning to eat soon, the girl responded, “I pray to God you will be able to eat tomorrow,” reflecting her own understandable insecurity about food as well as her concern for others.

Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish Community

As I prepare for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the young girl’s words weigh heavily on my mind, especially as I reflect on a familiar refrain from the High Holy Days liturgy: “Who shall live and who shall die?”

Most of the blessings we celebrate on Rosh Hashanah are unearned blessings. I often remind myself I did nothing to deserve being born in the richest country in the world – I was lucky. I did nothing to deserve a roof over my head and hot meals on my kitchen table – I was lucky.

Most North American Jews privileged enough to read the words of the High Holy Days liturgy are among the luckiest people in the world. In recent years, we have rarely known the hardship of being “the hungry” or “the naked” – the very people Jewish tradition demands we

Temple Israel Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Services, 6:15 pm Saturday Shabbat Services, 10:15 am A synagogue where Jewish hearts, souls and minds meet;

feed and clothe. For the vast majority of North American Jews, fasting on Yom Kippur is a voluntary act, not a chronic reality.

But, when nearly a billion people around the world go to bed hungry every night, when drought exacerbates hunger around the globe and when fasting for too many people is not a choice but an endemic condition, we must adopt a food ethic that enables everyone to experience the sweetness of having enough.

The links between hunger and the Yom Kippur liturgy – “Share your bread with the hungry” – require that we challenge the injustice of hunger and champion the right for everyone to access healthy food.

It is easy to forget the potential to effect global change is intimately tied to our local lives. What we consume, which government policies we support, where we work and how we spend our money and our time have a profound effect on the lives and human rights of people thousands of miles away – earthquake survivors in Haiti, migrant workers in Thailand, young girls in Ghana.

As I take stock of all that happened this year, I know many North American Jews already have made a difference in challenging policies that unintentionally undermine the ability of people in the developing world to feed

themselves. Last fall, American Jewish World Service and a coalition of Jewish organizations, committed to ending hunger around the world, launched the Jewish Petition for a Just Farm Bill.

Together, we gathered more than 18,000 signatures in support of a just food and agriculture system.

As compassionate, concerned citizens, we must continue to educate our own communities about the urgent need to address hunger.

With the New Year upon us, one way to make a difference is by observing the Global Hunger Shabbat on November 2 and 3. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel described Shabbat as an “island in time” – a portrait of how the world should be.

Global Hunger Shabbat is an opportunity to use this sacred time to reaffirm our commitment to food justice for all.

It is a time to ask ourselves: How do we use our power as North American Jews to make a difference in the lives of people facing

hunger in the developing world? How can we be more effective as advocates and catalysts for change?

Certainly, extreme poverty and hunger are colossal problems. No matter the number of Global Hunger Shabbat observances, we cannot eliminate these problems on our own. However, we can – and must – expand our collective responsibility to support people who are unable to put food on their own tables.

With the Days of Awe upon us – a time when we weigh our lives against our benefit to others – we must hold ourselves and our communities accountable. Join me in assuring the young girl I met in Ghana, and so many others like her around the world, that we will live the values of our tradition: We will work for justice so people around the world have enough to eat tomorrow and for many years to come.

Ruth Messinger is the president of American Jewish World Service.

Wishing Shana Tova to the Ottawa Jewish Community

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 49

Jewish filmmaker puts lens on Jewish African tribes and vies for seat in Senegal’s parliament

By Rina Bassist (JTA) – Filmmaker Laurence Gavron is on a journey to document lost Jewish tribes in Africa.

The French-born Gavron, who has made Senegal her home since 1989, said she was immediately taken by the project, which combines her passion for Africa with the mystery of rediscovering Judaism.

The film, titled Black Jews, Juifs noir en Afrique, focuses on a dozen African tribes – in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and other countries – each with a Jewish story. Some claim to be descendants of the Bible’s 10 Lost Tribes. Others believe their ancestors were Jews who emigrated from Judea to Yemen looking for gold.

Rabbinical authorities have not accepted any of the groups as Jewish under halachah, although all the tribes strive to be recognized as such at some level or another.

Edith Bruder, who has been studying these Jewish groups for more than a Laurence Gavron’s new documentary examines African decade and wrote the book, tribes which believe they are Jewish.

(Photo courtesy of Laurence Gavron) The Black Jews of Africa: “I am very interested in Jewish people, History, Identity, Religion, turned to Gavron for the film, which is expected to be being one, and in blacks, living in Africa and having become Senegalese,” Gavron released in the coming months.

“In sub-Saharan Africa, you can find said. “So black Jews is something that was Judaic tribes in Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, more than perfect for me.”

In the introduction to her documentary Uganda, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe and even in Sao Tome and other coun- project, Gavron writes, “Who has the right tries. There are many of them,” Bruder said. to proclaim himself a Jew? Who can assert his connection to Judaism? Are these black “It is really a vast subject.”

The two women are documenting Sab- Jews really a part of the Jewish people? And bath celebrations in remote African vil- if not, why do they wish to be included?”

Her own connection to Judaism – a sense lages, Ghanaian Jews practicing circumcision and Jewish-African traditional mar- of peoplehood and culture – has mostly been riage ceremonies. They have even been “background music,” she said, and making deep into the forests filming black Jews the film has “rekindled” those feelings.

Gavron, who keeps busy making films, preparing their ‘kosher’ meals – in their own tradition, the way the Torah explains it writing detective stories, organizing cultursimply, not mixing the meat of the veal with al evenings, making video clips and curating photo expositions, among other purits mother’s milk.

Filming a Shabbat service in Ghana was suits, recently made history in her adopted homeland. In July, she became the first a moving experience, Gavron said.

“At the end, [I was] really very touched woman toubab – a Senegalese naturalized (Continued on page 57) and almost started crying,” she said.

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Page 50 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Organizers of the 14th Annual Tee-up for Tamir Golf Fun-raiser, which was held on August 13th at Rideauview Golf and Country Club, called the event a “huge success,” raising over $40,000 in support of Tamir’s Residential Programs.

Tamir would like to thank the following individuals and businesses for their support and friendship!

We hope to see everyone back again for Tee-up for Tamir 2013!

Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors Major sponsors: Emond Harnden and Cohen & Lord Insurance Gold sponsors: Ginsberg Gluzman Fage & Levitz, LLP, Assist2Sell Silver sponsors: Arnon Corporation, Standard Life, Jeff Greenberg – Royal Lepage Team Realty, Koffman Signs, Daquin Sales, Capital City Luggage, Great West Life, Surgenor National Leasing, Mark S. Borts Insurance & Financial Services, Kronick Law Bronze sponsors: Stephen Saslove Chartered Accountant, Giamberardino, Westboro Flooring & Décor Inc. Ann Steinberg – Royal Lepage Team Realty, Allegra Printing, David Feldberg Desjardin Financial Security, R.G. Packman & Associated Ltd.

Thank you to our Golf Fun-raisers Barry Bokaut, Gil Cavill, Betty Dover, Debbie Ferkin, Norm Ferkin, Barbara Greenberg, Irv Hoffman, Joel Kanigsberg, Edward Kerzner, Steve Shapiro, Noah Reichstein, Malcolm Glube, Jerry Nudelman, Orly Aaron, Jacob Aaron, Chris Frizell, Bob Thompson, Coral Thompson, Debra Viner, Aron Barrett, Moe Ackerman, Vicky Ferkin, Marie Sims, Michael Flansbury, Augustus Morkeh, Randy Elmose, Julia McKinnon, Robyn Purkasthaya, Meredith Caplan, Kathi Jones.

Many thanks to our Volunteers & Staff Robin Chernick, Debbie Ferkin, Barbara Greenberg, Susan Greenberg, Judi Kerzner, Esther Kwavnick, Lois Nudelman, Sharon Reichstein, Kayla Reichstein, Marilyn Dow, Katherine Carter, Vesna Scott.

Special Thanks to Rideauview Country Club General Manager, Steve Ducat and Clubhouse Manager, Jason Walmark for the support and hospitality, Head Professional Paul Sherratt for his wise counsel, Rideau Bakery, Ginsberg Gluzman Fage & Levitz LLP for donating the golf balls, J.J. Clarke for emceeing the evening’s festivities. Big thanks to the Kitchen Krew from Beth Shalom Congregation for preparing the boxed lunches sponsored by Lee and Greg Curry and to all the businesses and individuals for your donations to the silent and online auctions.

shana tova

New and returning programs at SJCC Family Life Centre

By Pamela Rosenberg Take Your Temperament! The discussion will Soloway JCC centre on the nine temperament traits and the The Soloway Jewish Community Centre’s “goodness of fit” among family members.

Family Life Centre will introduce several Rubenstein and Burns, both early childhood unique new programs and special guest facil- education specialists, will show parents how itators this fall and winter. As well, all its to score temperament and how to work with most popular classes will return. their family to optimize relationships.

The Family Life Centre, now beginning Another Author Talks session takes place its third year, offers support for families with November 27, when psychologist Alex Rusyoung children by providing opportunities sell, author of Drop the Worry Ball, will offer for parents, caregivers and children to play a fresh perspective on raising “resilient, indetogether, as well as parent education and dis- pendent, self-motivated children ready to cussion groups. take on the world.” Russell will discuss New for this fall is Sign, Sing and Social- understanding the parent-child dynamics, ize. Sign language expert Anna Grunfeld will managing ADHD, anxiety and other special teach sign language skills to help parents and needs, helping kids worry for themselves, their pre- or early-talking children communi- and much more. cate. Also new is Gym and Swim, in which In addition to enhancing the emotional children aged 18 months to three years will well-being of families and children, the Famenjoy gross motor activities in the gymnasi- ily Life Centre will address physiological um before heading into the pool for parent well-being with a workshop aimed at bringand tot swim instruction. ing toddlers to the table, the transition to “We listened to the requests of parents family meals and how to provide school and caregivers of young children,” said Fam- snacks and lunches that are nutritious, easy to ily Life Centre Co-ordinator Tara Cogan. “I prepare, portable and kid-approved. am very pleased that we are able to work Filling Your Toddler’s Tummy and Packthem into the course offerings and know they ing Healthy School Snacks and Lunches on will be appreciated.”

October 3 is presented by Tummy Thyme, a For BabyCamp, the Family Life Centre nutrition company committed to helping parhas partnered with a number of experts, ents increase their confidence, knowledge including Amanda Degrace of Degrace Ener- and skills to easily provide whole, healthy getics, nutritionist Jayda Siggers, and Anna foods for their family.

Belanger and Shannon Pardy of Anna Also back again are Monkey Rock Music, Belanger and Associates, to lead the group on Drop-in Playgroup, Sportball, Fitmom and a variety of topics important to new parents. Baby, Motorin’ Munchkins and a new and Some of the areas to be covered over seven improved Shabbat Shalom with monthly weeks include nutrition for the first year of themes. life, infant CPR and safety and mom and baby yoga classes.

ParentCamp, a guided discussion and family learning series, will delve into topics surrounding the preschool years. Nancy Rubenstein, co-author of Take Your Temperament, will lead the sessions with guest facilitators Jayda Siggers, Nanci Burns and Barbara Freedman.

“I could not be any more excited about this program!” said Cogan.

“We have an amazing group of facilitators who will enthusiastically and expertly help guide parents through some of the joys and challenges of getting children and themselves through the preschool years.”

This program includes 10 evening sessions, once a month from October through May, and covers stress management for parents, temperament (child and parent), praise or no praise, and helping your child develop self-regulation.

In addition to heading up ParentCamp, Rubenstein will participate in the Author Talks series on Febru- Alex Russell, author of Drop the Worry Ball, will ary 12, when she and co-author speak November 27 in the SJCC Family Life Nanci Burns will discuss their book, Centre’s Author Talks series.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 51

Visit our web site: www.hillellodge.ca

LL

ife at the odge

Loving care comforts residents and families

By Carol Pascoe A year ago, I wrote an article for Our Home, chronicling the experience of my mother, Anita Dubinsky, and myself, at Hillel Lodge. Many readers, especially those whose loved ones had recently been admitted or who were on the waiting list, provided kind feedback.

Soon after that article was published, everything, as we knew it, changed. I was about to embark on a new journey with a major learning curve and, in doing so, gain a greater appreciation for the care provided at the Lodge. Getting my mother’s cancer diagnosis and then making a plan to cope with it coincided with Pesach last year. The plan started with an immediate meeting of the pertinent medical staff. I assumed that mom would eventually have to be moved to a hospital or hospice, and was overwhelmingly surprised and relieved when I was told that Hillel Lodge provides palliative care. I likely was told that fact on admission, but we tend to not absorb information like that until we need it. In fact, then, I didn’t really know what palliative care meant.

Thankfully, for the next five months, mom’s health did not deteriorate much. During this time, I received one of my greatest gifts, her attendance at our son’s wedding. This would not have happened without the loving care of a Hillel Lodge staff person. Around Rosh Hashanah, mom’s health began to decline and so started the real palliative care story.

The medical staff developed a

Anita Dubinsky with Laurie Pascoe care plan to not only deal with the severe pain she was experiencing, but also to prepare for the eventualities. In talking to friends who had lived with cancer, I realized how fortunate we were that the right balance of pain medication was found within a short timeframe. Like our experiences in the early, healthier months, teamwork was the key to implementing a good care plan. The staff took careful note of my mother’s dayto-day condition and maintained a meticulous pain management chart, essential to ensuring the medication continued to be appropriate. The outcome was that her suffering was alleviated in an effective and humane manner. In order to confirm the care plan, a palliative physician came from Élisabeth Bruyère to consult the staff, mom and me. Élisabeth Bruyère validated every aspect of the plan.

For about three months, the pain was managed and my mother was stable, although her routine was limited to the third floor.

One poignant memory is her last visit to the main floor, four months before her death, to attend the Auxiliary Tea. A word about the staff, or, as I came to call them, my family and my primary support system: For anyone who will ever have to experience the serious illness of a loved one at Hillel Lodge, be assured that the medical care is top notch and that you, the family member, will be treated with respect and inclusiveness. In our case, there were countless acts of kindness accorded by Hillel staff to my mother and me. These acts included giving mom a dignified life as she dealt with cancer’s cruelty, and supporting and counselling me in my vigil. In the last days of my mother’s life, as it

became clear we were facing the end, many staff came to spend quality time with mom, talking to her, holding her hand, and supporting me. Interestingly, during mom’s illness, the new wing was being built and many new families were admitted, and, yet, these significant changes to the Home did not at all adversely affect our situation on the third floor. The staff continued to deliver excellent care throughout this period, notwithstanding all the activity going on elsewhere in the building.

It has not been long since my mother’s passing, and I reflect back on the past months and years. I know for sure that, if we had not had Hillel Lodge in our lives, my mother would have suffered profoundly, her life would have been shortened and I would not have been comforted. In addition to receiving quality care and support, we both made new friends amongst the staff and volunteers.

Many of you reading this account have good health and happiness within your family, and, hopefully, you will for many years. If your loved ones ever do need care, I hope your journey will lead to Hillel Lodge. And, if you are not now in need of this kind of care, please think about the staff and families at Hillel Lodge, in order to better appreciate the Lodge’s positive impact on this community.

Carol Pascoe is one of a group of volunteers who formed a Family Council at Hillel Lodge and continues to volunteer there.

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

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

shana tova

Page 52 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Five reasons to join the Malca Pass Library Book Discussion Group

By Sophie Kohn Kaminsky for Malca Pass Library 5. The Malca Pass Library Book Discussion Group, entering our 22nd season, is a long-standing Ottawa tradition. Held in the Simcha Room of Agudath Israel Synagogue, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, it’s open to the public; you do not have to be a member of the congregation.

4. Membership in the Book Discussion Group is a great bargain at just $15 per person or $25 per couple for the entire series, or $5 per person for individual sessions.

3. The reading list is not daunting.

There are six reviews, two in the fall and four in the spring. No need to feel guilty if you have not read or finished the book.

Reading the book in advance lets you formulate your own opinion before the review.

Sometimes hearing the talk motivates you to read the book; sometimes it convinces you to pass on it.

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authors, and all have been recognized by literary awards panels in the past three years.

All reviews take place on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm. The schedule for this season is: October 16 – Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua, to be reviewed by Sophie Kohn Kaminsky; November 13 – What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander, to be reviewed by Alvina Ruprecht;

Shana Tova greetings to Minto Properties and the entire Ottawa Jewish Community Ultralux-Solignum Paints for all your painting needs 160 Spruce Street Ottawa 613 700 9278

March 12, 2013 – Requiem by Frances Itani, to be reviewed by Jack Schecter; April 9 – The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje, to be reviewed by Deborah Saginur; May 7 – State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, to be reviewed by Norman Wolfish; June 4 – The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger, to be reviewed by Linda Rossman.

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829-2455 or librarian Jack Schecter at library@agudathisrael.net or 613-7283501, ext. 232.

The Malca Pass Library at Agudath Israel Congregation boasts an excellent collection of fiction, non-fiction, music and movies. Membership in the library is free and open to the entire community. There is no charge for borrowing materials. Library hours are Thursdays from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and Sundays from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, from September through June.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 53

In Hollywood’s The Possession, the dybbuk is back

By Tom Tugend (JTA) – Thought your daughter’s odd behaviour was just another preteen phase?

There may be an alternate explanation: The dybbuk is back.

The malevolent spirit from 16th-century Jewish mysticism and folklore reappears in The Possession, a Hollywood film featuring Matisyahu and Kyra Sedgwick, which opened in Ottawa on August 31.

In keeping with the times, the spirit has migrated from the Eastern European shtetl of S. Ansky’s iconic play The Dybbuk to contemporary American suburbia and the home of Clyde Brenek, a high school basketball coach and father of two daughters conflicted about the divorce from his wife.

Clyde takes the girls – Hannah, 15, and Em, 11 – to a yard sale, where Em is oddly attracted to a small box inscribed with Hebrew letters and persuades her father to buy it. At home, overcome with curiosity, Em is in her room when she pries open the box and finds a bird’s skeleton, a lock of hair, strange carvings and an ancientlooking ring.

Predictably, terrible things

Matisyahu as Tzadok and Natasha Calis as Em in a scene from The Possession.

(Photo: Diyah Para)

begin to happen. Em stabs her dad’s hand with a fork and giant moths invade her bedroom. Her father disposes of the box in a distant dumpster, but she sallies forth in her nightgown across a dark

deserted street to retrieve it.

The increasingly desperate father seeks medical advice. An MRI reveals strange apparitions within the girl’s body. A psychiatrist is ineffective. Finally, a pro-

fessor recalls the dybbuk story and advises Clyde to travel to Brooklyn and appeal to an old Chasidic rabbi.

Clyde’s pleadings are rejected by the rabbi, but the rabbi’s son,

played by the reggae and alternative rock musician Matisyahu, takes pity and agrees to try an exorcism.

In a stormy session, Em is freed of the dybbuk – the dislocated spirit of an odious sinner who dies before repenting and now seeks refuge from avenging angels. It then infests her father until it is finally forced to beat a protoplasmic retreat back into the box.

Though seemingly defeated, the dybbuk eventually extracts its revenge.

There is no gain in saying the PG-13 movie is quite frightening, even to the mature skeptical mind.

That said, it is also fairly safe to wager that The Possession will not win any Oscars, though young Canadian actress Natasha Calis, as the possessed girl, is convincingly frightening.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, as the sorely tried father, turns in a solid performance, while Sedgwick is stuck in the role of his shrill, angry ex-wife, Stephanie. Matisyahu as the exorcist makes an impressive screen debut.

Horror-meister Sam Raimi is the co-producer, with Danish director Ole Bornedal at the helm of the (Continued on paage 55)

shana tova

Page 54 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 55

Film’s possession an allegory on inner fears (Continued from paage 53)

film. The Lionsgate/Ghosthouse production is based on a 2004 Los Angeles Times article

by Leslie Gornstein titled, “A jinx in the box?” which gives it a conceivable claim to veracity.

Gornstein’s article tracked a mysterious box – inscribed with the words from the Shema prayer – allegedly brought to America by an aged Holocaust survivor. It passed through the hands of various calamity-prone owners, until it was auctioned on eBay. The high bidder was Jason Haxton, a medical museum curator who investigated the story over many years and turned it into a book, The Dibbuk Box. Haxton’s story is rooted in the real world, with people sending emails and buying and selling on eBay, but, in the end, he leaves it to the reader to decide whether the story is a hoax.

Bornedal now owns the box and has it buried in his backyard.

“I’m not superstitious,” he told JTA, saying that, for a few weeks, he has worn the ring found inside the box.

Still, he acknowledged twinges of concern while flying, aware the ring was along for the journey in his suitcase.

Bornedal speculated the dybbuk’s possession of Em was largely an allegory on her inner fears at a time when her parents were going through a bitter divorce. While shooting the movie, he said he concentrated on the production rather than worry about the dybbuk’s alleged powers.

He maintained this attitude, he said, even when all the neon light fixtures exploded one day on the set in Vancouver, and after a fire destroyed all the props used in the movie shortly after the film wrapped.

The new film attests to the continuing fascination with the spiritual possession theme,

especially in movies that reenact viewers’ dreamlike fears while they are safe in their seat, said Edna Nahshon, a professor of Hebrew at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York who specializes in Jewish theatre.

In our time, she said, the dybbuk theme is still alive in the Chasidic world and is connected historically to kabbalistic teaching on the transmigration of souls. The dybbuk theme, Nahshon added, is found in various forms in almost every culture and religion.

In Jewish tradition, the dybbuk is almost invariably male, usually possessing a female soul and body. This scenario gives the possessed woman a ‘voice’ to say what is normally repressed, including sexual desire, Nahshon said. In The Possession, the gender identities are murkier. The dybbuk, however, is female, director Bornedal said.

What is clear is that the dybbuk remains with us in theatrical performances and books.

Just before the opening of The Possession, a Los Angeles theatre concluded the stage run of The Exorcist with a different approach than the famed 1974 movie, but also based on William Peter Blatty’s novel.

The dybbuk theme also showed up in the 2009 movie, A Serious Man by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film opened with a visit by a presumed dybbuk in an Eastern European shtetl, while its central character is a man beset by slights and setbacks that neither he nor the wise rabbis he consults can explain.

As for the grandfather of the cinematic genre, the 1937 Polish-Yiddish film Der Dibbuk, it has been restored by the National Center for Jewish Film and continues to enjoy considerable popularity.

In recent years, the restored Dibbuk has screened worldwide in venues ranging from the Austrian Film Archive to an outdoor screening at the Hollywood Bowl.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 57

Gavron hopes to run again in Senegal’s next election (Continued from page 49)

white person – to be on an electoral list for parliament. With a victory, she would have become the first Jewish member of Senegal’s parliament.

Gavron, 57, hadn’t given much thought to political involvement in the Muslim-dominated country until just a few months ago. At a cocktail party in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, she began speaking to Mamadou Lamine Diallo, who heads Tekki, a left-wing party.

“I told him how much I share with him the values defended by his party: transparency, citizenship activism and ethics,” she said. “He immediately asked me if I cared to join as a candidate for the upcoming elections.”

The offer “enchanted me,” Gavron said. “I felt it was a wonderful way to repay this country, which has embraced me without any restraint or hesitation. It is my way to pay my gratitude back to the Senegalese people.

Gavron was able to run only because the Senegalese parliament adopted an equal gender representation act two years ago, obliging political parties to present an equal number of male and female

candidates. And although she did not win the election, the experience convinced her to remain politically active – and she believes the results will be different the next time around.

Gavron is the perfect match for what Tekki is striving to achieve, said El Hadrji Sarr, a Tekki leader who supported Gavron’s candidacy. “‘Laurence is a Senegalese in every means and ways, even though she is white,” he said. “She has a natural place within our electoral list.”

Gavron has long split her time between France, Africa and Israel.

Although a Senegalese citizen who makes her permanent home in Dakar, she said that when she visits Paris, she suddenly feels it is home again, as if she never left.

Israel, meanwhile, remains her spiritual homeland, she said.

Her first visit to Senegal, a former French colony in western Africa, was in 1987 for an international film festival. She continued to go back and forth between there and France before making it her permanent home in 1989. Widowed for several years by then, Gavron said she decided it was

time for a real change. She became a Senegalese citizen in 2007.

The night before she left Paris for the permanent move to Dakar, Gavron said she was inexplicably

drawn to visit the Jewish quarter of Paris.

“I curiously found myself walking towards the Marais,” she recalls, where she bought a mezuzah.

“Being Jewish is important for me, even though I do not practice Judaism every day,” she said. “I am attached to my Jewish identity and to the cultural elements which differentiate me from others.”

Israeli court dismisses charges in Rachel Corrie civil suit HAIFA, Israel (JTA) – An Israeli court dismissed all charges against the state in a civil suit brought by the parents of Rachel Corrie, an American activist killed in Gaza after being run over by an Israeli military bulldozer.

In his verdict August 28, Haifa District Court Judge Oded Gershon ruled the state was not responsible for Corrie’s death in 2003. Gershon said Corrie entered the Gaza Strip despite knowing it was a war zone with live fire being exchanged daily. In addition, he cited a warning from the United States urging American citizens not to enter the Gaza Strip.

Corrie, 23, was an activist with the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement. On March 16, 2003, her supporters say she was acting as a human shield for a

house that was about to be demolished by the Israeli army when she became enveloped in the pile of dirt created by an armoured bulldozer as it moved toward the house. Corrie died soon after in a nearby hospital. The Israeli military denies a house demolition was taking place.

Her parents, Craig and Cindy, sued the state for responsibility in her death, claiming the bulldozer advanced despite knowing Corrie was in its path.

Gershon also said that, because Corrie was standing behind the pile of dirt created by the bulldozer, the driver could not see her.

Instead of moving away from the bulldozer as it advanced “as any reasonable person would do,” Corrie attempted to climb onto the pile of dirt created by the bulldozer.

“The party put herself in a dangerous situation opposite a bulldozer when he couldn’t see her,” Gershon said. “She didn’t move away like anyone of sound mind would. She found her death even after all of the IDF’s efforts to move her from the place.”

Gershon also dismissed charges the state tampered with the evidence in an investigation into Corrie’s death. Hussein Abu Hussein, the attorney for Corrie’s parents, called the verdict a “failure to hold the Israeli military accountable.

“This court has given a stamp of approval to the flouting of illegal practices that fail to protect human life.”

A lawyer for the state, Nirit Kalman, said, “We showed there was no negligence.”

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Page 58 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s life comes to the stage in Soul Doctor

By Lisa Alcalay Klug NEW YORK (JTA) – As he researched the complex life of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach for a new musical, playwright Daniel Wise found a surprisingly candid source.

Neshama Carlebach, a successful recording artist and popular performer of her father’s compositions, openly revealed his many struggles as “a lonely and conflicted” Orthodox rabbi – both rock star and spiritual shepherd.

“When someone collaborates on a show and at the same time is the daughter of the subject matter, and she is serving the show rather than her own perspective, it helps make the show what it is,” Wise said. “It was also very brave.”

As Neshama explains, her father’s message is that everyone “can surpass their own walls. Some people say he was an angel. He was a

person – but he was a strong person. He made beautiful choices and that should be an inspiration for the world.”

Some of Carlebach’s followers aren’t so pleased with the candour about his exploration of the 1960s counterculture and his willingness to cross Orthodox boundaries.

“Reb Shlomo was a soul on fire who was a rebbe to thousands,” said Shy Yellin, president of the Carlebach Shul on New York City’s Upper West Side. “He was a tzaddik rooted in the love of God and His Torah and whose purpose, like other great rebbes, was to connect us to Hashem yisborech in the deepest way. Because he was human, with all the challenges one faces, Shlomo could relate to his flock and we to him. If he made any mistakes, they were long ago expiated. He was beloved by all.”

During his lifetime and perhaps even more since his

death in 1994, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach – known widely as Reb Shlomo or simply Shlomo – is credited with reinvigorating Jewish life with uplifting song and spiritual teachings. His fascinating trajectory is the basis of a Broadway-bound show, Soul Doctor: The Journey of a Rock Star Rabbi, the first new Jewish hit musical in decades.

Neshama shares an official creative credit for “additional material” for the show, which is carried by more than 30 Carlebach melodies, often with new lyrics by David Schechter. Soul Doctor sold out in test runs in Florida and New Orleans, then opened to a limited engagement in July and August at the New York Theatre Workshop. Again, the show rapidly sold out.

Producers are negotiating with a New York theatre for an open-ended run.

As a cultural phenomenon in the 1960s music scene,

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Rabbi Carlebach’s songs grew wildly popular. He performed with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Pete Seeger, and Nina Simone, among others. He played venues from Carnegie Hall to coffeehouses, prisons to ashrams. He even performed spontaneous midnight concerts under New York City’s West Side Highway for the local homeless, whom he often knew by name.

Rabbi Carlebach died suddenly when his heart failed on an airplane at LaGuardia Airport in New York. His annual Yahrzeit triggers memorial concerts around the world. In a category all his own, his music now captivates Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative, gay and lesbian, Orthodox and Chasidic communities.

Cross-over Jewish reggae sensation Matisyahu has referred to himself as a “Bob

Eric Anderson portrays Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in the new musical, Soul Doctor, about the rabbi’s life.

(Photo: Carol Rosegg)

Marley-Shlomo Carlebach fusion.” Even Pope John Paul II used Carlebach’s composition, “Brothers and Friends,” to open his last mass at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

Soul Doctor reveals how Carlebach’s music and heartcentred teachings of “boundless love and joy” touched disillusioned hippies and dropouts, said Wise, who also directs the show.

The musical riffs on the successful formula of Rent, which Wise took on tour

around the world. Both employ actors playing multiple roles and doubling as stage hands, gracefully transforming sets through scenes.

Soul Doctor travels from contemporary Vienna back to Carlebach’s childhood there under Nazi occupation, from a New York home and a dynamic musical beit midrash to the psychedelic House of Love and Prayer in 1960s San Francisco and more, in the multiple loops of Carlebach’s explorations of (Continued on page 74)

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 59

Page 60 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

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A googly-eyed giant fish, squirrels in the sukkah and a mitzvah-performing magician (JTA) – A giant googly-eyed fish, a mischievous magician and hungry squirrels are among the characters in a new crop of engaging Jewish children’s books that relate to the observance or themes of the Jewish High Holidays.

Holiday Kid Lit Penny Schwartz

Oh No, Jonah!

By Tilda Balsley Illustrated by Jago Kar-Ben Publishing Ages 5-10 The story of Jonah read in synagogue on Yom Kippur is retold by award-winning children’s writer Tilda Balsley in a lively, rhyming beat that will get the kids to listen. When the prophet Jonah refuses God’s request to persuade the people of Nineveh to change their wicked ways, he runs off to a ship, is tossed overboard and swallowed by a big fish.

After Jonah prays for forgiveness, the fish spits him onto dry land and Jonah convinces the Ninevites to repent.

Balsley’s verse, which features the refrain, “Oh No, Jonah!” opens the door for discussion about misbehaviour, apologies and forgiveness without being overbearing.

Jago’s colourful illustrations – the fish is a golden giant with a humongous mouth and large googly eyes – will have young readers wading into the plot.

Room for the Baby

By Michelle Edwards Illustrated by Jana Christy Random House Ages 3 and up A PJ Library selection The Mitzvah Magician

By Linda Elovitz Marshall Illustrated by Christiane Engel Kar-Ben Publishing Ages 3-8 Wearing a tall black hat and carrying a wand in his hand, an ordinary young boy transforms himself into a mischiefloving magician, emptying glasses of milk onto the floor and mistakenly poking his younger sister, Julia. In a timeout for his misbehaviour, the young fellow thinks about his mother’s warnings that good magicians do good deeds, mitzvot, and don’t hurt people. With a wave of his magic wand, Gabriel creates new magic words – Jewish words.

“One-wish! Two-wish! Jew-Wish!” he proclaims. Young kids will pick up the beat of Gabriel’s magic command, as he sneaks off the time-out stool to magically clean up the spilled milk from the kitchen floor, tidy his overturned toys and even set a party table with cookies for the family.

Elovitz Marshall provides a lighthearted setting to the Jewish value of doing good, and Christiane Engel’s illustrations are lively and engaging. Figures and scenes are brightly coloured and large enough for kids to enjoy reading the story through the expressive artwork.

Michelle Edwards’ deft touch and sense of humour shine through in this delightful family tale that follows a do-ityourself family through the Jewish holiday calendar. It begins at Passover, when Mom announces the family is going to have a baby.

“Where will the baby sleep?” wonders the young boy.

The sewing room to be used for the new baby overflows with stuff Mom has collected when neighbours brought her their extra sheets, outgrown kids pajamas, sports clothes, sweaters and more.

As the family observes Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah and finally Chanukah, old sheets are torn apart and sewn into tiny baby sleepers; chopsticks and an old sweater sleeve become a flag for Simchat Torah, and so forth through the Jewish holidays.

By Chanukah, all the stuff has been repurposed into beautiful and useful items for the new baby or happily shared with neighbours.

This warmly imagined story by the award-winning author of Chicken Man touches many themes: anticipating a new baby, celebrating Jewish holidays, dads who bake challah, living in a multicultural neighbourhood and, of course, inventive ways to reuse stuff.

Jana Christy’s illustrations glow with colourful collage patterns. Even the family cat gets in on the action.

The Vanishing Gourds: A Sukkot Mystery

By Susan Axe-Bronk Illustrated by Marta Monelli Kar-Ben Publishing Ages 3-8 A PJ Library selection

Speak Up, Tommy!

By Jacqueline Dembar Greene Illustrated by Deborah Melmon Kar-Ben Publishing Ages 3-8

The Vanishing Gourds: A Sukkot Mystery is a lighthearted backyard mystery that captures the seasonal spirit of the joyous celebration of Sukkot, reflecting its appreciation of the natural world. Susan Axe-Bronk’s first children’s book is brightly illustrated by Marta Monelli.

In Axe-Bronk’s tale, readers meet Sara, a spirited young girl who loves to decorate the family sukkah with colourful and unusually shaped gourds from a local farm. One year, the gourds hanging from the roof slats mysteriously fall to the ground, scattering their seeds. At night, while Sara and her brother Avi are sleeping in the sukkah, they discover a family of squirrels eating the gourds. Sara dreams the squirrel family apologizes, explaining that they were hungry.

They promise to bring new gourds to Sara next year. In a heartwarming and happy ending, Sara discovers an unexpected gift the following Sukkot.

Monelli’s large format illustrations reflect the colours of the season.

While Speak Up, Tommy! by award-winning author Jacqueline Dembar Greene is not about the High Holidays, it is an outstanding new title that is timely as the new school year gets under way.

Set in a classroom, Speak Up, Tommy! touches all the chords about getting along with others and not teasing classmates, new or old. Tommy, a boy from Israel, is teased because his English is not perfect and he hasn’t learned the difference between Israeli and American football. But his perfect Hebrew comes in handy when Officer Sweeney visits the classroom with Samson, a specially trained dog who shares Tommy’s Hebrew language.

There are fun Hebrew-English word bubbles with dog commands such as sheket (quiet) tavi (fetch) and kelev tov (good dog). In the end, classmates become helpful friends.

Deborah Melmon’s cartoon-like illustrations are lively and action packed.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 61

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Page 62 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Amos Oz’s stories are a reflection of Israel’s past and future Scenes from a Village Life

By Amos Oz Translated by Nicholas de Lange Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 192 pages The first thing to say about Scenes from a Village Life, prolific Israeli author Amos Oz’s latest linked short story collection, is it’s simply an exquisite piece of literature. The second thing to say is it’s a beautifully concise reckoning of the state of the Zionist dream today.

The stories are set in Tel Ilan – a fictional town reminiscent of Zichron Ya’akov – which, as Oz describes it, has become a weekend hub for upscale, artisan marketing where Israelis from outside the town come to buy honey, cheese, furniture and wine.

The residents of the town lead fairly ordinary lives – at least outwardly – but their inner lives are rich with the weight of introspection, dreams and regret.

There is Pesach Kedem, a retired member of the Knesset, who lives with his daughter, Rachel, who tends to him with frustration and impatience, while hosting Adel, an Arab student, in their coach house. There is Arieh Zelnik, who is faced with an unexpected offer to purchase his house. Gili Steiner waits in vain at the bus stop for her ailing nephew to arrive.

Kobi is a lonely, sexually frustrated teenager desiring a librarian almost twice his age.

The pacing is rich and tender, encouraging the reader to linger. What most struck me about the stories was the spare presence of technology.

Waiting at the bus stop for her nephew, Gili forgets her cell phone at home. Ada Dvash, the librarian (her name means honey, the slowest food there is), enlists Kobi’s help cataloguing books. There is a post office, a school and an old water tower, which affords a young man necessary perspective. Notes are left on counters.

Scratching and digging is heard (or imagined). The cars are the elements arriving from outside the town. Adel’s instrument of choice is the simple harmonica.

In a tightly wrought ensemble penultimate scene, an unnamed narrator attends an evening of communal singing, a slowly dying custom once popular in Israeli – and, particularly kibbutz – circles. The only nod to modern trends is the wine and cheese promised at the end of the night, which the narrator deliberately eschews. He is looking for something in his pockets, something he cannot find.

Those pockets, like the town, must be a repository of memory.

One gets the feeling the stories are Oz’s way of bidding

Book Review Mira Sucharov farewell to an earlier Israel, one where socialism reigned, and social justice didn’t have to be demanded in tent protests. It is an Israel where towns were dusty and communal, where village life, rather than the skyscrapers of Tel Aviv, defined the nature of daily life and purpose.

It is a quietly nostalgic look at an Israel that has transformed in the hubbub of the 21st century. But it is not a clouded nostalgia. “Inside everyone, I thought, there is the child they once were. In some you can see that it’s still a living child; others carry around a dead child inside them,” the narrator muses at the communal singing evening as talk turns heatedly to politics.

One of the most important living writers in Israel, Oz has lived through generations of wars and uncertainty, bearing witness to the realization of the Zionist dream. “Ada said she could not understand how anyone could commit suicide in the midst of a war. It was hard to imagine that she hadn’t had an iota of a sense of involvement, or any curiosity to know how things would turn out.”

With real estate agents and developers eyeing the houses of the town, the residents are waiting to see how things will turn out in the physical landscape around which their lives have centred. The nights are hot; the cellars are cold. Those cellars hold preserves and memories. The shuttered windows keep things as they are, while letting the light in. Oz’s thoughtful, lilting stories are a meditation on where Israel has come from and where it’s going. One cannot help but be curious – if not passionately invested in – how things will turn out.

Jewish rock from Montreal and a klezmer-Ladino mix from London Music Michael Regenstreif

Soldier Woman Jump Babylon jumpbabylon.com For the past decade, the Montreal-based Shtreiml, led by inventive harmonica and keyboard player Jason Rosenblatt, has been one of Canada’s most innovative klezmer bands.

But, sometimes, the klezmorim just want to play some rock and roll (and write some rock and roll songs). So Rosenblatt and several Shtreiml band mates, singer-guitarist Adam Stotland, trombonist Rachel Lemisch and drummer Thierry Arsenault, along with bassist Joel Kerr and horn players James Rhodes and Andrew Skowronski, formed Jump Babylon.

The newly-released Soldier Woman is Jump Babylon’s

debut release and the 11 songs – 10 written by Rosenberg, one by Stotland – mostly focus on Jewish or Israeli themes.

Among the highlights is “Canada,” a rootsy rock song sung from the perspective of an elderly Holocaust survivor looking back on the life he built for himself in this country after the war. Another is “Zion,” a celebration of both the city of Jerusalem and the end of Jewish exile, and a defiant rejection of those who would delegitimize Israel. The most fun song is “The Bride,” a hilarious recounting of typical Jewish weddings as perceived by the hired musicians.

Stylistically, Jump Babylon moves from rock to ska and reggae rhythms – even to New Orleans-style jazz.

Ashk’farad: Klezmer and Ladino Shir Arc Music Productions shirmusic.co.uk Shir is a British quartet of Jewish musicians whose previous CDs have focused on Israeli folk songs. On Ashk’farad: Klezmer and Ladino, they focus on two streams of traditional Jewish music: instrumental klezmer tunes originating in Eastern Europe represent the Ashkenazi tradition,

while songs in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) represent the Sephardic tradition.

Among the klezmer tunes, I particularly enjoyed the celebratory “Silver Wedding,” featuring the soaring clarinet of Maurice Chernick and swinging violin of Piotr Jordan, a delightful medley labelled, “Chossid Wedding Dances,” and the exciting “Nacht in Gan Eden/Odessa Tune,” in which the virtuosity of the whole band shines.

For the most part, the Ladino songs are quieter. “En el café del amanecer” is an especially beautiful love song featuring Chernick’s singing and the gorgeous nylon-stringed guitar playing of Ivor Goldberg. Equally beautiful, despite the bitter lyrics addressed to a former love, is “Adio querida,” sung in harmony by Chernick and Goldberg.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 63

Conservative movement approves same-sex marriage; will Ottawa’s Conservative congregations follow?

On May 31, the Committee of Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly formally approved the wording of two ceremonies to sanctify same-sex Jewish weddings. In a vote of 13-0 with one abstention, the CJLS took the historic step of officially enabling gays and lesbians to take their proper place in partaking of all Jewish life cycle events.

The Reform and Reconstructionist movements have allowed rabbis to perform same-sex marriages since 1993 and many Conservative rabbis had officiated at same-sex weddings well before the recent decision, encouraged by the 2006 ruling that gays and lesbians could serve openly as rabbis and cantors.

Significantly, neither of the two ceremonies approved by the CJLS uses the term kiddushin, the formal Judaic term for sanctified marriage. As Naomi Zeveloff, writing in the Jewish Daily Forward (June 15) points out, “In substituting kiddushin with partnership law, the rabbis borrowed from the Brit Ahuvim, or Lovers’ Covenant, created by Reform Rabbi Rachel Adler.�

Zeveloff quotes Rabbi Adler on the CJLS decision: “What it does basically is to move marriage out of property law and into partnership law.�

Some supporters of inclusion will no doubt find the lack of kiddushin problematic, thinking it is a second-class form of marriage ceremony. Others, like Michael Gennis, find that aspect heartening. Raised in Ottawa at a Conservative shul, Michael and partner Bob Birnbaum married in 2010 in an Ottawa Jewish same-sex ceremony officiated by Rabbi Steven Garten of Temple Israel.

Gennis found something admirable about the same-sex ceremony approved by the CJLS being different from the traditional heterosexual one. “I am thrilled that the Conservative movement has taken the bold and necessary step to ensure that not only are samesex unions recognized, but that they are recognized as unique, and obviously deserving of a unique ceremony, one that isn’t necessarily a variation on the existing ceremony,� Gennis told me.

As the Forward article notes, some straight couples may even turn to the same-sex ceremony as a way to transcend some of the more problematic gendered aspects inherent in the traditional male-female ceremony. I know I, for one,

Values, Ethics, Community Mira Sucharov closed my eyes and swallowed hard before working my way through the wording of my Aramaic ketubah, modernized slightly by the addition of the Lieberman clause, which is intended to prevent agunot (women tethered to marriage because their husbands refuse to grant them a get, or Jewish bill of divorce). I was reminded of this at a recent family wedding when the rabbi announced that, in the Jewish legal context, the bride was akin to property. The audience tittered uncomfortably.

The Conservative movement is a big-tent movement, which is both a strength and a challenge. As such, gays and lesbians are still subject to the predilections of their particular Conservative congregation and/or rabbi on the matter. As anyone involved in the management of a shul knows, the rabbi, while officially being mara d’atra (final arbiter for the congregation in interpreting religious laws and rules), the preferences of the board and ritual committee loom large in policy making.

Until now in Ottawa, parents at Conservative shuls with gay children have known that, at some point, their shul will have to reject them. Sure these children can be members. But, if they want to marry their beloved, they will be turned away.

Whether this will change with the new ruling is an open question. “Agudath Israel does not currently perform same-sex commitment ceremonies, nor is there a specific timetable for this to come under consideration. However, we are committed to a policy of inclusiveness and we view this as a work in progress,� wrote Agudath Israel President Jack Klein in response to my question to each of the local Conservative congregations on whether they would allow same-sex weddings.

Beth Shalom President Ian Sherman declined to comment

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“pending further review of the ruling and our policies by our ritual committee and then the shul’s board of governors, all under rabbinic guidance from Rabbi [Scott] Rosenberg.� “Since we do not have a full-time rabbi on staff, we do not have any weddings,� responded Adath Shalom Co-president Paul Adler.

Many gays and lesbians are understandably drawn to Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism. A spirit of inclusion is a powerful draw, and justifiably so.

But just because someone Jewish may be romantically drawn to members of their own sex says nothing about their theological commitments or their preference for a particular worship style, or for a particular spiritual community within Judaism. Some gays and lesbians prefer Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, and some prefer Conservative Judaism.

Still others, like Rabbi Steven Greenberg, are fighting passionately for their place in Orthodox Jewish life, a process proceeding much more slowly.

On the heels of the new CJLS ruling, who will be the first same-sex couple to approach a Conservative rabbi in Ottawa to officiate at their wedding? And which shul will be the first to take part in the most exciting inclusion innovation to come out of the Conservative movement since women were granted equal access to the seminary? The way I see it, Ottawa’s first Conservative Jewish same-sex wedding will be a sacred day, not only for the betrothed, but for the whole community, which gets to welcome the couple to the community in the way straight couples have long taken for granted.

The door to inclusion in Conservative Judaism was blown open with a gust of commitment to diversity. Now, we just need to walk through it, together.

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

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Page 64 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

shana tova

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 65

Page 66 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

shana tova

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 67

shana tova

Page 68 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

A little sweet culinary magic to start the New Year While reading the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated, I came upon a recipe for French apple cake. I was prepared to just page ahead to the next article, thinking I already have enough apple cake recipes. However, I glanced at Andrew Janjigian’s opening paragraph and was instantly intrigued.

“How the heck did they make this?” That’s what I asked myself as I sat in a tiny Parisian bistro marveling over a slice of apple cake. I’d tasted plenty of apple cakes before, but none that came close to this. The custardy base that surrounded the apples was rich, creamy and dense, but not in the least bit heavy. The butter-soft apple slices, simultaneously tart and sweet, were perfectly intact despite their tender texture. And above the rich custard sat a double layer of real cake – light and airy on the inside, with a beautifully golden-brown crisp top. Together the contrasting layers made for one amazing dessert.

Oh my! I had to try this cake. It sounded like culinary alchemy. How did they get the cake to bake up in layers like that: two totally different textures in the same cake?

Is it magic? Not quite. The trick is to take the basic cake

batter and divide it in half.

For the bottom custard-apple layer, an additional 2 egg yolks are added to the batter. The extra fat from the yolks and the additional moisture from the apples contribute to a rich and creamy dense layer. For the top cake layer, an additional cup of flour was added to the batter, creating a tender airy top layer.

The best choice of apples for this cake is a firm, tart apple, like Granny Smith, Braeburns or Jonagold. Macintosh apples will not hold their shape and will turn the filling too mushy. Golden delicious apples, while firm, are just too sweet.

This apple cake will most certainly make an appearance at our Rosh Hashanah dessert table this year.

A wonderful modern take on the classic apple cake, it

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Cindy Feingold will surely be devoured quickly.

And, best of all, everyone will ask, “How the heck did you make this?”

Wishing you all a sweet, happy, healthy and magical New Year.

French Apple Cake This recipe comes from the September-October 2012 issue of Cook’s Illustrated.

This cake can be made a day ahead, wrapped well with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature.

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Serves 8-10 1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 4 apples), peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise 1 tablespoon Calvados, or apple brandy or white rum 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup (5 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Confectioners’ sugar Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Set aside.

Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover

and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. The microwaved apples should be pliable but not completely soft when cooked. To test for doneness, take one apple slice and try to bend it. If it snaps in half, it’s too firm; microwave it for an additional 30 seconds and test again. Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.

Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt together in bowl. Whisk egg, oil, milk and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside.

Add egg yolks to remaining batter and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create an even, compact layer and smooth surface.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into reserved batter. Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cake.

Bake until centre of cake is set, toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer pan to wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges and serve.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 69

Levy Report dispels ‘occupation myth’ and affirms Israel’s right to Judea and Samaria “According to international law,” says the Levy Report, submitted July 9 by a three-person blue ribbon panel, appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in January to investigate the legal status of West Bank Jewish settlements, headed by former Israeli Supreme Court justice Edmund Levy, “Israelis have the legal right to settle in Judea and Samaria and that establishment of settlements cannot, in and of itself, be considered illegal” and “the classical laws of occupation as set out in the relevant international conventions cannot be considered applicable to … Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria.”

The report struck a sour note with many, including obvious critics of its conclusions: Palestinians and all those on the left who question the very existence of Israel. However, there are some unexpected critics. Some American Jews are concerned with the report’s narrative, albeit legally correct.

Needless to say, the Obama administration was not so keen on the report either, seeing it as a tool to legitimize settlements in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

Alan Baker, former Israeli ambassador to Canada and an international law expert, was one of the three members of the panel.

The panel carefully examined Israel’s presence in the West Bank under international law and in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention, which deals with occupation and territories controlled by an occupying force. Not only did the panel find no legal basis for denying Israel’s claims, it also found Israel has an undeniable historic and legal right to settle within the West Bank under international law.

The panel clearly details and uncovers the legal basis for such findings, including the lack of a previously recognized sovereign in Judea and Samaria prior to 1967’s Six Day War, in which the area was captured from Jordan.

Jordan annexed the area in 1950, but there was no recognition of Jordanian sovereignty and Jordan abandoned any claims to it as of 1988. It is also important to note that, when there is no Palestinian state, it cannot be occupied. But we mustn’t let too much legal detail get in the way of eager delegitimizers who relentlessly misrepresent the term occupation. It is, regretfully, a term loved and used inaccurately by many, including well-meaning Jews who neither appreciate nor comprehend its significance and the long-term effects of the word occupation on the global psyche.

The matter of occupation was well argued by Israel’s then-ambassador to the UN Chaim Herzog, in the UN General Assembly on October 26, 1977. “Israel cannot be considered an ‘occupying power’ within the meaning of the Convention in any part of the former Palestine Mandate, including Judea and Samaria.”

While the report won’t change the Palestinian discourse or the opinions of those who work persistently to delegitimize Israel, it reiterates the legal framework around the settlements and Israel’s legal right to be there.

The report has stirred American Jewish sensitivities,

Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish Community

Councillor Steve Desroches City of Ottawa Gloucester - South Nepean 613-580-2751 www.stevedesroches.ca

World Affairs Oliver Javanpour prompting some to want to keep their distance from the findings. An open letter to Netanyahu, from more than 40 prominent Jewish leaders in the United States was on the Israel Policy Forum website states: “As strong advocates for Israel’s security and well-being as a Jewish and democratic state, we are deeply concerned about the recent findings of the government commission led by Supreme Court jurist (ret.) Edmund Levy. We fear that if approved, this report will place the twostate solution, and the prestige of Israel as a democratic member of the international community, in peril.”

Some Israeli papers and commentators claim the report was a misadventure on Netanyahu’s part and was intended to remove constant pressure from the settlers. It may, however, have accidently set a collision course with the Diaspora, especially American Jews and the Obama administration.

Others speculate the report was a strategic move on the part of the Israeli government to apply pressure on the Obama administration to reach a deal on Iran and a substantive push for Americans to bring the Palestinians to the table. Still others say the long list of defence-related gifts the U.S. is willing to offer, including 20 F-35s to Israel in exchange for a

three-month construction freeze in the settlements, is an American strategic response to the Levy Report. Finally, there are speculators who say Netanyahu is sweeping the report under the carpet for some, or all, of the above reasons.

There are signs the English-language version of sections of the report have been removed from the government website.

The Hebrew version was removed just as I started writing this column. I’m not one to speculate or put any value on such speculation, however, it is clear the report has achieved more than it set out to accomplish.

While the report is legal advice to the cabinet and reiterates Israel’s legal standing, it certainly leaves the political decision-making to the cabinet. There are nuances in the report which are more precise in terms of an operational framework for managing existing settlements and their natural growth, while leaving the decisions on new settlements in Judea and Samaria to the government.

The report reaffirms Israel’s legal right to Judea and Samaria and sets in place a defined operational framework.

It can’t, however, be expected to be the tool for dealing with the delegitimizers. They will continue their discourse regarding Israel as an occupier. Certainly, the report hasn’t garnered a positive response from the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian intellectuals who have steadfastly prevented a peaceful resolution with the Israelis time and again. Perhaps a second look with a different lens may identify some of the nuances found in the report that could help them at the negotiating table.

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

Page 70 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

Is food your friend or foe?

Are you ashamed of your eating habits? Do you wish you had more will power? Do you tell yourself you’ll eat better tomorrow, but tomorrow never comes? Are you disappointed with your weight or shape? Has eating poorly caused health problems?

Food is supposed to be our friend. Food is our fuel. Our body composition and weight are determined in part by genetics, but much more so by exercise and, perhaps most of all, by what we eat. Two of these three factors are within our control.

If we abuse food, it becomes our foe. Eating when we‘re not hungry, binge eating, regularly putting junk in our bodies, developing food addictions and consuming more calories than we burn are just some of the symptoms of a toxic relationship with food.

How do we regain control over our eating? Is going on a diet the solution?

Personally, I’ve never been on a diet. I lost my excess weight slowly and safely by modifying my eating and exercise habits. As far as I’m concerned, diet is a four letter word.

The diet industry uses exaggerated claims and celebrity endorsements to drive sales.

One of the popular types of diets is based on prepackaged frozen meals. The convenience factor attracts busy people.

Sure, you can ‘eat all the foods you love and still lose weight,’

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but that doesn’t mean they are good for you. I’ve examined the websites of several of these popular diets. Almost every meal on their menus is what I would consider junk food or, at best, suitable as an occasional treat. Do you really think eating hamburgers, pizza and chocolate brownies every day is setting you up for success?

There are generally two things in particular that are wrong with these diets. First, the meals and snacks are highly processed, lacking in nutrients and fibre, and are often high in sodium, fat or sugar. Second, these diets don’t teach life skills such as how to make wise choices and how to plan and prepare healthy home-cooked meals.

Exclusion of an entire food group, typically carbohydrates, is a common weight loss technique touted by the smorgasbord of best-selling diet books. You need carbs, protein and fat for health and wellness. Carbs give you energy. Eliminating simple carbs such as foods made with white flour or lots of sugar is a smart way to reduce calories. But whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes are a source of slow burning complex carbs that satiate you, fuel your workouts and provide fibre and a host of vitamins and minerals essential for health.

Severe caloric restriction is another popular diet theme. Of course, diets are not advertised as being such, but that’s really the premise they are built on. Living for weeks or months on a fraction of the calories your body needs to function is unhealthy. Some of these diets require supplementation, such as vitamin B injections, or protein bars and shakes as meal substitutes. The reason you can achieve quick weight loss in a short period of time on these diets is because you are starving yourself. It’s unhealthy for most people to lose more than one or two pounds per week. Like all diets, once you get off the program, you typically gain back the weight and then some.

The safe and smart way to achieve long term success is to modify your lifestyle. Here are some of my top tips

shana tova

Focus on Fitness Gloria Schwartz for eating well: • Limit or eliminate your consumption of fast food, processed food and soda; • Aim for 80 per cent or more of what you eat to be homemade, so you know what’s in it; • Eat a balanced diet, including lean protein, healthy fats and complex carbs; • Make water your main beverage; • Have five or six smaller meals and snacks throughout the day, rather than two or three big meals; • Bring food and water with you when you’re out, so you don’t impulsively eat at the drive-thru or food court; • Use herbs and spices for flavour. Avoid sauces that contain hidden fat and salt; • Control your portion sizes; • Fill your plate with colourful fruits and veggies; • Eat whole foods. Avoid artificial ingredients.

A good starting point is to keep a food diary for a week. Be honest and list everything you eat and drink. Then see if you can identify areas for improvement. Ask a personal trainer for guidance or get nutritional advice from a registered dietician.

If you want to eat right, think about quantity and quality. If you focus on overall health and fitness rather than the numbers on the scale, the weight will come off and food will be your friend for life.

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

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 71

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In memory of: Hy Hymes by Jon Reider; by Hy Bloom; by Continued on page 72

May the traditions of Rosh Hashanah remind us of the deep values of faith and family that strengthen our community and help guide us each day.

Shana Tova V’MetukahGood health, happiness and peace www.OJCF.ca

shana tova

Page 72 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

FOUNDATION DONATIONS Gladys Bodnoff; by Ellen and Mel Segal; by Zav and Blanca Abramson and family; and by Linda and Alan Gilbert.

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September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 73

FOUNDATION DONATIONS CASEY AND BESS SWEDLOVE ENDOWMENT FUND Happy Rosh Hashanah to: Margo and David Kardish; Zelaine and Sol Shinder; Rabbi Arnold and Chevy Fine; Alyce and Allan Baker; Rabbi Scott Rosenberg, Amy Goldman and family; and Cantor Daniel and Muriel Benlolo by Carol-Sue and Jack Shapiro and families.

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Celebrate the New Year by sending your friends and loved ones a Rosh Hashanah Tribute card Make your donation online at www.OJCF.ca Call 613.798.4696, ext. 274 Email: jborenstein@ojcf.ca

Thanks It’s been an emotional and unexpected few weeks. One day, I woke up to play golf like any ordinary morning and ended up in hospital needing quadruple bypass surgery.

Life certainly has a way of throwing some curve balls. Throughout this whole ordeal I have felt truly blessed and overwhelmed by all your support, care and concern. I am so deeply touched by all the calls, emails, cards and donations that I’ve received. I feel so lucky to have friends and family like you, and I want to say thank you and let you know how much I appreciate your friendship.

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shana tova

Page 74 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

My adventures as a (former) know-it-all Just finished a book called The Know-It-All about a guy who sets out to become the smartest person on the planet by reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z. He failed. Not in his reading, but in his quest – because that’s not how to do it.

I know, because I used to be a know-it-all myself.

I had such nicknames as ‘Smarty Pants’ in the early grades; ‘Clear University Material,’ courtesy of my Grade 3 teacher; ‘Know-It-All’ in later grades; and ‘The Brain.’

What would I be called now? ‘Large Bodied?’ ‘Big Boned?’ I’ve gone from brains to bones in 40 years. As I get older, I need to use Google more and more often. Things in the old lumber room that was my memory seem to have disappeared. I’m a know-it-all no more.

I still have some bad know-it-all habits, like dropping useless bits of information I happen to know into any discussion or going on and on when a topic I am interested in comes up. If you want to know more about know-it-alls, just send me an email and I’ll expound at length.

It took me a long time to understand that, when someone asks, “How are you” or “How’s your family?” it doesn’t mean they want a blow-by-blow description, an analysis of your various health issues or a full report on everything you’ve read on the Internet about your latest disease.

Humour me, please Rubin Friedman Unless I haven’t seen someone for a very long time, my answer now is, “Fine, thanks. How are you?”

Once, when I was teenager working at a summer camp and knew it all, or at least all school stuff, I was with a group of girls in their cabin. After a half-hour of banter in which I was, somehow, very amusing, the oldest of the girls, who was from Texas, asked me to come next door to her private cabin. I agreed and she took my hand leading me out. I smiled awkwardly at everyone else and was mystified by the sudden silence that had descended.

When I entered the older girl’s cabin, she lay down on her bed. I found myself alone with a sultry girl, who was lying on her bunk like a (clothed) Maja desnuda, giving me a smouldering look, when she asked me about being Jewish.

That was my downfall. I spent the next two hours explaining details of Jewish history and religion while her sultry look and those heavy eyelids got heavier and heavier.

When she finally fell asleep, I tiptoed out of her cabin and wondered whether I had, perhaps, given her too many details.

Imagine my embarrassment the next day, when all the girls I worked with in the kitchen wanted to know what I had done when I was alone with this apparently sexy girl.

When I explained we had discussed Judaism, they looked at me in shock, their jaws open. Finally, one of them burst out laughing and they all joined in. They came up to me and punched me in the arm, “Good one, Rube, good one! What a joker! What a polite Canadian!”

I had no idea what they were talking about, so I smiled like the Mona Lisa and suddenly found myself with a reputation as a lady’s man.

See? Not all knowledge can be found in a book. Not even the Encyclopedia Britannica. Not even the latest edition.

But I still think there may be something to it. So, instead, I plan to read and compare the Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford Canadian Dictionary. That way, while I won’t know everything, I’ll at least know what it means to be Canadian.

Musical reflects rabbi’s ‘larger-than-life personality’ (Continued from page 58)

Jerusalem, Caracas, Nepal, and beyond.

As his newly published commentary on Genesis reveals, Rabbi Carlebach was also an innovative Torah scholar. As a Chasidic figure and composer of niggunim – wordless, expressive tunes infused with spirituality – Rabbi Carlebach bridged the Old World and new, pre-war Orthodoxy and the postwar establishment. He realized he wasn’t reaching America’s rapidly assimilating Jews.

Despite its rabbi protagonist, Soul Doctor attracts diverse audiences because, “It’s about how we are spiritually all the same,” said veteran Broadway composer and orchestrator Steve Margoshes, who wove together the score for Soul Doctor and previous Broadway smashes such as Elton John’s Aida, Smokey Joe’s Café and the Who’s Tommy.

In Soul Doctor, the thirty-something Orthodox rabbi searches American counterculture in the 1950s and becomes intimate friends with Simone, a then-unknown jazz singer who introduced him to gospel music and R&B. Rabbi Carlebach suddenly finds himself “torn between his deep traditional roots and his dream to create a Jewish revival through his joyous and soulful melodies,” Margoshes explained. “He wakes up one day and decides the Jewish experience is bankrupt and he is going to reinvigorate it, no matter the personal cost.”

The company of the musical, Soul Doctor, about the life of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach.

(Photo: Carol Rosegg)

Their unusual connection – Simone later became the musical voice of the civil rights movement – helped Rabbi Carlebach shape contemporary Jewish music and reinvigorate the North American Jewish experience in the aftermath of the Holocaust, Wise said.

With composite characters and scenes, Soul Doctor is not a strictly factual presentation of Rabbi Carlebach’s life. Rather than pure hagiography, it is a gripping exploration of the many challenges and controversies he encountered.

“It is more the idea of Shlomo than what historically happened,” said Rabbi Naftali Citrin of the Carlebach Shul and Rabbi Carlebach’s great-nephew. “It’s a version of Shlomo’s life that can’t possibly

contain everything.”

Soul Doctor reflects the humanity of his larger-than-life personality leaving an Orthodox dynasty to become Chasidic while attempting to reach the young and unplugged through conventional rabbinic teachings. The methods prove ineffective, so Rabbi Carlebach struggles again to break out of the mold of previous Orthodox leaders and become Shlomo, the recording star, performer, spiritual minstrel and friend still both treasured and criticized.

One topic the show does not directly touch on is allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior made by some women against Rabbi Carlebach after his death. In an email to JTA, Wise said he would have tack-

led the issue, but “after over 100 interviews with credible individuals and researching dozens of credible documents and published articles, there was nothing I could find to support such allegations.

“What was consistent from the research is that Shlomo was known for his powerful charisma and boundless love. He openly used physical touch and passionate language to help comfort and heal. He did this indiscriminately,” Wise added.

“There were many women to whom Shlomo gave love and affection. Some wanted a more intimate and romantic relationship and then later resented that he did not, while others went on to adapt an ultraOrthodox Jewish life and have a

difficult time reconciling Shlomo as a rabbi who publicly displays physical affection. We have included this in Soul Doctor as a central conflict in the story.”

In the show, Rabbi Carlebach grapples with questions of modernity and how to heal young broken souls who expect a hug and won’t dance with a mechitzah separating women and men.

Soul Doctor doesn’t shy away from Rabbi Carlebach’s struggles with his upbringing’s Orthodox restrictions against even casual physical contact with women and intense condemnation from the establishment and his own father.

Audiences watch him find love, attempt to balance family with touring, and ultimately encounter a devastating divorce when his wife takes their children – Neshama and her sister, Nedara (now a married mother of two living in Israel) – to Toronto.

Today, the sisters honour their father’s rich contributions to Jewish tradition through the Carlebach Legacy Trust, which collects his teachings, compositions, photographs and bootleg recordings.

Neshama, also a mother of two, is working on her ninth album celebrating her father’s music, despite Orthodoxy’s concerns of kol isha, or halachic rulings regarding men hearing women sing. She is also performing trailblazing interfaith concerts with the Reverend Roger Hambrick and members of the Green Pastures Baptist Church Choir of the Bronx.

September 10, 2012 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – Page 75

Best wishes for a sweet, happy and healthy New Year.

Shana Tova Mitchell Bellman, Nicola Hamer Emma, Noah and Abby

Shana Tova!

May you be inscribed for a year of good health and happiness.

Helen and Chaim Gilboa and families

From our family to yours, we wish you a year of peace and prosperity, health and happiness.

Linda, Steven, Jessica and Lorne Kerzner

From our family to yours, best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year.

From our family to yours, best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

Shana Tova.

May you and yours be richly blessed throughout the coming year with health, peace and prosperity.

The Halton-Weiss family, Debbie, Ron, Jessica, Aaron, Josh, and Lauren

Archie and Linda Cogan Lisa, Jayme, Tara, Liam and Jasper

Ian, Randi, Jonathan, Matthew and Adam Sherman

Happy Rosh Hashanah May you and yours be richly blessed throughout the coming year with health, peace and prosperity.

May the

Rose and Chick Taylor

new year

Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.

bring

Margo, David, Aaron and Gail Kardish

all the blessings

May you be inscribed for a year of joy and blessings.

of peace, health

Jessie and Joe Murray

and prosperity.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Shana Tova.

Shana Tova.

Walter, Karen, Steven and Mitchell Fogel

The Staff A happy and healthy New Year to all my family and friends.

of the Ottawa

Betty Baylin

Jewish Bulletin Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year.

Shana Tova.

Robert and Waltraud Walker

Michael Regenstreif Brenda Van Vliet Barry Silverman Alex Baker

shana tova

Page 76 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 10, 2012

WHAT’S GOING ON

For more community listings, visit jewishottawa.com Select “Click to see more months”

September 10 to 23, 2012 WEEKLY EVENTS MONDAYS Motorin Munchkins drop-in program for children 5 and under. Kids expend lots of energy, supervised by a parent or guardian, 9:00 am to 11:45 am.

Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 294.

CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE ROSH HASHANAH Sep 16 ✡ 6:52 pm ROSH HASHANAH Sep 17 ✡ after 7:53 pm Sep 20

6:43 pm

EREV YOM KIPPUR Sep 25 ✡ 6:35 pm Sep 28 ✡

6:29 pm

TUESDAYS Israeli Folkdancing: No experience or partner necessary, Ottawa Jewish Community School, 881 Broadview Avenue, 6:30 pm. Info: judy@ottawaisraelidance.ca.

of Hebrew U, and the SJCC, a unique opportunity to spend an evening attending university lectures with the focus on medicine, music and peace.

Keynote speaker is Professor Elie Podeh, head of the department of Islam and Middle East Studies, on “The Arab Revolutions: Between Spring and Winter, 5:30 pm. Info: 613829-3150 or www.cfhu.org.

WEDNESDAYS Drop-in Playgroup for parents and kids to romp and play and make new friends. For newborn to 3 years old, 9:00 to 11:00 am. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 294.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Student Shabbat Dinner with Richard Marceau: CIJA and the Chabad Student Network invite college and university students to hear this former member of Parliament and current general counsel and senior government adviser for CIJA, 59 Sweetland Avenue, 6:30 pm. Info: 613-601-7701.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 Best of Hebrew U, sponsored by the Canadian Friends

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Biking for Bubbies annual fundraiser to benefit Hillel

Lodge. Bike a 54- or 36-km route and return to the Lodge for lunch with the residents. Begins at Hillel

Lodge, 10 Nadolny Sachs Private, 9:00 am. Info: 613-8292455.

Shalom Ottawa community

TV show on Rogers 22, 12:00 pm. (Repeats September 24, 6:00 pm and September 26 at 6:30 pm.)

COMING SOON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 FRAMED, jnet’s fundraising fashion show. Jnet, an urban grassroots networking initiative, connects young Jewish professionals and graduate students. Money raised will be donated to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Mansion Night Club, 400 Dalhousie Avenue, 9:30 pm.

Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 270.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4 “My So-Called Enemy” film looks at the consequences of conflict through the eyes of six young Israeli and Palestinian women. Question period with writer/director Lisa Gossels follows the screening, hosted by Peace Camp Ottawa and the TOV Team-Tikkun Olam volunteers from Agudath Israel Congregation. Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, 7:00 pm.

Info: 613-233-2565.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11 Jewish Cemeteries Information Session, hosted by Jewish Memorial Gardens and the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, 7:00 pm.

RSVP & Info: 613-798-4644.

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 co-ordinator 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: Ivan (Ike) Cohen Laurence Deutsch Morris Konick Laurie E. Mariasine (née Nissenbaum), Montreal (sister of Arlene and Seymour Isenberg) 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 SEPTEMBER 19 FOR OCTOBER 15 OCTOBER 10 FOR OCTOBER 29 OCTOBER 24 FOR NOVEMBER 12

JEWISH MEMORIAL GARDENS Your one-stop resource centre for funeral planning 613-688-3530 www.jewishmemorialgardens.org

Would you like to advertise in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin?

Contact Barry Silverman 613-798-4696, ext. 256 • bsilverman@ottawajewishbulletin.com