Gloria Gutman, PhD, has been honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada, or an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. She will receive the medal in a ceremony March 21.
A research associate and professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University, Gutman founded the Gerontology Research Centre and the department of gerontology at SFU, serving as director of both units from 1982 to 2005. She is the author/editor of 23 books, the most recent (with Claire Robson and Jen Marchbank) titled Elder Abuse in the LGBTQ2SA+ Community (Springer, 2023).
Dr. Gloria Gutman (photo from SFU)
During her career, Gutman has held many prominent roles, including president of the Canadian Association on Gerontology, president of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics and president of the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse. Currently, she is president of the North American chapter of the International Society for Gerontechnology, vice-president of the International Longevity Centre-Canada and a member of the research management committee of the Canadian Frailty Network. Previously, she served on the World Economic Forum’s Council on the Ageing Society, World Health Organization’s expert advisory panel on aging and health, and the CIHR-Institute of Aging advisory board.
“I am grateful to SFU for having nominated me for this award.
Developing the gerontology department and Gerontology Research Centre, serving on boards, organizing conferences, and advocating for seniors in other ways nationally and internationally, has been a privilege and a pleasure,” said Gutman. “It could not have taken place without the strong support of FASS [the faculty of arts and social sciences] and senior administration.”
In 2012, Gutman was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Government of Canada and, in 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour.
– Courtesy Simon Fraser University
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Lana Marks Pulver (photo from Jewish Federation)
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver is proud to congratulate its board chair, Lana Marks Pulver, who was honoured by Jewish Federations of North America with the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award for exemplifying the higheststandards of philanthropy and volunteerism. Marks Pulver’s selection for this award is a testament to her exceptional dedication and leadership.
– Courtesy Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver
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The Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of long-time volunteer leaders Marie Doduck and Lee Simpson as co-chairs of the 2025/26 campaign. Please join board directors Harry Lipetz, Rick Cohen, Mel Moss, Bernard Pinsky, David Zacks, Michelle Karby and Abbe Chivers, and staff Ayelet Cohen Weil and Wendy Habif in congratulating and thanking them for their tireless commitment to our Jewish elderly.
Last month, Governor General of Canada Mary Simon made 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honours. Among those appointed as a member to the Order was Vancouver Jewish community member Marie Doduck.
Marie Doduck
For more than 50 years, Doduck has been a leader in Holocaust education and philanthropy. A child Holocaust survivor, she is a founding member of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and has shared her history with tens of thousands of students and others. Her memoir, A Childhood Unspoken, was published in 2023 by the Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program. (See jewishindependent.ca/survivor-reflects-on-identity.) She champions various community engagement and fundraising initiatives.
“Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future,” said Simon. “Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries. Thank you for your perseverance, fearless leadership and visionary spirit, and welcome to the Order of Canada.”
New members will be invited to a ceremony at a later date to be invested and to receive their insignia.
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The US Department of State recently announced the selection of international education professional Freeman Poritz for an English Language Specialist project in Israel. The project is one of around 250 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year.
Freeman Poritz
Poritz, who is originally from Vancouver (and has written for the Jewish Independent), is a teacher trainer and conflict resolution practitioner with expertise in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Previously, he served as an English Language Fellow at the Institute of Rural Development Planning in Tanzania and at Haramaya University in Ethiopia, where he conducted professional development workshops for faculty, provided teacher trainings on differentiation, virtual facilitation and needs assessment, and taught academic writing courses to undergraduate and graduate students. In Israel, he will collaborate with a group of educational professionals to design an English language bicommunal youth peace and leadership curriculum for the Ministry of Education as part of Jerusalem Peacebuilders and Retorika for Multiculturalism’s EXCEL Teacher Training Institute for Partnership and Peace Leadership.
The English Language Specialist Program is an opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages to enact changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by US embassies in more than 80 countries, English language specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities in the United States and overseas. The program is administered by the Centre for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
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Last November marked a year since the Israel Emergency Campaign Committee began its work, allocating grants to organizations and partners across Israel who are dedicated to addressing the critical needs that emerged in the aftermath of Oct. 7, and the war that has been raging since.
The committee’s work over the summer and the fall demonstrated its continued mission to provide support to the evacuated communities of the Upper Galilee – in education, infrastructure and capacity building – while also supporting projects in the realm of rehabilitation, also in the north.
Broadly, during the first six months, allocations were designated to projects supporting the numerous emergency needs across Israel: $8,853,704 was deployed October 2023 to March 2024, to projects addressing emergency needs in mental health care, food and supplies for vulnerable populations, rehabilitation initiatives, educational frameworks and evacuation infrastructures.
In the spring to the fall, as the committee realigned its focus to supporting the northern communities, with special attention to projects in the realm of rehabilitation, April-October grants totalling $3,011,750 were distributed.
Over the summer and the holiday season, as war continued across the north, IEC grants focused on enabling safe and meaningful programming for youth, children and families, and supporting schools that were preparing for the opening of another school year away from home. These grants came alongside immediate, emergency deployment of funds in support of the Druze communities of the Golan, after the tragic attack on Majdal Shams in July.
With the ceasefire taking effect on Nov. 27, 2024, what was once coined “the urgency of the day after,” has become the emergency of today. Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s partners in the Galilee are taking initial steps to plan their gradual return home, and the IEC committee remains aligned with this evolving reality.
A significant component of this strategy is a pan-Canadian initiative spearheaded by Sarah Mali, director general of JFC-UIA together with Jewish Federation’s executive team, in Israel and in Vancouver, and partner federations from across Canada. Earmarked to leverage collective funds to generate substantial healing and long-term impact in the north, this initiative is a central element in the IEC’s final rounds of allocations that will be developed over the coming months.
– Stephen Gaerber, chair, Israel Emergency Campaign Allocations Committee, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver
Gary Segal was one of 12 people appointed to the Order of British Columbia this year. The province’s highest honour celebrates people who have distinguished themselves and excelled in their field of endeavour. Segal was recognized in the category of Community Leadership for his philanthropic contributions to health care. A special investiture ceremony will be held at Government House in Victoria on Sept. 4.
Gary Segal (photo from Order of BC)
Born and raised in Vancouver, Segal is known for his philanthropic endeavours that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries. Described as a catalyst for change, Segal’s commitment to humanitarian causes has left an indelible mark on communities near and far. Notably, as capital campaign chair for Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon, he played a pivotal role in raising $32 million to establish a new, state-of-the-art facility at BC Children’s Hospital, vastly expanding support for more than 2,000 families annually across BC and Yukon. His dedication extends globally through the Bring Back Hope initiative he founded following a transformative experience in Ethiopia, where he champions accessibility to life-saving surgeries for severely disadvantaged children in dire medical need.
Segal’s efforts have garnered prestigious recognitions, including the Order of Canada, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and appointments to boards such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
At the University of British Columbia, Segal’s impact is profound, particularly through his support for the faculty of medicine’s branch for global surgical care, where his contributions have funded groundbreaking initiatives and the development of a master of global surgical care program. As chair of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Segal continued to drive innovation in health care, ensuring sustainable and exemplary care.
Rabbi Dr. Eytan Cowen, his wife Rabbanit Caroline Sarah Bitton-Cowen and their family will take up the mantle of spiritual and rabbinic leadership at Congregation Beth Hamidrash. (photo from Beth Hamidrash)
Rabbi Dr. Eytan Cowen has agreed to become the next rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Hamidrash and leader of the Vancouver Sephardi community.
The congregation is excited for Rabbi Cowen, his wife Rabbanit Caroline Sarah Bitton-Cowen and their family to join them and take up the mantle of spiritual and rabbinic leadership. The start date is yet to be determined, to best enable the family to navigate the challenges of moving to Vancouver from Toronto.
Cowen served as rabbi of Tiferet Israel Sephardic Congregation in Toronto from 2014 to 2017. He returned to his hometown, Toronto, from Indianapolis, where he served for two years as full-time rabbi of Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation, a 100-year-old community.
Cowen pursued and completed his rabbinical studies at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University and the Sephardic Rabbinical College of Rosh Kollel. In addition, he is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a double major in microbiology and Jewish studies, as well as four years of postgraduate study at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. He is a licensed naturopathic doctor, practising integrative medicine for the past 20 years, and endeavours to combine Torah and health.
Bitton-Cowen was born in Paris, France, with Sephardi heritage from Morocco and Tunisia. She is a graduate of Stern College and Sy Syms School of Business. She enjoys teaching others, sharing wisdom with women of the congregation, and is an accomplished certified professional accountant.
The rabbi and rabbanit are the proud parents of Eliyahu-Yaacov (23), Nissim-Nahum (21), Simcha-Mazal (20), Rivkah-Chaya (16), Efrayim-Menashe (13), Tehila-Adelle (9), Batsheva-Esther (6) and Batya-Emunah (4). They have one granddaughter, Sofia Adina (14 months).
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Alexis Doctor received her master of arts in Jewish professional studies at Spertus Institute. (photo by Maggie Russo)
On May 5, Chicago-based Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership awarded master’s degrees to 18 graduates who embody the vital Jewish tradition of learning, which grounds us in our history and equips us to face contemporary challenges.
Vancouver resident Alexis Doctor, director of member and guest services at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, is among this year’s graduates. She received a master of arts in Jewish professional studies, completing a creative leadership-building program designed to advance careers and strengthen the organizations students serve.
“It’s something I will take with me for the rest of my life – the program has given me fresh new ideas to take back to my team,” said Doctor. “This has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.”
Spertus Institute, which was founded in 1924, is an institution of higher Jewish learning dedicated to real-world action. At its core are degree and certificate programs in which students engage with Jewish ideas in the service of personal growth, community leadership and professional advancement. These offerings, which merge theory and practice, educate Jewish professionals, community leaders and those who seek quality, reflection-driven scholarship. Those interested in becoming a future Spertus Institute graduate should visit spertus.edu for program and application information or contact assistant director of recruitment Amie Barrish at [email protected].
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The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s 2023 annual campaign generated $10.3 million for the community, thanks to the generosity of some 2,500 donors.
As a result of this year’s $10.3 million total, Federation will be able to provide crucial stability to its more than 30 partner organizations by ensuring that they can count on funding that helps fuel their important front-line work. Plus, they will be able to access additional funding through grants for programs and services that deliver on the strategic priorities for the community.
An additional $1.25 million in funding directed to special projects was also raised, as was $20.4 million through Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign (IEC).
In addition to addressing immediate needs after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the IEC allocation committee, chaired by Stephen Gaerber, is committed to addressing the medium- and long-term needs of Israelis who continue to be affected by the ongoing war and hostage situation.
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The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre has presented the 2024 Meyer and Gita Kron and Ruth Kron Sigal Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education to Ben Lane (Collingwood School) and Mike Wolthuizen (Rutland Senior Secondary School). Both have demonstrated exceptional commitment to Holocaust education throughout their careers and have significantly impacted their students, colleagues and school communities.
The Kron Sigal Award was established in memory of Meyer and Gita Kron and their daughter Ruth Kron Sigal, Lithuanian Jewish survivors of the Holocaust who re-established their lives in Vancouver. Through their lifelong involvement with education and community, the family touched the lives of thousands of students.
Ben Lane (photo from vhec.org)
During his tenure at Collingwood School in West Vancouver, Lane led the development of a comprehensive Holocaust education program at the school. He created classroom resources and lesson plans and implemented school-wide events, commemorative programming and co-curricular opportunities for students, colleagues and the community to engage with the history of the Holocaust.
An alumnus of Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies, Lane’s approach to Holocaust education demonstrates creativity, depth of knowledge in subject matter and pedagogical quality. This is reflected in his bespoke lesson plans and robust teaching materials, which combine engaging history lessons with innovative project-based learning. These allow students to navigate complex issues of antisemitism, genocide and the legacies of the Holocaust with accuracy, sensitivity and a sense of responsibility for the subject matter.
Exposing students to primary sources of Holocaust history has been a priority for Lane, and he regularly incorporates VHEC programs into his curriculum through exhibition tours, workshops and survivor outreach speaker engagements. As well, he has facilitated a co-curricular student group to participate in the Dora Love Prize, a Holocaust education program sponsored by the University of Essex. For the past three years, this student group has engaged with scholars and survivors internationally and produced innovative projects annually to raise awareness of the Holocaust and human rights.
Mike Wolthuizen (photo from vhec.org)
Wolthuizen teaches Genocide Studies 12 and Social Studies 10 at Rutland Senior Secondary School in Kelowna. He has been instrumental in advancing Holocaust education in the Central Okanagan School District, where he recently co-developed Holocaust 12: Beyond the Shoah, a social studies elective course to be introduced into classrooms in September 2024.
Colleagues, administrators and students attest to Wolthuizen’s thoughtful and innovative teaching approach, which creates a supportive environment for students to express their thoughts and critically analyze events in Holocaust history. He fosters meaningful discussions and ethical reflections on human choices. Through exposure to survivor testimony and primary sources, he cultivates in his students an appreciation for the stories of the individual. One student shared:
“Because of his teaching, one of my key takeaways from the course was the importance of the stories of individuals that were impacted by the Holocaust and other genocides, rather than just statistics. When learning from him, it became very evident that he cares so much about each individual and their rights, and that their stories hold an immense amount of power and importance when discussing the Holocaust.”
Also an alumnus of Yad Vashem’s International School, Wolthuizen has attended dozens of workshops and conferences, locally and internationally, to enhance his knowledge of Holocaust study. He has shared this knowledge and expertise beyond his own community, leading professional development programs and teaching in multiple school districts as a guest lecturer on Holocaust history.
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Becky Wosk is the winner of the 2024 Earl Parker Award for Jewish Film, an honour given by the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival. (photo from Becky Wosk)
Becky Wosk is the recipient of the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival’s 2024 Earl Parker Award for Jewish Film. The $1,500 award will go towards Wosk’s production of a documentary on Jewish identity and how we are all connected.
Wosk is a directing student at Langara College in the film arts program. She has been immersed in the arts since a very young age and is a multidisciplinary artist and performer – her band Hollow Twin recently released a new LP on vinyl and digitally.
Wanting to gain more technical skills and hands-on experience in directing, to make music videos for her and other bands, as well as documentaries and shorts, Wosk applied to the Langara film program. It was her instructor who sent her the application to the Earl Parker award for a Jewish-related film project. Wosk’s pitch was One Thread.
One Thread is a documentary-style short that will be filmed in Vancouver. Interviewees will range from age 18 to 99+, including Holocaust survivors.
“I see this potentially becoming a series that can eventually be all tied together spanning globally to see how, regardless of where we live, our backgrounds, we are one people – a tribe of resilient humans who have overcome all odds to be here today. A look at the diversity of the diaspora and how we all have one common thread,” wrote Wosk in her submission. “The participants will not be limited by religious sect, as I want the overarching theme to be our DNA, not necessarily religion – but I would like to touch on customs and traditions within the interviews.”
Wosk is hoping to incorporate klezmer music and archival photos from various sources into the film. She will be putting a call out soon for interviewees of all ages, genders and backgrounds who identify as Jewish. The filming will take place this fall.
Rabbi Arik Labowitz will step forward as Or Shalom’s rabbi when Rabbi Hannah Dresner retires.
Rabbi Arik is presently serving as the congregation’s half-time assistant rabbi and has signed a two-year contract as full-time rabbi, beginning Nov. 1. Rabbi Hannah’s partnership with Rabbi Arik will facilitate a smoothtransition of leadership as Or Shalom navigates renovating their building while maintaining the congregation’s vibrancy.
The synagogue has already enjoyed Rabbi Arik’s breadth of Torah learning, the depth of his davening and meditative offerings, his musicality, his sensitive pastoral manner, his delight in children, his commitment to intergenerational programming and the new enrichment he brings, focusing on the spirituality of the congregation’sCascadian outdoors.
As Jewish Renewal’s oldest synagogue, it is meaningful that Rabbi Arik is a second-generation Renewal rabbi and that his presence ties the congregation back to the rabbis who raised and schooled him, including Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Reb Shlomo Carlebach. Born into a legacy of Jewish Renewal, with parents Rabbi Phil Labowitz and the late Rabbi Shoni Labowitz z”l, Arik’s formative years were enriched by learning from Reb Zalman and his early students during weekend retreats at his family’s South Florida home.
Eager to delve deeper into his spiritual path, Arik journeyed to Israel to immerse himself in traditional life and studies, spending transformative years at Yeshivat Machon Meir and Darche Noam/Shapells in Jerusalem from 1995 to 1997. Returning to North America, he continued his studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, embodying a commitment to a diverse and enriched understanding of Jewish tradition.
Over the past two decades, Rabbi Arik has played pivotal roles in various Jewish leadership capacities. From 2007 to 2021, he served as the spiritual leader of Congregation Eitz Or, and as a regular visiting leader for several communities along the West Coast.
Rabbi Arik, along with his wife, Aliza, and their two sons, Judah and Noah, recently relocated to Vancouver, drawn by the desire to be closer to family as well as the beauty of the water and mountains.
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Marsha Lederman, winner of this year’s Max Wyman Award for Critical Writing. (photo from Max Wyman Award)
Arts and culture critic and commentator Marsha Lederman is the winner of this year’s Max Wyman Award for Critical Writing.
The annual award celebrates critical commentary on the visual, performing and literary arts in the province of British Columbia. The winner receives a prize of $5,000 and a gold and emerald pin designed by Vancouver artist Robert Chaplin. A mentee, named by the laureate, receives a $1,000 prize. This year’s mentee is Ming Wong, an emerging writer and illustrator.
The award was established in 2017 by philanthropist Yosef Wosk to honour the career and lifetime contributions of the Vancouver author, arts critic and commentator Max Wyman. It recognizes writers who have amassed a significant body of work. Eligible subjects of criticisminclude the visual arts, architecture and design, theatre, literature, dance, music, film and television, as well as more general cultural commentary.
Lederman is an award-winning journalist and author. She has been with the Globe and Mail since 2007. For 15 years, she served as its Western arts correspondent, covering visual art, theatre, music, dance, books and publishing, film and architecture. In 2022, she became a full-time columnist for the newspaper, but continues to write about arts and culture. Her memoir Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed, was published by McClelland & Stewart in 2022. It was a national bestseller and last year won the Western Canada Jewish Book Award for biography or memoir. She has won several journalism awards, including the 2019 National Newspaper Award for Arts and Entertainment, and the inaugural Webster Award for Arts and Culture Reporting in 2023. Before joining the Globe, Lederman held a variety of positions with CBC Radio, including national arts reporter. Born and raised in Toronto, she has lived in East Vancouver since 2007.
“Marsha Lederman’s writings over the years have provided a consistent and powerful demonstration of what she has called ‘good journalism’s power to inform, guide and potentially change the world’ – precisely in line with the aims of this award, which seeks to honour informed and compelling writing that stimulates critical thinking and demonstrates the value of creative commentary in our understanding of the world around us,” said Wosk. “I am delighted that she has been chosen as this year’s laureate.”
The jury citation reads: “Marsha Lederman has made significant contributions to the field of journalism and literature through her extensive writings on social issues seen through the lens of arts and culture and social justice. The jury is unanimous in its appreciation of her ability to engage and inspire her readers, through lively and accessible writing that opens eyes and minds to fresh insights and creative thinking.”
Ming Wong is this year’s mentee. (photo from Max Wyman Award)
Wong is an art director, graphic designer and journalist at the Globe and Mail, where she produces and edits visually-driven stories for print, online, social and beyond. Her design work has been recognized by the Society of News Design and the Digital Publishing Awards. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Burnaby, she currently lives in Vancouver.
“I began working with Ming Wong as a mentor in 2022,” said Lederman. “She was particularly interested in writing about pop culture. And she has been fantastic, showing enormous creativity, drive and dedication as a writer. She is curious and smart, and writes interesting, intelligent and highly readable pieces about popular culture from her millennial perch. I can’t wait to read more from Ming over the years.”
Previous winners of the Wyman award are critic and educator Jerry Wasserman; Dorothy Woodend, arts editor of the Tyee; freelance art critic Robin Laurence; and author, critic and former University of British Columbia gallery director Scott Watson. Previous mentee award winners are Paloma Pacheco and Angie Rico.
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Ellen Schwartz’s Galena Bay Odyssey has won a 2024 Historical Writing Award (photo by William Schwartz)
Galena Bay Odyssey: Reflections of a Hippie Homesteader by Ellen Schwartz (Heritage House, 2023) has received a 2024 Historical Writing Award, presented by the British Columbia Historical Federation.
On May 4, the recipients were announced and acknowledged at the BCHistorical Federation annual conference and awards dinner, where author Ellen Schwartz was in attendance to receive the honour.
Galena Bay Odyssey traces Ellen’s journey from a born-and-raised Jewish urbanite from New York who was terrified of the woods to a self-determined homesteader living on a communal farm in the Kootenays. Throughout the memoir, Ellen reflects on what her homesteader experience taught her about living more fully, honestly and ecologically. (For a review, see jewishindependent.ca/a-hippie-homesteader-in-b-c.)
Schwartz is an award-winning author of more than 18 books for children. In addition to writing books, she works as a corporate writer and editor and as a freelance magazine writer. She and her husband live in Burnaby.
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The Arts Club Theatre Company has commissioned six new scripts as part of their Silver Commissions program, celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary. Founded in 2006 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first world première of a Canadian play at the Arts Club, the Silver Commissions program is designed to foster the creation of new Canadian scripts. Through this initiative, the Arts Club has commissioned, developed and produced 20 new plays.
The 2024/25 Silver Commissions includes Beware the Glunkus: A Christmas Musical, by Ben Elliott and Jewish community member Anton Lipovetsky. The other commissions are An Enemy of the People by Colleen Murphy, Fan Tan Alley by Jovanni Sy, Florida Social by Bronwyn Carradine, Little Darling by Amy Lee Lavoie and Omari Newton, and Murder on the Pacific Spirit Express by Frances Koncan.
The story of the Glunkus is a legend that Joe’s dad used to tell him as a kid about a mischievous gnome that hates Christmas. Once a heartfelt artist, Joe now exclusively makes corporate jingles and generic reality TV soundtracks. But when Joe’s niece discovers his unproduced musical in a drawer and stages a reading with his neighbours in the living room, Joe’s distaste for the holiday spirit goes big – and he starts to transform into a Glunkus (complete with pointy ears and an elf-like voice). With the help of Bella and his dad, he must open his heart before it’s too late!
Elliott is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist living in Vancouver. When not working in the theatre, he writes, records and performs his own music, animates his own music videos and composes for film, TV and radio.
Lipovetsky is a songwriter, actor, musical director, sound designer and educator based in Vancouver. He has performed on stages nationwide and his original musicals have been shortlisted three times for a Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award.
Together, Elliott and Lipovetsky have written the musicals The Park (with Hannah Johnson) and The Best Laid Plans (with Vern Thiessen).
Rabbi Carey Brown of Temple Sholom (photo from templesholom.ca)
Rabbi Carey Brown of Temple Sholom will be part of the next cohort of Shalom Hartman Institute’s Rabbinic Leadership Initiative (RLI).
The intensive three-year fellowship program immerses North American rabbis of all denominations in the highest levels of Jewish learning, equipping them to meet contemporary challenges with ever-increasing intellectual and moral sophistication. It is one of the few structured frameworks for ongoing rabbinic study, enrichment and intellectual leadership training. In addition to rigorous study, the program fosters a deep sense of community for diverse rabbis in an environment of open dialogue, collaboration, peer-learning and personal support. The next cohort begins next month.
Amy Chodos, a Grade 4 student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, was chosen as the winner of ADI’s fourth annual Make the Change Challenge. (photo from ADI)
In its fourth year, ADI’s Make the Change Challenge STEM accessible design contest drew more than 254 entries from students across North America, but Vancouverite Amy Chodos secured the contest’s $1,000 grand prize by envisioning a simple application that can make the world a more accessible place for people struggling with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Run by ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s network of specialized rehabilitative care for those touched by and living with disability, to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (#JDAIM) in February, the contest promotes “selfless STEM” and encourages students to hack the modern world to help people with disabilities overcome the challenges that hinder their independence and inclusion.
Chodos, a fourth-grade student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, drew from her own challenges in the classroom to conceive of the Step-O-Maker, an app that uses artificial intelligence to record complex spoken instructions and then break them down into easy-to-follow checklists that can guide students through an entire process.
“As someone with ADHD, I find that starting tasks is often overwhelming, and I need help to understand where to begin. My mother teaches children with hearing loss, and I realized that an app like this could also help her students in the classroom,” explained Chodos. “I wanted to create something that could help a lot of people by making listening and understanding easier in class and making learning more fun and enjoyable.”
Instead of developing prototypes, contest entrants were asked to prepare compelling presentations that clearly explain how the original solutions they are envisioning would solve the persistent accessibility issues they choose to tackle. Chodos prepared a PowerPoint presentation that clearly explained her challenges and brought her inspired solution to life.
“Year after year, our ADI Bechinuch (ADI in Education) disability inclusion programming spotlights the inaccessibility of our world and our communal responsibility to make a change,” said Elie Klein, ADI’s director of development for the United States and Canada. “From November through February, students from our partner schools across North America become true agents of change while researching and developing original accessible design ideas in order to participate in our STEM contest, and the results are always awe-inspiring.
“We are so impressed by Amy’s poise and creativity, and the brilliant simplicity of her idea,” continued Klein. “But it’s clear to me that this exceptional young inventor always saw beyond the contest. At just 9 years old, Amy is on a mission; she genuinely wants to see this app developed so it can start to help people. This kind of leadership is what ADI Bechinuch is all about.”
More than 40 Jewish schools across North America used the ADI Bechinuch programming this year, employing the in-class activities, virtual tours and STEM contest to encourage the next generation of Jewish leaders to see the world through the eyes of others.
On Feb. 25, ADI’s panel of experts, including members of ADI’s professional staff, innovation journalists and specialists in the field of accessible design, met with the contest’s top-five finalists and their parents and teachers via Zoom to discuss the entries in greater detail. Following an uplifting discussion, the proceedings concluded with Amy Chodos being chosen as the contest winner and presented with the $1,000 prize, a gift from the Avraham and Esther Klein Young Entrepreneurs Fund.
Louis Brier Home and Hospital and Weinberg Residence (LBHH&WR) has officially been recognized as a 2023 Nonprofit Employer of Choice (NEOC) Award Recipient for its commitment to providing an exceptional work life experience for its employees.
“I am so proud and grateful for us to have received this recognition award, now four years in a row, from 2020 to 2023. It’s incredible how much our work culture has improved over the last four years,” said Loren Tisdelle, director of human resources in a special announcement held during the organization’s monthly Louis Brier LIFE Day. “The ‘Louis Brier LIFE’ is felt as soon as you walk into the building. Every year, we offer new and exciting programs while improving upon our current engagement initiatives. Last year, we launched Take Our Kids to Work Day and a masquerade ball, which were enormous successes. Engagement, inclusion and appreciation continue to be hallmarks of our work life at LBHH&WR.
“This is our award. Each and every employee makes LHBB&WR what it is today,” said Tisdelle. “We all come to work to make a difference, we actively engage in work life and, as a community, we make working at LBHH&WR a second-to-none employment experience.”
The LBHH&WR leadership team and its board of directors recognize the contributions and impact of its employees towards achieving the organization’s mission and vision to become a centre of excellence. It is through their hard work and dedication that the organization continues to make a positive impact on residents and families while upholding the positive reputation LBHH&WR has as a home and an employer.
More information about the NEOC Awards can be found at neoc.ca.
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On April 2, just as National Autism Acceptance Month begins, Rowman & Littlefield will release the paperback edition of the multi-award-winning parenting and travel guide Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible and the Neurodiverse by Dawn M. Barclay.
Dawn M. Barclay at a book signing for Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible and the Neurodiverse, which will come out in paperback April 2. (photo from travelingdifferent.com)
In 2023,the hardcover and e-book edition won the Lowell Thomas Gold Award (guidebook category) from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, garnered first prize in the Maxy Awards (inspirational/self-help category), was a finalist in the Best Indie Book Awards in both the travel and parenting categories, and won honourable mention in ASJA Arlene Awards for Books that Make a Difference. Traveling Different also received a starred review in August 2022 from Library Journal, who called the book “an essential read, not only for parents of autistic or otherwise neurodivergent children but for all families.”
In Traveling Different, Barclay presents travel strategies and anecdotes from a range of sources. The heart of the book outlines suggested itineraries for spectrum families as well as venues that cater to the unique special interests that are characteristic of individuals with invisible disabilities, culminating with a guide of travel agents who specialize in special needs travel and lists of organizations that advocate for special needs families. (For more on the book, see jewishindependent.ca/invest-the-time-to-prepare.)
“I’m thrilled the book will now be available in paperback, which makes it more affordable for all families,” said Barclay, who has appeared on close to 100 podcasts and interviews on video, radio and television since the book’s initial launch. Barclay prints updates on her Traveling Different website (travelingdifferent.com), as well as exclusive content on medium.com.
Left to right: Drs. Larry Barzelai, Ran Goldman, Mor Cohen-Eilig, Marla Gordon and Maya Rosenkrantz. (photo from Dr. Marla Gordon)
The Jewish Medical Association of British Columbia held its inaugural event Monday evening, Feb. 12, at Schara Tzedeck Synagogue, with 100 attendees in person and 20 via Zoom. Three speakers presented and all were inspiring, relaying hopeful words, with the broad message being to unite and stand together.
Dr. Dynai Eilig, an Israeli-born and -trained orthopedic surgeon who works and lives in Vancouver, traveled to Israel on Oct. 9 to work in Soroka Medical Centre’s trauma centre. He shared heartbreaking stories, but also stories of resiliency. He spoke about the 150,000 reservist army volunteers from outside Israel who came in the early days after Oct. 7.
Dr. Dynai Eilig presenting at the inaugural event Feb. 12. (photo from Dr. Marla Gordon)
Dr. Robert Krell, a retired child psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, explained the correlation between the rise of antisemitism now and that in Europe in the 1930s. He said Holocaust education is needed in all universities and all faculties and that medical and other educators must not resign from their teaching posts.
Dr. Yael Glassberg, an Israel-based pediatric gastroenterologist, joined via Zoom. She spoke on the child hostages who were released and her assessment and involvement with these children.
Planning for the JMA community-building event took place over a two-month period, led by pediatric emergency room physician Dr. Ran Goldman and elder-care physician Dr. Marla Gordon.
The Jewish Medical Association of British Columbia was started by Gordon and family physician Dr. Larry Barzelai in November 2023 as an attempt to get Jewish physicians together to support one another, especially in the current situation of increased antisemitism. The group has almost 300 members.
– Courtesy Dr. Marla Gordon
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Eric Freilich
Eric Freilich was recently promoted to director of legal, private equity and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) at BMS Group and heads the Canadian legal team for the multinational insurance broker.
Eric grew up in Vancouver and is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, where he was a proud and active member of Hillel and of the Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. Following graduation from UBC, Eric moved to Toronto to work in the film industry. He then went back to school and received his doctor of law and a master of business administration from York University. He worked at two prominent Toronto law firms prior to going in-house, focusing on corporate/commercial work and mergers and acquisitions.
Eric has recently found his way back into academia, contributing to teaching courses on mergers and acquisitions and risk management techniques in transactions at the Schulich School of Business.
Outside of work, Eric’s strongest sense of identity comes from being the best father and husband he can be.
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Adina Karasick (photo from poets.ca)
Ian Keteku (photo from poets.ca)
Adeena Karasick and Ian Keteku are the inaugural winners of the League of Canadian Poets Spoken Word Award, which consists of two $1,000 awards, presented annually to two poets for a single poem or suite of poems up to 10 minutes in length.
Karasick won for the poem “Eicha,” featured in Aerotomania: The Book of Lumenations (bit.ly/aerotomania).
“Attuned to sound poetry’s domain, Adeena Karasick’s homophonic translation ‘Eicha: The Book of Lumenations’ unfolds as a dynamic interplay of acoustic and material expressions,” wrote LCP Spoken Word Award juror Eric Schmaltz. “Immersed in the intricacies of language’s auditory, textural and tonal dimensions, Karasick engagesthe original text, the Book of Lamentations, and brings it into dialogue with the multifaceted layers of our present. A simultaneous act of lamentation and ecstatic intertextual exploration, Karasick’s performance traverses sonic texture and electroacoustic manipulation to resound with a symphony of hope and sorrow.”
Keteku was honoured for the triptych: “Mr. Tally Man,” “the space between” and “The Light.” LCP Spoken Word Award juror Andrea Thompson called him “a master of spoken word,” noting: “With impeccable comedic timing and understated affect, Keteku’s performances are a triumph of wordplay and musicality, driven by wisdom and humanity – alive as a heartbeat.”
For more about the League of Canadian Poets, visit poets.ca.
The Jewish Independent received the following statements regarding the play The Runner after the Belfry Theatre in Victoria canceled the scheduled March performances of the play, which is set to run as part of the PuSh Festival in Vancouver Jan. 24-26.
Since this article was published, PuSh has canceled the production. For the statement, click here.
Christopher Morris, artistic director of Human Cargo and playwright of The Runner:
As a playwright who values the role of theatre as a platform to explore ideas about the complexities of life, I was disappointed to learn that the Belfry removed The Runner from its programming. I also empathize with the challenging situation they were facing. I am saddened that people in Victoria – especially those with very divergent views and those traumatized by the atrocities in Israel and Gaza – will be denied the opportunity to come together in a theatre to explore their common humanity, share their grief and perhaps discover a flicker of solace and hope.
Since it premièred in 2018, my play The Runner has been seen by audiences in six cities, received numerous awards and unanimous critical acclaim. I am humbled that theatre companies have produced this play, which is a nuanced and thoughtful conversation about the preciousness of human life. Their endorsement tells me that they also see its effectiveness in creating a dialogue with their audience.
I am deeply traumatized and saddened by humankind’s capacity to wage war. As a Canadian, I want our politicians to do all they can to make the violence in Gaza and Israel stop. I hope theatre companies and playwrights do all they can to give audiences the opportunity for dialogue and to build bridges between our silos. I believe The Runner is an excellent opportunity for those things to happen. And Vancouver audiences will get the chance to experience this production in a few weeks, at the upcoming PuSh Festival.
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Gabrielle Martin, director of programming, and Keltie Forsyth, director of operations, PuSh Festival:
The PuSh Festival recognizes the pain of those watching or connected to the conflict in Gaza and Israel and the feelings of hurt and helplessness, knowing our experiences here in Vancouver are nothing like those who are suffering direct violence or who have lost homes, friends and family members.
We understand the objections to our programming of The Runner as a part of that shared hurt. When we see death, particularly civilian death, on this scale, we feel the injustice and the inhumanity at work, and we want to do something about it. Here in Canada, far from the conflict, it’s easy to feel helpless, to feel like contacting politicians, rallying or protesting isn’t enough. At PuSh, what we do is present live art, and sometimes we share the feeling that what we do isn’t sufficient.
Art reflects the world and the times in which we live. At its best, it’s an essential cultural force that builds empathy and understanding. Our aim is that PuSh brings us together and inspires us to have complex conversations; to challenge ourselves and each other not only to think differently, but to feel differently. The festival experience is greater than the sum of its parts and defined in how each piece sits in conversation with the other. These pieces share a sense of cultural urgency and, together, welcome generative friction through plurality as a cultural strategy.
The Runner is situated within a program that explores our shared humanity in ways that transform the political into the personal, intimate and domestic. This play, by Canadian playwright Christopher Morris, is a story about triage that’s set in Israel. It is not funded by the Israeli government, and Christopher has no direct ties to any country in the region. The play unpacks one character’s dilemma between humanist impulse and socially imposed morals, as he advocates for seeing all human life as equal. In its commitment to examining the polarizing tensions and conflicting ideologies at work within its Israeli protagonist, it exposes painful racism behind the dehumanizing sentiments encountered by the character. Christopher shares: “I lack the experience, or expertise, to speak on or write a play about the extremely complicated conflict that’s happening right now in that part of the world. And what I’ve been offering since 2018 is a play, from my Canadian perspective, that explores the complexities, and limitations, of empathy and kindness.” Ultimately, he frames The Runner as “an offer for discussion.”
We believe this work offers one voice in a diversity of perspectives that diverge in specifics of identity and experience, but that all advocate for empathy and compassion. Dear Laila, playing parallel to The Runner, offers an autobiographical perspective on the forced displacement of Palestinians through one family’s experience of war and exile. Basel Zaraa, the artist behind the project, is a Palestinian refugee who grew up in Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, Syria. Dear Laila features a miniature model of his destroyed family home in Yarmouk camp, and three stories that represent the three generations who lived in the house. Intimate and interactive, the experience invites each audience member to connect with this story of “[a] family, like many families of our communities, who are stuck in a loop of losses.” Basel further frames it as “a way for me to face and express and understand the trauma that we live with.”
These two works form part of the wider 2024 festival ecology, and each plays an integral role to a balance that has been curated with care. In the face of violence and atrocity, presenting live art can feel small. We hope that, collectively, the performances and multimedia experiences of this year’s festival offer opportunities for self-reflection, better understanding others’ experiences, and dialogue – actions that, in our view, can sometimes offer building blocks for meaningful political change.
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The Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island is disappointed by the decision of the Belfry Theatre to cancel its production of the acclaimed play The Runner.
It is regrettable that the Belfry Theatre felt the need to cancel an artistic production, for the first time in its 46 years of existence, because it featured an Israeli Jewish man.
It is regrettable and disheartening that, when the Belfry Theatre attempted to have an open dialogue, it was vandalized and threatened by a “pro-Palestinian” mob, which ultimately led to a very quick decision without any meaningful consultation. The Belfry’s stated reasons for this decision were: “we believe that presenting The Runner at this particular time does not ensure the well-being of all segments of our community … this is not the time for a play which may further tensions among our community.” This decision does not reflect the wishes of the community as expressed in competing petitions: 1,400 against showing the play vs. 2,400 wanting the play to proceed.
We fear this decision will lead to other cultural events being canceled, as other venues may also give in to mob mentality and bullying. This is not what we expect from our cultural institutions, nor our community. It is not too late for the Belfry Theatre to reconsider their actions, as we hope they will.
The decision does not bode well for artistic and cultural expression in Victoria and Vancouver Island. It matters to stand up for what is right.
To read the Jewish Independent’s interview with playwright Christopher Morris, click here. To read the Independent’s op-ed on the Belfry Theatre’s choice to cancel its March run of The Runner, click here.
Cooking Tips for Desperate Fishwives: An Island Memoir by Margot Fedoruk (Heritage House Publishing) won a silver in the Culinary Narrative category at the 2023 Taste Canada Awards.
Margot Fedoruk won a silver in the Culinary Narrative category at the 2023 Taste Canada Awards for Cooking Tips for Desperate Fishwives: An Island Memoir. (photo by Vital Image Photography)
On Oct. 30, Taste Canada announced the winners of the 26th annual prizes during a soirée at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, hosted by Ali Hassan. The shortlists were announced in June, listing finalists in five categories in both French and English. Taste Canada is Canada’s only national, bilingual food writing awards.
Cooking Tips for Desperate Fishwives has been featured in the Jewish Independent(jewishindependent.ca/reading-expands-experience), Stir Vancouver, Winnipeg Free Press, BC BookWorldand other outlets. Fedoruk participated in the Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival in February 2023.
Part love story, part survival story, part meditation on family dysfunction, Fedoruk’s offbeat memoir chronicles the unpredictable life of a young wife and mother on a tiny BC island.
True to its title, the memoir is infused with recipes, from the hearty Eastern European fare of Margot’s childhood to more adventurous coastal BC cuisine. The narrative follows 23-year-old Margot when she left Winnipeg and her volatile Slavic-Jewish family for the wilds of British Columbia and fell in love with a sea urchin diver. Determined not to repeat the same mistakes as she had witnessed during her parents’ marriage, Margot paints a portrait of a modern-day fishwife left behind to keep the home fires burning.
Fedoruk is a writer, book reviewer and entrepreneur, whose work has been published in the Globe and Mail, Quill & Quire, BC BookWorld, Ormbsy Review and Portal. She holds a BA from the University of Winnipeg and a BA from Vancouver Island University, where she majored in creative writing. She was awarded the Barry Broadfoot Award for creative nonfiction and journalism and a Meadowlarks Award for fiction, both from Vancouver Island University.
Visit heritagehouse.ca for more information about Cooking Tips for Desperate Fishwives, Fedoruk or Heritage House. For more details about the Taste Canada Awards, visit tastecanada.org.
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Journalist Marsha Lederman won a 2023 Webster Award for “Arts in the Crosshairs.” (photo by Ben Nelms / Penguin Random House)
Western arts correspondent for the Globe and MailMarsha Lederman received the Excellence in Arts and Culture Reporting Award for the article “U.S.-style book bans could happen in Canada too, if we’re not careful,” or “Arts in the Crosshairs,” at the 2023 Webster Awards.
The winners in the 14 categories of the 2023 Webster Awards were announced Nov. 15 during a live in-person event hosted by CHEK TV’s Paul Haysom and Gloria Macarenko from CBC Radio, who also conducted a fireside chat with the featured guest, veteran anchor/journalist Lisa LaFlamme. To see who the finalists and winners were of the 2023 Webster Awards, and to view the finalists’ work, visit jackwebster.com.
