Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, left, with Leslie and Gordon Diamond. (photo from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver)
To recognize their exceptional leadership and philanthropic impact in Vancouver and across the nation, Vancouver City Council unanimously agreed to bestow the Freedom of the City upon Leslie and Gordon Diamond. They were awarded the honour on Dec.12, 2023, and the award presentation was held Oct. 29, 2024.
“Leslie and Gordon have devoted their lives to the people of Vancouver,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “Their remarkable work in health care, affordable housing, community services and beyond has made a lasting impact, shaping not only our city’s history but also its future.”
An Officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, Gordon Diamond founded the Diamond Foundation in 1984. Leslie, who is also a recipient of the Order of British Columbia, has worked alongside Gordon in driving initiatives that support affordable housing, social and seniors’ services, community development, education and health care.
The Diamonds’ philanthropic vision has catalyzed critical initiatives addressing health and substance use. Their contributions include landmark donations of $20 million each to Vancouver General Hospital’s Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre and to the St. Paul Foundation’s Road to Recovery substance use disorder initiative.
As champions for the arts, the Diamonds have enabled countless underprivileged youth to access and enjoy the cultural fabric of the city. Their substantial support for the new Vancouver Art Gallery stands as a testament to their vision for arts accessibility and patronage.
“We are truly honoured to be recognized by the city we love,” said Leslie and Gordon Diamond. “To receive an award for doing what we love doing is humbling. Thank you.”
לאחרונה דיבר עם חבר מישראל דוד שטויר, כאשר בגילו המתקדם (שבעים פלוס) כבר חווה הכל במדינה. אני הכרתי את דוד בחודשים הראשונים שלי בתהליך התאקלמות בוונקובר, אליה עברתי בחודש פברואר 2005
דוד חזר וציין בפני שאני הייתי “נביא” שראה לאן פני ישראל מועדות והוא עד היום מצטער שלא עזב כמוני את המדינה בה גדלנו, למען עתיד טוב יותר לו ולילדיו. לאור המשבר הקשה בישראל ילדיו של דוד כבר הספיקו לעזוב את ישראל. ולכן שאלתי אותו מה עוד “מחזיק” אותו בישראל? הוא ענה לי כי בתו הצעירה שהשתחחרה לאחרונה ההצבא, נקראה לשירות מילואים דחוף בן מספר חודשים בחיל האוויר. לאחר שתשחרר הבת מהמילואים היא קרוב לוודאי תעבור ללמוד בחו”ל. אז גם הוא יעזוב סוף סוף את ישראל
דוד אומר כי כבר למעלה מחמישים אלף ישראלים עזבו לאחרונה את ישראל. לדבריו מספר העוזבים צפוי אף לגדול לאור המשבר הגדול שישראל נמצאת בו, והוא צפוי להחריף. תשמע רוני הוא אמר לי נחרצות: ישראל היום נשלטת על ידי משפחת פשע הלוא היא משפחת נתניהו. הם עושים מה שהם רוצים, ובעלי התפקידים לצדו של נתניהו הם נוכלים וחסרי כישורים. נתניהו יצר פילוג בעם שאי אפשר לתקנו כך שאי אפשר לגשר בין “הביסיסטים” למתנגדיו של נתניהו
כשאמרתי לדוד כי הכיצד יכול ראש ממשלת ישראל להחזיק בן כלומניק בפלורידה (יאיר נתניהו) שאפילו לא עובד, והמדינה מממנת את שירותי הביטחון שלו שעולים הון ובתקופת מלחמה? דוד קטע את דברי בחריפות: רוני זה כסף קטן לעומת מיליארדי השקלים שנשדדים מקופת המדינה על ידי נתניהו וחבורתו, בין היתר לטובת החרדים שאפילו לא משרתים בצבא.ווהוא (נתניהו) עוד טס מטוס מפואר שעלה מיליארד שקל
לאחר השיחה עם דוד ישבתי וחשבתי לעצמי על ישראל ועתידה ובמחשבותי הצטיירה תמונה עגומה מאוד. אלו שחושבים שבקרוב יפרוץ תהליך שלום חדש בין ישראל למדינות ערב ובעיקר עם סעודיה, חיים בחלום. סעודיה הודיעה כבר מפורשות! שכל תהליך שלום עימה חייבה לכלול פתרון גם לפלסטינים – והוא הקמה מדינה עצמאית עבורם. הימים שישראל תעשה הסכמי שלום בדמות הסכמי אברהם, ללא פתרון הבעייה הפלסטינית עברו מן העולם
יש בישראל כיום שמהללים את נתניהו כביכול על הצלחותיו מול החמאס והחיזבאללה, בזמן שהם שכחו את הכשלונותיו הרבים, שהביאו למחדלי השבעה באוטובר. וכן ויתור על החטופים כדי שיוכל להמשיך ולשבת על כיסא המלך. מבחינתי זה כמו להגיד שלגודלה מאיר היו הצלחות רבות במלחמת יום כיפור מול המצרים והסורים, תוך התעלמות מאחריותה למחדל הנוראי של התקפות הפתע של צבאות האויב על ישראל
בכל מדינה מתוקנת ראש ממשלה היה מתפטר מיד לאחר מחדלי השבעה באוקטובר, ונעלם מהציבור לעולמים, אך כמובן עומד למשפט העם במסגרת ועדה חקירה ממלכתית. אך את נתניהו הנוכל נורמות ויושר אינן תכונות המאפיינות אותו למרות שהוא דורש זאת מאחרים
נתניהו אחראי להעברת מיליארדי דולרים לחמאס מקטאר, והוא אחראי לפגיעה קשה ברשות הפלסטינית. נתניהו חיזק אפוא את הקיצונים בפלסטינים (חמאס) והחליש את המתונים יותר (הרשות). נתניהו אחראי גם על עיבוי והוספת ההתנחלויות בשטחים הכבושים שרק מרחיקים את ישראל מפתרון הסכסוך הממושך עם עולם הערבי והשגת שלום
בתקופת שלטונו הארוכה בת שבעה עשרה השנים של נתניהו, ישראל נחלשה מבפנים בצורה משמעותית. המדינה הפכה למושחתת, יותר דתית משיחית, יותר קפיטליסטית והרבה פחות הומנית
אני גר בוונקובר כבר למעלה מתשעה עשרה וחצי שנים ואין לי שום תוכניות לחזור לישראל. הסיבות לכך רבות וברורות מבחינתי. ובעיקר: אינני מוכן לחזור אחורה למציאות כה מורכבת וקשה שכפי שליוותה אותי במרבית חיי בישראל
במלחמת ששת הימים הייתי בן שמונה ואני זוכר כיצד אימי הגיעה לבית הספר כדי לקחת אותי למקלט של סבא הסמוך לביתנו במרכז ירושלים
מייד לאחר המלחמה הסביר הפרופסור ישעיהו ליבוביץ’ כי כיבוש השטחים בעקבות המלחמה יהיה אסון מבחינת ישראל, ישחית את המדינה ואף יסכן את עתידה. אז עדיין לא הבנתי על מה הוא מדבר. אך כשאשר התבגרתי קלטתי עד כמה דבריו של פרופסור ליבוביץ’ היו ונשארו נכונים עד עצם היום הזה
במלחמת יום כיפור עת הייתי בן ארבע עשרה ההורים היו כרגיל בנסיעה בחו”ל. אחי ואני נשארנו בבית כאשר נשמענו להוראות להפעיל האפלה בשעות הערב. לאחר מספר ימים ההורים הצליחו למצוא טיסה ולחזור מארה”ב לישראל
במלחמת לבנון הראשונה נקראתי לצאת למילואים בלבנון. הייתי בסך הכל פקיד בפלוגת הנדסה, איך כיוון שהם נאלצו לצאת לשטח בלבנון גם אני הצטרפתי אליהם. אנו שרתנו באזור ציר מזבושה תחת אחריותו של המגד בני ברבש. אחרי כחודש מילואים השתחררתי הביתה
לאחר המלחמה נסעתי לטיול מהנה באירופה ומאז ננטע אצלי לראשונה הרצון לעבור ולגור בחו”ל. פשוט לממש חלום ולגור באחת ממדינות המערב
בין לבין חיינו בישראל פיגועים רבים שלצערי הפכו לשגרת חיים. מי שחי בישראל מכיר מלחמות, פיגועים והרבה הרבה ימים לא שקטים. כך היה וכך יהיה
בראשית שנות השמונים התחלתי להבין סוף סוף שאחזקת השטחים הכבושים לא מאפשרת לפלסטינים להקים מדינה עצמאית משלהם. ובמקביל מסכנת את ביטחונה של ישראל. כבר אז ראיתי שישראל מחולקת לשני מחנות ברורים: תומכי השלום והחזרת השטחים ותומכי החלום של ארץ ישראל השלמה שהאמינו שזה דווקא יגביר את הביטחון במדינה. אני כאמור נימנתי על מחנה השלום שלאורך השנים הלך והתכווץ לצערי. לעומתו מחנה של המתנחלים ותומכיהם הלך וגדל. אז התחלתי להרגיש פחות ופחות שייך לישראל
במלחמת המפרץ הראשונה כבר גרתי בתל אביב. לא אשכח לעולם את הלילה הנורא ההוא ביום חמישי בסביבות שתיים לפנות בוקר. צפיתי אז בחדשות בטלוויזיה שתיארו את מהלכי ארה”ב בעיראק ואז נשמעה הסיסמה “נחש צפע” ולאחריה הופעלה אזעקה. אז הופיעה השקופית “בשל התקפת טילים על ישראל הופעלה אזעקת אמת”. ואכן נפל טיל מעיראק בשכונת התקווה, שבקו אווירי קרובה הייתה לביתי במרכז תל אביב. שמעתי היטב את הדי הפיצוץ ונכנסתי ממש לחרדה נוראית. אז אמרתי לעצמי כי הכתובת היא על הקיר ויום אחד יגיעו הטילים האמיתיים מאיראן שהכוונה לטילים אטומיים. הבנתי אז שעלי לעזוב את ישראל ולצערי רק לאחר ארבעה עשרה שנים עשיתי זאת
תוך מספר דקות יצאת את ביתי ונסעתי בטירוף לביתו של חבר כדי שלא להיות לבד. למחרת החבר עזב את תל אביב ונסע למשפחו באילת. ואז החלטתי לנסוע לבית הורי בירושלים, ששם שההיתי בכל תקופת המלחמה. בכל פעם שנשמעה “האזעקה” ממש נכנסתי לחרדה בחרדה ושהייתי עם הורי בחדר האטום
לאחר רצח ראש הממשלה יצחק רבין באמצע שנות התשעים הרגשתי עוד יותר כמה אני לא יכול להשתייך עוד לישראל. אז גם החל לככב בנימין נתניהו האחראי לגל ההסתה נגד רבין. הפכתי לזר בה ועדיף להיות זר בחו”ל. לאחר עשר שנים עזבתי לוונקובר
A crane lifts a tunnel boring machine part out of the excavated Arbutus Station. With all the changes the Broadway Subway Project is bringing, the Accidental Balabusta and her husband are looking for a new condo – going from renters to owners. (photo from broadwaysubway.ca)
Growing up in the 1960s and ’70s in the then-Jewish neighbourhood of Oakridge, I was certain my future would include a beautiful house and a large yard. And, of course, a husband. Only part of that dream came to fruition, in 2009, when I got married at age 53. Before Harvey came along, I was a single woman making a decent but not extravagant living, and a house was way out of reach for me. So, I rented apartments. For decades. Welcome to my bad-news, good-news story.
As I got older, the importance of attaching myself to the Jewish community became stronger and, as luck would have it, I ended up renting a place a mere seven-minute walk from a shul. And I stayed put for 37 years. Now, faced with expulsion from our apartment because of the Broadway Subway Project, I am struck not by anger or nostalgia, but by gratitude. And maybe a touch of anxiety about having to move at this stage of my life. At 68 years old, I have never owned anything in my life, except a car.
Having a deep-seated faith, I try, I really try to remember that everything that comes from G-d is good. I try, also, to take the mindset of “I don’t understand why this is happening to me, but I know in my bones that it’s good for me in some way.” This imposes a much-needed positive outlook. One that will propel me forward, rather than keep me stuck in a negative “Why me?” loop.
As renters in this situation, we are entitled to compensation by law. However, it’s cold comfort when confronted with the stark reality of having to find a new home. Politicians talk blithely about “affordable, below-market rental housing,” but, in reality, no such thing exists for those who are retired and on a fixed income. In short, living in Vancouver has become an absurd luxury.
As luck would have it, I am a thrifty kind of gal and, over the decades, I have saved a respectable amount of money. So, along with my husband, we have finally decided to buy a condo – in Vancouver. One of the most expensive cities to live in.
Having spent the past while looking for a condo to purchase, I am bombarded by conflicting emotions:
excitement, fear and trepidation. But mostly gratitude. Waking up at 3 a.m. for a full week while battling insomnia, I got to the point where, instead of trying to think of five foods starting with each letter of the alphabet (a trick to induce boredom and sleep), I started to think of everything I am thankful for. I’m happy to report that the list is very long. This is just a sampling.
I am grateful that I can choose between carpeting and hardwood.
I am grateful that I will finally have in-suite laundry.
I am grateful that I will have a bigger kitchen, where I can bake challah regularly and cook luscious Shabbat meals in a space that is larger than a Smart Car.
I am grateful that I can, within reason, afford a condo in Vancouver.
I am grateful that I have friends who are guiding me through this process.
I am grateful that I have the energy to run around looking at prospective homes.
In short, I am grateful that I have choices. Plenty of choices.
It’s common knowledge that Jewish family values begin at home, and that’s what I’d like to continue nourishing and cultivating. From a real home. My home. For now, I am focusing on having faith and trust that Harvey and I will find a comfortable forever home. I have accepted that we may or may not still be a seven-minute walk from a shul. Thankfully, faith isn’t tied to geography. We can practise our Judaism anywhere.
As for the nuts and bolts, the experience of condo-hunting is an eye-opener for me. Little by little, condo by condo, I’m readjusting my priorities, figuring out what I can and can’t live without. Our realtor, thank goodness, has the patience of a saint and the temperament of a golden retriever.
Pragmatists that we are, we’ve started the search for a new home early, long before we are forced to move out of our rental apartment. But, as I’m learning, our property owner seems loathe to put money into a building that will be torn down within two years. So, we are living with stained hallway carpets, communal washers and dryers that rarely work, and balconies that haven’t been power-washed since before COVID. Am I enjoying this? Not even a scintilla. But still, I practise gratitude.
My constant refrain these days is: “It’s not the Vancouver I grew up in!” There are cranes everywhere on the horizon and there’s no telling what will be torn down next. It’s very unsettling. But at least we are fortunate enough to have options.
My periodic anger (which I am trying valiantly to contain) stems from the fact that I’ve lived and worked in Vancouver nearly my entire life and, while I was single until 15 years ago, I could never afford to buy a home. Thank G-d, my situation has changed, circumstances have opened up choices that never existed before, and the planets have aligned, allowing us to finally buy a home.
Now, we just have to find one that meets my simple needs: in-suite laundry, hardwood floors, a good-sized kitchen and not south-facing. I say “my needs” because we can all agree on the universal truth: “happy wife, happy life.” It’s a buyer’s market at the moment, so yippee for us. This whole roller-coaster journey offers a new chapter in our lives; one filled with hopefulness, possibilities and joy. I look forward with gratitude to a beautiful mezuzah on a new door to bless our new home. All I can say is l’chaim!
Shelley Civkin, aka the Accidental Balabusta, is a happily retired librarian and communications officer. For 17 years, she wrote a weekly book review column for the Richmond Review. She’s currently a freelance writer and volunteer.
Several hundred held vigil on the Burrard Street Bridge at sundown Oct. 6. Another vigil took place at the Vancouver Art Gallery at the same time. (photo by Pat Johnson)
The youngest victim of the Oct. 7 pogrom was born and died that day.
At a moving ceremony at Schara Tzedeck Synagogue Monday night, more than 1,400 Jewish community members and allies came together to mark the anniversary of the worst terror attacks in Israel’s history. Another 700 watched a livestream online.
Rabbi Philip Gibbs of West Vancouver’s Congregation Har El shared the story of the youngest victim.
At 5:30 a.m., Sujood Abu Karinat, a Bedouin Israeli, went into labour. Her husband Triffy began driving them to the hospital, but sirens also began.
“Two vans appeared and tried to box them in,” said Gibbs. Triffy was able to swerve and avoid the ambush but a bullet pierced Sujood’s belly.
“Though they were able to get away, soon the car stalled before an intersection and they were able to ask for some help from some of the other local Bedouins,” he said. “But, again, the white van appeared and terrorists fired, ignoring their pleas in Arabic to leave them alone and, again, Sujood received another bullet in the stomach.”
When they finally arrived at the hospital, doctors detected a fetal heartbeat. The bullets had pierced the baby’s leg and, in the process, protected Sujood’s vital organs. The baby was successfully delivered and bandaged.
“After hearing this news, Sujood fell back asleep to recover. But, that evening, the baby passed away,” said Gibbs.
“Sujood never saw her daughter, unable to bear the sight of her dead firstborn.”
Schara Tzedeck’s Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt, who introduced the program and speakers, contextualized the commemoration as an opportunity to “preserve names and to preserve stories.”
In addition, he said, the community gathers to ensure that people do not ignore a world “where children are ripped from their parents’ arms, where children and the aged are taken hostage, where young women are slaughtered and dragged through the streets to be spit upon by a jeering public.”
Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom spoke of Vivian Silver, the Winnipeg-born-and-raised peace activist whose burned bones were found in her safe room. World media eulogized Silver, a cofounder of the 50,000-member Women Wage Peace, as an irrepressible force and one of Israel’s best-known advocates for peace.
Jason Rivers remembered his cousin, Adi Vital-Kaploun, another Canadian-Israeli who was killed on Oct. 7. Vital-Kaploun received the highest marks ever attained at Ben-Gurion University, he said, and, on Oct. 7, a lab was named in her honour.
“If you believe in miracles, they sometimes do happen,” said Rivers. While Adi was murdered, her 3-year-old, Negev, and 6-month-old, Eshel, were inexplicably released. Adi was later found by the Israel Defence Forces – she had been killed by multiple bullets and her body booby-trapped with grenades.
“She was identified by her wedding ring,” said Rivers.
Daphna Kedem, who has organized weekly rallies at the Vancouver Art Gallery since the hours after the attack, said, “The past year has been unbearable.”
She said, “It is inconceivable that 101 hostages, our loved ones, our family, our members, our children, our parents, our grandparents, remain captive in the hands of the terror organization Hamas, held in appalling conditions.”
The local community’s rabbis and cantors chanted the prayer for hostages.
Lana Marks Pulver, chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, and Ezra Shanken, Federation’s chief executive officer, spoke of the connections between Israel and diaspora Jews.
Pulver remembered Ben Mizrachi, the young Vancouver medic who died heroically at the Nova music festival when he returned to help a friend who had been shot. He had earned the nickname “savta” from friends, Hebrew for “grandma,” because he was always helping and caring for others. Shanken noted that a plaque in Mizrachi’s honour was unveiled earlier that day at his alma mater, King David High School, and that Federation has nominated Mizrachi for Canada’s highest civilian decoration for heroism. At Schara Tzedeck, a Torah scroll is being refurbished in his memory.
Eli Cohen, a friend of Ben Mizrachi and who accompanied the chevra kadisha to identify Mizrachi’s body, recited the Kaddish in his memory.
Several hundred held vigil on the Burrard Street Bridge at sundown Oct. 6. (photo by Pat Johnson)
Flavia Markman, one of the organizers of the vigils that take place on Vancouver bridges, shared the story of Aner Shapira.
Shapira, a member of the IDF’s elite Nahal Brigade, was attending the Nova music festival and he took shelter with a group of others. He was the last to enter the shelter and told the others he was in Nahal; he assured them the military would be there soon to rescue them. Across several heroic minutes that were caught by a car’s dashcam and are available online, Hamas shot bullets and threw grenades into the shelter.
“You can see,” Markman said of the video, “after the terrorists threw the grenades into the shelter, Aner threw them back out. One, two, three, four times, five, six, seven.…”
The eighth grenade exploded in his hand, killing him.
“At least seven people who were hiding in the shelter with Shapira survived the attack,” Markman said. One of them called Shapira an angel who saved their lives. Israeli poet Zur Erlich has written a tribute to Shapira, likening the eight grenades to the eight candles on the Hanukkah menorah.
Rabbi Carey Brown of Temple Sholom shared the story of Capt. Shir Eilat, a 20-year-old Combat Intelligence Corps commander who died alongside 14 of her female comrades at Nahal Oz surveillance outpost. Five women from her unit were taken hostage to Gaza.
“Shir was a hero in her final moments, in an unbelievable manner,” according to survivors who were there, said Brown. “Shir stayed calm, worried about everyone, protected them, and calmed them down. She put herself aside to be a presence of safety for them.”
Rabbi Philip Bregman, rabbi emeritus of Temple Sholom, spoke of the 1,000 people he and his wife Cathy, escorted to Israel over their 33 years of service to the temple. In Israel, he said, they would pay for meals of IDF soldiers and the grateful but baffled uniformed young people would ask, Why? Bregman said it was impossible for relatively safe Canadian Jews to adequately thank Israeli soldiers for defending their people.
Rabbi Susan Tendler of Beth Tikvah noted that there were at least 1,200 people in the sanctuary – the approximate number of people murdered on Oct. 7. Each attendee had been handed a card with a victim’s name and, often, a photograph. People stood at different times, quietly reciting the prayer and invoking the name of “their” martyr while musician Eric Wilson played cello.
Rabbi Hannah Dresner of Or Shalom reflected on the El Moleh Rachamim prayer and presented an interpretation of the prayer in English before Cantor Yaacov Orzech chanted the traditional version. Her Or Shalom colleague, Rabbi Arik Labowitz, led the congregation in Oseh Shalom, the prayer for peace.
“Perhaps, like many of you, it’s been difficult to say the Oseh Shalom this past year knowing that peace and security can sometimes be at odds with each other,” said Labowitz. “Yet the hope for peace is not shaped by our feelings about the present situation and about the history behind it. The hope for peace is our moral imperative. It is the most essential prayer of our people.… May we never give up hope and may we work toward that peace in the name of those we have lost and for the sake of those who are yet to be born.”
Rabbi Jonathan Infield of Beth Israel, and head of the Rabbincal Association of Vancouver, reflected on the Zionist and Israeli anthem “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”), which was adopted at the 18th Zionist conference in Prague, in 1933 – the “chai” conference, in the year the Nazis came to power in Germany. He spoke of his hope that the grandchildren of the current generation would never have to attend a ceremony for victims of terrorism.
The Monday event was attended by many elected officials from all levels of government.
The Vancouver and Victoria Jewish communities will each hold a memorial ceremony Oct. 7 to honour and remember the victims of the attacks on Israel a year ago.
Led by the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver (RAV) and in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and many others, an evening event in Vancouver will be an opportunity for people of all ages to come together.
A special gathering for young adults will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., providing a space for reflection and connection. The main ceremony will begin at 7 p.m., and will include what is being described as a poignant tribute led by our community’s rabbis. The location of the event will be emailed upon registration. Register atjewishvancouver.com/october-7th-memorial.
Following the ceremony, Jewish Family Services will offer “living rooms,” in both Hebrew and English, where attendees can share their thoughts and find comfort. An Israeli sing-along will also take place, with the intention of helping participants find strength in unity and to support one another.
Relatives of Oct. 7 victims will present representative stories of the heroes and victims and organizers are planning interactive elements so participants can actively memorialize. There is an intention to ensure that all the victims’ names, as well as fallen soldiers’ names, can be articulated in the course of the program.
Politics – local or international – are to be kept out of the program. Elected officials may attend but the focus is on memorializing and honouring the dead.
While Oct. 7 created an unprecedented new world, in many ways, there is a precedent for the sort of memorial event planned, according to Beth Israel’s Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, who is head of RAV.
The Yizkor service will be the template for this commemoration, said Infeld.
“We know that the Yizkor service is something that the synagogue-going Jew can relate to, but we know that not all the members of our community go to synagogue on a regular basis,” he said. “We want to make sure that it works for everyone. Yizkor is the framework, but there will be creative pieces in it as well that will work for everyone in the community.”
As the anniversary approaches, Infeld said the community should be “thinking first and foremost of the memory of those who were murdered in this horrific, horrible terror attack.”
There are 97 hostages still being held in captivity in Gaza of the more than 240 Israelis and others kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7. (Four other hostages have been held since 2014/15.)
People need to be reminded of the absolute necessity to support the people of Israel at this moment, and to support fellow Jews here in Canada and around the world against the rise of antisemitism, said Infeld. “We would like to see everyone really rally together and gather together to support each other and to show our support for Israel and the Jewish people, and to comfort each other as well.”
A memorial in Victoria will take place at the same time on Oct. 7, at the Esquimalt Gorge Pavilion. Pre-registration is mandatory atjewishvictoria.ca.
On Sept. 28, as part of Beth Israel’s Selichot service, Rabbi Infeld will lead a conversation with Thomas Hand, whose daughter, Emily, was a hostage in Gaza. Emily, who turned 9 in captivity, was kidnapped along with her friend and the friend’s mother. The two girls were released in November. Hand will talk about the “spiritual, emotional and moral roller coaster” of his daughter’s captivity and eventual freedom.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Vancouver for the first time to meetwith members of the Jewish community and local business leaders. It was a wonderful experience that enabled me to see the Jewish community up close, and I plan to return soon to this city with its beautiful landscape, and warm and friendly people.
Through my work, I know how difficult it has been for the Jewish community given the explosion of antisemitism, especially since Oct. 7. The sharp rise in antisemitic incidents, including attacks on synagogues and the shocking experiences of students at the University of British Columbia, have created an ambiance of fear, anger and uncertainty. At the same time, this troubling climate has brought together Jews from all walks of life to defend our values, our people and the state of Israel.
One name that repeatedly arose – a nongovernmental organization I am very familiar with through my work at NGO Monitor – was Samidoun. Samidoun is a Canadian-registered not-for-profit, founded by a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Khaled Barakat. Barakat’s spouse, Vancouver resident Charlotte Kates, is its international coordinator.
Although Canada declared the PFLP a terror group in 2003 and, despite Samidoun’s antisemitic and pro-terror rhetoric, the government still has not taken action to shut down this NGO.
Like the PFLP, Samidoun disseminates messages and an agenda supporting violence, terror and antisemitism as a means to destroy the state of Israel. Since the Oct. 7 atrocities, Samidoun has expanded its local activities, contributing centrally to the sinister atmosphere facing Canadian Jewry. Illustrative examples include a July seminar in Toronto that called for eliminating “Israel as a military, political and economic establishment” and an event in Vancouver where the PFLP, Hamas and Hezbollah were praised. There have been dozens more such events.
In contrast to Canada, Samidoun activities have been banned in several countries, including France and Germany. Meta (formerly Facebook) shut down the social media accounts of the Vancouver and Toronto chapters of Samidoun, while Stripe, a major credit card processing company, closed Samidoun accounts on its platform, preventing online fundraising in Canada.
Let’s not be naïve. Samidoun is not the only NGO that is problematic, and it joins more than 100 other groups in Canada engaging in offensive and, at times dangerous, rhetoric. Moreover, the hatred stemming from Samidoun’s headquarters in Vancouver is not just against Israel and Jews, but against Canada and all Canadians. The NGO uses strategic attacks against the state of Israel and the Jewish people to distract from their assaults on the very values that enable Jews, Muslims, Christians and others to peacefully live side by side in Canada, Israel, and around the democratic free world.
Samidoun’s threat to Canadians, beyond the Jewish community, is blatant in their statement declaring Canada a settler colony “that require[s] the same settler logics and brutalities as ‘Israel’” and their claim that international law allows for people living in a colonialist society to “resist.”All law-abiding Canadians should be extremely concerned for Samidoun’s justification of Hamas’s Oct. 7 abduction, rape, mutilation and murder of innocent children, women, Holocaust survivors and eight Canadian citizens (including Vancouver’s Ben Mizrachi) as “resistance.” Moreover, Samidoun’s argument about Israel, that “imperialist warmongers will call it terrorism, but we know this is anti-imperialist resistance,” defends any terrorist activities they choose to initiate anywhere and is not reserved only for Israel but rather for all Western “imperialistic” countries.
While Kates is working to overturn Canada’s designation of Hamas and Hezbollah as terror groups, Samidoun is allowed to operate and flourish. After her appearance recently on Iran’s national television station to commend “the brave, heroic Oct. 7 operation” by Hamas that killed Canadian Jews, it is all the more critical to terminate Samidoun’s soapbox of hate that is based in Vancouver.
One of the impressive aspects of the BC Jewish community is the collective desire to work closely with those outside of their faith toward building a better society for all in Canada. After my visit to Vancouver, I am optimistic that Jews and non-Jews will work collaboratively against the seeds of divisiveness and hate sown by Samidoun. This will not end antisemitism in Canada, which has become, unfortunately, widespread. But it is an important first step.
Olga Deutsch is vice-president of NGO Monitor and has extensive expertise in international politics, humanitarian aid, funding to nongovernmental organizations, international development, post-Oct. 7 antisemitism, efforts to delegitimize Israel, and BDS.
Vancouverite Gail Mattuck volunteering in Israel after Oct. 7. She found her placements with the help of the Sword of Iron – Israel Volunteer Opportunities Facebook group. (photo from Gail Mattuck)
They’re coming from around the world, taking a leave from their jobs to help rebuild Israel with their own hands. These are volunteers who have filled the labour gaps in the aftermath of Oct. 7, visiting farms or soldiers or hostage families; attending shivas, packing food for reservists and more.
Vancouverite Gail Mattuck is one of tens of thousands of people who have volunteered. But, if it weren’t for the Sword of Iron – Israel Volunteer Opportunities Facebook group that guided her to where she could help, she likely would not have lent a hand.
Led by Hagit Greenberg Amar and Yocheved Kim Ruttenberg in Israel, the group provides a running list to its 35,000 followers of where people can volunteer.
Mattuck chose a Chabad centre that assisted with food security, packing food for evacuees and making sandwiches for children of reservists. She also volunteered at Castel Winery, in the Jerusalem hills, to cut wires for the grape vines to grow on.
“For my friends in Israel, they were really happy to see me, of course, but they appreciated I was there to be there during that time. Lots of people just thanked me for being there. Without that Facebook group, I couldn’t have done it,” said Mattuck.
“One of my friends lives up north,” she said. “There are missiles coming over there all the time. Her sons were in Gaza fighting. It’s very personal for them. For me to be there, they appreciated it. My sense was of a country that was incredibly hurt but not broken.”
Mattuck has a close connection to one of the people killed at the Nova music festival, and made her trip in his memory.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Ruttenberg attended university in South Florida, then moved to Dallas, where she worked in construction sales. She and her brother had plans to go into real estate together after he completed his Israel Defence Forces service. He was scheduled to be released on Nov. 12, 2023.
Her brother was stationed in the south on Oct. 7, and she woke up to a text message alerting her to the attack, and his arrival in battle a few hours later. It was then and there, she felt the need to help. She intended to stay in Israel for a couple of weeks.
“I couldn’t not be here during that time,” she said. Within three days, she was on a plane, carrying 23 duffle bags of donations for soldiers, worth $17,000. Three days before her return flight, she quit her job. “I can’t go home. I need to be here,” she told her boss.
“When the war started here in Israel, we didn’t know what to do,” said Amar. “So, we started to think about what we already know how to do. We started to import. We started with battery power banks, then medical equipment, things the Marines used in emergencies. A lot of special units came to our place. Then, we met [Ruttenberg’s] brother.”
It was Ruttenberg’s brother who introduced Amar to Ruttenberg.
In the beginning, Ruttenberg corralled volunteer information from various WhatsApp groups, Google Translated them and posted them. In late November 2023, the Facebook group formally launched.
Yael Yom Tov Emmanuel joined the page on day one, and matched thousands of volunteers to different opportunities. Since then, two other team members have joined – Ariel Boverman and Sarah Emerson Halford. They have since created a Google Docs document for members, so that prospective volunteers can search by area and specialty.
The initiatives have impacted numerous lives by coordinating farm volunteers, aiding soldiers, assisting at food banks, and participating in reconstruction efforts in the south. The group has emerged as an essential resource for both residents and visitors, linking individuals with opportunities to make a difference.
“It blows me away to see how many people have done something outside their comfort zone in such a big way. People come to Israel for the first time in their lives, alone, in the middle of a war,” said Ruttenberg.
Group members are vetted carefully, something Amar says is one of the challenges in dealing with a hundred requests per hour. They have had to turf some infiltrators.
“It’s a 24/7 operation because we have people all over the world,” said Ruttenberg. “We all have our different roles. Some are more on the Facebook page interacting. A lot of my time is going into the field and meeting volunteers and interacting. But it’s a full-time job – beyond a full-time job.” No one is financially compensated for their time.
When Ruttenberg is not dedicating her time to the volunteers, she works part-time in marketing and sales consulting. She recently finished a US speaking tour and said that, while in Texas, half the room were Christians, they wept at her stories and couldn’t wait to get involved.
“People are sitting at home and feel helpless,” she said. “When your country is at war, when there’s antisemitism through the roof and you are not in the military and are not medically trained, you feel like there is no way to give back. It makes me incredibly proud to see, and incredibly proud to meet, the volunteers who are helping rebuild Israel with their bare hands.”
Amar, who lives in Ramat Gan with her three children, was previously chief executive officer of a brand and strategy company. She is now pursuing a second degree, in social work, at Haifa University, with an aim to offer therapy and mental health services.
“I think this group created a place where you could feel safe and be part of a community. There are real friendships in real life that occurred from the group. If somebody needs something, we always find someone to be with and support them,” Amar said.
“I think part of what we are doing is creating ambassadors, and changing the narrative about how people see Israel, showing Israel as a beautiful place,” added Ruttenberg. “Everyone who comes here meets soldiers and other people who are grateful. Israelis see people come from LA, just to pick tomatoes – we really appreciate that.”
Dave Gordonis a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications around the world. His website is davegordonwrites.com.
Victory Square 100 will create banners featuring photographs of veterans, which will be flown about Vancouver around the time of this year’s Remembrance Day commemorations, when the Victory Square Cenotaph in Vancouver turns 100. (images from RCL BC/Yukon Command)
Every year, from the last Friday of October to Nov. 11, tens of millions of Canadians wear a poppy as a visual pledge to honour Canada’s veterans. This year, the Victory Square Cenotaph in Vancouver will turn 100 years old and so the Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Command has created the Victory Square 100 program.
Victory Square 100 invites all interested individuals and organizations to participate in creating banners adorned with pictures of veterans, which will be flown around the city of Vancouver.
If you are a veteran or if you have a loved one who served in the military, submit a high-quality picture of yourself, or the veteran, in uniform. Pictures need to be submitted digitally.
These photographs will be transformed into banners that showcase the faces of Canada’s veterans. Each banner will be crafted to ensure the dignity and respect befitting heroes.
There is a cost to creating and displaying the banners. The legion encourages the community, businesses and organizations to join them in the Victory Square 100 initiative and to sponsor a banner. If veterans or their loved ones who submit a photo choose to do so, they can also donate to the program.
There are a couple of options: a general donation to support the banner program (any amount), and $229 to support the banner program and have a veteran featured on the banner.
Victory Square 100 is more than just a gesture of appreciation – it’s a tangible expression of gratitude and respect for Canada’s veterans. By participating, you are helping ensure their legacy lives on and their service is never forgotten.
For additional information, visit legionbcyukon.ca or call Danny Redden, president of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Shalom Branch #178, at 604-739-1571.
Lisa and Andrew Altow with their family on visitors day at Camp Solomon Schechter in 2013. (photo from the Altow family)
On May 5, Camp Solomon Schechter will honour four long-time relationships that were built at the camp. Part of its 70th-anniversary celebrations, there will be three separate events in three different cities – Portland, Seattle and Vancouver – on the same day. Those being honoured include Vancouverites Lisa and Andrew Altow, and Yvonne Rosenberg.
“One of the most special things about camp is the lifelong friendships that it creates and the geographic area that it spans,” Zach Duitch, executive director of Camp Solomon Schechter, told the Independent. “We say camp friends are forever friends and we know that having Jewish friendships throughout your life is one of the most significant and important relationships we have. This is what builds Jewish community.”
Of this year’s honourees, he said, “We have a friendship that has spanned three generations and two countries, from Portland to BC, Yvonne and Sharon [Stern] – they went to camp together, their children went to camp together, their grandchildren go to camp together. We have two relationships that are marriages from camp, the Korches [Melissa and Matt] and the Altows. And we have a beautiful friendship of four friends from four different communities who have stayed friends throughout their lifetime”: Eva Corets, Rochelle Huppin, Wendy Rosen and Karen Twain.
Sharon Stern, left, and Yvonne Rosenberg met in the early 1960s at Camp Solomon Schechter and have been friends ever since. (photo from CSS)
In previous years, Camp Solomon Schechter has awarded the Migdal Or Award to individuals who have provided a “spark of light that guides the way for others to follow.” The inspiration for the award and its first recipients, in 2020, were camp founders Rabbi Joshua and Goldie Stampfer (z”l). While an award won’t be given out this year, the 70th anniversary Schechter Spark will reflect the Stampfers’ “legacy, virtue and commitment to Jewish life and camping.”
Camp Solomon Schechter started in 1954, near Echo Lake, in Washington. The first year, 25 campers attended a one-week session; the next year, 40 campers attended a two-week session.
The camp moved to Whidbey Island in 1958 but outgrew that space within 10 years. With the help again of Seattle Rabbi Joseph Wagner, one of the camp’s founders, as well as Harry Sherman and Rabbi Zev Solomon from Vancouver, BC, a camp property in the Olympia area was found, and it was for sale.
“Rabbi Stampfer immediately called the number and spoke with the owner, Helen Shank,” reads the Our History page of the CSS website. “And, for $300,000, the 200-acre property could be owned by Camp Solomon Schechter. Each of the rabbis from the major cities (Portland, Seattle and Vancouver) committed to raising $100,000 from their communities, and they were able to accomplish the goal in time for summer 1969.”
CSS is still located at the site near Olympia, with some 600 campers and more than 100 staff attending annually, in addition to the Stampfer Retreat Centre and OSPREY Camp (an outdoor education program).
Seventy years is a special anniversary in Judaism.
“The number 70 is considered a lifetime, so much so that 13 years into the second lifetime, at the age of 83, many Jews will have a second bar or bat mitzvah,” explained Duitch. “Where does that number come from? A midrashic tale tells us that there was an old man planting a carob tree by the side of the road when a traveler walked by. The traveler asked the man, ‘Why are you planting that tree? It will never bear fruit in your lifetime.’ The man responded, ‘I’m doing it for the next generation.’ And so, the legend goes, it takes a carob tree 70 years from seed to fruit and that’s where we get that idea of a lifetime. So, this year, at Schechter Spark, we are celebrating our first lifetime and raising funds for our next lifetime.”
“We are looking forward to being at the event with many of our good friends and all our kids,” Andrew Altow told the Independent. He and Lisa attended CSS in the mid-to-late-1970s. “I was a camper,” he said. “Lisa was a camper and, later, a counselor.”
After their first year at CSS, Andrew said there were a couple of reasons for wanting to return for another summer. “First, all our Jewish friends from all the cities – Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Spokane – that went every year. Second, the ruach [spirit], the amazing sense of Judaism and fun together.”
Looking back now some 50 years later, Andrew said, “CSS played a massive role for us. Because of our CSS lifelong camp friendships, we met in our 20s at a party in Bellevue [Washington] and fell in love and got married a few years later – Lisa was from Bellevue and I was from Vancouver. Because of CSS, we maintained a meaningful connection with camp and eventually each of our four kids attended CSS and have made their own lifelong friends.”
Andrew and Lisa have each, at one time or another, served on the CSS board or a board committee.
“CSS has been a Jewish string that has connected us to our Judaism and to Israel in a positive and meaningful way, for which we are extremely grateful,” said Andrew. “Mostly, it’s been the amazing people involved with CSS, whether they be staff or volunteers, each one amazing in their passion for CSS and their genuine love for this magical camp, its mission, its values.”
It was “incredibly important” that their kids also go to Camp Solomon Schechter, said Andrew. “Each child – Josh, Lynne, Joey and Ari – got something different out of camp but their experience reinforced their Judaism and their connection to Israel.
“One summer, it was very special to have all four kids and my nephew from Toronto to attend in the same summer session – five Altows at one session. We were so proud to see how close they all were and continue to be. We believe CSS was an incredible positive influence on all of them.”
Humbled to be one of the Schechter Spark 24 honourees, Andrew said, “In a world today full of hate, full of antisemitism, full of turmoil worldwide, CSS is an oasis of safety for Judaism to shine through our children and teach them the beautiful tenets of Judaism so our children, and future children, can continue to repair the world as our faith illustrates.”
To read about the other Schechter Spark 2024honourees and to RSVP for the (free) local May 5 event at Tap & Barrel in Olympic Village, go to campschechter.org/spark-24. Vancouver co-chairs are Elana Bick and Sheldon Franken, and the special guest will be camp director Manda Graziel.
Thanks to CSS’s 2024 Matchmakers, any new donation to the camp will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $218,000. Visit campschechter.com to donate.
