Ottawa Jewish Bulletin - February 5, 2018

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Canadian Jewish Experience launches exhibit at the Roman Catholic Diocesan Centre Canadian Jewish Experience has partnered with the Archdiocese of Ottawa. It is the first time the travelling exhibit has been shown at a non-Jewish religious facility. Louise Rachlis reports on this interfaith endeavour.

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he Canadian Jewish Experience’s travelling exhibit has, by now, been to many venues across Canada ranging from museums to universities, libraries, city halls, community centres, synagogues, Parliament Hill and provincial legislatures. But a launch held January 24 at the Roman Catholic Diocesan Centre marked the first time it has been seen on the premises of a non-Jewish faith group.

Tova Lynch, a Canadian Jewish Experience (CJE) organizer, said one of the main goals of the CJE exhibit is to promote understanding and reach out to people from all religious traditions. “CJE is therefore honoured that the Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa has invited many Ottawans of different religious backgrounds to gather here at the Diocesan Centre to open an exhibit that tells the story of Jewish contributions to our great country.”

“We selected February for the exhibit because we have pastoral days February 22 and 23 and all the parishes from Hawkesbury to Almonte will be sending representatives,” said Deacon Gilles Ouellette of the Office of the Archbishop, who worked with Lynch on bringing the exhibit to the Diocesan Centre. “This will

inside:

enable thousands of priests, deacons and lay leaders across the area to view it.”

“We wanted it to have extensive exposure, so that many will see it and it will touch them very much,” said Archbishop of Ottawa Terrence Pendergast.

“I want to say how pleased we are to be able to display the exhibit.”

Jewish leaders on hand for the launch were enthused the exhibit is on display at the Catholic institution.

“This is an overwhelming thing for me,” said Rabbi Reuven P. Bulka, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Machzeikai Hadas. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing the archbishop for many years, and we’ve done many things together… You can talk, but to actually bring something here to the archdiocese about Jewish life speaks directly to action and to valuing each other. Thank you, we deeply appreciate this.”

“The exhibit wanted to celebrate what Canada has achieved and will achieve in the future,” said Victor Rabinovitch, chair of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Communications and Community Relations Committee. “This entire exhibit is about celebration, not just Jewish, but of the country. Let us build together a country that is better

SJCC Ganon Preschool to collaborate with OJCS on junior kindergarten > p. 2

LOUISE RACHLIS

(From left) Victor Rabinovitch, Archbishop Terrence Pendergast, Rabbi Reuven P. Bulka, Deputy Mayor Mark Taylor, Tova Lynch and MPP John Fraser gather at the launch, January 24, of the Canadian Jewish Experience exhibit at the Roman Catholic Archdiocesan Centre.

and better.”

Deputy Mayor Mark Taylor said the City of Ottawa salutes the initiative.

“What stands out is how we stand together as a people to share each other’s stories. There are many places on our planet where this wouldn’t happen,” said Taylor.

Ottawa South MPP John Fraser said bringing the CJE exhibit to the Diocesan Centre represented a “significant milestone,” noting there are families from 125 countries, 19 languages and dozens

Josh Rose on PJ Library > p. 6

Set the bar.

The 2018 Audi S4.

of faiths in the riding. “It takes work like has been done here today to bring people together.”

The CJE exhibit will be on display at the Diocesan Centre at 1247 Kilborn Place through February 23. Call the Archdiocese at 613-738-5025 for information on dates and times available for viewing.

As well, CJE has announced the exhibit will soon travel outside Canada with showings already scheduled for Los Angeles and Israel.

Rabbi Steven H. Garten on the definition of ‘Jewish character’ > p. 17

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

SJCC Ganon Preschool and OJCS to partner for junior kindergarten

BY PAMELA ROSENBERG SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE

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he Soloway Jewish Community Centre (SJCC) Ganon Preschool and the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS) are teaming up to offer a joint junior kindergarten (JK) program that will eventually move from its present location at the SJCC to its new home at the OJCS. The Ganon Preschool currently offers a JK program for four-year-olds and has been a feeder school for OJCS which currently begins at senior kindergarten.

The partnership will begin this coming September and will be in effect for three years. In September 2021, the JK will relocate and be exclusively operated by OJCS. While the details of the gradual transition are still being discussed, the SJCC Ganon Preschool and OJCS will work together on a plan phasing in the OJCS curriculum incrementally over the three years so that by the final year of the partnership, the JK will have a fully integrated OJCS curriculum.

Jon Mitzmacher, head of school at OJCS says this as a win/win situation as it will strengthen both organizations which in the long term will serve the community as a whole.

“In the big picture this is an opportunity to model what community partnership and collaboration looks like,” said Mitzmacher. “The SJCC is making a sacrifice for the greater good of the community by being willing to transfer this program to OJCS and the stronger our school is, the stronger our community.

It’s a positive model of how Jewish organizations can work together towards the greater good of the community.”

OJCS has been at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting new families over the years because, unlike other schools in Ontario, it does not begin with JK. This move is part of a continuing strategy by OJCS to both improve and build upon existing strengths, to ensure that our community day school provides the offering needed by families in our community.

A student at the SJCC Ganon Preschool learns the alphabet.

“Our school is at the heart of our community” said Michael Polowin, president of OJCS. “Improving and making its program more enticing to the Jewish community is part of building the Jewish superhighway.”

What does this mean for the SJCC Ganon Preschool which has been running a highly successful JK for several years, even after the introduction of fullday JK at public schools?

During the three year transition period, the SJCC Ganon Preschool will be working with the Ontario Ministry of Education to change its licensing so that it will be able to welcome children as young as 12 months.

According to SJCC President and COO Barry Sohn, Ganon will be exploring opportunities to grow the two- and three-year-old’s programs, moves he is confident will keep Ganon running at, or near, capacity once the JK has been moved to OJCS. “We are dedicated to community and to preparing children for a Jewish life. We are supportive of the school,” said Sohn. “The SJCC provides aftercare and break camps for OJCS families.

This transition shows our willingness to prepare children and start them on the path to Jewish day school.”

Both the SJCC and OJCS, he said, will continue to work together in the interests of Jewish families and the community as a whole.

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Will Abbas’ explosive comments kill the peace process?

BY RON KAMPEAS

(JTA) – The Oslo Accords? “Killed,” the Palestinian Authority (PA) president said, blaming Israel.

The Israeli prime minister said the Palestinians are now “unmasked” – but naturally he blames the Palestinians.

Notably, the United States was silent.

The PA president, Mahmoud Abbas, delivered a rambling address of more than two hours on January 14 to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Central Council.

“Today is the day that the Oslo Accords end,” he said. “Israel killed them.”

Abbas blamed the restrictions under which his Palestinian Authority operates and what he regards as Israel’s unrestrained occupation activity.

“We are an authority without any authority and an occupation without any cost,” he said.

His remarks drew condemnation across the Israeli and U.S. Jewish spectrum, including from groups that have not hesitated to criticize the Israeli government for recalcitrance in the peace process. The groups and the Israeli government were especially outraged that Abbas rejected Jewish connections to the land of Israel and claimed that Zionism was “a colonial project that has nothing to do with Judaism.”

U.S. President Donald Trump, a target of wrath in the Abbas speech, is typically quick to jab back at insults but said nothing. Neither did two others called out in the address: Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Also silent were (characteristically) Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who is charged with reviving Israeli-Palestinian talks, and (uncharacteristically) Jason Greenblatt, the Trump administration’s top Middle East negotiator and an avid tweeter.

ISSAM RIMAWI/ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at a session of the PLO Central Council in Ramallah, in the West Bank, January 14, 2018.

The silence suggested the Trump administration has not entirely written off the Kushner-led effort to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks.

So what did Abbas say and what did he do? How is Israel responding? And is the peace process dead?

WHAT ABBAS SAID In addition to discounting the legitimacy of a Jewish state in the region, Abbas counted out a role for the

Trump administration in restarting the talks.

“Any future negotiations will take place only within the context of the international community, by an international committee created in the framework of an international conference,” he said. “Allow me to be clear: We will not accept American leadership of a political process involving negotiations.”

Abbas is furious with Trump for his recognition of See Abbas on page 4

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February 5, 2018

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Abbas: Anti-Jewish myths and fabrications

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Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and for his threats to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority. (On January 16, the Trump administration froze more than half of its funding for the United Nations agency that administers aid to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, but a spokesperson said it was because Trump wants other countries to increase their assistance to UNRWA, not to punish Abbas.)

WHAT DOES ABBAS’ SPEECH MEAN? Not a lot. Abbas has not been this blunt about declaring Oslo dead, nor has he been as adamant about decentralizing the traditional U.S. role as mediator.

But none of this is new: When the peace process is on the skids, Abbas has reflexively blamed its structure, which he says favours Israeli settlement expansion and Palestinian disempowerment, and called for a diminished U.S. role.

“It is impossible, and I repeat – it is impossible – to return to the cycle of negotiations that failed to deal with the substance of the matter and the fundamental question,” he told the UN General Assembly in September 2014 following the collapse earlier in the year of the Obama administration-led peace talks and the Gaza War that ensued in the summer of the same year. He also called for a greater UN role in peacemaking.

Abbas subsequently retreated from that posture, embracing renewed talks under the Trump administration. Notably the PLO has not taken substantive steps to end the peace process. (A subsequent vote by the PLO Central Council recommending an end to recognition of Israel was nonbinding and symbolic.)

SO WHY DID THIS SPEECH ATTRACT SO MUCH ATTENTION? Abbas resurrected just about every anti-Jewish trope in the Palestinian nationalist playbook: that there was no Jewish connection to Israel; that Zionism was a European colonialist plot; that Jews preferred Hitler’s Europe to the renascent Zionist project in Palestine; even that Israel is drugging Palestinian youths.

“We condemn unequivocally President Abbas’ recent statements rejecting the Jewish people’s connections with Israel, denying the legitimacy of a Jewish State of Israel, and promulgating conspiracy theories about the creation of the State of Israel,” the Reform Movement said in a statement. “Such statements and actions undercut possibilities for a peace process that alone holds the path to a viable and independent Palestinian state.”

J Street, the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group that in recent months has focused its criticism on the Israeli and U.S. governments, called the speech “unacceptable.” Abbas’ frustration, the group said, was “no excuse for calling into question either the Jewish connec-

tion to, or Palestinian recognition of, the state of Israel – or for language and proposals that are justifiably earning widespread condemnation.”

But like his declarations of the death of the peace process, none of Abbas’ gibes were new. They have cropped up repeatedly in Palestinian propaganda, especially after negotiations go south.

Following the collapse of the 2000 Camp David talks, the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat stepped up his claims that Israelis falsified archaeological evidence of a Jewish past in the land of Israel.

Arafat’s wife, Suha, was infamous for her spurious allegation that Israel was somehow poisoning Palestinian youths.

What stood out in Abbas’ speech was how he compiled a single golden oldies collection of anti-Jewish myths and fabrications.

“What we heard yesterday from Mahmoud Abbas was terrible,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told a delegation of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “He returned back to the ideas he expressed decades ago, when they were no less terrible. To say Israel is the result of a Western conspiracy to settle Jews in land belonging to Arab populations? To say that the Jewish people have no connection with the land of Israel? He forgot many things, and said exactly the things that led him to being accused years ago of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.”

HOW DID ISRAEL’S GOVERNMENT REACT? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Abbas’ comments – but did not propose any changes in Israeli policy or any departure from the Kushner peace initiative. Netanyahu’s reaction, notably, was jammed into a video postcard greeting from India, where he otherwise extolled the virtues of touring that country.

“He has revealed the truth,” Netanyahu said of Abbas. “He has torn off the mask and shown to the public the simple truth that I have been working to instil for many long years: The root of the conflict between us and the Palestinians is their steadfast refusal to recognize the Jewish state in any borders whatsoever.”

HOW DID THE UNITED STATES REACT? Abbas said of Trump, “May your house be demolished.” It’s not clear whether he was referring to the White House, Trump Tower or wishing for an end to the Trump dynasty. In any case, Trump and his spokesmen seemed unfazed.

“Clearly emotions are running high in the region and we certainly accept that,” said Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman. “I’d like to caution folks in the region and particularly Mr. Abbas that some of those things [he said] would be considered inflammatory and inciteful and divisive. We would like to see a peace process go forward.”

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

Hillel Ottawa and Camp B’nai Brith create a community partnership

BY DOVI CHEIN DIRECTOR OF JEWISH CAMPUS LIFE HILLEL OTTAWA

T

here are many reasons why partnerships between local Jewish organizations are important. Among them is that when we collaborate, we are creating an accepting, inclusive, and unified community.

Last summer, I met with Cindy Presser Benedek and Abigail Freeman of Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa (CBB) to discuss the idea of a partnership between CBB and Hillel Ottawa. We felt there was a direct and obvious connection between Hillel Ottawa participants and CBB staff and alumni. We thought that working together would help realize some of our long-term goals to ensure community unity, facilitate one’s Jewish journey, and create a stronger and more vibrant Jewish community.

On the weekend of September 15 to 17, 2017, CBB hosted Hillel Ottawa’s Student Executive Leadership and Advocacy Shabbaton at the camp. It was a weekend filled with team building, leadership and advocacy training, and an incredible Shabbat experience.

Cindy and Abigail then went a step further and collaborated on a campthemed Shabbat dinner. On January 12,

We felt there was a direct and obvious connection between Hillel Ottawa participants and CBB staff and alumni.

We thought that working together would help realize some of our long-term goals to ensure community unity facilitate one’s Jewish journey, and create a stronger and more vibrant Jewish community. a freezing Friday night, over 140 Jewish students attended Hillel’s camp-style Shabbat dinner. Abigail attended the Shabbat dinner on behalf of CBB and gave an inspirational D’var Torah, and discussed the amazing opportunities for young adults to work at the camp.

Events, opportunities, and partnerships like these are small yet significant steps in creating and ensuring a vibrant and growing Jewish community here in Ottawa. We at Hillel Ottawa now look forward to working with CBB again in the future!

For more information about CBB, visit www.cbbottawa.com or contact Associate Director Cindy Presser

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Hillel Ottawa student leaders gather during a leadership and advocacy Shabbaton held September 15-17, 2017 at Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa.

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February 5, 2018

FEDERATION REPORT

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

JOSH ROSE, PJ LIBRARY

W

hen my wife Randy and I found out we were expecting, our friends told us we must sign-up for PJ Library. With so much on our minds about becoming new parents, PJ Library was not something that was on our ‘what to do when expecting list.’ I had heard about PJ Library, but knew nothing about it. So I asked our friends, “What is PJ Library?”

“Sign up, it’s awesome,” they said.

“Every month starting at age six months, your daughter will receive a

Turning bedtime into a Jewish moment book which introduces Jewish traditions through creative and innovative stories.” So we signed up.

Sure enough, when our daughter turned six months, she received her first book and has been receiving them ever since. She looks forward to her mom’s trips to the mailbox because she knows that every month she will be getting a new book. (I think her favourite has been Shabbat Shalom, Hey!) In December 2005, philanthropist Harold Grinspoon of Western Massachusetts had a big idea: What if Jewish families with young children in North America could receive books – free of charge – to help connect them with their faith? Since then, PJ Library has grown tremendously and now mails more than 170,000 free Jewish books per month to more than 125,000 families in 200 communities. The books, aimed at children between six months and eight years old, teach kids about Jewish holidays and fables.

In Ottawa, books are mailed to 474 families, comprised of 638 children.

PJ Library has two goals. The first is to turn the home into a focal point of Jewish identity by turning bedtime into a Jewish moment. By reading a book about Shabbat, Israel or tzedakah, parents become Jewish educators, answering questions and modelling behaviours that stay with children throughout their lives. The second is to serve as an early on-ramp to lifelong Jewish journeys. My wife and I have found PJ Library books to be an excellent way to introduce the Jewish experience to our daughter in a creative and innovative approach, and I know through conversations that many other parents look forward to receiving their PJ Library books to help instil and cultivate a sense of Jewish identity in their children.

The PJ Library experience extends beyond just receiving books. Through the efforts of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, a variety of events are held where PJ Library families come together and share in experiences such as PJ Library Shabbat dinners, community seders, visits to Camp B’nai Brith, Rosh

FROM THE PULPIT

From Panama to Ottawa

RABBI HOWARD FINKELSTEIN, BEIT TIKVAH

H

aving recently returned from a vacation in Panama, I cannot help but make a number of observations about the Jewish community there which can serve as a barometer of Jewish life in other cities such as ours. A community of 15,000 Jews in Panama City sustains five day schools and yeshivot, six Orthodox synagogues and a Reform congregation, 35 kosher restaurants, two mikvot and a kosher supermarket larger than Loblaws with no shortage of kosher food.

While this may sound like a Shangri-La type of community, the reality of armed guards demanding IDs at the entrance of major synagogues in the city is a bit jarring. Nevertheless, the warmth of the Jewish population there, notwithstanding the warmth of the temperature, is noteworthy.

One telling experience I had occurred at Seudah Shlishit in the Ashkenazic congregation of Beth-El. I made the acquaintance of the head of one of the schools who told me that there were a thousand students in his school alone, and that each Jewish child in Panama City receives a Jewish education from ADK through Grade 12.

Obviously, what is a given in Panama City is not in Ottawa. Therefore, I was heartened to meet with some 25 parents recently, who want to see the revitalization and rebirth of a community high school in Ottawa. Hopefully, this parent-driven initiative will bear fruit, and this educational void in our community can be filled. This initiative must reach parents and students across the denominational spectrum, and rabbinic leadership in Ottawa should be supportive.

It is imperative at the same time to read the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Jewish High School Education Task Force Report that came out some time after the closing of Yitzhak Rabin High School. https://tinyurl.com/ydacnvht The conclusions and recommendations therein are informative, enlightening and important in determining the pathway for the creation and preservation of a new Jewish community high school in Ottawa. The laudatory visions of Federation planning for the upcoming

years encompass in a very large way, Jewish education. A Jewish high school should be part of that picture, as its presence will benefit the Jewish community, in terms of continuity, future leadership, and the ongoing development of the Jewish community of Ottawa.

One may look at Panama City’s Jewish community as a model one to emulate. At the same time, our challenges in Ottawa are different and formidable.

We are concerned about anti-Semitism, assimilation, funding for schools and other Jewish institutions in our society, the viability of synagogues and schools, among a host of challenges. But to paraphrase the Rambam in his commentary at the end of the parsha of Bo, we cannot expect miracles to happen in each generation. However, we must teach our children and their children about these miracles of Jewish existence.

The same applies in Jewish communal living. We cannot expect miracles to happen to ensure Jewish continuity. We must work hard and collaboratively to ensure the viability of our community now and in the future. I applaud the initiatives of these families to rebuild a community high school, and equally we appreciate and evaluate the work of all from Federation to schools to synagogues, to Jewish communal institutions and the dedication of individuals to preserve our future.

Hashanah Fair, and Sukkot Party just to name a few.

Federation also recognizes that it’s the parents of our little ones that make events such as these a success and that’s why a series of ‘PJ Library Parents Night Out’ events are organized as well, where Jewish parents get together (sans enfants) and let loose. ‘Parents Nights Out’ evenings have included such events as: a comedy night, sushi making, an evening at an escape room, and a TED Talk.

I encourage all members of the community to sign-up and support the PJ Library initiative. It is through programs such as this that parents can introduce Jewish culture and identity to their young ones through creative and innovative stories. If your children are too old, or are no longer participating in the PJ Library program, I encourage to you support the PJ Library program through your Federation donation because it is through programs such as this that we are instilling our Jewish values into the next generation of community leaders.

Ottawa Jewish Bulletin VOLUME 82 | ISSUE 7 Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, K2A 1R9 Tel: 613 798-4696 | Fax: 613 798-4730 Email: bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com Published 19 times per year. © Copyright 2018 PUBLISHER Andrea Freedman EDITOR Michael Regenstreif PRODUCTION CONSULTANT Patti Moran BUSINESS MANAGER Eddie Peltzman DFL INTERN Norah Mor The Bulletin, established in 1937 as “a force for constructive communal consciousness,” communicates the messages of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and its agencies and, as the city’s only Jewish newspaper, welcomes a diversity of opinion as it strives to inform and enrich the community. Viewpoints expressed in these pages do not necessarily represent the policies and values of the Federation.

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FROM THE EDITOR

MICHAEL REGENSTREIF

T

IDEAS AND IMPRESSIONS

he New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) will be holding its national convention here in Ottawa from February 16 to 18 and one of the items on the agenda is a resolution encouraging support for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

There have long been anti-Israel sentiments among some members of the NDP – voiced particularly by such former MPs as Libby Davies and Svend Robinson – but recent NDP leaders like the late Jack Layton and Thomas Mulcair ensured that Canada’s social democratic party maintained a balanced approach to Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians that supports a negotiated two-state solution.

“New Democrats believe in… Working with partners for peace in Israel and

JASON MOSCOVITZ

A

n interminable flu kept me indoors watching more television than usual and I can happily say the experience left me prouder than ever to be Canadian.

Watching too many Donald Trump cartoons makes one wonder, once again, how bad things can get in the United States. That is based on simple mathematics. The U.S. president’s base support is 30 per cent and you have to ask how healthy the U.S. can be when almost a third of the population thinks and talks like Trump.

They say that themselves. When Trump went far too far with his racist talk they defended the president by saying that’s how real people talk in

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

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New Democrats to debate pro-BDS resolution at Ottawa convention Palestine, respecting UN resolutions and international law, supporting peaceful coexistence in viable, independent states with agreed-upon borders, an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, and an end to violence targeting civilians,” states the current NDP policy book.

The resolution to be debated at the NDP convention would replace that policy with one that calls for “banning settlement products from Canadian markets, and using other forms of diplomatic and economic pressure to end the occupation” and “opposing parliamentary efforts to undermine non-violent movements seeking a just resolution.”

That last clause is undoubtedly a reference to the resolution passed in the House of Commons on February 22, 2016 condemning the BDS movement against Israel – as well as similar resolutions that have been passed by several provincial legislatures.

That 2016 anti-BDS resolution was supported by the Liberal and Conservative parties and opposed by the NDP as an attack on freedom of speech and dissent. At the same time, though, the NDP stressed its opposition to BDS and its support for a two-state solution.

So this new motion, should it pass, would be a marked change in NDP policy.

It remains to be seen whether or not the resolution will pass at the convention and whether or not it will be supported

by Jagmeet Singh, the new NDP leader.

Singh has spoken in favour of Israel lifting the naval blockade of Gaza and he was an NDP member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario when it passed an anti-BDS resolution on December 1, 2016.

Singh opposed the resolution on the same basis that the federal NDP had opposed the anti-BDS resolution in the House of Commons, noting in a tweet that “dissent, protest and freedom of speech are a fundamental part of democracy.”

After opposing Ontario’s anti-BDS resolution – which passed overwhelmingly with support from the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives – Singh participated in a delegation of Ontario MPPs that visited Israel on a trip organized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

Like previous NDP leaders, Singh has not, to date, endorsed the anti-Israel BDS movement. It remains to be seen whether he will follow in the steps of Layton and Mulcair and maintain a balanced approach or whether he will align him-

self with those in the party who would take a stridently anti-Israel approach.

Singh won a first-ballot victory in the NDP leadership race last fall as a mainstream candidate – seemingly in the tradition of Layton and Mulcair. The party’s anti-Israel faction largely supported Manitoba MP Nikki Ashton who finished in third place with less than one-third of Singh’s support. Ashton has endorsed the resolution that will be debated this month at the NDP convention.

In a Canadian Jewish News article about the NDP resolution, CIJA CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel “praised both Layton and Mulcair for their leadership, when it came to ‘pushing back against marginal elements within the party that sought to advance an extreme agenda to the detriment of the NDP’s broader policy priorities,’ and said he hopes that Singh will do the same.”

I continue to believe the BDS movement, at best, is counterproductive to the cause of peace between Israel and the Palestinians and to a two-state solution to the conflict; that its true goal is simply to delegitimize the State of Israel. Hopefully the NDP will also continue to recognize that.

The contrast between Trump and Trudeau the local bar. These are the very people candidate Hilary Clinton placed in her “basket of deplorables,” and although she still regrets saying it, her remark still resonates.

To now see so many Americans support the daily diet of lies and racist outrage can’t be encouraging – and to see the Trump television network, Fox News, perpetuate the lies while defending the outrage is another sign of the degree of depravity. It is so difficult to see how any fair-minded person can respect and support a political leader who lies about everything. Big lies and little lies, there is no end to them, no end to the loss of decency.

Getting back to my flu and the television I incessantly watched, my takeaway was that so many people are openly questioning the mental health of the president. To be that ‘out there,’ against the power and prestige of the presidency, shows how some serious people fear the Trump presidency. What a strain on the entire U.S. government.

It has become a high wire act with danger signs flashing everywhere.

One day in the midst of the Trump drama, my channel surfing brought me to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosting a town hall meeting in Hamilton.

After absorbing all the Trump coverage, watching the Trudeau town hall was like being on another planet. There was so much that caught my attention.

Trump would never subject himself to a town hall because he lacks the grace under fire that is required. It is no easy feat, in an unscripted environment, to face the risk of spontaneously saying something that can turn out hauntingly wrong.

Trudeau deals with a live audience of citizens and their questions with ease. To like or not like his policies and his manner of governing is a choice, but even detractors have to give the prime minister his due. He is gracefully articulate and he shines in a room filled with people.

The hundreds of people in that Hamilton gymnasium were a cross-section of gender, age, race and religion. They were the very essence of what Canada is in the world: one of the great shining examples of pluralism, tolerance, and hope.

When the audience was shown on television, either beside or behind the prime minister, each visual showed Muslim Canadians, many in colourful hijabs, sitting beside Asian Canadians, African Canadians, South Asian Canadians, and Caucasians.

These Canadians didn’t sit in groups.

There was no clustering. Everyone sat together sharing the experience of having the prime minister so accessible to them.

There were some unforgettable moments.

One person asked the prime minister why security was so lax, why no one had to pass through a metal detector. Trudeau said the RCMP decides on security matters and that he had full confidence in the force. That was the right and only answer.

A nice touch was when Trudeau added how he felt completely comfortable in a room filled with Canadians.

Then there was an older white man, probably a 70-year-old baby boomer.

He thanked the prime minister for legalizing marijuana. He told Trudeau that Canada will be a cooler, calmer, and more peaceful with legalization. He didn’t say it, but you had the sense the man never dreamed he would see legalization in his lifetime.

Then there was, I think a man, wearing a sleeveless dress with heavily muscled hairy arms, long hair and long earrings. When he got up to ask his question at least 20 people could be seen on screen behind him. Nobody flinched, nobody snickered, and nobody reacted to this person’s appearance.

Tolerant is something Donald Trump and his supporters will never be.

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

mailbag | bulletin@ottawajewishbulletin.com HOW ARE YOU? The Focus on Fitness column in the January 22 edition of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin provides advice on how to live positively in 2018. Author Gloria Schwartz lays blame almost entirely on so-called “chronic complainers” for providing negative responses to persons who ask the usual useless, meaningless, and thoughtless question, “How are you?”

In English, “How are you?” has become synonymous with “Hello.” A person asking this not-thought-out question leaves him or herself open to a lengthy response that they may not

be interested in hearing. After all, we are all very busy, and in a hurry with our own affairs and concerns. No one is really interested in receiving an accurate and true response from someone else or in getting involved in someone else’s problems. That being the case, why not ask, or say, “How nice to meet you,” or “Hello, I have not seen you for a while,” “It has been a long time,” “You look nice,” “So nice to see you again,” etc.

One could even word the greeting, “How is it going?” or something similar. That moves the response into less personal territory and makes it possible

for the responder to think of something positive to say, even though the sky may seem to be falling down on the responder due to compounding and serious medical and other issues they may be experiencing.

The question “How are you?” may be phrased quite differently in other languages. For example, in Dutch, one of the expressions said in greeting is, “Hoe gaat het er mee?” This translates to “How is it going?” The answer given is usually “Fine, thank you,” or “I am (or we are) managing fine.” So the response avoids getting into details of what may

be making the person’s life so difficult, and possibly even close to chaotic and unmanageable.

I think it was unfair of Schwartz to offer the advice she gave in her article.

Perhaps people have now lost all care and compassion for others. Our insular lives cannot possibly include anyone else’s pain, suffering, and problems.

That being the case, I would advise we stop asking flippant and foolish questions that one does not want to hear the answer to.

Elly Bollegraaf

Trump to Netanyahu: Palestinians ‘disrespected’ Pence and stand to lose aid (JTA) – U.S. President Donald Trump said Palestinians disrespected Vice-President Mike Pence when they snubbed him last month and threatened to cut off assistance to the Palestinians unless they returned to the negotiating table.

“When they disrespected us a week ago by not allowing our great vice-president to see them and we give them hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and support, tremendous numbers, numbers that nobody understands, that money’s on the table, that money’s not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace,” Trump said January 25 at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland.

Palestinians declined to meet with Pence during his visit to the region, blaming Trump’s decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump has since threatened to cut all funding to the Palestinians, and in recent weeks, the U.S. administration froze $65 million US in funding for UNRWA, the organization that delivers relief to Palestinian refugees and their descendants. It is allowing another $60 million to go through.

Trump suggested that should negotiations resume, Netanyahu would have

“I can tell you that Israel does want to make peace and they’re [the Palestinians] going to have to want to make peace too or we’re going to have nothing to do with it any longer,” Trump said.

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 25, 2018. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

to come up with concessions. “You win one point,” Trump said, looking at Netanyahu and apparently referring to his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, “and you’ll give up some points later on in the negotiation if it ever takes place. I don’t know that it ever will take

place.” He also said he believed Israel wanted to negotiate peace.

“I can tell you that Israel does want to make peace and they’re [the Palestinians] going to have to want to make peace too or we’re going to have nothing to do with it any longer,” he said.

Pence said during his Israel trip last month that the United States would move its embassy to Jerusalem in 2019, and Trump added some detail on Thursday. “We anticipate having a small version of it open by next year,” Trump said, apparently confirming reports that the embassy will temporarily be in a building already owned by the United States, while a larger new embassy is built.

Netanyahu thanked Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and promising to move the embassy, for his support for Israel’s position on the Iran nuclear deal and for U.S. support at the United Nations.

“As you finish your first year in office, I want to say that I look forward to continuing our remarkable, tremendous friendship in the years ahead, and I want to express the appreciation of the people of Israel to you,” said Netanyahu.

February Home Inspection Tip: ELEVATED HOME INSPECTION Offers the following services: Pre-Purchase Home Inspections Pre-Listing or Pre-Sale Home Inspections Pre-Renovation Inspections Home Monitoring Services

Smoke and CO2 detectors should be tested monthly and replaced every 10 years. Batteries should be replaced every 6 months.

Visit us on the web www.elevatedhomeinspection.ca

Michael Levitan, BID |613|286-8925

elevatedhome@gmail.com

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

9

Advertorial

Dan Mader Board Chair

Lynda Taller-Wakter Executive Director

JNF is Past, Present, Future Building Israel since 1901 You planted trees on Tu Bishevat…

Now take a bike ride through a JNF forest Thank you to all of our Ottawa donors who supported the annual Tu Bishevat Telethon. If you did not partake in the mitzvah to plant trees, call us or donate online. It’s never too late to plant trees!

Our project in Israel this year is to plant trees in Mishmar Hayarden, a slice of the Negev desert that is in much need of green space. A special thank you to our volunteers (at the time of writing): Agnes Klein, Naomi Krym, Harold Schwartz, Merle Haltrecht-Matte, Jane and Martin Gordon, Chantal Neuman, Lauren Shaps, Rabbi Reuven Bulka, David Granovsky and David Baker. We also want to thank teachers and educators for their part in teaching students about Tu Bishevat.

Explore Israel’s north on bicycle trails

Built by Moshav members, prisoners, soldiers and conservationists While the saplings in the Negev are acclimatizing to their new homes, the more mature forests of the Galilee are ripe for exploring via bicycle. Two trails to consider exploring on your next visit to Israel’s north are the Shimshit Cycle Trail and the Biriya Forest Bike Trail.

Shimshit Cycle Trail

The Shimshit Cycle Trail is a new and exciting 12-km single-track cycle trail that has been added to the heart of the Tzippori Forests, behind the backyard of the Shimshit moshav. All those involved agree that the community played a key role in the cycle trail initiative. More intriguing is that over the two years it took to build the bike path the project provided employment to an interesting cross-section of communities, including prisoners from Kishon Prison, trainees at the Melchishua drug rehabilitation centre, IDF soldiers and members of the Moshav Movement. As well, the Kishon Drainage and Rivers Authority helped to determine the route at the point where the single track crosses the Tzippori River.

Biriya Forest Trail for more of an off-road experience

If you are looking for a bike trail in northern Israel that combines breathtaking views, flowing stretches of single track that wind through enchanted woodland, stunning scenes at every turn and a little history and heritage here and there, there’s no need to hesitate – the 23-km Biriya Forest Single Track is a trail you can ride all year long. In addition, its circular design allows cyclists flexibility in choosing starting and finishing points.

This leaves absolutely no room for doubt: the Biriya Single-Track is an important northern asset to Israel’s mountain biking community.

Visit www.kkl-jnf.org/tourism-and-recreation for more details.

SAVE THE DATE: March 19, 2018

Rabbi Yehuda Simes surrounded by admiring Torah High students and staff on his return to the classroom in 2011.

New Sefer Torah to honour the memory of Rabbi Yehuda Simes

BY SARA-LYNN LEVINE FOR RABBI YEHUDA SIMES TORAH PROJECT

S

ome people transcend borders. Some personalities are too big to be relegated to just one community and their work; their reputation and courage transcend city limits or country borders.

Rabbi Yehuda Simes was one of those people. January 27 marked his first yahrzeit but his memory lives on and a new Sefer Torah is being purchased as a legacy to his memory.

A rabbi, scholar and teacher who was born in the United States and lived in Canada, his passing in February 2017 left a huge hole in the lives of his family – his wife Shaindel, their children and extended family – and affected his community which included his synagogue, former students, friends and strangers alike who heard about him, followed him, and admired him.

How do we honour such a man?

Rabbi Simes loved his family. He loved Judaism. He loved his community and he loved learning. Those closest to him have chosen to honour him by purchasing a Torah in tribute.

The Rabbi Simes Torah Project is a celebration of the man who impacted so many lives. As a husband and father, the Torah will be a reminder of how he lived his life according to Jewish values. As a teacher,

Details on a unique one-time event hosted by JNF Ottawa will be published soon.

Golden Book Inscription

Sylvia Kershman, in honour of her birthday, with love from Stanley, Carol, Zev and Kayla Kershman.

205-11 Nadolny Sachs Pvt Ottawa, K2A 1R9 613-798-2411 • ottawa@jnf.ca www.jnfottawa.ca

Celebrate all occasions Israel experiences Legacy projects Social icon

Rounded square Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

613-580-2751 michael.qaqish@ottawa.ca www.michaelqaqish.com

the Torah will be a symbol to all his students. As a community member, the Torah will act as a beacon of Jewish learning, and to all the Torah will be a symbol of hope, remembrance and strength.

When faced with adversity, many people give up, but Rabbi Simes did the opposite. After a tragic highway accident left him a quadriplegic, he embraced his new reality and sought to inspire others with his incredible story and boundless courage. He created a blog, “Rolling Rabbi” – https://rollingrabbi.wordpress.com/ – where he shared his successes and setbacks, musings and milestones, trials, tribulations and triumphs. His ‘new normal’ was inspiring all around him and his presence could light up and inspire a crowd like a rock star.

We invite you to join in honouring Rabbi Yehuda Simes by making a dedication in his honour. The goal is to purchase the Torah and invite the community to a Torah inscription event this spring. His son Yitzhak hopes to use the Torah when he becomes a bar mitzvah next year.

Donations may be made at www.cbto.org/donate/ or by contacting Congregation Beit Tikvah at 613-723-1800 or shul@cbto.org. In the U.S., donations can be made online at www.jewcer.org/project/rabbisimestorahproject.

Facebook users can follow the project’s progress at www.facebook.com/RabbiSimesTorahProject/.

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

Sheba Medical Centre collaborates with The Ottawa Hospital: Dr. Eyal Zimlichman, deputy director general, chief medical officer and chief innovation officer of the Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest hospital, was in Ottawa last month to establish collaborations with the Ottawa Hospital on digital health innovation technologies.

(From left) Dr. Jack Kitts, president and CEO of The Ottawa General Hospital; Dr. Alan Forster, vice-president of quality performance and population health of The Ottawa Hospital; Dr. Eyal Zimlichman; and Michael Tremblay, president and CEO of Invest Ottawa.

Temple Israel

An egalitarian Reform congregation

Jewish roots, contemporary values, egalitarian Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Services, 6:15 pm.

Saturday Shabbat Services, 10:15 am.

Thursday morning minyanim: second and fourth Thursdays, 7:30 am.

President Stephen Asherman Rabbi Robert Morais Rabbi Emeritus Steven H. Garten Executive Director Heather Cohen

Temple Israel Religious School Principal Sue Potechin Administration Officer Cathy Loves

1301 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 1N2 Tel: 613-224-1802 Fax: 613-224-0707 www.templeisraelottawa.ca

Temple Israel

Join us TS EN R A P D N GRA DAY!

Hill BIKING

Haley Miller: Gymnast Haley Miller (left), a 2017 graduate of the Ottawa Jewish Community School, recently trained in Toronto with Neta Rivkin, a three-time Israeli Olympian and Israel’s flag bearer at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Haley earned two bronze medals at theChairs: 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel and is a member of the Canadian National Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Team.

Adam Schacter and Seymour Mender

Sunday, Sep

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY On-Call Receptionist

REGISTER hillel-lt

or call the Hillel at 613-728-39

This is a good opportunity for recently retired persons or for someone who wants to work but not on a weekly basis.

The Ottawa Jewish Home for the Aged (The Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge) is an accredited 121-bed charitable long-term care facility, providing a full range of long-term care programs and services as approved by the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care.

POSITION: This position provides an opportunity to fill in for Administrative Staff and the Receptionist on an on-call basis for scheduled vacation and leave and on an as-needed basis when staff are absent. Shifts can range from 3 – 8 hours, anytime from 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m, 7 days a week.

DUTIES: These include answering 6 telephone lines, basic computer skills as well as welcoming and directing visitors, family members and volunteers.

Familiarity with office equipment such as the fax, mail machine and photocopier Salary: $15 per hour. This is a casual position with no other benefits.

QUALIFICATIONS: The applicant should have: • A flexible schedule and be available for work on short notice.

• Pleasant manner and speaking voice; • Previous reception and/or clerical experience; • Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy when dealing with residents, families, visitors, volunteers, staff and others.

• Knowledge about the Jewish Community and Campus would be an asset.

Please apply in confidence by February 20, 2018 to the Chief Executive Officer c/o Cindy Cherry at cindyc@hillel-ltc.com. Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Please note: we will not accept phone calls or solicitation from Staffing Agencies.

We are strongly committed to employment equity and we support diversity.

If you require accommodation during the application process, please advise in your cover letter.

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

foundation donations

| Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation

The Board of Directors of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation acknowledges with thanks contributions to the following funds from January 3 – January 16, 2018 Reminder: Printed acknowledgment must be requested to appear in the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin.

Join us in building our community by supporting these local agencies

SAM AND ANN BROZOVSKY ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday Wishes to:

Louis Kardish by Ann Brozovsky.

Mazel Tov to: Jerry Penso on the celebration of his second Bar Mitzvah by Ann Brozovsky.

RABBI DR. EDWARD Y. CARDASH MEMORIAL FUND In Memory of:

Phil Lewis by Marty, Ellen and Sharon Cardash.

SANDI AND EDDY COOK ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday Wishes to:

Phil Tischler by Sandi & Eddy and Samantha Cook.

ALFRED AND KAYSA FRIEDMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory of:

Kaysa Friedman by Sunny and John Tavel.

AL AND LISA GARMAN FAMILY FUND

Mazel Tov to:

Michael Walsh and Lisa Rosenkrantz on Sam’s engagement to Tash by Steven and Shelli Kimmel.

Margo Shabinsky Sherman and Matt’s marriage to Jessica by Steven and Shelli Kimmel.

Jeffrey and Felice Pleet on the birth of their grandson by Steven and Shelli Kimmel.

KRANTZBERG KRANE FAMILY FUND In Memory of:

Terry Garman by Al and Lisa Garman.

Joan Lazarus by Myra and Sam Krane.

Mazal Tov to: Susan and Oscar Lulka on Alexandra’s engagement by Myra and Sam Krane.

JEREMY KANTER MEMORIAL FUND

SUSAN AND DAVID KRIGER ENDOWMENT FUND

In Observance of the Yahrzeit of:

In Memory of:

Sima Mlynarski by Evelyn Eisenberg.

ARTHUR AND SARAH KIMMEL MEMORIAL FUND In Memory of:

Michael Gallaman by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel.

Mendel Shore by Marilyn and Daniel Kimmel.

In Observance of the Yahrzeit of:

Alan Ain a beloved brother by Susan Kriger.

Condolences to: The Wisenthal Family on their loss by Susan and David Kriger.

NORMAN AND ISABEL LESH ENDOWMENT FUND

NATHAN AND REBA DIENER ENDOWMENT FUND

MORRIS AND LILLIAN KIMMEL MEMORIAL FUND

In Memory of:

Mazel Tov to:

In Memory of:

SALLY AND ELLIOTT LEVITAN ENDOWMENT FUND

Jerry Penso on the celebration of his second Bar Mitzvah by Reba Diener.

Rhoda Prager by Steven and Shelli Kimmel and family.

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Mendel Shore by Isabel Lesh.

In Memory of:

Barbara Thaw by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

Mendel Shore by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

Brian Bloom by Sally and Elliott Levitan.

SAMUEL AND LEEMA MAGIDSON ENDOWMENT FUND

STELLA AND LOUIS SLACK MEMORIAL FUND In Memory of:

Sima Mlynarski by Bonnie and Paul Bowering.

DORIS AND RICHARD STERN FAMILY FUND Condolences to:

The Melancon Family on their loss by Doris and Richard Stern.

Birthday Wishes to: Jerry White by Doris and Richard Stern.

BARBARA AND GERALD THAW ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory of:

Barbara Thaw by Jonathan and Heidi Pivnick.

STEPHEN AND GAIL VICTOR ENDOWMENT FUND Refuah Shlemah to:

Salim Mouadeb by Sandy Marchello.

IRVING AND DIANE WEXLER FAMILY FUND In Memory of:

Diane Wexler by Susan Livergant Jack Marcovitch, and by Sandy Marchello.

THE WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM

Providing support for services and programs that directly benefit women and children.

WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory of:

Leonard Pleet by Pinchas and Barbara Pleet.

Sima Mlynarski by Rhoda and Joe Levitan.

Mazel Tov to: Joan Sheps on the engagement of Daniel and Sarah by Lynne Oreck-Wener and and Bob Wener.

Birthday Wishes to: Dorothy Ullman by Lynne Oreck-Wener and and Bob Wener.

Susan Halprin by Lynne Oreck-Wener and and Bob Wener.

ALTI AND BEREL RODAL FAMILY FUND

THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM

In Memory of:

Diane Wexler by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel.

HARRY AND BERTHA PLEET MEMORIAL FUND In Appreciation of:

In Memory of:

Aharon Applefeld by Alti and Berel Rodal.

Stanley Hartt by Alti and Berel Rodal.

HAROLD AND FRANCES SHAFFER MEMORIAL FUND In Memory of:

Joan Lazarus by Sonia and Sheldon Shaffer.

HERB GRAY AND SHARON SHOLZBERG-GRAY FAMILY FUND Birthday Wishes to:

Sharon Sholzberg-Gray by Sally Rubin.

MARGO AND JUDAH SILVERMAN FAMILY COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory of:

Rhoda Prager by Margo and Judah Silverman.

ZACHARY SILBER B’NAI MITZVAH FUND In Memory of:

Abraham David Rosental by Shari and Lawrence Silber.

Michael Gallaman by Shari and Lawrence Silber.

Mazel Tov to: Rhonda and Arthur Silber on the birth of their granddaughter by Shari and Lawrence Silber.

Barbara and James Ovadia on the birth of their grandson by Shari and Lawrence Silber.

Contributions may be made online at www.OJCF. ca or by contacting the office at 613-798-4696 extension 274, Monday to Friday or by email at tributecards@ojcf.ca. Attractive cards are sent to convey the appropriate sentiments. All donations are acknowledged with a charitable receipt.

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

Join Us

Join Us VALENTINE DAY DINNER & DANCE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY • of4:45 PM The Evidence Room: The Azrieli14 School Architecture and Urbanism at Carleton

University is hosting the powerful exhibit “The Evidence Room.” The collection of documents, cast in white plaster, is sourced from thousands used as court evidence by historian Robert Jan van Pelt to prove that Auschwitz was purposefully designed as a death camp.

The exhibit is open weekdays from 9 am to 4:30 pm until February 16 at the Lightroom Gallery, Room 234, Architecture Building, Carleton University.

Visit https://carleton.ca/architecture/2018/evidence-room/ for more information.

VALENTINE DAY DINNER & DANCE

Join Join UsUs VALENTINE DAY DINNER & DANCE Join Us VALENTINE DAY DINNER & DANCE Join Us n Us Join Us sUs VALENTINE DAY DINNER & DANCE TINE DAY DINNER &DAY DANCE VALENTINE DINNER&&DANCE DANCE DAY DINNER & DANCE VALENTINE DAY DINNER DINNER &Join DANCE Us WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM

CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM Y, FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM WEDNESDAY, ARY 14 •WEDNESDAY, 4:45 PM FEBRUARY 14 • 4:45 PM • 4:45 PM

VALENTINE DAY DINNER & DANCE

CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • 1095 Carling613-688-1883 Avenue, Ottawa • CHARTWELL.COM 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE UKE OF DEVONSHIRE 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE VONSHIRE CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM nue, Ottawa RE 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa wa HARTWELL.COM 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM L.COM 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM

NER & DANCE

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CHARTWELL DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE 1095 Carling Avenue, Ottawa 613-688-1883 • CHARTWELL.COM

4:45 PM

(JENNIFER GREENBERG)

OJCS students visit Hillel Lodge: Grade 2 students from the Ottawa Jewish Community School joined Hillel Lodge residents for their Oneg Shabbat celebration, January 12, at the Lodge.

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

13

Oscar nominations 2018: Five Jewish takeaways

BY GABE FRIEDMAN

(JTA) – If one thing jumps out about the nominations for the 90th annual Academy Awards, it’s the lack of big Jewish headlines to be plucked from them. “The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro’s latest fantasy-tinted film, about an amphibian creature housed in a government laboratory, led the pack with 13 nominations.

Nevertheless, here are the Jewish nominations and storylines from another year of great cinema.

“CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” GETS FOUR NOMINATIONS. “Call Me By Your Name” is the biggest

Jewish triumph in this year’s nomination slate. The film, an adaptation of Egyptian-born Jewish novelist André Aciman’s book of the same name, traces a romance between two young Jewish men in 1980s Italy and is full of Jewish themes. It garnered nominations for best picture, lead actor (Timothée Chalamet, who is Jewish), adapted screenplay and best original song (“Mystery of Love,” written by indie rocker Sufjan Stevens).

WAS JAMES FRANCO SNUBBED AFTER #METOO BACKLASH? A few months ago, the Jewish actor was considered a shoo-in for the best actor

category. His comedic performance in “The Disaster Artist” as Tommy Wiseau, the eccentric director of the real film “The Room” – considered by some to be the worst film of all time – was almost universally hailed by critics. He won a Golden Globe for the role. But less than two weeks before the Oscar nominations were announced, the Los Angeles Times published an article with accounts of five women who accused Franco of sexual misconduct. While the best actor category is loaded with talent this year (from Denzel Washington to Gary OldTimothée Chalamet at the Screen Actors Guild man), multiple headlines called Franco’s Awards in Los Angeles, Jan. 21, 2018. (Frazer See Oscars on page 14

Harrison/Getty Images)

In support of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge In the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Long Term Care Centre

613-728-3990

Your donation to the Lodge assists in providing high quality care for our Jewish elderly.

Card Donations

Card donations go a long way to improving the quality of life for our residents. Thank you for considering their needs and contributing to their well-being.

On behalf of the residents and their families, we extend sincere appreciation to the following individuals and families who made card donations to the Hillel Lodge LongTerm Care Foundation between January 2 - January 16, 2018 inclusive.

HONOUR FUNDS

Unlike a bequest or gift of life insurance, which are realized some time in the future, a named Honour Fund (i.e., endowment fund) is established during your lifetime.

By making a contribution of $1,000 or more, you can create a permanent remembrance for a loved one, honour a family member, declare what the Lodge has meant to you and/or support a cause that you believe in.

A Hillel Lodge Honour Fund is a permanent pool of capital that earns interest or income each year. This income then supports the priorities designated by you, the donor.

Ruth and Irving Aaron Family Fund In Memory of: Sima Mlynarski by Ruth and Irving Aaron In Honour of: Adam Dodek Mazel Tov on being selected Dean in the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section by Ruth and Irving Aaron Issie and Evelyn Hoffman Mazel Tov on your 60th Anniversary by Ruth and Irving Aaron

Bill and Leona Adler Memorial Fund In Memory of: Joan Lazarus by Marilyn Adler Edith Perry by Marilyn Adler Norman and Stella Beck Family Fund In Honour of: Carol Gradus In appreciation by Irit Beck Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Honour of: Mira Shuman Mazel Tov on your new home

by Carol Shattner and Barry Appel Sandy and Jerry Shuman Mazel Tov on your new residence by Carol Shattner and Barry Appel Jeff and Felice Pleet Mazel Tov on the birth of your first grandchild by Carol Shattner and Barry Appel The Shuman Family Mazel Tov on your new home by Henry, Maureen, Alex and Edie, Julia Gluck, Ted Overton and Jess and Ayelet In Memory of: Noach Aptowitzer by Henry and Maureen Molot Vi Atkinson by Julia Gluck and Ted Overton Gunner Family Fund In Memory of: Sima Mlynarski by Sol and Estelle Gunner In Honour of: Cally and Sid Kardash Mazel Tov on your grandson’s Bar Mitzvah by Sol and Estelle Gunner

Evelyn and Isadore Hoffman Family Fund In Honour of: Jamie Weksberg and Ali Pila Mazel Tov on your engagement by Issie and Evelyn Hoffman Morris and Lillian Kimmel Family Fund In Honour of: Issie and Evelyn Hoffman Mazel Tov on your 60th Anniversary by Janet & Stephen Kaiman and Family Gert and Norm Leyton Family Fund In Memory of: Suetella Levine by Cheryl Leyton and Manuel Glimcher Chuck and Malca Polowin Family Fund R’Fuah Shlema: Norman Zagerman by Malca and Chuck Polowin Shelley and Sidney Rothman Family Fund In Memory of: Sima Mlynarski by Shelley Rothman In Honour of: Jeff and Felice Pleet Mazel Tov on your new grandson by Shelley Rothman Linda and Stanley Shiff Family Fund In Memory of: Joan Lazarus by Irv and Sheila Osterer and Family *************** Feeding Program In Memory of: Harry Chippin by Glenda and David Moss

Michael Gallaman by Susan Heisel and Sye Mincoff Sima Mlynarski by Dee and Yale Gaffen, Barbara and Steve Levinson In Honour of: Francie Greenspoon and Norman Lieff Mazel Tov on Rachel’s engagement to Mitch by Barbara and Steve Levinson ***************** Recreation Program In Memory of: Edith Perry by Evelyn Greenberg Sima Mlynarski by Rona and Brian Shaffran ****************** In Memory of: Mendel Shore by Marty Saslove and Stephen and Debra Schneiderman John Pyper by Stephen Schneiderman and the staff of Hillel Lodge Edith Perry by the residents, staff and Boards of the Lodge and LTC Foundation and Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Brian Hall by Sara Shabsove Sima Mlynarski by Stephen and Debra Schneiderman, the staff and Boards of the Lodge and LTC Foundation and Ingrid Levitz Elaine Van Zanten by Laurie Chochinov In Honour of: Issie and Evelyn Hoffman Mazel Tov on your 60th Anniversary by Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Syrille Rosman Best wishes on your special Birthday by Ian and Melissa Shabinsky R’Fuah Shlema: Norman Zagerman by the Hillel Lodge LTC Foundation

THE LODGE EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR YOUR KIND SUPPORT AND APOLOGIZES FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, THE WORDING APPEARING IN THE BULLETIN IS NOT NECESSARILY THE WORDING WHICH APPEARED ON THE CARD.

“GIVING IS RECEIVING” – ATTRACTIVE CARDS AVAILABLE FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Here’s a great opportunity to recognize an event or convey the appropriate sentiment to someone important to you and at the same time support the Lodge.

Call orders may be given to Cathie at 728-3990, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. You may also go to: www.hillel-ltc.com and click on the “Donate Now” button to make your donations. Cards may be paid for by Visa or Mastercard. Contributions are tax deductible.

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

Oscars: Daniel Day-Lewis nominated for last role before retirement Continued from page 13

exclusion a response to the misconduct reports – and a snub.

ISRAEL’S BEST FILM DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT. “Foxtrot,” an Israeli drama about the aftermath of a military tragedy, had been on the shortlist for best foreign language film after winning a prestigious prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, stoking hopes for what could have been Israel’s first Oscar win. “In the Fade,” a German drama that centres on a neo-Nazi murder story and won a Golden Globe in this category, didn’t make the final Oscar list either.

SURPRISE! TWO JEWISH INDUSTRY LEGENDS ARE NOMINATED YET AGAIN. Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis has won the best actor award three times already – but he announced last year that he is retiring, so this might be our last chance to see the Jewish actor grace us with his presence at an awards night. The iconic method actor is nominated for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread,” in which he plays a famous dressmaker.

Steven Spielberg’s latest film, “The Post” – a drama about the Pentagon Papers starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks – is up for best picture. That

Daniel Day-Lewis in “Phantom Thread.”

seemed inevitable, but the one relative surprise here is that Spielberg didn’t get another coveted best director nomination. He was passed over for talented newcomers Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele, in addition to del Toro, Anderson and Christopher Nolan (for “Dunkirk”).

IT WAS ANOTHER GOOD YEAR FOR A PAIR OF JEWISH COMPOSERS. For the prolific Jewish composer Hans Zimmer, 2017 was business as usual. He wrote or co-wrote scores for three films, including one for “Dunkirk” that earned him an Oscar nod. Benj Pasek, one half

of the musical duo behind the score for the Broadway hit “Dear Evan Hansen” and the lyrics of “La La Land,” added to his rapidly growing legend with a nomination for best original song for “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” – a musical about P.T. Barnum.

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

15

Exercise your right to religious accommodation

J

ust as with a rearview mirror, Purim and Passover this year are closer than they appear. And if you are a student who has class on these days – either on Wednesday evening or Thursday during the day, for example – then it isn’t too late to get an accommodation and connect with the festivities at either Chabad on campus or Hillel Ottawa. This is doubly true if it is your first time. It is never too late to do “Jewish,” and there is no better time to start than now. Let me count the ways.

First, know that it is your right, especially on campus. At the bottom of most syllabi, in almost every publicly-funded university in Canada and the United States, there is a blurb that enshrines religious freedom. Sometimes it is stated vigorously, other times it is barely a sentence, and it is jammed between the far larger sections on plagiarism and the writing services centre. But, most of the time, it still sings the same tune: that the university believes in cultural or religious diversity, and within the first two, three, four weeks, or as soon as possible, the student ought to communicate with the professor in case accommodation for religious observances is needed.

Second, you probably know already what it means: an email to your professors letting them know there is a tension between your responsibility as a student and your obligation with your faith community. In other words, the point of this legalistic blurb is a compromise between the two poles that everyone with faith is torn between – what Leo Strauss would call the world of the philosopher and the world of the theologian, and what Spinoza derisively described as the theological-political

ALEXANDER CHUCHIN

CAMPUS LIFE The point of religious accommodation is not to disadvantage you for the accident that Canada was colonized by two European powers that happened to be Christian, and decided that holidays ought to follow the Christian tradition. tension. Faith itself demands to be taken seriously; the concept of a divine ruler is not a trifling subject.

But that is a discussion for another day, because this email still needs to be written.

Third, emails are designed to be terrible. It is normal, even human, to hate writing emails almost as much as reading them. There is never the right word, or the right moment – emails stack up, they clog your inbox, and there is almost never a reason to write them. Want to talk to someone? Call them. Miss them?

Text. Send a photo? Snapshot. Until proven otherwise, emails have no natural home, because no one – really – wants to write them.

You need to overcome this. Until emails disappear the way that the Romans and the Trojans did, there is nothing stopping their dominance over modern society. The subject line should say your class, and the

introduction should say the professor’s name. Be succinct. There is no need to justify yourself; simply stating that you are Jewish is enough. If this process takes a while, there is nothing strange about it – the first time I wrote a similar email, it took me far more time than I would care to admit. The second time, though, was a far speedier process. By the third, I was a self-described master.

Fourth, remember that professors – in fact, most people – respect people that respect themselves. If you are Jewish, and you want to do Jewish, then do it. The point of religious accommodation is not to disadvantage you for the accident that Canada was colonized by two European powers that happened to be Christian, and decided that holidays ought to follow the Christian tradition. The miracle of Canada is that despite its founding, the right for religious tolerance is a higher ideal. Rights remain rights only insofar that they are used. Religious liberty is your secular – and divinely sanctified – right.

Fifth, know that any celebration of Purim and Passover needs you. The word for return in Hebrew is teshuva – a return to the path that our mothers and fathers walked on from Egypt to Israel. In the words of the Sages, the Talmud teaches that before the genesis of the physical world, repentance was created. This was not an oversight. No one is perfect. Even Moses, which Ahad Ha’am, one of the early Zionists, cites as the emblem of the highest aspirations of the Jewish people, was not infrequently chastised by God for failing to heed direct commands.

It is never too late to join the fun. The easiest email you can write is the email that you already sent.

Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge

Get To Know Us

Dr. Truda Rosenberg

In June of 1922 Gertruda Osterman was born in Kosow, Poland to Nathaniel and Regina Osterman. She grew up with her parents in Lwow on Poland’s eastern boarder, a city with the 3rd largest Jewish population in Poland. She went to grade school in Kuty, a town in the Kosow District where her two beloved aunts lived. Gertruda was an only child and was given every opportunity to acquire an education. She graduated High School and was completing her first year of University in June 1941. She had recently celebrated her 19th birthday when the German army entered Lwow on June 30th of that year.

Photo: Benita Baker

Gertruda Osterman moved from Poland to Germany to England to Canada to Israel and back to Canada, and during her first residency in Ottawa she met a wonderful man – Dr. Imrich Yitzhak Rosenberg – who she married, and upon graduating in 1971 with a PhD in Psychology became Dr. Truda Rosenberg (affectionately known at the Lodge and by friends as “Truda”).

After speaking with Truda and a little bit of research, I would suggest that the final words of advice that her mother would share with her on November 2, 1942 would guide her through to today: “Trudenko, many things will be happening to your body. I know that you will deal with it. Trudenko, don’t let anything happen to your Jewish soul.”

One has to read Truda’s book “Unmasked” to appreciate her surviving a train to the Belzec Death Camp when others on the train encouraged her to jump – as one of her aunts chanted the words of Kol Nidre. You will read how she risked her own life to bring food to Jews and non-Jews who were working forced Labour in the Polish countryside.

You will read how she smuggled weapons into the Warsaw ghetto before the uprising and then had to watch as the German army advanced. You will read about how she was

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sold as a slave and you will read how in 1951 after the war had ended, and the State of Israel was only three years old - Truda reacted to a group of nurses in England, her colleagues, when one of them said “What a pity that Hitler did not kill all Jews.”

Truda, Dr. Truda Rosenberg, would not be faulted if she Victor Frankl, a noted held hard feelings towards the Germans, but when asked Neurologist and

by Ottawa area high school students almost a decade ago, Psychologist said “Forces she simply said that she forgave them. Truda did more than beyond your control can just forgive, she embodied the idea of Tikun Olam. When take away everything you serving as an interpreter for the British army after the war, possess except one thing, Truda shared her limited food rations with a German family your freedom to choose who didn’t have enough to feed themselves and their how you will respond to disabled child. Truda would tell you that she is not a the situation.”

Holocaust survivor, but a Holocaust victor. She never allowed the Nazis to take her Jewish soul. She lived and contributed to society. Truda’s life is a a glowing example of Dr.Frankl’s view – we may not be able to choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response. Dr. Truda Rosenberg always chose to do what was right – even when the circumstances seemed overwhelming.

When I shared with Dr.Rosenberg that I had visited Auschwitz almost 27 years ago on the March of the Living, and that my eldest daughter would be going on the March this April – Truda looked at me, she leaned in and quietly asked “how old are you now?”, I replied that I am 50…and without missing a beat she smiled and replied “you’re old”.

I interviewed her on a Friday afternoon, and when I was thanking her for her time, she wished me a Shabbat Shalom – I am not a doctor or member of the clergy – but I believe that I can safely say that her Jewish soul is healthy.

Dr. Truda Rosenberg lives Jewishly at Hillel Lodge and will celebrate her 96th birthday in June.

By Mitch Miller, Executive Director, Hillel Lodge LTC Foundation

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

A question of identity and identities RUBIN FRIEDMAN

BOOK REVIEW Bellevue Square

By Michael Redhill Penguin, Random House, Doubleday Canada 274 pages

W

ho are you? What if you had another name, another family but didn’t know it?

Would you still be Jewish?

Michael Redhill’s Bellevue Square poses the first two questions directly. But based on the book’s narrative and other sources, the third question is one that I ask.

From the opening sentence, the first-person narrator, Jean Mason, establishes the central conundrum: “My doppelganger problems began one afternoon in early April.” A character reports to her that he has seen another woman who looks exactly like her but with short hair, and is shaken by his own mistake.

It is a conundrum that pursues her, at first gradually, then with more and more speed while she becomes obsessed with solving it in an increasing confusion of realities and identities.

Indeed, it becomes clear that the narrator who we met in the first sentence is unreliable. Does she have a mental illness? Is she Jean Mason, a Jewish book store owner, a Jewish instructor at Ryerson – or is From the opening sentence, the she Ingrid Fox, a Jewish writer of mysteries whose first-person narrator, Jean Mason, real name is Inger Ash Wolfe; or is she all of these?

But it is a tribute to Redhill’s talent that we still tend establishes the central conundrum: to identify with Jean Mason’s perspective until the “My Doppelganger problems began last period. one afternoon in early April.”

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police chief of a small town.

This brings us to the fourth question about the persistence of Jewishness in all of these identities even though it is not a topic of discussion in the novel. It is simply stated without any attempt to explore what that Jewishness means. Thus Jean Mason is often in trouble with her husband for being late for Shabbos meals, her mother-in-law makes chicken for the children in her absence and the boys refer to their grandmother as Bubby. Is it by accident, that the whole personal identity crisis is brought to a head through a chance encounter at the Kiever Synagogue on Bellevue Square in Toronto with a female rabbi who claims to have had contact with the double in a Jewish women’s book club?

Redhill’s name is likely an English translation of Rotenberg or Roytenberg, another kind of alternate identity. Can we say that modern Jews are constantly reminded of the possibility of alternate identities, which they are called upon to choose? In Redhill’s novel, the focus is on personal identity, while Jewishness, which may be superficial, is nevertheless held constant as if it is so fundamental or conversely, as if it is irrelevant to the rest of the personality. Is this simply the reality for many modern integrated Jews in North America?

Nathan Englander’s Dinner at the Centre of the Earth deals with shifting identities and values in the context of conflicts between individuals’ Jewish morality and loyalty to the Jewish state. Ruby Namdar’s The Ruined House imagines the effects of an ancient sin on a modern Cohen through the operation of mystic forces and visions in the real world while simultaneously questioning the values of modern integrated Jews in New York.

But perhaps there is a more universal context for uncertainty about reality, values and identities with the rise of indifference to either truth or lies, depending like Humpty Dumpty, on gut level emotions for dictating meaning. The nature of reality can seem to shift from one tweet or person to another and to challenge the very concept of sanity.

Whatever the source for Redhill’s inspiration, his writing holds the reader breathless to the end and beyond. Bellevue Square is a novel worth reading and rereading.

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February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

17

On where our daughter will go to school

T

here are many things people tell you before you have a child that you listen to, but don’t quite understand.

They grow up so quickly, people say, and you nod without really knowing what they mean.

Then comes the day where you’re facing down the decision of where to enrol your kid in school and realize you arrived here much faster that you realized.

It’s not as though we haven’t been thinking about the question for awhile. It’s just that now we have to answer it.

I know there are many who wish our choice was simple and already made – enrolment at the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS).

It isn’t. And here’s a bit of the why.

What are we, two full-time working parents with odd schedules, supposed to do with the early Friday closures at OJCS? What about all the closures for the Jewish holidays we may or may not mark?

For the record – I’m not arguing the school should or shouldn’t follow those schedules. I’m just saying a question we need to answer is how we make it work with ours. And to those who say you can make it work, I know we can. The question then becomes – do we want to?

On the flip side, after-care at OJCS is offered through the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, giving our child access to sports and arts programs we’d never be able to sign her up for during the week if she went to the local public school because neither of us reliably finish our work days early enough to pick her up and take her.

STEPHANIE SHEFRIN

MODERN MISHPOCHA When I reflect on my own childhood in Ottawa, I realize most of the Jewish kids I knew and hung around with went to Hillel Academy (now OJCS).

And that leads us around to a question then of whether we could make supplementary school work, given the scheduling constraints of after-school type programs. If not those, what of Sundays? Can we reliably commit to those mornings for the next, say, 10 years? And to those who say you can make it work, I know we can. The question is still – do we want to?

Then, what of the education?

Yes, there’s the question of French at OJCS, but I’ve got others. For example – what and how are Jewish schools teaching these days about women in Judaism?

I can say I learned very little of the matriarchs during my days, and seem to recall a lot more about things I couldn’t do as a girl. I’m hopeful that’s changed. We’ll see in the coming weeks as we learn more about the

curriculum there and elsewhere.

Then there are the broader, shall we say more existential, questions.

When I reflect on my own childhood in Ottawa, I realize most of the Jewish kids I knew and hung around with went to Hillel Academy (now OJCS).

In the years after that, my circle of Jewish friends and acquaintances expanded to include people I met at my public high school, or knew generally through synagogue or one of the Jewish youth groups I was sporadically involved with during my high school years.

When later I’d go on to meet other Jews of my vintage from Ottawa and realize I’d never met them before, it always struck me as odd. I mean, Ottawa’s not that big, there aren’t that many Jews. How could I not know someone my age?

The answer often boiled down to where, if anywhere, they went to Jewish school.

So upon reflection, the observations I shared in this space last year ago about divisions in our community that appear explicitly linked to where kids are going to school – those fault lines aren’t new (“When community isn’t what it seems,” March 6, 2017).

But what seems new to me – perhaps because now I experience it as an adult and a parent myself – is the extent to which one’s community becomes entirely made up of those with whom your child attends school.

So as we move forward in making the decision of where our daughter will receive a formal Jewish education, it’s about logistics and lesson plans but also very much in our minds is that it’s a choice about community.

The definition of ‘Jewish character’ appears to be narrowing

T

he headlines make for difficult reading. Some 38,000 Sudanese and Eritrean nationals apply for asylum in Israel, the sole democracy in the Middle East. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Israeli interior ministry plans to incarcerate or forcibly expel them to Rwanda. Rwanda appears willing to accept them for a fee of $5,000 per person.

They are among the nearly 65 million children, women and men across the globe meeting the criterion established by the UN Convention on Refugees, to which Israel is a signatory.

The prime minister, public security minister and culture minister of Israel claim that only a fraction of these refugees are legitimate asylum seekers. Rather, according to government pronouncements, they are dismissed as “infiltrators,” “economic opportunists,” and “criminals.” In 2013, the government agreed to review 12,000 refugee applications from African individuals. Since then, 11 refugees have been accepted.

What are we to make of these policy decisions? Is the Israeli government afraid of people of colour? How is it that while the government obfuscates about African asylum seekers nearly 25,000 Ukrainian and Georgian refugees have fraudulently entered Israel since 2011, mostly through human smuggling scams?

The Zionists who founded Israel had three basic objectives: to create a Jewish state; a democratic state; and a state that would be located in the historical homeland of the Jewish people. In November 1947, when the United Nations offered the Jews roughly half this area for their state, while offering the rest for the formation of an Arab state, the Zionists were forced to answer a fundamental question: “What kind of state

RABBI STEVEN H. GARTEN

A VIEW FROM THE BLEACHERS do we wish to be?”

David Ben-Gurion, then leader of the Jewish Agency, did not shrink from laying out the choice before the Jewish people. Ben-Gurion essentially said, “My friends, we are offered a chance for a Jewish state and a democratic state, but in only part of the land of Israel.

We could hold out for all of the land of Israel, but if we did that we might lose everything.”

That has been Israel’s enduring tension. Can Israel maintain both its Jewish and Western democratic characters? Can the state expand to include all of the biblical land of Israel and remain a democracy?

It currently appears that land and a very narrow definition of “Jewish character” are in ascendency over Western democracy. How else to understand the ongoing fight over an egalitarian worship space at the Kotel? How else do we understand the reluctance of the government to ease the path to conversion for nearly 500,000 Russian immigrants who cannot marry or be buried according to Jewish tradition? How else do we understand attempts to curtail police investigative powers into government corruption? How else do we comprehend the disparity between funds offered to Israel Jewish communities and Israeli Arab communi-

ties for education, infrastructure and services?

It should be most concerning to us that the definition of “Jewish character” appears to be narrowing.

The sacred text of our people clearly proclaims that we must remember that we were strangers in a strange land and that concern for the widowed, the orphaned, the homeless, and the oppressed was incumbent upon us.

In Israel that historic charge now seems to be relegated to concern only for other Jews while in North America that concern has been generalized by many Jews to include all inhabitants of the world. The tension is palpable. There are many other examples of this tension. Recent conflicts in Beit Shemesh between modern Orthodox inhabitants and haredi Orthodox fundamentalists required civil authorities to intervene.

The positions enunciated by certain Orthodox religious political parties concerning the maintenance of trains on Shabbat is another example of how a more narrow definition of “Jewish character” now predominates in Israel.

These tensions have impacted on how we understand “Jewish character.” What is to define the “Jewish character” of our community? Must the Soloway Jewish Community Centre remain closed on Shabbat morning to define us? Must the Ottawa Jewish Community School teach texts from only one perspective?

Must the food service in buildings on the Jewish Community Campus be kosher? The list goes on. Is there only one narrow definition for “Jewish character”?

Ben-Gurion understood the need for compromise to establish a Jewish state. I wonder if we might not need some old fashioned Zionism to maintain one!

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Prevent winter weight gain and colds with nutritious foods

A

few weeks into the New Year and most people who made resolutions to lose weight have fallen off the bandwagon. Unwanted pounds are more easily gained in winter by decreased activity and overeating too much of the wrong things.

Between the polar vortex and the bomb cyclone, we got hit hard in December and January with weeks of extremely cold weather. And we’re not done yet. What can beat a satisfying bowl of hot, healthy homemade soup on a cold winter’s night?

If the thought of making soup seems intimidating, fear not. If you can boil water, you can make the following recipe for lentil soup. I’m not the best cook and I made it. It’s delicious, nutritious and filling.

Lentils are high in fibre and it’s fibre that keeps you feeling satiated. Lentils are also high in protein which is important at every age for maintaining and building strong muscles. Lentils are nutrient dense and low in calories and fat which is why they’re a perfect ingredient for weight control and an excellent choice if you want to eat healthy in general. Lentils are also inexpensive, as are the other ingredients in this recipe.

I got the idea to make this soup after buying a container of ready-made lentil soup at Whole Foods. The soup was tasty and filling; however, the store is not conveniently located for me and I figured I could make a healthier, lower-sodium version. I also knew I could make a much larger batch for less money, about four litres for the price of one. I Googled and found many recipes. Here’s my version of lentil soup for beginner-level cooks.

You’ll need a tablespoon of olive oil or butter; one large onion peeled and roughly chopped; two medi-

GLORIA SCHWARTZ

FOCUS ON FITNESS If you eat a bowlful of this soup at dinner, you’ll be less inclined to nosh later in the evening. Those unnecessary after-dinner snacks that we gravitate to, especially in the winter when it’s dark and cold outside and we’re more likely to stay in the house, contribute to winter weight gain. um carrots peeled and roughly chopped; three garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (a clove is a piece of a garlic bulb, not the entire bulb); one potato peeled and roughly chopped (no need to finely chop since you’ll blend the soup at the end); two cups of dried red lentils, rinsed with cold water and drained; one large tomato, chopped; one teaspoon of ground cumin; one teaspoon of ground turmeric; a half-teaspoon of ground coriander; and two one-litre boxes of low-sodium vegetable stock (you can make your own stock if you’re so inclined). I don’t add salt to the soup but you can add a pinch of salt or substitute the seasonings based on what’s in your pantry.

In a large soup pot on medium heat, warm the oil for a couple of minutes then add the onion, carrots,

potato and garlic. Stir and cook for about five minutes then add the lentils, tomatoes and spices. Continue to stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable stock and turn up the heat to high. When the soup boils, reduce the heat to low and let simmer with pot covered for an hour. Then blend the soup until smooth. I use a stick blender directly in the pot, but you can blend it with a regular blender in batches.

If you eat a bowlful of this soup at dinner, you’ll be less inclined to nosh later in the evening. Those unnecessary after-dinner snacks that we gravitate to, especially in the winter when it’s dark and cold outside and we’re more likely to stay in the house, contribute to winter weight gain. The fibre is good for your digestion so you’ll be feeling lighter in the morning and that may be more encouraging for you to do some exercise.

If you’re not used to eating much fibre, introduce it into your diet in modest portions. Eating a large portion may make you feel bloated and gassy. Rinsing the lentils before adding them to the soup removes some of the gas-causing enzymes. You can even soak them for a few hours if you have concerns. If you have irritable bowel syndrome, lentils are probably not a good choice for you because they contain FODMAPs which can aggravate symptoms.

A balanced diet of nutritious foods, such as this soup, will boost your immunity and help prevent you from catching those nasty colds and flus that go around in winter. Hand-washing, exercise, sleeping well and stress management also boost immunity.

By making better choices and committing to a bit of meal planning and food preparation, you may feel healthier and more energetic too. Bon appetit!

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS Nominate someone for the 2018 Community Service Awards today!

Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award

The Shem Tov Community Volunteer Award recognizes an outstanding volunteer for a lifetime of service dedicated to the betterment and enrichment of Jewish life in Ottawa.

Freiman Family Young Leadership Award The Freiman Family Young Leadership Award recognizes a member of the Ottawa Jewish community 40 and under, who has demonstrated proven leadership to the benefit of Ottawa’s Jewish community.

Student Leadership Award

The Student Leadership Award recognizes a student currently pursuing a post-secondary degree who demonstrates leadership and outstanding commitment to the Ottawa Jewish community.

All Community Service Award nominees must be members in good standing of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa (minimum gift to the Annual Campaign) and cannot previously have received the award for which they are nominated.

To be considered, nominations must include 2 letters of support, including one from an organization.

The nomination must specifically address all the outlined criteria.

Nominations for all awards will be considered for the year in which they are received and will be carried over once.

Awards will be presented at Federation’s Annual General Meeting on June 20, 2018.

Questions? Please contact Solange at 613-798-4696 x 236 or sashe@jewishottawa.com

This year’s deadline for nominations is March 29, 2018.

Visit jewishottawa.com/awards for more information or to download a nomination form.

February 5, 2018 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

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what’s going on | February 5 - 18, 2018

F O R M O R E C A L E N D A R L I S T I N G S , V I S I T W W W. J E W I S H OT TA W A . CO M / CO M M U N I T Y- C A L E N D A R

ONGOING EVENTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Parenting in the 21st Century: Free 3-Part Parenting Series for Jewish Families 6:30 - 8 pm, every Tuesday until February 20 2255 Carling Ave. Suite 300 To register: Quinn, qriviergatt@jfsottawa.com In-house clinical experts share knowledge and suggestions on how to feel more confident in parenting. Pareve refreshments served. Child minding available. Sponsor: Jewish Family Services of Ottawa.

JET Movie Night: Rosenwald 7 - 9 pm, SJCC Social Hall A, 21 Nadolny Sachs Pvt. Contact: Arielle Stirling, admin@jetottawa.com Cost: $10. In honour of Black History Month JET presents a screening of Rosenwald - a documentary film about Jewish businessman and humanitarian Julius Rosenwald. Tickets available through the JET office or through the registration button at www.jetottawa.com

Communication - Its Art and Soul 7 - 8:30 pm, Every Tuesday until February 27 Ottawa Torah Centre Chabad, 111 Lamplighters Dr. Contact: Rabbi Blum, rabbi@theotc.org Cost $90. In this six-session JLI course, we contrast Jewish thought with scientific discovery to unearth the essence of communication and how to utilize its powers to better ourselves, our relationships, and all of society.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Mah-Jong at KBI Thursdays, 1:30 - 3:30 pm, Kehillat Beth Israel Congregation, 1400 Coldrey Ave. Contact: rabbizuker@kehillatbethisrael.com Cost: $2. Beginners and experienced players welcome.

Bring sets and cards if you have them.

Bar Mitzvah Clubs At Young Israel of Ottawa 6 - 7:30 pm, Young Israel, 627 Kirkwood Ave. Contact: Miriam Tanger, Yandm613@gmail.com Cost: $30/session. For boys ages 11-14 years old, with Rabbi Tanger. Dinner will be served. Learn, eat and play! Tefillin workshop, mezuzah workshop.

Kol Miriam Ladies Choir Wednesdays 7:30 - 9 pm Hillel Lodge, 10 Nadolny Sacks Private Contact: Laura Lunn, llunn@magma.ca Spiritual uplifting Jewish music by women for women.

Ottawa Israeli Dance Tuesdays, 7 - 10 pm Jewish Community School, 31 Nadolny Sachs Pvt. Contact: Judy, judy@ottawaisraelidance.ca Great music. Exercise. All in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Cost: $5/evening (pay at the door) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Torah Day School of Ottawa Parent Info Night 7:30 - 9 pm, 1867 Camborne Cres.

Contact: Rabbi Durden, rabbi.durden@torahday.ca Meet with teachers, administrators and board members, hear about our general studies program, Judaic curriculum and extended French and Hebrew programs, chat with other parents

Soloway JCC Annual General Meeting & Awards Night 7 - 9 pm Contact: Pamela Rosenberg, prosenberg@jccottawa.com Join us for the Soloway Jewish Community Centre Annual General Meeting and Awards Evening.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Community Gourmet Friday Night Dinner featuring Mindy Pollak 5 - 7 pm, Congregation Machzikei Hadas, 2310 Virginia Dr. Contact: office@cmhottawa.com Featuring Mindy Pollak, a borough councillor in Outremont since 2013, the first Chasidic Jewish woman to hold political office in Montreal.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 OJCS Family Fun Skate and Charity Hockey Game 10 am - 12 pm, TD Place, 1015 Bank St. Contact: Jenn Greenberg, j.greenberg@theojcs.ca Cost: $36 per family. Hour 1: Family fun skate, Hour 2: hockey game. Contact geremy.miller@gmail.com for any questions concerning the hockey game, or Jennifer Greenberg for the Family Fun Skate.

7 - 8:30 pm, Torah Day School of Ottawa, 1119 Lazard St. Contact: Sharon Holzscherer, sholz@torahday.ca An expo of student work and projects celebrating Canada 150 and beyond.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Tot Shabbat - February Birthdays 10:30 am - 12 pm, Kehillat Beth Israel Congregation, 1400 Coldrey Ave. Contact: rabbizuker@kehillatbethisrael.com Parents and tots are invited to this fun and welcoming Shabbat experience! We’ll sing songs, recite prayers, read stories, and make new friends. We’ll enjoy special treats to celebrate all our friends who have February birthdays!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Non-Traditional Hamentashen Baking for Young Families 1 - 3 pm, Kehillat Beth Israel Congregation, 1400 Coldrey Ave. Contact: rabbizuker@kehillatbethisrael.com Cost: $5/family. Parents and kids 6 and under are welcome to enjoy creating (and eating) delicious hamentashen with new and innovative fillings! You will get to bring home a dozen of your hand-made hamentashen.

KBI kids Hamentashen baking party!

4 - 6 pm, Kehillat Beth Israel Congregation,1400 Coldrey Ave. Contact: Deborah Zuker, rabbizuker@kehillatbethisrael.com Cost: $ 5.00 Kids in grades k-5 are invited for a fun hamentashen-baking party. Prepare for a delicious Purim! You’ll take home a dozen hamentashen that you make.

CANDLE LIGHTING BEFORE

FEBRUARY 9 FEBRUARY 16 FEBRUARY 23

5:03 5:13 5:23

MARCH 2 MARCH 9 MARCH 16

5:33 5:42 6:51

BULLETIN DEADLINES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28* MONDAY, MARCH 26**

FOR MARCH 5 FOR MARCH 26 FOR APRIL 16

The Big Event @ Torah Day School of Ottawa

* Early deadline: Community-wide Issue ** Early deadline: holiday closures (all dates subject to change)

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE AT THE JOSEPH AND ROSE AGES FAMILY BUILDING, 21 NADOLNY SACHS PRIVATE

condolences Condolences are extended to the families of: Sima Mlynarski, Montreal (mother of Rosalyn Fremeth) Renie Grosser

May their memory be a blessing always.

The Condolence Column is offered as a public service to the community. There is no charge. For listing in this column, please call 613 798-4696, ext. 274.

Voice mail is available.

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February 5, 2018

OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM

Set the bar. The 2018 Audi S4.

The S4 sets a new standard for the sport sedan class. Legendary quattro all-wheel drive and a turbocharged V6 engine hide underneath beautifully sculpted body lines.

The S4 is the performance sedan that’s ahead of the pack.