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September 27, 2002
VIPs aid Hadassah simchah
Vancouver mayor and Global anchorman join 85th anniversary event.
PAT JOHNSON REPORTER
Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen may be having trouble telling his friends
from his enemies around the council table, but no such confusion
was evident when the outgoing mayor was honored by members of Hadassah-WIZO
recently.
The mayor, who usually sticks to a few brief, formal words, was
uncharacteristically humorous and at ease before about 200 friendly
faces at the Westin Bayshore Sept. 19. He was being recognized for
his support of Hadassah, Israel and the Jewish community in general
during a gala celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Canadian wing
of the Women's International Zionist Organization.
Introducing the mayor, Hadassah national vice-president Fay Riback
made reference to Owen's support for controversial approaches to
the social problems of the Downtown Eastside, noting that these
policies may have foreshortened the mayor's career. (Supporters
of Owen say NPA operatives in Gastown and Chinatown who oppose the
mayor's "Four-Pillars" approach to the drug problem helped
prevent him from running for a fourth term under the NPA banner.)
Owen told jokes and recalled his days in the shmatte business in
Vancouver, when he worked for Eaton's and got to know many of the
businesspeople in the room.
"I'm here amongst a bunch of friends," said the mayor,
who went on to talk about visiting Israel. While there, he discovered
the tremendous reputation his city has among Israeli leaders, including
former prime minister Shimon Peres and the late prime minister Yitzhak
Rabin. Owen said that, after he leaves office, he and wife Brita
intend to join one of the numerous solidarity missions going to
Israel.
"We all know that Israel needs our support more than ever,"
he said. "We are going with you."
The mayor said the Hadassah event was one of a few invitations he
accepted prior to his retirement.
"I'm not going to too many of these events because it could
get overblown," he said. But his continuing relationship with
Hadassah and the Jewish community made his decision to accept this
honor easy, he said. Owen received a plaque acknowledging a donation
in his name to a Hadassah day-care centre in Israel, an honorary
life membership in the organization and a donation of $180 to support
a film with which the mayor is involved about the plight of the
Downtown Eastside. Owen, whose wife, son and daughter-in-law were
in the audience, expressed the impact such recognitions have on
himself and his family.
"This is very important to us," he said. "We will
cherish [the gifts]."
Owen was joined at the event by keynote speaker Kevin Newman, Vancouver-based
host of the Global National television newscast. Newman spoke of
his own experiences in Israel and his affinity, as a non-Jew, to
Israel.
Though continued violence had made things a bit different when he
visited Israel three months ago, Newman remembered the time he spent
a month in Israel a decade ago and praised Israel's remarkable openness,
even in the face of constant threats to national security.
"I can go places in Israel as a reporter that I can't go in
Canada," said Newman. But he acknowledged a decline in the
vibrancy of Israeli life when he returned earlier this year.
"It's not as open, obviously," he said. "It [is]
more cynical. It [is] heartbroken."
Newman also spoke more generally about the outlook for television
news, noting that audiences are almost exclusively elderly. Global
National, he said, has the youngest demographic among comparable
national news shows – the average viewer is 57 years old.
He refuted the notion that younger people are turning off the television
and getting their news from the Web. Instead, he argued, younger
viewers are simply turning off the news altogether.
Journalists need to alter their approach, he said, providing more
context – even maps – so viewers can understand what the
news means. Journalism, he complained, relies too much on conflict
(between countries or between talking heads) and not enough on providing
background to allow viewers to make their own conclusions.
The evening included a slide show by Judy Mandleman, celebrating
the organization's history, with emphasis on the local leadership.
Marion Mayman, national president, came to Vancouver for the special
event and numerous local Hadassah leaders were singled out for appreciation,
including Rochelle Levinson, who is seeking to become only the third
Vancouverite elected national leader of Hadassah in the 85-year
history of the organization at a convention in November.
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