אפליקציה סלולרית ברכבים: חברת הביטוח דז’רדינס מציעה לעקוב אחרי הנהגים תמורת עשרים וחמישה אחוז הנחה בפוליסה
לקוחות של חברת הביטוח המקומית דז’רדינס שיסכימו לתת לה אור ירוק לעקוב אחר נהיגתם, יקבלו בתמורה הנחה משמעותית בפוליסת הביטוח, בשיעור של עד עשרים וחמישה אחוז. כך החליטה חברת הביטוח לאחרונה, במסגרת קמפיין חדש כדי לעודד נהגים לנהוג בזהירות, כך שהדבר יגרום להקטנה משמעותית של מספר התאונות והנזקים בנפש וברכוש.
ד’זרנדיס היא בעצם חברה הראשונה בקנדה שמציעה ללקוחותיה ממש בימים אלה להתקין אפליקציה במכשיר הסלולר שלהם, שתאפשר לה לעקוב מקרוב אחר התנהגותם בכביש, כאמור תמורת הנחה בביטוח. האפליקציה תספק לדז’רנדיס מספר נתונים משמעותיים. ובהם: מהירות הנהיגה של הרכב, מרחק השמירה מהרכב שנמצא מקדימה, כמה פעמים לחץ הנהג על דוושת המעצור, באיזה יום הוא נהג ובאיזה שעה הוא נמצא על הכביש. עם סיום הנהיגה האפליקציה מסכמת את הנתונים ומעניקה לנהג ניקוד על צורת התנהגותו והתנהלותו בכביש, שמועברים למאגרי המידע של חברת הביטוח.
אחת מעובדות של חברת דז’רדינס שמפעילה את האפליקציה במסגרת ניסוי שמתקיים מאז חודש ספטמבר, מציינת כי רק מעצם השימוש בה היא כבר הפכה לנהגת יותר זהירה ומבוקרת שמקפידה על חוקי התנועה.
אך יש גם לא מעט שמבקרים את הפרוייקט החדש וטוענים שהאפליקציה תאפשר בעצם לדז’רדינס להשיג מידע אישי על לקוחותיה, ומי יודע לאיזה ידים הוא אף יכול להתגלגל. בדז’דינס שוללים את הטענות האלה ואומרים בתגובה, כי הם יאספו רק מידע על התנהגות הנהגים בכביש, והוא לא יועבר לשום צד שלישי. אגב גורמי אכיפת החוק יוכלו לקבל את המידע מחברת הביטוח רק אם יציגו צו בפניה מבית המשפט.
אפליקציה סלולרית במסעדות: מסעדות מוכרות מראש כרטיסים לשולחנות למנוע הפסדים מהזמנות
כמה פעמים הגענו למסעדה ונאלצנו להמתין בכניסה בתור ארוך ובלתי נגמר עד שפקעה סבלנותנו. ומה שעוד יותר מרגיז שראינו לא מעט שולחנות שפשוט עומדים להם ריקים וגלמודים עם השלטים מאירי העיניים “שמור”, ואף אחד לא יושב סביבם.
מתברר שהשולחנות “השמורים” האלה מעצבנים לא פחות גם את בעלי המסעדות, שמפסידים כסף רב מהתופעה הנפוצה הזו. הרבה לקוחות שמזמינים שולחנות מראש מאחרים מאוד להגיע, וחלק מהם אף לא טורח בכלל לבוא ולהודיע על כך למסעדות.
בעלי מסעדות בקנדה החליטו שהגיע הזמן לעשות מעשה ולשנות את רוע הגזרה, של מכת השולחנות הריקים. חלקם בחרו בפתרון קל ביותר והם ולא מקבלים עוד הזמנות מראש. התוצאות מורגשות היטב בשטח. אחוז תפוסת השולחנות גדל בשיעור משמעותי של למעלה מעשרים וחמישה אחוז, ובהתאם לכך ההכנסות הולכות וטופחות. ישנם בעלי מסעדות שמנסים אף “לחנך” את הלקוחות, וגובים פקדון מכובד עבור הזמנת שולחנות מראש, שלא יוחזר אם לא יופיעו.
ואילו ישנם בעלי מסעדות אחרים, בעיקר אלה שנמנים על הדור הצעיר יותר, שהחליטו לחפש פתרונות יצירתיים מבוססים על טכנולוגיה, כדי לאפשר ללקוחות להזמין מקומות מראש, אך במקביל גם לא להפסיד גם כסף. הם החלו לאחרונה להפעיל אפליקציה במכשיר הסלולר למכירת כרטיסים מראש עבור השולחנות, בדומה למה שקורה בענף האירועים. מחירי הכרטיסים משתנים בהתאם לרמת התפוסה המסעדה, מועד ההזמנה (למשל: באיזה שבוע מדובר, באיזה יום מדובר ואפילו באיזה שעה מדובר), מיקום השולחן וסוג התפריט. האפליקציה מדווחת גם בזמן אמת ללקוחות פוטנציאליים, מהו זמן ההמתנה לשולחנות באותו יום ואם יש בכלל שולחנות פנויים. כך שכולם יוצאים מורווחים מהאפלקציה הזו.
Canada is not a referee in the game of geopolitics, said John Baird, Canada’s former foreign minister, it’s a player.
John Baird (photo from Jewish National Fund)
Baird, who will be honored at the Jewish National Fund’s Negev Dinner in Vancouver on June 7, spoke of his admiration for Israel and Canada’s close connections with that country in an interview with the Independent Sunday.
Responding to criticism that Canada has lost its place as a middle power or neutral broker, Baird insisted that is not Canada’s role in the world.
“We are a player,” he said. “We are on the liberal democratic team. We make no apologies for that.”
He cited the Conservative government’s role opposing Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons and regional dominance. The impact this has had in the Arab world is misunderstood by many Canadians, he said.
“Our standing in the Arab world today is stronger than it has ever been,” said Baird, speaking from Ottawa. “When I was foreign minister, we built good relations with the new government of Egypt, with the government in Iraq, with the UAE, the Saudis, the Bahrainis. We are widely respected among the political leadership. Yes, we have an honest difference of opinion with respect to our position on Israel. But when it comes to the Muslim Brotherhood, when it comes to Hamas, when it comes to Hezbollah, when it comes to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s material support for terrorism, when it comes to the Iranian-backed advance in Yemen … Saudi Arabia, Israel, Canada: we all share the same view. That’s not understood very well in this country.”
Baird said Canada is a world leader on child and maternal health, opposing forced marriages of girls, and supporting the rights of sexual minorities. Opponents of the government may have difficulty squaring their ideas of how a Conservative administration should behave with the record of the current Canadian government on issues of gender and sexual equality, but Baird says, “Look at the facts.”
“Prime Minister [Stephen] Harper personally has championed child and maternal health,” he said. “We’ve seen record investments not just in Canada but around the world because of his leadership. If you look at the leadership that I undertook with respect to young girls being forced into marriage, we became a leader in that. Canada followed the United Kingdom’s lead on sexual violence in conflict, not just on policy but on programming. When you look at [United Nations’ projects supporting] women, peace and security, we’ve taken a big role in North Africa. So, if you look at the facts, it’s undeniable, particularly on the issue of women and girls. The Day of the Girl resolution was championed by Canada at the UN.”
Advancing the rights of women worldwide is both a human rights matter and a determinant of societal health, Baird said.
“It’s in our own interest to do so,” he said. “It’s not just about human rights. The stronger role that women can play in government, in parliament, in civil society, the more we can combat extremism and promote pluralism.”
Reminded of a comment he made several years ago that, were he to leave politics he would probably go work on a kibbutz in Israel, Baird explained his respect for the Jewish state.
“I just have a passion for Israel, for its people, its culture, its history,” Baird said. “For everything the Jewish people have accomplished in the last 67 years. It’s really remarkable.”
What the Jewish people have built from the ashes of the Holocaust, he said, is admirable.
“The strength and ingenuity of the Jewish people, what they’ve accomplished in science, technology, agriculture, the huge history, it’s a remarkable accomplishment. What they’ve accomplished politically – a liberal democratic state in a pretty dangerous part of the world. The values that underpin the state of Israel, it’s just a remarkable, remarkable achievement.”
While Canada’s foreign policy, particularly under Baird, has turned Canada into what is frequently called Israel’s best friend in the world, the global attitude toward Israel remains highly negative, Baird acknowledged.
“We see far too much moral relativism,” he said. “It has stunned me the amount of criticism that Israel gets in so many international arenas, whether it’s the UN in New York or in Geneva … the UN Human Rights Council … others. On occasion it can be disappointing. It can be difficult to stand up against the rest of the crowd but it’s important to do what’s right. Canadians can be very proud that their government’s taken the path less traveled. We’ve never been afraid to stand up and support our liberal democratic friends.”
The former minister, who left politics earlier this year, speculated on where the animosity toward Israel comes from.
“I don’t think everyone who is against Israel is an antisemite,” he said. “But all antisemites are against Israel. I have great concern that we’ve seen, instead of people targeting the individual Jew, they’re targeting the collective Jew, the Jewish state. These things cause us great concern.”
Although he is moving into the private sector – he is working as a member of Barrick Gold’s advisory board and last week was elected to the board of Canadian Pacific – Baird promises to continue to be an outspoken supporter of Israel and a critic of Iran’s nuclear program and its support for terrorism.
Asked if he might return to public life as a candidate for the Conservative leadership when Harper retires, Baird deflected the idea with a flat “no” and refused, with a laugh, to elaborate.
Ilan Pilo, shaliach and executive director of Jewish National Fund, Pacific region, called Baird “a man of integrity and a true friend to Israel.”
“JNF is grateful to honor him for his leadership on the world stage, for years of devoted service to the citizens of Canada, his dedication to the Jews of Canada and to the state of Israel,” said Pilo. “Thanks to Baird’s outstanding leadership, Canada has become Israel’s most unwavering ally.”
Baird returned the compliment.
“Canadian supporters of JNF can be very proud of the work they’ve done over the years,” said Baird.
This year’s Negev Dinner, which takes place at the Four Seasons Hotel, supports a project in the city of Sderot, adjacent the Gaza Strip. The city has been under bombardment by Hamas missiles for the last several years. The park and fitness facility will enhance life for the citizens and provide a “green lung” for the city.
This photo is among the images in The Face of the Ghetto: Pictures Taken by Jewish Photographers in the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, 1940-1944, produced by the Topography of Terror Foundation, Berlin. The bride on the right is Bronia Sonnenschein; beside her is her groom Erich Strauss. The second bride is Mary Schifflinger with husband Ignatz Yelin. Blessing the couples is Chaim Rumkowski, head of Lodz Ghetto’s Jewish council. Only Sonnenschein survived the Holocaust. She passed away in Vancouver in 2011. (photo from Yad Vashem Photo Archive)
The Face of the Ghetto: Pictures Taken by Jewish Photographers in the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, 1940-1944, opened last week at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. Produced by the Topography of Terror Foundation in Berlin, among the traveling exhibit’s photographs was a surprise – a photo with a local connection.
“Unidentified in the photo caption but recognized by our education director [Adara Goldberg] during her research about this exhibit, Bronia Sonnenschein is depicted in the photo to my left,” said VHEC executive director Nina Krieger in her remarks at the opening on May 14, directing attendees’ attention to an image “showing a double wedding ceremony presided over by Chaim Rumkowski, the head of the Council of Elders in the Lodz Ghetto. Bronia was the sole survivor of those shown in this photograph. A multilingual secretary in Rumkowski’s office and a survivor of Auschwitz, Bronia passed away in 2011 but is fondly remembered by so many of us.
“Bronia, who stood maybe ‘this’ tall,” continued Krieger, indicating a measure of about shoulder height, “was a giant in terms of her dignity, her resilience, and her dedication to sharing her eyewitness testimony with tens of thousands students as a VHEC outreach speaker.”
About the Topography of Terror Foundation, Krieger explained that it “is mandated to transmit the history of National Socialism and its crimes, and to encourage people to actively confront this history and its aftermath. A distinctive indoor and outdoor museum, the Topography of Terror is located on the very grounds previously occupied by the primary institutions of Nazi persecution and terror: the SS, the Gestapo secret police and the Reich Main Security Office ran their central operations from the site.”
Krieger provided context for the exhibit. “Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Nazis imposed a ghetto in the city of Lodz, which they renamed Litzmannstadt. From 1940 to 1944, more than 180,000 Jews and 5,000 Roma and Sinti lived in the ghetto’s cramped quarters, with many working in factories that supported the war effort.
“Ghetto residents were not allowed to own cameras, yet Lodz is the most documented of all the ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe. Some of these images were taken by perpetrators, often trivializing the terrible conditions in the ghetto and attempting to justify the exploitation of Jewish forced laborers. Others – and the focus of this exhibit – were taken by a handful of Jewish photographers, commissioned by the local Jewish council. While instructed to document the productivity of the war industry for the Nazis, the photographers also captured – at great personal risk – intimate moments of family, childhood and community.”
The Face of the Ghetto exhibit is here as a result of VHEC’s partnership with the German Consulate General in Vancouver and the sponsorship of the German government. Consul General Herman Sitz was at the opening and said a few words, as did Sonnenschein’s son, Dan. Drawn from a collection of 12,000 images held by the Lodz State Archives, one of the intimate moments captured is the one in which his mother appears.
“Last Friday was the historic 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day,” said Sonnenschein, addressing those assembled. “May 8th was personally very meaningful for my mother, as it was the date in 1945 on which she was liberated from the Nazi horror. For her, the bitterly harsh years had begun on March 13, 1938, when Germany annexed a largely welcoming Austria, immediately setting off intense persecution of the Jewish population.
“My mother, with her sister and parents, were among the longest-held prisoners in the Lodz Ghetto, from its formation in spring 1940 until its so-called liquidation in August 1944. Unlike many deported there from other places, they had fled Vienna after the notorious Kristallnacht, and were living under great stress in Lodz when the family was forced from their new home into the ghetto. They were later joined by a beloved aunt of my mother who was deported from Vienna. Her cherished elderly grandmother was deported elsewhere and murdered soon after.
“My mother, with her German-language and office skills, worked as a secretary in the ghetto’s Jewish administration,” he explained. “The photo in this exhibit shows her being married to Erich Strauss, who had been deported from Prague with his mother. The other bride in this double ceremony was Mary Schifflinger, my mother’s fellow office worker and good friend, whose groom’s name was Ignatz Yelin. Shown in the photo blessing the couples is Chaim Rumkowski, appointed head of the Jewish council by the ghetto’s masters in the German administration.
“These five people were all transported, in the usual dreadful way, to Auschwitz, where Rumkowski was killed. Soon after, the others were sent to a less well known but no less brutal concentration camp called Stutthof. There, Mary and her husband were killed, Erich Strauss and his mother were killed, my mother’s father and aunt were killed. As my mother once said, it was a killing field.
“Other photos of my mother in the ghetto may be seen on the internet, along with such photos of my Aunt Paula, who also married in the ghetto, to Stan Lenga,” continued Sonnenschein. “Unlike my mother’s first husband, my Uncle Stan survived and the couple was reunited after the war, being a part of my close family in Vancouver along with my maternal grandmother, Emily Schwebel. The local Jewish Family Service Agency gives an annual Paula Lenga Award in my aunt’s memory for exemplary volunteer service.
“My mother was also an exemplary volunteer, in her case, in Holocaust education. She began this late-life career, first under the auspices of the Canadian Jewish Congress and then with this centre, for over two decades compellingly conveying the suffering imposed on her and so many others for, as she put it, the crime of being Jewish. She often quoted Elie Wiesel’s saying: ‘Not every German was a Nazi but every Jew was a victim.’
“Although we no longer can experience her vibrant presence,” concluded Sonnenschein, “we are fortunate to have many recordings of my mother, as well as a book, to help her testimony live on.” Included in those recordings, he said, is one of her talking about the photo in The Face of the Ghetto exhibit, and related matters. The photos he mentioned of his mother and aunt can be found at google.com/culturalinstitute, searching for “Bronia Sonnenschein” and “Paula Lenga.”
In conjunction with the exhibit, the VHEC has developed a school program and teaching resource to engage students. “Visiting school groups will explore topics such as resistance to dehumanization; the unique experiences of children; and the complex role of Jewish leadership under Nazi occupation,” said Krieger, noting that several of the volunteer docents were at the opening. “Volunteers are central to our work,” she said, “and it’s my honor to acknowledge and to thank our docents for everything that they do.”
Krieger also thanked the VHEC staff – present were Goldberg, designer Illene Yu, archivist Elizabeth Shaffer, collections assistant Katie Powell and administrator Lauren Vukobrat – and the installation crew, Wayne Gilmartin and Adam Stenhouse, as well as the consul general.
The Face of the Ghetto is on display at the VHEC until Oct. 16.
– With thanks to Nina Krieger and Dan Sonnenschein for providing electronic copies of their remarks.
Marat Dreyshner in action. (photos from Ella Dreyshner)
I can tell it’s going to be delicious even before I’ve taken a bite. I’m sitting in the Richmond home of Marat and Ella Dreyshner, owners of iKosherbake. I’m holding a slice of their chocolate chip banana bread. This golden cake is dense and moist; the semi-sweet chocolate is the perfect complement to the fruity sweetness of the bananas.
It all started with bagels. “We love bread in this house,” said Ella. It’s hard to find a good, kosher bagel, but iKosherbake has crafted its own variety. “It all comes down to time,” said Marat. “How long you boil the dough…. It’s a science!”
Over the last year, iKosherbake has gone from making bagels to cakes, to granola and catering birthday parties and personalized cakes.
Ella Dreyshner
It’s not always easy for a husband and wife to share a kitchen, but the Dreyshners have found their groove. Marat’s specialty is their line of savory products, while Ella leads with desserts. While Marat has trained professionally, Ella’s talents have flourished at home.
Marat explained, “She’s gotten to a level that would make a professional chef happy to work with her.”
It’s hard to find a kosher fondant, so Ella makes her own – “I like to paint on the actual fondant.” She has even molded a unicorn by hand. Her other specialties include kosher ice cream sandwiches: chocolate chip cookies filled with pineapple ice cream.
Their granola tells a story of its own. While working with students at Vancouver Talmud Torah, they were challenged to create a dish that included the seven flavors of Israel. The result was a granola bar containing ingredients like honey, olive oil, pomegranate juice and raisins. It was such a hit that they took the recipe home and developed a bagged granola.
The Dreyshners describe the flavor as “the perfect ratio of sweet and salty,” which is borne out when I opened the package at home. Slightly tangy, with a smoky hint of cocoa, the texture is a satisfying blend of chewy fruit and crunchy seeds. And that salty tang really does make the taste buds tingle!
Now that their product line is growing, the Dreyshners are serving the North Shore market, as well. Queensdale Market and City Market on Lonsdale have both snapped up bagels from iKosherbake.
Organic markets are a good fit. iKosherbake uses no additives or preservatives in their cooking and, whenever possible, they purchase ingredients from local, organic growers.
For the Dreyshners, kosher cooking isn’t just about finding ingredients with the right labels. The process of making food is a spiritual experience.
A unicorn custom cake. iKosherbake also makes varieties of bagels, now carried at Queensdale Market and City Market on the North Shore.
“Cooking is an art form that wakens your soul. It’s more than just filling your stomach – it’s digested on a spiritual level, as well,” Marat suggested. He added, “There’s a pleasure in the Torah aspect of the food, but also in the traditional aspect, as well – when you have the opportunity and the good luck to share with friends, family and community, the food becomes something real.”
Ella agreed. For her, kosher baking “symbolizes peace and unity,” by following a strict, methodical process with every recipe. Separating eggs, checking flour, keeping the wet and dry ingredients apart until the right moment: “These steps create a sense of calm and unity, when you finally combine all of these things together.”
For a sneak peek into the Dreyshners’ kitchen, you can watch Marat at work on YouTube with Rabbi Yisrael Shurack in their series of witty videos. In The Rabbi and the Chef, Marat talks about how the food is made, and the rabbi picks up on the symbolic, spiritual significance of dishes. These are lessons in Judaism served at high speed with delicious menus and a side dish of kooky humor.
Shula Klingeris an author, illustrator and journalist living in North Vancouver.
Aleph in the Tri-Cities Society donated more than 150 boxes of organic foodstuffs to the Jewish Food Bank last week. (photo from Aleph in the Tri-Cities Society)
Aleph in the Tri-Cities Society / Israeli Canadian Culture Club donated more than 150 boxes of organic foodstuffs to the Jewish Food Bank last week. The shipment included pasta, raisins, nuts and tea.
Aleph was started in 2009 by Yossi (Joe) Dagan. Wanting to be part of a Jewish/Israeli community, Dagan said that driving to events at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver or the Kollel was not easy to do on a regular basis, so he started a Facebook page and sought out compatriots in Coquitlam, where he lives. When he heard people speaking Russian or Hebrew, he would introduce himself.
“We are 306 on the FB page and we have a hard core of about 50-70 families that meet up for gatherings, holiday celebrations, Hebrew learning circle, field trips, bike rides, nature walks, parent meetings, culture shows and sports events,” said Dagan. “Our mission is to connect newcomers, young families and Jews within the Tri-Cities area and beyond.”
In 2013, with the help of Miri Tal, Aleph collaborated with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and Jewish Family Service Agency until February 2015, when Aleph started their own nonprofit society. In the Facebook post on the recent food bank donation, which can be found by searching “Israeli Canadian Culture Club,” Dagan thanked Dovrat Vitis and Gabrielle Dumont, and noted that the two shipments were worth more than $20,000 in retail value.
“As our group grows and needs expand,” said Dagan, “we are looking for donations going forward to help our group to keep on creating free or very low cost activities for our children. For example, we need immediate support to run our awesome outreach collaboration with the JCC summer camp, Camp Shalom. We are looking to support transportation costs that are needed to rent and operate a bus taking our children from Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Langley to the JCC and back every day for seven weeks of summer vacation 2015.” The program is supported by the JCC, JFSA and Federation, but the bus fees are not covered.
The eight visiting Israel Defence Forces veterans at Stanley Park. (photo by David Schwartz)
Eight Israel Defence Forces war veterans, all of them part of the rehabilitation program at Beit Halochem, visited Vancouver earlier this month for eight days. They were guests of Temple Sholom and each of them was hosted by a family here.
Temple Sholom president David Schwartz was one of those hosts. “It’s the fifth visit we’ve had, ever since we joined the Beit Halochem program 10 years ago, and each visit brings us, as a community, to new heights of emotional inspiration,” he said. “Our congregation’s response to this program was amazing and we had some members on the waiting list for the next time. Unfortunately, our group included only eight veterans – if we had more, there would have been no problem to find them a suitable accommodation. It is such a great privilege to host these brave people who sacrificed … for the state of Israel. Each one of them has an amazing story of personal heroism; it is just feels so honorable to have them among us even for a short while.”
Infantry Col. Eitan Matmon, who was injured three times during his military career, the last time on Lebanese soil during the 2006 war, was the highest rank officer among the visitors. It was Matmon’s second visit to Canada, but the first to the West Coast, and the warm weather matched the community’s hospitality. “From the first moment we landed in Vancouver,” he said, “our hosts took care of us and greeted us with the biggest hearts and smiles we could wish for.
“Our guys are struggling every single day to recover, both physically and mentally, from the horrible effects of war,” he continued. “For them to come here and enjoy this amazing scenery, to meet the local Jewish community and to relax and enjoy such a visit is just priceless. We are so thankful to our hosts from Temple Sholom, King David High School, Rabbi [Philip] Bregman from Hillel and everybody else who contributed to this successful visit. We can’t wait to show our friends and family at home what kind of warm support we have found here, on the other side of the planet.”
The group landed in Vancouver on Tuesday, May 5, and visited King David on Thursday, Hillel at the University of British Columbia on Friday, then joined Temple Sholom for Shabbat dinner. They toured Stanley Park and Granville Island, went shopping at Pacific Centre, attended a Vancouver Whitecaps game and traveled to Whistler and Bowen Island before leaving on May 14 for Calgary for five days. Separately, Matmon was among a group of about 50 people who joined a Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia tour of historical Jewish sites in Strathcona and Gastown on Sunday, which was when he had a chance to talk with the Jewish Independent.
The first connection between Beit Halochem and Temple Sholom was made by Bregman 10 years ago. Since then, five delegations have visited Vancouver, and Bregman is still excited by the special event. “For us, as North American educators,” he said, “this connection provides such a great opportunity to show our young generation something they have never seen before: personal sacrifice. Our country doesn’t ask for anything from local high school grads, right? You went to school, you graduated, you say thank you and move on with your life. In Israel, they say, ‘No, now you’re going to give us back three years of your life.’ And the young people of Israel keep on doing their mandatory service in such a devotion that can only be admired by our local youth. I’m so glad and proud that this connection has turned into a tradition. The IDF veterans’ visit at the Hillel centre has left our students with a powerful and inspiring message of hope and courage that can only come from one place in the world: Israel.”
For more details on Beit Halochem in Canada, visit beithalochem.ca.
Shahar Ben Haleviis a writer and filmmaker living in Vancouver.
On April 26, Congregation Har El put the patriarch Abraham on trial for attempted murder, assault and unlawful confinement. (photo from Har El)
Har El Synagogue on the North Shore was turned into a court of law on Sunday, April 26, when the community staged a mock trial of Abraham. More than 80 members of the community formed the jury, determining three charges laid against the patriarch: attempted murder, assault and unlawful confinement, all as defined under the Canadian Criminal Code. The charges related to the binding of Abraham’s son, Isaac, as recounted in the Book of Genesis.
Justice delayed is justice denied, it is said, but, even so, an elapse of some 4,000 years between the commissioning of the alleged offences and a trial is unprecedented.
Madam Justice Mary Ellen Boyd (retired B.C. Supreme Court judge) presided. Prosecuting and defence attorneys were Alastair Wade and Warren Millman, respectively, taking on the case pro bono in an interlude from their busy professional lives as Vancouver lawyers. Rabbi Shmuel Birnham provided the biblical background materials, recounting the text of Genesis 22, which formed the Agreed Statement of Facts for the legal proceedings. Birnham also assisted the jury in their deliberations, referencing a number of midrashic commentaries on the events under dispute. Psychiatrist Dr. Fred Shane proved a star turn as expert witness, opining as to the state of mind of Abraham at the time of the incident. Despite the pressures of having to support two wives and an admission of having heard the voice of God, Shane was confident of Abraham’s soundness of mind and that he was fit to stand trial.
The judge gave instructions to the jury, who then asked questions and advocated for and against the defendant.
It was agreed that the entire audience would comprise the jury, whose decision would be by majority vote. After more than two hours of hearing the evidence, arguments and jury deliberations, the jury foreman, Morley Lertzman, returned the verdict as follows: not guilty of attempted murder and assault, but guilty of unlawful confinement. The judge reserved judgment as to the sentence to be imposed.
The morning proved to be an enlightening and entertaining mix of Torah study combined with a refresher on the Canadian criminal justice system.
This event was part of a monthly Sunday morning series called LoxTalks, now in its third year. Programs are varied and, in the past, included presentations like Growing Up Jewish, where congregants shared personal tales of life in Germany, Romania, Hungary, Ireland, Israel and Morocco. This program was followed by Jewish by Choice, at which congregants discussed their experiences with conversion and their lives as Jews. A discussion period with questions from the audience is an essential part of each program.
The final program before the summer break is on May 31 and will feature a talk by Daniel Friedmann, an astrophysicist and author who will discuss a reconciliation of Genesis and current scientific observations. All are welcome from the Jewish and non-Jewish communities, however, please do call the synagogue office ahead of time at 604-925-6488 so the caterers know how many bagels to prepare.
In a separate program, the synagogue will host Dianne Watts, former mayor of Surrey, to share her firsthand knowledge of Israel and its importance in today’s word of business and technology, on June 7, at noon. Tickets to this talk are $18 and an RSVP is required to [email protected] or 604-925-6488, ext. 4.
Tim Uppal, minister of state for multiculturalism, at the Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism. (photo from cic.gc.ca)
Canada’s position as a world leader in the global fight against antisemitism was reinforced last week at an international forum that saw experts and dignitaries tackling the issue of hatred towards the Jewish people.
The Hon. Tim Uppal, minister of state for multiculturalism, helped open the fifth Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism and reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to combating hatred and antisemitism in all its forms, including attempts to delegitimize Israel.
“Our government’s commitment to fighting the rise of antisemitism in all its forms is rooted in increased education and interaction between different communities to counter the ignorance and bigotry that spreads this pernicious hatred,” Uppal said in a statement. “We will continue to work to ensure that the horrid atrocities that occurred in the past never happen again.”
While in Jerusalem, Uppal met with businesses and experts to discuss the negative impact the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement would have on all sides in the region.
The forum is the premier biennial gathering for assessing the state of antisemitism globally and formulating effective forms of societal and governmental response. This year, it focused on two main subjects: confronting antisemitism and hate speech on social media, and the rise of antisemitism in Europe’s cities today.
Canada is a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) (holocaustremembrance.com), an intergovernmental body made up of experts from 31 countries that supports Holocaust education, remembrance and research around the world.
In July 2014, ISIS destroyed the Tomb of Jonah, the biblical prophet revered in Judaism and Islam, which was in the Iraqi city of Mosul. (photo from news-centre.uwinnipeg.ca)
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is disconnecting the present population from its past, and they will stop at nothing to achieve this goal, including murdering civilians and destroying cultural, religious and historical sites that interfere with their beliefs.
These were the sentiments shared by Winnipeg-based archeologist Dr. Tina Greenfield, who has worked in the Near East and conducted fieldwork in Turkey and northern Iraq under the threat of ISIS. Her University of Manitoba biography says that she is co-director of the Near Eastern and Biblical Archeology Laboratory (NEBAL) in Winnipeg, and is actively analyzing animal bone collections from Tel es-Safi and Tel Burna in Israel, Ziyaret Tepe and Gol Tepe in Turkey, and several sites in Iraq. Her lecture at the University of Winnipeg – ISIS and the Destruction of Archeological Sites in Iraq – was held on April 23.
Dr. Tina Greenfield is working to document archeological sites. (photo from umanitoba.ca)
She prefaced her talk by noting that keeping the population safe is, by far, more important than the artifacts on which she has worked. She then outlined the level of destruction that has occurred to some of the world’s oldest cities, and how she narrowly missed the expansion of ISIS in Iraq last year.
“I’m going to try to add some dimensions into this, so you understand how important this region is and why we should care,” said Greenfield. “So, while I will be discussing the Islamic State and a bit of their history and mantra, I twist into it my own experiences working in this region for the last two years, specifically.
“Yes, there are archeological sites being damaged, but it needs to be put into perspective. There are lives being lost in this region on a monumental scale. While I’m an archeologist, I’m trying to give another perspective. The priority is keeping the people safe in this region.”
The area in question is bordered by Turkey in the north, Iran in the east, and Saudi Arabia in the south. Also in the region, once known as Mesopotamia, are Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Israel and parts of Egypt. In the past, said Greenfield, “Mesopotamia refer[red] to the region between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. It’s also referred to as ‘the fertile crescent,’ because animals and plants were domesticated in this region. It’s also known as ‘the cradle of civilization.’”
The world’s earliest cities were built in this area, and major empires emerged from here, as well. Additionally, of historical and biblical interest, the first writings of the story of a great flood also originate there, as do the foundations of mathematics, astronomy, literature and poetry.
“Of all the empires, archeological sites from this region, each one has been damaged from Islamic State,” said Greenfield. “I’m giving you a brief introduction, so you can understand when I show you the sites, what is being damaged.”
The Assyrian Empire stretched from 2000 to 611 BCE, she explained, with its height about 3,000 years ago. “This is arguably the earliest empire of the ancient Near East, and Ashur is the capital of this region,” said Greenfield.
“There were some 19th-century gentleman explorers who came from Europe to try and find evidence of the Bible; they ended up in northern Mesopotamia and they dug these magnificent sites. It was a bit of a competition, because one was from Britain and one was from France.
“They each brought these riches back and displayed them in the British Museum and the Louvre. Suffice it to say, there was an awakening [about this historical time period] and the Mesopotamians and Assyrians were ‘rediscovered.’” It is these places that have sustained the most damage by ISIS out of all the Assyrian sites during the last four years, she said.
The motives and tactics of ISIS are many, she suggested. “We’re talking about terrorism, kidnapping, horrific murders, spreading terror throughout the region,” said Greenfield. “It developed from Al Qaida in Iraq. ISIS took precepts of the organization and beliefs, and developed them even further. It views itself as the restorer of early Islamic learnings. It also believes that it will cleanse the region of anything idolatrous or offensive…. There are eight million Iraqis and Syrians living under the control of ISIS right now. They seek to purify and stamp out anything offensive, idolatrous, any religious manifestations that don’t fit into their general ideas.”
In early 2015, museums and archeological sites became targets of the ISIS advance. “They weren’t picky,” said Greenfield. They targeted “everything from mosques, to churches, tombs, literary hero statues and manuscripts. They don’t want to have any part of that in this new caliphate state.
“They’ve publicized over 50 percent of their destructions in print and on social media. This is highly choreographed, highly targeted. There is no surprise that they have specialists in media. They want to break the link of what they consider heretical association with ancient Mesopotamia, destroying cultural heritage from all ethnic beliefs.”
This conquering tactic “isn’t new,” however. “We can look at Egyptian temples with statues, with faces smashed out, conquerors coming in and declaring things are idolatrous and smashing them. But, this is on a level we’ve never seen before. It’s calculated, choreographed and very well managed.
She continued, “There is looting … they are taking artifacts from these sites and selling them. There’s a massive network from South America to Asia to Europe. They’re selling to finance their organization.”
It’s important to bear witness to the destruction, she added. “Several of my Iraqi colleagues are trying to document, taking their lives in their own hands, essentially, to see what actual damage has been done to these sites. They’re also, in association with international organizations, trying to desperately document sites that haven’t been damaged yet, because we never thought these sites would be damaged and look what’s happened.”
Greenfield recounted that she had received an email on the day of her lecture from someone asking her what they can do, saying this must be stopped and asking by what means it is possible. So, what can be done about the damage being done to the region’s – and the globe’s – historical sites?
It’s an “excellent question,” replied Greenfield. “What do you do? How do we counteract the social media frenzy right now? Do we share them with people? How do we not play into their hands? But, how do you keep people aware of what’s going on?
“ISIS wants the link severed. They want the people gone and the history gone. How do we fight all of that at the same time? In my very humble position, the only thing I seem to be able to do is to continue to go out there – like this September and October again – and document this stuff.”
Since 2010, ISIS has been recruiting within the local population by paying more than government positions. “So, if you’re sitting there as a youth who is completely unhappy with the situation that’s occurred already and you’re offered a lot of money, it’s a no-brainer,” said Greenfield. “They are portraying themselves, in a sense, like Robin Hood, stealing and giving out food, giving out houses. They’re saying they’re protecting their own. Absolutely … there’s this ideology that they’re taking care of their people.”
משחק חדש “ומהנה” מגיע לשכונה: בני נוער נעלמים ל-72 שעות מבלי לידע את ההורים
משטרת ונקובר מזהירה בימים האחרונים את ההורים בעיר ממשחק חדש ומסוכן של בני נוער, שנקרא “משחק של 72”. כללי המשחק פשוטים ביותר: הצעירים נעלמים מבתיהם למשך שלושה ימים תמימים מבלי לידע את ההורים או חבריהם, ומנתקים מגע עם העולם החיצוני. פייסבוק, טוויטר ואמצעי מדיה חברתיים אחרים מלאים בימים אלה בהצעות לבני הנוער להערים על הורים, ולהצטרף “למשחק של 72” וכך להיעלם כאמור לשלושה ימים. ההצעות ברשת מאתגרות את הצעירים לכמה זמן הם יכולים להיעלם: ליום, יומיים או אפילו לשלושה ימים. זאת במסגרת טרנד חדש שצובר תאוצה ברשת, ומאתגר צעירים להיות נועזים יותר ולקחת על עצמם משימות מסוכנות. כמו למשל לשתות כמות גדולה של אלכוהול במהירות, או למצוץ כוסיות של וודקה כדי להרחיב את השפתיים.
תופעת “משחק של 72” מתברר מתחילה להיות נפוצה ברחבי העולם, ומחלקות של המשטרות רבות פועלות להיערך בהתאם, לחפש מידע וללמוד על הטרנד היוצא דופן הזה. עדיין לא ברור מהו מקורו של “משחק של 72”, אך בקרב החוקרים קיימת השערה שהעילמותן של שתי ילדות בבריטניה וילדה בצרפת, קשורים לתופעה החדשה והמסוכנת הזו. והמשטרות המקומיות נאלצו להפעיל כוחות גדולים שחיפשו אחרי הצעירות.
החוקרים מציינים עוד כי הצעירים חשופים כיום למגוון של הצעות מכל הסוגים, שמופצות במהירות גדולה ובאופן נרחב ברשתות החברתיות. והם אף מתקשרים עם גורמים שאינם מכירים, ויוצאים בין היתר להרפתקות מסוכנות. החוקרים באזור ונקובר כבר שמעו על מספר דיונים שמתקיימים בנושא קרב הצעירים בחשבונות הטוויטר שלהם, ומועדדים אותם לאתגרים אלה. הם מציעים להורים כמו נציגי המשטרה לדבר עם ילדיהם באופן קבוע, לנהל עימם דיונים עמוקים סביב האתגרים והסכנות שהם בוודאי כבר שמעו עליהם, ולהניע אותם מלבצע אותם. בין היתר על ההורים להסביר לילדיהם מה העילמות שכזו תעשה להם, וכיצד הם ירגישו כהורים דואגים. לדברי החוקרים מרבית הילדים חכמים ולא יקחו על עצמם משימות מסוכנות שאלה, אך יש גם ילדים אחרים שכן נוטים להסתכן.
במשטרת ונקובר מציינים כי מדי שנה הם חוקרים כ-4,000 מקרים של נעדרים באזור. והם מקווים שלא יאלצו לחקור עתה גם מקרים נוספים של התחזות להיעלמות כמו “במשחק של 72”, שיקטינו את מספר החוקרים שעוסקים בחקירות של תיקים אמיתיים.
אבוטספורד בחדשות: פשע גואה ושוטרים סורחים
העיר אבוטספרוד זוכה לתואר המפוקפק “בירת הפשע של קנדה”, כיוון הפשע גואה בה בעשר השנים האחרונות. חבורות הפשע פועלות בעיר ואחראיות למקרי רצח רבים, שרובם קשורים בעסקאות סמים. בימים האחרונים אבוטספורד שוב עולה לכותרות לאור מכת גניבות רכבים גדולה. לא פחות משלושים ושבעה רכבים נגנבו מראשית החודש בעיר, מרביתם בחלק המערבי. מרבית הרכבים ישנים ולא מתוקנים בהם אמצעי הגנה משוכללים. הרכבים שהגנבים חפצים בעיקר הם מסוג הונדה, פורד וטיוטה.
אך מתברר שגם אלה שאמורים לטפל בעבריינים ידם אינה נקייה. לאחרונה פורסם ששבעה עשר שוטרים ממשטרת העיר נחקרים על -148 עבירות של שחיתות, הונאה והתנהגות לא הולמת. מדובר בעיקר בתחום חקירות של סמים במשך 15 השנים האחרונות. בפועל נחקרים כשמונה אחוזים מכוח העבודה בתחנה, שעובדים בה 217 שוטרים.
החקירה נגד השוטרים שסרחו מורכבת וכנראה שבסופו של דבר יוגשו נגדם כתבי האישום. ואז יתכן שחלק מכתבי האישום נגד העבריינים יבוטלו, כיוון שהם התבססו על ממצאים לא נכונים, ועבודת משטרה של שנים תרד לטמיון.
