Michael Lee presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal to Grace Hahn at the Jewish Seniors Alliance peer support volunteer recognition celebration. (photo from JSA)
Premier David Eby, left, Rabbi Philip Bregman and BC Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin. (photo from Temple Sholom)
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was created to mark the coronation of King Charles III, which took place on May 6, 2023. It is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a coronation, and its recipients represent a diverse group of individuals who have made significant contributions to British Columbia or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to the province.
Nominating partners included provincial lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners, provincial and territorial governments, members of Parliament, senators, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and several other organizations. Across Canada, the medal will be awarded to 30,000 individuals. In British Columbia, 551 are being presented, and the honourees include several members of the Jewish community, some of whom were brought to the attention of the Jewish Independent.
Rabbi Harry Brechner (screenshot from facebook.com/dustnbonesdoc)
Rabbi Harry Brechner, spiritual leader of Victoria’s Congregation Emanu-El, was nominated by former MLA Rob Fleming for championing community dialogue, interfaith connections and community service.
Rabbi Philip Bregman, rabbi emeritus of Temple Sholom and founder of the Other People, an intercultural group of individuals committed to breaking down the stereotypes that form the foundation of personal and societal bias, was nominated by BC Premier David Eby. Bregman was honoured for path-breaking interfaith work and his passionate fight against antisemitism and bigotry of all kinds throughout British Columbia.
Gordon and Leslie Diamond (photo from kh-uia.org.il)
Gordon Diamond, who was also nominated by Eby, received the medal for unparallelled philanthropic work, making an indelible impact toward health and mental services in the province. Leslie Diamond, nominated by Eby, was recognized for exemplary philanthropic work, especially in the field of women’s health.
Karen James (photo from jewishvancouver.com)
Bernard Pinsky (photo from cwilson.com)
Eby nominated Karen James for leadership, philanthropy and dedication to the Jewish community at home and abroad, and Bernard Pinsky for a lifetime of dedication to the justice system and for strengthening and securing the stories and memories of the Jewish community.
Grace Hahn, senior peer support trainer and supervisor at Jewish Seniors Alliance, was nominated by former MLA Michael Lee. On Sept. 23, at the JSA peer support volunteer recognition celebration, Lee presented the medal to Hahn for her leadership, dedication and commitment to advancing the support for seniors living at home. Hahn has trained countless volunteers in JSA’s Peer Support and Friendly Visitor programs, and also provides additional training in support of reducing isolation and loneliness in the vulnerable seniors sector.
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.
On Sept. 28, Temple Sholom unveiled a new group exhibition in its gallery. “This is not a regular art show,” curator Rina Vizer told the Independent. “It is a commemoration of Oct. 7, of its hope and memories.”
Vizer has wanted to organize a show that would act as a fundraiser since the horrific terror attack on Israel last year.
“It has been the theme of my art from the moment I heard about the attack. I couldn’t process it in any other way than through my painting,” she said. “Last year, in September, we couldn’t even imagine that such an atrocity was possible. I wanted the other artists to do the same, to express what was beyond words through their paintings and share it with viewers.”
“HaTikvah” by Rina Lederer-Vizer is part of the Memory and Hope exhibit at Temple Sholom that Vizer curated to commemorate the terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. (image from Rina Vizer)
At first, she contemplated the Zack Gallery as a venue but it had a schedule to maintain, and its shows were booked well in advance. “Then I discussed with our rabbi some other art installation, and I asked him: ‘What about a show commemorating Oct. 7?’ And he agreed that it was a great idea to reflect on this calamity through art.”
The timeline to find other contributors was very tight. “I started the process at the end of August,” she said. “My only condition [to the artists] was: it had to be new art, created as a reaction to Oct. 7. Nothing old would work.”
Vizer contacted several people she knew personally, including Vivienne Davicioni, Sidi Schaffer and Glenda Leznoff. “I’ve also seen the art of Olga Campbell, and I had heard about Zohar Hagbi and her intuitive art studio. I was sure both of them would be a good fit for this show. The Zack Gallery director, Hope [Forstenzer], recommended Brian Gleckman, who agreed to participate. In all, we have seven Vancouver artists in this show.”
“Tikun Olam” by Brian Gleckman is part of the Memory and Hope exhibit, which is at Temple Sholom until Oct. 28. (image from Rina Vizer)
Vizer and Hagbi were born in Israel, Gleckman hails from the United States, Schaffer was born in Romania, Campbell in Iran, Davicioni in South Africa and Leznoff in Canada. Regardless of their countries of origin, all of them dedicated their artwork for this show to Israel, and all of the pieces reflect the traumatic impacts of Oct. 7.
Vizer’s paintings are not large, but they pack a punch. She signs her art as Rina Lederer-Vizer. “Lederer is my family name,” she explained. “But I only have one sister. When we go, the name will disappear. This way, I hope to keep it a bit longer.” Her painting “HaTikvah” is full of hope and despair in equal measure. A woman gazes up, her palms together in prayer, but her eyes are sad, her expression stark. Is she praying for the hostages’ return? Is she a hostage herself?
Another of her paintings, similar at first glance, is called “101 Days of Awe.” The woman in the foreground is from the diaspora, but her solidarity with the suffering in Israel is unmistakable. Like the figure in her painting, Vizer stalwartly expresses her solidarity with Israel.
“I have been attending the ‘Bring Them Home’ rallies every Sunday since last October,” she said. “We meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 2 o’clock. At first, there were thousands of people there each week. Now, it is a hundred or so, but I go.”
At one of the rallies, Vizer carried a banner with the name and image of one of the hostages, Carmel Gat, a therapist from Tel Aviv. Vizer was so moved by Gat’s plight she used the portrait at her family seder. “I was shocked and angry when I learned on Sept. 1 that Gat was executed in a tunnel,” she said. That was when she painted “Light in Tunnel.” There are darkness and death in those tunnels, but, contends Vizer, light always comes after darkness.
“I See You” by Olga Campbell. (image from Rina Vizer)
Like Vizer, Campbell’s paintings are mostly figurative. “I See You” depicts a face, fearful and anxious. There is a catastrophe unfolding in front of this person, and they are helpless to prevent it. Another of Campbell’s paintings, a number of shadowed figures on a foggy background, bears a fateful title: “I Didn’t Get a Chance to Say Goodbye.” Campbell’s third painting, a black and white collage reminiscent of an old-fashioned newspaper, has an even more explicit title: “October 7.”
The same title applies to one of Schaffer’s paintings. In a short email exchange with the Independent, she said about that horrible day: “The event had and still is impacting me very much. Early every morning, the first thing I do is turn on the TV to hear what’s happening in Israel. I am a child survivor of the Holocaust, and I hoped nothing like that would happen again, but the reality of today is different.”
Schaffer has two paintings in the show, and she explained her symbolism. “The small one is titled ‘October 7.’ It’s a collage. I have done it this year, not long ago. You can see prayer hands and a memory candle for those we lost. There is a child’s wooden rocking horse left without a child. In one of the videos after the horror, I saw a house totally destroyed. Only this horse alone remained on the front lawn.
“The second work is bigger and is titled ‘The Phoenix Reborn from Ashes.’ I worked on it for a few years, but, this year, inspired by the October tragedy, I finished it. I feel it gives hope of renewal, of better days to come, of freedom and joy.”
Leznoff, who is also a writer, talked about her experience joining this show. “I was invited to participate by Rina Vizer, who I met about a decade ago at Israeli dancing. This year, I have been very active writing letters to governments and organizations about antisemitism in Canada since Oct. 7. I had an op-ed in the National Post last January, when two British Columbia theatres canceled the play The Runner. Rina knew me as both an artist and a writer. She knew I have been very moved by the events, both in Israel and in Canada, so she asked me to contribute works I’ve done in response to the war.”
Leznoff’s two pieces in the exhibit are titled “Shattered” and “Morning Light.”
“The first painting is a mixed media piece that uses black ink and paint, yellow paint, a photo, dried flowers from my garden, and charcoal. The painting is abstract, however, there is a sense of something explosive and raw with the black paint,” she said. “For me, the yellow is a sign of hope, and the falling flowers are in memory of the tragedy of the flower children at the music festival.
“The other piece,” she continued, “is connected to a poem I wrote called ‘Winter Light’ that accompanies the painting. The poem is framed with the painting, and it’s about how the hostages and soldiers are always on our minds, and we are not giving up. Ironically, although I am a published writer, I hardly ever write poetry. I think both abstract painting and poetry handle emotional issues that are sometimes difficult to convey in a straight narrative.”
The Memory and Hope exhibit will be displayed at Temple Sholom until Oct. 28. The art is for sale and all proceeds from the sales will go to Hostages and Missing Families Forum: Bring Them Home Now, and Magen David Adom in Israel.
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
BC New Democratic Party candidate Kelly Greene, left, represented the incumbent party in Richmond-Steveston, and BC Conservative Party candidate Michelle Mollineaux, who is challenging Greene for the seat, spoke at a candidates forum last month, hosted by Beth Tikvah and CIJA.
British Columbia’s Oct. 19 election is now short days away. While provincial politics has not traditionally been a forum for issues of culturally specific concerns to Jewish voters, matters like public safety in response to rising antisemitism, and problematic developments in the education system, have focused attention for Jewish voters.
These concerns took centre-stage at a candidates forum co-organized by Beth Tikvah Congregation, in Richmond, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs Sept. 22. Hate crimes, British Columbia’s Anti-Racism Act, the definition of antisemitism, communal security, law enforcement and a host of other issues were addressed by election candidates representing the BC New Democratic Party and the BC Conservatives. The BC Green Party was invited to send a representative but did not.
Kelly Greene, the NDP member of the legislative assembly for Richmond-Steveston, represented the incumbent party. She said she has been having conversations with parents and students who are experiencing antisemitism.
“There is fear where there wasn’t before,” Greene said, declaring that schools need to be safe and welcoming for everyone. She pointed to the NDP government’s commitment to implementing mandatory Holocaust education and said the NDP government has instituted a “suite of actions,” including improved antiracism data collection, new hate crime policies for prosecutors to address wilful promotion of hatred, and the creation of a racist incident hotline.
More needs to be done, she acknowledged. “It is a work in progress, to be honest,” she said.
On the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, Greene said the government needs “to be nimble” and should avoid including specific definitions in legislation. She cited the spike in anti-Asian hate during the COVID pandemic as an example of unanticipated incidents, responses to which could be hindered by narrowly defined descriptions of the problem.
The Conservatives disagree on this point. Michelle Mollineaux, the Conservative candidate challenging Greene in Richmond-Steveston, said her party – win or lose – will bring the adoption of the IHRA definition to the floor on the first day of the new legislative session.
Mollineaux noted that her party has released a comprehensive antisemitism strategy, in which they promise a special advisor on antisemitism and Jewish community affairs, collaboration for safety in the community and schools, and an investigation into bias in classrooms.
“Antisemitism is the most heinous crime against the Jewish community,” said Mollineaux, who called for more antisemitism programs in schools and increased education about Jewish people, history and the Holocaust.
“Oct. 7 was a reflection of the ignorance of what the Jewish people have been facing,” she said.
No ideologies – or Palestinian flags – should be allowed in public school classrooms, Mollineaux said. “Children need to feel safe,” she said. “Students are not safe”
Mollineaux said, “Universities should limit the amounts of protests that are going on. Those kinds of ideologies have to stop.… What they’re doing is wrong because it breeds hate.”
Addressing legislation that would create “bubble zones” around sites such as Jewish schools and community centres to prevent disruptive protests, New Democrat Greene called it a “sad reflection” that any institution needs such protections, as hospitals did during the pandemic to prevent anti-vaccine activists from impeding access to facilities.
Mollineaux did not disagree with the possibility of using bubble zones but said there needs to be more focus on the underlying problems. Education, embracing all cultures and “understanding where we came from,” must be the means to making such bubble zones unnecessary.
“How many bubbles do we have to keep building?” she asked.
Shane Foxman, a former journalist and now director of development for Vancouver Talmud Torah elementary school, moderated the forum, and asked why public expressions that seem to contravene hate crime laws are not resulting in criminal charges.
Greene responded that the New Democrat government has hired more prosecutors to reduce the workload and provided new guidelines to the Crown on suspected hate crimes.
Mollineaux said “police areunder-resourced” and alleged that courts give “a slap on the hand” to perpetrators so that victims are revictimized and offenders “get off scot-free.” She called the court system a “revolving door.” She also called for mandatory antisemitism training for all police and politicians.
“We need to get this under control,” she said.
On the cost of living and issues affecting children and families, both candidates agreed that more needs to be done.
Mollineaux said children with special needs are not getting the educational supports they require and children in provincial care are aging out and becoming homeless adults.
On housing, Greene noted that the most recent statistics show rental prices declining in Metro Vancouver, even as they rise across Canada. She said the speculation and vacancy tax has freed up 20,000 more units of housing, while the government is building more.
Access to family doctors is improving, Greene added, with more than 800 family doctors hired in the last year alone.
Beth Tikvah’s Rabbi Susan Tendler delivered an Indigenous land acknowledgement and blew the shofar.
Another Jewish community election forum, featuring candidates in the riding of Vancouver-Langara, was to take place Oct. 9, after the Independent’s deadline.
The election landscape took a dramatic turn last month, when an agreement between Conservative party leader John Rustad and BC United leader Kevin Falcon resulted in BC United (formerly the BC Liberals) suspending their campaign in an effort to unite the right-of-centre vote. Some former BC United candidates are now running as independents, including two in Richmond.
Election day is a Saturday, but there are many ways to vote. Anyone can vote by mail. Advance voting is available at designated locations in every constituency Oct. 10-13 and Oct. 15-16 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting is also possible at any district electoral office. Full details are available at elections.bc.ca.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has a BC Election Hub at cija.ca/bc_election_hub. This resource outlines community priorities and contains a range of other information. CJPAC, the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, has election-related information at cjpac.ca.
Nina Krieger is the BC New Democratic Party candidate in the riding of Victoria-Swan Lake on Vancouver Island. (photo from ninakrieger.bcndp.ca)
Nina Krieger, former executive director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, will be the New Democratic Party candidate for Victoria-Swan Lake in the Oct. 19 provincial election. She will be vying for the seat vacated by the minister of transportation and infrastructure in the present cabinet, Rob Fleming, who announced this summer that he will not be seeking reelection.
Krieger told the Independent that her work at the VHEC and her decision to seek public office were inspired by having grown up in a family of teachers, with a father who was a union leader, and the values that permeated her home: education and helping others.
“In my household, I learned about the importance of institutions in society, such as unions, that support people when they are facing challenges,” said Krieger, who believes that the BC NDP have acted on this philosophy while in government.
Krieger was the VHEC’s executive director for 12 years and its education director for six. Under her stewardship in recent years, she has positioned the VHEC, located in the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, to be part of JWest, the redevelopment of the JCC, which will mean increased availability of childcare, more seniors services, and expanded arts and cultural spaces, among other things.
“The forward-looking and hopeful work of VHEC and the JWest project speak to the shared responsibility to uplift one another, which is at the heart of my values, Canadian values and the BC NDP’s values,” Krieger said.
Her choice to enter the political arena during this, in her view, critical election is led by a desire to bring people together in this era of increased social and philosophical polarization.
“I would like to use my voice, and my experience as someone who has led and bridged communities, to work to build a better BC for all. Times are challenging right now, and I believe that we need a government that is fighting for you and your family and your ability to live a good life,” Krieger said.
Similar to ridings throughout the province, housing, health care and the cost of living are top-of-mind for voters in Victoria-Swan Lake. Krieger points to plans the NDP has put in place to build hundreds of thousands of new homes and dozens of new hospitals, to reduce ICBC rates and to lower the costs of childcare. Each of these items, she warned, could be on the budgetary chopping board were John Rustad and the BC conservatives to take power.
“We all want the same things: to afford the costs of everyday life, to have access to quality health care when we need it, and to have strong services that we can count on, from childcare to long-term care. We want to be part of strong, safe, prosperous and caring communities,” Krieger said.
One consistent thread in the NDP’s campaign has been to draw attention to the propensity of some in the BC Conservative Party to lend to too much credence to, if not openly adhere to, conspiracy theories.
“As a Holocaust educator, I know about the danger of conspiracy theories. Students of history and observers of politics know that conspiratorial rhetoric has real consequences. It sows distrust in government and distrust between communities and between neighbours,” Krieger said. “Unfortunately, John Rustad and several BC Conservative candidates have a track record of peddling untruths and conspiracies, something that is dangerous to the fabric of civil society.”
Krieger is one of two Jewish candidates known to the JI among the more than 300 people competing for 93 seats in the 2024 race. In this capacity, and as someone who has led a Jewish organization, founded by Holocaust survivors, she believes she can serve as a connection between government and the Jewish community, so that government understands the experiences of Jews in the province, and can act in a way that is guided by this understanding.
“I am committed to bringing my experience and insights to the vital task of building a more just and inclusive society, where the safety, security and well-being of Jewish people and all people are prioritized,” she said.
Amid the surge in antisemitism across the province and around the world since the Hamas attacks on Israel a year ago, Krieger sees a role for an MLA to connect with Jews in British Columbia. She said she has experienced the same pain and anxiety many in the Jewish community have felt in the wake of Oct 7.
“Countering antisemitism requires a whole-of-society commitment that includes the active participation of governments and civil society. If I am elected, I will do my part and will connect with Jewish constituents to ensure their lived experiences are brought forward in provincial discussions,” Krieger said.
Premier David Eby understands these concerns, Krieger said, pointing to a hate-crime prosecution policy that includes fighting antisemitism and the provision of anti-hate security funding to the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. Nonetheless, she and Eby agree that more needs to be done to ensure everyone in the province feels safe.
Although foreign affairs are not a provincial matter, Krieger said MLAs play a critical role in listening to local communities affected by global conflicts and in supporting people in British Columbia by providing a sense of security. Moreover, she stressed, many in the province are deeply affected by the Israel-Hamas war and it is distressing for all people of good conscience to witness suffering and the loss of life.
“While the conflict in the Middle East will not be solved at the provincial level, there is a responsibility to counter antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate of all forms in our society, and to ensure that people feel safe in our public spaces and public institutions,” Krieger said.
As head of the VHEC, Krieger consulted with the Ministry of Education and Childcare about making Holocaust education mandatory for high school students in the province, starting in the fall of 2025.
“We know that learning about the Holocaust can help young people be more resilient to antisemitism, xenophobia and conspiracy theories,” she said. “If elected, I would welcome an opportunity to contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen Holocaust education and combat antisemitism.”
Should she win a seat, Krieger imagines that she also will have a role to play in ensuring that there is a diversity of lived and professional experiences around the caucus table, and in bringing her expertise with intercultural work, as well as countering antisemitism and hate, to the role of MLA.
There is a great deal at stake in this election, Krieger said, and this was her motivation to seek office under the NDP tent. The NDP’s seven-year tenure, she said, has made strides in improving housing, health care and affordability.
“Now is not the time for cuts to programs and services. Now is not the time to take away cost savings. Now is not the time to cancel initiatives that are starting to make a difference in the lives of people. Now is not the time to question climate science or make decisions based on conspiracy theories,” Krieger said.
Since its formation in 2009, the Victoria-Swan Lake riding has voted solidly in favour of the NDP, with Fleming obtaining a sizable majority in each of the last four provincial elections.
Sam Margolishas written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
Policy priorities of Claire Rattee, the BC Conservative Party candidate in the riding of Skeena, include mental health and addictions, low-income housing, emergency weather shelters, economic development, and antisemitism. (photo from conservativebc.ca)
There is not much of a Jewish community in Kitimat, but Claire Rattee hopes that, if she is elected to the legislature in the northwest riding of Skeena this month, she will be able to raise the visibility.
Rattee originates from the Lower Mainland and moved to Kitimat 13 years ago. She served a term on Kitimat city council, ran twice for the federal Conservatives and is now seeking to be elected as the Conservative MLA for the sprawling riding, which encompasses Terrace, as well as Kitimat, and smaller communities along the Alaska border and in the interior of the region. The constituency has a history of swinging between parties. It has been won in the past two elections by Ellis Ross, who was elected as a BC Liberal and is leaving provincial politics to run federally as a Conservative. The Liberal party became BC United and subsequently folded its campaign. Rattee said the decision to unite the right-of-centre campaign was felt palpably in her door-to-door campaigning.
“We were already looking very good here in this riding at that point,” she said. “But that definitely changed things significantly.… Now, it’s essentially just going to be a two-way race between myself and the NDP candidate.”
Rattee is running against Terrace city councilor Sarah Zimmerman, who was nominated as the BC NDP candidate in June.
Close to Rattee’s heart are policies around support for people experiencing addictions.
“In my later years of high school, I basically had some problems with drugs … where I was in active addiction and my family was obviously trying to help me to get out of that and, eventually, I decided that I was ready,” she told the Independent.
Rattee turned 19 in treatment and then thought a change of environment would be helpful. After moving to Kitimat, she became an entrepreneur and sought to get involved in the community.
“Obviously, with my background, I’ve got a lot of passion for addressing the issues of mental health and addictions,” she said. “The lack of treatment facilities in this region is extremely frustrating for me, just based on the experiences that I went through.”
Low-income housing and emergency weather shelters for people experiencing homelessness are also priorities. Economic development in the region is an issue she championed on council, she said, and she wants the area recognized as the economic driver it is in the province.
Rattee’s parents converted to Judaism around the time she was born, she said, but sent the kids to Christian schools.
“We are not Orthodox,” she said. “My father ran a sort of church service and we had about 50 people that were a part of that organization and my father still runs Bible study every Saturday and I try to partake in that via Zoom when I can.”
Asked to clarify if she considers herself Christian or Jewish, Rattee said that she and her three siblings consider themselves Jewish.
“It’s a little bit confusing,” she said. “Not to get into the weeds on it too much, but I would essentially consider ourselves converts. My father was raised Catholic but he converted to Judaism when I was born and so we follow Torah, we respect the Talmud, but we’re not Orthodox.” Her mother also converted, she said, but returned to Christianity after the parents separated.
Rattee said she is proud that her party has released a “comprehensive antisemitism strategy.” The proposal, unveiled Sept. 20, calls for the adoption of the International Holocaust
Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism; linking funding for universities to accountability on student safety, including that of Jewish students; launching an investigation into Samidoun, a Vancouver-based group with ties to extremism; increased provincial funding for JWest, the redevelopment of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver; and an inquiry into the BC Teachers’ Federation on issues of Israel and Palestine, among other commitments.
“Particularly right now in this political climate, we’re seeing a significant rise in antisemitism,” said Rattee. “We’ve been very clear from the outset, our party leader has been clear from the outset, that we stand with the Jewish people, we stand with Israel.”
Isobel Mackenzie, left, and Selina Robinson will be honoured at Jewish Seniors Alliance’s AGM Nov. 3.
The Jewish Seniors Alliance of Greater Vancouver’s annual general meeting on Nov. 3 will serve as an opportunity to welcome the organization’s first-ever executive director, Jeff Moss, and to honour two prominent women in provincial politics who have been dedicated to seniors throughout their careers: Selina Robinson and Isobel Mackenzie.
JSA chair Tammi Belfer will introduce Moss, whose hiring marks a significant change in the alliance’s 21-year history. The shift, she said, will enable the board of directors to focus on policy-making and high-level planning, while collaborating with the new executive director and staff on implementation.
“This transition is a gradual process, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to each board member for their years of unpaid work,” said Belfer. “Together with our executive director, we can now strategically plan every event, raise much-needed funds, and improve and expand our services to our ultimate clients – the seniors of Greater Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and the entire province.”
Moss told the Independent that he is looking forward to his first AGM as executive director, a job he started in July, and that, in his new position, he plans to recognize the past and look ahead to the future of the “modern, inclusive and dynamic charity.”
“I am pleased to work alongside our incredible community partners, with the support of our generous donors, a committed board and motivated staff,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to build on our strong reputation for positively impacting the lives of lonely and isolated seniors.”
Belfer praised Moss as JSA prepares for its move away from an operational board, noting that the coming year will not be an easy one, but it will be exciting.
“Jeff and I form a great partnership and I hope, together, we bring the name and extreme value of JSA to the forefront of all seniors. This population is growing and the need is increasing. Vancouver and BC can count on us to be there for seniors. We are seniors stronger together,” she said.
“Jeff’s caring nature and strong management skills are the exact combination we need for our first executive director,” she added. “When he reaches out to you, make a point of meeting with him – you are in for a treat.”
Robinson, who has been the member of the legislative assembly for Coquitlam-Maillardville since 2013, is not running for reelection on Oct. 19. She made the decision to retire for several reasons (jewishindependent.ca/the-aftermath-of-resignation) and is in the final stages of writing a memoir, which is set for release in November.
Before gaining a seat in the legislature, Robinson worked as a family therapist and was a city councilor in Coquitlam for two terms. Her career includes having been associate executive director of Vancouver’s Jewish Family Service Agency. As an MLA, she served as opposition critic on seniors, mental health and addictions, and other issues. In government, she served as minister of municipal affairs and housing, and as British Columbia’s finance minister. She was minister of post-secondary education and future skills until earlier this year.
“Representing people in my community and being their voice in government has been the greatest honour, and having JSA acknowledge that work warms my heart,” Robinson told the Independent. “Thank you, JSA, for being such great partners.
“Jewish Seniors Alliance understands that, in order to have a strong community, you need to make sure that the community has what it needs,” she said. “JSA engages Jewish seniors to provide them with services and supports, and to better understand their needs so that they can advocate for resources to better meet those needs.”
Mackenzie – who is nominated for a term this year on JSA’s board of directors – served for 10 years under both Liberal and NDP governments as the province’s first seniors advocate, before her retirement earlier this year. Her efforts won her widespread plaudits and dispelled initial skepticism concerning the effectiveness of the new office.
In a piece for the Orca in March, shortly after it was announced that Mackenzie would leave her role as seniors advocate, political commentator Rob Shaw wrote, “She left widely respected by all sides at the legislature, inside the Ministry of Health and even amongst the seniors care groups she has occasionally clashed with in her reports.
“Mackenzie’s work highlighting care hour shortages in long-term care homes, first-bed refusal policy problems, partners split up in assisted living, consent and admission concerns, and the underperformance of private long-term care facilities using public funding have all led to government reforms. She created a useful and relevant database on care homes. And she’s still fighting for a hike to the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) rates.”
In the 1990s, long before she became the province’s seniors advocate, Mackenzie was chief executive officer of the provincial nonprofit Beacon Community Services, where she led a new model of dementia care that has become a national best practice, and established safety accreditation for home-care workers.
Jewish community member Dan Levitt is the new provincial seniors advocate, taking over from Mackenzie.
The JSA AGM on Nov. 3 will be held at Congregation Beth Israel, starting at 5 p.m. Dinner tickets are $75 and attendees are requested to RSVP by Oct. 20 to [email protected] or 604-732-1555.
Anyone who has made a donation to JSA of $18 or more in the past 12 months is considered a member in good standing and is eligible to vote at the AGM.
Sam Margolishas written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
Jeremy Goldstein, centre, and volunteer participants in the Newcastle, Australia, performance of Truth to Power Café earlier this month. Members of the Vancouver community will participate in the event here on Nov. 3. (photo by Cassandra Hannagan)
“Who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?” This is the question at the centre of Jeremy Goldstein’s Truth to Power Café, which he will present – with the help of local community members – Nov. 3 at the Rothstein Theatre as part of the Chutzpah! Festival.
“As with all our events, we invite participants to sign up to the project through a combination of open call and personal invites, which we send out in close collaboration with our presenter, who, in this case, is the wonderful Chutzpah! Festival,” explained Goldstein. “We don’t normally confirm the line-up until a week or two before the performance, so it’s a little early to say what people will speak about, but we’re looking for Vancouverites willing to engage in a process of compassionate truth-telling. When we combine this with my own memoir, told through poetry, image, film and music, it makes for fantastic theatre.”
The deadline was earlier this week for local community members of all ages, experiences and backgrounds to apply to be a part of the event. Selected participants will present a short monologue related to the question of who has power over them and what they want to say to that person, whoever it may be, a parent, sibling, boss, politician, neighbour, friend. In a 2022 Total Theatre Magazine article, Goldstein wrote, “Participants’ voices are heard and understood through the political and philosophical beliefs of Harold Pinter and his Hackney Gang.”
“Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter wrote about power and occupation. His inner circle, the Hackney Gang, were a group of working-class lads who met in 1947,” Goldstein explained to the Independent. “They knocked about London’s East End in the 1950s, where they took on the bullies and fought with antisemitic fascists. The gang included my late father, Mick Goldstein, and the late poet/actor Henry Woolf, who became known as the ‘King of the Avant Garde,’ and with whom I co-created the show directed by Jen Heyes.
“For 60 years, the Hackney Gang held firm in their belief of an independent media and in speaking their truth to power,” said Goldstein. “They remained on the side of the occupied and the disempowered and their allies. These are the people we invite to appear in the show with me.
“Ultimately,” he added, “the show has become a love letter to the memory of my father Mick, and his friends of 60 years, Henry Woolf and Harold Pinter.”
Goldstein started Truth to Power Café eight years ago.
“Back in 2016, I was presenting New York’s queen of the underground and former Andy Warhol Factory superstar Penny Arcade at Soho Theatre in London,” he said. “I wanted to stage a pre-show event so I opened up my address book and invited 24 Londoners to respond to the question, ‘Who has power over you, and what do you want to say to them?’ Over four nights, I saw the theatre come alive with raw and compassionate truth-telling and was compelled to make a show out of it.”
But there were unexpected challenges.
Jeremy Goldstein brings his Truth to Power Café to the Chutzpah! Festival Nov. 3. (photo by Cassandra Hannagan)
“Two weeks before the first night, my face became numb and the doctors told me I had a stage 4 lymphoma,” shared Goldstein. “At the time, I didn’t know if I would live, let alone make it to the Soho Theatre performances. Eighteen months and a stem cell transplant later, I was cured and premièred the show at Festival 18, the arts and culture program for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.
“I’ve been on the road with it ever since, playing everywhere from poor working-class mining communities in the north of England to remote townships in the Australian outback to Queer Zagreb in Croatia and on to Lincoln Centre in New York – Truth to Power Café is a genuine global hit.”
Since it began, the show has had some 800 diverse participants taking part in eight countries.
“Some participants are established writers, artists and community activists, whereas others have never spoken up in public before, let alone centre-stage, under lights in their local theatre, sharing intensely personal life stories in front of their friends and family,” said Goldstein. “I’ve become a vessel through which these stories are told. It’s a very privileged position to be in and I don’t take it for granted. I want people taking part to have a positive experience, so I’m very aware of people’s well-being as part of the process leading up to each performance, and into the show itself. I check in with everyone after the show. Many of our participants have become my friends.”
He is well aware of how confronting power can put a person in a vulnerable position.
“The basic rule in life is don’t rock the boat or to tell a white lie to keep the peace, so whether you choose to speak from the personal, political, professional or even all three, speaking truth to power can put you at risk,” he said. “We, therefore, make the show in a safe space or, in the words of one our recent participants, Ed Wright: ‘To talk truth to power, to find our own power, we need to be able to feel safe. To have our power returned to us when it has gone missing, we need to know we have been listened to.’”
The question being asked – “Who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?” – is meant to challenge ideas of power and give voice to people who don’t normally have a chance to speak out, said Goldstein.
“People from marginalized communities tend to talk about progressive change, whereas those with privilege and power want to maintain the status quo and have more power,” he said. “We live in the post-truth age of the demagogue, where fake news is the new norm. In politics, the oppressed often have to fight for the right to simply say what they are experiencing and, in personal relationships, that artificial barrier is also in place. If you have an approach to allowing the conversation to happen, the chances of change occurring are much higher.”
The Nov. 3 Chutzpah! show is Truth to Power Café’s Canadian première and its 60th performance.
“It’s extremely rare to have two significant milestones back-to-back,” said Goldstein, “so I can’t wait to celebrate this with the good people of Vancouver.”
Chutzpah! runs Nov. 1-10. For the full lineup and tickets, visit chutzpahfestival.com or call 604-257-5145.
New this year for the Chutzpah! Festival: Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver members receive discounted ticket prices and concession purchases at the theatre. Select Student/Senior/JCC Member tickets and ChutzPacks and bring your membership card to the theatre.
Chutzpah! resident artists Livona Ellis, left, and Rebecca Margolick in their debut collaborative piece, Fortress, which is part of a double bill at the Dance Centre next month. (photo by Benjamin Peralta)
Strength, vulnerability, love, pain, joy, healing, creation. Two world premières at this year’s Chutzpah! Festival explore these and other aspects of what it means to be human. The Nov. 8-9 double bill of Fortress and About Time are being presented with the festival’s community partner, the Dance Centre.
Fortress is the debut collaborative piece by Chutzpah! resident artists Rebecca Margolick and Livona Ellis. In it, the dancers and choreographers contemplate femininity, what it means to be strong, what it means to be vulnerable and the balance between the two.
“I draw strength from the resilience and emotional intelligence of the women in my life. My mom, Mary-Louise Albert, and my grandmothers, Phyllis Margolick and June Albert, are key inspirations,” Margolick told the Independent. “I also think of my great-great-grandmother, Rivka Margolick, who fled the pogroms in Latvia in the late 1800s with her nine children. She died a week after arriving in Montreal, but her bravery continues to inspire me. I often think about how that one lucky and bold move to escape and to come to Canada has led to me here, now.”
Margolick’s heritage infuses her creative life.
“Jewish culture encourages asking questions and exploring ideas from multiple perspectives, which mirrors my creative process,” she explained. “I constantly question the work I’m building, not out of doubt, but as a way to deepen and refine it. This openness to possibilities, paired with a focus on collaborative exploration, is something I see as a direct reflection of my Jewish values, and one that I connect to strongly in my culture, my work, and the overall way I operate in the world.”
Born and raised in British Columbia, Margolick recently returned to Vancouver.
“I officially moved back in July, but I had been coming back here more often since the pandemic,” she said. “I was based in New York City for 14 years. For the last 18 months, I was nomadic and traveling around for work without a home base. I chose to settle back in Vancouver to be closer to family, have better access to nature, have a calmer lifestyle, and to strengthen the community and close friendships I have here.”
Margolick’s choreographic work has been presented around the world, and she has danced with various artists and companies, including Sidra Bell Dance New York from 2012 to 2016. She joined Andrea Peña & Artists this year.
Ellis has performed with several groups, including 11 seasons with Ballet BC, and has create works for many companies. She received the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Artist in 2017 and the inaugural Louise Bentall Award for Emerging Choreographer in 2023. She is also a dance educator.
“It has almost completely changed!” said Margolick of the work’s evolution since then. “We took some base movement ideas from the original work, for example, rocking, and then extrapolated on it. Our themes and original inspiration for the work have remained similar. We’ve let ideas breathe more, creating space for simplicity to stretch, and allowing the work to feel more spacious and exploratory.”
Margolick described how she and Ellis work together.
“Like a lot of creative processes, it feels like we’re building a puzzle,” she said. “We start with throwing out a bunch of ideas (puzzle pieces), trying them out, placing them next to other ideas, and seeing how they work together. Some ideas fit, while some don’t. It’s a constant process of refining, editing and reworking until the picture becomes clear. We aim to craft an arc that makes sense but still leaves room for mystery and space for the audience to create their own experience.”
As for her own journey with femininity, strength and vulnerability, Margolick shared, “Over time, I’ve grown more comfortable in my own skin, learning to embrace my imperfections and express my emotions more freely. I’ve come to understand that there is great power in vulnerability. As I’ve matured, I’ve also leaned into dialectical and critical thinking, which has helped me appreciate the complexity of femininity. Working on Fortress has reinforced for me that true strength lies in allowing space for tenderness and care, even when it feels messy.”
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About Time choreographer Idan Cohen has also come to better understand messiness – the countless disparate ideas, feelings and events that co-exist at any given moment – in his exploration of time via Philip Glass’s solo piano études.
“It’s been very challenging to create throughout this traumatic year,” he acknowledged. “It feels like, since Oct. 7, one faces two major options: there are those who break and those who assemble, constructing something out of the pain and confusion. I chose to create About Time as a commentary on the ways we consume information, form opinions and lose empathy. Time goes on whether we want it to or not. The question is, with what do we fill that space, the time we are given. My time is filled with both love and pain. I break, but I also feel the urge to create, provoke thought and promote healing.”
Born and raised in Israel, but now an established Vancouverite, Cohen’s career includes seven seasons with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and various international tours, residencies and scholarships. A multiple-awarding-winning performer and choreographer/director, he is founder and artistic director of Ne.Sans Opera & Dance.
The original idea to create a piece to Glass’s études came from Cohen’s colleague and friend, conductor and pianist Leslie Dala, back in 2020.
Will Jessup in Idan Cohen’s About Time, an exploration of time through Philip Glass’s solo piano études. In this year’s Chutzpah! Festival, Jessup and Benjamin DeFaria perform the piece with pianist Leslie Dala at the Dance Centre Nov. 8-9. (photo by Chris Randle)
“Even now, between other projects, I find myself continually returning to Glass’s études,” said Cohen. “I have to understand the core of the music. It is more than just the composer’s intention – it’s about tracking and studying their identity, which makes them a cultural phenomenon, that deep essence through which they form a perspective, their cultural DNA. Glass is such a fascinating artist, and I have a tendency to obsess and study things over time – it is a friendship. I am immersed in Glass’s unique understanding and appreciation of time, and in the way he engages with philosophies and perspectives.”
Cohen has learned a few things from this immersion. In particular, he said, “In order to survive, I had to remind myself that no timeline is more important than another – joy and pleasure exist in any given moment, alongside tragedy, weakness and pain. There are multiple realities, and the worst atrocities happen simultaneously with moments of celebration and joy.”
While the music is the foremost inspiration, Cohen said it serves as “the gateway through which a creative world is assembled.”
“In a creative process,” he said, “I need to find my interpretation of the music, to discover where the core connection lies between the music and myself. It is an act of artistic communication – between artists, between Glass and me, the dancers, Leslie Dala, the designers and everyone involved. I find the act of art-making to be an important practice in both creation and healing.”
Dala will perform Glass’s études live during About Time, which features dancers Will Jessup and Benjamin DeFaria.
To the community, “who have endured unbearable pain this year,” Cohen said, “I dedicate every movement and every step of this creation to you, sending you strength and love. I am praying for better times to come.”
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The Fortress and About Time double bill will take place at Scotiabank Dance Centre. For the full Chutzpah! Festival lineup and tickets, visit chutzpahfestival.com.
New this year for the Chutzpah! Festival: Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver members receive discounted ticket prices and concession purchases at the theatre. Select Student/Senior/JCC Member tickets and ChutzPacks and bring your membership card to the theatre.
Actor Kieran Sequoia (Breaking Bad, Disney’s Night at the Museum) is one of the performers in The Keep It Raw Cabaret: A Tribute to Jay Hamburger, co-presented by the Heart of the City Festival and Theatre in the Raw on Nov. 9 at Russian Hall (photo by Katie Keaveny)
Guided by the theme “Threads of Connection,” the 21st annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 10, with more than 100 events throughout the Downtown Eastside and online. Several members of the Jewish community are involved.
The festival opens Oct. 30, 2 p.m., at Carnegie Community Centre Theatre with co-founders Terry Hunter and Savannah Walling as they reflect on their 21-year history with the festival, express gratitude to fellow artists, residents and organizations, and “pass the paddle” to new leadership. Special guests include, among others, Bob Baker/S7aplek (Squamish Nation); Chinese-Canadian rap artist Gerry Sung (Scope G), who is also a cast member of Props Master’s Dream, which is part of the festival offerings; Pavel Rhyzlovsky (accordion) and Leonard Chokroun (violin), from Strathcona’s Ukrainian Hall; and grass dancers Larissa Healey and Pavel Desjarlais.
Jewish community member Itai Erdal is the lighting designer for The Prop Master’s Dream, which takes place Nov. 2, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., at Vancouver Playhouse (tickets: bit.ly/3B8rO0w).
This fusion opera produced by Vancouver Cantonese Opera is inspired by the true-life story of Wah-Kwan Gwan (1929-2000), a little-known Chinese opera performer and prop master born to a local Chinese father and Indigenous mother. The Cantonese Opera cast is joined by Sung and Haudenosaunee/Irish actress and singer Cheri Maracle, and features projections by filmmaker Anthony Lee.
Counselor and stand-up comic David Granirer will be joined by comedians from Stand Up for Mental Health on Nov. 2 for a Heart of the City Festival show at Carnegie Theatre. (photo from Heart of the City Festival)
Also on Nov. 2 – at Carnegie Theatre, 4 p.m. – is Funny Side Up: Stand Up for Mental Health. Counselor and stand-up comic David Granirer will be joined by comedians from Stand Up for Mental Health, to look at the lighter side of taking meds, seeing counselors, getting diagnosed and surviving the mental health system. Jewish community member Granirer’s Stand Up for Mental Health teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental illness. This event is one of the festival’s many free offerings.
On Nov. 9, 8 p.m., at Russian Hall, the festival honours Jewish community member Jay Hamburger, who died earlier this year. Hamburger was a beloved teacher, political activist, radio host and artistic director of Theatre in the Raw, which is co-presenting the event (tickets: bit.ly/4eqs3Cu).
The Keep It Raw Cabaret: A Tribute to Jay Hamburger features choral singers, stand-up comedy, staged theatrical surprises, a taste of Hamburger’s original poetry and writings, and more. Among the participants are Jewish community members Stephen Aberle and Hamburger’s son, Sylvan Hamburger.
The Heart of the City Festival is presented by Vancouver Moving Theatre in association with the Carnegie Community Centre and the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians and a host of community partners. The festival works with, for and about the Downtown Eastside community to carry forward the area community’s stories, ancestral memory, cultural traditions, lived experiences and artistic processes to illuminate pathways of resistance and resilience. For the full lineup and other information, visit heartofthecityfestival.com.
