Blue Rodeo founders Greg Keelor, left, and Jim Cuddy at the Whistler Film Festival. (photo from the festival)
The music documentary Blue Rodeo: Lost Together by director Dale Heslip was named winner of the 2024 Audience Award for a feature-length film at the Whistler Film Festival last week.
“The Audience Awards are a fun, yet important, way for our guests to have their say in the programming we put together at the Whistler Film Festival,” said director of film programming Robin Smith.
The world premiere of Blue Rodeo: Lost Together was attended by band founders Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy, along with Heslip and producer Corey Russell. Francine Dibacco is also billed as a producer on the project. A Q&A with Keelor, Cuddy and Heslip was moderated by media personality and MuchMusic veteran George Stroumboulopoulos, also featured in the film.
“We were completely thrilled with having our world premiere at the Whistler Film Festival and the magical night we shared with the audience,” said Russell. “This award means so much and we want to thank the fans who took the time to see our film.”
Kelley Korbin, left, and Trilby Smith honour Bernie Simpson, who has been a longtime staunch supporter of Camp Miriam, which he attended, starting in the mid-1950s. (photo by Adi Keidar)
Hundreds gathered Dec. 7 to mark 75 years of Camp Miriam. Generations of campers convened at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver for an emotion-packed reunion of alumni and friends, in which the Habonim Dror-affiliated Labour Zionist camp was fêted for having an outsized impact on building British Columbia’s Jewish community.
The celebration actually marked 76 years since the beginning of the camp, but the event, originally scheduled for last year, was postponed as a result of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks.
Some of those who have strengthened Camp Miriam in recent years were honoured at the celebration.
Sam Bernofsky paid tribute to Leah Levi, who retired after 17 years as camp registrar, in 2023, but continues her involvement as bookkeeper and keeper of institutional memory. She received an ovation and video-recorded greetings from alumni and friends.
Trilby Smith and Kelley Korbin honoured Bernie Simpson who, among other contributions, has ensured that camperships are available for all who need them, guaranteeing that finances are never a barrier to participation. Simpson also nurtured relationships with non-Jewish supporters of the camp, including former BC Supreme Court Justice Angelo Branca, and former Speaker of the House of Commons John Fraser, both now deceased. Through fundraising and personal contributions, Simpson is credited with playing a core role in every capital project the camp has completed in recent decades. He is also Camp Miriam’s unofficial historian and archivist.
Speaking to the Independent, Simpson credited Camp Miriam (along with his wife, Lee) for every success in his life, including his time as a member of the BC legislature.
“It means everything to me,” Simpson said of the camp, which he began attending in the mid-1950s. “It probably shaped my whole life. The Habonim leadership at that time, which was the camp leadership, took me under their wing. I came from quite a disturbed home and they had lots of patience for me and they ended up being my life.
“They had time for a shmuck like me,” he said. “That was remarkable. But I’m not the only person.”
Alan Tuffs was being physically abused in his home, Simpson said. The head of the Jewish welfare agency, Jessie Allman, called Simpson up and asked if Camp Miriam would “take this boy.”
Tuffs went on to study Judaism in Israel and recently retired as a rabbi in Hollywood, Fla., after 45 years.
Shalom Preker was another Miriam success story, according to Simpson, having overcome challenges to become a PhD and a global expert in health financing. Preker has served in senior roles at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, focused on the health sector in developing countries.
Pioneers of the movement – often kids themselves at the time – were remembered throughout the evening. Michael Livni, né Langer, spearheaded the purchase of the camp on Gabriola Island. As a teenager, Langer/Livnicajoled philanthropists to front the money to purchase the camp’s site from the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, precursor to the New Democratic Party, in 1956.
Until then, Habonim had rented camps for summer programming, and ran youth programs in Vancouver throughout the year. Livni, who made aliyah and went on to be a leading figure in both Reform Zionism and the kibbutz movement in Israel, died this year at age 89.
Simpson credited the late Army & Navy department store founder Sam Cohen, as well as the late Ben and Esther Dayson and the late Norman Rothstein as benefactors who set the foundation for Camp Miriam’s long-term sustainability.
The anniversary event featured a display of the camp over the decades and pioneers, living and departed, were celebrated. Camp “matriarch” Gloria Levi was on hand, and the movement’s leaders of the past and present shared memories.
Miriam alumni Michael Schwartz emceed the evening, provided a moving reflection on the impacts of Oct. 7 on the Habonim community, and recalled his own memories of camp.
“I got to experience moments I will never forget,” Schwartz said, including the staging of a “show trial” of the Little Mermaid. “Through all these experiences – some absurd, yes – Miriam taught me some of life’s most important lessons. It taught me about the so-called big, important things, like history and justice, political philosophy, but it also taught me about the truly important things, like teamwork, leadership, friendship and girls.”
Jay Eidelman, the camp’s new director of fundraising and strategic planning, said that next summer’s enrolment will be a record 360, with a waiting list of others who want to come.
“That’s 5% more than last year, which was also a record enrolment,” he said. “Our retention rate is an astounding 90%.”
Especially in this time of rising antisemitism, Eidelman said, Jewish kids need safe spaces.
“Miriam is that space and for many of our campers,” he said. “Miriam is the only place where they can explore their Jewish identities, their relationship to Israel and their relationship to our community.”
He noted that 85% of Miriam campers attend public schools and more than half come from outside the city of Vancouver.
“We are growing and we need to grow sustainably,” he said. “That’s why, in 2022, with the help of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, we started a site master planning process to help us grow sustainably.”
Left to right at Camp Miriam’s 75th anniversary celebration are Sue Siklos (parent), Trilby Smith (past camp committee chair) and Gretchen DuMoulin. (photo by Adi Keidar)
Brian Tucker, chair of the camp’s board, and Ariella Smith-Eidelman, who is going into her second year as rosh machenah (head of camp), spoke from their respective positions. Video greetings were shared from alumni Selina Robinson, former provincial cabinet minister, and Seth Rogen, comedian and actor.
The anniversary celebration was emotional, said Leya Robinson, who took over as Camp Miriam’s community director last year, succeeding Levi. Before returning to her hometown of Vancouver, Robinson (a second-generation Habonimnik, thanks to her mother Selina) worked for the North American Habonim movement in New York as director of education and then spent five years in Israel, where she directed programs in Israel for Habonim Dror campers and university students worldwide.
“It was very heartwarming, almost in an overwhelming way,” Robinson said of the event. “Just to have that deep a sense of belonging and to look around and see how many other people felt that same sense of community and belonging to Camp Miriam. I just feel so lucky to be a part of the community and to have the experience at Camp Miriam.”
In these challenging times, she said, that connection is vital.
“It’s really easy to fall into despair seeing what’s happening, and having community helps to build up that sense of hope or to maintain that sense of hope and to see that we are not isolated and we have friends and partners and people to talk with,” she said.
David Bogdanov told the Independent that his camping experiences in the late 1970s and early ’80s were “very transformative and almost lifesaving.”
“It gave me a strong love of Israel,” he said. “It really enhanced my relationship with the Jewish community and really informed my whole life to a very large degree.”
Michelle Plotkin, a member of the committee that put the anniversary event together, wasn’t a camper herself but has seen the camp’s effects on her daughter.
“It just offers so many opportunities for the kids to be independent and learn how to be comfortable outside their comfort zone and stretch their minds and imaginations,” Plotkin said. “My daughter does things I never would have expected her to be comfortable doing.”
It was Plotkin’s idea to put together a one-time band for the event. The six-member group was made up of three professional and three amateur musicians, all of them Miriam alumni. The musicians, who dubbed themselves the Final Messiba, were Yonni Silberman (drums), Sunny Zatzick (guitar), Daniel Pimentel (bass guitar), Ira Cooper (vocals), Roy Vizer (percussion) and Jessica Stuart (lead guitar and vocals, and music director).
Gretchen DuMoulin, who chaired the evening’s organizing committee, has experienced almost all aspects of camp, from being a camper herself, a madricha (counsellor), a parent to campers and madrichim, and an organizer of family camps and then the 75th anniversary celebration.
She said Camp Miriam “is a whole Jewish and cultural experience. Every aspect of camp is thoughtfully planned with aspects of Jewish values, equality, social justice and leadership woven throughout. Every camper has an opportunity to become a leader at some level and for their voice to be heard and counted. It is 100% a youth leadership-run camp.”
DuMoulin cites lasting friendships as an enduring legacy of camp.
“There is something about spending weeks at a time, day and night, independently but together,” she said, “that just allows you to form friendships in a different way than when you are at home and in school.”
By fostering human connection, creativity and a love for the outdoors, Camp Hatikvah teaches children that true joy doesn’t come from likes or notifications – it comes from experiences shared with others. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)
In today’s fast-paced world, it can feel almost impossible to escape technology. Smartphones, tablets and social media have woven themselves into the fabric of daily life, often at the expense of face-to-face interaction and genuine connection. But, at Camp Hatikvah, campers are given the opportunity to disconnect from devices and reconnect with life’s simpler joys.
The camp has a no-technology policy for all its campers. This means that, for the entirety of their stay at camp, campers are completely unplugged so that they can engage with the world around them – through creativity, camaraderie and the kind of joy that is so often lost in the digital age.
For many of today’s youth, the idea of unplugging might seem daunting. Devices have become more than tools; they’re sources of entertainment, connection, and even identity. At Camp Hatikvah, however, the absence of screens doesn’t feel like a loss – campers quickly discover the delights of old-fashioned fun.
“It’s a precious gift to witness children simply at play,” said Liza Rozen-Delman, the camp’s executive director. “When they’re not tethered to screens, you see their imaginations come alive. They’re dancing, creating skits, and laughing in ways that feel so genuine. It’s the kind of joy you rarely see any more in the city.”
Camp Hatikvah has a technology-free approach. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)
These moments of unstructured play do more than just fill the hours; they foster skills that are crucial for a child’s development. Imagination, problem-solving and cooperation flourish in an environment where kids are free to create their own fun. Campers learn to navigate group dynamics, work through challenges and take pride in shared accomplishments.
One of the most profound benefits of Camp Hatikvah’s technology-free policy is the way it nurtures genuine relationships. Without the distractions of social media, campers are fully present for one another. They form bonds over shared adventures, whether it’s paddling across the lake, tackling a team-building challenge, or simply sitting together under a star-filled sky.
The mental health challenges facing today’s youth are unprecedented. Studies have linked the overuse of technology to increased anxiety, depression and feelings of isolation. Camp Hatikvah offers a much-needed antidote: a space where kids can breathe, laugh and simply be themselves.
“Away from screens, there’s a noticeable shift in the kids,” said Eden Gutterman, associate director. “They start to relax. They’re more in tune with their surroundings and with each other. It’s like they’re rediscovering what it means to just be a kid.”
Moments of unstructured play foster skills that are crucial for a child’s development. (photo from Camp Hatikvah)
The benefits of Camp Hatikvah’s technology-free approach aren’t limited to the children who attend. Parents also appreciate the impact of the camp’s philosophy. For many, it’s a relief to know their children are spending time away from screens and social media, engaging in activities that promote health and happiness.
“At the end of the day, what we’re giving these kids isn’t just a summer at camp – it’s a gift that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” said Rozen-Delman. “The friendships they make, the confidence they build and the memories they create – those are the things that matter. And none of it requires a screen.”
Life’s most meaningful moments often happen when we set aside our screens and fully immerse ourselves in the present. By fostering human connection, creativity and a love for the outdoors, Camp Hatikvah teaches children that true joy doesn’t come from likes or notifications – it comes from experiences shared with others. In an increasingly digital world, the lessons learned at the camp are not just refreshing – they’re transformative, equipping campers with the tools to lead more balanced, connected and fulfilling lives long after summer ends.
Jewish summer camps fuse the activities, friendships and communal life of traditional camps with Jewish values, role models and culture. (photo from Camp Kalsman)
Whether camping season has just ended or it’s the middle of winter, it’s never too early to begin thinking about Jewish summer camp for the young people in your life. Jewish summer camps fuse the activities, friendships and communal life of traditional camps with Jewish values, role models and culture. This uniquely immersive experience provides a confidence-building opportunity in which campers experience joy and discovery in a communal Jewish setting.
The top six reasons parents, bubbes and zaydes everywhere are sending their kids to Jewish camp are:
1. Kid-centred Judaism
Kids are empowered to contribute to and lead their Jewish community at camp. From services, to music, to hands-on learning, the developmental and social-emotional needs of campers come first, and opportunities exist for campers to take the lead in these experiences. This is a uniquely powerful experience they won’t find anywhere else.
According to the 2023 article “Why Camp Works: Explanations Later” by Rabbi Daniel Greyber on ejewishphilanthropy.com, research shows that “camp attendance makes adults 30% more likely to donate to a Jewish charity, 37% more likely to light Shabbat candles, 45% more likely to attend synagogue monthly or more; and 55% more likely to be very emotionally attached to Israel. But why does camp work? One reason may be that explanations about Judaism take a backseat.” He writes that “Judaism cannot be transmitted through classes and scholarship alone, or even primarily. There is no substitute for doing.”
Kids are empowered to contribute to and lead their Jewish community at camp. (photo from Camp Kalsman)
2. Camp friendships last beyond the summer
After the laundry has been washed and the camp trunk put away, friendships endure. The intensity of the shared experience and communal living of camp expedites and deepens relationships. Camp is one easy entry point into a lifelong Jewish community. As kids grow, opportunities arise to increase their connections with Jewish peers through congregational and national youth groups, Israel travel, social justice programs, and much, much more. Many alumni of Jewish camp have found that the friends they make during the summer stick with them through college, young adulthood, and beyond.
3. An immersive Jewish community
Campers live in Jewish time; they are exposed to adult Jewish role models, Jewish peers and Jewish friends from different places, as well as the rhythm of Jewish rituals. These Jewish connections are extremely powerful. Campers experience joy in a Jewish community, develop confidence in their Jewish identity and forge long-lasting connections. Nowhere else do campers have the opportunity to experience Judaism infused into daily life and reinforced by a community of Jewish peers.
4. Camp ends, but Jewish community continues
Children who attend Jewish summer camp are more likely to identify as Jewish adults and actively engage with their communities. The experience of living in an immersive Jewish community has a deep and profound impact, which lasts into adulthood.
After the laundry has been washed and the camp trunk put away, friendships endure. (photo from Camp Kalsman)
5. Jewish camp addresses the whole camper
Children learn confidence, skill-building and socialization by living in a community. They learn how to operate in a diverse group of peers, face new situations and overcome challenges on a daily basis. At camp, adult role models and mentors create safe spaces for campers to grapple with complex ideas based in Jewish values, texts and traditions – topics that secular schools and camps might not be able to address. Camp can provide balance by creating space for spiritual, emotional and physical growth for campers.
6. Camp helps kids succeed
Camp is all about fun and real-world learning. Campers who return to camp as staff members can create opportunities to advance themselves professionally. Many staff from Jewish summer camps have found that their experiences have helped them jumpstart their careers, establish their college networks and meet new people.
A longer version of this article appears on reformjudaism.org, the website of the Union for Reform Judaism. URJ Camp Kalsman, located in Arlington, Wash., serves 600-plus campers ages 7-17 from Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest every summer. For more information, visit campkalsman.org or email campkalsman@urj.org.
Jewish summer camps, like Camp Solomon Schechter near Olympia, Wash., aim to give participants a lifelong sense of belonging, leadership, joy and identity. (photo from campschechter.org)
The California-based Shimon Ben Joseph Foundation, commonly known as the Jim Joseph Foundation, has prioritized investment in what it calls “powerful Jewish learning experiences,” in its effort to enable “all Jews, their families, and their friends to lead connected, meaningful, purpose-filled lives and to make positive contributions to their communities and the world.” This commitment is advanced by signature grantees that provide such experiences to young people: BBYO, Foundation for Jewish Camp, Hillel, Birthright Israel, and Moishe House.
Over the last few years, the foundation has partnered with Rosov Consulting to bring a consistent research lens to the experiences provided by these various organizations. The goal of this partnership has been: (1) to identify both the distinct and common contributions made by each organization to participants at different stages of their young lives, and (2) to identify the components of the experiences they provide that make them so powerful.
Rosov’s latest report, Powerful Jewish Learning Experiences, was released in September. Through a series of 10 virtual focus groups, researchers interviewed 48 people, most between the ages of 25 and 35, who had participated in some combination of Jewish camp, youth groups, campus life and post-grad community.
Program alumni remember powerful Jewish learning experiences as having deep personal significance. They learned something new and important about themselves, locating themselves in relation to a larger entity – typically, the Jewish people. They sensed their lives being propelled forward, often in new directions. These experiences didn’t speak to all the alumni in the same ways or with the same force, but all five experiences, without exception, were described in these terms by many. In their own words, alumni recollected:
Youth group: “[feeling] so fulfilled … I had a purpose in some sort of way in that time that wasn’t school or wasn’t what I had to do.”
Camp: “a big sense of independence … getting to do things I personally never had a chance to do.”
College: “[being] taught a lot for my future in terms of, for me personally, building a Jewish life and a Jewish home.”
Israel: “[Gaining a] whole [new] perspective of what it was to be Jewish and to feel accepted. [It was] the first place I felt truly at home.”
Moishe House: “finding my own way in … having a place to be and be Jewish … that completely changed my life.”
The settings in which these powerful Jewish learning experiences occur are not simply substitutes for one another. They take place at different moments in a young person’s life and are infused by the distinct social and educational priorities associated with that developmental moment. At overnight camp, for example, this involved experiencing a model of Jewish community that was either absent or just very different at home. The specialness of the camp community was emphasized by the physical distance of camp from home and the temporal boundedness of the camp experience during specific months of the year.
The experiences provided by the grantees are all highly experiential, involving learning through doing. This outcome was strongly associated with spending time at overnight camp, in large part because the rhythm of camp runs from morning to night, and from Shabbat to Shabbat; it includes mealtimes, prayer times and other opportunities for learning through the performance of ritual.
“I gained the value of joyous Judaism, social connections … having a community of people that you get to just be with, [is] just amazing.” (photo from campschechter.org)Nearly two-thirds of study participants attended camp at some point. Camp is a place to stretch, to experiment and to explore new experiences, in Jewish and personal terms. This is the theme to which alumni consistently returned most often when talking about camp. They recollect experiencing joy and Jewish learning, and they celebrated the friendships formed, but it was the personal growth they experienced thanks to being given the space to explore that exceeded all other outcomes.
Participant perspectives included:
• “[I was] pushing boundaries in a very safe environment. That’s something that happened at my camp.”
• “I think for me a lot of [the takeaways from camp] were a big sense of independence.… [Camp] really got very different from school…. It gave us a time to just do all the fun things that you don’t always get to do that I personally never got a chance to do. It was a lot of new things that I saw that I’d never seen before or new experiences.”
Their reflections converged around the many lifelong benefits of the Jewish camp experience, such as:
Jewish learning: “I feel like there’s a lot of prayers that I know in my core because of camp and not necessarily because of Hebrew school and Sunday school.”
L’dor v’dor: “All of the camp songs that you’d sing on Shabbat … you take with you for the rest of your life. And I have a son who goes to Jewish preschool now and he is singing these songs, and we sing them together in the car.…”
Independence, joy and friendship: “I gained the value of joyous Judaism, social connections … having a community of people that you get to just be with, [is] just amazing.”
Connecting to Jewish identity: “Camp really helped me understand the importance of Jewish community and continuing involvement with the Jewish community after my bat mitzvah. If it weren’t for camp, I would not have done Hillel in college. I would not have joined Moishe House.”
Belonging, leadership, joy and identity – four of the core building blocks highlighted in the study – were central themes at Foundation for Jewish Camp’s 2024 Leaders Assembly, which brought together more than 800 Jewish camp leaders and advocates from around the world on Dec. 9-11 in Chicago. At the gathering, Rosov Consulting shared more findings from this study, which can be found at jewishcamp.org.
– from Powerful Jewish Experiences,
compiled by Rosov Consulting (September 2024),
and Foundation for Jewish Camp
The federal government’s designated point person on antisemitism raised alarm bells for Canadians following attacks on Jews last month in Amsterdam.
Deborah Lyons, Canada’s special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism, spoke to the Vancouver Jewish community Nov. 12, in a special online conversation with Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.
Lana Marks Pulver, chair of the Jewish Federation, explained that the briefing was organized after the attacks on Israeli football fans in Amsterdam Nov. 7.
The antisemitism problem is both local and global, said Lyons, but Canada has a particular problem.
“We were one of the first countries to demonstrate on the streets,” she said. “On our university campuses, unfortunately, certainly online and in some of our other institutions, [there has been] a level of antisemitism that we had never, ever expected to see in Canada.”
People were phoning her from abroad asking what’s happening to Canada. This is a country with a strong democracy and rule of law, she said, and yet 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes target the Jewish community, which makes up 1% of the population.
Deborah Lyons, Canada’s special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism (photo from international.gc.ca)
“We need leaders stepping up and a full court press to address the challenges in front of us,” she said. “This is not just about our Jewish community. This is about what kind of country we want as Canadians. I consider this a crisis that we are in that really needs a crisis response.”
Oct. 7, 2023, “shook the world,” Lyons said. “Frankly, what happened in Amsterdam, on another level, has also shaken us. I think we were hoping that, in this past year, since October 2023, in our own countries, we were putting in place some remedies, some actions to address the antisemitism that we were seeing rising in our country and in so many other, particularly Western, countries. But I think what happened in Amsterdam has been another shockwave that I think causes all of us to say we need to double down.”
Canadians may be complacent, Lyons suggested, because we believe in our historical, if possibly mythological, tolerance.
“We’ve got an incredible country, solid governments and good rule of law,” she said. “I have lived in countries that can’t even come close to that description. And we are on the island of North America. We’ve had a pretty good ride. I think that maybe we weren’t paying enough attention to some of the ills within our society.”
When a society or its economy is under stress, antisemitism inevitably rises, said Lyons.
“We already had, before October 2023, an increase in antisemitism in Canada,” she said. “Where we are now, after October 2023, is a level of antisemitism that is completely unprecedented in our country. What do we do with that? Well, clearly, we fight it. But we also have to take this as an opportunity and say, alright, some of that was lying beneath the surface. It’s now very much exposed. We have the opportunity. We need to turn this into a catharsis. We need to take this moment when all of this is exposed, when no one can deny that antisemitism exists, when no one can deny that it requires intensive effort to combat it and that it requires a systemic approach.”
She congratulated British Columbia for committing to mandatory Holocaust education, but that is a step in the right direction, not an end, she said.
“We need to do work on not just Holocaust remembrance but on antisemitism itself and making sure that teachers and school boards and faculty actually have the right perspective as they are trying to help the children understand what the Holocaust means, not just historically but in terms of today,” she said.
Those combatting antisemitism need to be doing more work with law enforcement, she said, noting that Vancouver Police and RCMP in British Columbia recently underwent training with Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. Prosecutors also need to be empowered, she added.
“We need to do work on social media and we’ve got a campaign underway there,” said Lyons, noting that the federal government is working on an online harms bill, which could strengthen data collection, among other steps.
Noting positive signs, Lyons cited information that, “by far and away,” a majority of Canadians support the Jewish community and support Israel’s right to exist.
Exceptions emerge among younger Canadians, she said, “our 18-to-24-year-olds, kids who might not have adequate knowledge of the Holocaust, have a tendency to be disposed toward antisemitism.”
Lyons recently met with the president of the University of British Columbia and the chancellor of Simon Fraser University.
“I think university presidents and university administrations struggled after Oct. 7 in a way that many of us struggled,” she said. “It was almost a shock to see the reaction on a number of the campuses. I think we saw that with other leaders in other segments of society, that people almost needed time to get their bearings, to try to figure out what was the right response. We all want freedom of expression, we all want freedom of speech, we all want our young people to be … debating new ideas and pushing the envelope. But it has to be done in a respectful environment. It has to be done with a certain dignity and sense of acknowledgment of the other’s point of view.”
Among the shortcomings that emerged in the past year, according to Lyons, was an absence of recourse to deal with concerns from Jewish students.
“What we found was there was not the recourse in place, the systems in place, for the university administrations to actually follow up on the concerns of our students in what I would consider to be a substantive way,” she said. “I think there are better systems being put in place now to make sure that every student who has a concern or feels an unease can make their feelings known and can have that responded to substantively and with respect. I think also the presidents in many cases were challenged with their own codes of conduct and how they were to be implemented. I think that, over the last several months, particularly over the summer when they had a bit of a pause, there’s been this understanding that these codes of conduct really do need to be administered.”
Lyons is one of about 35 national envoys addressing antisemitism worldwide.
“We work together to share experiences in our countries and also to identify some remedies,” she said. “We’ve just recently published, this past summer, the global guidelines for fighting antisemitism.”
Lyons’ office and the broader federal government recently released the Canadian Handbook on the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, which she said is a vital tool. It is based on an earlier European Union document and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. She urges Jewish people, but especially potential allies, to use it.
“Learn about antisemitism. Try to understand it. Try to understand what’s happening in our country,” she said.
A visit to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre is a place to start for people who seek to be allies to Jews, she said. Then, she urged people to step outside their bubbles.
“Get to know your Jewish neighbours and stand up if you see something happening that you think isn’t right,” said Lyons.
Shanken noted that Lyons is not Jewish and asked how she ended up in this role.
“I grew up in rural, northern New Brunswick and community mattered,” said Lyons. “And people mattered. Your neighbours mattered. Looking after one another mattered.”
She also remembered as a child hearing about the Holocaust.
“I can remember how it marked me, how I could not believe that the humanity that I belonged to had created, planned and carried out such horrors over such a long period of time,” she said. “So, years later when, as a diplomat, I was leaving one post and getting ready to go to another and I got the call that I could go to Israel [as ambassador, 2016-2020], I jumped at the chance, because I thought, what an incredible opportunity to really engage in a country that I’ve always been fascinated by and with a people that I have huge admiration for. My time in Israel, I think, even deepened my experience as, I suppose, an ally.”
Sefaria’s Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld speaks Dec. 15 and Jan. 12, as part of Our Story, Our Heritage: A Speaker Series with Wexner Scholars. (photo from facebook.com/thejewishnetwork)
Our Story, Our Heritage: A Speaker Series with Wexner Scholars launched here in September. It features top Jewish educators from across North America who teach in the two-year Wexner Heritage Program, which focuses on Jewish learning and leadership training. While in Vancouver, the scholars give a talk that is open to the public, and also hold learning sessions with the local Wexner cohort, a diverse group of young local community members set to steer the community.
The speaker series began Sept. 22 with Yonatan Cohen, the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Berkeley, Calif., and a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. His talk, titled Our Texts in Tense Times, offered insights into Jewish texts that help frame recent experiences, particularly as the first anniversary of Oct. 7 approached.
Cohen spoke again on Nov. 17, giving a lecture called Agree to Disagree: The Seeds of Jewish Pluralism Revealed in Talmudic Debate. In it, using classic cases from the Talmud that elucidate the rabbinic approach to makhloket (debate or dispute), he considered how the rabbinic tradition distinguishes between “ultimate truth” and “public policy,” and how ancient texts might help guide the way one operates in a contemporary pluralistic Jewish community.
Next up on the Wexner speaker circuit is Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld, chief learning officer at Sefaria, the free online library of Jewish texts, on Dec. 15. Her topic will investigate how ancient wisdom might offer insights into navigating the realities of social media. Wolkenfeld will return on Jan. 12 to examine tikkun olam, repair of the world, what it means and why it is important.
An alumna of the David Hartman Centre at the Hartman Institute of North America, Wolkenfeld also serves as scholar-in-residence at Ohev Sholom Congregation in Washington, DC. Her current research and writing focus is on the intersection between Jewish ethics and technological advancements.
Dr. David Shyovitz, a professor of history and Jewish studies at Northwestern University, gives online talks Feb. 9 and March 2. (photo from from davidshyovitz.com)
Dr. David Shyovitz, a professor of history and Jewish studies at Northwestern University, will talk on Feb. 9 and March 2. His first lecture will look at Jews and Muslims from an historical perspective. His second asks, “Has there ever been a ‘Judeo-Christian’ tradition?” and digs into what the registration page for the talk describes as “an uneasy alliance.”
“Obviously, these are both very big and complex topics, so there is no way we will do either of them justice fully,” Shyovitz told the Independent. “But they are also topics about which many people have limited knowledge or dramatically oversimplified assumptions, so the goal will be to share some interesting ideas and sources and give participants a glimpse of the rich and nuanced history of inter-religious relations.”
Rabbi Dr. Tali Zelkowicz, director of curriculum and research at the Wexner Foundation, is slated to speak on March 16. She will revisit a debate in Jewish education.
The Wexner Foundation’s Rabbi Dr. Tali Zelkowicz, speaks on Jewish education on March 16. (photo from Wexner Foundation)
“It has become a widely accepted fact that, across every age and stage, the field of Jewish education has split between the sub-fields of so-called ‘formal’ versus ‘informal’ (also known as ‘experiential’ education) or, alternatively, between ‘education’ versus ‘engagement,’” Zelkowicz said. “But how did we get to this default assumption, and is it helping us?”
By taking a closer look at assumptions about how learning works in Jewish life, Zelkowicz hopes to show how we are mired in what she sees as a “nonsensical debate” around which kind of learning setting is most needed or effective in Jewish life while avoiding the much more important question, what counts as great learning?
Devin E. Naar, a professor of history and Jewish studies at the University of Washington, winds up the series with lectures on March 30 and June 2. His first will study the formation of Sephardi Jewish communities in the Ottoman Empire.
“This lecture traces the trans-Mediterranean journey of the exiled Spanish Jews to the sultan’s realm and the cultural and political dynamics that shaped the communities they created and developed over the subsequent centuries. In short, it explores how the descendants of Spanish Jews eventually became Ottoman Jews, and the implications of those transformations today,” Naar told the Independent.
Devin E. Naar of the University of Washington winds up the Wexner series with lectures on March 30 and June 2. (photo from University of Washington)
Naar’s second session will probe how the history of Middle East Jews might change the perception of Israel.
“This talk moves beyond polemics to delve into the history of the long-standing Jewish presence in the geography that now forms the state of Israel,” he said.
“The talk situates Jewish experiences within the broader framework of the Ottoman Empire (which ruled from 1517-1917) during which Ladino – not Hebrew, Arabic or Yiddish – largely remained the primary Jewish language of Jerusalem,” Naar continued. “The talk also introduces some of the key challenges that Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews confronted with the establishment of the state of Israel. What are the lingering effects of those transformations today?”
The Wexner Heritage Program has returned to Vancouver after a 24-year absence thanks to the support of the Diamond Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and alumni of the first local cohort.
“It was a transformative experience for me. Because of Wexner, I became a better Jewish leader,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, a member of the original cohort, and a former Vancouver Federation president and chair of Federation’s annual campaign. He was an instrumental figure in rebooting the program in Vancouver.
Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch spoke on the topic Just for this Moment: Stepping Up to Lead. (screenshot)
Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch kicked off the fifth season of Kolot Mayim Reform Temple’s Building Bridges lecture series Nov. 3 with the topic Just for this Moment: Stepping Up to Lead, which drew on her experience and insights into leadership for women, particularly within Reform Judaism.
Hirsch, who hosts the Just For This podcast, is the chief executive officer of Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), a position she has held since 2023. Started in 1913 as the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, WRJ is the women’s affiliate of the Union of Reform Judaism and it represents thousands of women in hundreds of congregations throughout North America.
Now based in Cincinnati, where WRJ was founded, Hirsch spoke about the name of the podcast. The title, Just for This, comes from the point in the Book of Esther when Mordechai tells Esther to reveal her identity and step up to lead: “Who knows, maybe it is just for this moment that you find yourself in a position of leadership.” (Esther 4:14)
In each episode, Hirsch speaks to women who stand out in their field(s) and asks her guests to describe their “just for this moment” or when they found themselves in the right place and time to take on a leadership role.
Hirsch played excerpts from her podcast to give the Zoom audience an idea of what her program is all about. The first clip was of Abigail Pogrebin, an American writer and the president of Central Synagogue in New York City from 2015 to 2018.
Pogrebin is the author of several books, her latest – It Take Two to Torah: An Orthodox Rabbi and Reform Journalist Discuss and Debate Their Way Through the Five Books of Moses – having been released just this past September. While Pogrebin didn’t provide a specific “Esther moment” that took place in her life, she did say it is something one should think about regularly. She said perhaps the question should be asked instead as, “Where do I have a role to play?” For Pogrebin, her purpose is to be a bridge between the person who knows a lot and the person who is afraid of what they don’t know.
“There are many smart Jews out there who have an anxiety of ignorance,” she said. “Sometimes people opt out because, though you are a smart person, you don’t want to appear in places because you don’t know the difference between Sukkot and Shavuot.”
Pogrebin addressed the reluctance at times for women to step into leadership roles out of fear of not having enough experience or expertise when, in fact, they do. She praised Hirsch’s podcast for providing female role models, women who confidently and assertively demonstrate their abilities.
A second clip spotlighted an interview with composer, instrumentalist and prayer leader Elana Arian, who delved into the power of connection. She believes that music can allow for people to connect, even in this time when there are so many issues that polarize individuals.
“It is starting to be quite countercultural to go into communities with the express purpose of bringing people together through music,” she said. “It is really not normal these days to get people to sing together to get more connected to faith, so I feel I bring something to this moment that is specific.”
The final segment Hirsch played for the audience came from a discussion with Cochav Elkayam-Levy, a post-doctoral fellow at Hebrew University in Jerusalem who specializes in gender, conflict resolution and peace. She established and leads Israel’s Civil Commission on Oct. 7th Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children.
Elkayam-Levy said she felt compelled to do her work, not from bravery but rather that the necessity of the moment called for it. “I wanted to give a voice to the victims and be respectful to their memories,” she said. “I felt that, despite the fact it was difficult, I just felt that this was what I needed to do. That this was my mission.”
Hirsch concluded her talk by saying that “just for this” moments happen for everyone and encouraged listeners to consider when such times have occurred in their lives.
Hirsch was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Among other things, she has been a pulpit rabbi and she was the founding co-chair of Religious Action Centre of Reform Judaism, Massachusetts. She serves on the National Council of Jewish Women’s Rabbis for Repro Rabbinic Advisory Council and played a key role in the 2020 campaign to pass the ROE Act in Massachusetts. A prolific writer on social justice, spiritual practice and trends in Jewish life, Hirsch has contributed chapters to several publications, including The Social Justice Torah Commentary. Her podcast can be heard at justforthispodcast.com.
Victoria’s Kolot Mayim synagogue titled this year’s speakers series Kvell at the Well: Celebrating the Joys of Being Jewish in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel, believing “that it is more important than ever to highlight our proud and strong Jewish culture, history and heritage.”
The series press release also explains the symbolism of a well: “It is the source of life-giving water, a community meeting place and a place for divine revelation. Our goal with this series is to inspire and empower Jews to draw from the well of our collective experience and proudly celebrate (kvell about) our shared identity as a people.”
The second speaker in the series was Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, one of the first female Reform rabbis in Canada, and author of ReVisions: Seeing Torah Through a Feminist Lens, on Dec. 8. On Jan. 12, 11 a.m., Ben Freeman, author of the Jewish Pride trilogy, will discuss his latest book, The Jews: An Indigenous People, set to be released in February, in which he puts forward the position that Jews are unequivocally indigenous to Israel.
Jake Finkelstein’s repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and changeup. (photo by Justin Morash)
Pitcher Jake Finkelstein is looking forward to his third season in the Victoria HarbourCats lineup next summer.
Finkelstein, a 2020 King David High School graduate, told the Independent the decision to return to the region was a “no-brainer” and that it “feels great” to be coming back. During his first year with the club in 2023, the HarbourCats took home the WCL North Division title and nearly won the WCL championship. The team was knocked out during the 2024 North Division semifinal series, leaving what Finkelstein described as a “tremendous hunger to win it all” in 2025.
The HarbourCats are part of the West Coast League, a collegiate baseball circuit that was started in 2005.
“The past two summers I’ve played there have been some of the most fun I’ve had,” said Finkelstein. “One reason why Victoria is such a great place to play is the fans. They create one of the most electric atmospheres in all of summer ball and it’s a privilege to get to play for a city that cares about the team the way Victoria does.”
The left-handed pitcher credits Victoria head coach Todd Haney, a former Montreal Expo, for recruiting not only players who can perform at a high level but who are team players, making it very easy to build relationships during the short WCL summer season.
Jake Finkelstein has played two summers with the Victoria HarbourCats. (photo by Christian J. Stewart)
“Victoria is also such a great place to play because of the coaching staff. They do a great job of keeping everyone on the same page while making sure we enjoy our summer. The HarbourCats are a team that wins, and I believe that the relationships that the players gain with one another, as well as the coaching staff, are a major reason as to why,” Finkelstein said.
Now spending the academic year at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) in Lawrenceville, a suburb northeast of Atlanta, Ga., Finkelstein has also played for Montana State University Billings and Spokane Falls Community College.
The move to GGC was a big decision for Finkelstein. However, after numerous conversations with the GGC coaching staff and some with the players, the lure of suiting up for a college baseball powerhouse ultimately won him over.
“GGC baseball has one of the most knowledgeable coaching staffs in the nation,” said Finkelstein.
“While winning is a huge part of the program, and our track record proves it, development and unlocking an athlete’s full potential are the top priorities. Everything we do on a day-to-day basis reflects that,” he said.
“Speaking with my now-friend and -teammate Austin Testerman before I decided on GGC, I was able to get a glimpse into the mindset that one must possess and the way one must act to be a GGC Grizzly. This was my selling point. I didn’t know much about the minor ins and outs of the program, but I knew that I was walking into a place where I had a chance to be a part of something special.”
The 22-year-old HarbourCat veteran, whose repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and changeup, sees his biggest strength as being able to throw strikes consistently. A pitcher’s job, he said, is not about simply throwing hard, but getting the ball to “end up wherever you want while making it do weird things.”
That control, coupled with composure, according to Finkelstein, are tremendous assets on the mound.
“Being a pitcher is very stressful and can be very humbling at times,” he acknowledged. “I’ve always noticed that the best pitchers keep the same body language and demeanour no matter what is happening in the game. Even if a home run was just hit off of them, they’re right back at it, throwing strike one to the next guy. That is what I pride myself on and try to embody every time I am on the mound.”
As he continues to hone his craft, Finkelstein would like to finish innings on fewer throws.
“Getting every batter you face out, but throwing five or more pitches to each of them adds up and tires you out. Being able to keep your pitch count down is essential to maintaining longevity on the mound. So, I would say that my biggest facet of pitching that I am working on right now is being able to get hitters out early more consistently,” he said.
Turning professional is Finkelstein’s ultimate goal – whether it be affiliated, independent or overseas baseball. Academically, he is working towards a degree in business management with a minor in finance.
The HarbourCats are also excited to have Finkelstein back for another summer.
“Jake’s a great kid. First and foremost, he is a quality individual who has been a tremendous teammate and a competitor. He is a pitcher not a thrower, he wants to get hitters out,” said Jim Swanson, the HarbourCats managing partner.
“He works a good curve that is especially problematic for left-handed hitters and his fastball has more than enough to get guys out,” said Swanson. “He has always played very well for us and been a gamer.”
For Swanson, a game during the 2023 divisional playoffs against the Bellingham Bells stands out. Victoria trailed 6-0 when they brought Finkelstein in and, thanks to his tenacity on the mound, and HarbourCats hitters finding their way around the bases, Victoria came back to win 9-7.
Finkelstein, a college junior, earned academic all-America team accolades at NCAA Division II Montana State University Billings and is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honour Society. (His sister Leann played collegiate softball for Long Island University Post and Simon Fraser University.)
Last season, Finkelstein made 11 appearances, including nine starts, threw 38.1 innings, struck out 23 and won two games.
The HarbourCats 2025 home opener is June 6 against the PortAngeles Lefties.
Sam Margolishas written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
The Krell, Lewis, Kallner and Singerman families are excited their gift will help in the creation of an expanded Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. (photo by Rachel Topham)
The JWest capital campaign cabinet is grateful to Dr. Robert and Marilyn Krell and their families, Shoshana and Shawn Lewis, Simone and Howard Kallner, and Michaela and Matthew Singerman, for supporting the redevelopment of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver site. The individual gifts from each of the four couples reflect two generations equally committed to building a strong Jewish future in Vancouver.
The Krell family has deep roots in Vancouver. Marilyn’s Polish grandfather, David Davis, who arrived in 1909, was one of the founding members of Congregation Schara Tzedeck. Robert, born in Holland, was hidden during the Holocaust and, after reuniting with his parents, arrived in Vancouver at age 10, in 1951. Both Robert and Marilyn were influenced by their parents’ involvement in the synagogue and a variety of Jewish organizations.
“Vancouver is where I became a Jew,” said Robert, who participated in Habonim as a child and became actively involved with the Canadian Jewish Congress as an adult. In 1971, he and Marilyn were married by Rabbi Marvin Hier, who was Schara Tzedek’s rabbi at the time. The couple raised their three daughters, Shoshana, Simone and Michaela, in a traditional Jewish home where Shabbat was always celebrated. The Jewish values that began at home were reinforced at Vancouver Talmud Torah, Camp Hatikvah and at the JCC.
Robert, a founder of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC), mobilized the survivor community from a concept in 1983 to a reality in 1994, when the centre opened as a museum and educational institute that ignited Shoah learning in British Columbia and beyond. The Krell daughters grew up witnessing the VHEC board meetings in their living room and attending award ceremonies that recognized their parents’ contributions to a variety of Jewish organizations.
“Through their actions and deeds, they taught us that you give when you can and volunteer when you can,” Simone said.
Now with children of their own attending local Jewish institutions, the Lewis, Kallner and Singerman families have assumed leadership roles in the VHEC, VTT, Schara Tzedeck, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Jewish Community Foundation. As they saw their parents’ commitment to support JWest, they knew they were also ready to answer the call to help build a new infrastructure to support the future of the region’s Jewish community.
“We are excited to contribute to such an important and pivotal project that will be utilized and cherished not just by future generations of our Jewish community, but of the greater community as well,” said Michaela.
Her sisters expanded that idea by saying, “The JCC has played a role for five generations of our family and it shapes many of our fondest memories.”
The family is excited that their gift will also assist in the creation of an expanded Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, an institute close to their hearts and lives. Founded with a mandate of Holocaust-based anti-racism education, the VHEC welcomes more than 25,000 students, educators and members of the public each year.
While it plays a crucial role in conveying the ongoing relevance of the Shoah, this teaching museum has long been challenged by a small footprint and its limited visibility in the lower level of the JCC. JWest will protect the legacy of the VHEC by significantly increasing its square footage and visibility. The new VHEC will be visible from West 41st Avenue and will feature state-of-the-art exhibit space for permanent and rotating exhibits. It will also have dedicated research and programming space to facilitate workshops that enhance learning and engagement. Its prominent location in the JWest campus’s Arts & Culture Centre will ensure that the VHEC remains a vital presence in the community well into the future.
“The VHEC was at the forefront of our upbringing and experience and it’s a highlight to see it being incorporated as an important component of JWest,” Simone said.
Shoshana echoed those sentiments. “It’s exciting to envision the future JCC as a hub that will encompass so many important institutions,” she said. “We want a safe space to house our next generation of Jewish institutions, so there’s an urgency for us to support this project as a commitment to the future of our children, our grandchildren and the community at large.”
Alex Cristall, chair of the JWest capital campaign, had this response to the gift: “With five generations of active involvement in Vancouver’s Jewish community, the Krell, Davis, Kallner, Lewis and Singerman families continue to demonstrate the depth of their commitment through their gifts and volunteerism. Their generous gifts to JWest will secure and revitalize our Jewish institutions and we are deeply grateful for their support of this project.”
As one of the largest capital projects underway in Vancouver, JWest is only possible with the support of donors and the encouragement of the community. In the coming months, the JWest capital campaign cabinet will continue to update and advise community members on the campaign’s progress and on opportunities to contribute to its philanthropic goal of $161 million.
For a full list of JWest donors, visit jwestnow.com.
