Tag: Yom Ha’atzmaut

טקס יום הזיכרון ואירוע יום העצמאות

טקס יום הזיכרון ואירוע יום העצמאות המרכזי בוונקובר יערכו בג’ואיש קומיונטי סנטר ובמרכז צ’אן סנטר

טקס יום הזיכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ולנפגעי פעולות האיבה 2018 יערך כרגיל מדי שנה בג’ואיש קומיונטי סנטר של אזור מטרו ונקובר, בשיתוף פעולה עם הג’ואיש פדרשיין של מטרו ונקובר. האירוע יתקיים ביום שלישי ה-17 באפריל החל מ-7.30 בערב והכניסה חופשית. בכך יפתח יום הזכרון בוונקובר ולמחרת יחול יום העצמאות השבעים להולדתה של ישראל. הג’ואיש פדריישן תקיים את האירוע המרכזי ליום העצמאות של ונקובר, במרכז צ’אן לאומניות הבמה בקמפוס של אוניברסיטה של בריטיש קולומביה. זאת, למחרת יום רביעי ה-18 באפריל, גם כן בשעה 7.30 בערב. באירוע החגיגי לאחר הנאומים, יתקיימו הופעות של האמנים הזמרת נינט טייב והזמר שלומי שבן.

טייב (בת ה-34) היא זוכת העונה הראשונה של תוכנית הטלוויזיה ‘כוכב נולד’. מלבד שירה היא גם משחקת ואף שימשה שדרנית ברדיו. ביולי 2016 טיבי ובעלה (יוסי מזרחי) ובתם עזבו את ישראל ועברו לגור בלוס אנג’לס.

שבן (בן ה-41) הוא זמר יוצר וגם פסנתרן ואף זכה ברפס אקו”ם. הוא נשוי לשחקנית יובל שרף ולזוג שני ילדים.

עלות מחירי הכרטיסים (רבים מהם כבר נמכרו): 18 דולר, 36 דולר או 70 דולר.

פשע בקנדה: תמונת הסלפי הסגירה את הרוצחת שחגרה חגורה בה רצחה את חברתה הטובה

מי היה מאמין שתמונת סלפי תמימה של שתי חברות טובות שהועלתה בפייסבוק, תביא להרשעתה בדין של אחת החברות שרצחה שעה קלה לאחר מכן את חברתה. סיפור הרצח המזעזע כאילו לקוח מאחד הפרקים של הבלש המיתולוגי הבריטי שרלוק הולמס.

לפנכי כשבועיים בית המשפט המחוזי בסיסקצ’ואן גזר על שיין אנטואן (בת ה-21), מהעיר ססקטון, שבע שנות מאסר על רצח חברתה הטובה בריטני גרגול (שהייתה בת 18 במותה), בחודש מרץ לפני כשלוש שנים. לפי חקירת המשטרה מתברר כי שתי הצעירות יצאו לבילוי משותף וביקרו במספר פבים ושתו הרבה וכנראה גם עישנו סמים. לאחר מכן התגלע וויכוח מר ביניהן, ובמהלכו אנטואן חנקה את גרגול והשליכה את גופתה בסמוך לאחד הכבישים בססקטון. ליד הגופה החוקרים מצאו חגורה שחורה גדולה.

במסגרת חקירה מאומצת חוקרי המשטרה בדקו את דף הפייסבוק של אנטואן ומצאו תמונה משותפת שלה עם גרגור, שצולמה זמן קצר לפני הרצח. אנטואן כדי להסתיר את העובדה כי היא הרוצחת הוסיפה לתמונה את הכיתוב: “לאן נעלמת חברתי הטובה?” החוקרים בדקו שוב ושוב את התמונה מקרוב, ולבסוף הבחינו גם בכלי הרצח: אנטואן חגרה את אותה חגורה שחורה גדולה שנמצאה ליד גופת חברתה שרצחה.

גזר הדין “הקל” באופן יחסי נקבע לאחר שאנטואן הודתה באחריות לרצח, אם כי היא ציינה שהיא אינה זוכרת שחנקה למוות את גרגול. היא אף לא יכלה להסביר לבית המשפט את המניעים שלה להרוג את חברתה הטובה, שכאמור שעה קודם השתיים בילו ונהנו ביחד. התביעה וההגנה הגיעו להסכם (עיסקת טיעון) על תקופת מאסר בת שבע השנים שהשופט כאמור אישר אותה. ההגנה ציינה כי אנטואן גדלה בבית הורים מאמצים וסבלה מהתעללויות במשך שנים רבות, דבר שהביא אותה לצרוך סמים ולשתות אלכוהול בדחיפות רבה. עורך דינה של אנטואן קרא בבית המשפט את הצהרתה בה נאמר בין היתר: “אני לעולם לא אסלח לעצמי על מה שעשיתי ושום דבר לא יחזיר לחיים את חברתי הטובה. אני מאוד מאוד מצטערת ודבר כזה בשום פנים ואופן לא היה צריך לקרות”. חרטה מאוחרת.

Gathering with community

Participants in last year’s Inclusion Journey at the Knesset in Jerusalem, in front of Marc Chagall’s painting “The Exodus.” (photo from JCC inclusion services)

The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver is part of the international network of Jewish communities celebrating persons with disabilities throughout the month of February. And, on Feb. 6, the entire community is invited to Share the Journey: An Evening of Inspiration, which will feature the screening of My Hero Brother, selected as the leading film for Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. The event will also include remarks from the Hon. Shane Simpson, the provincial minister of social development and poverty reduction, and a slideshow and presentation by Leamore Cohen, coordinator of the JCC’s inclusion services, about the trip they led to Israel last year.

Many traditions exist within the Jewish community, and we must all work to ensure the accessibility of these traditions for all members of the community. It is within this context that the JCC’s inclusion services led the first-ever Canadian JCC diverse-ability and advocacy Inclusion Journey to Israel, with the support of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Gesher Chai Committee and community donors.

Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month reminds us of the importance of cultural connections, inclusive community and accessibility in all traditions and for all people. For its part, the JCC’s inclusion services has organized a number of awareness and visibility initiatives throughout February, including a Ronald McDonald House volunteer initiative with the JCC’s youth programs on Feb. 4 and a “Challa-Luyah” challah bake for the Jewish Food Bank with Axis Vancouver on Feb. 8.

Starting the month’s activities off is the Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., screening at the Rothstein Theatre. For young Israeli adults, traveling after military service is a right of passage, and My Hero Brother emphasizes that such a right must be available for all young people. In drawing a parallel between local experiences and those highlighted in the film, the JCC hopes to bring attention to the abilities of all persons when community works together.

– JCC inclusion services

***

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver-organized Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration is the community’s biggest gathering of the year, and the committee, led by Pam Wolfman, has booked two Israeli performers to help us celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary: Shlomi Shaban and Ninet Tayeb.

Shaban is performing at the upcoming Red Sea Jazz Festival, where he is described as having “the ability to create buoyant virtuoso harmony between classical music, rock and pop…. His characteristic straightforward sense of humour frequently moves on a fine line between black tie concert halls and sweaty smoky rock-n-roll stages.”

Tayeb was the winner of Kochav Nolad (Israeli Idol). Music critic Garreth Browne saw her perform in New York and wrote, “it’s safe to say that the entire audience was fixated and almost hypnotized by her presence.”

Tickets went on sale this week for the April 18 celebration. Visit jewishvancouver.com.

– Courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

***

The Jewish Family Services’ 2018 Innovators Lunch guest speaker will be Leonard Brody. The award-winning entrepreneur, venture capitalist and bestselling author is co-founder and executive chair of Creative Labs, a joint venture with the largest sports and entertainment agency in the world, CAA in Los Angeles. His group is responsible for building new ventures for some of CAA’s most important film, TV and sports celebrities. He also happens to be a community member in Vancouver.

Brody will be talking about The Great Re-Write, his upcoming book in partnership with Forbes magazine, which addresses this unique social and economic moment in history. With rapid social and structural changes have come many challenges for communities, but also opportunities. How do we make the most of this time to invest in our community, uplift society as a whole and ensure we don’t leave people behind? He’ll encourage people to think as innovators to bring about meaningful and lasting social change.

The Innovators Lunch will be held on April 24 at the Vancouver Hyatt. For more details, visit jfsvancouver.ca/innovators.

– Courtesy of Jewish Family Services

The future we seek

A different approach to Yom Hazikaron took place Sunday in Tel Aviv. An alternative form of marking Israel’s remembrance day for fallen soldiers – bringing together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members to decades of conflict – was the 12th annual such gathering.

About 4,000 participants crowded into an arena for the ceremony convened by Combatants for Peace and Parents Circle-Families Forum, a grassroots organization of bereaved Palestinians and Israelis with the slogan, “It won’t stop until we talk.” Regardless of one’s politics, their website – theparentscircle.com – is a testament to the ability of families who have suffered the worst imaginable tragedy to get beyond anger and try to find or create something constructive in the aftermath.

On the other hand, whatever one’s politics, one should condemn the behaviour of a few dozen apparently far-right thugs who protested outside and disrupted the proceedings. Screaming “traitor,” “enemies” and “Nazis,” the protesters threw sand and spat at attendees, including a member of the Knesset. According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, one individual shouted at those entering the arena: “I hate Hitler – not for what he did but for not finishing the job and killing you.”

Across whatever divides exist among Jews, there should be a clear consensus that language and behaviour like this has no justification.

Yet, while 50 or so individuals with no sense of decency made the experience shockingly unpleasant, remember that 4,000 people came together across lines of race, religion and experience based on two things they share in common: grief and the certainty that something has to change if our respective peoples are to ever know lasting peace.

We can argue whether what the participants did helps advance that ideal future, but we can’t argue that everything done before has achieved it, because it has not.

After hundreds of community members filed out of the Chan Centre at the University of British Columbia Monday night following an uplifting and uncontroversial celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, anyone tuned to CBC Radio One heard an interview with David Grossman, re-broadcast from 2010. Grossman, considered one of Israel’s preeminent authors as well as a leading voice for peace, spoke about losing his son Uri, in the 2006 war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, about the necessity of Israeli military strength and about the efforts by then-U.S. president Barack Obama to broker some sort of peace in the region.

The interview was, sadly, timeless. There has not been a U.S. president who has not tried and failed to find peace between Israelis and Palestinians. There is not an Israeli parent who has not feared for their child in the Israel Defence Forces or when a terror attack strikes. One does not need to be a victim who has lost a family member, Grossman said, to be victimized by the circumstance where that kind of anxiety hovers over every day.

There is no doubt it is controversial for the parents, children or other loved ones of dead Israeli soldiers and the parents, children and other loved ones of Palestinians who have died in the conflict to come together. There is a whole range of reasons why many people would find this idea threatening, profane or wrong. But those who came together for the event should be granted by everyone the most minimal acknowledgement: it’s worth a try.

It might not work. But everything else has failed.

It is arrogant in the extreme to assume that we have the only answer. It is equally arrogant to assume there is no solution just because we ourselves can’t conceive of one.

If the current generation – of Israeli leaders, of U.S. presidents, of Diaspora leaders, commentators, activists, diplomats and anyone else – does not have solutions to this conflict, there is one encouraging light. There are young Israelis, Palestinians, Canadians and others who are trying new things. These ideas, too, might not work. But we have to keep trying.

At the local Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration Monday, children – some even toddlers – participated in songs of peace. Children of all ages danced and, even when they weren’t on stage as part of the performance, they filled the aisles with exuberant moves. The main musical attraction, the young Israelis who form the uplifting musical group Jane Bordeaux, chose to spend Yom Ha’atzmaut in Vancouver – their first concert outside Israel.

Will these young people hasten the future we seek?

Providing mutual support

Sara Omer and her kids lost their husband/father Reuven in 2008. (photo from IMP Group)

May 1 was Yom Hazikaron (Israel Memorial Day), May 2 celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) and this month marks the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem. For the widows of Israel’s fallen soldiers, who paid the ultimate price so that Jews all over the world could revel in the modern-day rebirth of the Jewish state, these anniversaries stir varying emotions.

At 94 years old, Devorah Arkin Roth is one of the country’s oldest war widows. Her husband, Mordechai Arkin, was killed while defending Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem just weeks before the official outbreak of the War of Independence in May 1948. She shares fond memories of her husband, as she stares at the photo album of their wedding and the newborn pictures of their first child.

“He was a very talented man who wanted to go to Columbia University in New York to study physics,” she recalled. “But the deteriorating security situation in the country wouldn’t permit him to leave. He worked at Hadassah Hospital and doubled as a guard when he was killed. At the time of his death, I was already pregnant with our second child.”

photo - At 94 years old, Devorah Arkin Roth is one of Israel’s oldest war widows
At 94 years old, Devorah Arkin Roth is one of Israel’s oldest war widows. (photo from IMP Group)

Though Roth remarried and feels privileged to be a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she still gets the jitters each time one of her grandchildren goes into the army. “It’s difficult to see your grandchildren being drafted into the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] after what I had to endure, and even more so because one of my grandchildren was injured as well in battle,” she said.

The Six Dar War was an astounding military accomplishment, as the IDF beat back the armed forces of Egypt, Syria and Jordan – but 776 IDF soldiers lost their lives.

Pte. Yossi Mori was killed on the first day of the Six Day War (June 5, 1967) after his unit was shelled in a minefield. His widow, Dania, recalled, “We had a great group of friends and, to this day, we meet every Memorial Day at his grave. During these years, you keep going, building your home, raising children and grandchildren. You don’t just sit all day thinking about your loss, because then your life would stop.”

First Lieut. Yehuda Ram died while liberating the Golan Heights on the last day of the war (June 10). “Yehuda died when he was 23 years old and we had only been married for a year. It was young love, an innocent one,” Shoshana, his widow, remembered. “I actually came back from the war filled with guilt. Why did I survive and he didn’t? Those feelings disappeared with the years because you can’t keep living like that.”

Even in between wars, when IDF soldiers constantly train in order to be ready for the next conflagration, there are inherent dangers, which can exact a toll.

For example, Sara Omer’s world was nearly destroyed in 2008, when her husband Reuven was killed in the midst of a training exercise as part of his IDF reserve duty. She had to face life alone with her three young boys, twins Nadav and Yotam, who were 6 years old, and Guy, then 2 years old.

“The unexpected loss of my husband was indeed shocking and, when Yom Hazikaron comes around every year,” she said, “it is a difficult day for all of the widows, but my children, who are now teenagers, attend a special ceremony at the Knesset, which is both uplifting and inspiring.”

Run by widows and orphans, the IDF Widows and Orphans organization (IDFWO) creates a support network to help them through difficult times. The organization provides services that touch every aspect of their lives, from a communal bar/bat mitzvah service at the Kotel, to professional training courses.

One of the most important activities of the IDFWO is to bring together people with common experiences for mutual support. Regular retreats give widows a break and a chance to benefit from mutual understanding. The IDFWO Otzma Camps give orphans the same opportunity.

“Once a war widow, always a war widow, even if you remarry and love your second husband. The IDFWO gatherings and activities are very important for a very specific reason,” one of the widows explained. “We might not always agree with each other’s opinions about different things, but we all speak the same language and understand each other, as widows. Since we have all experienced the same loss and trauma, we can speak to each other in our language and help each other when we need to, especially on Yom Hazikaron, when we all could use a hug and a smile.”

To learn more about the IDFWO, see idfwo.org/eng.

Israel at 69 – “love forever”

Jews all over the world celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day – even those who have no intention of ever making aliyah and many of whom have never even visited Israel.

“It’s a kind of insurance policy,” one overseas friend told me. “By supporting Israel financially and emotionally, I know that its sanctuary is available to me or my children or grandchildren should the need ever arise.”

I find this kind of thinking very sad, because Israel is so much more than a refuge for persecuted Jews. Not every immigrant who has built a life here was escaping from the horror of the Holocaust, the tyranny behind the Iron Curtain or the cruelty of life in an Arab country. Many of us – the ones Israelis refer to as “Anglo-Saxim” – lowered their standard of living significantly when they settled in Israel, yet found something here that enhanced our quality of life even as we struggled with inflation, mortgages and trying to make miniscule salaries stretch to the end of the month.

We have found here a family – our own people. Of course, just like any family, we fight – about religion, politics, the settlements. The fights can be very bitter yet, at bottom, we care about each other and bond together when we face a common problem or enemy. We celebrate together and sometimes even have to grieve together. Basically, when the going gets rough, we are on the same side. We express our identity as Jews in different ways, but it is the same identity.

We have found here a beautiful country, unique in the variety of its scenery and climate. Mediterranean beaches banded by azure and indigo water and white sands, coral reefs, dense forests, wooded mountains, deserts and rivers and waterfalls, the shimmering mirrored glass of the Dead Sea, fields carpeted with wildflowers – and Jerusalem, the priceless jewel.

Some of us have found here a spirituality that we would never have been able to achieve abroad. Anyone who has been in Israel on Yom Kippur, when the whole country comes to a standstill for the day, cannot doubt the kedushah, the holiness of Eretz Israel. It is intangible, yet it is an undeniable presence.

We have found here a pride in the remarkable achievements of our relatively smaller and less-developed nation. We teach agriculture to the world, and come to other people’s rescue in times of natural or human-made disasters. We are rich in poets, writers, musicians, actors and artists. We can boast industrial and high-tech entrepreneurs and brilliant scientists. When any new Israeli invention captures the world’s imagination, somehow we all bask in the reflected glory.

Israelis have always been compared to the sabra, the cactus with the thorny exterior but the soft heart. We celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut in many ways: campfires and singing, picnics, a Bible quiz, concerts, music and dancing in the streets. We spend the day with family and friends and relish every moment of it. But it is more than just enjoyment.

On every building and on almost every balcony flies the Israeli flag, its blue stripes and Magen David bright against the white background. For days beforehand and a week afterwards, the flag flies from every car on the road. Ceremonies open with the singing of Hatikvah, The Hope, Israel’s national anthem. Most of us sing it standing straight and proud, and often with tears in our eyes as we remember the broken people who found a safe haven here, and those who never managed to reach its shores and died with the dream of Zion in their hearts. And we also remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in all of Israel’s wars and in the pre-state days, the fighters and pioneers who fashioned this wonderful land that we have inherited.

Shin Shalom, one of Israel’s greatest poets, expressed it for all of us in “Mother Jerusalem Singing,” which he wrote a day after the Yom Kippur War in 1973: “Love forever, glow forever / cherish, yearn, preserve the kernel / of an everlasting nation, of a heritage eternal.”

Dvora Waysman is a Jerusalem-based author. She has written 14 books, including The Pomegranate Pendant, which was made into a movie, and her latest novella, Searching for Sarah. She can be contacted at dwaysman@gmail.com or through her blog dvorawaysman.com.

Help celebrate Israel’s 69th

Jane Bordeaux – Amir Zeevi, left, Doron Talmon and Mati Gilad – perform at the Chan Centre on May 1. (photo from Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver)

What better way to bring folks together in song and celebration of Israel’s 69th birthday than with folk music. And what better band to unite Diaspora Jews than one that writes and performs American-style country-folk songs in Hebrew!

Tel Aviv-based Jane Bordeaux – Doron Talmon, Amir Zeevi and Mati Gilad – will headline this year’s community Yom Ha’atzmaut concert at the Chan Centre on May 1, 7:30 p.m. The trio regularly plays to sell-out crowds.

Their debut album was well-received, with songs such as “Eich Efshar” (“How is it Possible”) and “Whisky” radio favourites, and the video of their song “Ma’agalim” (“Circles”) went viral. A second album is nearing completion and is expected to be released in June.

Talmon and Gilad met in 2012 at Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat Hasharon, Israel. It was in a contest of original songs. “The idea was to perform some of my songs, and get some practical experience of a band format – you know, finding musicians, getting a name for the band and that sort of thing,” Talmon told the Jerusalem Post in a 2016 interview.

“We kept on playing after that one,” Talmon recently told the Independent, “and, when we needed a new guitar player, Amir, who’d been serving with Mati in the military band, had just returned from the U.S., and joined the band.”

Though the band has only been together five years ago, they have all been performing for much longer than that.

“I’ve been singing since I was a little child, always had the attraction to writing songs and singing them,” said Talmon. “After I returned from a long trip in South America, I decided to go and study music professionally, so I went to Rimon school for three years, learning music, songwriting and how to form a band, eventually.”

“I’ve been playing since I was 5, piano and then bass guitar,” said Gilad. “When I went to Thelma-Yellin arts high school in the jazz department, I started also playing the double bass. After high school, I served in the military in an army band and simultaneously studied at the Tel Aviv music conservatory. After the army, I started learning in Rimon school and was there for a year learning both classical, jazz and pop music.”

As for Zeevi, he has been playing the guitar for as long as he can remember. “My high school in Holon had a music major, that’s when I started taking the guitar more seriously, meeting great players and teachers,” he said. “In the army, I’ve played in the air force band and, after my release, I decided to go and learn music in the New School university in New York City, learning both jazz and country music.”

Usually, it is Talmon who comes up with the idea for a song, both the lyrics and melody, then the group starts playing with it, sometimes changing its harmony or structure, and building the arrangement. “Since we perform a lot,” they said, “we often try these new songs in shows, to get the feeling of what it is like to perform with them onstage and how does the crowd react, and each time improving and adjusting the song till it feels complete.”

In true country music fashion, many of Jane Bordeaux’s songs have to do with love and loss – ol’ American hurtin’ songs with a modern, Israeli twist.

“American folk-country, the way we see it, is storytelling, about the dark and the bright sides of life, wrapped in beautiful harmonies and joyful rhythm,” the band members agreed. “How can you not get excited from it? Also, we are addicted to the banjo’s sound and it’s going to feature a lot in our new album.”

“The songs are inspired from life, of course, mine and my friends,’” explained Talmon. “Sometimes, a song may be very close to a personal experience or feeling I had and, sometimes, it can be an idea I borrowed from a book I read or a movie I’ve seen, even a sentence I’ve heard.”

“Ma’agalim” is a bittersweet song about life: “It’s not me that’s progressing / It’s just the time that’s moving on.” The video features a wooden doll in a penny arcade. As the cylinder turns, she walks along her track, bundled up in a coat and scarf, passing people in various stages of life, from cradle to grave. Produced by Israeli animators Uri Lotan and Yoav Shtibelman, it really is a must-see (vimeo.com/ 162052542).

“The minute Uri and Yoav, the creators of the clip, showed it to us,” said the band, “we were so amazed by the beauty and sensibility of the video they made, so we can’t really say we were surprised that it went viral – we never had seen such animation before. We feel that there’s a unique connection between the music and the visuals that’s very moving, so people get excited by it, even without understanding the lyrics.”

No doubt a similar connection will be formed between the band and their audience in Vancouver, where they will sing in both Hebrew and English.

“It’s not going to be the same as in Haifa or Tel Aviv,” they said about the Yom Ha’atzmaut concert. “We love adjusting our set to best fit the place we are going to perform. Since the show date is Israel’s Independence Day, and we guess some of the crowd is English-speaking, in addition to our originals, we’re going to play some English covers and Hebrew all-time favourites – and even some special surprises for the Canadian crowd that obviously we can’t tell in here!”

The group starts their tour in Vancouver, then they have a few shows in North America, including one in Toronto.

“We are super-excited about the show in Vancouver,” they told the Independent. “It’s going to be the first show of our first tour outside of Israel and we’ve got a lot of great stuff planned specially for it, so we’re hoping to see you there!”

Tickets for the May 1 community celebration ($18) can be purchased at jewishvancouver.com/yh2017. In addition to this year’s co-sponsors – Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, Consulate General of Israel in Toronto, Georgian Court Hotel, the Jewish Independent and Jewish National Fund – the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver event is supported by 46 other community organizations.

Noa concert sells out

Achinoam Nini performs for a full house at the Chan Centre on Yom Ha’atzmaut, May 11. (photo from cjnews.com)

Despite the controversy in the months leading up to her Yom Ha’atzmaut performance at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on May 11, Noa’s concert attracted a full house and every one of the 1,185 seats was sold.

“After all the harrowing events leading up to this concert, I am so thrilled to be here and truly grateful to the Jewish Federation [of Greater Vancouver] for not folding and the Israeli ambassador for supporting!” the Israeli singer, whose full name is Achinoam Nini, posted on her Facebook page soon after she touched down in the city.

Performing barefoot throughout, the singer thanked the audience, Federation staff and the Vancouver Jewish community repeatedly during her show “for sticking up for me.”

In February, the Jewish National Fund of Canada, an annual sponsor of Vancouver’s community Yom Ha’atzmaut concerts, withdrew its support, saying it would take a one-year hiatus “due to the views of the entertainment booked for this year’s celebration.”

The organization’s chief executive officer, Josh Cooper, said “the entertainer that has been hired does not reflect nor correspond to the mandate and values of JNF of Canada.” Its decision followed an article in the Jerusalem Post, later retracted, that claimed Vancouver Jews were “outraged” over Nini’s performance and alleged that she supports the boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. She has repeatedly denied the allegation.

After JNF Canada withdrew, the Israeli embassy and the Consulate General of Israel in Toronto stepped in as sponsors. Irit Stopper, deputy consul general in Toronto, represented the state of Israel at the event. It was also attended by Linda Kislowicz, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA, Vancouver City Councilor Geoff Meggs and Burnaby-Lougheed NDP MLA Jane Shin.

Outside the Chan Centre, Michael Brosgart, president of the Jewish Defence League in British Columbia, stood with a handful of supporters and a few placards declaring “Terrorists are obstacles to peace; Biblical Zionists are not.”

A folding table held pictures of an Israeli couple murdered by Palestinian terrorists, and Brosgart distributed material to bystanders. The pages contained excerpts from letters expressing objections to Nini’s performance from community member Frances Belzberg and Israel Defence Forces Lt.-Col. Eyal Platek, as well as links to articles about the singer.

“Noa is supporting the most divisive groups in Israel – B’tselem, Breaking the Silence, BDS and JStreet,” Brosgart said. “Unfortunately, Jewish Federation and the Israeli embassy, because they’re funding this, are supporting her. We think this is rotting the Jewish community.”

On JDL’s Facebook page Brosgart elaborated. “This performance will be extremely divisive, distasteful, disrespectful and does not represent the views and interests of the community. Especially at the time we need unity the most. This is not about free speech. Nini can sing her sh—y songs anywhere she wants. However, this is Israel’s Independence Day. To bring an anti-Israel, terror-sympathizing, enemy-strengthening performer on this day is to spit in the face of all who have lost loved ones defending the nation of Israel.”

One Israeli who attended the concert but asked not to be named said she disliked that Nini “does not separate her political views from her artistry. I’m sorry the selection committee didn’t do more research before they chose her, but I think they learned a lesson,” the woman said.

After seeing the Facebook responses of Israelis in Vancouver opposed to the performance, she decided to attend nevertheless. She added that, once Nini was invited to Vancouver, “I think it was the best thing to keep her here instead of canceling the performance.”

The kosher restaurant Shuk Eat & Play hosted an alternative Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration dinner for 110 attendees the same night.

“I heard Noa’s political sayings and I didn’t appreciate it,” said Shuk owner Alon Volodarsky. “So, some people who didn’t like her suggested we hold this dinner for those community members who still wanted to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut but didn’t want to attend the concert.”

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net. This article was originally published in the Canadian Jewish News.

A healthy community

There are more than 26,000 Jews who live in Metro Vancouver. There is no possible way that a weekly newspaper can cover every event that happens, every milestone that is celebrated and every challenge that we face. But each week that we publish, we can provide a glimpse into the state of our community. And what we see is heartening.

Last week, for instance, our community hosted both Daniel Pipes and Achinoam Nini, two people firm and outspoken in their political beliefs. One could safely argue they represent near-opposite ends of the spectrum in this regard, and yet they both have a place and an audience in our community. This is healthy.

As well, while Nini’s Yom Ha’atzmaut concert sold out, there were some who chose not to attend because they disagreed with her politics. A handful of them protested peacefully outside of the concert; others chose to hold their own Israel Independence Day gathering. Our community can accommodate varied interests and opinions without coming apart at the seams. This is positive.

Currently on display at the Zack Gallery is a group exhibit inspired by Festival Ha’Rikud. The festival brought together dancers from Metro Vancouver, Miami and Kiryat Shmona to perform folk dances with elements from places such as Russia, Yemen, Georgia, Greece and Morocco. And the art exhibit, A Tapestry of Cultures, also celebrates “the diversity as well as commonality of the social groups and micro-societies that make up Israeli culture.” This is enriching.

With a strong understanding of their own culture and religion as their foundation, Vancouver Talmud Torah Grade 6 students have been exploring other faiths and spiritual practices. The students identified similarities and differences across the religions, and their essays show the breadth of what they’ve learned and the enthusiasm with which they have learned it. This is inspiring.

Tikkun olam even finds its way into the publication of a new novel for young adults, with the author donating 10% of the proceeds from sales to charity. And a high-tech entrepreneur is trying to save us from ourselves, and allow us to really – not just virtually – connect with each other via social media. These acts are motivating.

And these stories don’t even touch the surface. We are busy, engaging in the world around us, trying to make it a better place. When we do disagree, it is usually because we care so passionately about the same things. It’s worth stepping back now and then to acknowledge we are part of a community of which we should be deeply proud.

Talking about Israel as a family

Sixty-eight years ago, when Israel was born and became the state of the Jewish people, a family was created. As with any other family that has a complex history, there is love and arguing, support and fallings out in the Israel mishpacha. To make things trickier, Israel is what we would call a blended family, whose members come from wildly varying geopolitical, socio-cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds.

This variety makes for a richness you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere – the intensity and vigor of which those visiting or missing Israel so often speak. However, the blended Israeli family is fraught with tensions brought about by both the baggage each member has and the difficult neighborhood in which they live. Because Israel is the only Jewish state in the world – our only “family home” – each discussion about it feels of utmost consequence, even to Israel’s extended family of Diaspora Jews, who feel strongly about their connection to that familial home and the relatives living in it.

Not long ago, the announcement that singer Achinoam Nini (Noa) had been invited to perform at our community’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration on May 11 set in motion a heated debate about where we draw our red lines when it comes to criticizing Israel. The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver made a decision to welcome Noa despite the objections of individuals who disagree with the artist’s political views, and Ezra Shanken, JFGV’s chief executive officer, expressed his hope that our community would continue the Jewish tradition of welcoming diversity of opinion and embracing respectful debate. As we celebrate Israel’s 68th birthday, I think it would be worthwhile to take a look at how our blended family handles conflict and disagreements when they arise from within, and do a little cheshbon nefesh, soul searching, about how we each might be contributing both to the family’s well-being, as well as to internal friction and divisiveness.

With Israel, we so often focus on the external conflicts, sometimes at the expense of looking at what is happening in our own backyard, and this is something we cannot afford to do any longer. For our blended family to thrive and prosper, it is not enough anymore to stand united against enemies. The strength of a tight-knit family depends less on the extent to which its members agree on every issue, and more on how they communicate their disagreements and live with differing points of view under one roof. We all share a moral obligation to set an example for the children and youth in our community, and show them that the Israeli family of which they are a part is strong and confident enough to welcome and even encourage different opinions and points of view.

So, how do we have disagreements and important discussions without engaging in the kind of destructive behavior and accusations that tear at our familial fabric? Is it possible to have difficult conversations from a place of mutual respect, even when we don’t see eye to eye? I speak from experience when I say that, while not easy, it is, in fact, possible. I have friends from across the political, national and religious spectrums, and I cherish the ongoing, sometimes challenging, conversations I have with them about Israel. With those conversations in mind, I would like to offer a few points to consider and some basic strategies I have found helpful when discussing Israel.

We have something important in common. Whenever you engage in a discussion with a fellow member of the tribe who holds different opinions about Israel than you do, remember that you wouldn’t be having that difficult conversation if it weren’t for the fact that you both care enough about Israel to take the time and argue. If you are not sure this is the case, ask the person a simple question: Do you care about Israel? If they answer yes, then, as surprising as it may sound, you have some common ground – a starting point for a respectful exchange of ideas. It is not always comfortable to accept that someone who holds a political view we disagree with comes, as we do, from a place of caring about Israel. But that is a discomfort we should learn to lean into and work with if we want to help foster within our community the democratic value of free speech – the same value that sets Israel apart from other countries in the Middle East.

Respond rather than react. Yes, there is a difference between the two. When we react, we re-act specific lines, roles and dialogues, just as a well-rehearsed actor in a long-running play would do. Unsurprisingly, reaction-based discussions usually feel like rather irritating déjà vus. When we respond, we do so from a sense of responsibility (response-ability): we know that we are not merely actors with memorized lines, and that we have the freedom to improvise, to choose to keep an open mind in those conversations where our default mode is to be judgmental, get defensive or go on the offensive.

Next time someone says something about Israel that makes you want to yell at them, “You have no idea what you’re talking about!” or “How can you say something like that?!” ask instead “Can you tell me more about what you just said?” It won’t feel natural at first because improv moves us out of our comfort zone. Nevertheless, try it. Be curious. We all have a human need to be heard and we all know how unpleasant it feels when our words are ignored or dismissed. Really hearing someone out is a beautiful, positive way to practise what Rabbi Hillel believed to be the essence of the Torah: what is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbor.

Respect the importance of our personal histories. So much of who we are, what and how we think and how we feel about any given issue is a result of our personal history. When and where we were born and raised, our family’s past, our religious background, the influential people and key experiences in our lives – all of these and more also contribute to how we relate to Israel. If we understand that each one of us has such a personal history that affects our worldviews and that these histories differ from person to person, we move a step closer to accepting that it is inevitable for a variety of opinions about Israel to exist within our community. Once we accept this truth, we can choose to find it in ourselves to treat with respect even those with whose opinions we disagree.

In Hebrew, the words kavod (respect), kibud (honoring/acknowledging) and koved (weight/difficulty) all stem from the same root. Truly respecting “the other” and acknowledging from where they come and their right to hold different opinions to ours can, indeed, feel difficult and burdensome at times. Yet, if we want to help create a strong community that honors the histories and diversity of all its members, we should view this effort to respect the other as a blessed weight that we choose to carry, like that of an unborn child.

If you are a regular reader of the Jewish Independent, it is safe to assume that you, too, care about Israel. As we celebrate Israel’s birthday this year, I invite you to envision the kind of legacy or family heirloom we want to leave for the next generations in our community. In my mind, I see a vibrant, warm, colorful, imperfect and unique patchwork quilt to which each of us can add a symbolic piece of ourselves as the dialogue about our beloved Israel continues to unfold. What is your vision? And what are you willing to do to make it a reality?

Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) teaches us that “it is not upon us to complete the work, but that neither are we free to desist from it.” Our work as fellow members of the extended and blended Israeli family is to do tikkun olam (repair of the world). And tikkun olam begins with us, at home and in our community. So, in our conversations about Israel, let us all commit to being a bit more curious and a little less judgmental. Let’s treat one another with kavod and remember that the strength of our family is directly proportionate to our ability to be kind to one another.

Yael Heffer is an educator who has been working with children and families in the Vancouver Jewish community for close to 10 years. She is currently completing her master’s in child and youth care, is involved in social emotional learning research and is training as a clinical counselor. She grew up in South America, Germany and Israel and is a strong advocate of nonviolent communication.

Yom Ha’atzmaut confirmed

Achinoam Nini (photo from Federation)

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver has confirmed that it has invited Israeli singer Achinoam Nini (Noa) to perform at the Vancouver Jewish community’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations on May 11 at the Chan Centre.

After initial controversy because of Nini’s political views, including a petition that has stalled at just over 430 signatures and the withdrawal of funding by JNF Canada, Pacific Region, support has grown.

The Jewish Independent was one of the first to publicly support Federation’s decision, telling the Canadian Jewish News in a Feb. 19 article that the controversy was “unmerited,” and following up in a JI editorial that was published online Feb. 22 and in the newspaper last Friday. (jewishindependent.ca/lets-talk-about-nini) Also on Feb. 22, a group of more than 30 Israeli Canadians sent a letter urging Federation to “stick” to its invitation.

On Feb. 23, Federation announced two new event sponsors: the embassy of Israel in Canada and the consulate general of Israel in Toronto, which is the official representative office of the government of Israel in Ontario and the Western provinces. “We were thrilled when both the embassy and the consulate approached us with offers to be official sponsors of our Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration,” said Stephen Gaerber, chair of the Federation board, in a statement. “As official representatives of the state of Israel, we see support from the embassy and the consulate as strong messages that there is room for diversity both within Israel and within our community. We are also very happy that the deputy consul general is once again planning to represent the state of Israel at our Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.”

JNF Canada chief executive officer Josh Cooper and president Jerry Werger issued a statement on Feb. 25 clarifying JNF’s position: “We want to be absolutely clear that JNF Canada is not protesting, boycotting, delegitimizing or censoring this event. After hearing from so many of our donors, we simply are not comfortable using charitable funds to support this particular artist.

“JNF Canada is a non-political organization which believes in strengthening the state of Israel for all of her citizens. It remains our position that Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations and other community events should be inclusive.”

Last week, Federation received letters of support that are cited here and can be found in their entirety at jewishvancouver.com.

In addition to saying, “in no way can we allow for differences of opinion to undermine those core values which unite us in our desire for a strong Jewish future with a strong Jewish democratic Israel at the centre,” Natan Sharansky of the Jewish Agency for Israel wrote, “As one who has often had the pleasure of enjoying Noa’s outstanding voice and spectacular talent, I applaud the Vancouver Federation and I know your Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations will be wonderful.”

The director general of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Alan Hoffmann, also issued a supportive statement: “Canada and Israel share the same democratic values that allow for a wide range of opinions, including diverse expressions of Zionism. An inclusive dialogue about Israel is at the heart of JAFI’s efforts to build a thriving Jewish future and a strong Israel.”

Former CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Mark Gurvis, who is now executive vice-president of Jewish Federations of North America, wrote, “In today’s political environment, which is so highly polarized, it has become all too common to brand political opponents as enemies – disloyal, treasonous. It isn’t unique to Israel – we see it today in every Western democracy. It is a phenomenon that is ultimately a far greater threat to communal or national cohesiveness than the different ideas themselves.”

Gurvis spoke of the compromise that was necessary to arrive at the recent landmark decision in Israel to create an egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel. He concluded that there should be a place at the celebration of “Israel’s central place in our collective Jewish gestalt … for the broadest possible cross-section of people who love Israel. The only way we have a future together as a people is if we make our tent larger, and not smaller. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with one another. It just has to mean we recognize and accept each other’s place in our collective journey.”

Julia Berger Reitman and Linda Kislowicz of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA also stressed the importance of pluralism and the need to “support the values of Israel and Canada where democracy and freedom of expression are promoted.” They pointed out, “Artists often play a unique social role. Not only do they entertain us, they also help us to confront issues and stretch beyond the usual sensibilities. They help us find new forms of expression through their art.”

From several local rabbis, Federation received letters of support, or was copied on letters that thanked Israel’s representatives for Israel’s support and/or discussed the importance of a large tent and a multiplicity of opinions in Judaism. Writers included Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom, Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt of Congregation Schara Tzedeck and Rabbi Philip Bregman of Hillel BC. Beth Israel Rabbi Jonathan Infeld wrote a letter thanking Israeli Ambassador to Canada Rafael Barak and made a short video for his congregation, which can be viewed on the home page of jewishindependent.ca.

Members of the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver – Moskovitz, Infeld, Rosenblatt, Bregman, Beth Tikvah Rabbi Howard Siegel, Har El Rabbi Shmuel Birnham and Or Shalom Rabbi Hannah Dresner – expressed their “appreciation to all of those that have come out in support of our community’s Yom Ha’atzmaut concert and celebration…. Our community, like others, has a spectrum of opinion about Israel, its policies and politics. We are grateful that the spirit of democracy, which is one of Israel’s trademarks in the Middle East, has been championed in Vancouver by Israel’s diplomats.”

The RAV letter concluded with the hope that members of the community would include the May 11 concert “among their observances of Yom Ha’atzmaut.”

More than 50 Jewish community organizations support the annual event.