News – Page 276

Canadian Jews behind bars

Rabbi Zushe Silberstein (photo from cjnews.com)

When Rabbi Zushe Silberstein heard that the Jewish inmate standing before him in a Montreal jail was due to be released in just three days, he didn’t hesitate. “My daughter is getting married this weekend,” he said. “I would be honored if you could attend the wedding.” The prisoner stared at him, certain he had misheard. A rabbi inviting a newly released prisoner to a family wedding? It seemed impossible. But in the next breath Silberstein was offering to help arrange a suit if needed.

This conversation occurred two years ago and, that weekend, the former convict did indeed attend the wedding. The encounter was nothing extraordinary for Silberstein, who heads Chabad Chabanel in Montreal and regularly visits Jewish inmates in Montreal jails. “We bring them food and sandwiches, we daven, put on tefillin with them and celebrate Jewish holidays with them,” he said. There’s a seder at Pesach, a Megilla reading on Purim, menorahs on Chanuka and services on Rosh Hashana.

“My main thrust has always been to tell these marginalized Jews, you’re not alone, you’re not forgotten, there’s someone out there who cares about you. We’re there to comfort, to advise them and to show them the Jewish community cares about them.”

Fifteen years ago, the rabbi founded Maison Belfield as a halfway house for up to six men at a time, offering newly released Jewish inmates shelter, food, clothing, therapy and reintegration assistance. Aiding Jewish prisoners is a consuming task and one he takes seriously.

“The Rebbe teaches us not to forget any Jew, no matter where she or he may be,” he explained. “If there’s a Jewish person in need, we must care for them. It’s why my children and I have more than once traveled 14 hours to help one single Jew in jail. My Shabbos table often has former inmates gathered around it.”

Over the 30 years Silberstein has been involved with Jewish chaplaincy, he’s seen all kinds of Jews behind bars, “from a prominent lawyer to children from dysfunctional homes to people with substance abuse issues and those who are highly affluent,” he said. “Nobody is immune to falling into this kind of situation.”

He refused to disclose the number of Jews presently incarcerated in Montreal, saying only “one is too many,” and that High Holy Day services and Passover seders in the jails see an attendance of up to 10.

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) revealed that as of March 31, 2014, there were 177 offenders who identified themselves as being Jewish, representing 0.8 percent of the total offender population. That was up from 159 in April 2005. CSC engages Jewish chaplains, who regularly provide religious services, religious education programs and one-on-one counseling with Jewish inmates, said Julie O’Brien, media relations advisor for CSC. “If a Jewish offender has a rabbi, the chaplain will put the two in contact.” Chaplains may approve kosher diets for inmates who require them, a religious dietary policy that was first formalized in 1992.

“Thirty years ago, the provincial government refused to allow kosher food and we had to pay $30,000 to provide it to Jewish prisoners,” recalled Silberstein. “Eventually, under threat that we’d go to the Supreme Court of Canada, the federal and provincial governments … provided that kosher food at government expense, after the minister saw that we were serious and would not give up. Today, in Quebec’s prison systems we have excellent cooperation for the needs of Jewish prisoners.”

O’Brien said the CSC ensures spiritual accommodation to assist offenders in practising their religion or spirituality as fully as they desire within the correctional setting, up to a level generally available to people in the community. The Jewish community also has representation on the interfaith committee, an advisory group on religious and spiritual practice for inmates in CSC institutions.

Funding for the visits to Jewish inmates and to support the expenses of Maison Belfield is direly needed, Silberstein said. “Prayer books cost money and so does the seder, the tefillin and the food we bring to Jewish inmates each week. Our halfway house is also an expensive proposition, with a mortgage and heating to be paid and the costs of regular living supplies in addition to food, clothing and therapy.”

When Chabad of Richmond recently replaced its High Holiday prayer books and was looking for a new home for its several hundred older versions, Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman posted on a Chabad site that he was ready to pass them on. The first request came from Rabbi Binyomin Scheiman in Illinois, founder of the Hinda Institute (formerly the Jewish Prisoners’ Assistance Foundation), which aids the families of incarcerated Jews, arranges visitations and helps with the re-entry process after they are released. “We estimate there are up to 150 Jews incarcerated in the state of Illinois and these High Holiday prayer books are so important,” he said. “For Jewish inmates, Rosh Hashana is a time in their life when they’re very open, and repenting for mistakes they’ve made in their lives. The prayer books are an extremely generous contribution.”

In general, Jewish prisoners are very marginalized within Jewish communities, sometimes even demonized, Scheiman said. “It’s even worse than being forgotten – they and their families are sometimes shunned by the community.” He works closely with the Aleph Institute, which was founded in 1983 and has branches in many different states. Its goal is to provide professional services to nearly 4,000 men and women in U.S. federal and state prisons and their approximately 25,000 spouses, children and parents.

No such organization exists in Canada, though various rabbis in different parts of the country carry out initiatives of their own. Baitelman visits the six to 12 Jewish inmates in Metro Vancouver jails from time to time and tries to send Purim packages to them. In Vancouver, semi-retired Rabbi Dina-Hasida Mercy has served as the Jewish chaplain to Pacific region federal prisons since 2012 and takes weekly excursions into the Fraser Valley to meet with the small number of Jewish inmates and any other inmates who want to talk to her. “There are definitely people in my group that are not halachically Jewish,” she said.

A basic need they all share is for a kind, listening ear, one that won’t judge them and report on them, she explained. She’s also committed to practical projects, including the delivery of donated prayer books and general Jewish literature into the federal institutions. As a woman visiting men in jail, Mercy said she’s never felt physically threatened. “The guys tend to be fairly protective of their chaplains,” she reflected. “In many ways, the prisons are far safer than the city streets because the inmates have been called to task for their offences and are monitored, whereas out in the community you have people who might still be in their crime cycle.”

There isn’t enough support and understanding for inmates in the Jewish community and the wider community in general, she said. “It’s a societal perception that bad guys are put away and should stay away, but these people need to find jobs and take a place in the community when they come out. Many have just committed incredibly stupid mistakes in judgment with terrible consequences, but they need our help to reintegrate into community.”

What’s needed, she said, is a halfway house based on Jewish values, a place that might offer a job bank, educational opportunities and perhaps even a little business. “Inmates need a way to regain their self-sufficiency. They come out of prison with $80, which is barely enough to get you from the Fraser Valley into Vancouver. As a society, we need to work on our compassion for people who want to rebuild their lives and, yes, it means doing things that are not comfortable for us.”

Rabbi Menachem Matusof, head of Chabad in Alberta, has visited Jewish inmates in Alberta jails for the past 27 years. He estimates there’s six to 12 incarcerated in his province and also finds funding a challenge. Sometimes, there are conflicts. One year, he brought a mobile sukka to the Jewish women’s jail in Calgary, where an inmate was incarcerated for murder. In an interview for the Jewish Star, Matusof was asked why he would bother doing this. “Murdering is a much bigger issue than sukka and lulav,” he was told. “My response was this: because someone committed a crime one time, this means s/he should not do another mitzvah? What does one have to do with another? The murder was being handled by the courts. Meanwhile, this is still a Jewish individual who needs help, and we’re here to help them at whichever level they need.”

Another painful instance of conflict involved a former mashgiach in Calgary who was a child molester. Prior to the man’s imprisonment, Matusof recalled being worried the man would turn up to services. “I disallowed him to come to Chabad House and told the community I would call the police in the middle of Yom Kippur if he walked into shul and even laid eyes on a child,” he said. After the man was jailed, the rabbi decided that as a community rabbi it would be best to send another rabbi to visit him.

Still, most of the Jewish inmates Matusof visits he described as “sweet, wonderful people who unfortunately got caught in bad situations. It’s not our place to judge.”

There are also schemers, and Matusof gets requests from non-Jewish inmates who want to speak about possible conversions to Judaism. He always waits until they are released from jail, “but once they’re out, they no longer have interest!” Other inmates claim they are Jewish and want kosher meals. “We talk to them and find out immediately if they’re telling the truth,” he said. “Most of the time, I’m not fooled.”

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond, B.C. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net. A longer version of this article can be found at cjnews.com, where it was originally published.

We Care believes in change

Leah Gazan (photo by Rebeca Kuropatwa)

Human traffickers target those who are most vulnerable – women and children, and people from impoverished and marginalized cultures and communities. Anti-trafficking organizations estimate that between 12 and 30 million people are held in forced labor (including sexual servitude) and that two to four million people are trafficked across borders each year.

On March 12, Manitoba marked its second Human Trafficking Awareness Day. To observe the day, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) of Canada, Winnipeg section, held the event United We Care, An Evening in Support of the We Care Campaign for Education about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

The program took place at Graffiti Art Programming and included an art exhibit, as well as an address from Leah Gazan, an advocate for MMIW issues in Manitoba and the rest of Canada. Indigenous artist Jessica Canard created a painting during the event that was auctioned off at the end of the night.

Gazan introduced herself as a member of the bear clan. “The bear clan has roles and responsibilities,” she said. “One is to be a protector. My mother was a child welfare survivor, a Lakota woman, a street kid. She overcame great obstacles, obtained a master’s degree, and changed legislation.

“My father was a Holocaust survivor from Holland and, like my mother and in spite of historical trauma he experienced, he went on to receive two master’s degrees, a teaching degree, raise a family and spend his life trying for social justice with a special focus on fighting for children.”

Gazan said her parents taught her that change is possible, “with the goal of realizing a good world for all peoples, animal life, plant life, our women and our girls. We are all sacred. We all have to take responsibility for the collective well-being of all creation.”

The We Care campaign came from a conversation between Gazan and artist and singer Raine Hamilton. Upset about what was happening to indigenous women and girls in Canada, Hamilton wanted to do something. Gazan encouraged her, saying, “If you want to do something, Raine, you do something, and I will support you.”

In 2013, James Anaya, former special rapporteur on indigenous issues for the United Nations, called the state of violence and the number of murdered and missing indigenous women in Canada a national crisis. According to the RCMP’s 2014 National Operational Review on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women, “Police-recorded incidents of aboriginal female homicides and unresolved missing aboriginal females in this review total 1,181 – 164 missing and 1,017 homicide victims.” There were 225 unsolved cases: 105 missing for more than 30 days as of Nov. 4, 2013, “whose cause of disappearance was categorized at the time as ‘unknown’ or ‘foul play suspected’ and 120 unsolved homicides between 1980 and 2012.”

“We represent 4.3 percent of the Canadian population, yet we represented 16 percent of all reported homicides,” said Gazan. “Indigenous women and girls are not safe in this country and this is related to a number of factors, including high rates of poverty among indigenous women.”

According to the UN and the platform action committee in Manitoba, Gazan said, “The current rate for poverty for indigenous women living off reserve is at 42.7 percent. That is twice the rate for non-indigenous women and exceeds rates of indigenous men, with an average income of $13,300. That’s $6,060 lower than non-indigenous women and approximately $5,000 lower than indigenous men.”

Gazan stressed, “This is not an indigenous issue. This is an issue for all Canadians who want to protect the fundamental rights of all persons. It will take all of us in solidarity to address these issues.

“One cannot begin to understand the complexity of this issue without the focus on the colonization of indigenous women,” she continued. “Prior to colonization, our women and, in particular, our grandmothers were the main decision makers within our nations. Women were seen as powerful. This was very much related to our ability to bring life into the world.

“Through the eyes of colonialists, indigenous women were seen as property of men, much like women in Europe at that time. The exclusion of indigenous women in decision making eventually led to the cultural, social and economical dispossession of indigenous women that was eventually stipulated in policies that were enforced in the Indian Act.

“In 2006, the International Indigenous Women’s Forum noted that the systemic violation of their collective rights as indigenous people is the single greatest risk factor for gender-based violence, including violence perpetrated within their communities.”

The situation can be changed, however, “and that’s exactly what the purpose of the We Care campaign is,” said Gazan. “It’s to educate and engage fellow Canadians so that we can change that story … so we can end what has resulted in unacceptable levels of violence that’s perpetrated against indigenous women and girls in this country.

“It’s a place where we can come together to demonstrate and send a clear message that we will not stop until indigenous women and girls are afforded the same rights and safety as are afforded to other Canadians.”

The group hopes that this campaign will become one of the main issues in the upcoming federal election.

“We need Canadians to join with us in unity, to say that we care,” said Gazan. “It seems so overwhelming that people don’t know what to do because it’s so bad, but I don’t think it’s because people don’t care. I believe people care.

“What if we start to join together to recreate a new story that results in a safer city, province and country for indigenous women and girls as an act of humanity?”

NCJW across Canada and its international body, the International Council of Jewish Women, has established advocacy against human trafficking as a priority issue. All proceeds from the March program’s ticket sales and the auction went to the We Care campaign.

To participate, snap a photo of yourself holding a sign that says #WeCare and #MMIW, then post it on Twitter and Facebook, showing it’s an issue that matters to you. More information is available at facebook.com/wecaremmiw.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

השקעות זרות בפרוייקטים של דירות במנהטן

קנדה נמצאת במקום הראשון מבחינת השקעות זרות בפרוייקטים בענף הנדל”ן למגורים במנהטן בניו יורק, בשנת 2014. (צילום: Cynthia Ramsay)

קנדה נמצאת במקום הראשון מבחינת השקעות זרות בפרוייקטים בענף הנדל”ן למגורים במנהטן בניו יורק, בשנת 2014. כך עולה מדו”חות של החברה לניתוח מידע ‘ריל קפיטל’ מניו יורק. ישראל נמצאת במקום הרביעי והמכובד בטבלה.
להלן שש המדינות הזרות המובילות בהשקעות בפרוייקטים, של דירות במנהטן אשתקד. במקום הראשון – קנדה עם 987 מיליון דולר, במקום השני – יפן עם 107 מיליון דולר, במקום השלישי – סין עם 99.8 מיליון דולר, במקום הרביעי – ישראל עם 23.4 מיליון דולר, במקום החמישי – הונג קונג עם 12.9 מיליון דולר ובמקום השישי – אוסטרליה עם 4.7 מיליון דולר. כל הסכומים נקובים בדולרים אמריקניים.
את ההשקעות הקנדיות במגורים מנהטן מבצעים שלושה גופים גדולים. החברה הציבורית לניהול נכסים ‘ברוקפילד’ מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 917.3 מיליון דולר בחמישה פרוייקטים. החברה הציבורית שותפות ‘וונקס ריל אסטייט’ מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 46 מיליון דולר בשני פרוייקטים. והחברה הפרטית ‘קריסט ריאלטיס’ ממונטריאול, שמשקיעה 23.7 מיליון דולר בשני פרוייקטים.
כל ההשקעות מישראל בהיקף 23.4 מיליון דולר מתבצעות על ידי גוף אחד, בשלושה פרוייקטים למגורים. מדובר בחברה פרטית בשם ‘קסקייד ונצ’רס’ שאינה מוכרת ולא נמסר מידע נוסף אודותיה.
בתחום ההשקעות הזרות בפרוייקטים בכל ענף הנדל”ן במנהטן (כולל המסחרי והמשרדים), קנדה גם כן במקום הראשון – עם השקעה גדולה מאוד שנאמדת ב-1.993 מיליארד דולר. במקום השני – סין עם 1.796 מיליארד דולר, במקום השלישי – סינגפור עם 1.577 מיליארד דולר, במקום הרביעי – איחוד האמירויות הערביות עם 1.303 מיליארד דולר, במקום החמישי – נורבגיה עם 1.114 מיליארד דולר ובמקום השישי – אוסטרליה עם 805 מיליון דולר. לעומת זאת ישראל נמצאת הרחק עם השקעה שמגיעה ל-161.4 מיליון דולר בלבד.
שבעה גופים קנדיים מוערבים בנדל”ן של מנהטן. החברה הציבורית לניהול נכסים ‘ברוקפילד’ מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 962.5 מיליון דולר בשישה פרוייקטים. קרן הפנסיה ‘אומרס’ מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 545.75 מיליון דולר בפרוייקט אחד. קרן הפנסיה סי.פי.פי אינווסטמנט מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 252 מיליון דולר בפרוייקט אחד. קרן הפנסיה ‘קאיס דה פוט’ מקוויבק סיטי, שמשקיעה 149.5 מיליון דולר בפרוייקט אחד. החברה הציבורית שותפות ‘וונקס ריל אסטייט’ מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 46 מיליון דולר בשני פרוייקטים. החברה הפרטית ‘קריסט ריאלטיס’ ממונטריאול, שמשקיעה 23.7 מיליון דולר בשני פרוייקטים. והחברה הפרטית ‘רובי ונצ’רס’ מטורונטו, שמשקיעה 13.6 מיליון דולר בפרוייקט אחד.
שלושה גופים ישראליים מעורבים כיום בנדל”ן על סוגיו השונים במנהטן. מדובר בחברה הפרטית ‘גלובל הולדינגס’ של אייל עופר, שמשקיעה 95 מיליון דולר בפרוייקט אחד. החברה הציבורית קבוצת דלק שבשליטת יצחק תשובה, שמשקיעה 43 מיליון דולר בפרוייקט אחד. והחברה הפרטית ‘קסקייד ונצ’רס’ שמשקיעה כאמור 23.4 מיליון דולר בשלושה פרוייקטים למגורים.
לאור עלייה מתמדת במחירי השכירות במנהטן שוכרים רבים עוברים לגור ברבעים האחרים. ובעיקר בברוקלין שמעבר לגשר שגם שם המחירים לא מפסיקים לעלות. במקביל לעליית המחירים הגבוהות, מדד הדירות הפנויות במנהטן רושם כל הזמן שיאים שליליים חדשים. באזורים הזולים “יחסית” במנהטן (כמו האיסט ווילג’), שכירות של דירת סטודיו עוברת את האלפיים דולר חודש, ואילו שכירות של דירת שני חדרים מתקרבת לשלושת אלפים דולר לחודש.
בניו יורק כמעט ואי אפשר להשיג דירות בדיור בן השגה. לבניין חדש בברוקלין שמכיל 38 דירות בנות השגה נרשמו 70 אלף איש. ואילו לבניין במנהטן שמכיל 106 דירות בנות השגה נרשמו 60 אלף איש.

Israeli-inspired innovations

The Eureka Project, a Winnipeg business incubator is as innovative about its own financing and growth as it teaches future entrepreneurs to be. And, with the leadership of businessman Gary Brownstone, some of its partner companies are seeing returns in the tens of millions.

“The Eureka Project mandate is to help what I like to call ‘passionate creators’ of technology or widgets commercialize their inventions,” Brownstone told the Independent. Clients include scientists, engineers and computer programmers who have developed or are developing some kind of new technology. Typically, clients have little or no business experience, which is where Brownstone and his team come in.

photo - Gary Brownstone — Gary Brownstone *(photo from winnipeg.startupweekend.org)*

Brownstone gets involved in small, fledgling startups and manages them through the initial growth phase. “Our team has expertise with taking this technology to market: finding customers and helping the founder build companies around technology,” he said.

“There are unique challenges in commercializing technology that make it different from other sectors, involving how to finance an idea, how to finance a company with no fixed assets (no buildings, land or equipment), which Canadian investors or bankers are really used to.”

When Brownstone finished his schooling, he realized he had unique experience in working with companies undergoing rapid growth, growth that could be so extreme that it had the capacity to kill the company. Anticipating the potential in companies on the verge of major growth, Brownstone’s approach was to step in to provide the professional management required to shepherd them through that phase. Once a company had managed to get through that period of growth, Brownstone would exit onto the next one. Brownstone has successfully been doing this for more than 20 years now.

“When I was recruited into this position, I saw the opportunity to do that over and over and over again – to help small companies through that first phase of growth, help get them on some solid footing for the future,” said Brownstone.

About five years ago, he started becoming more aware of how Israelis have successfully built a knowledge-based economy.

Someone gave him the book Start-Up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, and Brownstone, who had spent a year in Israel after high school some 30 years ago, was confused. “I read the book and I thought, ‘Are you sure it’s Israel they are talking about? Now they are a tech powerhouse?’” he said.

Brownstone has, since that time, made an annual trip to Israel and is still amazed by what he sees. On those trips, Brownstone meets with people in Israel who run incubators like his, those in government, policy makers and academics, as well.

“I definitely have a strong respect for what they have accomplished in Israel,” said Brownstone. “We’ve tried to bring a lot of those practices back here. I’ve gone there with senior government people both from Canada and from Manitoba to sort of open up their eyes to what some of the possibilities are if you take a similar approach.”

Since then, Brownstone has used his understanding and connection to Israel to try and bring what he calls “some best practices and good policy advice” back to Canada.

“Ideas are easy and execution is difficult,” he said. “So, a lot of companies, for a variety of reasons, will not succeed in actually commercializing their technology or not commercializing it to a degree that it’s a viable business.”

When someone comes to the Eureka Project with an idea, Brownstone asks three questions to determine whether or not they would make good clients. First, is the technology real? Second, is the individual (or team) capable? (Do they have enough talent? Are they coachable in terms of their own capabilities/capacity? What are their skill sets and backgrounds?) Third, he assess whether or not there is an identifiable market.

“In our line of work, because of the background of the people coming in the door, that’s the question that they most overlook,” said Brownstone about ensuring that there is an actual market for the product or technology. Many companies “look at the world as ‘technology push’ instead of ‘market pull,’” he explained. “We try to turn that conversation around really early on. If you were to come in the door, we’d go through the three questions and satisfy ourselves that the answers are yes, yes and yes.”

In terms of payment, Brownstone has developed a sliding scale wherein, at the beginning, clients can pay as little as a couple hundred dollars a month. “We really want to remain accessible to those that have the best likelihood of becoming [successful],” he said. “In order to do that, we try to keep our fees as low as possible, so that money isn’t really a barrier for them working with us. So, we offset a lot of the costs of delivering services to our clients, because we build a very strong, broad base of support. We get financial help from the province of Manitoba [and] we get some financial help from the U of M. We’ve built a very broad sponsorship program, so that the corporate community supports us and our clients.”

As the companies gain access to some financing and begin to grow, they hire on staff and gradually start paying more of the real cost as their finances allow. “It kind of puts the pressure on us to deliver what we promise we deliver when they come in the door,” explained Brownstone. “If we are able to help them finance and grow their companies, they should be able to pay us a little bit more for what we do.”

He said, “If someone from Vancouver called me and was looking for space, mentorship and local coaching, I might see if they would like an introduction to someone there who does what

we do, so they could have proximity.” He added, “But the short answer is yes,” to taking on Vancouver clients.

“Success begets success, so as people find out about the things that we do … a company we helped launch five years ago will probably do something in the neighborhood of a hundred million dollars in revenue this year,” said Brownstone. “In Canada, that’s a big deal. People from other regions hear about what we are doing and we find more and more we are getting approached from outside Manitoba. We don’t want to turn anyone away, so we had to find ways to help those people.

“We don’t use Manitoba taxpayer dollars to support other companies, but we do have partners and systems in place where we can deliver those services to other province’s companies.”

He added, “In a couple of instances, we’ve had companies who have relocated to Manitoba in order to work with us. There’s a great ecosystem in Manitoba for these young companies in terms of government grants and tax credits, and organizations like ours that can support them.”

The Eureka Project has developed an extensive network of companies and individuals across the United States, China, Singapore, South America, Mexico and as many as 30 other countries.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Envisioning a peaceful future

photo - Mira Sucharov spoke on March 2 as part of the University of Winnipeg’s Middle East Week — Mira Sucharov spoke on March 2 as part of the University of Winnipeg’s Middle East Week. *(photo from Mira Sucharov)*

As part of Middle East Week at the University of Winnipeg, Mira Sucharov, associate professor of political science at Carleton University in Ottawa, spoke on the topic of Power and Identity Across the Israeli-Palestinian Divide.

About 60 people came out March 2 to the university’s Convocation Hall to hear Sucharov, who is currently the country analyst for Israel and the Palestinian territories for Freedom House, as well as a blogger and writer whose work appears regularly in several publications around the world, including the Jewish Independent.

Sucharov sees relations between Palestinians and Israelis as more polarized now than at any other time since the peace process that began two decades ago. She said she was pleased to be part of U of W’s Middle East Week, as it promotes dialogue, in contrast to the situation on many North American campuses, where hardened opposing camps are choosing shouting over listening.

Describing herself as a liberal Zionist, Sucharov explained the term as referring to someone who “believes that there is legitimacy to Israel’s existence, and that nations deserve a state.” However, “liberal Zionists not only acknowledge the existence of Israel and support its existence, they are deeply troubled by its occupation.”

Sucharov said that, while some Israelis and Israel supporters prefer the term “disputed land” to the term “occupation,” Sucharov views “occupation” as “an important word.” She explained, “We’re not just talking about a geographic swap of land. We’re talking about a population of Palestinians who are not citizens of any country.

“The IDF, on a macro level and often on a micro level, is in charge of the area and the daily lives of Palestinians who have to pass through checkpoints to get to work, to farm their land…. We know about the Israeli security barrier or separation wall that has served to disrupt daily lives in many ways in the West Bank.

“So, liberal Zionists are troubled by this idea of occupation and seek to do what they can to end it. As a Canadian from Winnipeg, I feel that by engaging in constructive discussion, constantly being educated, I can help people at a global level think more deeply, critically, and in a more engaged way about issues of global concern.”

Sucharov said that there are financial incentives, as well as ideological motivations, for living in the West Bank. “There are many who’ve moved to the West Bank because it’s cheaper,” she noted. “Part of it, no doubt, was wanting to return to biblical Israel, a sense of having a greater Israel, of being/having religious/national identity fulfilled. There’s another important motivating factor, and that was the idea of Israel having a wider girth, more strategic depth.”

In Sucharov’s view, “the occupation” should not be permanent, and dialogue is needed to get governments together for peace talks. “The only way to end the occupation is if Israelis and Palestinians come together to discuss and negotiate an agreement,” she said.

As for what such an agreement may look like, Sucharov imagines “a city with two capitals: Jerusalem, a holy place for all religions to pray at their own places of worship. Refugees will probably be returned, free return to a Palestinian state. There will probably be some compensation package, [on a] humanitarian basis for some refugees … based on historical agreements.”

If the Geneva initiative does take place, said Sucharov, “Can Israel feel safe with such an agreement?

“It used to be called, ‘give an inch, they’ll take a mile,’” she continued. “Now, there is a concern about the fact that Palestinians in a recent poll have indicated that they would want to use a two-state agreement as the beginnings of full takeover.

“Palestinians, no doubt, would want all of Israel … many of them … and Israelis, no doubt, would want all of Palestine … many of them. The question is, even if some Palestinians were desirous of acquiring or launching terrorist missions with or without the consent of its governing authority, could Israel defend itself?”

If/when Israelis and Palestinians reach an agreement, she said, they would have to make sure that there were “security guarantees from the United States … [that] the U.S. will guarantee the security of Israel.

“Palestine would have to agree to be a de-militarized state. So, both sides will not have to necessarily trust each other … [they] would have to understand that there is a security guarantee in the form of a major global superpower.

“That’s the two-state solution. But, there certainly are those in the military establishment of any state who could stand to gain from an ongoing conflict…. We have to … make peace seem more attractive.”

As things stand, Sucharov said, “Palestinians and Israelis are almost mutually fearful of one another.… I think the biggest obstacle is the culture of mutual fear.”

And then there is the question of whether or not Iran, if there is the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, will “behave in a suicidal fashion,” said Sucharov. “That’s what, in international relations, [they] call the … idea of nuclear deterrence – the idea that more nukes make the world safer. I’d prefer less nukes, less proliferation, but there is a logic to the idea of stability of nuclear weapons.

“Once peace is achieved by the government, ideally, the next generation grows up in a culture in which the status quo exists.

“Regional threats would be diffused to make peace,” she continued. However, “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the only conflict in the region and we’re not going to see peace on earth, but Iran and other enemies of Israel … Hamas … would have less wind in their sails. The status quo would be peace, so there would hopefully be less local support for their belligerent postures.”

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

Making an impact in Israel

Canadian Hadassah-WIZO’s 2015 annual campaign, “Big needs, caring hearts,” is underway in support of projects in Israel. This pillar of CHW’s fundraising provides $1.42 million in aid to children in CHW’s six day-care centres, at-risk youth at CHW’s four schools, women and seniors at CHW’s two community centres, and helps those seeking medical care at CHW’s two hospitals. In Canada, CHW supports Canadian Young Judaea summer camps.

“For me, the theme for this year’s annual campaign encompasses everything that our donors and volunteers do for CHW,” said Claudia Goldman, CHW national president. “Each has their own personal story for why they support the precious work of CHW. And, together, they make a statement about their strong belief in supporting the Jewish people by engaging in the mission of CHW, which shows what huge hearts they all have.”

Donations received through the campaign make a difference for those in CHW’s care. For almost 100 years, the organization has ensured that immediate needs are met by continually reviewing the pressing issues concerning those served by CHW projects and delivering solutions.

An example of this is the new French Na’aleh program. Youth from French-speaking countries (many times those who have faced mounting antisemitism in their home countries) have found a haven at CHW’s Hadassim dormitory school, allowing these students to focus on their studies in a secure environment. Eli, a student in the program from Paris, said, “Since being at CHW Hadassim, I no longer hide my Jewish heritage. At home, I could not go out in public with my Star of David necklace on. Here, I wear it proudly and with confidence.”

With the help of donors and friends, CHW works to improve the lives of children, women and families who are battling hunger, illness, domestic violence and other complex issues.

One additional way to support the work of CHW is to attend a mission to Israel. One such trip leaves Canada on April 20, bringing CHW members and friends to Israel for a 10-day visit. Over the course of the trip, the mission aims to provide participants with a better understanding of what CHW has accomplished in its nearly 100-year history, while bringing to light the challenges that face Israelis today. A mission highlight will be experiencing Yom Hazikaron and celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut alongside their Israeli brothers and sisters.

This is the first mission led by Goldman, the newly elected national president. Over her two-year term, Goldman will concentrate on partnership through three components: Israel, volunteers and donors. She said, “My vision for CHW is based on the belief that each child we help is a life changed. Each woman we support is a life improved for the better. Each family we impact becomes strengthened. CHW makes it possible to fulfil the dream of making the world a better place, and we will continue to reach this goal by working hand-in-hand with our partners in Israel, our volunteers and donors. CHW’s mission to Israel enables us to foster these relationships.”

CHW is a leading Jewish women’s philanthropic organization. Founded in 1917, CHW is nonpartisan, volunteer driven and funds a multitude of programs and projects for children, health care and women in Israel and Canada. With a membership of 10,000, CHW has offices in more than 40 locations across Canada. For more information, visit chw.ca or contact Alina Ianson, CHW national executive director, at alina@chw.ca.

Writing is really on the walls

An inscription on a water fountain built by Suleiman the Magnificent. (photo by Ariel Fields)

When it comes to Jerusalem, the writing really is on the wall. The problem is, some people (easily recognized, as they go around saying “it’s like talking to a brick wall”) will try to convince you walls can’t tell you anything. Don’t listen. If you ignore Jerusalem’s walls, you’ll miss out. The following matryoshka/babushka story (or story within stories) shows that “walls are the skin of the residents,” as the muralist cooperative CitéCréation is fond of saying.

Admittedly, you might initially doubt whether writing on the wall matters. To quell your uncertainty, here is what Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Jonathan Price has to say: “Inscriptions are an important and unique historical source. They provide information in many areas no other source can provide.”

Thus, while there’s no CD of the trumpet/shofar playing, we know that trumpet blasts from the southwest end of the Temple Mount indicated the beginning and end of the Sabbath. How? In his extensive history, The Wars of the Jews, Flavius Josephus writes about this practice.

The truly astounding physical evidence, however, is a stone carved sign now located in the Roman/ Byzantine section of Jerusalem’s Israel Museum. The inscription on this first century CE stone reads, “‘To the place of the trumpeting.” The stone directed the Temple kohain “trumpeter to the high point on the Temple Mount, where he would announce the beginning and end of the Sabbath.”

An archeologist described its discovery. It was found in the “debris from the dismantled walls, engraved on an eight-foot-long piece of limestone. The stone has a rounded top indicating it was a kind of parapet situated on top of the wall or the tower at the southwest corner of Herod’s giant Temple Mount. Unfortunately, the clearly readable inscription is broken off, so we only have the beginning of it.”

The trumpeter’s corner had a distinct vantage point. From his post, the trumpeter looked out over ancient Jerusalem, from the City of David to the Upper City in the West. When he gave a blast, even the merchants and shoppers in the markets heard.

Moving slightly away from the Old City, we come to an ornate Ottoman inscription just above the southern end of Sultan’s Pool. It reads: “[There] has ordered the construction of this blessed sabil, our master the Sultan the greatest prince and the honorable Khaqan, who rules the necks of the nations, the sultan of the [land of] Rum, the Arabs and the non-Arab [’ajam], the Sultan Suleiman, son of Sultan Selim Khan, may God perpetuate his reign and his sultanate. On the date of the tenth of the month of Muharram the sacred, in the year of 943 [29 June 1536].” (Ottoman Jerusalem, Auld and Hillenbrand, eds., 2000)

This sabil (drinking fountain) served the many passing pilgrims. The Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent built five more sabils inside the walls of the older city. Moreover, several other sabils (the earliest dating back to the Byzantine period of the sixth/seventh century) have been excavated at this same location.

The drinking fountain’s water came from an aqueduct originating at Solomon’s Pools, near Bethlehem. Importantly, this aqueduct primarily serviced the Temple Mount area. To insure an adequate water supply, Sultan’s Pool (today an outdoor concert venue) was a floodwater reservoir. Just a few years ago, archeologists uncovered a Second Temple period bridge that stood over the adjacent ravine of Ben Hinom Valley. The original bridge maintained the elevation of the path along which the water coursed. In 1320 CE, the Mamluks rebuilt the bridge. Two of the original nine arches supporting the bridge were excavated to their full three-metre height.

A relatively short walk from the fountain, but with a significant leap in time, we arrive at the Hebrew year 5694 (corresponding to 1933-1934). At that time, builders completed work on a structure at 6 King David St. As the country was still controlled by the British (the Mandatory period lasted from Sept. 29, 1923-May 14, 1948), the Hebrew stone dedication might be termed both prophetic and Zionist. The inscription from Psalms 102:15 reads: “Your servants take delight in its stones and cherish its dust.” Heads up, however, to view this stone, as it is high on the right side of the entranceway.

photo - In 2001, the French art group CitéCréation painted a mural depicting the Jerusalem Light Rail system, which didn’t start running until 2011 — In 2001, the French art group CitéCréation painted a mural depicting the Jerusalem Light Rail system, which didn’t start running until 2011. *(photo by Ariel Fields)*

No matter what you think of the Mandatory period, most people will agree that the British constructed attractive and made-to-last Jerusalem streets and boulevards. Although King George Street has changed tremendously since Israel gained independence, the stateliness of the road’s 1924 commemoration is visible in the dedication stone on the side of what is now a woman’s clothing store. The esthetically pleasing inscription is carved in the languages of the time: English, the official language of the British Crown has a central spot on the stone. It is flanked by slightly smaller Hebrew and Arabic translations.

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, so here goes: Across from the above inscription, where King George, Strauss and Jaffa Road intersect, look up to see what was for 10 years regarded as a “time-warp” fresco. In 2001, the French art group CitéCréation painted a long exterior building wall depicting the Jerusalem Light Rail system. Since the light rail only began running at the end of 2011, for years Jerusalemites considered this painting a bad joke. Like many other Jerusalem projects, this one finally came into being years after its original promised inauguration.

Despite a violent summer and fall, the Jerusalem Light Rail demonstrates that the city’s ethnic and religious groups can – and do, literally – come into close contact. Jerusalem’s train is an example, albeit a fragile coexistence.

photo - Gavriel Cohen’s 1976 mural on the Gerard Behar building — Gavriel Cohen’s 1976 mural on the Gerard Behar building. *(photo by Orli Fields)*

In sharp contrast to the slow development of the light rail, the wall project on the Gerard Behar Theatre (its address is 11 Bezalel St.) shows how quickly things can get done, if one really works at it. In 1976, Gavriel Cohen painted a huge building mural in just 92 days. Humorously, this 18-metre-wide painting is entitled “Around the World in 92 Days.” When you see the painting, you will understand its “play” on the title of Jules Verne’s famous adventure story.

Like Verne, Cohen was born in France. Moreover, the Jerusalem Foundation donor who underwrote the building’s renovation was himself a millionaire French Jew. He named the building after his son, Gerard Behar. Today, the wall has added significance, as many French Jews are making Israel their home. The Jewish Agency reported nearly 7,000 French Jews made aliya in 2014, doubling the number of the preceding year.

We now move back in time to the Hebrew year 5632 (1872). In the tiny Jerusalem neighborhood of the House of David – the fourth neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City – there is another inscription above the doorway of what (with controversy between different religious blocs) has recently become a yeshiva. David Reiz, a Jew from Jonava, Poland (today the Republic of Lithuania) donated the money to build this area. The Hebrew stone dedication contains a description of the 1872 purchase of the lot and the subsequent building of the apartments and a study house (bet midrash). The home of Rav Kook (first chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Mandate Palestine) and the popular dairy restaurant Ticho House (currently undergoing repair) are a few steps away. The square courtyard in which the inscription is found still has the wells residents used for their household needs. Reportedly, today’s residents are a mix of doctors, artists and yeshiva students.

Even if they never took up residence in Israel, over the years people of different denominations have considered Jerusalem to be their centre of the world. Thus, in front of Jerusalem’s City Hall, there is a large reproduction of Heinrich Bünting’s 1581 map of the world. Bünting (1545-1606), a German Protestant pastor and theologian with a strong interest in cartography, created a map (included in his printed map book) featuring a three-leaf clover (which to this day is still part of his native Hanover’s coat of arms). Europe is the western leaf, Asia is the eastern leaf and Africa is the southern leaf. Jerusalem lies at the centre of the clover.

As Hebrew University’s Prof. Rehav Rubin (1987) wrote: “These maps do not teach us anything about the appearance of the city in ancient times, but from them we learn how Christian Europeans and the map-makers themselves saw sacred texts and the place of Jerusalem in the sacred texts.”

So much of Jerusalem’s history is laid out on its walls; come visit to discover it.

Deborah Rubin Fields is an Israel-based features writer. She is also the author of Take a Peek Inside: A Child’s Guide to Radiology Exams, published in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Cookbook resurfaces

Having received letters asking for copies of her 40-year-old cookbook, the author has had it reprinted, and it is available for purchase. (photo by Barry A. Kaplan)

In the 1970s, when I made aliya, I discovered that Israel was a bit behind the United States and, when renting an apartment, chances are you would not find a stove but, rather, two burners instead. Many of my friends rented apartments with the same problem, and one of them introduced me to a gadget that looked like an angel food cake pan with a lid and holes to release the heat; it had a base to place over a burner and the lidded pot went on top. It had been used in Israel for years. It was called a “wonder pot.”

I soon wrote a cookbook called The Wonders of a Wonder Pot: Cooking in Israel Without an Oven. To my surprise, it became a bestseller among students, new immigrants and people on sabbaticals, as well as those who loved the nostalgia.

In recent years, it somehow resurfaced, and I began receiving letters asking for copies of the 40-year-old cookbook. After depleting the supply my husband Barry and I brought with us, I decided to have it reprinted. Anyone in the United States or Canada who would like a copy can now have one for $25 including postage; those in Israel can have one for 100 NIS. For more details, email me at syb1023@aol.com.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, foreign correspondent, lecturer, food writer and book reviewer who lives in Jerusalem. She also does the restaurant features for janglo.net and leads weekly shuk walks in English in Jerusalem’s Jewish food market.

Unique taste of Israel

Chana Bracha Siegelbaum is founder and director of the Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin: Holistic Torah for Women on the Land. Located 20 minutes south of Jerusalem in the Gush Etzion community since 1994, its programs include monthly seminars for English-speaking women, experiential weekends and holiday studies based on a curricula emphasizing women’s spiritual empowerment through traditional Torah values. The rebbetzin also tends an orchard of 50 fruit trees, and she has recently published The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel (Menorah Books, 2014).

Danish-born Siegelbaum wrote this cookbook over 17 years, and it features more than recipes – it includes the mystical and medicinal properties of the seven species. For each of the species, mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:9-10, there are other biblical sources. Siegelbaum offers for each species an attribute, character trait, holiday, weekday, world, body parts, shepherd, prophetess, numerical value, how often it is mentioned in the Bible and the meaning of its Latin name. After this are nutrition facts, medical associations, kabbalah references, recipes, a story and general references.

The book is compiled and expanded from the rebbetzin’s yearly workshops, and “the Torah teachings carry the main weight of the book, as Torah is [her] passion and training.”

Siegelbaum writes that the seven fruits of Israel affirm the G-d of Israel, the people of Israel and the land of Israel. Wheat is soft and sweet; barley, tough and hard; grapes are succulent and deliciously juicy; figs are plump and fleshy; pomegranates are tangy, vibrant and crunchy; the bitterness of olives contrasts with the honeyed sweetness of the dates.

After completing the text of the book, which took more than 15 years, Siegelbaum then spent a year working with the graphic artist and fine-tuning it. Jessica Friedman Vaiselberg, who created the illustrations, is originally from Kentucky; she studied at the Memphis College of Art and graduated from the University of Louisville. She and her family live on Long Island, where she has a home studio.

Not only is The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel a fascinating book, but there are 162 color photographs to enhance the work, a summary chapter, three appendices and essays about the author, the artist and the Midreshet, as well as numerous illustrations and paintings.

Special touches to the book include border illustrations of each species, color-coded to match the species – for example, the use of a grape color for the grape chapter, green for barley, etc. Additional illustrations are on the bottom of each page.

There are 67 recipes, many unique, including wheat burgers, wheat-germ brownies, baked barley, barley beet salad, chocolate grape leaves, Rambam’s charoset, fresh fig spread, quinoa pomegranate almond delight, anti-wrinkle pomegranate-feel facial cream, flavored olive oil, Moroccan-inspired cooked olives, dream of date balls and guilt-free chocolate mousse pie.

Even though the rebbetzin leaves out the number of servings, her styling includes the things that I always find most useful – a little comment, numbered instructions and a separation of ingredients from instructions, in this case, in a shaded box.

The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel was awarded the 2015 Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the best Jewish cuisine category and in the best cookbook fruits category. Here are a couple of recipes from it.

TENDER POMEGRANATE TABOULI

1 cup cracked wheat (bulgur)
1 bundle finely chopped parsley (about 2/3 cup)
1 bunch finely chopped mint or 1/2 cup dry
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions or scallions
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1 finely chopped cucumber
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
allspice to taste

1. Pour boiling water over cracked wheat.
2. Soak cracked wheat in water for at least one hour. Pour out extra water.
3. Soak the parsley, green onions and mint in natural soap water for three minutes. Rinse.
4. Process parsley, green onions and mint in a food processor until very fine.
5. Mix finely chopped herbs and onions with the soaked bulgur.
6. Add the pomegranate arils and chopped cucumber.
7. Pour juice of the lemons on the tabouli and add the olive oil, salt, pepper and allspice.

OLIVE WALNUT SPREAD

1 can of pitted green olives (1/4 pound)
4 garlic cloves
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Puree olives, garlic, walnuts and olive oil in a food processor. Serve as a dip.

Israeli election scenes

Left to right: Winnipeg transplants Miriam, Ronit, Dor and Bruce Brown. (photo by Bernie Bellan)

Rehovot, Israel

Once again, Election Day has come and gone and the world continues to spin; albeit slightly more rightward for Israel.

I went to sleep the night before the recent election a bit more excited than usual – I love the hoopla of an Israeli Election Day – and a bit more apprehensive than usual – I was still not sure who to vote for.

Election Day in Israel is a holiday, and we had a fun day ahead of us. My son was set to participate in our democratic process. My wife and I were set to vote – well, almost, as I was still undecided. We had a family lunch date with friends. And I was looking forward to watching the exit polls at home.

My son – still too young to vote but not too young to hold an opinion – was manning a party booth outside the local polling station. Dressed in a party hat and T-shirt and armed with colorful brochures, he was out of the house by 7 a.m., surprising, since we can barely get him out of the house on a school day, which starts an hour later!

As opposed to the sterile polling environment of Canada, Israel’s polling stations are last-minute electioneering grounds. Every party has a booth with party hacks or students for hire (such as my son) vying for last-minute votes. And multiple cars covered with party posters and carrying huge loudspeakers on their roofs compete for sound waves by blaring political jingles – a classic Israeli balagan. The scene is lots of fun and a great place to catch up with neighbors and friends to debate Iran, the religious, the economy, last summer’s war and who to vote for and who not to vote for.

I think the last time I voted in Canada was in the 1998 election when I cast my vote for Brian Mulroney. Oops – should I have written that? In Israel everyone knows not only what you earn and how large a mortgage you have, but also how well you get along with your mother-in-law and who you vote for. We are a very open and argumentative society, so voting preferences are common water cooler and Friday night dinner table talk.

Anyway, by mid-morning my wife, daughter and I – and even our dog – went to visit my son and to cast our votes. With our identity cards and a falafel in hand (a not unusual text message arrived from my son a few minutes before we left the house: “I’m hungry”), off we went to the polling station.

It was more crowded than usual and we actually had to wait in line – or what counts for a line in Israel – to reach the ballot box. My wife confidently cast her vote. And I – in a last-minute decision (no doubt influenced by a quick chat with a party faithful just outside) – cast my lot for a pure centrist party. OK, there were two of them, but being a good Canadian (!) I will keep my specific choice secret.

Afterwards, we drove to Tel Aviv where we met friends at an excellent Persian restaurant, an appropriate choice given some of the election issues. For sure the talk was about the elections but also about other things just as in any normal country. And Israel, in its own special way, is a normal country … even on Election Day.

Towards mid-evening, I popped my microwavable popcorn and relaxed in front of the TV to watch the exit polls. Since it appeared to be a virtual tie, I went to sleep around 11 p.m. believing a national unity government was inevitable. True to form for Israel – where the unexpected should be expected – I woke up the next morning to a strong right-wing lead, with the overwhelming likelihood of another four years of Netanyahu rule, with a strong tilt to the religious right.

Good? Bad? With Election Day come and gone, one thing is clear: the Israeli beat goes on.

Bruce Brown is a former Winnipegger now living in Israel. This article was originally published in the Jewish Post and News and is reprinted with permission.