In the JCCGV’s program for 2-year-olds, there are only a few spots left for September 2017. (photo from Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver)
Hidden at the end of the hall on the garden level of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver there is a preschool program for 2-year-olds with just a few spots left for September 2017.
Shalom Aleph and Shabbat Shalom are small classes especially designed to be a child’s first introduction to school, a chance to learn through play with other children in an environment rich with materials to spark creativity and critical thinking skills.
Children are welcomed by early childhood educators and invited to choose what learning centres they want to spend time in. There is a place to glue things together, paint and play with play dough. There are blocks for constructing, a toy house for imaginative play, books to look at and enjoy, as well as sand and water for sensory exploration. Songs, stories and conversation fill the room, as children begin to learn how to be together in a group, how to take turns and how to negotiate and share, with kindness and compassion.
This preschool program and all the licensed early childhood programs at the JCCGV’s Simkin Family Child Development Centre are inspired by research from the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and guided by the B.C. Early Learning Framework from the Ministry of Education. The Child Development Centre is a Sheva cornerstone community and a designated lab school community – Sheva is the Jewish early learning framework of the Jewish Community Centre Association of North America, which celebrates children as competent, capable and curious.
Director Susan Hoppenfeld would be delighted to take interested parents on a tour and share more details about the preschool program. She can be reached at 604-257-5162.
Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, 1950. (photo from JWB fonds, JMABC L.11154)
If you know someone in this photo, please help the JI fill the gaps of its predecessor’s (the Jewish Western Bulletin’s) collection at the Jewish Museum and Archives of B.C. by contacting archives@jewishmuseum.ca or 604-257-5199. To find out who has been identified in the photos, visit jewishmuseum.ca/blog.
Digivations is again offering its LEGO+Arts Imaginerium camp at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and elsewhere this summer. (photo from digivations.com)
Some kids will be spending the summer hanging out with crawly critters, walking a highwire, creating video games or dusting for fingerprints.
Day camps – no longer the stuff of just arts and crafts or swimming lessons – today offer youth an endless array of quirky skill sets, intersecting fun with new learning experiences.
Bugs without Borders in Toronto, as one example, gives kids aged 5 to 12 a chance to interact with flying and buzzing creatures, including exotic insects and reptiles. They’ll learn all about what the bugs eat, how they live and how they spend their days. Trips include fields and ponds, to observe and collect various insects and amphibians.
From mud and ponds to swinging in the air, there’s Circus Camp at Toronto’s Harborfront, for ages 9-14. Experienced circus professionals lead instruction that includes juggling, stilt-walking, acrobatics, highwire, trapeze, mini-trampoline and clowning.
North of Toronto, at the McMichael Art Gallery, ArtVenture kids aged 5-15 partake in many streams of activities: sculptures, painting, science and art, animation, puppetry and instrument making.
For the science inclined, there’s University of Toronto Mississauga Forensics Camp, for ages 9 to 13. Campers scour a crime scene investigation, dusting for fingerprints, collect and analyze clues and learn the science behind all of those CSI shows.
Meanwhile, closer to home, at Vancouver’s Stanley Park, is Eco Detectives Summer Day Camps, for ages 7-11. Kids can embark on an “exciting educational adventure amongst the giant trees, sandy beaches and hidden wetlands of Stanley Park,” according to the camp’s website.
Pear Tree Education offers several day camp options. (photo from pear-tree.ca)
Pear Tree Education’s Summer Camp Vancouver, for ages 5-14, is at the learning centre in Kitsilano. Those aged 5 to 6 can make “flubber” and learn kitchen science; those 10 to 14 can learn graphic design; “Pear”formers ages 10 to 14 learn dance, musical theatre and acting; and Film Noir, for ages 10 to 14, includes screenings, creating a film and directing skills.
Also local, run out of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, is Halutzim Youth Adventures camp, for those entering grades 5 to 8. Campers will explore adventures in waterslides, skim boarding, hiking and biking, as well as a four-day camping excursion. The JCCGV offers several other day camp options as well, for kids as young as 2.5 years old.
Digivations, headquartered in Vancouver, offers a series of overnight and day camps, which teach youth about science, engineering, technology, cultural arts, creative writing and movement. At their 23-acre Leavenworth, Wash., camp, the summer overnight experience is dubbed Camp Demigod.
“We create different imaginative projects based on what is current and topical,” co-founder Anne Deane Berman told the Independent.
A third to a half of the overnight camp kids happen to be Jewish, she added, leading them to include Shabbat services.
When the camps began six years ago, they had nine kids. To date, nearly 5,000 kids have participated, she said. Expected next summer is also Sci-Fi Fantasy and Theatrical Combat, for ages 8 to 14, focusing on combat swordsmanship, story-making and costume design.
As it did last summer, this August at the JCCGV, Digivations is offering several day options, including LEGO+Arts Imaginerium, for kids 6 to 12, during which campers solve challenges through LEGO and rocket building, art projects and theatre. In Tsawwassen and North Delta, the organization is offering Camp Half-Blood as well as LEGO+Arts Imaginerium and a couple of other creative technology- and innovation-focused camps.
Meanwhile, at the Innovation Academy and World Building Day Camp, students aged 10 to 14 create new inventions through the lens of alternative energy, ecosystems, transportation, genetics or synthetic biology. The camp also offers access to computer and virtual reality equipment.
For something further afield, or at least much further east (and south), there’s Youth Digital in North Carolina, which offers kids ages 8-16 various technology learning experiences, such as App Camp, 3-D Game Design, and Animation. At the end of their session, campers will have created their own playable apps and games.
“It’s pretty amazing, actually,” said one of Youth Digital’s co-founders, Aaron Sharp. “They start with a blank white screen and make these pretty incredible games they’ve taken from start to finish.”
While there are other courses offered with other companies in these categories, Sharp said they’re either simplistic drag-and-drop or college level courses, but, for youngsters, there are no other game design courses in between that require programming.
“The reason why it’s so important for kids to design games, it’s taking something they love to spend time with so much … you can take that, and tell them they can create games, and be on the creative side of technology. It blows their minds.”
Dave Gordonis a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications around the world.
A scene from one of the end-of-class performances by the Hebrew-language theatre group for women at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. Director Orly Naim is also teaching an English-language course this year. (photo from Orly Naim)
One of the new courses at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver is Community Theatre. The classes, which start Sept. 15 and run Thursday evenings to June 15, will “use theatre methods of movement, role-playing, improvisation and other out-of-the-box routines” and help “individuals and the group to find new ways for self-expression.” They will also prepare participants for an end-of-course public performance.
The instructor, community theatre director Orly Naim, has previously taught at the JCCGV. In fact, the other course she is leading at the centre – a Hebrew-language theatre group for women – picks up where she left off when she went on maternity leave last year. Those classes start Sept. 12 and run Monday nights to June 19, also ending with a public performance by participants.
For both theatre groups, Naim teaches and facilitates throughout the year, and writes the end-of-class play based on material that is brought up in the group sessions.
But Naim’s experience extends well beyond the JCCGV. After graduating from Tel Aviv University with a degree in theatre, Naim, who is passionate about community theatre, worked in Jaffa with marginalized groups, such as Arab women and drug addicts, during the winters, and traveled to the former Soviet Union during the summer to work at Jewish youth camps. In Israel, she was involved in many different social and educational projects, not all of which were theatre-oriented. Her life changed when her partner got a job offer in British Columbia and the couple landed here with their children.
In her new environment, Naim searched for new groups with which to work. The JCCGV’s Israeli culture department gave her program a chance and the women’s Hebrew theatre group was formed. It had run for two years when the Independent spoke with Naim last summer, as she was starting maternity leave.
“As a social person by nature, I have found the immigration process to be very challenging,” Naim told the Independent. “You think you are prepared, but, once you land, reality is different from what you expected. Not surprisingly, most of the women in our group had similiar experiences and the group helped them to express these stories on stage and out loud. The group started slowly, but the rumor spread fast and we grew rapidly, to 15 women, in just few months. Our group is very diverse and each woman has her own unique experience. Since I love to write and direct, I collected the stories and we turned them into our first show.”
Naim said, “The nature of community theatre is finding a common denominator, and here it was our language barrier and the fact that we are all immigrants. We all face the same personal conflicts with our families back home and how to keep in touch with them, and all these issues were addressed in this stage play [that ended the classes]. It might look personal at first, but it was actually based on other women’s experiences.”
For Naim, the “Hebrew group have turned out to be my extended family and I miss all of them during this time off. The dynamic we created there was unique and special – you can ask anyone who was involved. You can’t hide true passion, and I’m so glad we were able to find it.”
For those wanting to try the new Community Theatre course, which is given in English, it is open to men and women 20+ years old and no previous experience is necessary; the Hebrew-language group is for women 20 and older. For registration and cost information on both programs, visit jccgv.com.
Shahar Ben Haleviis a writer and filmmaker living in Vancouver.
The Jewish Community Centre at 41st Avenue and Oak Street, November 1962. (photo from JWB fonds, JMABC L.11512)
It’s hard to believe that, in the 1950s, the Oakridge area was considered a ways out of town. In going through the minutes of the Jewish Community Council of Vancouver from 1954, one can see the initial attempts by the council to find a new Jewish community centre building – which at the time was on Oak Street at 11th Avenue – that would be as conveniently located. They considered exchanging space with the Peretz School, which was on Broadway, and buying the land on which Vancouver Talmud Torah stood, on Oak at 26th. However, they soon started examining the prospect of buying land from Canadian Pacific Railway, south of 41st. The following snippets of meeting minutes from 1954-1962 allow readers to fast forward through the development process and the establishment of the JCC where it is currently located.
Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, left, White Rock Mayor Wayne Baldwin and Simie Schtroks of the Centre for Judaism present the 2015 Young Lamplighters Award to Sarah and Amy Aginsky on Dec. 13. (photo from Lauren Kramer)
Sarah and Amy Aginsky, 12-year-old identical twins from Richmond, are this year’s recipients of the Centre for Judaism of the Lower Fraser Valley’s Young Lamplighters Award. With this annual award, the Centre for Judaism honors individuals between the ages of 5 and 18 who have performed outstanding community service.
In March 2015, Sarah and Amy, Grade 7 students at Homma Elementary in Richmond, hosted a Street Store for the homeless and impoverished. The Street Store concept was founded in Cape Town, South Africa, in January 2014 to help the homeless. Based on retail shopping, it involves collecting clothes and other items, organizing a pop-up, one-day store and giving shoppers the opportunity to select apparel and shoes without the exchange of money. The Street Store provides people located all over the world with an infrastructure, support and inspiration to host their own such stores.
The twins’ parents were born in Cape Town and their grandparents and relatives live there to this day. They saw how the Street Store had helped the homeless in cities including Sao Paulo (Brazil), Kentucky, Brussels, Tepic (Mexico), Grande Prairie (Alberta), Tucuman (Argentina), Oslo (Norway) and Vancouver, among others, and were inspired to host a Street Store of their own.
Between January and March, Sarah and Amy collected truckloads of donated clothing and footwear, distributing them to the needy on March 6 at the Lighthouse Mission in Bellingham, Wash.
“It was humbling to see how much people were prepared to give and how eagerly they wanted to help us help others,” said Amy. “Seeing the appreciative faces of our Street Store shoppers was heartwarming and beautiful. Many of them have very little and are living difficult lives. It felt great to know we were helping others and that, as a result of our mitzvah project, their lives might get a little bit easier.”
Rabbi Falik and Rebbetzin Simie Schtroks, directors of the Centre for Judaism, with Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner and White Mayor Wayne Baldwin, presented the Lamplighters Award to Sarah and Amy at a public menorah lighting at the Semiahmoo Shopping Centre in White Rock on Dec. 13.
“Chanukah celebrates the victory of light over darkness and goodness over evil,” said Simie Schtroks. “This is a most appropriate opportunity to motivate and inspire young people to make this world a brighter and better place. By filling the world with goodness and kindness, that light can dispel all sorts of darkness.”
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Elizabeth Wolak and her daughter-in-law Anna Wolak (photo from Arthur Wolak)
Elizabeth Wolak and her daughter-in-law Dr. Anna Wolak were both nominated for the 2015 British Columbia Multicultural Awards. As nominees, they were honored to attend the official awards gala evening, together with representatives from the provincial and federal governments, which took place at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in November.
The B.C. Multicultural Awards is an annual event hosted by the provincial government and the Multicultural Advisory Council to recognize and honor the multicultural accomplishments of individuals, organizations and businesses throughout the province. Elizabeth Wolak was nominated for her decades of multicultural work bringing the beauty of Jewish choral music to the attention of diverse ethnic communities through her numerous annual concerts. Dr. Anna Wolak was nominated for her health-care work, treating and educating patients and medical practitioners in British Columbia’s multicultural setting.
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Leila Getz has been selected by Musical America Worldwide as a 2015 Influencer and is profiled in its MA 30 Professionals of the Year: The Influencers special report, released this month, which lists 30 honorees. The report’s editors, “recently asked the MA community to nominate 30 people who are making a difference in our business, either by virtue of their position, their creativity and/or their dedication – folks about whom you could say, ‘When they speak, we listen.’”
“Leila Getz looms large as one of the primary driving forces on the classical music scene in Vancouver, B.C.,” reads her profile in the report. “In 1980, at the age of 40, this South African native founded the Vancouver Recital Society, a presenting organization that has consistently aimed high and brought many of the world’s leading artists to a relatively isolated region.
“It seemed like a foolhardy project at first, especially since there was an economic recession in Canada in the early 1980s…. But the series gradually expanded from five events at the beginning to 20 in 2015….
“Most striking is Getz’s knack for finding major artists before they become widely known. She presented the Canadian debuts of mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, who reportedly stopped the first rehearsal cold after she sang her first note (the baton flew out of the amazed conductor’s hand), and pianist Lang Lang, who was all of 15 at the time. Other Canadian debuts on this series include those of violinists Joshua Bell and Maxim Vengerov, Anne Sofie von Otter and, one of Getz’s earliest discoveries, pianist András Schiff.”
The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver has announced that Sharon Dwek has joined the centre as director of development.
Sharon Dwek has joined the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver as director of development. (photo from JCCGV)
Dwek comes with more than a decade of experience in development, fundraising, community service and marketing, in Vancouver, Israel and the United States. She most recently worked as the director of development at King David High School.
Eldad Goldfarb, JCCGV executive director, said the appointment of Dwek to this new position was a positive step for the centre. “Sharon’s wealth of experience and knowledge has already made her a key addition to the JCC family,” he said. “We view her appointment as a sign of our commitment to being a leading communal organization in our Jewish community.”
Goldfarb suggested the hiring was as much about the centre’s future as it was about its current success. “Our growing programs and our evolving vision for the future led us to look for an addition to our team who will fit in with our values and exceptional service,” he said. “It is very fortunate that we were able to find someone of Sharon’s calibre to fulfil this role.”
For Dwek, coming to work at the centre was a natural fit. “Five years ago, my family and I relocated to Vancouver and we turned to the JCC and immediately felt at home and connected,” she said. “As a place of connecting, care-giving and learning, the JCC has truly become our second home and I am honored to help usher the JCC into the next stage of its future growth and development.”
For more information on JCCGV programming or staff, visit jccgv.com.
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The 613th mitzvah of the Torah is the obligation for every Jew to write a Torah scroll. In the words of the verse: “And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the Children of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 31:19)
Congregation Beth Israel has been blessed to receive a generous gift of a new sefer Torah with the opportunity for its members to complete it by scribing the last 100 letters. As space is limited, participation is by lottery. For more information on the project, visit bethisraelvan.ca/asitiswritten. The deadline for entry into the lottery is Jan. 18, 2016.
Under the guidance of sofer Rabbi Moshe Druin of Florida, families will participate in scribing and other activities for all ages Feb. 19-21. The following weekend, Feb. 26-27, the dedication of the congregation’s new sefer Torah will take place, as will a celebration of Debby Fenson’s 10th anniversary as BI’s ba’alat tefillah.
There are 304,805 letters in the Torah and, if any is missing, the whole Torah scroll must be wrapped up and put away until it is repaired. Every letter in a Torah is vitally important. Now imagine all the Jewish people as one Torah scroll. Each person, big or small, rich or poor, a pious scholar or just a simple Jew, is one letter; all of us as important as each other.
איילת כהן מונתה לרכזת התרבות הישראלית של הג’ואיש קומיוניטי סנטר
איילת כהן (צילום: LinkedIn)
לתפקיד רכזת התרבות הישראלית הקבועה של הג’ואיש קומיוניטי סנטר של מטרו ונקובר, מונתה בימים אלה הישראלית איילת כהן. היא מחליפה בתפקיד את אליין זהבי, ששימשה ממלאת מקום זמנית. זאת מאז שדפנה זילברשטיין יצאה לחופשת לידה (ולא תחזור למלא את התפקיד). כהן במקצועה היא בימאית, מפיקה ועורכת סרטים בתחום הקולנוע והטלוויזיה. היא סיימה לימודי תעודה בהפקות דוקומנטריות בלנגרה קולג’ שבוונקובר, והוציאה תואר ראשון בתחום המדיה ותקשורת המונים במכללה למנהל בתל אביב.
בחמש השנים האחרונות עובדת כהן כבימאית, מפיקה ועורכת עצמאית בתחומי הקולנוע והטלוויזיה, באזור ונקובר. בשנת 2011 היא עבדה בהתנדבות כמפיקה ומתאמת בפסטיבל הסרטים הבינלאומי של ונקובר. בישראל עבדה כהן כמפיקה עצמאית בתחום הטלוויזיה במשך כשבע שנים. וקודם לכן היא עבדה במשך כשנתיים בזכיינית של ערוץ 2 קשת. היא דוברת עברית, אנגלית וצרפתית.
על רשימת האירועים שכהן מארגנת בימים אלה לקראת ראש השנה: ערב שירה בציבור עם מרים בני, משה דנבורג ויונה בר סביר. האירוע יתקיים ביום ראשון ה-20 בחודש בשעה שבע בערב.
מתחתנים סידרתיים: זוג קנדי שהתחתן כבר שתיים עשרה פעמים נערך לאירוע נוסף – חתונת ההמזל
זוג מהעיר ויניפג פשוט מכורים לטקס החתונה. הם הספיקו להתחתן כבר לא פחות שתיים עשרה פעמים במקומות שונים ברחבי העולם. ובימים אלה איך לא, השניים נערכים לחתונה השלושה עשר במספר, שתתקיים בקרוב במונגוליה. עדיין לא ברור אם “חתונת המזל” כפי שהם קוראים לה, תהיה גם החתונה האחרונה שלהם, או שחתונות נוספות צפויות לבוא אחריה.
קרל פיקס (65) הוא פנסיונר ובעבר היה בעלים של חברת בנייה, ואשתו היפה סנדי באג (55) שהיא רופאת שניים, התחתנו לראשונה בחודש ינואר שבשנת 2004 בדרום אפריקה. אך כיוון שבאג איך שהוא איבדה את תעודת הנישואין שלהם, הם קבעו מייד להתחתן שלוש פעמים נוספות. מתברר שטקס החתונה וירח הדבש כל כך מצא חן בעיני פיקס ובאג, עד שהם הם התמכרו לנושא, והתחתנו עוד אחת עשרה פעמים נוספות, כאמור במקומות שונים בעולם. אגב את כל החתונות אירגן פיקס לבדו ללא התערבות באג. על חלק של החתונות הוא עבד במשך חודשים בסודיות מרובה, ובאג גילתה את דבר החתונה החדשה שבפתח ממש ברגע האחרון. רשימת המקומות בעולם הם המתחתנים הסידרתיים התחתנו כדלקמן: גרמניה, קנדה (בעיר ריג’יינה בה בנו את ביתם החדש ובו הם גרים עד היום), סורינאם, אתיופיה, נפאל, מוזמביק, בגו’נגל של יערות האמזון, לאס וגאס, טימבקטו שבבאלי ומונטה. החתונה האחרונה בסידרה עד כה צריך לציין, התקיימה לפני כחודש, על אוניית שייט במסגרת קרוז מול הקרחונים של האי גרינלנד. יצויין שבכל טקסי החתונות פיקס ובאג לובשים בגדי חתן וכלה מסורתיים, הנהוגים באותו מקום. עד היום מתברר שהזוג המאושר טס כבר למאה מקומות שונים ברחבי העולם, וניסיון העבר מלמד שידם עוד נטויה.
פיקס מציין כי בסך הכל יש להם רק חמש תעודות נישואין רשמיות, ובשאר טקסי החתונות לא הנופקו להם שום מסמכים. הוא מוסיף כי החתונות הרבות מבטיחות לו שבאג תישאר עימו לעד, כיוון שיהיה לה מאוד קשה למצוא עורך דין שיוכל להשיג כל כך הרבה תעודות גירושין, מכל כך הרבה מדינות בעולם. שלא לדבר שוזה יעלה לה גם הון. ואילו באג מוסיפה כי טקסי החתונות הרבים מוכחים את אהבתו הגדולה של פיקס אליה וזה כל מה שחשוב לה באמת.
Janie Respitz’s fascination with Yiddish, its history and its role in Jewish culture grew naturally. “My grandparents spoke Yiddish at home,” she said in an interview with the Independent from her home in Montreal. “I knew Yiddish songs and expressions. I went to a Jewish school through elementary and high school and the more I learned about Yiddish, the more I loved it. By university, I took it quite seriously.”
Janie Respitz (photo from Janie Respitz)
She immersed herself in the language, digging out the stories and songs, their roots and their creators. After finishing a master’s in Jewish studies, she dedicated her life to teaching others what she loves best: aspects of Jewish culture, including Yiddish literature and traditional music.
Like Yiddish, the musical part of her identity grew organically, from a hobby to a second career. “I always liked music,” she said. “I never set out to be a professional singer but I liked to sing and play my guitar. When I was a teenager, my grandma once invited me to sing some Yiddish songs for a group of her friends. They liked it. Some of them invited me to sing for their friends and so on. It just happened.”
Forty years have passed since that modest beginning. Now, Respitz performs professionally, and people enjoy her concerts across Canada and abroad. “I never look for engagements,” she said. “They find me. I performed in New York, South America, Israel and, of course, everywhere in Canada.”
Yiddish language, Jewish culture and traditional music go hand in hand in all her presentations, encompassing academia and stage. She is a champion of Jewish folklore.
Any venue is good, as long as there is interest, she said, be it an auditorium at McGill University or a seniors seminar at a small community centre. She often incorporates songs into her lectures and workshops and sometimes even brings her guitar to her university classes. “I would come to give a lecture, and then people would ask me to sing,” she explained.
“I like teaching culture and history through songs. For example, if I give a lecture about a Jewish lifecycle, there are songs for every occasion, for weddings and babies, joyful and sad. You don’t have to understand every word in Yiddish to appreciate these songs.”
She said she realizes that Yiddish and the cultural milieu associated with it are things of the past, like Latin, but that doesn’t diminish her enthusiasm. “Of course, Yiddish will never become a spoken tongue again. It was a language of Eastern European Jews for hundreds of years, but that era ended with the Holocaust. Now, it serves those who want to know about our heritage.”
The revival of interest in Yiddish has been going on in Europe and America for awhile. “Among my students are people of all ages and demographics,” she said of the public’s interest in the language. “People want to learn Yiddish for various reasons: out of curiosity, to preserve the memory of their grandparents, to learn history. Some non-Jewish people also want to learn it. And why not? Some Jewish people want to study Chinese. Why not the opposite? I know one Japanese man who wants to translate Sholem Aleichem into Japanese; he studied Yiddish. Students from such diverse backgrounds make for a dynamic learning environment.”
Respitz endeavors to make every lecture and new course as engaging as possible for students, no matter their background. Spurred by her inquisitive nature, she conducts research about Jewish traditions, the history of people and places and, of course, Yiddish songs. “I try to find out who wrote them, when, why, where. The biographies of the poets and musicians. Who survived? Who perished in the Holocaust? If we don’t preserve those songs and poems now, they might disappear forever.”
At times, an entirely new course springs from her research. “I have a course on Russian Yiddish culture after the revolution. They had so many wonderful poets there.” She even speaks a bit of Russian. “To study Eastern European Jews, you almost have to know Russian.” Her sprinkling of Russian helped her when she traveled to Russia in 1981 on a trip organized by Canadian Jewish Congress.
“A group of us went to help the Russian Jewish refuseniks,” she recalled. “We talked to them about everything Jewish, celebrated Rosh Hashana together, sang and danced. Some of them knew English, others could speak Yiddish or Hebrew, which they learned secretly. It was forbidden by their government then. I know Yiddish and Hebrew, English, of course, plus my rudimentary Russian. We could communicate very well. It was such fun. Unfortunately, we had to cut our trip short. There were some troubles with the KGB, so we had to return home a few days earlier than expected.”
Even though she never visited Russia again, she often helps Russian Jewish immigrants in Montreal. “I introduce them to the Jewish culture through the community centre, and it’s very gratifying. They want to know everything – from holidays to traditional food – and it wasn’t always possible in Russia.”
Another country with deep Jewish roots is Poland, and Respitz recently returned from a journey there. “I went to Poland as an educator with a mission from Montreal’s CJA. My role was to bring the elements of 1,000 years of Jewish history in Poland to life.”
She visited several cities during the trip. “It was a thrill to stand in front of ohel Peretz [the tomb of Yitskhok Leybush Peretz, known as I.L. Peretz] at the Okapowa Cemetery in Warsaw and talk about this great writer and tell one of his stories. Playing my guitar and singing, while our group danced in the historic, beautifully restored Lancut Synagogue, was a true testament to the fact that we are still here. Particularly moving for me was to stand in front of the home of great Yiddish folk poet Mordecai Gebirtig in Krakow and sing his songs. It was truly an unforgettable experience.”
As she is an ardent partisan of everything Jewish, it’s no surprise she participates in KlezKanada, the Montreal annual festival of Jewish arts and music. KlezKanada’s goal is “to foster Jewish cultural and artistic creativity worldwide as both an ethnic heritage and a constantly evolving contemporary culture and identity.” Respitz’s songs and her magnetic presentations fit perfectly into such an atmosphere.
Vancouver Jewish community member Celia Brauer met Respitz at KlezKanada and was impressed. Brauer told the Independent, “Every year, for the last five years, I’ve gone to KlezKanada. I grew up in Montreal, speaking Yiddish. Yiddish is a rich language from our past. It gives us a taste of what was, a glimpse into the world that existed before. The trips to the festival felt like good shots of my ancestral culture. In the last two years, Janie taught a workshop there. I went to her workshops. She is very charismatic, has great knowledge of Yiddish and Jewish culture, music, writers. Nothing like that has ever been presented in Vancouver, and I thought that many people from our community might be interested in her stories. I wanted to bring her here.”
Brauer contacted the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and, together, they made Respitz’s visit possible.
Respitz will be in Vancouver on June 4, 5 and 7 with presentations at the Peretz Centre and the JCCGV. For tickets, visit janierespitz.wordpress.com.
Olga Livshinis a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at olgagodim@gmail.com.
Canucks alum Eddie Hatoum, originally from Lebanon, with several Arab Israeli athletes. (photo from Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver)
Anyone who caught a glimpse of the 20 young hockey players during their week-long training camp in Vancouver March 4-10 probably didn’t think much of it. That is until they looked a little closer and saw the Canada Israel Hockey School (CIHS) logo all over their jerseys, jackets and bags.
In a joint venture of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the 10-to-14-year-old boys and girls were hosted by local families, trained by special guest coaches, toured around the city and treated to an unforgettable night by the Vancouver Canucks.
Canada Israel Hockey School students listen to skating coach Barb Adelbaum. (photo from JCCGV)
Aside from its being a hockey school in a country where that sport is as foreign as olive trees are to Vancouver, CIHS is also special for using hockey as a cultural bridge: half the participants touring Vancouver were Jewish and half Arab. Here are a few stories that stood out from the week-long adventure.
Skate like NHLers: After arriving late the night before, the kids wasted no time hitting the ice at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Their first practice was led by Barb Adelbaum, power skating consultant for the Vancouver Canucks and various NHL players around the league. After taking them through some skating drills, Adelbaum noted that many of them had dull skate blades. She connected the team with Cyclone Taylor Sports in Vancouver and arranged to have all 20 pairs of skates sharpened, as well as a much-needed new stick for one of the goalies.
KDHS meets CIHS: On day two, thanks to a Purim-themed professional development day at King David High School, several hockey-playing students from the high school joined the CIHS kids on the ice. Instead of playing against each other, each team was formed from members of both schools, which made for a spirited community game.
CIHS students with skating coach Barb Adelbaum. (photo from JCCGV)
Flying like a Raven: When the JCC found out that the CIHS squad included two girls, talks began with the Richmond Ravens Girls Hockey Association on bringing them all together. The Ravens happily obliged, donating one of their ice times to a scrimmage and practice with the Israelis. After fitting the two Israeli girls into Ravens jerseys, a boys versus girls game was played.
All they have is love: Sunday afternoon was spent touring the city. The group walked along the water from Granville Island to Kitsilano Beach. As they approached the beach, Virgin Radio was there, with a large balloon-like ball with “LOVE” written on it, offering folks the chance to be photographed with it. As the Israeli kids swarmed for their photo, the radio station reps were told of the special meaning behind the Jewish and Arab group, standing shoulder to shoulder, symbolizing the love of a game and being a team overcoming other boundaries.
CIHS meet JCC hockey: The Israeli athletes had the opportunity to see what Jewish community hockey was all about in Vancouver. They took in one of the final regular season games of the JCC’s Adult Ice Hockey League, providing a cheering section the local weekend warriors weren’t used to. After the game, the students had their chance to show the JCC league the skills they had brought from Israel, and to play a little hockey with them. Led by the generosity of Daniel and Ariel Wosk, several members of the JCC league donated money for new equipment for the CIHS players (more to come on that below). The Wosk brothers had visited CIHS in February 2014 as part of a hockey team tour and wanted to be involved when the Israelis came to Vancouver.
“The joy and passion that [Jewish] and Arab children were exhibiting together was a sign that with the right influences and opportunities there could be a better future there,” said Ariel. “When we heard that some of the kids were coming to Vancouver, we knew that we wanted to do something for them.”
“A highlight for me was not knowing who was who on the ice, yet their teamwork was excellent,” added Daniel of his time playing with the kids here. “It’s awesome to see their relationships grow in a positive direction … [that] will translate into their daily lives.”
CIHS student being interviewed by CBCs Shane Foxman for Citizen Shane. (photo from JCCGV)
The final day: The last full day of the CIHS visit had more highlights than an evening news report.
The morning started on the ice, with two members of the Vancouver Canucks Alumni Association as guest coaches, along with local hockey pro and JCC member Harrison May and his brother Kevin.
One of the alum, Eddie Hatoum, was born in Beirut and still speaks Arabic at home. Upon arriving and learning of the mix of the CIHS athletes, he entered the locker room and asked, “Who speaks Arabic?” in his native tongue. Half the room raised their hands with huge smiles on their faces. “We’ve done a lot of work with young groups as the Canucks alumni, but this really warms my heart,” Hatoum said, also smiling. “When I tell my siblings in Ottawa that I got on the ice with these kids, they won’t believe it.”
Hatoum was joined at the practice by B.J. (Blair) McDonald, who once scored 46 goals playing with Wayne Gretzky in the early 1980s.
After the practice, the group headed to Sports Exchange in Vancouver for a shopping spree. With the money from the JCC hockey league players in hand, along with several donations and great deals from the store managers, the team packed six bags’ worth of brand-new gear. The kids also had a chance to pick up some items of their own that they can’t get in Israel.
While it seemed almost impossible for the day to get any better, the CIHS kids and several of their host family friends were treated to an evening with the Canucks that started with a meeting with team president Trevor Linden and chief operating officer Victor de Bonis. De Bonis led the group on a tour of the facility in advance of the Canucks versus Anaheim Ducks game, which they watched from a hospitality suite, where they were offered a buffet dinner and all the popcorn they could eat. Visits to the suite from Adelbaum, McDonald, de Bonis and Canucks mascot Fin topped it all off.
The trip continues: The group said goodbye to Vancouver and hello to a week in Calgary before heading back to Israel. Several JCC league players will meet the kids again next February at an annual recreational hockey tournament in Israel. The Vancouver squad, as usual, will get on the ice with the CIHS for a couple of practices and continue their friendship.
Kyle Bergeris Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver sports coordinator, and a freelance writer living in Richmond. For more information on this visit or future hockey trips to Israel, contact Berger at 604-638-7286.
Eliane Nevares (photo from Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver)
The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver welcomes Eliane Nevares as the new youth outreach coordinator. Serving Jewish teens throughout the Lower Mainland, Nevares hopes to bring her diverse skill set to the forefront. Born and raised in Vancouver, Nevares has an undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia in sociology and geography, and the goal to return to school in September 2015 for social work. Additionally, Nevares brings volunteer and work experience from various organizations, including the Vancouver Crisis Centre, Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Family Centred Practices Group, to help strengthen the work she will do at the JCCGV.
Nevares aims to connect with as many teens as possible through various programs, including more vulnerable teens. For example, Chill Chat develops partnerships between Jewish mentors and mentees, the Sunday Funday initiative helps combat hunger and advocates for change and leadership, and Banot Girls Club provides a space for preteen girls to meet and engage in meaningful activities. Other services include but are not limited to consultations and assessments, information and referrals, advocacy and support, and educational workshops and speakers.
With a goal to promote the social and emotional development of youth through individual support and community partnerships, Nevares said she is excited about her new position. She encourages those interested to connect with her at outreach@jccgv.bc.ca or 604-257-5111, ext. 308.
