AROUND OUR REGION : CAPE BRETON
CAPE BRETON NEWS BY SHARON JACOBSON
Who knew 2021 would be one long weekend without Shul? Despite this Endless Weekend, I can’t say we haven’t travelled—We have ALL made one trip around the sun! And, it looks like we are doing it again this year... my mind has gone quirky! So, as you can sense, COVID Fatigue has set in. Because events are few and far between, someone explained it to me—“There is nothing to talk about.” But, I will try. For example, engagement@theajc.ca has kept me very busy online during this pandemic! The virtual programs are varied, relevant and interesting. Case in point, January’s presentation for International Holocaust Remembrance Day with Dr. Rohini Bannerjee of Francophone Studies from the Department of Modern Languages at St. Mary’s University. She spoke about Mauritius, a small, remote island in the Indian Ocean, (not to be confused with Mauritania or the Maldives.) This island was inhabited by French, English, Arabs, Chinese, Europeans, East African slaves, and, Jews. “In The Shadows of Beau Bassin” is a documentary about the story of Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi persecution in Europe in 1940. They were refused entry into Palestine by the British and were subsequently deported to Mauritius. They were “detained in a prison until the end of the war and were deprived of all basic human rights, even that of family life.” You can view this Doc by Kevin Harris on YouTube. Dr. Bannerjee also mentioned two books: The Mauritian Shekel by Genevieve Pitot which speaks of a journey from Bratislava to Haifa only to end in Mauritius and, The Last Brother by Natacha Apranah which describes a complex, historical Diaspora for two little boys from different backgrounds, Raj and David. Dr. Bannerjee’s talk was so intriguing, she left me with the feeling of wanting to meet her and hear more of what she knew. *** Zoom has also increased the number of participants in community events! A Five Year Memorial to Frank Medjuck, spearheaded by his daughter, Bina, brought together friends & family from
many locations who wished to reach out and reminisce about “all things Frank”. The yearning to talk about their personal experiences was palpable. Frank’s memory is a heartfelt legacy to Hedda and her family. Indeed, he was one of a kind. *** Next we Zoom to Adath Israel in Toronto where Phil David, formerly of Sydney, together with Joe Trager, formerly of Halifax, coordinated a program about another Maritimer, Irwin Simon. Irwin is a homegrown “ Bay Bye” who unabashedly wears it proudly. He took us down the road with him from Glace Bay to New York City to Toronto: we flew over his bumps and climbed the hills to his success. Irwin was informative and straightforward with a winning smile. His shout-out to his 91-year-old Aunt Tootsie David was sweet. But I would expect nothing less from the son of Nate & Nettie Simon. *** The Cape Breton Community suffered the unexpected loss of Eleanor and the late Buddy Epstein’s son, Norman, formerly of Sydney. He grew up on the island with his sister, Arlene and brother, Brian, who along with their mom are presently Toronto residents. Sam Karrel, another C.B. icon, also passed away. He was predeceased by his wife Eva. I grew up with Brian, Miriam, Debbie, Patsy, (married to Steven Simon), Shelley, Pam and Curdis. Quite a family. *** Back in the Fall of 2020, Barrie Carnat was kind enough to drive Rabbi Ellis to Inverness to view the stained-glass windows in St. Matthew’s church. The names on the windows include 3 Jewish boys from the area who died in the war: Lt. Jack Levine, Pte. Nathan Feinstein and his brother, Sgt. Sam Feinstein. They had a very interesting tour with Pastor Maggie Plant. Photographs are provided with this article. *** Now onto a breath of Spring. Passover, with its ritual Seder is the story we all gather round. It is the time we remember that we were slaves in Egypt who walked through the parted Red Sea to a life of Freedom and theAJC .ca
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PHOTOS: 1. Does anyone recognize this kitchen utensil?!? 2. Bella Shore 99-years-old in July: Cooking a stew with very “little vision left” and an “aching body.” Talk about growing old with “chutzpah” 3. Moe, Volunteer fireman
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Shalom
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