M-01_dec 25.indd - The Canadian Jewish News

MONTREAL EDITION december 25, 2014 • 3 tevet, 5775
$2.00 • 28 PAGES • WWW.CJNEWS.COM
Inside
Harper celebrates Chanukah
The prime minister and
his wife Laureen light
the menorah in Montreal.
PAGE 5
La tragГ©die des rГ©fugiГ©s
Juifs des pays arabes
Réflexions de l’Historien israélien Michel Abitbol.
Page 9
Everything old is new again
NOTE TO READERS:
The CJN will not be
publishing on Jan. 1.
Our next issue is
Jan. 8.
Vayigash
The biblical epic comes full circle as Moses returns to the silver screen.
But where’s the Jewish content? page 8
Prejudice on the
campaign trail
A tense Chanukah
in Crown Heights
Old RCA studios
turned into gallery
Jewish-Iranian candidate reflects
on being mistaken for a Muslim
by Toronto voters. PAGE 7
Security heightened after
stabbing at Chabad’s Brooklyn
headquarters. Page 18
New space features a variety of
artistic styles.
PAGE 21
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2
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Kevin O’Leary
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Robert
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BrigitteHerjavec
Bardot dislikes
meat, too.
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claw,
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Le Monde.
letterthe
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on
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responding
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as
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Muslim ritual slaughter and horse meat.
whether
there
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Hogwarts,
the
Jewish and Muslim religious laws require
fictional
wizardbe
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Ravenclaw
is one
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that animals
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necks are cut, a practice deemed cruel by
had
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that Goldstein,
whoJewish
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Potter
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International
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Cover
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The number of French Jews who made
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of 2014, prosmore
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so
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year
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, giving his
from
war-torn
Ukraine.
gag for
the ages
11 fingers in total.
French
comedian
Dieudonné M’bala
What about
Superman?
M’bala, who has multiple convictions for
inciting
racial
hatred against
Jews,
wants
Canadian
professor
William
Schabas,
to
meet
with
representatives
of
France’s
whose ability to judge Israel fairly as the
Jewish
community.
an open
letter
earllead United
NationsIn
Human
Rights
Counrier
this
month,
his
lawyers
asked
Interior
cil investigator of Operation Protective
Minister
Cazeneuve
and Gilles
who say
a crisis
U.S.-Israel
Edge has Bernard
been heavily
questioned,
said Israelis
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ancestors
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new
poll
the libIsrael’s opposition to the UN appointment kenazi Jewry, according to a newby
study
led
gate
for
the
fight
against
anti-Semitism,
eral
U.S.
pro-Israel
advocacy
group
J
Street.
would have been the same no matter who by Columbia University prof Shai Carmi.
to
organize
necessary,
the
was
chosenthe
formeeting.
the role. It’s
Israel
would oblawyers
wrote,
to
“determine
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terms
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ject “even if Spider-Man was heading the
an
accord
which
would
allow
both
parties
commission,” he told the London-based
to
respect
the other.”
CRIF,
the French
Arabic
newspaper
Asharq
al-Awsat.
“I will
Jewish
umbrella
group,
did
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not resign. I do not hate Israel. Iimmediwill put
ately
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Dear:
..................................................................................................................
Many
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France’s
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Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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Please E-Mail orcomplexities.
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because
his performances
creation
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co-creator
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radio
n respond
Please
by
the
above
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we w
Inside today’s edition
ulating
air pockets.
ockets.
6,655
11
61.7%
350
In
case you
thought
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Brigitte
Bardot
published
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open letter Sept. 8 in leading French newspapers
J.K.
Rowling
has confirmed
that
one
of
calling
for a ban
on shchitah.
The
oneHarry
Potter’s
classmates
in
her
famed
sertime starlet termed the practice “ritual
ies
is Jewish.“Anthony
Goldstein,
Ravensacrifice”
in papers such
as Le Figaro
and
Letters
4
3
Rabbi2Rabbi
Rabbi2Rabbi
Perspectives 4
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News
5
Comment
10
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25,
SEPTEMBER
18, 2014
Gematria
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57
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Jewish
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Q & A Town 58
Parshah
24
Social Scene
59
5 minute
Jewish & Digital columnist Mark Mietkiewicz
challah,
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THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
3
M
Letters
to the Editor
Judaism and the right to die
Dr. Hershl Berman wrote (Letters, Dec.
11) that opiate use does not shorten life.
I concur completely.
All of those who are familiar with such
use can attest to the fact that when used
properly and carefully, opiates can provide
much needed relief of pain and suffering
and provide compassionate comfort without compromising life expectancy, which
may be curtailed as part of the illness, but
not because of the treatment.
Dr. Michael Gordon
Medical Program Director, Palliative Care,
Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto
Seeking millennials
In Rabbi2Rabbi, the topic was, “How
can shuls reach millennials?” (Dec. 11).
I think a more interesting question is
where are the millennials?
Many Jews intermarry or simply assimilate and remove themselves from the Jewish community. This is well known and
often spoken about. What is less often
mentioned is the low birth rate among
non-Orthodox Jews. The Pew report on
Jewish Americans states that non-Orthodox Jews have only 1.7 children per adult.
That low birthrate alone guarantees the
disappearance of non-Orthodox congregations. Shuls cannot reach millennials
who were never born.
Abe Margel
Thornhill, Ont.
Rescue vs collaboration
The title of Gaylen Ross’ article (“When
rescue is not collaboration,” Dec. 4)
is misleading. The so-called rescue of
Transylvanian Jews attributed to Reszo
Kasztner is a misrepresentation of historical facts as I personally know them.
As a child growing up in Israel my grandfather, Yechiel Shmueli, told me what
happened in Kluj in May 1944.
Before the Jews of Kluj were herded into
the brick factory, which was used as the
ghetto on the way to Auschwitz, they were
told by Kasztner, who knew their true
destination, that, “We were being taken
to Kenyermeze to work… Brothers, you
should know that the Hungarian authorities have decided to empty Kenyermeze
of its population, and all the Jews of Hungary are going to be placed there until the
end of the war.” This in fact was the testi-
Maybe it’s time you
risk adjusted your
wealth manager.
mony my grandfather gave at the trial of
Malchiel Gruenwald in Jerusalem in 1953,
when Kasztner had charged Gruenwald
with libel.
“Kenyermeze” was a mythical place
meaning in Hungarian “meadow of
bread.” This explanation lulled the Jews
of Transylvania to believe that they would
be safe if they got on the trains. If Kasztner really believed this then why did he
have to spirit his friends and family out
to Switzerland following his agreement
with the Nazis? It is obvious that he was
willing to lull the Jewish community into
co-operating with their murderers in order to save those for whom he cared or
who could afford it. Some argue that had
the Jews been told the truth, many could
have been saved as the border between
Hungarian-controlled territory and Romanian-held territory was relatively open
and they could have simply walked the 20
kilometres to safety.
Nobody can offer a redeeming answer as
to why Kasztner testified in the defence of
SS officer, Kurt Becher, at the Nuremberg
trials. There is little doubt that the recent
attempts at rehabilitating Kasztner’s reputation are directly due to the fact that his
granddaughter, Merav Michaeli, became
a member of the Israeli Knesset and used
that influence to mobilize a revision of
history through books and movies. Sadly,
Jews are aware of the use of historical revisionism as a tool of the enemies of Israel.
Here it is merely a tool to sanitize a figure
who may not have been a villain, but may
have facilitated the murder of thousands
of innocents through his self-serving, misleading actions 70 years ago.
Steve Samuel
Toronto
Jews playing hockey
Jay Teitel’s wonderfully written story, “The
rabbi who wouldn’t backcheck” (Dec. 11)
was a joy to read. Combining any aspect
of religious Jewish life with hockey is no
easy task, but the author accomplished
this effortlessly with grace and humour.
My only question is, now that Rabbi Kalbfleisch is gone, does that mean a space
has opened up in your hockey game?
Barry Lubotta
Toronto
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THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25, 2014
RABBI•2•RABBI
Family Moments
Bringing our values to the table
What does it mean to say food is kosher when the animals that give us nourishment are
raised as commodities with little concern for their welfare as living creatures?
Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin
Beth Avraham Yoseph Congregation, Toronto
Rabbi Lisa Grushcow
Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, Montreal
Melissa & Josh Sobel announce the birth of Jesse
Harper, Nov. 14. Grandparents, Nana Barbie and the
late Zaidy Stephen, Bubbie Doreen and the late
Zaidy Harvey. Great Zaidy is Ralph.
Happy 90th birthday Big Bub Sadie Katz. Lots of
love from all the Katz’s, Diamonds, Cantors and
all your friends and relatives. XO
Mazal Tov to Sarah Frankel on celebrating
your 101st birthday on Dec. 22. From your two
children, 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren
Email your digital photos
along with a description of 25
words or less to cblackman@
thecjn.ca or go online to
www.CJNews.com and click
on “Family Moments”
Mazel Tov!
‫מ‬
‫ז‬
‫ל‬
!‫�וב‬
Rabbi Korobkin: Over this past Sukkot, I started a conversation in our shul that resonated with some and left
others scratching their heads. It’s the topic of “factory
farming” – the concern that a large part of our protein
food supply, throughout North America, is coming from
animals that are raised under factory conditions.
Instead of cows being allowed to graze, they are
penned up in extremely confined spaces. Hens are
boosted with hormones in order to mature faster and
produce more eggs. Today, animals that provide us with
food – either through their meat, or from their milk or
eggs – are raised as commodities with little concern for
their welfare as living creatures.
How should we in the Jewish community react to this
reality?
Rabbi Grushcow: I think it’s a real issue. What does it
mean to say food is kosher when it is produced in such
environments?
We need to be concerned about the welfare of the animals, and of the people working in these environments
as well. Good work is being done on developing kashrut
certification that takes ethics into account, but it’s not
yet widely available. I look forward to the day when I
won’t have to choose between kosher and organic meat.
Kashrut is a primary value for me, but I have concerns
about what’s under the label.


Meanwhile, there are things we can do. There’s a great
book called The Sacred Table, which looks at food from
a liberal Jewish perspective, and can spark communal
conversations on the topic, or even just help us figure
out our own choices. Also, our synagogue has become a
pick-up location for Lufa Farms, a sustainable source of
produce. It’s a small step, but offers one way of broadening the conversation about food beyond the question
of kashrut.
Rabbi Korobkin: Hold on. We both agree that the moral
and ethical treatment of animals, and the workers who
How to reach us
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deal with animals, is important to us as Jews, and that’s
why I raised the issue. But to conflate the issues of kashrut and ethical behaviour is, I believe, a mistake.
By expanding the meaning of “kosher” to include
anything that conforms to the cause cГ©lГЁbre of the day,
you end up eventually diluting it into nothingness. The
Torah prescribes the kosher laws for reasons that are
largely metaphysical. While keeping kosher, we also
should observe the mitzvah of tza’ar baalei chayim,
treating animals with kindness and compassion and not
inflicting gratuitous pain upon them.
But it shouldn’t be confused with kashrut. After all,
milk and eggs don’t need to be certified kosher, but the
cows and hens that produce them need to be cared for
properly.
Rabbi Grushcow: Absolutely, something can be
technically kosher without any ethical standards at all.
Ethics and holiness are separate categories that do not
always overlap. But this brings us to the fundamental
question of the purpose of kashrut.
For millennia, our commentators have debated
whether we observe kashrut simply because it is commanded by God or whether there is a meaning behind
each of the laws. Philo, for example, a Jewish philosopher in the first century CE, developed a series of
interpretations that explained why some animals were
forbidden, based on the idea that we wouldn’t want to
ingest their qualities.
Both these positions are valid. But we have to remember that many Jews do not follow kashrut at all, most
likely because the practice holds no meaning for them.
Why not, then, follow the voices from our tradition that
look to find meaning in what we eat and don’t eat? Rather than diluting the practice of kashrut, this deepens it.
It seems to me that at the essence of kashrut is the
claim that God cares about what we eat, that what we
put into our bodies matters. Should this not include our
ethical concerns?
An honest Jewish conversation about the food we eat
has to go beyond the categories of what is permitted
and what is forbidden. Our sages taught that the home
is a mikdash me’at, a miniature sanctuary, and our
tables should be as holy as the altar. I think you started
an important conversation. Let’s bring our values to the
table. n
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with the advertising policies of the newspaper. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement by The Canadian Jewish News.
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THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
5
M
News
Harper calls Israel a �beacon of light’ in Mideast
Janice Arnold
[email protected],
The horrific massacre in Pakistan and the
deadly hostage-taking in Australia are a
reminder to everyone that “extreme jihadism” is something the State of Israel has
lived with throughout its history, Prime
Minister Stephen Harper said during a visit
to Federation CJA on Dec. 16.
“Thank God we have Israel in that often
very dark, very difficult part of the world,
showing us its beacon of light,” said Harper, who with his wife, Laureen, lit the first
candle of Chanukah.
More than 300 invited guests, representing a cross-section of the Jewish community, attended the event, held under
strict security.
Harper recalled that, as a boy, his father
at Christmas time always reminded him
to remember “our Jewish compatriots and
neighbours.”
Harper said his first trip to Israel last
January remains one of the “moments of
light” of his year, while the deaths of two
members of the Canadian armed forces
by killers apparently motivated by Islamic
extremism were among the darkest.
The occasion served once again as an
opportunity for the community to thank
Harper for his steadfast support of Israel.
“We have no greater ally than the prime
minister,” said Rabbi Reuben Poupko,
spiritual leader of Beth Israel Beth Aaron
Congregation, who introduced Harper.
Among the defenders of freedom and
human rights, so cherished by Jews, Harper has stood out in the world, he said.
“When you speak up for women’s rights
at La Francophonie in Senegal, you speak
for us. When you speak up for democracy
around the world, you speak for us. And
when you defend the State of Israel, you
speak for us,” Rabbi Poupko said.
The Harpers were assisted in lighting
the shamash on the silver menorah by
Chabad’s Rabbi Shalom Chriqui.
Federation president Susan Laxer underscored the Jewish community’s more than
250-year history in Quebec and Canada,
and its contributions to the country.
“Prime Minister Harper’s presence today
is a profound demonstration of solidarity
and respect for our community’s important place in Canadian and Quebec society,” she said.
Laxer related Chanukah’s message of
a small minority’s resistance in ancient
times to forced assimilation to present-day
local concerns.
“Recent events here in Quebec underscore the importance of preserving the
place of Jewish religion and culture in
Quebec society and continuing to move
forward in the name of our particularism;
whether it is regarding Bill 60 [the former
Parti Québécois government’s proposed
secular values charter], Bill 10 [the current
government’s planned health reform], the
BDS movement [the boycott, divestment
and sanctions campaign against Israel] or
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife,
Laureen, light the first Chanukah candle.
PBL PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO
anti-Semitism in general,” Laxer said.
“In doing so, we value and protect not
only our religious rights and freedoms, but
also the rights and freedoms of all others.”
Laxer praised Harper’s “powerful example of moral fortitude and integrity…
You expressed your beliefs – unequivocally and unapologetically – and succeeded
in making topics of international debate
perfectly clear.”
David Cape, incoming national chair of
the federation’s advocacy arm, the Centre
for Israel and Jewish Affairs, called Harper “an extraordinary friend of the Jewish
community and Israel, who has brought
the Canada-Israel relationship to unparalleled heights” and is “standing taller than
leaders of the most powerful countries” in
defence of democratic principles.
“We are living in a pivotal time, with the
rise of global anti-Semitism, continued
Iranian nuclear aspirations, and Islamist
terrorism threatening people who cherish
freedom and peace, including minorities
across the Middle East,” he said.
The half-hour program also included the
singing of Chanukah songs by the Akiva
School choir in Hebrew, French and English.
Young twins Nathan and Samuel
Bensimon recited the brachot over the
candles, and led the singing of Hatikvah.
Sarah Diamond sang O Canada at the outset.
Following the formal program, the Harpers stayed on to allow a long line of audience members to have their photos taken
with them.
In his formal statement issued on Chanukah, Harper said the festival is “an
opportunity for all Canadians to reflect on
the meaning of faith, freedom and the triumph of good over evil, and to pay tribute
to the tremendous contributions of Canada’s Jewish community in all areas of endeavour.” n
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M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
President Elizabeth Wolfe
Editor Yoni Goldstein General Manager Tara Fainstein
Managing Editor Joseph Serge News Editor Daniel Wolgelerenter
Operations Manager Ella Burakowski Art Director Anahit Nahapetyan
Directors Steven Cummings, Michael C. Goldbloom, Leo Goldhar,
Robert Harlang, Igor Korenzvit, Stanley Plotnick, Shoel Silver,
Ed Sonshine, Pamela Medjuck Stein, Elizabeth Wolfe
Honourary Directors Donald Carr, Chairman Emeritus.
George A. Cohon, Julia Koschitzky, Lionel Schipper, Robert Vineberg,
Rose Wolfe, Rubin Zimmerman
An independent community newspaper serving as a forum for diverse viewpoints
Publisher and Proprietor: The Canadian Jewish News, a corporation without share capital. Head Office: 1750 Steeles Ave. W., Ste. 218, Concord Ont. L4K 2L7
From the Archives | Chanukah Concert
From Yoni’s Desk
This is just the beginning
I
ONTARIO JEWISH ARCHIVES, BLANKENSTEIN FAMILY HERITAGE CENTRE PHOTO
The North African Youth Group performs at the JIAS Chanukah
Concert in Montreal, circa 1974.
SeeJN | Their first sufganiyot
YONIT SCHILLER NEFESH B’NEFESH PHOTO
Young olim who made aliyah from the United States this past
summer with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Ministry of Aliyah
and Immigrant Absorption, the Jewish Agency for Israel and
Keren Kayemet L’Israel celebrated Chanukah at a special Nefesh
B’Nefesh gathering in Modi’in, where they tasted their first Israeli
sufganiyot.
t’s been a whirlwind of a year at The CJN. In January, this newspaper turned
over a new leaf, and in April we introduced a brand new design. Our aim
from the outset has been to offer readers an engaging, informative and at
times challenging portrait of Canadian Jewry.
When we undertook the project of revitalizing The CJN, one of the promises
we made to readers was that we wouldn’t shy away from touchy subjects.
During the past 12 months, I think we lived up to that commitment. From
tackling issues such as poverty and conversion to wide-ranging discussions
about Israel and even our own federal politics, we have showcased the array
of opinions in our community.
At the same time, we try to go about our work with sensitivity, because,
at the end of the day, our aim is to help find solutions, not simply mete out
accusations. Sometimes there are no easy answers, but at least then we’re
talking – and hopefully that brings us closer together.
On a personal note, this year has been a real education for me. I grew up in
the Canadian Jewish community, went to Canadian Jewish schools and spent
my summers at Canadian Jewish camps – I thought I knew the Jewish community pretty well. But the truth is I had no idea of the breadth and scope of
Jewish life across this country.
Over the past 12 months, I’ve met and spoken to so many Canadians who are
devoting their lives to Jewish communities. Their dedication is inspiring. Collectively, we may have our gripes about various Canadian Jewish institutions
or organizations – and some of them are very worthy of consideration. But we
should not doubt the level of commitment to fostering Jewish life across Canada, even while acknowledging that there’s plenty of work still to do.
The Jewish community is a living, breathing body. Change is inevitable –
that’s what makes our stories so compelling. The CJN changed a lot in the last
year, too, and we promise to keep changing in the coming one. That includes
new features and writers, a focus on community engagement beyond the
printed page, and a fresh cjnews.com. Our work is only just beginning.
As we bid farewell to 2014, I’d like to acknowledge a few people – first and
foremost my wife, Alexandra, and my family for their support. The CJN’s
board of directors has guided this newspaper in a positive direction, and
positioned it to remain a community institution for years to come. Our many
contributors offered a broad range of perspectives and ideas. And at The CJN’s
offices in Toronto and Montreal, the staff has been a model of grace under
pressure. Without them, there would be no CJN.
Finally, I’d like to thank our readers. You welcome us into your homes each
week, and that is an honour we don’t take for granted – because, ultimately,
The CJN is about you. This is a vibrant Jewish community, and in 2014 we
proved how strong, innovative and caring we can be. I don’t doubt the coming
year will prove it again, in all kinds of new and interesting ways. n — YONI
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
Perspectives
M
7
Essay
Confronting our own prejudices
A Jewish politician reflects on being mistaken for a Muslim
Dyanoosh Youssefi
“Y
oussefi, that’s a nice Muslim
name,” he said, with a skeptical
look at my campaign flyer. It was midspring. I was canvassing as a candidate
in the recent Toronto municipal election.
This resident (let’s call him Alan) and I
had had a long chat already, but it was
clear that something was bothering him –
and that something was not my position
on municipal issues. It was my name.
I didn’t correct Alan’s misperception right
away. He had already told me that he was
Jewish, but I didn’t immediately tell him
that I, too, am Jewish.
I struggled with what the right response
would be in these circumstances. I didn’t
want religion or ethnicity to matter. I wished
for voters like Alan to judge and support me
based on my professional and community
service and on my approach to municipal
issues. I didn’t want people to hold a candidate’s religion against them, simply because
that person is Muslim. I also knew that
some voters would not give me a fair chance
if they thought I was Muslim.
Canvassing was a fantastic, enjoyable
and positive experience overall. Many
residents were not only interested and
engaged, they were also welcoming, even
grateful that I was running. I felt heartened and grateful for their support and
for our ultimate performance. However,
because of my name – I am Iranian-Jewish-Canadian and it has its roots in Zoroastrianism – I also ran into or heard about
voters, particularly Jewish ones, who assumed that I was Muslim and who, based
on that assumption, either dismissed me
outright or approached me with great
caution, holding back, even if we completely agreed on the issues and on how to
improve municipal politics and the city.
Some residents asked me directly or
indirectly about my background. And over
and over, their attitude and expression
changed once they found out that I am
Jewish and not Muslim. They became at
ease and warm. For some, this reaction
may have reflected their joy in making another connection with me, for others, it was
clearly relief that I was not Muslim.
As for Alan, I did eventually let him know
that I am Jewish, at which point his countenance changed. Soon after, he apologized. “Please pardon my cold reception of
you earlier,” he said.
Not all Jewish residents who thought I
was Muslim regarded me in a reserved or
suspicious manner. And I want to be clear
that some Muslim voters are also prejudiced against Jewish candidates, just as
some non-Jewish voters are prejudiced
against Muslims.
However, given the demographics of Toronto’s Ward 16 (Eglinton-Lawrence), where
I ran for city council, I more often experienced the doubt and suspicion of Jewish
voters in relation to Muslims.
There was even a Jewish man who
wanted to see another candidate win, and
who, when talking about me to others,
apparently referred to me disparagingly as
“the Muslim lefty” – a description which he
clearly felt would act as a double whammy
against me.
I believe that these occurrences illuminate an underlying problem that we Jews
need to address. That is, Jewish resistance
to Muslim candidates – a resistance that
could result in our dismissing highly qualified persons that could serve us well.
I understand why many Jews would be
suspicious of a Muslim representative in
government. I grew up in Iran until the
age of 11. I am aware of the deep roots of
anti-Semitism in many Islamic societies.
I have observed how often anti-Israel and
anti-Semitic feelings are conflated. And I
am well-aware that Israel is subjected to
a double-standard when it comes to the
scrutiny and criticism of its actions. I know
that many Jews fear that a Muslim person
in government may be unfriendly to Jews
or go even further and work against Jewish
concerns and causes.
But do we Jews have our own prejudices to confront? Are our votes informed
and guided by prejudice? Do our fears of
anti-Semitic and anti-Israel candidates
push us to act in a manner that is, at best,
uninformed, and at worst racist? Does our
own intolerance prevent us from judging
and choosing candidates based on their
qualifications, skills, values, vision and
integrity? If we dismiss these candidates
outright, and never bother to find out
about their positions on domestic political
issues, let alone their attitude toward Jews
and Israel, are we not ultimately harming
democracy and hurting ourselves?
The Muslim population in our country is
growing. Our civic and political interactions
will bring us into greater contact with
Muslims of all backgrounds. Increasingly,
there will be Muslim candidates running
for office at all levels of government in
Canada. And many will represent Jews in
government.
We can treat this reality as a threat against
which we have to brace ourselves, or we
can seek the opportunity to reach out, find
those candidates who will serve our city
and country well, who will represent us
CJN Mazel Tov
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NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!
Dyanoosh Youssefi at a campaign fundraiser
fairly, and who are also open to improving
understanding and dialogue between Jews
and Muslims.
If we act on our fears and dismiss these
candidates outright, then we will exacerbate the distance and distrust that already
exists between us. If we don’t attempt to
create meaningful connections, to build
dialogue, and to collaborate on common
objectives, then we will further polarize our
communities.
Reaching out, building bridges, and
overcoming our own prejudices: they are
required of us by our humanity, by our ethical values and morals, by our history, and,
arguably, by our religion and traditions.
What’s more, they are also required for our
own self-preservation.
If we fail to build these bridges, we will all
lose. n
Dyanoosh Youssefi is a former criminal defence lawyer and legal studies professor. She
can be found on Twitter at @DyanooshY.
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8
Cover Story
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25, 2014
The return of the biblical epic
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Special to The CJN
The recent release of Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings, based on the Hebrew Bible tale of Moses and the exodus
from Egypt, combined with Hollywood’s
release earlier this year of Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, suggests that biblical epics
are back. (Scott is reportedly also planning a movie on King David, and a new
version of Ben-Hur is coming out in February.)
Or perhaps they never left. Indeed,
since the beginning of cinema, the Old
and New Testaments have been fodder
for any number of movies, though the
particulars of how they’ve been portrayed have changed dramatically.
Among silent cinema’s most popular
(and expensive) films were early versions
of The Ten Commandments (1923) and
Noah’s Ark (1928), as well as the biblically related Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
(1926), proving that in Hollywood, everything old is new again. In one respect,
these movies were easy to make, as the
film rights were in the public domain –
Russell Crowe in Noah, left,and Charlton Heston in the 1959 version of Ben-Hur.
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and thus posed no copyright issues. Plus,
most of the potential audiences for the
movies knew the stories already. Besides,
the Bible – or at least the Hebrew Bible
– is chock full of drama, emotion, love
stories and moral conundrums that are
perfect subject matter for films.
Biblical epics also offered something
tailor made for cinema: larger than life
adventures with commanding characters
and a wide backdrop against which to
situate the stories. Best of all, and especially after severe censorship came into
effect in the 1930s in Hollywood with
The Hays Code, they were seen by many
as thematically safe in their (supposed)
avoidance of controversial subject matter. That’s not entirely true – adultery,
incest and patricide are some biblical
themes – but the Bible, at least in the
West, has for the most part been seen
as innocuous to most people, would-be
censors included.
That didn’t stop subversive screenwriters and directors from slipping stuff
past the censors. There was no shortage of nudity in both versions of Cecil
B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments,
though he got away with much more in
the (pre-code) 1923 version than in its
better-known 1956 followup, which was
comparatively tamer. And how does one
read Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 epic Spartacus – not strictly a biblical epic but in
its feel and scope akin to one – which
was penned by blacklisted writer Dalton
Trumbo and based on the book by How-
ard Fast, also a blacklisted Hollywood
figure?
The famous “I am Spartacus” scene
directed at the Roman authorities, with
each slave pretending to be the man so
as to thwart their attempt to single out
Spartacus, can easily be discerned as a
call to unite in arms against the villains,
i.e., the House Un-American Activities
Committee, which prosecuted Trumbo
and Fast for their alleged Communist
sympathies.
And then there was the openly gay
scene in Spartacus (between Tony Curtis’
and Laurence Olivier’s characters) and
the inserted gay subtext in the 1959 BenHur (by screenwriter Gore Vidal) that
suggested a past homosexual relationship between Jewish scion Judah BenHur (Charlton Heston) and his childhood
Roman friend Messala (Stephen Boyd).
By the 1950s, Americans were glued to
their TVs, and biblical epics like Ben-Hur,
Quo Vadis (1951), The Robe (1953), The
Ten Commandments and others were
just about the only movies that could get
Americans out of the house. Often shot
in CinemaScope, those movies were bigger, more lavish and more exciting than
anything TV could offer and also provided a refuge for blacklisted writers like
Trumbo to work in.
Lost in all this, of course, were the Jewish underpinnings of the Old Testament
film adaptations.
Continued on PAGE 13
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
News
M
9
Les rГ©fugiГ©s Juifs expulsГ©s des pays arabes
Elias Levy
[email protected]
L’Historien israélien Michel Abitbol a été
l’invité d’honneur du Festival Séfarad de
MontrГ©al 2014.
Ce spécialiste réputé de l’Histoire du Judaïsme marocain, des Juifs du monde arabe et du conflit israélo-palestinien, Professeur émérite de l’Université Hé­bra­ïque de
Jérusalem, ancien Directeur de l’Institut
Ben-Zvi de l’Université Hébraïque de Jérusalem -un Centre de Recherche spécialisé
dans l’Histoire des Communautés sépharades- et auteur d’une quinzaine de livres
historiques trГЁs remarquГ©s a prononcГ©
une conférence magistrale sur l’Histoire
des relations entre Juifs et Musulmans en
Terre d’Islam.
Le rГ©putГ© Historien
israГ©lien Michel Abitbol
a été l’invité d’honneur de la
JournГ©e commГ©morative dГ©diГ©e
aux rГ©fugiГ©s Juifs des pays arabes
Michel Abitbol a livrГ© ses rГ©flexions sur
ce sujet fort épineux à l’occasion de la
1ГЁre JournГ©e annuelle de commГ©moration dГ©diГ©e aux rГ©fugiГ©s Juifs expulsГ©s des
pays arabes en 1948, aprГЁs la crГ©ation de
l’État d’Israël.
La Knesseth a promulguГ© derniГЁrement une Loi proclamant le 30 novembre
JournГ©e nationale commГ©morative de
l’exil forcé de 1 million de Juifs natifs des
pays arabes.
La CommunautГ© SГ©pharade UnifiГ©e du
QuГ©bec (C.S.U.Q.) a tenu Г commГ©morer
aussi cet important Chapitre de l’Histoire
des CommunautГ©s sГ©pharades originaires
des pays du Moyen-Orient et du Maghreb
en invitant des membres de ces CommuВ­
nautГ©s ayant vГ©cu les affres douloureuses
de l’expulsion de leur contrée natale à partager leurs témoignages avec la large
assistance prГ©sente Г cet Г©vГ©nement.
HГ©lГЁne David, Ministre de la Culture du
Québec et Présidente d’honneur du Festival Séfarad de Montréal 2014, qui a assisté à cette soirée commémorative, rendit
un Г©logieux hommage Г la CommunautГ©
sГ©pharade du QuГ©bec et souligna la contribution notoire de celle-ci au dГ©veloppement culturel et socioГ©conomique du
QuГ©bec.
Dans leurs allocutions respectives,
MoГЇse Amselem, PrГ©sident de la FГ©dГ©ration SГ©pharade Canadienne et ancien
PrГ©sident de la CommunautГ© SГ©pharade du QuГ©bec, le renommГ© Juriste Irwin Cotler, DГ©putГ© fГ©dГ©ral du ComtГ©
de Mont-Royal et ancien Ministre de la
Justice du Canada, et Richard Marceau,
Avocat conseil et Conseiller politique
principal auprГЁs du Centre Consultatif des
Relations Juives et IsraГ©liennes (C.E.R.J.I.),
insistГЁrent sur la nГ©cessitГ© que la CommunautГ© internationale reconnaisse la
tragГ©die vГ©cue par les rГ©fugiГ©s Juifs des
pays arabes.
Sonia Sarah Lipsyc, Directrice du Centre
d’Études juives contemporaines ALEPH de
la C.S.U.Q., a Г©tГ© la MaГ®tresse de cГ©rГ©moВ­
nie de cet Г©vГ©nement.
Pour l’Historien Michel Abitbol, jamais
les relations entre Juifs et Musulmans
n’ont été aussi mauvaises depuis qu’il n’y
a plus, ou presque plus, de Juifs en Terre
d’Islam.
“Aujourd’hui, ce qui reste en Terre
d’Islam ce sont les derniers vestiges de
CommunautГ©s juives trГЁs vieilles qui au
lendemain de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
comptaient encore prГЁs de 1 million per-
REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS
CHABAD LUBAVITCH
YOUTH ORGANIZATION
chabadmontreal.com
got
menorah?
MONTREAL
Perfect The World - One Mitzvah At A Time
PhotoВ : Elias Levy
sonnes”, rappela-t-il.
Le grand paradoxe aujourd’hui: la plus
grande CommunautГ© juive en Terre
d’Islam se trouve en Iran, le pays le plus
antisГ©mite de la planГЁte. La deuxiГЁme
plus importante CommunautГ© juive vit
dans la Turquie de Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dont les dГ©rapages antisionistes et
Г relents antisГ©mites ne cessent de se
multiplier. La troisiГЁme plus importante
CommunautГ© juive vit dans le lointain
Azerbaïdjan, où, d’après Michel Abitbol, il
y a probablement plus de Juifs que dans
toute l’Afrique du Nord réunie, où il n’y a
plus aujourd’hui que quelque 6 000 Juifs.
“Aujourd’hui, les seuls pays où il y a
encore une prГ©sence juive importante
sont l’Iran et la Turquie. Ces deux pays
ont quelque chose en commun: ils n’ont
jamais Г©tГ© colonisГ©s. On peut considГ©rer
la colonisation comme un facteur de destructuration des rapports entre Juifs et
Musulmans et la dГ©colonisation comme
un accГ©lГ©rateur du dГ©part des Juifs des
pays arabes”.
Pourquoi le gouvernement d’Israël a-t-il
reconnu si tardivement la grande tragГ©die
humaine vГ©cue par les CommunautГ©s
CHABAD OF NDG AND
LOYOLA CAMPUS
jewishmonkland.com
CHABAD OF OLD MONTREAL
chabadoldmontreal.com
CHABAD QUEEN-MARY
chabadqueenmary.com
BETH CHABAD C.S.L.
chabadcsl.com
CHABAD CHABANEL
MAISON BELFIELD MOSHIACH
RESOURCE CENTRE
514.385.9514
CHABAD CHAI CENTRE
thechai.com
CHABAD OF LASALLE
chabadlasalle.com
CHABAD LIFELINE
chabadlifeline.com
Chabad
L’Historien israélien Michel Abitbol et Sonia Sarah Lipsyc, Directrice du Centre ALEPH.
CHABAD OF MILE END
chabadmileend.com
CHABAD MONTREAL WEST
514.996.6770
CHABAD RUSSIAN YOUTH CENTRE
514.777.9161
CHABAD OF THE TOWN
chabadtmr.com
CHABAD UNIVERSITÉ
DE MONTREAL
chabaduniversitedemontreal.com
CHABAD VILLE S. LAURENT
chabadvsl.com
CHABAD OF WESTMOUNT
chabadwestmount.com
JEWISH RUSSIAN
COMMUNITY CENTRE
jrccmtl.com
juives expulsГ©es des pays arabes au lendeВ­
main de la création de l’État d’Israël?
“Je suis Historien, je ne peux donc pas
vous parler des motivations du gouvernement israГ©lien, rГ©pondit Michel Abitbol.
Je ne vous cacherai pas que si le gouvernement israélien a reconnu seulement aujourd’hui ce fait historique irrécusable et
non il y a dix ans ou vingt ans, c’est parce
que Г§a pose un problГЁme de considГ©rer
tous les Juifs des pays arabes vivant en
IsraГ«l comme des rГ©fugiГ©s. Ce problГЁme
est simple: une bonne partie des Juifs natifs des pays arabes ont fait leur Aliya par
choix. Si vous proclamez qu’ils sont tous
des rГ©fugiГ©s, oГ№ est le choix lГ -dedans? En
effet, beaucoup de Juifs nГ©s dans les pays
arabes ont fait leur Aliya non pas parce
qu’ils ont été forcés à aller en Israël, mais
parce qu’à travers leur Aliya, ils voulaient
exprimer tangiblement leur attachement
à la Terre de leurs aïeux.” n
The CommunautГ© SГ©pharade UnifiГ©e du
QuГ©bec held an event in honour of the
international day of commemoration of
the Jewish refugees expelled from Arab
lands in 1948.
MADA – MERKAZ DOVREI IVRIT
madacenter.com
MONTREAL TORAH CENTER – BAIS
MENACHEM CHABAD LUBAVITCH
themtc.com
SOUTH
CHABAD OF NUNS ISLAND
chabadnunsisland.com
CHABAD OF SOUTH SHORE
chabadsouthshore.com
ROHR CHABAD JEWISH STUDENT
CENTRE AT MCGILL AND
CONCORDIA
chabadmcgill.com
EAST
NORTH
CHABAD OF SHERBROOKE, QC
514.820.6770
CAMP GAN ISRAEL
cgimontreal.com
CENTRE CHABAD L’ESCALE
CHABAD DU NORD
escalechabad.com
CHABAD OF LAVAL
514.512.1493
CHABAD OF MONT-TREMBLANT
chabadmonttremblant.com
CHABAD OF ST. SAUVEUR
chabadsauveur.com
CHABAD ON CAMPUS
LAVAL-QUEBEC CITY
jquebec.com
WEST
CHABAD DOLLARD
dollardchabad.com
CHABAD OF KIRKLAND
chabadofkirkland.com
CHABAD ST. LAZARE & HUDSON
chabadstlazare.com
CHAI WEST
thechai.com
DORVAL JEWISH CENTER
jewishdorval.com
A P R O J E C T O F C H A B A D L U B AV I T C H YO U T H O R G A N I Z AT I O N O F M O N T R E A L E S TA B L I S H E D B Y T H E R E B B E I N 1 9 5 5
ДђД«ДЌ
10
Comment
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25, 2014
Diaspora Jews shouldn’t try to influence the Israeli election
Simon Adler
D
iaspora Jews often want to tell Israelis
how to vote – and how, more generally, to run their country. After all, as Jews,
we feel we have a stake in what happens
in Israel, and many of us feel comfortable
offering our opinions of what should
happen there.
While people should be encouraged to
voice their opinions, there’s no corresponding obligation requiring Israelis to
pay even the slightest attention. Indeed,
for very good reasons, they should not.
We in the Diaspora should be happy if
our telling Israelis what to do is met with
polite indifference. But we should also be
prepared for withering scorn.
We might get information via the news
media (usually incomplete and biased)
on some issues affecting the upcoming
Israeli election. Our interest is typically piqued by the “sexy” ones such as
security and conversions. But given that
we don’t live there, we may possess little
or no information about many other
important issues. And while democracy
is based on “the right to be wrong,” we
should remember that we won’t have to
pay the price for an error – only Israelis
will.
There’s a whole other world of important issues in the upcoming Israeli
election, such as “social welfare,” internal aspects of the economy, health care,
income support programs, and many
more. Many Diaspora Jews have little
interest in, or understanding of, these
issues. We require far more information
than we can ever assimilate from the
outside. Only living in Israel can bring
home the reality of the needs, wants and
possible solutions to be considered in the
social-welfare sphere.
Many Israelis will be making their
election decisions based on information
from the media, just as we might. However, they also live in Israel and absorb
its realities directly. Given that we cannot
share the risks of a mistake (i.e., electing
the “wrong” government), it is impertinent for us to suggest how Israelis should
vote and what government they should
elect. The most we’re entitled to do is
encourage fair, respectful and honest
discourse in the election process – something that is as needed and as rare here in
Canada as it is in Israel.
It’s also incumbent on Diaspora Jews to
remember that Israel employs a governmental system that is radically different
from the British, Canadian and American
systems. We sometimes look down on the
Israeli approach to electoral politics as
chaotic and unworkable. But the truth is,
of the three systems – British/Canadian,
American and Israeli – the latter is by far
the most democratic, if by democracy
we mean allowing, or even encouraging,
minority voices to be heard.
This upcoming election might be
fought and won on issues of security, or
it may be fought and won on issues of
social welfare and the economy. Most
likely, individual voters will make their
decisions based on a number of issues, at
least some of which do not reverberate at
all outside Israel. What may be important
to one voter may not be important to the
next, even if they vote for the same party.
Where does all that leave us interested, well-wishing bystanders? We should
attempt to understand what the elections
are about, learn what we can about the
various positions taken, and encourage respectful acceptance of the result,
however much we might find it uncomfortable. We should advocate strongly for
restrained rhetoric, for honest and fair
and serious debate. Above all, we must
promote and publicize the fact of Israeli
democracy – even if it may be different in
form from ours, scary in its rhetoric and
chaotic in its appearance.
Israel is a functioning democracy
governed by the rule of law, and there’s
nothing more one can ask of a political
system. Ultimately, outsiders have no
business trying to influence the outcome
of this, or any, Israeli election. We must
strongly remind ourselves, and the world,
of this. n
Simon Adler is a litigation lawyer in
Kitchener-Waterloo.
Of friends and heroes
Bernie Farber
H
e was a big guy. About 5-10, 250
pounds, he wore No. 55 and once
played defensive tackle for the Ottawa
Sooners of the Canadian Junior Football
League, one of the first Jewish boys to do
so.
I met Howie back in 1972 when I ran
the Ottawa Jewish Community Centre
Day camp. I hired Howie to look after the
kitchen, assist during overnights in Gatineau, and be the general camp shlepper.
The following summer, he became the
camp’s head counsellor, and from there
he took his talents to the 39th Wolf Cub
pack, the only Jewish Cub pack in Canada. Years later, Howie became a director
of Scouts Canada.
He was determined, focused and loved
kids. His goal was to help young people
discover themselves, and especially their
Connect with us:
E-mail: [email protected]
athletic talents where possible, and he
became a mentor to many.
Howie was a teacher, businessman,
doting father and ardent Zionist. He married his childhood sweetheart, who he
met at the JCC day camp, and even after
his marriage broke up, I think he still
carried a torch for Ellen all his life.
Following his dream, he made aliyah in
2008. In Israel, too, he became a mentor
to many kids, practically bringing Little
League baseball to the Holy Land. He was
an umpire and coach, and he became
Jerusalem regional director for the Israel
Association of Baseball.
Howie took Israel’s arduous guiding
course. It’s like getting a PhD in Israeli
history, archeology, Torah and geography.
He loved showing friends his Israel. I
recall going with him to the ancient City
of David on an archeological dig. I was
mesmerized by what I learned from him.
When my in-laws recently travelled to
Israel, Howie helped them see the sights.
He took care, knowing they were elderly,
making sure they weren’t overtired and
insisting they drink water and stop often
to rest. He even picked them up at the
Facebook: facebook.com/TheCJN
Howie’s goal was to
help young people
discover themselves
airport and took them first to his small
Jerusalem apartment so they could rest
after their long plane trip. That was just
Howie’s way.
Howie died suddenly in early November. He was umpiring a baseball game
when he called time out, then collapsed.
He was only 58 years old.
A day or so after his death, I was sitting
in a local Starbucks grieving for my dear
friend. A homeless man walked in, I was
sitting beside the door and he saw me
crying. He sat beside me, and we began
to talk. I told him about my friend Howie.
He looked at me as though I was the only
Twitter: @TheCJN
person there. He then told me that life
was like a train on a track. We stop from
time to time at different places, some just
fine, others not so much, but we can only
really look behind us, then left and right.
We’ll never know where the track ends, so
he said to just try to enjoy the trip.
I bought him a coffee and a muffin,
then he hugged me and left.
As I was about to leave, my daughter
Gillian’s latest blog arrived. She’s on a
trip with her husband to South America.
I read it with joy. It made me laugh, and
it made me cry. But in a strange way, it
brought me so much peace.
Yes, I guess these two incidents are
linked. You see, Howie’s train ride ended
much sooner than it should have, but
he definitely enjoyed his stops in life. He
used to tell me that even those that stung
held lessons for him. Gillian and my sonin-law, Adam, are also on a glorious train
journey that will mould their lives for
years to come.
Howie Osterer was my friend and my
hero. His passing is, in its own way, a life
lesson. As Howie would say, even the bad
lessons are good lessons. n
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
Comment
M
11
Is reform touching the haredi world?
Rabbi Dow Marmur
T
hough opinion polls vary in assessing
the fortunes of the political parties
in the Israeli election next March, the
pundits have hitherto found it easy to
predict haredi representation, because
ultra-Orthodox Jews consistently vote for
their own.
But things may be changing. An open
letter by some 3,000 women has it that
they won’t vote again for haredi parties
unless and until women are among the
candidates. So far, only their men have
been Knesset members. If one of their
women sought political office, she had to
join another party, as did Tzvia Greenfeld
who for a time represented the left-wing
Meretz party.
The haredi establishment vehemently
opposes the women’s initiative, using the
traditional argument that everything that’s
new is forbidden by the Torah. As long as
the rabbis who hold the reins of power
don’t allow the inclusion of women, most
haredim are reluctant to openly dissent.
To include women candidates would
also be a tacit admission that secular and
non-Orthodox Jews have a case when
they champion gender equality, and that’s
anathema to those who regard themselves
as the only authentic custodians of God’s
will for the Jewish People.
An article published earlier this month in
the Times of Israel by Chevy Weiss, who describes herself as a haredi activist working
behind the scenes, deserves close attention. She’s opposed to the new initiative
because she regards the political arena as
“a spiritually dangerous place for haredi
women.” At the same time, however, she
offers compelling reasons in favour of
women’s political involvement.
First, haredi women, she writes, have
always been supporting men to enable
them to study Torah. As a result, women
are much more familiar with practical
problems in life and, thus better suited to
serve the public. And men who represent
haredim in politics are deprived of study-
ing Torah, which is their real and perhaps
only vocation.
I can think of a no more damming
indictment of haredi male politicians:
they aren’t familiar with the issues they’re
called upon to decide, and being in politics forces them to neglect their primary
responsibility to God.
Second, women are usually the breadwinners in the haredi family and thus
better acquainted than their fathers, husbands and sons with economic realities.
Women, writes Weiss, “have ideas for solutions and want to implement them now.”
With few exceptions, she adds, the men
neither listen nor respond to views put
forward by women. Here then is another
case for women politicians and another
put down of men.
Third, Weiss writes: “Haredi women are
suffering. They are overworked, being the
breadwinners and raising children while
the husbands increasingly fail to take
responsibility.” Referring to the growing
divorce rate among haredim, she reports
that “the community organizations and
batei din favour the husbands more often
than not.”
Hence this startling conclusion: “Haredi
women with political power would be a
huge help to all females.” So why is she
against the initiative of the 3,000 women?
In addition to pointing to the spiritual
perils of politics, she’s too loyal a member
of the haredi world to dare to openly challenge its “sages” and appear to give in to
modern trends. Though she acknowledges
the need for women’s voices to be heard,
she seems to resign herself to the fact that
in her world such voices must remain
muted and only manifest themselves “behind the scenes.”
Having been raised in the United States,
as she tells readers, she’s sufficiently American to champion the cause of women to
whom men, according to her, don’t pay
sufficient attention. But as a haredi loyalist
she nevertheless toes the line.
The glaring inconsistency and uneasy
compromise deserve our sympathy, as the
effort of the dissenting women has earned
the wholehearted support of the enlightened Jewish world across denominational
boundaries.
The achievements pioneered by Reform Judaism and followed up by other
non-Orthodox movements seem to be
touching the haredi world. n
Why the world should follow Canada’s lead on Iran
Sheryl Saperia
O
ver a year ago, U.S. Department of
State spokesperson Jen Psaki insisted:
“If Iranians don’t get to a �yes’ at the end
of six months, we can put in place more
sanctions.” Speaking about the P5+1 (the
five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) negotiations,
she was offering assurance that Barack
Obama’s administration was serious about
dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure
through tough diplomacy.
Another deadline has passed, no agreement has been reached, and negotiations
have been extended yet again because Iran
refuses to make the necessary concessions. Nonetheless, additional sanctions
have not been imposed. On the contrary,
sanctions worth billions of dollars have
been lifted, even though Iran continues
to stonewall nuclear inspectors and has
reportedly intensified efforts to obtain
components for a heavy water reactor,
which could be used to produce weaponsgrade plutonium.
The Iranians have not gotten to a “yes”
because they don’t need to. Time is on
their side. Their economy is improving because of sanctions relief, and their centrifuges keep spinning. Unwilling to risk the
collapse of a potential deal, the West has
not only indulged Iran’s nuclear obfuscations but has also turned a blind eye to
Tehran’s oppression of domestic dissidents
and its support for Bashar Assad’s brutal
rule in Syria. Even Iran’s ballistic missile
program is no longer a subject of discussion. And for as long as negotiations are
ongoing, Israel is hard-pressed to attempt
a military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, the White House appears
desperate for a deal, and has proven disturbingly adept at accommodating Iranian
red lines while allowing their own to be
eroded. The most egregious example may
be the interim agreement’s recognition of
Iran’s right to enrichment – the core of any
nuclear weapons program – thus contradicting no fewer than six UN Security
Council resolutions.
When it comes to responding to Iranian misconduct, Prime Minister Stephen
Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister John
Baird stand in favourable contrast to their
American counterparts. Over the last
two years, the Canadian government has
expelled Iran’s diplomats from Ottawa
amidst evidence of their intimidation of
Iranian-Canadians. It designated Iran as
a state sponsor of terror and therefore
vulnerable to being sued in Canadian
courts by victims of terrorism. Iran’s Quds
Force was listed as a terrorist entity. When
the P5+1 negotiations were extended
again last month, Baird stated: “Iran’s
dithering is either a cynical ploy for time
or an inability to clearly repudiate military
nuclear ambitions. The regime must take
immediate actions to resolve the concerns
of the international community… Until
Canada is satisfied, our sanctions regime
will remain in full force.”
To be fair, Canada and the United States
do not occupy the same role on the world
stage. If overt military conflict with Iran
broke out, the brunt of any western response would be borne by the U.S. This is
a scenario Obama understandably seeks
to avoid.
Still, Canada’s principled stand reflects sound policy worthy of emulation.
Sanctions should not be lifted until Iran’s
nuclear program has been dismantled
or a trustworthy regime has taken over.
Obama’s strategy of removing sanctions
to entice Tehran to make concessions has
been predictably ineffective – Iran arrived
at the negotiating table precisely because
sanctions were hurting its economy.
Ottawa could also consider further
measures. Canada’s current sanctions
against Iran focus exclusively on illicit
nuclear conduct. Perhaps the government should legislate that these sanctions
cannot be repealed until Iran also ceases
its terrorist sponsorship and demonstrates
significant progress in respecting the human rights of all its residents.
Iranian Christians are bracing themselves for the arrests and violence that
characterize the regime’s seasonal greetings to its Christian minority. This may
be an appropriate time for Canada and
like-minded countries to signal to Iran
that the behaviours that made its nuclear
belligerence a concern in the first place
will be met with greater scrutiny in the
new year. n
Sheryl Saperia is director of policy for
Canada at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies.
12
News
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
Teens collect toonies for preemies
CJN STAFF
They say that teens have only one priority: themselves. Grade 10 students Janna
Sternthal, Eliana Rohr and Elisheva Eisenberg prove that this is not always the case.
Amidst schoolwork, volunteerism and extra-curricular activities, the Hebrew Academy students are helping some of Montreal’s tiniest and most vulnerable babies
by spearheading a campaign in their high
school called “Purple for Preemies.”
In exchange for a $2 donation to the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Auxiliary’s Tiny
Miracle Fund, students could accessorize
their school uniforms with purple items in
honour of World Prematurity Day, Nov. 17.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go
toward the purchase of life-sustaining
equipment, including incubators and
ventilators, for the JGH’s new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) slated to open in
January 2016.
“We heard about the campaign through
Roz Hutman, one of the organizers of the
fundraiser,” 15-year-old Eisenberg said.
“We realized that this was an extremely good cause. However, not too many
people know about it. With that in mind,
we decided to take action and see what we
could do to support the project.”
As the mother of a premature baby born
at just 24 weeks of gestation, Hebrew
Academy parent Roz Hutman is indebted
to the doctors and nurses at the JGH NICU
for the “incredible care” her son Joshua received when he was born in 2004 weighing just 495 grams.
“Joshua became the fifth-smallest baby
to survive at the JGH at that time,” Hutman said. “Being the mother of a child
that was saved by this unit, I felt completely indebted and wanted to give back.”
Now 10 years old, Joshua is thriving, and
he is “a happy, healthy, smart and funloving child.”
Hebrew Academy’s Grade 6 girls are also
everyone’s life is a very fragile and important time. Premature babies are faced with
many obstacles in their development.
Preemies should have the same fighting
chance as all other newborns.”
“We think it’s extremely important to
share the campaign with our peers because we are part of one community
and should be there for each other,” said
Sternthal, 15. “A lot of people don’t know
about prematurity since it isn’t such a predominant issue for people who don’t have
any association with it.
“Only with awareness, can situations
change and improve for the future. Seeing how expensive life-sustaining equipment for preemies is, we thought that as
a school, it would be very beneficial to
support this cause in order to make a difference.” n
For more information or to donate to the
Tiny Miracle Fund Project, please call the
JGH Auxiliary at 514-340-8216.
100th
Anniversary
of World War I
Grade 10 Hebrew Academy students, front
row from left, Elisheva Eisenberg, Janna
Sternthal and Eliana Rohr spearheaded
the “Purple for Preemies” campaign in
their high school in support of the JGH
Auxiliary’s Tiny Miracle Fund. Back row are
classmates Jordana Marciano, Shira Cohen,
Emily Lawrence, Rebecca Azoulay, Racheli
Blanshay, Danielle Levi, Erica Meisels and
Gabriella Malamud.
This World War I
recruiting poster
aimed at Montreal
Jewish men is on
view at the Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts
until March 29, as part
of the exhibition The
Patriotism of Death:
Propaganda Posters
from World War I,
commemorating
the war’s 100th
anniversary. This
poster, whose creator
is cited as anonymous,
is from the Stewart
Museum.
actively participating in the fundraiser.
In addition to the toonie collection, they
will be hosting a fundraising “Spa Day” for
grades 1 to 3 in the elementary school, as
part of their grade’s bat mitzvah program
that emphasizes the performance of chesed – acts of kindness.
The Grade 10 students took on a leadership role in spearheading the preemie
campaign in their high school because of
their staunch support for the cause.
“We decided to get involved because
we believe that everyone should have a
chance to live their life to their full potential,” Rohr, 16, said. “The beginning of
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THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
Cover Story
M
13
Biblical tale will likely be around for years to come
Continued FROM page 8
Despite the presence of such Jewish actors
as Edward G. Robinson (sounding more
Brooklyn than ancient Israelite) in the
1956 edition of The Ten Commandments,
these movies weren’t really about the Jews,
or if they were, as in Ben-Hur, they were
only a set up so that Heston’s Ben-Hur
could, in effect, convert to Christianity by
film’s end. Of course, one has to recognize
that in America, the Hebrew Bible has long
been adopted by Christians as their own,
too, so the Jewish origin of the Old Testament figures is not paramount in their
minds, nor is the idea of casting Jews in
those roles of concern to the filmmakers.
Even Noah filmmaker Aronofsky, who is
Jewish, picked Russell Crowe and other
non-Jewish actors like Anthony Hopkins
and Jennifer Connelly for the key parts.
As for filmic depictions of Christ, always
a staple of movies, the idea of casting a
Semitic-looking actor in the role of the
rabbi from Galilee should be considered,
but rarely applies. Witness blue-eyed Willem Dafoe cast as Jesus in Martin Scorsese’s controversial The Last Temptation
of Christ (1988). (Admittedly Jewish actor
Harvey Keitel was cast as Judas, the villain
of the piece, but he, too, like Robinson,
sounded as if he came from a New York
neighbourhood.)
Other film adaptations such as Mel
Gibson’s infamous and revisionist The
Passion of the Christ (2004) were blatantly anti-Semitic, providing an offensive
portrait of satanic Jewish children cavorting in the background and Pontius
Pilate, the Roman prefect who sentenced
Christ to death, depicted as a mild person reluctantly forced to do so by the
stereotypically drawn, pushy Jewish
elders. (Oddly, few film critics or members of the Hollywood establishment,
many of whom were Jewish, would openly admit that the film was anti-Semitic.)
Fortunately, the faithful took to the
element of Christ’s (graphic) suffering
in the movie as their main storyline and
seemed to ignore the film’s anti-Semitic overtones. We’re probably lucky that
Gibson never made the Judas Maccabeus
movie he said he wanted to do (though
the story of Chanukah, in the right
hands, could make for a terrific movie).
It’s ironic that the Hebrew Bible, the
basis for so much of Judaism’s beliefs and
These movies weren’t
really about the Jews
history and the subject of so many examples of an art form in an industry founded
by and to some extent still dominated by
Jews, is so devoid of actual Jewish content.
(I teach a course called “The Image of the
Jew in Film and Television,” and Gibson’s
movie, as a dark example, is the only one
of the biblical epics I’ve ever referenced
in film clips.) Perhaps that’s all to the
better, as Hollywood hasn’t exactly made
too many fine or worthwhile Bible-based
movies. (1985’s King David with Richard
Gere in the title role traipsing down the
streets of Jerusalem clad in what looks
like a diaper, is this sub-genre’s low point.)
And it should be noted, much of the renewed emphasis on the current crop of
biblical stories comes from Hollywood’s
desire to draw in the evangelical American
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Christian community, which traditionally shuns most modern movies because
of their violence, language, or sexual explicitness.
Though Exodus was the top grossing
movie the week it opened, it’s too early
to tell if it and the other biblical epics to
come will all be box office successes. (History Channel’s 10-part 2013 TV series The
Bible was a big hit for the network, spawning a 2014 feature film, Son of God.)
Since Hollywood ultimately considers
box office success to be the final arbiter
of the projects that actually get made, the
Bible as the subject for cinematic endeavours could be over as quickly as it started.
But since Hollywood is also reluctant to
venture too often into anything too original or revolutionary, the tried and true
Bible tale – and many of them, including
the ’50s versions of Ben-Hur and The Ten
Commandments, shown every year on TV
at Easter, are cultural staples – whether
specifically Jewish or not, will likely be
around for years to come. n
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14
News
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25, 2014
New rabbinic court vows to help agunot receive gets
by taking �aggressive’ halachic approach
Lila Sarick
Staff Reporter
A newly formed rabbinic court aims to
dramatically reduce “the scourge” of
women who can’t receive a religious divorce decree, known as a get, by taking an
“aggressive” and “transparent” halachic
approach, a Toronto conference heard
this past weekend.
Rabbi Simcha Krauss, head of the newly
formed International Beit Din, which
meets in New York, says the court will
break new ground in solving the long-unresolved problem of agunot, literally
chained women. Under Jewish law, only
men can grant a divorce and in uncounted
cases, women are left in limbo, unable to
divorce and to remarry.
“I consider agunot a tragedy, not only for
the Jewish People, it’s a tragedy for Halachah. It’s a stain on Halachah. It comes to
say Halachah can not solve its problems,”
Rabbi Krauss told the annual Renewing
Our Spirit conference, hosted Dec. 14 by
Torah in Motion at Shaarei Shomayim
Congregation. “I believe Halachah can
solve its problems.”
“Our job is to try to eradicate the scourge
of agunot. We’re going to be aggressive
and we’re going to be transparent,” Rabbi
Krauss said in an interview with The CJN.
“We’ll use any halachically justifiable
mode to free women.”
The beit din, which has so far heard a
handful of cases, is innovative in many
ways. For instance, it will, for the first time
for a beit din, be publishing its decisions
on the Internet, in English, outlining the
rationale for granting a divorce. Only the
couple’s names will be blocked.
A committee of female health professionals, chiefly psychologists and social
workers, has also agreed to accompany
a woman through the court proceedings.
The beit din can be an intimidating process, with three men asking a woman
about the most intimate details of her
marriage in order to render a decision,
Rabbi Krauss said. This way, at least the
woman does not stand alone.
The court’s decisions will rely on existing
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Our job is
to try to eradicate
the scourge
of agunot.
We’re going
to be aggressive
and we’re going
to be transparent
Rabbi Simcha Krauss LILA SARICK PHOTO
Jewish law and legal concepts. Government documents, such as tax returns, will
be examined and witnesses will be interviewed, by Skype, if necessary. A recalcitrant husband will be summoned by the
court three times, but if he does not comply, a get can still be issued, Rabbi Krauss
explained.
In many cases, the husband uses extortion, to force a woman to pay for her get.
Rabbi Krauss believes the court will be
able to remedy many of those situations
within the existing framework of Jewish
law. “I think there are good solutions. If
everyone would work on the solutions
we have now, we would have many fewer
agunot.”
The court, which has heard just a handful of cases so far, has already had inquiries from women in Canada and Europe, as
well as the United States.
The ultimate test for the court is whether its decisions will be accepted by the Israeli rabbinate and American rabbis.
Rabbi Krauss is optimistic the decisions will hold up. Before the first rulings
are published, he will seek support from
well-regarded rabbis in Israel.
“I don’t think the world of Halachah will
say �no’ unanimously,” Rabbi Krauss said.
If rabbis are rational and take the time to
read the decisions, he believes they will
support the court.
Rabbi Krauss, who served as a pulpit
rabbi in New York for more than 20 years
and as head of the Religious Zionists of
America before making aliyah in 2005,
was always aware of the problem agunot
faced.
But in Israel, where agunah cases make
the front page of the newspaper, he says
it became evident to him that a solution
needed to be found.
Agunot activists are also watching the
new court closely in the hope it makes
headway in resolving what has been an
intractable problem, said Norma Joseph, a
professor of religion at Concordia University and vice-president and consultant for
the Canadian Coalition of Jewish Women
for the Get.
Rabbi Krauss has credibility and is “not
easily dismissed,” she said.
“A lot will happen depending on what
kind of decisions are written up and how
those decisions are received by the rabbinate in Israel and the Beit Din of America,” she said.
She worries, however, that Canadian
women could face a stigma for travelling
to the new beit din, instead of going to
their local beit din, which may be less accommodating.
There is a school of thought that says
Jewish law itself needs to change to “find
a mechanism to make the law more open
to women’s participation in the process,”
rather than rely on the good intentions of
a particular beit din, she said. However,
the new beit din with its commitment to
transparency and a willingness to help
women is a promising start.
“It’s exciting to think about, after so
much difficulty. There is attention to
women in this dire circumstance and
someone is stepping forward. How that
will work out is still to be developed.” n
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
News
M
15
Réflexions sur l’avenir des Juifs de France
Elias Levy
[email protected]
“Malgré les grandes difficultés auxquelles les
Juifs de France sont confrontés aujourd’hui,
il fait toujours bon vivre en France. S’il est
vrai qu’environ 5 000 Juifs français ont fait
leur Aliya cette annГ©e, force est de rappeler
que ce chiffre n’est pas énorme par rapport à l’ensemble de la population juive de France,
qui est estimГ©e Г quelque 500 000 personnes. Il faudra attendre plusieurs siГЁcles
avant qu’il n’y ait plus de Juifs en France!”
Pour l’Historien Ariel Danan, la pérennité
du Judaïsme en France n’est pas menacée,
malgré la recrudescence de l’antisémitisme
que la société française a connue ces dernières années.
Directeur-adjoint de la Bibliothèque de l’Alliance Israélite Universelle, sise à Paris, et responsable de la Médiathèque Alliance Baron
Edmond de Rothschild, Institution cuturelle
affiliée à la Bibliothèque de l’Alliance Israélite
Universelle, Ariel Danan, qui est Docteur en
Histoire de l’Université Paris-Sorbonne, assume aussi la fonction de Secrétaire général
de la Commission française des Archives
juives. Ses Travaux de Recherche portent sur
l’Histoire contempo­raine des Juifs de France
et d’Afrique du Nord.
Invité par l’Alliance Israélite Universelle
De gauche à droite: Sonia Sarah Lipsyc, Directrice du Centre d’Études juives ALEPH, Sophie
Jama, PrГ©sidente du ComitГ© culturel francophone de la BibliothГЁque Publique Juive,
l’Historien Ariel Danan, Ralph Benatar, Président de l’Alliance Israélite Universelle Canada, et
Philippe Elharrar, Directeur général de l’Alliance Israélite Universelle Canada.
Canada, Ariel Danan a prГ©sentГ©, dans le
cadre du Mois du Livre Juif -manifestation
culturelle organisГ©e par la BibliothГЁque Publique Juive de MontrГ©al-, son livre, Les Juifs
de France et l’État d’Israël (1948-1982), paru
rГ©cemment aux Г‰ditions HonorГ© Champion.
Dans cet essai très fouillé, qui fait suite à sa Thèse de Doctorat en Histoire contemporaine qu’il a soutenue à l’Université ParisSorbonne, Ariel Danan retrace l’évolution
des rapports entre les Juifs de France et IsraГ«l depuis 1948, annГ©e de la fondation de
l’État hébreu.
S’il est évidemment impossible de généra­
liser et d’affirmer que tous les Juifs de France
se sentent proches de l’État d’Israël, en revanche, entre 1948 et 1982, ils ont été de plus
en plus nombreux Г soutenir IsraГ«l sous des
formes trГЁs diffГ©rentes, rappela Ariel Danan.
On peut Г©galement penser que la plupart
r
Mark you
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des Juifs de France s’“ils ne sont pas toujours
d’accord avec la politique israélienne, considèrent positivement l’existence de l’État
d’Israël”, ajouta-t-il.
Depuis le dГ©but des annГ©es 90, au fur et
à mesure que la détestation d’Israël dans la
société française augmentait, la solidarité
des Juifs de France à l’endroit d’Israël se renforçait, a constaté ce jeune Historien.
La CommunautГ© juive de France a Г©tГ©
“profondément bouleversée et atterrée” par
la multiplication des actes antisГ©mites ces
derniers mois.
“C’était la première fois qu’on assistait
dans les rues de Paris à de grandes manifestations où l’on a crié sans ambages “mort
aux Juifs”. Il ne s’agissait pas d’incidents
antisГ©mites isolГ©s, mais de cortГЁges de rue
hostiles aux Juifs. C’était aussi la première
fois que la Police française a demandé à la
CommunautГ© juive de fermer des Synagogues proches desquelles des hordes de
manifestants propalestiniens devaient
dГ©filer. Il y a eu lГ une rГ©elle rupture entre la
Communauté juive et la société française”, a
dit Ariel Danan.
Mais, en dГ©pit de ce climat trГЁs lugubre,
Ariel Danan rappela que l’engagement des
pouvoirs publics français dans la lutte contre
l’antisémitisme est “exemplaire, sincère et
très ferme”. n
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a
S ate
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CJN Supp
May 21
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Novembe
16
Food
M
Brownies – a popular
chocolate treat
Raspberry Cheesecake
Brownies
вќЏ 1 cup sugar
вќЏ 1 cup brown sugar
вќЏ 1 cup cocoa, sifted
вќЏ 1/2 cup flour, sifted
вќЏ 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
вќЏ 4 large eggs
вќЏ 8 oz. melted butter
вќЏ 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cheesecake Layer
вќЏ 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
вќЏ 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
вќЏ 1/4 cup raspberry jam
вќЏ 1 egg
вќЏ 1/2 tsp. vanilla
вќЏ 1/4 tsp. salt
вќЏ 3 tbsp. flour
вќЏ 6 oz. fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 350. Line 9 x 13 pan
with parchment paper so that it hangs
over the sides.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the brown and white sugars and
pulse to combine. Remove from the
bowl and set aside. Combine the cocoa,
flour and salt in a food processor bowl
and pulse to combine, then set aside.
EILEEN GOLTZ
SPECIAL TO THE CJN
This is a simple column, one devoted to
that favourite chocolate treat, the brownie.
For those of you who must have the answer to the dilemma of what truly constitutes a brownie, the definition that I hold
with is that it is a dense chocolate dessert
whose recipe appeared somewhere in the
early 1900s in the United States. There are
a few different sources that claim bragging rights, the most popular being that
Fannie Farmer included it in her 1906
cookbook.
There is no one perfect brownie recipe
because everyone’s favourite is the perfect recipe. They can be more fudge-like
or cake-like and contain nuts or not, and
here is my favorite part – they should contain any kind (or multiple kinds) of chocolate you like. You can use milk, semi-sweet
or bittersweet chocolate, and for those
who are allergic to or just don’t like chocolate, there is a variation on the brownie
theme that’s made with brown sugar and
without chocolate, called a blonde brownie. While these non-chocolate brownies
are fine, for me, they are like eating diet
ice cream. The concept works, but there
is just something not quite right about it.
So this week’s culinary gift to you is
this column, with ooey gooey delicious
brownie recipes that run the gamut from
super simple to over the top, kill-me-withcalories wonderful.
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
Fudge Frosted Brownies
вќЏ 1/2 cup butter or margarine
вќЏ 1 cup sugar
вќЏ 2 eggs
вќЏ 1 tsp. vanilla
вќЏ 1/3 cup cocoa
вќЏ 1/2 cup flour
вќЏ 1/4 tsp. salt
вќЏ 1/4 tsp. baking powder
Frosting
вќЏ 3 tbsp. softened butter or margarine
вќЏ 3 tbsp. cocoa
вќЏ 1 tbsp. honey
вќЏ 1 tsp. vanilla
вќЏ 1 cup powdered sugar
вќЏ 1 tbsp. milk or non-dairy substitute
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk
the eggs until light and fluffy, about 3-4
minutes. Add in the vanilla and sugars,
and mix to combine. Add in the butter
and mix to combine. Add the flour and
mix to combine. Set aside the batter.
Raspberry cheesecake layer:
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the cream cheese, jam, egg, vanilla,
salt and flour. Mix until the mixture is
combined about 3 or 4 minutes.
Pour 3/4 of brownie batter into pan.
Gently spoon the cheesecake layer all
over the top. Using a spoon or spatula,
sprinkle remaining brownie batter on
top of raspberry cheesecake layer. Gently swirl the cheesecake layer through
brownie mixture but don’t over mix.
Drop the fresh raspberries all over
the top, then gently push them into the
batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted into the centre of the
pan comes out clean. Remove brownies
from oven and cool on rack. Cool completely before cutting. Serves 6 to 8.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X9 baking pan. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar,
eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in 1/3
cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt and baking
powder. Spread in bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes. Do not over bake and let cool for 10
to 15 minutes before frosting.
For frosting: combine 3 tablespoons
softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa,
honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, powdered
sugar and milk. Mix to combine. Spread
the frosting over the brownies while
they are still warm. Cool completely before cutting. Serves 8. в– Advertise in our special issues throughout the year.
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THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS DECEMBER 25, 2014
17
M
INTERNATIONAL
Gross’ release signals
change for Cuba’s Jews
JTA
WASHINGTON
Alan Gross was imprisoned while trying to
connect Cuba’s isolated Jewish community to the wider world. The deal that five
years later got him released may just accomplish that, and much more.
Gross’ flight home to suburban Washington on Dec. 17 with his wife, Judy, was
part of a historic deal that overturns over
five decades of U.S. policy isolating the
Communist island nation helmed by the
Castro brothers.
“We will end an outdated approach
that, for decades, has failed to advance
our interests, and instead we will begin
to normalize relations between our two
countries,” U.S. President Barack Obama
said, in announcing Gross’ release and the
radical changes in U.S.-Cuba policy.
In a conference call, U.S. officials outlined sweeping changes, including the resumption of full diplomatic relations, the
opening of an embassy in Havana and a
loosening of trade and travel restrictions.
Dina Siegel Vann, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Belfer Institute
for Latino and Latin American Affairs, said
Gross’ release and the opening of ties with
Cuba will have a two-fold benefit for Jews:
In addition to the benefits accrued by all
Cubans from open relations, she said, Cuban Jews “will have stronger ties to Jewish organizations and will be much more
in the open.” An estimated 1,000 to 1,500
Jews live in Cuba.
Gross, who is now 65, was arrested in
2009 after setting up Internet access for
the Cuban Jewish community while working as a contractor for the U.S. Agency for
International Development. Never formally charged with espionage, Gross was
convicted in 2009 for “crimes against the
state.”
Back in the United States, Gross held a
news conference, which he began with
the greeting “Chag Samayach,” noting that
his release coincided with the first day of
Chanukah. He thanked political leaders,
the Washington Jewish community, the
local Jewish Community Relations Council and other faith groups that had pressed
for his release.
“But ultimately – ultimately – the decision to arrange for and secure my release
was made in the Oval Office,”said Gross,
reserving special praise for Obama and his
National Security Council.
In a deal American officials said was
technically separate from the Gross release, the United States and Cuba agreed
to exchange the three remaining incarcerated members of the “Cuban Five,” a
Florida-based spy ring, for an American
spy held in Cuba for 20 years, and whose
identity remains a secret.
Obama insisted that Gross was not part
of the spy exchange and that, in fact, his
imprisonment had held up changes to
the U.S.- Cuba relationship that he had
intended on initiating years ago.
“While I’ve been prepared to take additional steps for some time, a major obstacle stood in our way,” the president
said, referring to Gross’ “wrongful imprisonment.”
Many Jewish groups welcomed the deal,
and noted the political difficulties it must
have created for Obama.
“We know the decision to release the
Cuban three was not an easy one,” the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said in a statement. “We appreciate the efforts of President Obama and Vice-President Biden in
bringing this about.”
Gross is in ill health. He has lost more
than 100 pounds since his incarceration
and suffers from painful arthritis.
A senior administration official who
spoke to reporters before Obama’s announcement said the Vatican played a
key role in negotiating the deal, in part
through Pope Francis’ pleas to Cuba to
release Gross as a humanitarian gesture.
In a statement, the Pope said he “wishes
to express his warm congratulations for
the historic decision taken by the governments of the United States of America and
Cuba to establish diplomatic relations,
with the aim of overcoming, in the interest
of the citizens of both countries, the difficulties which have marked their recent
history.”
The administration official also noted
the significance of the Jewish holiday season of freedom. “We believe that Alan was
wrongfully imprisoned and [are] overjoyed that Alan will be reunited with his
family in this holiday season of Chanukah,” the official said. n
SeeJN | Candlelighting ceremony
HAIM ZACH/GPO PHOTO
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, left, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and the head of the Mossad, Tamir Pardo, light the
chanukiyah on the third night of Chanukah at a candlelighting
ceremony held at the president’s house in Jerusalem.
New gas field discovered
off Mediterranean coast
JTA
JERUSALEM
A new natural gas field was discovered off
Israel’s Mediterranean coast – the third
largest found in Israeli waters.
The Royee field contains 3.2 trillion
cubic feet of extractable natural gas, the
Israeli business daily Globes reported, citing a report released Dec. 14 by Ratio Oil
and Israel Opportunity Energy Resources,
which owns the field.
Royee, located about 150 kilometres from
Israel’s coast, near the international maritime border with Cyprus and Egypt, ranks
behind the Leviathan and Tamar fields.
Tamar, which has at least nine trillion
cubic feet of natural gas, is expected to
meet Israel’s energy needs for the next 20
years. Leviathan is estimated to hold 16
trillion to 18 trillion cubic feet of gas.
Globes reported that Royee is unlikely to
be developed soon, due to the quantity of
gas available in Leviathan and Tamar.
The discovery comes on the heels of
an oil spill from a pipeline into a desert
nature reserve near Eilat, which is being
called one of Israel’s worst environmental
disasters.
The Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline ruptured
Dec. 3 next to the Evrona reserve on the
border with Jordan. The break occurred
during maintenance work on the pipeline
that runs between the Mediterranean and
Red seas, according to reports citing a preliminary investigation.
More than 80 people were treated for
respiratory problems due to the spill,
mostly over the border in Jordan. Three Israelis were hospitalized for inhaling toxic
fumes.
The amount of crude oil spilled is estimated at thousands of gallons, according
to the Environment Protection Ministry.
“Rehabilitation will take months, if not
years,” Guy Samet, director of the southern region for the Environmental Protection Ministry, told Israel Radio. “This
is one of the State of Israel’s most serious pollution events. We are still having
trouble gauging the full extent of the contamination.”
Highway 90, the main road into the resort town of Eilat, was closed in both directions for about 30 miles as emergency
teams worked to stanch the flow of oil. n
18
International
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
Stabbing attack leaves Crown Heights tense for Chanukah
MICHAEL FRAIMAN
SPECIAL TO THE CJN, NEW YORK
Not much has changed at the Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters since Dec. 9, when
a man burst into the main library at 770
Eastern Parkway and stabbed a 22-yearold yeshiva student in the head.
These days, there’s a police cruiser sitting outside the building at all hours—but
there always has been one, even before
the attack, according to the nonchalant
officer on duty.
If anything, the atmosphere is festive,
with Chanukah decorations and streetside vendors on Kingston Avenue selling
tinsel decorations and golden chanukiyot.
One thing that has changed, however, is
the open-door policy at the headquarters,
commonly called “770” for its address. The
staff has begun, once again, to lock the
front doors at night. “When things like this
happen, a lot of things come into review,”
says Motti Seligson, a Chabad spokesperson. “Security is one of those things.”
But it’s a cosmetic difference: the building is still open 24/7, and yeshiva students
still sit among the wooden benches in the
bottom-floor library at all hours.
And the community has not grown more
suspicious. Chassidic members of Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood are
generous with their time and enjoy chatting with strangers. But ask about the
aftermath of Dec. 9, and their faces change
– they look alarmed, sad, maybe a little
annoyed that random violence is what’s
attracting attention. There is a palpable
tension in the air. They would rather dis-
Outside the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters. MICHAEL FRAIMAN PHOTO
cuss the Messiah, the Rebbe, their studies
and prayers. “Everyone makes their own
calculations,” one woman tells me. “Some
are praying more, some are performing
mitzvot, some are asking God, �Why?’”
Cellphone video footage of the attack is
on YouTube. It doesn’t show the stabbing
of Israeli student Levi Rosenblatt, but it
does show Calvin Peters, 49, – who struggled with a history of drug-related arrests
and bipolar disorder, it was later revealed
– staggering around the 770 library, taunting cops and students, “You want me to
kill you?”
University-aged yeshiva students scrambled around the room, hiding behind
bookshelves, pleading for police not to
shoot the man. It was 1:40 a.m., and the
room was dark and fairly empty. “Drop the
knife,” an officer repeated. Peters complied, only to pick it back up and take two
steps towards the officers. One cop quickly shot Peters once in the stomach, leaving
him groaning and bleeding on the floor.
Peters died in hospital two hours later.
The violence was unprecedented at 770.
“This was very shocking to everyone,”
Seligson says. “At the same time, any loss
of life is very much a tragedy.”
Lubavitchers should take comfort in
the fact that police declared this a one-off
anomaly, rather than an act of terrorism.
But that also makes the horror that much
more difficult to comprehend: terrorism
we can explain; randomness is chaos.
And that chaos is what Jewish people
constantly struggle to justify.
“God wants us to be good and believe
in Him, even when it’s not easy,” says Yossi Liberow, a student at Chabad. Liberow
was sent out to talk with me at 770, not because I’d asked, but because I was lingering
outside with a camera and large bag, and
members were understandably concerned.
“The reason He made a bad world is so
that we can uplift it,” he adds. “When things
are bad and you do the right thing, that’s
doing a mitzvah, bringing Mashiach closer.”
Liberow proves this attitude on a short
tour inside the building. They serve free
coffee in the lobby; Yeshiva students
laugh and chat, bounding over the wooden seats; older men huddle among the
books, murmuring prayers in advance of
Chanukah.
And while Chanukah was never the
holiest high holiday, this year, in Crown
Heights, it has taken on deep significance.
On Dec. 11, a Lubavitch rabbi gathered
together a small group to celebrate 19
Kislev, the “Chabad Rosh Hashanah.” The
gathering, every year a celebration, took a
sombre tone when the rabbi brought up
Rosenblatt.
But then he recalled the story of Chanukah. That, too, was about the invasion of
evil; when Syrian-Greeks seized the Jews’
temple, Liberow paraphrases to me, “darkness came into the place of light.” A sacred
place was defiled, and Jews grew scared.
Calvin Peters was no Antiochus, and
the NYPD are hardly modern-day Maccabees. But along Eastern Parkway, Crown
Heights candles will burn through windows with purpose. They will illuminate
the night in defiance of, and thanks to,
that ever-reaching darkness beyond. n
Israeli Supreme Court upholds conversion revocation
AMANDA BORSCHEL-DAN
JERUSALEM
In a case that illustrates what might be
termed Israel’s unique theocratic democracy, the Supreme Court ruled Dec.
17 against a motion from lawyers representing Yonit Erez, whose conversion to
Judaism was revoked by Israel’s rabbinical
courts. The rabbis took the radical step after concluding that Erez had misled them
in promising to lead an Orthodox life.
In the petition, Justice Neal Hendel was
asked whether the rabbinical court had
the authority and jurisdiction to cancel
Erez’s conversion two years after it was
approved by the same rabbinical court
system. The motion was heard by Hendel, who was joined by Deputy President
of the Supreme Court Miriam Naor and
Judge Esther Hayut.
Erez was represented by lawyers from
the Center for Women’s Justice, including
Susan Weiss, who, like Hendel, immigrated to Israel from the United States. The
rabbinical court was represented by state
attorney Roi Shweka and Rabbi Shimon
Yaakobi.
In his decision, Hendel wrote: “Just as
the civil court has the inalienable authority to reverse – in extremely rare cases – a
final judgment, so, too, does the special
religious conversion court. For otherwise,
we would allow for judgments that are
flawed from their inception to exist eternally.”
According to Hebrew news website
News1, the conversion court decided to
revoke Erez’s conversion based on the fact
that she completely changed her lifestyle
shortly after her conversion, with no remnants of observing the mitzvot, which she
agreed to uphold.
Observing religious commandments is
imperative in Orthodox Jewish conversions, the only religious stream whose
conversions are recognized by the State
of Israel.
From Erez’s seemingly secular lifestyle,
the conversion court concluded that her
original statement agreeing to maintain
a religious lifestyle was a deception, and
that even a priori, she had no intention of
doing so.
In the decision released Dec. 18, Judge
Naor agreed with Hendel, but emphasized
there should be no assumptions that this
judgment is a precedent for cancellation
of other conversions. Rather, it relates
only to those obtained through deceit.
Judge Hayut concurred.
In the short time since the judgment
came out, one expert reacted with shock
and bafflement to the original religious
court’s decision to revoke the conversion.
According to Chuck Davidson, a mod-
ern Orthodox rabbi and social activist on
what he calls “the conversion crisis in Israel,” it is very clear in rabbinic literature
that there is almost no instance in which
a conversion can be revoked.
“From the Middle Ages onward, the
greatest of the rabbis wrote explicitly that
even if immediately after the conversion
the convert goes off to worship idols, the
person is still considered Jewish,” said
Rabbi Davidson, who has published extensively on this subject.
Rabbi Davidson, who does not know
the specifics of the case, said, “Unless
there was payment or bribery, if reversal
is based on non-observance, there is zero
basis for overturning it. If the conversion
was kosher with a kosher beit din, then it
is impossible to reverse.”n
Times of Israel
timesofisrael.com
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS DECEMBER 25, 2014
International
M
19
OPINION
On the bus
Sagi Melamed
A
ccording to an Arabic proverb, “The
love that comes after hostility is
sweeter than candy.” Sometimes the short
distance between violent confrontation
and embraces lies in the character and
actions of a single person.
I met Yair Ansbecher several years ago.
Months of my older children going out
after Friday night Shabbat dinner for a
“discussion for teens with Ansbecher” and
returning with shining eyes had made
me curious about this fellow married to a
woman from Hoshaya, a communal settlement in northern Israel. After Ansbecher
spent an entire Shabbat during Operation
Protective Edge with my son’s military unit
in a godforsaken training zone, rockets
flying overhead and mosquitoes buzzing
around, my admiration for him only grew.
My daughter recently shared with me
a story that demonstrates the enormous
tension in Israeli society. Here is Ansbecher’s story in first person:
“A few days ago, I was on the bus from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem. A young Arab woman in
hijab [traditional Muslim head cover] got
on holding a bag, prompting suspicious
attention. I scanned her quickly and dismissed my natural suspicion by deciding
someone must already have checked her.
It quickly became clear that other passengers were less complacent than I.
“In the middle of the Ayalon highway
the bus pulled onto the shoulder. The
driver came to the back of the bus and
hesitantly asked all the passengers to
open their bags, while apologizing and
saying that he doesn’t actually have the
authority to ask. A minute after this
strange examination concluded, the bus
resumed its journey.
“I thought I could get back to my nap,
but the bag check was repeated. This time,
the driver seemed even more embarrassed. Because I had just finished my
military reserve duty and all I wanted was
to get home timely and safely, I asked the
driver forcefully, �What’s happening?’
“The driver stammered that some of the
passengers were suspicious of a passenger
and he couldn’t continue driving.
“�You mean the Arab woman?’ He gave a
brief nod.
“Apparently, my dusty military uniform
vested me with some authority in the eyes
of the other passengers. But not the Arab
woman. She insisted that I keep my distance and not dare touch her bag. By this
time, the passengers were in three camps:
those who wanted the woman checked
immediately, those who defended her
privacy, and those who filmed the whole
thing on their smartphones. By now, I was
no longer suspicious of her and I realized
my mission had changed: I needed to calm
the situation.
“And that is what I tried to do for the rest
of the journey, talking with the offended
woman. I apologized for the suspicion and
explained that the concerns of the passengers were not malicious. We Jews have
been in a state of fear and suspicion of
strangers for 2,000 years.
“The woman answered that fear and
suspicion don’t mean you can invade
someone’s privacy. Every time she goes
out something like that happens. We were
both starring in a drama that neither of us
wanted. For a moment, we were close to
violence, even though we were both right.
Then we understood that our real enemy
is lack of trust and mutual fear. We got off
the bus as friends who respect and understand each other better.”
Ansbecher ended with a plea to our Arab
neighbours:
“I beg you, rise up with a moderate voice!
Fight the wicked and the extremists. Don’t
be drawn into another war, even if your
bags get examined. Try to understand that
it’s not racism, it’s fear of terrorism and
our bloody reality. Let us unite to fight our
common enemy – lack of trust and mutual
fear.”
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins
emphasized recruiting the best people for
leadership positions and called it “Getting
the right people on the bus.”
On our metaphorical bus we, too, need
the right people. n
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20
International
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
Women kindle menorah lights at Western Wall
JTA
JERUSALEM
Security guards at the Western Wall entrance confiscated menorahs from several women, but dozens held a Chanukah
candlelighting ceremony in the women’s
section.
The guards said they were acting on orders from Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the
rabbinic authority of the Western Wall and
holy places, the group Women of the Wall
said in a statement Dec. 18.
Last Thursday evening, some 28 chanukiyot were lit by 120 women, including
Rabbi Susan Silverman and her sister, the
Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman. Knesset members Tamar Zandberg and Michal
Rozin of the left-wing Meretz party joined
the group.
“The Kotel belongs to us all, and each
of us, men and women, have the right
to light Chanukah candles in this public, holy place,” Anat Hoffman, chair of
Women of the Wall, said in a statement
after the candlelighting.
Women of the Wall, which meets at the
Women of the Wall members light the candles on the third night of Chanukah, Dec. 18. DANIELLE SHITRIT/FLASH90 PHOTO
Kotel once a month for prayers for the
new month, had requested, in a letter sent
last month to Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, to hold a Chanukah candlelighting ceremony in the women’s section
of the holy site. They asked that a large
Mikvah-related lawsuit
adds rabbinical group
as defendant
JTA
WASHINGTON
A lawsuit arising out of allegations of voyeurism at a Washington, D.C. ritual bath
added the Rabbinical Council of America
(RCA) as a defendant.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this month by
a third-year student at Georgetown University’s law school, initially named as
defendants Rabbi Barry Freundel’s Washington synagogue, Kesher Israel, the adjacent mikvah and the student’s law school
for allowing Rabbi Freundel’s alleged misdeeds to go unchecked.
WJLA, the local ABC affiliate, reported
that, at a press conference Dec. 18, the
law firm representing the plaintiff, Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin and White, added the RCA as a defendant, as well as two
additional plaintiffs in a class action.
Calls to the law firm were unanswered,
and Rabbi Mark Dratch, the RCA’s executive vice-president, said the organization
had not yet been officially notified of the
suit.
RCA suspended Rabbi Freundel in October and instituted reforms to prevent
similar abuses.
The student in the original lawsuit took
a class taught by Rabbi Freundel and immersed at the mikvah while researching
her paper.
She named Georgetown for failing to
adequately look into Rabbi Freundel’s
background when hiring him.
“This case involves an unfathomable
breach of trust by a Georgetown professor
and religious leader and defendants’ utter
failure to prevent and/or stop it,” the original lawsuit stated.
One of the new plaintiffs is Emma
Shulevitz, who had approached Rabbi
Freundel in order to convert and who has
written about her experiences with Rabbi
Freundel, as well as the ostracism she has
suffered since speaking out.
The ABC report did not name the other
defendant, but suggested the lawsuit
could expand to include students of Freundel at another university, Towson, in
Maryland. n
menorah equivalent to the one that is lit
on each night of the festival in the men’s
section be placed in the women’s section,
allowing the women to hold their own
public lighting.
Netanyahu transferred the letter to
Vice-Minister of Religious Affairs Eli Ben
Dahan, who passed the letter on to Rabbi
Rabinowitz. According to the group, Rabbi
Rabinowitz said the menorah lit on the
men’s side can be seen by all. n
U.S. will not support
Palestinian state
resolution as drafted
JTA
WASHINGTON
The Obama administration does not
support a draft Palestinian statehood
resolution submitted to the UN Security Council.
“In terms of the specifics of this, in
its current form, we cannot support
it,” State Department spokesperson
Jen Psaki said at a daily briefing for
journalists Dec. 17.
A draft Security Council resolution
submitted by Jordan and leaked to
Ha’aretz and other media calls for a
Dec. 31, 2017 deadline for an Israeli
withdrawal to “borders based on 1967
lines” with land swaps.
“We wouldn’t support any action
that would prejudge the outcome of
the negotiations and that would set a
specific deadline for the withdrawal
of forces,” Psaki said.
She did not count out a state-
hood-related resolution per se, saying the United States wanted “further
consultations.”
Psaki noted that the Palestinians
“are not pushing for a vote right now,”
and are also open to consultations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said Dec. 18 that Hamas,
the terrorist organization now controlling the Gaza Strip, would soon
rule a Palestinian state in the West
Bank.
Separately, Psaki encouraged the
European Union to return Hamas to a
list of designated terrorist groups.
“We believe that the EU should
maintain its terrorism sanctions on
Hamas,” she said at the Dec. 17 briefing.
A European court said the 2001
designation was underpinned by
faulty evidence, but effectively maintained the sanctions, to give European
authorities time to reinstate the ban. n
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
Jewish Life
M
21
New gallery gives opportunities to artists
Arts Scene
by Heather Solomon
I have a crush on the
building
Deena Dlusy-Apel and Ruth Dunsky have
not seen any ghosts yet, but they may
DEENA DLUSY-APEL
have heard them, since their new gallery
space is located in the old RCA building in
St. Henri, site of former recording studios.
It’s also the home of the Berliner Museum honouring the genius of Émile
Berliner with its displays of antique
phonographs, radios and other sound
paraphernalia.
Since October, the two artists have been
sharing the Galerie RCA in E206 at 1001
Lenoir St., with four other artists.
Ruth Dunsky, left, with her winter scene and Deena Dlusy-Apel with her movie frame painting
“I have a crush on the building,” are members of the new collective Galerie RCA. HEATHER SOLOMON PHOTO
says Dlusy-Apel, who discovered the
manage to break through to the feeling of
1,300-square-foot room for rent when an may be from outside those groups.
What’s alluring for the gallery-goer is the the music in paint,” says Dunsky.
organization on whose board of directors
The work is in oils or acrylics as well as
she sits moved to the same address just variety of styles and media represented,
among them painting (both abstract and pastels, some on Mylar sheeting, which
east of the Glen.
softens the image and gives it a luminous
“I love the floors and the high ceilings. I realism), batik and fabric collage.
DENTUROLOGIST
Dunsky’s work is poetic realism in quality. Dunsky twice won first prize, in
love the history. I just feel it when I walk
Complete dentures
children discovering the natural world 2005 and 2010, at the Women’s Art Studio
through it. It resonates,” she says.
Hookless partials
She and Dunsky have been
taking
turns
1 hour denture repair around them, families enjoying the out- of Montreal’s spring exhibition, and she
hosting the public there, welcoming them doors, as well as age-old trees and, her studied at the Saidye Bronfman Centre
2545 Cavendish Blvd., suite 125
into the communal exhibition space
that’s fourth theme, individual and orchestral School of Fine Arts.
Montreal, QC H4B 2Y9
Dlusy-Apel finds inspiration for her
divided equally among the gallery’s art- musicians.
514
982“I2517
paintings
in the bright pattern of fabrics
can’t
do
a
painting
or
take
photos
at
ists, one man and five women who
were
by appointment only
mostly recruited from the ranks of the a concert, so when I’m watching a con- that clothe the human torso, stills from her
Women’s Art Studio of Montreal and the cert on TV, I sit there and keep snapping favourite TV program Orphan Black, movie
Women’s Art Society of Montreal. They are photos. Then I work from the photos frames painted with the side sprockets and
on the lookout for a seventh member who in my studio. My favourites are when I her granddaughter’s choir in full voice.
Adrian Grinberg d.d.
Adrian Grinberg d.d.
DENTUROLOGIST
Complete dentures
Hookless partials
1 hour denture repair
2545 Cavendish Blvd., suite 125
Montreal, QC H4B 2Y9
514 982 2517
by appointment only
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4
She hopes to show in the coming
months some of the thematic work on
survival that she created while studying
for her master of art education at Concordia University.
One theme is the breast cancer that she
survived 25 years ago, and another is the
Holocaust.
“My mother-in-law was a survivor. She
had sewn pockets into all of her clothing
because she would hide things in them
from having been on the run.
“When we moved her into Maimonides
[Geriatric Centre], we found photocopies
everywhere of photos of her brothers and
sisters saved by a sister who had moved
to Israel before they were murdered,” says
Dlusy-Apel.
She created a series in black paint and
ContГ© crayon of one of the lost sisters
wearing photocopies of different hats,
like a wedding veil, “all the hats she would
have worn had she survived.”
Dlusy-Appel, who went on to teach at
Concordia and later supervised their art
education teachers, is currently teaching a
course on how to abstract from realism at
the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors.
“At the gallery, we are going to have lectures, workshops, and also rent space by
the week to other artists who want to have
shows,” Dunsky says. “It’s more work than
anticipated, but it’s fun and exciting.” ■Gallery hours are Monday to Friday,
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment at
[email protected] .
22
Travel
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25, 2014
Nature, history and tranquillity
on the small island of Nevis
Melody Wren
Special to The CJN
There is something very special about
visiting a small island, and from the moment you cross the water in a tiny plane
from Antigua, Nevis has woven its magic.
The tiny island of Nevis, little sister to St.
Kitts, is suited to travellers who enjoy raw
nature, as well as to those who seek quiet,
peace, and tranquillity, the primary reasons people return.
Nevis has a heritage trail and iconic
plantation ruins, and other activities on
the island are the best of a traditional
British seaside experience. Offering far
more than beautiful sugar-sand beaches
and a large array of water activities, there
are also unexpected on-trend gourmet
restaurants, and a fascinating history
with a strong Jewish component.
After being expelled from Brazil in the
17th century, Jews began to settle on St.
Kitts and Nevis. At its height, the Jewish
community constituted around 25 per
cent of the total population.
The mostly Sephardi Jews brought
to the island the secrets of crystallizing sugar, making Nevis the “Queen of
the Caribbées”, because of the wealth
brought in by the sugar trade.
History reveals itself gently in the many
sugar plantations dotted throughout the
93 sq.-km. island (which has a population of 12,000), and in the 17th-century
Jewish synagogue and cemetery.
The community erected a synagogue in
the city of Charlestown in Nevis around
1684 and established a cemetery located
on Government Road containing graves
dating from 1679 to 1768. There are 19
surviving markers in the cemetery, which
bear inscriptions in Hebrew, English and
Portuguese. At the end of the 18th century, most of the Jewish population left
the island, leaving the cemetery abandoned. Today, it is the focus of a major
archeological effort.
If you have archeological instincts,
there is a lot to explore, including numerous ruins of plantations, ancient Amerindian sites, and a recently discovered
slave village. On a guided tour of the slave
village with replicas of houses the slaves
would have lived in, I asked our guide,
Patricia, about the horrible conditions
her predecessors lived in.
She waved it off with a grin. “We had
a chance to come to the Caribbean and
we did. People do horrible things to each
other all over the world, but we have to be
positive and move on.”
I sensed she had said this many times
over, but it appeased my churning emotions enough to be able to finish the tour.
We spent an afternoon in a 4 x 4 on a
tour on coastal paths and off-the-beatentrack roads, with stop-offs at abandoned
sugar plantations and churches. Some of
the roads were steep enough that they
made me gasp. As the island is divided
into five parishes, all named after saints,
the tour helped with a general overview
of the different parishes. A great way to
The Nevis Botanical Gardens melody wren photos
get a unique fun and educational view
around the island: www.funkymonkeytours.com.
Situated in the Montpelier Estates overlooking Mount Nevis and the ocean with
a spectacular view of the Nevis mountain
peak, the privately owned Nevis Botanical Gardens are a must see. It takes an
hour or more to fully explore the orchid
terraces, lily ponds, bamboo grove, cactus garden and over 100 species of palms,
all built to complement the natural features and beauty of the land. Bronze
fountains and sculptures were installed,
and, along with a striking, triple copper
sugar cauldron fountain, they highlight
the natural beauty.
A large conservatory in a style similar to the Palm House in Kew Gardens,
London, was erected to house the tropical rain-forest plants and parrots. The
Galleria gift shop is filled with desirable
items that exuberant owner Christi Douglas sources globally. Above the shop, the
Thai Oasis restaurant is a stylish stopping
point for signature drinks and incredible
food. www.botanicalgardennevis.com
Nevis, the Queen of the Caribbean, is
small, beautiful, and blissfully serene,
which is why travellers find themselves
under its spell.
Where to stay: There are several choices
for places to stay on the island, and repeat guests to the historical Nisbet Plantation beach resort return for many reasons – the appealing small size with 36
bright yellow cottages that are beautifully
appointed in subtle tropical hues lending a feeling of simple luxury. A stunning beach and location and the calm
tranquillity combined with a simple elegance make for a winning combination.
Fabulous food and afternoon teas with
an ocean view are delightful additions.
General manager Alistair Forrest hosts
cocktail gatherings every Monday evening for returning guests of which there
are plenty. Guests who stay five nights or
more get a free water taxi from St. Kitts.
The six-minute ride makes it a seamless
transition to the property.
Even if you aren’t staying at this restored plantation, pop in for lunch, dinner, afternoon tea or drinks on the terrace. www.nisbetplantation.com
At Wheel World Cycle Shop, owned by
Englishman Winston Crooke, you can
arrange bike tours around the island or
a history and heritage tour. Crooke can
deliver bikes to boats or hotels. The full
range of bikes features off-road, street,
racing, tandems, with tag-alongs or child
seats. He will meet you at the ferry or deliver you to your hotel. It’s on Main Island
Nevis Plantation ruins
Road, Oualie Beach Bay. www.bikenevis.
com. 869-469-9682
Pinney’s Beach off the main road is
a must for a visit to Sunshine’s for the
Killer Bee Cocktail. Everyone knows
owner Llewelyn Caines as Sunshine, and
famous celebrities seek him out. Barbra
Streisand has enjoyed the meals and
casual vibe of Sunshines. There’s an extensive menu, but visitors go for the laidback energy and a chance to chat to Sunshine, a charming personable character.
Dustin Hoffman, Michael Douglas and
Katherine Zeta-Jones also have visited in
recent years.
If Nevis is for the discerning, then Bananas Bistro is for the gourmet aficionado. The evening we visited, we were
led by flashlight to a walkway lined with
torches leading us to a tall, stunning
building high up on the Hamilton Estate,
about a quarter of the way up Mount
Nevis, at an elevation of approximately
900 feet. Upper Hamilton Estate, 1-869469-1891, www.bananasrestaurantnevis.
com n
How to get to Nevis: we flew Westjet from
Toronto directly into Antigua, a fourhour flight, then caught a connecting
flight on Air Montserrat into Nevis. Not
for the faint of heart, this tiny plane is so
small, we were weighed along with our
hand luggage to insure our suitability
for the journey. What would happen if I
weighed 300 pounds, I asked the ground
stewardess? “We wouldn’t take your luggage”she quipped.
Other options: Air Canada flies directly
to St. Kitts from Toronto. Nisbet Plantation resort would arrange a water taxi to
pick you up and deliver you to the resort
in six minutes.
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS December 25, 2014
23
M
About Town
by Janice Arnold
Sunday, Jan. 4
from Jan. 13-Feb. 7, a North American
premiere. Written by Eric-Emmanuel
Schmitt and based on the wartime
diary of the Dutch Jewish teenager, this
play is directed by Lorraine Pintal and
stars MylГЁne St. Sauveur in the title
role. www.tnm.qc.ca.
Friday, Jan. 9
bgu in mba meet
For the fifth consecutive year, Ben-Gurion
University of the Negev (BGU) is taking
part in Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business MBA International
Case Competition, which opens today
at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel.
Over the next five days, teams from across
North America and 13 other countries
tackle seven business dilemmas in the
hopes of capturing the Concordia Cup
and a $10,000 top prize for their school.
BGU is the first and only Israeli university
to participate in the meet (and was the
first from the Middle East), billed as the
largest and oldest of its kind in the world.
The Canadian Associates of BGU helps
sponsor the team from the Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management.
walk on the wild side
British comedian Rachel Mars presents
her acclaimed solo show The Way You Tell
Them to the Centaur Theatre as part of
its annual Wildside Festival of “boundary-breaking” theatre. The Way You Tell
Them is Mars’ ode to comedy and the
desire – sometimes compulsion – to be
funny. Her humour owes much to having
been brought up in a Jewish family “with
disregard for personal space or tactful
enquiry.” The show, presented by Montreal’s Scapegoat Carnivale Theatre, opens
at 7 p.m. tonight and continues on Jan.
10, 13, 14 and 16.
On Jan. 14, Mars also hosts a “Jewish-themed improv slide show.” Tickets,
514-288-3161.
Wednesday, Jan. 7
...Et Cetera...
family purity
Rabbi Boruch Perton begins a two-part
series on “Family Purity” (taharat hamishpachah) at Beth Zion Congregation at 7:30
p.m., providing some of the basics of this
area of Jewish law. The second session is
Jan. 14. 514-489-8411.
More YidLife Crises
If four episodes of YidLife Crisis, the hilarious and irreverent web series entirely
in Yiddish launched this fall aren’t enough
for you, take heart. The series’ creators
and stars, Jamie Elman and Eli Batalion,
say they plan to shoot more episodes next
summer. The Montreal natives (Elman
lives in Los Angeles and Batalion mostly in
Toronto) and Bialik High School graduates, now in their 30s, were back in town
for a “shindigge” to celebrate the surprising global popularity of the series, held
at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts.
Set in various Montreal eateries, friends
and polar opposites Chaimie (Elman) and
Leizer (Batalion) chew their way through
disputes over the meaning of Judaism in
the modern world.
The fourth and what was to be final
episode was posted on www.yidlifecrisis.
com in time for Chanukah. Originally
English subtitled, the version with English and French subtitles was unveiled
at the Segal. The duo’s Yiddish colloquialisms have been rendered into joual
by Quebec actress and comedian LГ©ane
LabrГЁche-Dor, who plays a poutinerie
waitress in the first episode.
The Segal evening was also a celebration of Jewish and QuГ©bГ©cois, English
and French, and Ashkenazi and Sephardi
rapprochement. The night opened with
MC Richard Martz, a Dora Wasserman
Yiddish Theatre actor, and Paris-born
comedian and musician Alex Fredo,
singing a ditty they composed with the
chorus “Ashkenaz and Sephardim living
Thursday, Jan. 8
Anne Frank tribute
To mark the 70th anniversary of the
liberation of Auschwitz, the travelling
exhibition Anne Frank: A History for
Today opens at the Montreal Museum
of Fine Arts (MMFA), in partnership
with the Montreal Holocaust Memorial
Centre, and continues until Jan. 28, free
of charge. Co-ordinated by Anne Frank
House in Amsterdam, this exhibition
has been seen in more than 60 countries around the world. It consists of
numerous archival photographs and
excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank,
together with 34 panels in French and
English describing their context in
World War II. It is designed to encourage discussion among young people
about the dangers of discrimination
and importance of human rights.
The MMFA is also showing 24 photographs of the infamous Nazi death
camp taken by Hungarian-born Montreal photographer Laszlo Mezei.
The exhibition coincides with the
Théâtre du Nouveau Monde’s production of Le Journal d’Anne Frank
in perfect rivalry” to the tune of Ebony
and Ivory. Batalion’s father, Hyman
Batalion, who helped with the Yiddish
for the series, proved to be quite a wit
himself – in Yiddish – as he compared the
relative success of his son’s acting career
to that of Elman. The younger Batalion
invited the audience’s suggestion for the
settings of future series, and the Orange
Julep and La Maison VIP in Chinatown
seemed the most cited, with one vote for
the Bialik cafeteria.
Young technion leaders
Close to 200 young professionals packed
the trendy Apt. 200 on St. Laurent Boulevard for launch of Generation NEXT,
the young adults division of Technion
Canada, the support group for Israel’s
Technion university. After cocktails and
networking, there was a panel discussion on entrepreneurship featuring
Julian Brass, CEO of Notable.ca; Jeff
Hart, president of Victoria Park; and
Marcos Carvalho, co-founder of Navut.
com. Generation NEXT is dedicated to
raising awareness of the importance of
Technion’s research and discoveries, and
developing future leaders of Technion
Canada. Young professionals interested
in getting involved may email nextmtl@
technioncanada.ca.
mezuzot dedication
Hundreds of Hebrew Academy students,
staff, parents and alumni united for the
dedication of new mezuzot designed
by Montreal artist Haim Sherrf affixed
throughout the school. The ceremony
was the culmination of a months-long
fundraising campaign. Proceeds will
help defray the costs of tuition, school
supplies, uniforms and lunches for needy
families. One of the most touching dedications was that in memory of late Hebrew Academy graduate Oren Grunbaum
by his family and friends. “We feel that
the connection between the neshamah
[soul] and the mezuzah is very strong,”
said Chaya Lieberman, campaign cochair with Vanessa Fallenbaum, “and
this daily connection will help strengthen
our children’s outlook on Judaism.”
...About Ourselves...
Former Montrealer Josh Webber is nearing completion of his feature documentary There is Many Like Us based on his
grandfather Max Fronenberg’s harrowing
escape from the Nazi concentration
camp Pawiak near Warsaw, in 1944. Fronenberg, 93 and living in Montreal, and
two other prisoners spent a year secretly
digging a tunnel, a daring feat that saved
18 lives. It’s also a romantic story inspired
by Fronenberg’s improbable reunion
with fellow inmate and first love Rena,
to whom he has been married now for
25 years. Los Angeles-based Webber, 27,
is trying to crowdfund another $60,000
(US) through Kickstarter for post-production and marketing costs. Pledging
deadline is Jan. 12. The film incorporates
interviews with Fronenberg and another
digger, Yusec Atlasovich, now in Israel, as
well as archival World War II footage and
dramatic re-enactments. Webber hopes
to finish this spring and have the world
premiere at the Toronto International
Film Festival in September, followed by a
modest theatrical release and video-ondemand/DVD issue in 2016. “Can’t wait
to share my grandfather’s story with the
world,” he said. n
Future leaders
More than 200 young professionals turned out for a chic networking
event launching Technion Canada’s Generation NEXT, held at Apt. 200.
At right is Anne Kalles, Technion Canada’s eastern regional director.
24
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014
Vayigash | Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Yacov Fruchter says we can’t hide from our responsibility to each other
Rabbi Shalom Spira explores the intricacies of Jacob’s heart condition
Rachael Turkienicz highlights a new chapter in Jewish leadership
Yacov Fruchter
Rabbi Shalom Spira
Rachael Turkienicz
A
“V
T
fter murdering Abel in a jealous fit, Cain was asked
by HaShem about his brother’s whereabouts. Cain
famously responded to God, saying “Am I my brother’s
keeper?”
We learned from Adam and Eve’s experience with the
Tree of Knowledge that we can’t hide from God. From
Cain and Abel, we learn that we can’t hide from our
responsibility to one another. By inquiring into Abel’s
whereabouts, HaShem is both helping Cain understand that he has done something wrong in killing his
brother, and teaching a deeper message. We must be
aware of our brother’s whereabouts. We need to make
it our business to know if someone else is distressed.
God says to Cain: “Your brother’s blood is calling out
to me from the ground.” Abel is already dead, so Cain
can’t hear his brother’s call, but God can.
At the end of the book of Bereshit, brothers are still
calling out from the ground, and still their calls are
ignored.
Joseph, too, finds himself underground, in a pit,
thrown in there by his brothers who are torn. They know
they don’t want him around, but are ambivalent about
killing him. They know this is wrong and are in the
midst of a collective moral struggle.
Joseph is not innocent either, finding ways to irritate
and alienate his brothers. But in Joseph we also find a
brother who yearns for connection: “Et achai anochi
mevakesh,” “I am pleading for my brothers.”
While disguised as the viceroy, he hears his brothers
speak about him, saying, “haechad einenu” his whereabouts are unknown. Joseph wants to be “known” by his
brothers, and reveals himself to them in dramatic style.
At the end of Bereshit, brothers are still hurting each
other, but they are also doing their best to reveal their
true selves to one another and find some peace. n
Yacov Fruchter is spiritual leader
of Toronto’s Annex Shul.
ayafog libo,” and (Jacob’s) heart stopped beating
(Genesis 45:26), after he was told that Joseph was
alive.
Ramban interprets the verse to mean that Jacob’s heart
was arrested, and he stopped breathing. Ramban claims
that Jacob remained in this condition for many hours,
and that during this time, his sons were yelling in his
ears and showing him Joseph’s wagons. Ultimately, this
audio-visual stimulation enabled Jacob to recover.
Rabbi Isaac Aramah (Akeidat Yitzchak) critiques Ramban. If Jacob was in cardiac arrest, he asks, how could he
hear anything his sons said?
Nevertheless, Ramban is cited approvingly by Rabbi
Moshe Sofer (Teshuvot Chatam Sofer). Without mentioning Akeidat Yitzchak, Chatam Sofer deflects the
critique by allegorizing Ramban’s remark about respiratory arrest. According to Chatam Sofer, Jacob’s pulse
became imperceptible, but he was still breathing in a
shallow manner, so that he remained receptive to his
sons’ words, albeit barely.
Arguably, Chatam Sofer’s licence to allegorize Ramban
derives from Rabbi Zvi Ashkenazi (Teshuvot Chacham
Zvi) regarding the Gemarah in Yoma 85a. The Gemarah
teaches that if an avalanche victim is found breathing
through the nose, he is alive; otherwise, he is dead.
Nevertheless, Chacham Zvi explains that the reason
we check for breathing is that sometimes the pulse is
imperceptible (particularly in an obese patient). For
Chatam Sofer, this is precisely what happened to Jacob:
his heartbeat was imperceptible, but there was shallow
breathing.
Indeed, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Iggerot Mosheh, Yoreh
De�ah) seems to associate Chacham Zvi with Chatam
Sofer, by citing both sources in his analysis of the definition of life.
A different approach is adopted by Rabbi Abraham
Lieblein in Kessef Mezukak, supercommentary to Ramban (which Rabbi Feinstein either did not see or chose
to reject). Kessef Mezukak surmises that Jacob literally
experienced cardiac arrest but then was resuscitated, so
that he could subsequently hear his sons’ good news. n
Rabbi Shalom Spira is a research assistant at the McGill
AIDS Centre in Montreal.
his week’s Torah portion introduces a concept that
changes everything within Judaism. Joseph presenting himself to his brothers as Egyptian while they
don’t recognize him intrigues us.
Up until now, the Torah presents an interesting dilemma. Jacob is elderly, and no one knows who will be the
next leader. Two matriarchs in one marriage contributes
significantly to the confusion. Both Leah and Rachel will
become matriarchs, but not for some time.
Designating the matriarch will automatically designate leadership. If the matriarch is Leah, the first wife,
the leader should be Reuven, her first son. If the matriarch is Rachel, the preferred wife, the leader should be
Joseph, her first son.
We all know which one Jacob is voting for. In fact, his
brothers don’t hate him only because Jacob favours him.
By favouring Joseph, Jacob dismisses Leah as matriarch,
and her sons cannot stand idly by. They plot to get rid
of Joseph and thereby automatically name Reuven as
leader and Leah as matriarch.
We arrive at this week’s portion when Joseph presents
himself as leader and confronts his brothers. Reuven
does not pick up the mantle of leadership, but Judah,
the fourth in line, steps forward and represents the
brothers.
Judah begins to introduce a new concept to Judaism:
leadership by merit.
Bloodline and birth order are the prevalent modes of
leadership in the ancient world. But in this instance,
following that model will exclude one matriarch, so the
model must now be dismissed.
Stepping into the void is the voice of Judah, the brother who is the born leader, proved through merit, not
birth order.
Ultimately, Judah’s descendant, David, will be chosen
by God to lead because of his unique heart. Leadership
by merit: a new chapter in our ancient history. n
Rachael Turkienicz is executive director
of Rachael’s Centre in Toronto.
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heart
hovers
over
virtually
will
share
my
passion
for
movies,
Large
or
small.
We
carry
supplies.
Only
candidates
selected
for
interviews
will
be
contacted.
Experienced,
loyal,
Filipina,
care
munity.
6 mosep.
min
begin
12-1-14
kitchen repairs & refacing & new
priv.
home,
entr.,
2 bdrm,
in the heart of Toronto
120 COTTAGE WANTED
details
call
416-666-5570.
of
life
essentially
unchanged
from
the
and
a
narrative
that
is
brazen
and
tender,
905-738-4030.
Giver
for
senior,
has
open
per122 TIME SHARE FOR SALE
theatre,
cultural
evnt
&
fine
dining.
702-233-2711
[email protected]
kits.,
fin.
bsmts.,
&
elec.
&
plumbEarl
Bales
Sr.
Woodworkers.
cable, hydro, yard, carpet, 2 prkg,
every
page
the
book
123 TIME
SHAREof
FOR
RENT
mit, Does personal
care, cook-sorrowful
Hope to hear
you soon.
416- forebears
etc.
Call 647-533-2735.
124 ARIZONA PROPERTIES
of their
long
ago. Women
numbing
and
pleasurable,
andfromlives
Chair Repairs,
Caning,
Regluing, ing,
alarm, kosher
kitchen.
$950/mnth
SRM
Movers-Call
Stanley!
A-1
125 FLORIDA PROPERTY FOR SALE
Painting
and
home
ing, cleaning, shopping, laundry, 223-7250
130 FLORIDA PROPERTY FOR RENT
Custom, reas.
416-630-6487.
Gr.
flr, Avail.
1. 416-781-2319
shortjobs,
notice,
insured,
home,
apt.,
were mostly illiterate.
Amulets,
charms, Odd
delightful,
Nomi
Eve effects
lit-people
small
repairs,
painteverything
aMar
Senior
needs
to stay a form of
245
employment
135 FLORIDA PROPERTY FOR SALE/RENT
improvements
265
140 FLORIDA ACCOMMODATION WANTED
office,
business.
416-747-7082
ing,
etc.
Please
call
Fred
at
happy,
healthy
&
safe.
Call
416Marcantonio
Furniture
Repair
secret
codes,
and
fear
of
the
evil
eye
were
erary
hypnosis
upon
the
reader.
The
work
wanteD
143 FLORIDA SHARED ACCOMM. AVAIL.
SearCh
Licensed
145 FLORIDA SHARED ACCOMM. WANTED
534-7297
130
in life.
touchups.
147 FLORIDA ACCOMMODATION
of everyday
In addi- 416-420-8731.
releases
its floriDa
grip only with the turn of the mainstay featuresSpecializing
and
Bonded.
150 FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION
property
Restoration,
refinishings
&
gen.
English
gentleman
w/reliable
450 painting/
Exp.page.
personal caregiver for the Bored? over 75? tion,
155 ISRAEL PROPERTY FOR SALE
lookingthere
for ginwas the inescapable sense of
last
160 ISRAEL PROPERTY FOR RENT
Call...
shlomo
car
& spare
time
will
drive you
repairs on premises. 416-654-0518.
for
rent
elderly.
Homes,
hospitals,
ret. rummy/poker players downtown.
wallpaper
165 ISRAEL PROPERTY FOR SALE/RENT
oppression
of
Jews,
an
officially
tolerated
This
is
quite
a
remarkable
feat
since
around
to
shops,
errands, etc.
170 ISRAEL PROPERTIES WANTED
275 perSonal
404 flooring
445
moving
Metropolitan
homes.
Eng.
&
Polish-speaking.
250
DomeStiC
contactCompanionS
Cari at 416-606-5898
175 ISRAEL ACCOMMODATION WANTED
Beautiful
3 Bdrm
Vacation Rental
Painting,
residential,
commercial,
Suits
regular
daily
journeys.
Book recounts
Hardwood
floors & stairs.
New or
help
available
We
schlep
for Less.
Attentive
178 ISRAEL TRANSPORTATION
religious
minority,
by
a
frequently
intolerthe
narrator,
Adela
Damari,
her
wanteD
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in
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out.
647
739
7138
–
cell.
old;
refinish
or
install.
Affordable,
service.
Reas. rates.
416-999homelimited
Boynton
Beach
55+
180 OUT-OF-TOWN PROPERTIES
now,
spaces..
CallFLLee’s
Licensing
interior/exterior.
Ceramic
Tile
&
410
health
&
reliable. Roman - 416-716-9094
185 OUT-OF-COUNTRY PROPERTIES
6683,
BestWayToMove.com
I can in
clean
your home
and
apt.
Educated
gentleman
interestant
majority.
story
retrospect.
At
the
outset,
she
foreAddress your mail to:
Gate
guarded
all amenities
comcell:
647-859
-0501
or at home:
www.romanshardwood.com
Reliable
PSW,
cleaner,
home190 VACATION PROPERTY AVAILABLE
quickly
and
nicely.
Good
prices.
ed in meeting an educated lady,
Drywall.
Reasonable.
beauty
G&M
Moving
and Storage.FREE
Apts.,
275
275
perSonal
perSonal
404
404
flooring
flooring
195 VACATION PROPERTIES WANTED
Call 647.867.6144.
445
445
moving
moving
Commission
72-76
for a
L/T relationship.
You and landscape
homes,
offices.
Short
notice.
905-884-5755.
munity.
6
mo
min
begin
12-1-14
about
her injuries.
And when a man hits
The
terrain
of
Yemen
–
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in
very
broad
terms
where
the
maker250
& RPN
avail. to work any will share
250
DomeStiC
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405 furniture
196 VACATION
PROPERTIES-EXCH./SHARE
ESTIMATES.
PAINT
HOUSE
The
Canadian
my
passion
for
movies,
Large
or
small.
We
carry
supplies.
Experienced,
loyal, Filipina, care
CompanionS
CompanionS
198 SPACE FOR LEASE
905-738-4030.
Giver
for senior,
has
open pertheatre, cultural evnt & fine dining.
702-233-2711
[email protected]
Hardwood
Hardwood
floors
floors
&
&
stairs.
stairs.
New
New
or
or
Earl
Bales
Sr.
Woodworkers.
shift
FT/PT.
W/car.
647-351-2503
Healthy
Body
for
All
help
help
available
available
We
We
schlep
schlep
for
for
Less.
Less.
Attentive
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416-392-3000
199
COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY
AVAILABLE
a
wife,
sometimes
it is for
punishment,
ligious,
cultural,
social,
political,
and
geostory
will
eventually
lead.
No
matter.
How
Jewish
News
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Painting. The
fastest,
Hope to hear
from you soon. 416wanteD
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200 OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE
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Glutathione
level
is declining.
old;
old;refinish
refinish
or
orinstall.
install.
Affordable,
Affordable, service.
223-7250
service.
Reas.
Reas.
rates.
rates.
416-999416-999Custom,
reas.
416-630-6487.
short
notice,
home,
apt.,
1750carpet
Steeles Ave.graphic
W., Ste. 218
201 OFFICE
SPACE WANTED
Gtransports
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every
page
iteverything
the
202 STORAGE SPACE WANTED
office, business. 416-747-7082
Your
Body
canFurniture
pay
the price!
healthy & safe. Call 416reliable.
Roman
Roman
--416-716-9094
416-716-9094
Marcantonio
Repair
6683,
6683,BestWayToMove.com
BestWayToMove.com
Ihappy,
Ican
can
clean
clean
your
yourhome
home
and
andapt.
apt. Educated
avail.
European.
Experienced
painting
in GTA. Commercial and
Educated
gentleman
gentleman
interestinterest- reliable.
Concord,
Ont.
203 STORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE
245
employment
534-7297
Specializing
in
touchups.
paradise.
For
him,
I
mean.
For
her? Well
of
the
book.
Only
after
Damari
is
carried
we
ride
back
in
time,
witnesses
to
the
life
www.max.com/502436/chuck
205 LAND/LOTS FOR SALE
Replying
to
an ad
help
available
www.romanshardwood.com
References.
416-655-4083.
quickly
quickly
and
and
nicely.
nicely.
Good
Goodprices.
prices.
Residential
Eli.
647-898-5804
Restoration, refinishings & gen.
ed
edin
inmeeting
meeting
an
an2L7
educated
educated
lady,
lady, www.romanshardwood.com
450
painting/
Exp.
personal
caregiver
for the
L4K
210 LAND/LOTS FOR LEASE
wanteD
G&M
G&MMoving
Moving
and
and
Storage.
Storage.Apts.,
Apts.,
[email protected]
repairs
on
premises.
416-654-0518.
with
a
elderly.
Homes,
hospitals,
ret.
wallpaper
a
man’s
paradise
can
be
a
woman’s
hell.’”
220
INVESTMENT
PROPERTIES
“upon
eagle’s
wings”
to
the
nascent
State
Adela
lived
intensely,
passionately,
vulnerCall
Call647.867.6144.
647.867.6144.
72-76for
foraaL/T
L/Trelationship.
relationship.You
You
homes,
homes,
offices.
offices.
Short
Short notice.
notice.
homes.
Eng.
& Polish-speaking.
225 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Reliable,
hard
working and 72-76
MILE’S
PAINTING
Don’tBox
forget
to put
Painting,
residential,
commercial,
CJN
Number?
405
405
furniture
furniture
230
BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES
Live
in
&
out.
647
739
7138
–
cell.
In
myriad
ways,
Eve
gives
expression
to
of
Israel,
in
the
last
portion
of
the
book,
will
will
share
share
my
my
passion
passion
for
for
movies,
movies,
ably,
dutifully,
and
finally,
courageously.
Large
Largeor
orsmall.
small.painting
We
WeCeramic
carry
carrysupplies.
Experienced,
Experienced,
loyal,
loyal,Filipina,
Filipina,
care
care
interior/exterior.
Tile &
410 health &
English
gentleman
w/reliable
experienced
caregivers
availProfessional
.supplies.
interior
232 BUSINESS FOR SALE
the Box your
Number
Address
mail on
to:
Reliable
PSW, cleaner, homeNHI-NursINg
&
D
rywall. Reasonable. FREE
beauty
905-738-4030.
905-738-4030.
235 BUSINESS WANTED
Giver
Giver
for
for
senior,
senior,
has
has
open
open
perpertheatre,
theatre,
cultural
cultural
evnt
evnt
&
&
fine
fine
dining.
dining.
car
&
spare
time
will
drive
you
415
home
Earl
Earl
Bales
Bales
Sr.
Sr.
Woodworkers.
Woodworkers.
maker
&
RPN
avail.
to
work
any
universal
“women’s
issues”
as
experienced
are
we
freed
of
the
danger
that
lurked
Henna
House
is
a
historical
novel.
The
able. Please call 416-546-5380.
ESTIMATES.
The Canadian
& exterior. PAINT
Over HOUSE
16 years
your
envelope.
237 CAREERS/RECRUITMENT
shift
FT/PT.
W/car. 647-351-2503
mit,
mit,Does
Does
personal
care,
care,INc.
cookcookHealthy Body for All
240 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
HopetotoJewish
hear
hearfrom
fromNews
you
yousoon.
soon.416416- Chair
around
to personal
shops,
errands,
etc. Hope
Homemakers.
E
& MMovers-Call
Painting. T
he faste
st,
Chair
Repairs,
Repairs,
Caning,
Caning,
Regluing,
Regluing,
improvementS
SRM
SRM
Movers-Call
Stanley!
A-1
A-1
experience.
GTA. Stanley!
References
Metropolitan
Glutathione
level
isof
declining.
by
the
Jewish women
of Yemen. But this is
constantly
the
corners
the
Jews’
story
sweeps
through
large
Henna
House
245
EMPLOYMENT
WANTED
1750events
Steeles Ave.
W., Ste. 218 around
G
oo
d
c oMaid
ok
/h
oJanitorial.
usek
e e pWe
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r
cleanest,
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ing,
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cleaning,
shopping,
shopping,
laundry,
laundry,
Your
Body
can
pay
the
price!
Suits
regular
daily
Book
CJN
Box #’s are
valid
223-7250
223-7250
246 VOLUNTEERS
avail.
European.
Experienced
painting
in GTA.
Commercial
and
•
Private
companions
Concord,
Ont.
Custom,
Custom,
reas.
reas.
416-630-6487.
416-630-6487.
short
short
notice,
notice,
insured,
insured,
home,
home,
apt.,
apt.,
upon
request.
Reasonable
www.max.com/502436/chuck
provide
affordable
high
quality
247
DAY
CARE
AVAILABLE
everything
everything
a
a
Senior
Senior
needs
needs
to
to
stay
stay
References.
416-655-4083.
Residential
Eli.
647-898-5804
merely
one
aspect
of
the story that is imlives
in
Yemen.
By
Nomi
Eve,
L4K
now,•limited
spaces..
Call Lee’s
Licensing
for
30 2L7
days.
[email protected]
A-1 Handyman. Specializes in office,
registered
Nurses
248 DAY CARE WANTED
office,business.
business.
416-747-7082
416-747-7082
rates!
416-303-3276.
maid
&
janitorial
services.
For
Reliable,
hard
working
and
MILE’S
PAINTING
happy,
happy,
healthy
healthy
&&safe.
safe.
Call
Call
416416Don’t forget to put
Marcantonio
Marcantonio
Furniture
Furniture
Repair
Repair
250 DOMESTIC HELP AVAILABLE
cell:
647-859
-0501
or
at
home:
kitchen
repairs
&
refacing
&
new
pressive.
Although
Adela
is
the
Scribner,
Simon
and
Schuster
experienced
caregivers
availProfessional painting . interior
the Box Number on
Highestcall
standards
of care from
255 DOMESTIC HELP WANTED
details
416-666-5570.
534-7297
534-7297
415 home
905-884-5755.
able.
Please
call 416-546-5380.
Specializing
Specializing
inin
touchups.
xterior. Over 16 years
your envelope.
kits.,
fin. bsmts.,
&touchups.
elec.
& plumb- & e Commission
257 HEALTHCARE AVAILABLE
general attendant care
improvementS
experience. GTA. References
Eve
has also provided
a cultural history
creative
fulcrum
upon
258
HEALTHCARE
WANTED
Harmonia Maid & Janitorial. We
CJN
Box
#’s
are
valid
ing,
etc.
Call
647-533-2735.
Restoration,
Restoration,
refinishings
refinishings
&
&
gen.
gen.
450
450
painting/
painting/
Exp.
Exp.personal
personal
caregiver
caregiver
forthe
the
upo
n
requ
est. Reasonable
259 SENIORS
provide
affordable
high
quality
416-392-3000
to acute
injury
care for
for 30 days.
A-1 Handyman. Specializes in
260
BUSINESS
PERSONALS
rates!
416-303-3276.
maid & janitorial services. For
of
the
Jewish
life
in
Yemen
that no longer
which
the
dramatic
repairs
repairs
on
on
premises.
premises.
416-654-0518.
416-654-0518.
kitchen
repairs
& refacing
& new
elderly.
elderly.
Homes,
Homes,
hospitals,
hospitals,
ret.
wallpaper
wallpaper
275 perSonal
265 PEOPLE SEARCH
404
flooring
details
416-666-5570.
Odd
jobs,
small
paint445
moving
call call
24/7--365
days/yr ret.
kits.,
fin.
bsmts.,
&repairs,
elec. & plumb265
people
270 PERSONALS
250
DomeStiC
ing,
etc.
Call
647-533-2735.
exists.
In
addition,
she
places
in a broadively
at
intimate
moments
in
their
lives.
events
of
the
story
hinge,
homes.
homes.
Eng.
&&Polish-speaking.
Polish-speaking.
CompanionS
273 INTRODUCTION SERVICES
ing, etc. Please
call Fred
at Painting,
Tel:Eng.
416-754-0700
Painting,
residential,
residential,
commercial,
commercial,
Hardwood
stairs.
New
or
SearCh
275 PERSONAL COMPANIONS WANTED
help
available
We
schlep
for Less.
Attentive
Odd jobs,floors
small&repairs,
paintpeople
Live
Live
inin&&265
out.
out.
647
647
739
7397138
7138––cell.
cell.
wanteD
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the
emergency
www.nhihealthcare.com
For
them,
henna
is
a
practice,
an
idea,
and
Eve
also
creates
arresting
416-420-8731.
279 PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
i n g refinish
, etc. P
l einstall.
ase ca
ll Fred at
interior/exterior.
interior/exterior.
Ceramic
Ceramic
Tile
Tile&&
SearCh
old;
Affordable,
410
410orhealth
health
&&
service.
Reas. rates.
416-999280 ANNOUNCEMENTS
416-420-8731.
Address
Addressyour
yourmail
mailto:
to:
290
LOST
&
FOUND
Reliable
Reliable
PSW,
PSW,
cleaner,
cleaner,
homehomemigration
of
the
Jews
from
Yemen
to the
an
esthetic
underlying
human
existence.
portraits
of
other
vivid,
Drywall.
Drywall.
Reasonable.
Reasonable. FREE
FREE
- 416-716-9094 6683,
beauty
beauty
Bored?
over
75?
looking
for
gin Educated gentleman interest- reliable. Roman
BestWayToMove.com
I Bored?
can clean
your
home
andfor
apt.
over
75?
looking
gin
295 PETS
rummy/poker
players
downtown.
maker
maker&and
&RPN
RPN
avail.
avail.
to
to
work
work
any
any
300 ARTICLES FOR SALE
ESTIMATES.
ESTIMATES.
PAINT
PAINT
HOUSE
HOUSE
The
The
Canadian
Canadian
www.romanshardwood.com
quickly
nicely.
Good
prices.
newly
established
State
of
Israel.
Her
rummy/poker
players
downtown.
In
a
note
at
the
end
of
the
book,
the
authmemorable
characters.
Before signing
ed in meeting an educated lady,
contact Cari at 416-606-5898
305 ARTICLES WANTED
G&M Moving and Storage. Apts.,
shift
shift647.867.6144.
FT/PT.
FT/PT.
W/car.
W/car.
647-351-2503
647-351-2503
Healthy
Body
Body
for
forAll
All
313 BOATS
Call
Jewish
Jewish
News
News You Healthy
any
contract,
contact
Cari
at 416-606-5898
72-76 for
a L/T relationship.
E&M
E&M
Painting.
Painting.
The
The
fastest,
fastest,
homes,
offices. Short
notice.
reflections
are
wide-ranging
and
offer
or
acknowledges
the
research
sources
she
Many
compelling
figures
315 CARS
Glutathione
Glutathione
level
levelissure
isdeclining.
declining.
405make
furniture
320 CONTENTS SALE
1750
Steeles
Steeles
Ave.
Ave.W.,
W.,
Ste.
218
218
GGoooodd ccooookloyal,
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And
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small.
carry
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325 GARAGE
SALE
poignant
insights
into the binding ties of
used
convey
the
significance
of
henna
such
as
her
aunt
Rahel
Your
Your
Body
Body
can
can
pay
pay
the
theprice!
price!
your
contractor
avail.
avail.
European.
European.
Experienced
Experienced
painting
painting
in
in
GTA.
GTA.
Commercial
Commercial
and
and
Concord,
Concord,
905-738-4030.
Giver for senior, has open per- theatre, cultural
evnt Ont.
&Ont.
fine dining. Earl
Bales
Sr.
Woodworkers.
www.max.com/502436/chuck
www.max.com/502436/chuck
SERVICE
DIRECTORY
is
Jewish
peoplehood.
in
the
lives
of
Yemeni
women.
The
Henna
References.
References.
416-655-4083.
416-655-4083.
and
cousin
Hani,
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Residential
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355
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368
CARPETS
534-7297
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370 CATERING
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372 CHUPPAHS
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Janitorial.
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382 COUNSELLING
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386 DANCING
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410
health
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392 DRY CLEANING/LAUNDRY
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has written in the voice of Adela
a
wave
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the
ocean,
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it
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ambiguous.
The
two
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394 EDUCATION
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395 ELECTRICAL
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396 ELECTRONICS
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palm,
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gesture
of
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primarily
in
pets welcome. 3,017 sq.Jewish
ft. 3 bed-3News
bath $2,500,000
shift FT/PT. SearCh
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647-351-2503
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400 ENTERTAINMENT
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Commission
416-420-8731.
416-420-8731.
402
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level
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declining.
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personal
inquiry among readers.
harvest
plenty,
or
both…Learning
how
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two
domains:
at
the
table
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~ 941.587.1700
1750 Steeles
Ave. W., Ste. 218
Good cook/housek
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404 FLOORING
cleanest, And most professional
Your
Body
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405 FURNITURE
416-392-3000
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over75?
75?looking
looking
for
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ginLongboatKeyLuxury.com
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Experienced
painting
in
GTA.
Commercial
and
When
she
arrives in Israel and is
website:
apply
henna
made
me
look
at
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406 GARAGE DOORS
www.max.com/502436/chuck
407 GIFTS
References.
416-655-4083.
rummy/poker
rummy/poker
players
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downtown.
Residential
Eli. Where
647-898-5804
email: [email protected]
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419 INTERNET SERVICE
she
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and
lines
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were
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especially
the
newlywed
FLORIDA
PROPERTY
420 INVITATIONS/PRINTING/CALLIG.
415 home
able. Please call 416-546-5380.
& exterior. Over 16 years
your cARs
envelope.
425 JEWELLERY
acknowledges
“the
only true possession
and
bone
of
pictures
yet
to
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drawn.”
chamber,
the
use
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427 JUDAICA
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430 LEASING
CJN Box #’s are valid
431
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brought
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the
course
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aspect
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upon request. Reasonable
provide
affordableIntercostal,
high quality
432 LAWYERS
for 30
days.
B”H
Hallandale
Selling your
car,
van, or SUV, A-1 Handyman. Specializes in
rates!
416-303-3276.
433 LESSONS
maid & janitorial services. For
Please
note
our
new
Phone
number:
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the
years
pass
by and Adela
the
story.
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interprets
the
circumstances
women’s
lives.
The
cus434 LIMOUSINE/TAXI
spac. unit acrs. frm. bch. 2 bdr./ I am a buyer. 514-686-3680; or kitchen repairs & refacing & new
details call 416-666-5570.
435 LIQUIDATION
kits.,
fin.
bsmts.,
&
elec.
&
plumbbuilds
a
new
life
for
herself,
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the
events
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unfold
through
the
tom
is
ancient,
exotic,
so2 bath. Dec.28-Jan.28/2015 514-336-8514
438 LOCKSMITH
439 MAKE-UP
ing, etc. Call 647-533-2735.
905-765-6141
huge
Call 905-881-8380.
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416-922-3605
A magic carpet ride in time
275 perSonal
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to an ad
CompanionS
with a
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Educated gentleman interested in meeting an educated lady,
72-76 for a L/T relationship. You
will share my passion for movies,
theatre, cultural evnt & fine dining.
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Exp. personal caregiver for the
elderly. Homes, hospitals, ret.
homes. Eng. & Polish-speaking.
Live in & out. 647 739 7138 – cell.
Happy New Year!
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Reliable PSW, cleaner, home3 bath,
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References. 416-655-4083.
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Rental
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all Lee’s
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Replying
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with
1750 Steeles
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ent
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404 flooring
Hardwood floors & stairs. New or
old; refinish or install. Affordable,
reliable. Roman - 416-716-9094
www.romanshardwood.com
405 furniture
Earl Bales Sr. Woodworkers.
Chair Repairs, Caning, Regluing,
Custom, reas. 416-630-6487.
Marcantonio Furniture Repair
Specializing in touchups.
Restoration, refinishings & gen.
repairs on premises. 416-654-0518.
Before signing
any contract,
410
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contractor
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is
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445
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450 painting/
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Painting, residential, commercial,
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Drywall. Reasonable. FREE
ESTIMATES. PAINT HOUSE
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cleanest, And most professional
painting in GTA. Commercial and
Residential Eli. 647-898-5804
Classified
MILE’S PAINTING
Professional painting . interior
advertising
Before
Before
signing
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415
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ing,
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atbefore
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andetc.
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herMastercard,
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Commission
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or Cash.
For
example,
Hani asked Adela: “�Do you
a symbol.
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artfully
any contract,
416-392-3000
416-392-3000
think
Musa
hits
her to give her pain, or to
portrays
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make sure
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cannot
be responsible
give
himself
pleasure?’
intra-communal relations
your contractorforinmore than
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“I balked, �What do you mean? What a
among Jewish women Please
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attentionhorrible
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repeated.
said, �clearly she covers
theappropriately
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Metropolitan
Licensing
your
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25
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to find a way to properly honour the
440 MISCELLANEOUS
442 MUSICAL SERVICES
443 MORTGAGES
sanctity
of the memories of the family she
445 MOVING
449 PEST CONTROL
once
had.
Her husband encourages her to
450 PAINTING/WALLPAPERING
452 PARTY SERVICES
write
her
memoir
because “souls live on
455 PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO
460 PLUMBING
465
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
in
stories.”
470 RENOVATIONS
472
RETIREMENT
HOMES
This
is Eve’s second
novel. Her first, The
475 ROOFING
476 SATELITE & EQUIPMENT
Family
Orchard,
a
Book-of-the-Month
480 SECURITY SYSTEMS
481 SEWING
Club
mainREMOVAL
selection, was nominated for a
485 SNOW
490 TABLE COVERING
493 TAILORING/ALTERATIONS
National
Jewish
Book Award. Eve teaches
495 TILING
496 TRAINING
fiction
writing
at
Bryn Mawr and lives in
498 TRAVEL & TOURISM
500 TUTORING
Philadelphia
with
her family.
510 UPHOLSTERY
512 WAITERING SERVICES
The
souls of Adela Damari’s family
515
WATERPROOFING
517 WEIGHT LOSS/FITNESS
520 WINDOW
populate
theSERVICES
Henna House. It is a place
550 WORKSHOPS
worth visiting. в– 26
Q&A
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
December 25, 2014
Uri Dromi: Showing journalists a �richer view of Israel’
JODIE SHUPAC
Do your members represent the full
political spectrum?
[email protected]
U
ri Dromi is founder and director of the
Jerusalem Press Club, (JPC), a space
that functions as a communal workspace
and networking hub for international and
local journalists and related professionals
in the city’s Mishkenot Sha’ananim neighbourhood. Dromi, who opened the club in
2013, was formerly the spokesperson for
the Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres governments, chief education officer of the
Israeli Air Force (IAF) and editor-in-chief
of the IAF magazine and IDF Publishing
House. He was in Toronto and Montreal
last month to seek support for JPC, and
spoke to The CJN about his inspiration
and aspirations for the club.
What motivated you to launch the JPC?
I had this idea for a long time. As the
spokesman for the Rabin government in
1992 and the Peres government in 1996, it
occurred to me that, with so many foreign
journalists based in Israel and so many
visiting, we should look at the media
attention as an asset rather than a liability. I see the club as something we can do
to expose the foreign press corps to Israeli
narratives.
A few years ago, it occurred to me that
Miskenot Sha’ananim would be a good
place for a press club. We got a nice grant
from a trust in New York that gives to causes in Israel, and got money to refurbish
and equip the place.
I had managed to visit a couple of top
press clubs in the world, like in Hong
Kong, London and Washington… I basically took all the best elements from these
press clubs and added the great location
we have, overlooking the walls of the Old
City. I think we’ve blended all the best elements of the press clubs in the world.
What are your main goals for the JPC?
To be a hub for the foreign press based
in Israel and those journalists who come
here on short visits, to be a place where
they can come and enjoy the facilities like
Wi-Fi, the restaurant… and can sit and
work. Journalists can even carry out live
broadcasts from here. We also hold regular briefings, where we bring in experts to
talk to journalists about different topics.
For example, we had a briefing on the proposed nationality law… We believe that, at
the end of the day, journalists write stories based on what they heard, saw, or who
they spoke with during the day. So we’re
trying to provide foreign journalists with
good content and speakers that represent
the Israeli narratives.
I say narratives plural because this isn’t
Uri Dromi, founder and director of the Jerusalem Press Club
You can’t be neutral
about your own
destiny. It’s not
just an intellectual
destiny, but about
the future of our
children.
propaganda, and not a government thing.
We’re totally private, independent, and
have no agenda.
But journalists know I’m a patriot and
believe the Israeli story is great and should
be told with all its nuances and variety of
opinions.
If we expose the foreign press to these, I
think, in the long run, we can improve the
coverage Israeli gets in the media.
It kind of sounds like you do have an
agenda.
I’m not evading the [Israeli-Palestinian]
conflict. I’m dealing with it on a regular
basis. I’m saying, �Here’s Israel: right, left,
Orthodox, non-Orthodox, rich, poor. Let’s
deal with it…’ I guess I do have an agenda,
but it’s not political or institutional. It’s simple: there’s more to Israel than what we get
on breaking news or on television. There’s
a richer view of Israel. The main thing lost
in today’s coverage of Israel is the warmth,
energy, vitality and ingenuity of Israelis.
This doesn’t offset issues with the settlements or Gaza, it’s just giving a more complete look at Israel rather than just what’s
seen through the narrow prism of war.
I try really hard to be balanced by bringing speakers from the right and the left,
both Arabs and Jews… I have a goal to
broaden people’s views.
For instance, Al Jazeera is a member,
as is Samer Shalabi [the first Palestinian
chair of Israel’s Foreign Press Association].
What kinds of special programs does
JPC offer?
We’re investing in journalism students.
When we first opened, I brought a group
of journalism students from the University of Miami, and this year we brought a
group of journalism students from Northwestern. They were very impressed and
went back to their campuses with a better understanding of how complex it is to
cover Israel and the Middle East. We bring
them for a week or so and offer rich programming with a journalistic focus. We let
them meet different news organizations
working here, Israeli and foreign; hear
speakers, and have time for assignments.
I’m ready to bring more foreign journalism students, it’s just a question of funds.
Another program we have is we host
special missions of journalists who specialize in a certain area in which Israel has
something big to say to the world… like
the high-tech industry, science, film, literature or education.
In 2013, I brought science journalists
from all over the world and exposed them
to the richest program that showed the
accomplishments of Israeli scientists…
there were journalists from Japan, Colombia, Germany.
This year, I brought 20 film critics from
around the world to cover the Jerusalem
Film Festival. This upgraded the Jerusalem Film Festival to the level of other great
international film festivals.
Yes. Some people think we’re too much
to the left and some think we’re not leftist enough, so I think we’re somewhat in
a good place.
For example, when [New York Times columnist] Thomas Friedman came to town,
I invited him to the press club to speak
for our members – 200 people wanted to
come. But some Israeli journalists who are
far to the right wrote complaint letters to
the government press office saying, �Look
at Uri Dromi, bringing the leftist Thomas
Friedman, who criticizes Israel.’
Another time, when I invited a diplomat
who is far right and against a two-state
solution, I got complaints from press club
members who are leftists, saying, �Why are
you inviting a right-wing lunatic here?’
Is it possible for a journalist in Israel
to be fairly neutral?
Definitely not. It’s all a matter of interpretation. I write op-ed pieces for the Miami
Herald and you can see I’m not neutral. I
take sides, I’m critical of the government of
Israel. You can’t be neutral about your own
destiny. It’s not just an intellectual destiny,
but about the future of our children.
How many members are there?
We already have 100-plus foreign press
members, 100-plus Israeli journalists,
100 visiting journalists and 100 associates
members – people like diplomats, PR professionals, retired journalists, etc. –who
want to mingle with the press. Altogether,
we have 400 members in just a year and a
half of being open – not so bad!
What are club membership and visitor
rates?
It’s 200 shekels [about $50 US] a year for
foreign and Israeli journalists and 300
shekels [$76] a year for an associate member. For a journalist who’s just visiting, it’s
100 shekels for a year.
Visiting journalists are happy to become
members, because, as a member, you can
walk into any press club in the world and
get all benefits free of charge. We have a reciprocal arrangement with them, because
we’re a member of the International Association of Press Clubs and of the European
Federation of Press Clubs.
If people come and they’re nice people,
we let them in.
And if they’re not nice?
[chuckling] We kick them out. n
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS DECEMBER 25, 2014
Social Scene
M
27
The other side of the coin
Backstory
IRA ROBINSON
I
n December 1931, Rabbi Joshua Herschorn
spoke in Montreal’s “Romanian shul” and
sparked a controversy. His sermon reacted
to shocking news of riots by Polish students
seeking to limit the number of Jewish students in their universities. Montreal Jews
were even more shocked to hear that the
rabbi had allegedly preached a sermon that
stated that the riots were at least partially the
Polish Jews’ own fault!
The controversy began with the publication of a letter to Montreal’s Yiddish newspaper Keneder Adler that alleged that Rabbi
Herschorn had argued that the Polish students had a point in that Polish Jews did not
financially support Polish universities. The
newspaper’s editor added a note supporting
the allegations and asserting that this was
merely one of many letters he had received
on the subject.
The charges against Rabbi Herschorn were
taken up by Montreal’s Russian-Polish Sick
Benefit Society that requested an investigation, demanded that the rabbi’s salary be
suspended, and called for a protest meeting.
The rabbi’s livelihood seemed in real jeopardy.
His supporters now entered the debate, asserting that Rabbi Herschorn had never justified the hooliganism of the Poles. The editor,
Israel Rabinovich, was unconvinced. Given
that the sermon’s title was “The Other Side of
the Coin”, he wondered what the “other side”
of an anti-Semitic pogrom could be?
The next stage of the controversy came
when Rabbi Herschorn’s synagogue held a
public meeting that heard testimony asserting that the criticism the rabbi received was
groundless. Isidore Popliger, the president of
the congregation, attempted to discredit the
testimony against his rabbi. He questioned
the newspaper’s accusations on the basis of
a dubious letter. He denied that Rabbi Herschorn said that the Polish Jews “deserved
what they got” and called it “a despicable
lie.”
Rabbi Herschorn gave his version of the
affair. Certainly he did not justify anti-Jewish pogroms. What he had said was that the
Jews needed to conduct themselves better in
their relations with their non-Jewish neigh-
bours. At this point, the rabbis in attendance
convened a rabbinical court and declared
him innocent of the charges against him.
The meeting ended and the matter fell from
the public agenda of Montreal Jewry.
One published source purports to give us
the “gist” of Rabbi Herschorn’s sermon. According to this summary, he began by comparing the situation of the Jews of Poland to
that of the Jews in Montreal. He said that it
was in the Jews’ interest to have good relations with their fellow citizens and to support non-Jewish institutions from which
Jews derive benefit. Thus McGill University
has many Jewish students. But how many
Jews contributed financially to McGill? Similarly Rabbi Herschorn deplored the fact that
Jews didn’t support the Royal Victoria and
the Montreal General hospitals, even though
Jews used these hospitals and got the same
attention as Christian patients.
Rabbi Herschorn had intended to preach
a provocative sermon, using the recent pogroms to rivet the attention of his congregants on their own situation. What he likely
intended to be a secondary point spun out
of control and required the skilled intervention of his congregation’s president to get
him out of trouble.
Rabbi Herschorn’s sermon is remarkable.
It attempted to take a stand on the Montreal
Jewish community’s relationship to the larger community that bucked a strong communal inward trend. Thus, for example, the
Jewish community of Montreal was channeling its resources to build the Jewish General Hospital, for which the groundbreaking
ceremony had taken place in August, 1931,
while Rabbi Herschorn was advocating
more Jewish engagement with the Protestant hospitals of Montreal.
Rabbi Herschorn’s vision of a Jewish
community increasingly engaged with the
institutions of Anglo-Montreal constituted
a bold attempt to influence his listeners’
engagement with their society but didn’t
seem to reflect the direction of the Montreal Jewish community in the short run. In
1931 it was probably dismissed as optimistic, even utopian. However the situation
illuminated by this controversy would not
last. Economic progress and the forces of
acculturation would ultimately lead to the
contemporary prominent financial engagement of Montreal Jews in all the educational, medical, social, and cultural institutions
of Montreal – just as Rabbi Herschorn had
advocated. n
JPL CORNER
Club Balfour supports the JPL’s 100th
Cindy Davis
M
arilyn Nayer is a second-generation member of the Jewish Public
Library. Her father was present at most
of the library’s important mid-century
milestones, and for many years, was an
active participant in the library’s musical programs led by Clarence Fink. The
library was such an important part of
her father’s life that when he was stricken with Alzheimer’s many years ago, his
memories of the JPL remained.
“Even when he didn’t recognize me,
when Clarence Fink visited him in the
hospital, he knew Clarence,” Nayer
recalls.
Today Nayer remains a staunch supporter of the JPL and works tirelessly
to promote library membership She is
also an active member of Club Balfour, a
non-profit organization and social group
that supports the community. It was no
surprise then, that when it came time for
Club Balfour to decide which organizations would receive a portion of its yearly
donations, the JPL was at the top of the
list.
“The JPL is an anchor in this town,”
says Alice Solomon, unofficial head of
Club Balfour’s steering committee. “The
library has been very kind to us through
the years, and most members are connected to the library.”
The group uses the JPL’s Jewish Book
Month every year as a basis for their fall
activities and can often be found filling a
block of seats at JPL keynote events.
Previously the Montreal branch of the
former Jewish Women’s International, the
group decided to become independent
and change its name to Club Balfour
three years ago. The club, which meets
monthly, has no president, no board of
directors, and all decisions are brought
forth to the members.
“The group is a democracy – majority
rules,” Solomon says. “If someone has
an idea of a charity to which they want
to give, they bring it to the group and we
vote.” Other recipients of Club Balfour’s
donations over the years have included
Members of Club Balfour
celebrate the JPL’s 100th
anniversary. Seated is Rozanne
Abramson; standing, from
left, are Bev Tencer, Rhona
Wittenberg, Marilyn Nayer,
Alice Solomon, Chava Caron,
Arnona Szolomowicz and
Daphne Zeitz.
The Miriam Foundation, Native Women’s
Shelter of Montreal, Auberge Shalom,
Dans la Rue and many others.
The group raises its funds through a
variety of initiatives including bingo
nights, raffles, sing-alongs and guest
speakers – which in the past have included JPL director of archives Shannon
Hodge.
Club Balfour’s donation to the JPL in
honour of the library’s 100th anniversary
was recognized in a small ceremony last
month during which a plaque commemorating the event was erected in
the library. “The JPL is 100 years old. We
want to leave a legacy to our children
and grandchildren. It’s important that
they know the significance of the Jewish
Public Library,” Solomon says.
For Nayer, whose earliest childhood
memories are library-related and whose
parents encouraged her to be a voracious
reader, libraries and books play an important part in shaping a person’s character. She still remembers the title of the
very first book she borrowed from the JPL
when it was located on Esplanade. “It was
called Marjorie Morningstar,” she says
with a chuckle. “The love interest’s name
was Noel. It was a little scandalous.”
To find out more about Club Balfour
contact Alice Solomon at alicesolomon@
outlook.com. To inquire about how your
group could commemorate the Jewish
Public Library’s 100th anniversary or to
book group seating for an event, contact
514-345-2627, ext. 3332, or Angelina.
[email protected] n
28
M
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
DECEMBER 25, 2014