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To Remember • To Congratulate • To Honour • To Say “I Care” •
SJCC 10th anniversary page 16
www.ottawajewishbulletin.com Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd.
bulletin volume 73, no. 1
september 29, 2008
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Mariane Pearl tells her moving story at campaign kickoff By Diane Koven The Jewish Federation of Ottawa has set $5.2 million as the goal for the 2009 campaign in order to meet the many needs of the community and the 29 beneficiary agencies. The goal was announced by campaign chair Jason Shinder and women’s division chair Dorothy Stern at the campaign kickoff on September 9 at Centrepointe Theatre and represents a ten per cent increase over last year’s campaign. Mariane Pearl, the widow of murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, was the keynote speaker at the kickoff and began her remarks with a reference to the seventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York. “By gathering tonight, we are
creating a vision for the world that in spite of all the ills, we wish to live together as one,” she said. Pearl’s story was already familiar to many in the audience who had read her book, A Might Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Daniel Pearl, or seen the film based on it starring Angelina Jolie. But to hear the story directly from the woman who had lived it was an emotional experience. During the five weeks between her husband’s kidnapping and the discovery of his body, Pearl remained strong and in control of the search. Though she was pregnant, alone and extremely fearful, she knew that, “If I broke, we were defeated.” In the midst of the horror, there was a positive: (Continued on page 2)
Mariane Pearl (centre) with Jewish Federtion of Ottawa Campaign Kickoff event co-chairs Gerry (left) and Ingrid Levitz at Centrepointe Theatre, September 9. (Photo: Peter Waiser)
News analysis
Federal election 2008
Livni wins Kadima contest with slim margin By Leslie Susser JERUSALEM (JTA) – With her narrow victory in the Kadima Party primary, Tzipi Livni’s next major task will be assembling a coalition government so she can become prime minister. Then all she’ll have on her plate is figuring out how to arrest the threat to Israel from Iran, resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a historic peace deal, neutralize the threat on Israel’s northern border from
Hezbollah and run the country. If she ever gets to it. The immediate challenge Livni faces is demonstrating – both to the Israeli people and to Kadima’s prospective coalition partners – that her 431-vote margin of victory in Wednesday’s primary is enough for her to assert her leadership and bring partners into a coalition government. In the wee hours of September 18, Judge Dan Arbel announced that Livni beat the run-
ner-up in the race, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, by a mere 431 votes – 43.1 per cent to Mofaz’s 42 per cent, according to Israeli media reports. Lawyers for Mofaz initially announced he might challenge the results, but Mofaz later called Livni to congratulate her and conceded defeat. The two other contenders in the primary finished far behind, with Interior Minister (Continued on page 2)
Candidates representing the major federal parties met with the Federation’s Communications and Community Relations Committee last week to discuss issues of concern to the community in the federal election campaign. Unfortunately, the meetings took place after this issue of the Bulletin went to press. While the articles about the meetings will appear in our October 13 edition, they have now been posted on the Bulletin website at ottawajewishbulletin.com. – Michael Regenstreif
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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Livni’s victory historic (Continued from page 1)
Meir Sheetrit winning 8.5 per cent of the vote and Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter garnering 6.5 per cent. Livni’s victory is historic in several respects. She won the first-ever primary held by Kadima, the three-year-old political party founded by Ariel Sharon. Her election also brings an end to the Olmert era, though he will stay on as caretaker prime minister until a coalition is assembled. And if she succeeds in cobbling together a coalition, Livni would become Israel’s second female prime minister, following Golda Meir. Livni will have 42 days to
form a government. If she fails, Israel will be headed for new general elections. She has made it clear that she wants to base her new government on the existing coalition – Kadima, Labor, Shas and the Pensioners parties – with the possible addition of other parties such as Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu on the right, Meretz on the left and the fervently Orthodox Torah Judaism Party. Livni wants to limit the current transition period, which she sees as a potentially unhealthy period of a twoheaded government. Kadima leaders argue that there already is a functioning government and there is no
reason it shouldn’t continue its work. They maintain that all the Labor Party asked Kadima to do was change its leader, and now that the party has done that, continuing with the present coalition shouldn’t be a problem. But Livni’s main coalition partners have no intention of giving her an easy ride. Labor argues that a prime minister effectively elected by only the 17,000 or so Israelis who voted for her in the primary has no legitimacy and that the Israeli people as a whole should be allowed to have their say in new elections. Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu agrees. Polls (Continued on page 4)
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni greets supporters as she arrives to cast her vote in Tel Aviv in the Kadima Party primary. (Photo: Brian Hendler)
Federation Campaign seeks $5.2 million to meet needs (Continued from page 1)
“The search for Danny brought together people of all religions, men and women, Americans and Pakistanis, journalists and police – everyone broke their boundaries for the common goal,” said Pearl. Since her husband’s death, Pearl has told and retold his story as she travels the world. She is determined to defeat the terrorists by refusing to succumb to feelings of revenge and hatred. “For me, it is no joke to say that it takes as much determination to work for
tolerance as it takes for a terrorist to blow himself up,” she said. “I felt that I had to display the same kind of courage in life as he had in death.” She is also working very hard to set an example for their son, born three months after his father’s death. Shinder outlined some of the work being done by various agencies. There are many, many success stories, but costs for everything have increased and so have the needs. “We need more – we need more volunteers, we need more donors and we need
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much more money,” said Shinder, asking that all donors consider increasing their pledges this year by a minimum of ten per cent. The goal of Women’s Division is to raise $800,000 in 2009. The division’s chair, Dorothy Stern, spoke passionately about her strong feelings for the Ottawa Jewish community. Having moved here 14 years ago and feeling then like an “outsider,” she has grown to love the community that embraced her and her family. They have recently moved again, to Montreal, but Stern is fulfilling her commitment to the Ottawa campaign and said that coming back for the kickoff event felt like coming home. “Clearly, my heart and soul still belong to Ottawa and, in particular, to the Ottawa Jewish community,” said Stern. Stern recalled being a newcomer to the community and asking herself, “Where
Mariane Pearl (left) with Jason Shinder, campaign chair (centre) and Dorothy Stern, women’s division chair, at the campaign kickoff, September 9. (Photo: Peter Waiser)
do I fit? How do I fit? Do I want to fit?” and remembers the feeling of being on the
outside looking in. “I ask each of you here tonight to reach out to someone who is
not yet involved, to welcome someone who might feel marginalized.”
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 3
ANS ANSWER SWER R THE TH HE CALL CA ALL FOR R A JEWISH J JEWISH FUTURE F FUTU URE The Annual Th Annual u l Campaign Campaaig i nT Telethon ele l th h n is ho i October taking place place on on Oct tober 5 and an 6. Wee will W will be be calling calling you you o to to ssupport up pport this t ggreat reat community, commun and the good good work work of of its many man ny agencies. agencies. Please Ple l ase answer an nswer the h cal ccall. ll. l The Jewish Jewissh future future of of this ccommunity omm m unity iss in your your o hands. haands.
2009 T Telethon eleth hon Chair Chairs rs R Rena ena and M Mitchell it itchell Sabloff Sablo loff f www.jewishottawa.com www.jewi j ishottawa..com ®
Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Iranian nuclear threat among Livni’s priorities (Continued from page 2)
show Likud would win many more than its current share of 12 Knesset seats if new general elections were held, possibly even winning the plurality and catapulting Netanyahu back into the office of prime minister. Shas is also threatening new elections unless Livni meets its demands for more generous child allowances and a pledge to keep Jerusalem off the negotiating agenda with the Palestinians. If Livni fails to form a coalition, an election could be held as early as next spring. If she succeeds, she could govern for a year or two before going into a new election with the incumbency advantage. During the campaign, Livni gave a slew of interviews in which she spelled out her priorities: • Moving ahead on the Palestinian track: Over the past few months, she and the former Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia,
have been drafting a fullfledged Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Both sides say that although they have made progress, closing the wide gaps that still exist will take time. Once Livni is installed as prime minister, one key issue will become more difficult to resolve: refugees. Livni repeatedly has said that she will not agree to any resettlement in Israel proper of Palestinian refugees because allowing in just one Palestinian refugee would chip away at Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish state. Livni might ease conditions on the ground for Palestinians by dismantling illegal settler outposts in the West Bank, something that successive Israeli prime ministers have failed to do. She argues that any government she heads will assert the rule of law. As for Gaza, Livni warns that she will consider a largescale ground offensive if Hamas uses the current truce to smuggle in huge quantities
of arms. • Ascertaining the seriousness of the Syrian track: Ever since Israel and Syria started conducting new peace feelers under Turkish auspices in January 2007, Livni has not been in the loop. She has argued that by going public with the talks, Israel has provided Syria a degree of international legitimacy without getting very much in return. Livni will want to see for herself whether Syrian President Bashar Assad is ready for a peace with Israel that
entails a significant downgrading of his relations with Iran. • Dealing quietly with the Iranian nuclear threat: Livni says as far as Israel is concerned, “all options are on the table” and that to say more would be irresponsible. But she has intimated in the past that Israel could live with a nuclear Iran by establishing a very clear deterrent balance. Introducing a new style of cleaner government: Livni, who won the leadership race at least partly because of her
In brief from JTA Israeli Cabinet debates evacuation pay (JTA) – Israel’s Cabinet debated a bill that would pay Jewish families living west of the security fence $305,000 each to leave voluntarily. The debate did not come to a vote. Ehud Olmert, in what may have been his last Cabinet meeting as prime minister, told lawmakers following the debate that “the notion of a Greater Israel no longer exists, and anyone who still believes in it is deluding themselves.” Under the $2.5 billion evacuation-compensation bill, settlers who agree to move to the Negev would receive a financial settlement that is 25 per cent higher than the $305,000 and those moving to the Galilee would receive 15 per cent extra in restitution. Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon, the bill’s author, told the Cabinet that about 18 per cent of settlers – more than 11,000 people – would be willing to leave immediately. “Vacating the residents of Judea and Samaria is an inevitable step, considered by anyone who believes in the two-state solution, which is the majority of the Israeli public,” Ramon said. Eli Yishai of the Shas Party
squeaky clean image, will want to signal early on that she intends to introduce a new style of governing. Livni will want to clean up party politics by breaking the power of the Kadima vote contractors, who drafted people en masse to vote for a particular candidate. One idea is to set a minimum membership period – perhaps 18 months – before party members get voting rights. By electing Livni, Kadima voters seemed to be saying enough of the generals at
the top and enough of wheeler-dealer politics. Livni, dubbed ‘Mrs. Clean,’ is seen as a straight-thinking, scandal-free civilian clearly out to promote Israel’s best interests. She has a full agenda, a chance to change the tenor of Israel politics and to make historic moves vis-à-vis the Palestinians and Syria. But first she will have to put together a viable coalition. JTA managing editor Uriel Heilman contributed to this report.)
was critical of the bill. “This legislation is a colossal strategic mistake and presents Israel as lacking in principles. We still have not recovered from the cursed expulsion and there are people dragging us into further expulsion,” he said, referring to Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
Jewish Canadians in uproar over cards (JTA) – The Conservative Party is facing questions from Jews about religious profiling and privacy after many Jewish Canadians received Rosh Hashanah cards from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This is the second year the cards have been mailed out, and critics say they raise serious concerns over voter privacy. Some of the recipients demanded to know how the government knows they are Jewish. Some people with Jewish-sounding surnames, but who are not Jewish, also received the cards. Conservative Party spokesman Ryan Sparrow told the Globe and Mail that the party doesn’t use any prepared lists and hasn’t purchased any. He said he wasn’t sure how many cards were sent out. Canada’s privacy commissioner received complaints from people who received unsolicited Rosh Hashanah greeting cards last year but determined that the issue fell outside her jurisdiction. B’nai Brith Canada said the cards were “a gesture of respect” toward the Jewish community and extended its “appreciation” to the prime minister. Canadian Jewish Congress spokesperson Jordan Kerbel said the cards were “just a gesture, the same as a Chinese New Year card.”
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 5
Hebrew University medical research institute collaborates with Canadian Friends By Diane Koven Professor David Lichstein, head of the Institute for Medical Research – Israel Canada (IMRIC) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has a lofty goal. He opened his remarks at the season’s opening meeting of the Ottawa Chapter, Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU) with his own version of the I Have a Dream speech. “We in Jerusalem have a dream – to cure the world. We want to be an institute that is going to be at the forefront of understanding, preventing and treating diseases. All the rest is details,” he told those assembled at the home of chapter president Myrna Barwin on September 10. Although the IMRIC was established over a year ago, a memorandum of understanding was signed four months ago by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and CFHU which Lichstein characterized as the “real” establishment of the institute. CFHU took on the commitment to raise $50 million
David Lichstein
over the next six or seven years which will enable the IMRIC to go forward with its ambitious plans. “The main focus of the institute is medical research,” said Lichstein in his overview to the CFHU members. “We are all doing basic research, but basic research that is
oriented toward medical problems. We are the largest group of scientists dealing with medical research in Israel and also the best. Our scientific level is very, very high,” he said, listing the numbers of prestigious prize-winning scientists associated with the IMRIC. In order to accomplish its goals, said Lichstein, the IMRIC requires six things: excellent scientists, excellent students, the right environment, adequate funding, appropriate infrastructure and mazal (luck). They already have several of these things. Their students are sought after by prestigious universities around the world for postdoctoral studies and its scientists are of the highest calibre. The IMRIC is located in close proximity to Hadassah Hospital, giving it a great advantage in collaborative use of facilities. Funding is adequate for the present needs, but, with the increased commitment of CFHU, the infrastructure will be greatly improved. In particular, a new building will be finished
within the next two years, which will increase the lab space by 30 to 40 per cent. Lichstein used a biblical analogy to describe what the IMRIC is seeking from the CFHU. “As you know,” he said, “two of the 12 tribes of Israel, Issachar and Zebulun had a very special relationship. Issachar were the scholars and poets of that time. Zebulun were fishermen and businessmen. “For centuries, there was a partnership between these two tribes. Zebulun provided Issachar with support, and they shared the contribution to society in that way. This is considered to be one of the classical partnerships in our history. “So, here is what I want from you: Let us be Issachar. Let us do the best science that we can and be in the forefront of this discipline in the world; and you, I want your partnership. Let us be Issachar and you be our Zebulun.” Barwin reminded those present that the Ottawa chapter of CFHU
has plans to promote awareness of the excellence of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in a variety of ways including possible partnerships with Canadian government agencies in the field of agriculture; and continuing with the highly successful Best of Hebrew U program. The Passover Lunch has become a hugely successful tradition every spring. Before leaving Ottawa, Lichstein met with Jacques Bradwejn, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and Duncan Stewart, head of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), as well as Jacquelin Holzman, chair of the board of OHRI. They discussed the various opportunities for collaboration in the future. “We have a great opportunity to be able to facilitate between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the universities and hospitals in the community here to enable collaborative research projects in the field of medicine,” said Barwin.
Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Helping people with developmental disabilities lead ordinary lives Editor’s note: JFO Chair Jonathan Freedman has arranged to share his column, on occasion, with the chairs or presidents of the community’s major beneficiary agencies or committees so they can provide some insight into their operations.
Emory University Professor, Nancy Eiesland, author of The Disabled God said “Living with a disability is difficult. Acknowledging this difficulty is not defeat, but a hard-won accomplishment in learning to live a life that is not disabled. The difficulty for people with disabilities has two parts – living our ordinary, but difficult lives, and changing structures, beliefs, and attitudes that prevent us from living ordinarily.” This past June, Tamir co-hosted the fourth biannual Kinus conference with our sister developmental service agency, Reena, in Toronto. Inclusion, which is about ensuring people with developmental and other disabilities can live ordinarily, was the theme of the conference. More than 20 Jewish developmental service organizations from across North America came together for three days to gain knowledge, share best practices and schmooze. The conference was truly inspiring and we came away with many new ideas. It also confirmed what we knew: that Tamir and our community are leaders when it comes to inclusion. As a multi-service organization, we offer many opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to live, work and play in mainstream society through a broad range of services including housing and sup-
Federation Report Esther Kwavnik, President Tamir and Mark Palmer, Executive Director port options, our Keshet for Kids program integrating children with disabilities into mainstream community camps, volunteer and employment opportunities with over 25 community business partners, and a thriving Judaic Outreach program offering a host of Jewish experiences. Inclusion isn’t accomplished through the efforts of a single organization. We are grateful to the Ministry of Community and Social Service (MCSS), the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and the many Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and individuals who open their doors and provide opportunities for the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. Yet for all of our success there are still many barriers to overcome. Tamir is able to serve a broad spectrum of Jewish needs due mainly to the fact that we also serve the broader community. Without MCSS support, our service to Jewish families would only be a small fraction of what it is today. We have enlarged the scope of our services and, at the same time, carefully managed to maintain the integrity of our
Judaic principles through a variety of measures such as strengthening our by-laws to identify Tamir as a Jewish organization, ensuring laws of kashrut are strictly observed on all Tamir premises, and strongly resourcing our Judaic program as the cornerstone of our operations. But 20 years after Tamir’s inception, there is no government policy in place to ensure that Jewish families needing relief from their constant responsibilities as caregivers have priority for service with us when a vacancy arises. Tamir is leading an initiative, together with other faith/ethno-cultural groups in the province, to advocate for a vacancy management policy by the MCSS to ensure individuals of a particular faith/ethno-cultural background receive priority for placement within their own communities. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) speaks of “welcoming everyone with joy.” To welcome all our people is a Jewish tradition. When certain segments of our community, such as individuals with special needs, are left behind, we are not whole. So how can we be more inclusive of Jewish individuals
with developmental disabilities here in Ottawa? A community-wide needs assessment in 2006, spearheaded by Tamir and funded by the Federation, identified 17 to 21 per cent of all Jewish day and supplementary school children as having special education needs; many of whom are without sufficient resources to accommodate them. Many other children with special needs are not receiving any Jewish education at all. The impact goes beyond the individual child, affects the whole family, and ultimately is an important factor in our struggle for Jewish continuity. As a community, we need to respond. We need to improve opportunities for participation, not only in Jewish education, but in all facets of Jewish life for people living with their disabilities. Tamir will be spearheading a new initiative in the near future, to work with organizations from various sectors of our community – synagogues, youth groups, camps and others – to build on our relationships. The community must work to better understand the needs of people with developmental disabilities and broaden and deepen their inclusion. Together, we can help people with developmental disabilities lead extraordinarily ordinary lives. If you would like to help or learn more about Tamir, visit tamir.ca or call us at 613725-3519, ext. 103. On behalf of all of us at Tamir, we wish everyone a healthy and happy new year. Shana Tova.
Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre fills a void It has been six months since the doors of the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre opened, and I’m proud to say that we’ve already achieved our goal. How? Quite simply, the InfoCentre has been there for almost 200 people seeking many kinds of information. Having one central resource centre has proven to be invaluable at connecting people with the schools, synagogues, women’s and seniors groups, and agencies which make up our community. Ultimately, the whole community benefits from those connections. As the InfoCentre co-ordinator, I’ve had the privilege of assisting in the very personal issues that confront people. A baby boy will be born … how do I find a mohel? I want to visit a relative’s grave … how do I find it in the cemetery? I live in a remote community and want to attend a Passover seder … where can I go? My son is attending university in Ottawa and I am worried because he doesn’t know anyone … will you help him connect with Jewish students? I will be travelling to Israel and want to study Hebrew … are any classes being offered? I need daycare for my child and prefer a Jewish option … does something exist? That’s just a small sampling of the
Benita Siemiatycki InfoCentre questions we’ve fielded over the past few months. The InfoCentre is also here to welcome and integrate newcomers to our community. We have a package of information that is given to people new to Ottawa that contains a wealth of information to help answer questions – about housing, food retailers, synagogues, schools, and much more – that people have when arriving in a new city. If you know someone new to Ottawa, please urge them to call the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre. In the past, the offices of Jewish schools, synagogues, the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (SJCC) and other agencies fielded such questions. Now, with the InfoCentre, all types of questions can be handled, and referrals can be made, at one stop. The InfoCentre is here to serve everyone – regardless of age, religious affiliation, length of time in Ottawa, or type
of information being requested. The InfoCentre also displays a variety of brochures and promotional materials from Jewish organizations. Anyone is free to drop by and peruse them. We are located on the upper level of the SJCC and are open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. We can be reached at 613-798-
4644 or infocentre@jewishottawa.com. Our website will be launched later this fall. Now we need your help to spread the word!
From the Pulpit will return to the Bulletin in October.
Owned by The 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 a year. © copyright september 29, 2008 PUBLISHER: The Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. EDITOR EMERITUS: Barry Fishman ACTING EDITOR: Michael Regenstreif PRODUCTION MANAGER: Brenda Van Vliet BUSINESS MANAGER: Rhoda Saslove-Miller STAFF REPORTER: Liana Shlien ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Seymour Diener, chair; Anna Bilsky; Stephen Bindman; Mark Buckshon; Jack Cramer; Diane Koven; Louise Rachlis; Michael Wollock. The Bulletin cannot vouch for the kashrut of the products or establishments advertised in this publication unless they have the certification of the Ottawa Vaad HaKashrut or other rabbinic authority recognized by the Ottawa Vaad HaKashrut. Local subscription $30.00. Out-of-town $36.00. International $50.00. $2.00 per issue.
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 7
Kadima’s Livni must assemble a working coalition As I write, it’s the day after the Kadima Party election in Israel. As polls had predicted, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni came out on top, but her margin of victory over Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz was much smaller than anyone seemed to expect, just 431 votes. Livni captured 43.1 per cent of the votes cast while Mofaz took 42 per cent. The vote totals of the other candidates were inconsequential. Livni has now begun the process of trying to assemble a coalition government. If she’s successful, Livni will become Israel’s second female prime minister after Golda Meir and its first in more than 34 years. If Livni doesn’t manage to put together a working coalition by the end of October, Israelis will go to the polls in an early general election that will see her vie for the office of prime minister against Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Labor’s Ehud Barak, both of whom are former prime ministers. Opinion polls in advance of the Kadima vote suggested a general election would be a close race between the centrist Livni and the right wing Likud leader. I like much of what I’ve seen, so far, of Livni. She is tough, scandal-free – she’s sometimes referred to as ‘Mrs. Clean’ – and has shown the ability to evolve
Acting Editor Michael Regenstreif in her thinking. Livni’s parents were Irgun fighters prior to Israeli independence and her father was a Knesset member representing Likud. She followed her father into Likud and was first elected to the Knesset in 1999 as a protégé of Ariel Sharon. And just as Sharon evolved in his thinking about the peace process and territorial compromise during his final years as prime minister, so too did Livni as one of his cabinet ministers. She followed Sharon out of Likud to help establish Kadima as a third-way alternative to Likud and Labor. As foreign minister, Livni has been Israel’s lead negotiator with the Palestinians in Israel’s search for the two-state solution. Assuming Livni’s success in putting together a coalition, she will, as noted in the JTA report beginning on page 1, have a heavy agenda of priorities that will demand her attention. ********
The Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy, together with Canadian Jewish Congress, the Canada-Israel Committee and the Quebec-Israel Committee, has produced a document called Federal Election 2008: Guide to the Issue for the Community. It lays out what they consider to be the major of issues of concern for the Canadian Jewish community along with suggested questions to ask of candidates and parties. You can read or download the guide at tinyurl.com/5k8jn6. Reports on the Federation’s Communications and Community Relations Committee’s meetings with the major parties will be published in the October 13 edition of the Bulletin. Unfortunately, that will be too late for anyone who wants to read the articles before voting in the advance polls before the Sukkot election day. Therefore, we’re posting the articles on-line as soon as possible. In fact, by the time you read this column, the articles should be available for you at ottawa jewishbulletin.com. ******** We have a JTA brief on page 4 that talks about some people being upset that they’ve received Rosh Hashanah cards from the prime minister. A Conservative Party spokesman denied the party had a prepared list of Canadian Jews and de-
clared they hadn’t purchased one. I’ve read election column notes and letters-to-the-editor in several Canadian dailies from Jewish people wanting to know how the PMO knew they were Jewish and from non-Jews wanting to know why the PMO thought they were Jewish. A column in the Ottawa Citizen mentioned a Jewish person in Ottawa who “subscribes to no Jewish publications and doesn’t give to any specifically Jewish causes, so he isn’t sure how the PMO got his name.” The Bulletin has not, and would not, supply or sell a list of subscribers to any political party or office. But I’d like to know why I, with a publicly Jewish media job that entails contact with politicians and their staffs, including Conservative cabinet ministers and MPs, didn’t rate a card. ******** The June 16 issue of the Bulletin included an article that described how Soloway JCC member Marion Dewar was recovering the use of her injured hand through the centre’s gentle yoga course. Ms. Dewar, the universally respected social activist and former mayor of Ottawa, died earlier this month at age 80 from injuries suffered in a fall while visiting Toronto. We offer our sincere condolences to the Dewar family.
Jewish voters can ‘always vote in advance polls’ So, have you made any plans for Sukkot? Here’s one possibility, but don’t tell your rabbi: Voting. This fall’s federal election will take place on October 14, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Last year, the Ontario Liberals amended their fixed election date law to avoid having a vote on the same day as a Jewish holiday. This year, the federal Conservatives did just the opposite. They disregarded their own statute – which mandated the next election would take place in October, 2009 – in order to hold a vote on the same day as a (different) Jewish holiday. Why? Simple. Political expediency. Over the summer, Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided his party needed to go to the electorate as soon as possible – fixed election date notwithstanding – to give the Conservatives their best possible shot at a majority government. The public opinion polls hadn’t really changed much in the two and a half years he had been in office and the Liberals were poised to win at least three by-elections in September. The economic outlook was less than rosy, and economic downturns tend to hurt incumbent governments in election campaigns. Also, the prospect of steering an already overextended minority government
Alan Echenberg through another year of a divided Parliament offered little political upside. So, the decision was made. Then somebody looked at a calendar. They couldn’t begin an election campaign before Labour Day. And they couldn’t schedule a campaign that coincided with this year’s Francophonie Summit in Quebec City, which takes place the weekend after Sukkot begins. That left very little wiggle room on fixing a date to replace the fixed date. Canadian elections usually take place on Mondays, but Monday, October 13 is Thanksgiving, which is celebrated by many more Canadians than is Sukkot. So Sukkot got the shaft. When asked about the decision to go to the polls on that date, one government official said “you have to be practical about these things,” suggesting that any date they picked was bound to conflict with someone’s holiday and that Jewish voters could “always
vote in advance polls.” Not exactly a stellar campaign strategy to win over the Jewish vote. But, make no mistake, if you are Jewish, the Conservatives do indeed want your vote – election timing aside. They also want your vote if you are Sikh or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. In its quest to eke out a majority, the Conservative Party has devoted many hours at many events over many years to build bridges to ethnic minority communities, which have traditionally cast their vote with the Liberals. Over two elections, the Conservatives managed to rebuild their traditional base support and win back enough of their old seats from the Liberals to form a narrow minority government. They still need a couple dozen more seats to go over the top, and they are hoping some of those seats can come from winning over the so-called ethnic vote. The strategy – spearheaded by Jason Kenney, secretary of state for multiculturalism – has been to soften the image of the Conservatives, downplay the party’s roots in the old Reform Party, make symbolic gestures to right past wrongs such as the Chinese head tax, and focus particular attention on those elements of ethnic communities who share the Tories’ small-c conservative outlook on social issues.
The strategy for winning over the Jewish community ranges from taking a more explicit pro-Israel stance than other parties on Middle East issues to sending out Rosh Hashanah cards to Jewish voters (and also to non-Jewish voters with Jewish-sounding names). Will it pay off for the Conservatives come October 14? In the case of the Jewish community, the party faces a particularly tough challenge. As described in columns past, the handful of ridings in Canada with significant numbers of Jewish voters happen to be among the safest Liberal seats in the country. That’s because most Canadian Jews live in urban areas, mostly Montreal and Toronto. And Montreal and – especially – Toronto remain two of the only places in Canada where the Liberals held onto concentrated groups of ridings in the last election. If the Conservatives, with the help of the ethnic vote, manage to break through these urban bastions in any significant way, it will probably signal a broad Liberal collapse. The question, in this case, won’t be whether or not the Conservatives win a majority, but rather how big that majority will be. We’ll know on Sukkot how this plays out. Alan Echenberg is TVOntario’s Parliamentary bureau chief.
Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Planning the pre-fast dinner for Erev Yom Kippur By Linda Morel NEW YORK (JTA) — It’s a scramble every year, but Jews somehow manage to beat the clock getting dinner to the table on Yom Kippur eve – the most hurried meal on the holiday calendar. It isn’t easy to conclude the evening meal with enough leeway to arrive at synagogue for the Kol Nidre service, which ushers in this most solemn holiday. The challenge is finding the time to pull together a meal that is nourishing and light, exalted but not extravagant, yet effortless. It’s even more difficult when
Yom Kippur lands in the middle of the work week, as it does this year. “One Yom Kippur I left the office early, raced home and hurled dinner on the table for my daughter and a couple of friends,” recalls Pamela Vassil, the director of marketing and communications at Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. “I inhaled my food in order to arrive at my shul for the 6 o’clock service and get a seat up front. “But I ate so quickly, everything sat in my esophagus. It never had a chance to digest. I spent the entire
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night worried that I’d get sick.” Wendy Moss, a style and wardrobe consultant in Manhattan, says she used to invite other families who belong to her synagogue. “But by the time I got to services, I was out of breath and couldn’t relax,” she says. Moss now cooks only for her immediate family. Reducing the rush is part of the pre-Yom Kippur experience. Some plan the menu the day after Rosh Hashanah. It’s advisable to select uncomplicated recipes requiring few steps. Plain fare is in line with the serious nature of this holiday. The pre-fast menu requires special attention. For example, recipes should be low in salt to avoid causing undue thirst on Yom Kippur when drinking anything, including water, is forbidden. “I do a lot of cooking and freezing in advance,” says Rita Paszamant, a travel agent in Little Silver, N.J.
THEY ENRICH OUR LIVES
PLEASE HELP TO ENRICH THEIRS Honour thy Father and thy Mother The members of the Auxiliary of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge invite you to join them at the
ANNUAL TEA AND FUNDRAISER in honour of
Sarah Swedler, a long-time, dedicated volunteer for many worthy causes
Sunday, October 26, 2008 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm 10 Nadolny Sachs Private
“Since my family expects the same menu every year, preparing for this meal is like falling off a log.” As an appetizer, Paszamant offers a choice of chopped liver or gefilte fish, which she buys premade. “The dessert is certainly store-bought, too,” she says. “I always serve cinnamon babka, which they all love.” While purchasing prepared foods is convenient, it can have its down side with the long lines, short tempers, incorrect orders and high prices. Often it’s less stressful to make your family’s favourites at home. Nothing is more nurturing before fasting than the smell of chicken soup and baking apples wafting from the kitchen. “I do all the cooking myself,” Moss says. “I find it better that way, especially if I plan ahead and stay organized.” She roasts a chicken – it’s traditional and easy to make. “I gave up on Cornish hens,” Moss says. “They have to be stuffed. It’s an extra step.” She suggests that one place to cut corners is serving fresh fruit for dessert. Hours before the sun sets on Yom Kippur eve, Paszamant defrosts the chicken
soup and the potted beef she prepared days earlier. Before serving she adds finishing touches such as freshly chopped vegetables. To save time, Paszamant sets the dining-room table the night before and washes pots and utensils before dinner time. “Having a warming drawer has been a blessing,” she says, explaining that the feature in her oven maintains the temperature of hot foods without drying them out. “My family knows we start eating at 5 o’clock on Erev Yom Kippur,” she says. As in most households, her kitchen clean-up is the final hurdle. “Everyone helps clear the table, course by course,” Paszamant says. Observant families refrain from performing any manual labour after sunset, when the holiday begins. Many Jews eat dinner extra early so they can quickly wrap leftovers and wash the dishes before leaving for synagogue. “In past years, I’ve run out and left the dishes in the sink,” Moss says. “If at all possible, I recommend hiring help to clean up the kitchen. That’s the most important thing I’ve figured out.” Guests have their own stress.
“I keep looking at my watch, wondering if we’ll get out on time,” Vassil says. The resourceful find a comfortable solution to the dilemma. “One year, I went to a restaurant a block from my shul,” Vassil recalls. “At first, I felt guilty about the decision, but I got over that when I saw people from my synagogue sitting at other tables.” Now she makes a reservation for every Yom Kippur eve. “I have a leisurely dinner, including a cup of coffee, something I never had time for when I prepared dinner at home,” Vassil says. But Moss, like many, prefers a traditional homecooked meal before starting the 24-hour fast. While she calls herself a perfectionist at heart, Moss has become more realistic. “I keep the menu simple,” she says. “I don’t prepare anything elaborate. Entertaining in my usual style just got too crazy on Yom Kippur eve.” “It’s liberating to know on this one night a year, you don’t have to prepare a fancy meal,” Vassil says. “The point is to eat without pressure, to arrive at shul in a peaceful state of mind, in time to get a good seat.”
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 9
They made a difference
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JEWISH NATIONAL FUND More than trees 613.798.2411
Jules Loeb passes away Sept 15 Brian Pearl president
Campaign chairs announced for Ottawa JNF Negev Dinner at Museum of Civilization on November 24 Plans are moving ahead for the Ottawa Negev Dinner to be held on Monday, November 24 to honour Dan Greenberg and Barbara Crook. The Dinner – to be catered by Creative Kosher Catering – will take place in the Great Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. In keeping with the 60th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel, our guest speaker will be Ambassador Dennis Ross, the well-known and widely respected author and expert on the Middle East who served as the Director for Policy Planning in the State Department under President George H.W. Bush and special Middle East co-ordinator under President Bill Clinton. He is also Barack Obama’s senior advisor on the Middle East. The team for the Dinner is assembling as I write and will be in full gear by the time you read this column. We are also welcoming the first corporate sponsors and, when the canvassing begins in earnest this month, I am certain there will be many more. The planning, organizing and fundraising team is a wonderful representation of leaders from the Jewish and non-Jewish communities and I am certain that with their expertise and dedication, this will be another memorable Dinner and very successful campaign! The planning team is headed by our Dinner Chairs: Ron Prehogan and Mike Cullen. Ron is well known in the Ottawa Jewish Community as a former Chair of both the Federation and the Soloway JCC and Mike is Vice-President of N-able Technologies, a leading Ottawa technology firm. I want to welcome them both to the 2008 Negev Dinner team and thank them for agreeing to help JNF honour Dan and Barbara and raise money for their project in Israel. Dan and Barbara are pursuing all of their given tasks as Negev Dinner honourees with great care, diligence and attention, but none more than the selection of a worthwhile project in Israel. Barbara recently visited Israel and toured the north with a JNF\KKL representative and I am very happy to report that our Honourees have chosen a water reservoir as their project. This will very much help Israel deal with its current water crisis, the worst in 60 years! The invitations for the 2008 Negev Dinner will arrive by mail to your homes soon, if they are not there already. Because the seating is limited, I remind you that an early RSVP is the only way to be certain of obtaining tickets.
Sefer Bar/Bat Mitzvahs Inscriptions Emily Layne Allen by her proud parents Pam and Sandy Allen; Ian Samuel Jason Byerley by his proud parents Nina Jason and Brian Byerley; Malcolm Dinovitzer by his proud parents Natalie and Aaron Dinovitzer; and Julie Elizabeth Segal by her proud parents Karen Palayew and Lorne Segal.
Golden Book Inscriptions Emily Layne Allen by her Grandma and Pop-Pop. On a daily basis you can plant trees for all occasions. An attractive card is sent to the recipient. To order, call the JNF office (613.798.2411).
Jules Loeb, president of the Jewish Community Council of Ottawa/Vaad Ha’ir from April 20, 1967 until July 28, 1969, passed away at his home in Toronto on September 15. Mr. Loeb was born in Ottawa in 1917 and was one of six sons of Moses Loeb whose business selling candy and tobacco from a horse-drawn wagon grew into M. Loeb Limited, a prominent chain of supermarkets. As boys, Mr. Loeb and his brothers helped take care of the horses and the family warehouse. Later, he became a leading figure in Canadian business circles as executive vice-president of the firm. Although the company was bought by Metro Inc. of Montreal in 1969, about 40 supermarkets in Ottawa and northeastern Ontario still bear the Loeb name. After working with M. Loeb Limited, Mr. Loeb became an investment dealer in Ottawa, and then in Toronto, where he made his home in recent decades. He was active in numerous philanthropies and was Ottawa’s UJA campaign chair in 1963 prior to assuming the Vaad presidency. Jules Loeb was the second Loeb brother to hold the Vaad presidency. His older brother, Bertram, became president in 1958, and a third brother, David, became Vaad president in 1975. He was also involved in the affairs of the broader community serving as mayor of Lucerne, Quebec (now part of Aylmer) and on Canada’s Official Residences Council helping to oversee such
Vaad Ha’ir president Jules Loeb speaks at the Ottawa Talmud Torah’s first annual banquet, April 15, 1969. Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman is seated left. (Photo: Ottawa Jewish Archives)
buildings as the prime minister’s residence at 24 Sussex, the governor general’s residence of Rideau Hall and Stornoway, the residence of the leader of the official opposition. Mr. Loeb, and his wife of 66 years, Fay, were passionate art collectors and were renowned for establishing one of the foremost private collections of Canadian artworks. In addition to Fay, Mr. Loeb is sur-
vived by their two daughters, Audrey Loeb and Karen Irwin, and their husbands, David Ross and Steve Irwin, and by two grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. A private family memorial service was held in Toronto to celebrate Mr. Loeb’s life. The family has requested that donations in his memory be made to the Ontario Lung Association or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
In support of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge In the Joseph and Inez Zelikovitz Long Term Care Centre
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 wellbeing. 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 Long-Term Care Foundation between August 20 and September 10, 2008 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. Bill and Leona Adler Memorial Fund In Honour of: Gittel and Arthur Sheffield Mazal tov on the birth of your grandson by Elayne Adler and Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler Claire-Jehanne and Eric Wilner Mazal tov and best wishes on the marriage of your son Alexandre to Kathleen Marie by Elayne Adler and Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge Fund In Memory of: Tonia Hirsch by Carolyn and Sid Katz In Honour of: Burton Cook Wishing you a happy special birthday and hope to see you in Florida by Carolyn and Sid Katz Helen Cook Wishing you a happy special birthday. Sorry we did not get to see you in Ottawa by Carolyn and Sid Katz Maureen Katz Wishing you a very happy special birthday by Carolyn and Sid Katz; and Elayna, Bill and Adam Elsie Baker Endowment Fund In Memory of: Beloved brother of Morris Camlot by Polly and Jack Moran Martin Ginsburg by Polly and Jack Moran In Honour of: Dorothy Goldenberg Best wishes for a very happy 90th birthday by Polly and Jack Moran and family
Fred and Esther Ballon Family Fund In Honour of: Shelley and Morris Schachnow Mazal tov and best wishes on your 50th wedding anniversary. May you have many more happy years together by Esther and Fred Ballon Boris and Dolly Blacher Family Fund In Memory of: Lillian Edelson by the Blacher Family Jenny and Murray Citron Endowment Fund In Memory of: David Korn by Murray Citron Tania Firestone Family Fund In Memory of: Abe Padolsky by Susan and Philip Firestone Friedberg and Dale Families Fund In Memory of: Ron Bachard by Elaine Friedberg, Bob and Jonathan Dale In Honour of: Magda and Peter Benedek Mazal tov on your 40th anniversary by Elaine Friedberg, Bob and Jonathan Dale Dina and Rabbi Menachem Blum Mazal tov on the birth of your daughter by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale Shani and Rabbi Micah Shotkin Mazal tov on the birth of your son by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale Nell Gluck Memorial Fund In Memory of: Toby Appel by Jonathan Pinsler and family; Elissa and Avraham Iny; Jennie and Paul Claman; Espeen and Archie Mathias; Barbara Saipe and Terry Saltsman; Toby and Joel Yan and family; Marilyn and Sidney Goldsmith; DAVIS LLP; Aviva and Chuck Freedman; Anna and Sam Wex; Candy and Laurie Giddens; Brian Bacal; Louise and Howard Shogilev; Joanna, Jules and Ira Lewy; Esther and Alan Williams; Jacki and Peter Seley; Brenda Schopp and Erik Haltrecht; Rachel Glazer; Belle Gitterman; Minda and Peter Wershof; Felice, Jeffrey, Erin, Jordan, Zachary and Mitchell Pleet; Ron Vered; George Corn; Isabel and James Henniger; Carole and Norman Zagerman; Mr. and Mrs. Sam Feig; Tanya and Marty Abrams; and Marion Vexler Abe Podolsky by Maureen and Henry Molot Molly Wex by Maureen and Henry Molot In Honour of: Sam Ages Mazal tov on your 86th birthday and best wishes for many more by Maureen and Henry Molot Yudi Chein Many thanks for your services and thoughtfulness during the shiva for Toby Appel by Maureen and Henry Molot Joan and Russell Kronick Mazal tov on becom-
ing grandparents by Maureen and Henry Molot Freda Lithwick Mazal tov on your 90th birthday and best wishes for many more by Maureen and Henry Molot Paula and Jonathan Miller Wishing you mazal tov on Debbie’s engagement. We look forward to dancing at the wedding, with love by Maureen and Henry Molot Shelley and Morris Schachnow Mazal tov on your milestone anniversary and best wishes for many, many more by Maureen and Henry Molot Adele and Jeffrey Sidney Mazal tov on David’s engagement by Maureen and Henry Molot Esther and Alan Williams Mazal tov on the birth of your grandson. We wish you much nachas from this British baby by Maureen and Henry Molot Nordau and Roslyn Kanigsberg Family Fund In Memory of: Tonia Hirsch by Roz and Nordau Kanigsberg Dorothy and Maurie Karp Endowment Fund In Memory of: Mitchel Hyman by Dorothy and Maurie Karp In Honour of: Selma and Barry Davis Mazal tov on your grandson’s Bar Mitzvah. May you enjoy much nachas from him with love by Dorothy and Maurie Karp Pearl and David Moscovic Mazal tov and best wishes on your 50th wedding anniversary by Dorothy and Maurie Karp Joan and Russell Kronick Family Fund In Memory of: Toby Appel by Joan and Russell Kronick Tonya Hirsch by Joan and Russell Kronick Molly Wex by Joan and Russell Kronick In Honour of: Freda Lithwick With best wishes on your special birthday by Joan and Russell Kronick Ida and Sidney Lithwick Fund In Memory of: Sidney Lithwick by Esther and Alan Williams; Sonja and Ron Kesten; and Claire Sporn Sarah Lithwick Green and Murray Sidney Green Family Fund In Honour of: Freda Lithwick Happy 90th birthday by Henry Green Pencer Family Fund In Memory of: Abe Padolsky by Marcia and Irwin Pencer Rosenthal/McCormick Family Fund In Memory of Joe Stern by Helen and Monica Rosenthal Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Family Fund In Memory of: Bernard Dorfman by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman Molly Wex by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman Ralph and Anne Sternberg Memorial Fund In Observance of: The Yahrzeit of William (Bill) Sternberg beloved
son, brother, husband, father, uncle and friend, whose memory is a blessing for all who loved him by Laya and Ted Jacobsen In Honour of: Isabelle Cantor Mazal tov to the long-suffering and eternally tolerant wife of Allan, notorious author and bon vivant, on her 29th birthday with warmest wishes by Laya and Ted Jacobsen Eileen Hart Gardner Happy 90th birthday to Mom #1 with love by Laya and Teddy Jacobsen Marion and Bert Phillips Warm healing wishes for a quick return to stable health by Laya and Ted Jacobsen Judith and Harvey Slipacoff Warmest congratulations on your second year of wedded bliss by Laya and Ted Jacobsen Mendy Taller and Family Mazal tov on the marriage of your daughter Natalie to James Hubbard with warmest wishes by Laya and Ted Jacobsen Sarah and Arnie Swedler Family Fund In Honour of: Nina and Mark Dover Mazal tov on your 55th wedding anniversary by Sarah and Arnie Swedler Eric Weiner and Arlene Godfrey Family Fund In Memory of: Molly Wex by Arlene Godfrey and Eric Weiner Anna and Samuel Wex Family Fund In Memory of: Molly Wex by Golda Feig and Ned Steinman; Ingrid and Gerry Levitz; Karen, Shawn, Maddie and Bailey Aaron; Estelle and Sol Gunner; Roz and Steve Fremeth; John and Eugen from Quadrant Engineering; Judith and Harvey Slipacoff; Eileen and Len Shalit; Inez Zelikovitz; Carole and Norman Zagerman; Cally and Sid Kardash; Paula and Manny Agulnik; Molly Hirsch and Eric Elkin and family; Roz and Nordau Kanigsberg; Janice and Marty Friedlich; and Sheela and Ozzie Silverman Carole and Norman Zagerman Family Fund In Honour of: Alyce and Allan Baker Mazal tov and best wishes on the birth of your grandchildren by Carole and Norman Zagerman Joan and Russell Kronick Mazal tov and best wishes on the birth of your granddaughter Olivia by Carole and Norman Zagerman Ruth and Manny Shacter Best wishes on your anniversary by Carole and Norman Zagerman R’fuah Shlema: Judy Goldberg by Carole and Norman Zagerman Residents Feeding Program In Memory of: Tonia Hirsch by Mara and Isaac Muzikansky In Honour of: Joanna and Ira Abrams Mazal tov and our very best wishes on the marriage of your son Jonathan by Anna and Sam Wex Maureen Katz With best wishes on the occasion of your 60th birthday by Zena and Sweedie The Schachter Family Wishing you L’Shana Tova by Pat Guthrie R’fuah Shlema: Lillian Kahan by Sonja and Ron Kesten; and Edith Sporn (Continued on page 11)
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 good opportunity to recognize an event or convey the appropriate sentiment to someone important to you and at the same time support the Lodge. Card orders may be given to Debra or Rhonda at 613-728-3900, extension 111, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Friday. You may also e-mail your orders to donations@hillel-ltc.com. E-mail orders must include name, address, postal code, and any message to person receiving the card; and, amount of donation, name, address and postal code of the person making the donation. Cards may be paid for by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cheque or Cash. Contributions are tax deductible.
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 11
Dry and colourful, not syrupy sweet, Israeli wines come of age By Dina Kraft RAMAT RAZIEL, Israel (JTA) – It’s harvest time at the Domaine Du Castel winery and crates full of small, plump grapes are being loaded into a machine that removes them from their stems and pumps them through plastic piping into a towering, silver-coloured vat. This is how the twoyear process of winemaking begins for the producer of some of Israel’s finest wines. This year, the winery was awarded the much-coveted four-star rating in one of the world’s premier wine guides, Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2008. In Israel, “there is a wine revolution going on when it comes to quality,” says the founder of Domaine Du Castel, Eli Ben Zaken. A former restaurateur, he began making wine as a hobby until the top wine taster at Sotheby’s in London came across one of his bottles and, much to his surprise, declared it “an outstanding find,” Ben Zaken said. Wines have been produced in these Judean hills, not far from Jerusalem, since biblical times. The re-
mains of a wine press from the Second Temple period were unearthed near where Domaine Du Castel’s grapes are grown. But only in the last 25 years have Israel’s wines begun to take off around the world, transforming the reputation of kosher wine from the syrupy kosher kiddush variety to world-class vintages. “International expertise, modern technology and dynamic wineries have ensured continued advances in quality,” Johnson wrote of Israeli wines in his book. A key turning point in the “coming out” of Israel’s wines came last year when Robert Parker, a leading American wine critic, tasted more than 40 Israeli wines and awarded 14 wines scores higher than 90 on a 100-point scale. A major achievement for any winery, the scores signified an exceptional world-class product. A list of some of Parker’s favourite Israeli wines was published in Business Week. Israel’s wines began their metamorphosis in the 1980s. Israelis started travelling abroad in increasing numbers and returned with
an appetite for better food and better wine, according to Daniel Rogov, the restaurant and wine critic for Israel’s daily Ha’aretz. Some Israelis began studying winemaking in places such as France and California, returning home with expertise on how to make wine and where to make wine. They began planting fewer vineyards in Israel’s low-lying coastal areas and more in higher-altitude regions like the Golan Heights, the Upper Galilee and the Judean Hills, where the climate has proved better for growing quality grapes. The Golan Heights Winery, established in 1984, played an important role in the quality revolution of Israeli wines and raised the bar for other winemakers, said the Carmel Winery’s director of wine development Adam Montefiore. “The planting had been going on in the wrong places of the coastal plane, where the soil was not right and with grapes that were not the right varieties,” Rogov said. “In the Golan Heights, the primarily volcanic soil is excellent for grapes and the chalky, vol-
Hillel Lodge
(Continued from page 10)
Ritual Fund In honour of their 50th anniversary a generous donation was made to the Kiddush fund by Shelley and Morris Schachnow Tree of Life In honour of the marriage of their daughter Jordana to Ari Lesser, a leaf of the Hillel Lodge Tree of Life has been purchased with love by Heidi and Steve Polowin. *******************
IN MEMORY OF: Eva Boldovitch by Sylvia and Joel Cohen Lilian Harris by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge Tonia Hirsch by Ruth and Dale Fyman Joan and Harry Langsner by Susan and Dwight Gregory Abe Padolsky by Belle Gitterman Rose Rappaport by Zelda and Leon Zelikovitz Jean Rose by the Residents, Board and Staff of Hillel Lodge Moses Skulsky by Diane and Rickey Adler Molly Wex by the Residents, Board and Staff of
IN HONOUR OF: Fran and Stan Ages Mazal tov on your 40th anniversary by Zelda and Leon Zelikovitz Rena and Max Cohen Mazal tov on the birth of your granddaughter Avalie Pearl by Ingrid and Gerry Levitz; and Beverly Friedman Sid Cohen Wishing you all of life’s blessings now and always by Sheila and Marvyn Kussner Paul LaBarge Thinking of you and wishing you a speedy recovery by Irving and Stanley Aaron Elsa and Mark Lustman Mazal tov on your 40th Anniversary by Ruth and Dale Fyman Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz Mazal tov on the birth of your grandson by Roz and Steve Fremeth Sherry Fyman and Rosella Mocerino Mazal tov on your marriage by Ruth and Dale Fyman Rita and Maurice Ryant Warmest wishes on your 62nd anniversary by Paul Sheffrin Shelley and Morris Schachnow Mazal tov on your 50th wedding anniversary by Rhonda, Danny, Samuel, Zachary and Shelby Levine Bessie Taller Mazal tov on the wedding of your granddaughter Natalie to James by Judith and Harvey Slipacoff Sharon Waserman Wishing you a very happy special birthday with love by Auntie Ettie and Rona Esther and Alan Williams Mazal tov on the birth of a grandson by Ruth and Dale Fyman R’FUAH SHLEMA: Gordon Dankner by Zelda and Leon Zelikovitz Minnie Milson by Anette and Jack Edelson
canic red clay of the Upper Galilee is also very good.” When he came to Israel 25 years ago, the country was a “wine desert,” said Rogov, the author of Rogov’s Guide to Israeli Wines. “If people told me then that Israel would be producing the wines they are producing today, I would have laughed in their faces,” Rogov said. The return of modern winemaking to the region began in 1882 with the investment in wineries in Zichron Yaakov and Rishon Le-Zion by philanthropist Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The baron, who in France owned Chateaux Lafite, arguably the world’s most famous winery, hoped a wine industry would help support Jewish settlement in what was then Ottomanruled Palestine. Rothschild’s wineries eventually morphed into the Carmel Winery, still Israel’s largest. But, for decades, it was Carmel that was synonymous with the thick, sweet kosher wine that Jews around the world used for kiddush on Shabbat and holidays. “Liquid religion,” Montefiore, who works for Carmel, calls it, “probably the most famous Jewish brand name in the world.” In the past eight years, Carmel has worked hard at
nearly 180 boutique wineries. They range from the high-end Margalit and Yatir wineries to the innovative and organic Neot Semadar Winery, located deep in the Negev Desert. At Ramat Raziel, a moshav in the forested hills outside Jerusalem, Ben Zaken has spent the last few weeks walking through his vineyards testing the grapes until they were ripe for harvest. An Egyptian-born immigrant from Italy, Ben Zaken says the process of working the land makes him feel especially rooted here. He says he also sees a role for Israeli wine beyond the pleasure of its taste. “Here you can show the world that Israel is not only about wars and violence,” he said, “and their image of Israel changes.”
a transformation of its own, and it’s now recognized for a collection of top-quality wines. It’s a shift that, according to Montefiore, is part of a larger revolution in which up-and-coming boutique wineries have pressured Israel’s older, more established wineries to react by creating top-quality wines. “It’s been fun to be part of building an image rather than holding on to an image,” said Montefiore, whose great-great-grandfather was the heir and nephew of Sir Moses Montefiore, the famous Jewish philanthropist from London who invested heavily in the Jewish community in Palestine in the late 19th century. Israel today has about eight major wineries, 10 medium-sized ones and
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Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
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Rosh Hashanah message from Canadian Jewish Congress
High Holidays are like an election campaign By Sylvain Abitbol and Rabbi Reuven P. Bulka, CJC co-presidents We share these thoughts with you right in the midst of a federal election campaign. Election time is decision time. For those running, it is an odd feeling. On the one hand, all who are elected will have some power, even if the party they represent is not part of the government. On the other hand, the only way that they can have any power is by truly representing their constituents. So,
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until the voters say yes to them, they have no real power. For us, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are similar to an election. We are all in a campaign, with the desire to gain a vote. The vote we all really want, the only vote that ultimately matters, is God’s vote for us. We want God to vote us “in” to life, health, vigour, contentment, meaning, and more. The question before us is a simple one: how do we earn that vote? Ironically, the same way candidates try to earn votes: by making promises and firmly embracing commitments. There is one catch – the promises must be ones that we genuinely resolve to keep. Otherwise, it is an empty charade. It does sound somewhat odd, even problematic, to see the Days of Awe as election time. Look at it another way. Whatever wishes we have for ourselves and our families are just that – wishes. We dare not demand, because demand suggests entitlement. And entitlement borders on arrogance. We wish, we humbly ask, and we combine the “ask” with the awareness that simultaneous with our asking of God, we must ask of ourselves. It cannot be a onesided relationship of all ask
Rabbi Reuven P. Bulka
and no give. After that, we leave the rest to God. What should we be asking of ourselves? Generally, to be our best, to do our best. This means taking life seriously, living up to our sacred calling, faithfully living up to our responsibilities, and to add a bit of seasoning to all this, allocating some time to helping others. It makes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur all the more meaningful if we give it our best, if we make the best possible “pitch.” In the year we have served as co-presidents of Canadian Jewish Congress, we have met many volun-
Newcomers’ Tea Do you know any newcomers to Ottawa? The Ladies’ Reception Committee would like to welcome new women at our semi-annual tea
Sylvain Abitbol
teers both inside and outside the Jewish community who are deeply devoted to others. These are people we greatly respect and admire. And we have gained an intensified appreciation of the professionals at Canadian Jewish Congress who eat, sleep and breathe for the community. There is much more to do, and we are looking forward to the challenges, made all the more achievable because of the great
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team of professionals and volunteers. We all have within us the power to do significant things with our lives. That is an endearing power, which, along the way, will gain for us God’s vote that this be a year of good signs for all – Tehay Shenat Siman Tov – Tav Shin Samekh Tet. The writ has been dropped. Let the voting begin. Shana Tova to you and all.
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 13
Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Dolgins’ second Klezmer Cruise will tour the Danube in 2010 By Michael Regenstreif Last year, a large contingent of klezmer musicians and fans from Canada, the U.S., Europe and Israel spent almost two weeks travelling by boat along the Dnieper River on the world’s first Klezmer Cruise. It was so successful that a second cruise is being planned, this time along the Danube, from a port near Bucharest, Romania to Budapest, Hungary. The Danube Klezmer Cruise, like its predecessor along the Dnieper, is being organized by the Dolgin family of Chelsea, Quebec – Marc, AC and their Montreal-based son, Josh, the klezmer and hip-hop musician known as ‘Socalled.’ As Marc, a retired CEO of an NGO and a former Canadian diplomat and executive in Canada’s foreign aid agency, and AC, a retired English-as-a-second-language teacher, explained when they dropped by the Bulletin office this month,
the idea for the first cruise took hold three years ago when the Dolgins took a trip to Marc’s ancestral home in Zaporozhye, Ukraine on the Dnieper River. “We met a Chabad rabbi in Zaporozhye,” recalled Marc, “and mentioned to him that our son was a klezmer musician.” The rabbi organized an afternoon boat ride for the Dolgins and invited three local musicians who played klezmer. The three, and Josh, played music together for much of that afternoon, giving Josh the idea of a klezmer cruise along the Dnieper visiting the region where so much traditional klezmer is rooted. In planning the first cruise, the Dolgins said they hoped it would have intergenerational appeal. And it did, attracting 160 “Dnieper Schleppers” ranging in age from 20-something to 80something who enjoyed a busy itinerary that included
Josh ‘Socalled’ Dolgin (centre) teaches a choral workshop on board the first Klezmer Cruise in May 2007.
concerts and interactive workshops featuring professional klezmer musicians who’d been invited to perform throughout the cruise, lectures by Jewish studies professor Eugene Orenstein of McGill University, visits to the old Jewish neighbour-
hoods of cities and towns along the route, meetings with revitalized Jewish communities and much more. Many of the people on board had the opportunity to visit their ancestral shtetls. “Everyone had a wonderful time,” said AC.
“We never thought we’d do it again,” said Marc, reflecting on the Dolgins’ decision to plan another cruise. Rather than simply repeat the itinerary of the Dnieper trip, the second cruise – set for May 15 to 24, 2010 – will travel the Danube on a char-
tered Viking cruise liner tracing the southwestern flank of the traditional Ashkenazic communities. Like the first cruise, the itinerary will give participants with ancestral roots in the area opportunities to visit the neighbourhoods and shtetls their parents, grandparents and greatgrandparents came from. On board the ship, the busy program will include workshops, lectures, concerts and films. Among the professional klezmorim scheduled to join Josh Dolgin on the cruise are singer and violinist Michael Alpert of Brave Old World, mandolinist Eric Stein of Beyond the Pale, and New York-based clarinetist Michael Winograd. The 2010 cruise is already accepting reservations. For information, contact Marc and AC Dolgin at 819-827-2171 or info@ klezmercruise.ca or visit klezmercruise.ca.
HOLOCAUST EDUCATION PROGRAM 2008 • SCHEDULE OF EVENTS OCTOBER 26- NOVEMBER 23 A program of the Shoah (Holocaust) Committee of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 @ 12:00 TO 3:00 P.M. Witness to History: Holocaust Survivor Testimony War Museum, Barney Danson Theatre TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 TO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 PLAY …and stockings for the ladies War Museum, Barney Danson Theatre 1 Vimy Place (819) 776-8600 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 @ 7 PM LAUNCH EVENT From Darkness to Light: A harrowing story of the Stermer Family’s Survival Soloway JCC 21, Nadolny Sachs Private Free admission. To reserve seats contact: (613) 798-4696, ext. 253 lkrug@jewishottawa.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28 @ 7 PM Book Launch, Simon’s Quest (as told by author’s son, Irwin Schweitzer) Chapters, Pinecrest, 2735 Iris St. (613) 596-3003 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 @ 7 PM Book Reading/Talk, Dr. Erwin Koranyi, Dreams and Tears: Chronicle of a Life Centrepointe Library, 101 Centrepointe Drive WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 @ 7:30 PM A Religious Panel and Discussion with Rabbi Arnold Fine, Rabbi Charles Popky and Rabbi Howard Finkelstein Chapel, Agudath Israel Congregation 1400 Coldrey Avenue, (613) 728-3501 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 @ 7 PM Irving Abella: The Holocaust: Resistance in Canada Fauteux Hall, Room 133, 57 Louis Pasteur University of Ottawa
www.jewishottawa.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 @ 7 PM Lecture: Holocaust By Bullets - Father Patrick Desbois War Museum, Barney Danson Theatre 1 Vimy Place (819) 776-8600
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 @ 7 PM Panel of Authors: Hannah Shani, Mina Cohn Ottawa Public Library, Hazeldean Branch 50 Castlefrank Rd. To register: (613) 836-1900
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 @ 3:00 TO 5:00 PM Moving Sights and Sounds: 2008 Adult March of the Living, Music & Photography Program Soloway JCC, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7@ 6 PM Hillel Ottawa’s Shabbat Dinner Survivors, university students and professors will share a Shabbat dinner. Sponsored by Hillel Ottawa.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 @ 7 PM Esti Mayer, Artist, “Holocaust Suite” Beth Shalom Congregation, 151 Chapel St.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9 @ 6:30 PM 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht Keynote Speaker former member of Parliament David Kilgour Parliament Hill, Room 200, West Wing To reserve free bus seating from Soloway JCC contact (613) 798-4696, ext. 253 lkrug@jewishottawa.com.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 @ 4:00 TO 5:30 PM Survival and Passive Resistance in Theresienstadt with Vera Schiff University of Ottawa Simard Bldg. Room 422, 60 University TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 @ 7 P.M. Book Reading/Talk, A Long Labour: A Dutch Woman's Holocaust Memoir (read by author’s daughter, Elly Bollegraaf) Main Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe, (613)580-2945 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 @ 2:30 PM Reading of her memoirs by Dr. Truda Rosenberg Carleton University, Location TBA THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 @ 7 PM Documentary: Captain Laszlo Ocskay, the Forgotten Hero In conjunction with the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary
Main Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe St.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 @ 6:30 PM Survivor Talk, Eva Olsson Sir Robert Borden High School 131 Greenbank Rd. Tickets $5 adults and $2 students. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23 @ 2 PM Documentary: Perla: The Last of the Seven Dwarfs The Ottawa Jewish Film Society, sponsored by the Greenberg Families Library Soloway JCC 21, Nadolny Sachs Private CHAPTERS PINECREST will feature a selection of Holocaust books from October 22 to November 22, at 2735 Iris St. *Unless otherwise indicated, all programs are free of charge.
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 15
Volunteer spotlight
Caplans stepped up after presentation on volunteering By Benita Siemiatycki Simply attending a presentation about three years ago on the importance of honouring our parents by being there for them was the push Sylvia and Michael Caplan needed to step up to the plate. The talk was given by Stephen Schneiderman, executive director of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge. Not that the Caplans had any relatives in the nursing home, but the retired couple had been contemplating volunteering for some time, and decided the time was right. Since then, Sylvia and Michael have spent one afternoon a week helping with recreational activities at the Lodge. “We do it all,” says Sylvia. “We dance, we wait on tables, we bus tables; we do anything and everything.” Their role also involves walking through the Lodge to remind residents of the afternoon’s activity, and offering assistance to anyone who cannot get downstairs by themselves. The activities put on by the recreation department are varied and impressive and include games, bowling, speakers, entertainment, and singsongs. After the activity, the Caplans assist resi-
Sylvia and Michal Caplan devote a weekly afternoon to volunteering with recreational activities at Hillel Lodge. (OJB photo: Benita Siemiatycki)
dents back to their rooms, and help tidy up. “We get lots of satisfaction,” admits Sylvia. “The people at Hillel Lodge are just like family and friends now. It’s wonderful. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Adds Michael, “When I finish my two or three hours at Hillel, it’s like I’ve been rejuvenated. It’s a really good feeling. It’s always like, wow, we did it. That was a lot of fun. That’s the whole reason for the program: to get the residents active.”
Michael’s career was spent in the public and private sectors. Sylvia worked in hospital administration, and also volunteered in the geriatrics unit at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital. In addition to Hillel Lodge, the couple volunteers with Adath Shalom Congregation and Tamir, where their daughter is a resident. They’ve been involved in Tamir since its inception. They also have two married children and four grandchildren. Schneiderman is full of praise for the Caplans. “Michael and Sylvia Caplan are an inspiration for other couples and recent retirees to get involved and make a difference,” he says. Sylvia has simple words of advice for anyone looking to volunteer in the community. “It’s a win-win situation,” she says. “It just might take a while to find your niche.” There’s no doubt this couple have found theirs. Benita Siemiatycki of the Jewish Ottawa InfoCentre profiles community volunteers in the Bulletin. Many organizations are in desperate need of volunteers. Call the InfoCentre at 613-798-4644 for information.
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Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Soloway JCC celebrates 10th anniversary By Pamela Rosenberg for Soloway JCC More than 400 people packed the Soloway Jewish Community Centre (JCC) September 14 to celebrate the Soloway JCC’s 10th anniversary. Members of the Soloway JCC joined staff, board members and other guests to eat, drink, mingle and dance to the tunes of Ottawa’s own Johnny Vegas. The upper floor of the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building was transformed into a magical starry night with green, blue and silver balloons around the room and big bright stars projects onto the walls and ceiling. Ron Prehogan, a past president of the Soloway JCC, was the evening’s MC. He honoured the past presidents, welcomed the crowd and recognized Ruth and Lawrence
Soloway, the wife and son of the late Hyman Soloway, for whom the JCC is named. Speakers at the event included Jonathan Freedman, chair of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa; Stephen Victor, co-chair of the Capital Campaign Fundraising Committee; Bernie Dolansky, co-chair of the Community Campus Development Committee; Bruria Cooperman, past chair of the Board of Directors of the Soloway JCC; and current chair David Spring. They all shared memories of Soloway JCC experiences with the crowd. The special messages wrapped up with the singing of the Shehecheyanu, led by Cantor David Aptowitzer, and a moving film showcasing many of the people who have been a part of the Soloway JCC and many of the events that have taken place at the Soloway JCC over the past decade. Party-goers received copies of Cele-
More than 400 people celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Soloway JCC on September 14. (Photo: Peter Waiser)
brating Our First Ten Years, a book commemorating this important milestone filled with pictures, notes of Mazal Tov, letters from Mayor Larry O’Brien and members of Parliament and special memories and stories from Soloway JCC
members. “It was a great celebration of the Soloway JCC,” said David Spring. “It was a real celebration of those who put their time and effort to make a dream come true. It was a great evening.”
Elections Canada offers options for voting before Sukkot Party-goers eat, drink and mingle as the Soloway JCC celebrates 10 years on the Jewish Community Campus. (Photo: Peter Waiser)
Editor’s note: The upcoming federal election will be held on October 14, the first day of Sukkot.
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Elections Canada has released the following information to inform Jewish voters how they can vote in advance. One option is to vote at the advance polls. They will be held on October 3, 4 and 6, from noon to 8:00 pm. Voters who are observing the Jewish Sabbath can use the advance polls prior to sundown on Friday, October 3, after sundown on Saturday October 4, or during polling hours on Monday, October 6. If you are registered to vote, you will receive a voter information card in the mail that will tell you where and when the advance polls will be held. If you are not sure if you are on the voters list or if you did not receive a voter information card, contact your local Elections Canada office. Another option is to vote by mail or in person at a local Elections Canada office. Many people are not aware that they can cast their ballot at any point during the electoral period if they first register for a special ballot. This can be done in person by going to
any local Elections Canada office. Any elector can also register to vote by mail. All they need to do is complete an application for registration and special ballot, which can be obtained from a local Elections Canada office, on the Elections Canada Web site at elections.ca by clicking on the I’m Mailing My Vote icon, or by phoning Elections Canada. The completed registration form and the required proof of identity and address must reach the local Elections Canada office or Elections Canada in Ottawa by 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 7. If you choose this method, you cannot change your mind and vote in any other way during this general election. In order to be counted, please ensure you mail your completed special ballot early enough to reach Elections Canada no later than 6:00 pm on October 14. Elections Canada also reminds voters that there are new rules concerning identification required when voting or registering to vote. For more information, go to elections.ca or call 1800-463-6868.
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 17
Ottawa Torah Institute and Machon Sarah students graduate
The three students in the recent Grade 12 graduating class at the Ottawa Torah Institute High School will be pursuing higher Judaic studies at schools in New York, Toronto and Jerusalem. Pictured (left to right) are Shabsai Ben-Porat, Shmuel Clinton and Yehoshua Prizant.
The average mark for the graduating class at Machon Sarah High School this year was 91.4 per cent, the highest in a decade. Pictured (left to right) are Neema Fischman, Rivka Aptowitzer, Elisheva Shaps, Elisheva Stulberg, Nina Blitstein, Rochel Liba Burger and Bracha Goldbaum. All have been accepted at (Photos: Issie Scarowsky) Israeli and American schools for advanced Judaic studies.
In brief from Israel Olmert expresses sorrow over Palestinian refugees (JTA) – Ehud Olmert expressed sorrow for Palestinian refugees who fled Israel in 1948. ß“I join in expressing sorrow for what
happened to the Palestinians and also for what happened to the Jews who were expelled from Arab states,” the Israeli prime minister said September 15 at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, a day before Olmert was sched-
uled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and two days before party elections to choose his successor as leader of Kadima. Olmert has been pushing for a partial peace deal, but Abbas wants a complete agreement. The sides have been stalled over issues such as the right of return for Pales-
tinian refugees and the future of Jerusalem. Olmert asserted that the right of return could be deal-breaker. “Under absolutely no circumstances will there be a right of return,” Olmert declared, “but we are prepared to be part of an international mechanism that will work to solve the problem.”
Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 19
Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
AJA 50+ to hold bridge and mah-jongg fundraiser October 29 By Cynthia Nyman Engel for AJA 50+ The annual AJA 50+ Bridge and Mah-Jongg Fundraiser takes place on
Wednesday, October 29 at 11:15 am at Agudath Israel Congregation at 1400 Coldrey Avenue. The cost of $36 per per-
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son includes a catered lunch, an afternoon of bridge or mah-jongg and prizes. The proceeds will be used to fund AJA 50+ programs. “To guarantee your seat at a table, please register no later than October 22,” advises publicity chair Pat Neuman. “We’ve had a tremendous turnout every year and we expect the same response this year. We’d hate to disappoint anyone.” Bridge players can choose to play American Contract Bridge League
(ACBL)-sanctioned duplicate bridge under the direction of accredited ACBL director Liz Schwartz or contract bridge under the watch-
ful eye of contract director Sylvia Monson. Both bridge and mahjongg players may register with or without a partner or
make up a complete table. Contact Ruth Levitan at 613-728-0451 for further information or to arrange a table.
The Orthodox Community Ohev Yisroel 516 Rideau Street (between Cobourg and Augusta)
Announces High Holiday services in Sandy Hill led by Rabbi David Rotenberg Everyone is welcome Friendly heimische atmosphere Membership (at a fraction of the cost at other shuls) and seating for the High Holidays are still available For information call H. Teitelbaum 613-565-6194
Special Limited New Year Offer on OJB subscriptions. See page 27 for details.
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 21
Tzedek Ba’Bayit: How are we treating our domestic workers? Last summer, my children’s nanny told me that her friend was being systematically exploited by her employer. As an employer of a domestic worker via the federal government’s livein caregiver program, I felt I had a moral responsibility to root out injustices within that flawed framework – particularly for those with minimal power and resources – and invited that friend over. I helped her set up an e-mail account and post employment-wanted ads. At her request, I monitored her account for two weeks, screened and talked to prospective employers, and was soon happy to hear that she had found a new job. Although I lack precise figures, my casual observation suggests to me that Ottawa’s Jewish homes boast a not-insignificant number of nannies working in them. (That is not to say, sadly, that the community is not without members in financial distress. Jewish Family Services reports that almost 10 per cent of Ottawa’s Jewish families live below the poverty line.) How are we treating our domestic workers, upon whom we entrust the smooth workings of our households and the physical, emotional and intellectual well-being of our children for many hours per day? Are we relating to our nannies respectfully, as employees rather than as pseudo-family members from whom favours are expected – and are we demanding similar respect toward them by our children? Are we taking our caregivers with us on family trips and expecting them to be on duty around the clock with the mental justification that they are getting a vacation? Most fundamentally, are our nannies being paid for the number of hours they work, and are they being properly compensated according to Canadian labour laws? Hopefully most of us can answer ‘well,’ ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ and ‘yes,’ respectively, to those questions. The Canadian government has laid out a system by which live-in caregivers can apply for permanent residency following two years of job experience here. The frustrating reality is that it often takes two-to-three years following the 24 months of work to attain permanent residency, and several more years before a nanny is able to bring over her spouse and children. As Daniel Wood has reported in Vancouver Magazine, nannies typically spend nine years away from their families. But with a shameful lack of oversight it is incumbent upon those of us – Jewish or not – who employ live-in caregivers to take ethical and legal responsibility for treating them fairly. Is there another business that could demand – above reproach – that a worker put in a 14-hour day with only eight hours of
Values, Ethics, Community pay? Or that its workers be required to live in, but without their physical living conditions ever being inspected for the presence of a separate bedroom with a door? Economic justice – including economic justice for immigrants – is a central concern of Jewish activists focused on Tikkun Olam who draw on the concept of pidyon sh’vuyim (redeeming of captives), as Dara Silverman of the New Yorkbased Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) has written. Most of us have immigration written into our family narratives, and we should be – and hopefully are – morally cognizant of the economic and personal challenges involved in our live-in caregivers’ attempts to forge new lives for themselves and their families, including, all too often, the lack of a collective voice: economically, culturally and politically. Several years ago, my mother took on the role of family archivist and set about sourcing, copying and museum-quality framing her parents’ travel documents from their journey from Russia following the First World War. Upon reflection, I realize that the enlarged passport photo of my then-infant Babba Marian in the arms of my great-Babba Bebchuk now graces my daughter’s dresser alongside a Dora the Explorer snow globe given to her last winter by – you guessed it – her nanny. It would seem a bitter irony, indeed, if the legacy of immigration to this land of multicultural refuge that is Canada resulted in a cycle of exploitation of new arrivals by seasoned Canadians, of whatever religion or creed, who have never themselves been strangers in a strange land. I hope to use this particular article to inaugurate a group committed to furthering fair justice practices for live-in caregivers. Drawing on the concepts of mindfulness and intention within Jewish ritual practice, and the move toward corporate social responsibility now reflected in the private sphere, such a group would embody the Jewish principles of social justice and, most fundamentally, would include an employer’s pledge to ensure just and legal living and working conditions for our nannies. No doubt many – if not all – employers reading this are already adhering to just labour standards. If so, we can serve as a beacon. If not, we can improve our practices. Those interested should feel free to contact me at domestictzedek@gmail.com.
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Volunteer Corner is courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. All beneficiary agencies are invited to list their volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer Opportunities JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES
Mira Sucharov
Larry O’Brien
This Year SukkahMart will be taking online and phone orders for;
VOLUNTEER CORNER
Mayor’s Office/Bureau du maire 110 Laurier Avenue West/ 110, ave Laurier Ouest Ottawa. ON K1P 1J1 Tel./tél.: 613-580-2496 E-mail/courriel: Larry.OBrien@ottawa.ca Web: ottawa.ca
Happy New Year to the Ottawa Jewish Community Shana Tova!
Can YOU make the difference? If so, contact Lisa Bogdonov, Volunteer Coordinator of the Thelma Steinman Seniors Support Services unit: 613-722-2225, ext. 327 or Lbogdonov@jfsottawa.com. • An elderly woman in the Carling & Woodroffe area needs help with grocery shopping on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. • A disabled woman downtown needs help with paperwork approximately 2-3 times per month for 1-2 hours. • An elderly gentleman in Riverside South needs transportation to and from the General Hospital to visit his wife. • A woman downtown needs help taking a few boxes to the storage locker in her building and with organizing it a little. • A woman who needs to participate in a therapeutic swimming program at Jack Purcell needs a ride to and from her home in Alta Vista. • An elderly woman in the Byward Market area needs a friendly visitor to share coffee visits, trips to museums, art galleries, etc. • An elderly lady who likes crafts & sewing would love to meet someone with similar interests to help her get out of the house once in a while. • A gentleman who enjoys long walks and Torah study could use an occasional companion. Campus area. • An entertaining lady who uses a scooter is looking for someone to accompany her to Carlingwood shopping centre (walking distance). • Transportation: Drivers are needed to transport seniors to and from medical appointments, social opportunities, grocery shopping, and the like. • Kosher Meals on Wheels: Drivers who can deliver on short notice are always at a premium, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. • Friendly Visiting: Requests come in constantly from family members needing a visitor for a shut-in. Weekly, bi-weekly or ad-hoc opportunities. Chat over coffee, take in a show, go bowling … • TeleShalom: We are currently seeking volunteers to place weekday morning reassurance calls to isolated seniors. Each call takes approximately 2-3 minutes and can be done from your home, office or cell phone. • Presenters: JFS hosts several monthly seniors’ luncheon programs. We are looking for specialists, artists, musicians, and others who can present for about 45 minutes in exchange for a hot lunch in great company. • Share Your Expertise: We receive requests for things like filling out forms, putting up a Sukkah, changing dishes for Passover, and the like. If you have an expertise to share with someone in need, please let us know. • Miriam’s Well: This distribution program needs helpers to pack and hand out fresh fruits and vegetables on the first Monday of every month. Please note: Mileage incurred by volunteers is always reimbursed by JFS.
THE BESS AND MOE GREENBERG FAMILY HILLEL LODGE • Bingo anyone? If you’re free on Monday nights, join us! • Love computers? Teach our residents a great skill. Flexible timing. Contact us! • Student special: Your gain is our gain: Do your community hours helping our residents! Daily or weekly, at a time that suits you! University students welcome (please note: children under the age of 14 require adult accompaniment). • Special mitzvah anyone? Bring a resident to Shabbos services (Saturdays at 9:15 am) and enjoy the fantastic Oneg with friends. Great cholent! • Newly retired? Put Hillel Lodge volunteering in your plan. Residents welcome visitors, program assistance, all kinds of options. Pick a day, a time of day, a type of event – whatever suits your schedule. Try it out now. • Don’t get the summertime blues. Spend time with us at concerts, BBQs, Wii tournaments and bingo. • Thirsty? Serve drinks to residents every day at 11:30 am. A half hour gets you lots of smiles. • Free on Fridays? Oneg Shabbat every week at 10:30 am and bingo at 2:00 pm – come join us. • Want cashier experience in a friendly atmosphere? Come to Hillel Lodge at lunch (11:45 am to 1:30 pm Monday to Friday). • Culture maven? Accompany our residents to museums, concerts and plays (Wednesday and Thursday afternoons). • Tuesday special: Enjoy our special events every week at 2:15 pm. • Shopping experts? Have fun while accompanying residents to shopping at a mall (Monday mornings).
To inquire further, please call 613-728-3900 ext. 191 or email judithw@hillel-ltc.com Students welcome (please note: children under the age of 14 require adult accompaniment)
Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
Made with Love
The plunk-plunk sounds of fall For most people, the change of seasons usually triggers their senses. At this time of year, the most obvious senses to be alerted are those of sight and touch. We see the leaves beginning to change colour from green to golden yellow and red. We feel the nip in the early morning air. For me, however, the sense most acutely alerted is hearing. I know that fall is coming as soon as I hear the plunkplunk of acorns hitting the wooden deck at my cottage. I know that the squirrels and chipmunks are high up in the oak trees, shaking the branches to loosen acorns to store for the winter. I also suspect they are having a bit of fun up there as they take aim and try to land the acorns on my head
Angel-Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce Serves 4 1 small garlic clove 6 large beefsteak tomatoes 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 lb dried capellini (angel-hair pasta) 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Core and coarsely chop 4 of the tomatoes. Halve remaining tomatoes crosswise, and then rub cut sides of tomatoes against large holes of a box grater set in a large bowl, reserving pulp and discarding skin. Toss pulp with chopped tomatoes, garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Let stand until ready to use, at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours. While tomatoes stand, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until al dente. Drain in a colander and immediately add to tomato mixture, tossing to combine. Top with basil, grated cheese and olive oil.
or even in my glass of wine. This time of year also triggers my sense of touch. I walk barefoot at my cottage all summer so, when I step on one of those fallen acorns, the pain I feel alerts me to the fact that fall is coming. The beginning of fall also alerts our senses of taste and smell. The markets are full of the late summer/early fall harvest. The corn and tomatoes at this time of year are at their peak. Probably the best way to eat an ear of corn is to simply boil it and then douse it in butter and salt. As for farm fresh tomatoes, nothing can beat thickly sliced tomatoes
Cindy Feingold
dressed with olive oil, fresh chopped basil, salt and pepper. However, after a steady diet of boiled corn and sliced tomatoes for more than a week, I crave something a little different. Here are two wonderful recipes to use up all that fresh corn and tomatoes.
Warm Pasta Salad with Grilled Corn and Poblanos This idea for this recipe came from the July 2000 issue of Gourmet magazine. I have changed it slightly to tone down the heat as well as simplify preparation. Serves 6 This pasta salad uses two types of peppers, poblano and jalapeno. Poblano (pronounced: puh-blah-noe) are large green, heart-shaped peppers. They are usually roasted and peeled before use. I can almost always find them at Farm Boy or Herb and Spice. In terms of heat, peppers are rated on a scale using Scoville units. The scale ranges from zero (sweet green bell peppers) to 350,000 (habanero peppers). Poblanos are considered mild-medium with a rating of 3,000 Scoville units. Jalapenos rank slightly hotter at 4,500 Scoville units. This recipe also calls for a hard ricotta cheese called ‘ricotta salata.’ Nicastros carries this cheese. It can be crumbled, like feta or grated. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed 1 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds 1 poblano chile 1 jalapeño chile 1/3 cup green (shelled) pumpkin seeds or pine nuts 4 large beefsteak tomatoes 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 12 oz short pasta such as rotini 1 1/2 cups crumbled ricotta salata cheese Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves
Preheat gas barbecue to medium. Lightly brush corn and onion slices with vegetable oil. Place ears of corn, onion slices, poblano and jalapeno peppers on barbecue. Turn heat down to low. Grill until corn and onions are golden brown and just lightly charred. The onions can be turned after about 7 minutes. The corn should be rolled occasionally so that all sides become evenly golden. The peppers should be grilled until skins are blackened. They will need to be turned so they get blackened evenly all over. This should take about 8 minutes in total. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so they can steam. Let corn and onions cool slightly. While they are cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast pumpkin seeds or pine nuts until they are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Dice tomatoes into 1/2-inch chunks. Place in large mixing bowl. Add chopped oregano and cilantro to bowl. Set aside. Cut corn off cob and coarsely chop sliced onion. Set aside. Peel blackened skin off poblano and jalapeno peppers. Remove seeds and ribs from inside peppers and discard. Finely dice poblano and jalapeno and add half to bowl with tomatoes. Reserve other half until dish is finished. In a large skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn and onion and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Add corn mixture to bowl with tomatoes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain. Add pasta to corn mixture and toss. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts) and cheese. Taste pasta. If you like it spicier, mix in reserved chopped peppers. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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FOUNDATION DONATIONS A gift forever
Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation Donations To make a donation and/or send a tribute card, call Carolene Preap (613-798-4696 ext. 232) e-mail: cpreap@jewishottawa.com • website: www.OJCF.ca
The Board of Directors of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation acknowledges with thanks contributions to the following funds as of September 9, 2008. ABELSON FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Mendy Taller on his daughter’s wedding by Tracey Kronick and Alan Abelson. ESTHER AND MATT AGES ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Jack Cushman by Esther Ages.
Join us in building our community by supporting these local agencies AJA 50+ ENDOWMENT FUND In appreciation to: Anne Steinberg by Active Jewish Adults 50+. SHIRLEY AND SHIER BERMAN FUND FOR OTTAWA JEWISH ARCHIVES In memory of: Martin Ginsburg by Shirley and Shier Berman. Toby Appel by Shirley and Shier Berman.
HILLEL ACADEMY ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: Arlene and Norman Glube on their 40th wedding anniversary by Sara and Leslie. HILLEL LODGE LEGACY FUND In memory of: Karen Weinburg’s father by Shelley Harris Ublansky and family. JEWISH YOUTH LIBRARY OF OTTAWA ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Joseph and Devorah Caytak on the marriage of their son Hershel to Alixa by Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz. OTTAWA POST JEWISH WAR VETERANS FUND Birthday wishes to: Freda Lithwick on her 90th birthday by Brenda Wolf and by Esther Ages. OTTAWA TORAH INSTITUTE TORAH EDUCATION FUND Congratulations to: Mr. and Mrs. Shmuel Grosz on the marriage of their son Yisroel Yehuda by Ani Irwin Hinberg. SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIP FUND Birthday wishes to: Brian Baily by Mark and Cindi Resnick and family. Anniversary wishes to: Esther and Ron Paritzsky on their 30th wedding anniversary by Mark and Cindi Resnick and family. In memory of: Joe Sparckman by Mark and Cindi Resnick and family. Ted Cole by Mark and Cindi Resnick and family. YITZHAK RABIN HIGH SCHOOL FUND IN MEMORY OF EVA WINTHROP In memory of: Toby Appel by Kathi Kovacs and Irwin Schweitzer. Tonia Hirsch by Kathi Kovacs and Irwin Schweitzer.
AKIVA EVENING HIGH SCHOOL ENDOWMENT FUND GREENBERG FAMILIES LIBRARY ENDOWMENT FUND ROSE AND LOUIS ARCHBAR MEMORIAL FUND MENDEL AND VALERIE GOOD HOLOCAUST CONTINUING EDUCATION FUND HY HOCHBERG MEMORIAL LECTURE FUND JEWISH COMMUNITY CEMETERY HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL FUND JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES ENDOWMENT FUND JEWISH STUDENTS ASSOCIATION HILLEL DAVID “THE BEAR” KARDASH CAMP B’NAI BRITH MEMORIAL FUND ADINA BEN PORAT MACHON SARAH TORAH EDUCATION FUND OTTAWA JEWISH CEMETERIES ZICHARON FUND OTTAWA JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY FUND OTTAWA MODERN JEWISH SCHOOL FUND DORIS BRONSTEIN TALMUD TORAH AFTERNOON SCHOOL FUND MARTIN GLATT PARLIAMENT LODGE B’NAI BRITH PAST PRESIDENTS’ FUND RAMBAM MAIMONIDES JEWISH CONTINUITY FUND GABY SASSOON FOR VICTIMS OF TERROR IN ISRAEL MEMORIAL FUND SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FUND JEWISH MEN’S SOFTBALL LEAGUE FUND SARA AND ZEEV VERED ISRAEL CULTURAL PROGRAM FUND SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE ENDOWMENT FUND SOLOWAY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE YOUTH SERVICES FUND TORAH ACADEMY OF OTTAWA TORAH EDUCATION FUND
MARY AND ISRAEL (AL) ALLICE MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Alan Abelson on his 80th birthday by Beverly and Irving Swedko. ABRAHAM AND RACHEL BAROOK MEMORIAL FUND Mazal Tov to: Merl and Jack Brown on the birth of their granddaughter by Cynthia and Max Weinstein. Celie and Ron Goldstein by Cynthia and Max Weinstein. MYRNA AND NORMAN BARWIN FOUNDATION OF THE PINCHAS ZUKERMAN MUSICAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND In memory of: Tonia Hirsh by Myrna and Norm Barwin. JENNIE AND MORRIS BAYLIN MEMORIAL FUND New Year wishes to: Mr. and Mrs. Philip Katz and family by Betty Baylin. Sandra Fishbain, Arron and Jeff by Betty Baylin. Louis, Muriel and Rachel Kardish by Betty Baylin. Carl Baylin and family by Betty Baylin. Norman and Isabel Lesh by Betty Baylin. JAMIE BEREZIN ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: Shelley and Gary Berezin on their 35th anniversary by Shirley and Norman Levitt. ALEX AND MOLLIE BETCHERMAN MEMORIAL FUND Speedy recovery to: Lita Rose Betcherman by Joy, Ronald and Bonnie. Harry Michelson by Aunt Joy, Ronald, Bonnie and K.C. TILLIE AND HARRY CHERM MEMORIAL FUND Mazal Tov to: Sally and Harry Weltman on the birth of their great-granddaughter by Sol and Sylvia Kaiman. MARTIN AND ELLIE BLACK ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Marty and Ellie Black on Andréa’s engagement by Heather and Joel Braverman and family. Sheldon and Debbie Wiseman on Samara’s engagement by Marty, Ellie, Andréa and Ashley Black. Steve and Heidi Polowin on the marriage of their daughter by Marty, Ellie, Andréa and Ashley Black. TILLIE AND HARRY CHERM MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Dora Waserman by Donald Cherm and Robert Lebans. SANDI AND EDDY COOK ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Toby Appel by Sandi and Eddy and family. Abe Padolsky by Sandi and Eddy and family. MARTY AND TERRI DAVIS ISRAEL CHESED FUND Mazal Tov to: Terri and Marty Davis on the marriage of their Continued on page 24
Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
FOUNDATION DONATIONS daughter Elana to Asaf by Roslyn Wollock and sons. NATHAN AND REBA DIENER ENDOWMENT FUND In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Nathan Diener, a beloved husband, father and grandfather by Reba Diener. In memory of: Ted Cole by Barbara, Joel, Jessica, Michael and Joshua Diener Birthday wishes to: Fay Shulman on her 85th birthday by Barbara, Joel, Jessica, Michael and Joshua Diener Mazal Tov to: Karen and Murray Osterer on Jacob’s Bar Mitzvah by Barbara, Joel, Jessica, Michael and Joshua Diener Get well soon to: Mel Safer by Barbara and Joel Diener. CYNTHIA AND ABE ENGEL ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Alan Abelson by Cynthia Engel. Mazal Tov to: Alfred and Kaysa Friedman on the recent marriage of Michael to Lia by Cynthia Engel. ELLEN AND RAHAMIM FATHI ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Dr. Ray Saginur by Ray and Ellen Fathi. ROSE AND DAVID FINE MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Sidney Cohen by Paula and Bobby Smith.
Anniversary wishes to: Arlene and Norm Glube by Paula and Bobby Smith. LAWRENCE AND AUDREY FREIMAN FUND FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Birthday wishes to: Margo Roston by Sunny and John Tavel. ROZ AND STEVEN FREMETH FAMILY FUND In memory of: Daniel Ublansky by Roz and Steven Fremeth. Mazal Tov to: Rena and Max Cohen on the birth of their granddaughter by Roz and Steven Fremeth. ALFRED AND KAYSA FRIEDMAN ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Judith Ross and Arnell Goldberg on their recent marriage by Alfred and Kaysa Friedman. Alfred and Kaysa Friedman on Michael’s marriage to Lia by Bill and Jane James; by Joany and Russel Kronick; by Herb and Dena Gosewich; and by Sandra and Jacie Levinson. Michael Friedman and Lia Vollack on their recent marrage by Zelaine and Sol Shinder; by Leon and Doris Bronstein; by Ray and Ernie Goldstein. In memory of: Abe Padolsky by Alfred and Kaysa Friedman. STAN AND LIBBY GLUBE FAMILY FUND Anniversary wishes to: Norm and Arlene Glube on their 40th wedding anniversary by Howie Smolkin and Annice Kronick.
Important Notice to all Fund Advisors of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation If you would like to make changes in the allocations from your endowment fund for the 2008 disbursements, the request needs to be forwarded to the Foundation office in writing and received by October 31st. Changes received verbally will not be accepted as an official change. Please send your allocation change request to: The Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation Attn: Francine Paulin 21 Nadolny Sachs Private Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9 Fax: (613) 798-4695 Attn: Francine Paulin Email: fpaulin@jewishottawa.com Your cooperation is appreciated.
Mazal tov to: Joan and Russell Kronick on the birth of their granddaughter, Olivia by Arlene and Norman Glube. Birthday wishes to: Freda Lithwick on her 90th birthday by Arlene and Norman Glube and by David, Eric, Mindy, Anna, Jake, Stephanie and John. EVA, DIANE AND JACK GOLDFIELD MEMORIAL FUND Mazal To to: Doreen and Arthur Kaminker on Justin’s Bar Mitzvah by Anita, Ed, Richard and Terry Landis. In memory of: Roslyn Cogan by Anita, Ed, Richard and Terry Landis and by Asa Goldfield and family. Martin Ginsburg by Anita, Ed, Richard and Terry Landis. GREENBERG, HUTT, KONICK ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: Rose and Morrie Konick on ther 66th wedding anniversary by Stan and Libby Katz. GERALD AND HANNAH HALPERN ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Elaine and Norman Wolfish on the birth of their granddaughter by Hannah and Gerald Halpern. DOROTHY AND HY HYMES ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Roslyn Cogan by Dorothy and Hy Hymes. Toby Appel by Dorothy and Hy Hymes. ROSE AND MAXWELL KALMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Toby Appel by Elsa Wendman and Fran Yagod and by Max Kalman JEREMY KANTER MEMORIAL FUND Mazal Tov to: Mr. and Mrs. David Moskovic on their grandson Bar Mitzvah and their granddaughter Bat Mitzvah by Evelyn and Lou Eisenberg. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Schwartz on the birth of their daughter by Evelyn and Lou Eisenberg. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Rothman by Evelyn and Lou Eisenberg. LIBBY AND STAN KATZ FAMILY COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to” Shelley and Morris Schachnow on their 50th wedding anniversary by Libby and Stan Katz. JACOB AND ESTHER KIZELL MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Ted Cole by Jay and Jeffery Flesher. SHARON KOFFMAN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND Birthday wishes to: Sandra Zagon by Annegret Nill and by Barbara Fine. Nadine Mordfield by Sandra Zagon. Maureen Katz by Sandra Zagon In memory of: Toby Appel by Sandra Zagon. HARRY AND ZENA LEIKIN ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Ivan Kesler by Aunt Libby and Uncle Stan.
BERNIE AND IDA LESH ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Mitchel Hyman by Ida Lesh; by Sandra and Allen Quallenberg and family; and by Charlotte and Morty Hendler. Birthday wishes to: Ida Lesh on her 92nd birthday by Sandra, Allen, Charlotte, Morty, the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. NORMAN AND ISABEL LESH ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Pearl and David Moskovic on their 50th wedding anniversary by Norman and Isabel Lesh. Shelley and Morris Schachnow on their 50th wedding anniversary by Norman and Isabel Lesh. Birthday wishes to: Ida Lesh by Norman and Isabel Lesh. RHODA AND JOE LEVITAN AND FAMILY COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT FUND R’fuah Sh’lemah to: Rhoda Levitan by Jackie, Lucien, Michael and Simon Sitwell. SALLY AND ELLIOTT LEVITAN ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Saretta Levitan by Sally and Elliot Levitan. R’fuah Sh’lemah to: Ethel Taylor by Sally and Elliot Levitan. In memory of: Ida Gaffen by Sally and Elliot Levitan. Toby Appel by Sally and Elliot Levitan. JOSEPH AND EVELYN LIEFF ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Brian Bailey by Norman and Francine Lieff. Sandra Zagon by Norman and Francine Lieff and by Elissa Lieff, David, Zac and Kayla Resnick. Jack Toker by Joseph and Evelyn Lieff Continued good health to: Norm Potechin by Joseph and Evelyn Lieff Anniversary wishes to: Esther and Ron Paritzky on their 30th wedding anniversary by Elissa Lieff, David, Zac and Kayla Resnick. Steven and Benita Baker on their 30th wedding anniversary by Elissa Lieff, David, Zac and Kayla Resnick. Susan and Sam Firestone on their 20th wedding anniversary by Elissa Lieff, David, Zac and Kayla Resnick. ARNOLD AND ROSE LITHWICK MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Marieta Lithwick by Yvonne and Harvey Lithwick and family. SAMUEL AND LEEMA MAGIDSON ENDOWMENT FUND Mazal Tov to: Mr. and Mrs. Morrie Cohen on the birth of their grandson by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel. Sylvia and Jeremy Klein on the birth of their daughter by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel. In memory of: Sidney Lithwick by Leema Magison and family. Toby Appel by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel. Birthday wishes to: Freda Lithwick by Leema Magison and family and by Roslyn and Arnie Kimmel. Continued on page 25
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 25
FOUNDATION DONATIONS Anniversary wishes to: Arlene and Norm Glube on their 40th wedding anniversary by Leema Magison and family. JACOB MALOMET MEMORIAL FUND Anniversary wishes to: Pearl and David Moskovic by Diane and Alvin Malomet. ANNE (BLAIR) AND HYMAN MAYBERGER ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: Shelley and Morris Schachnow on their 50th wedding anniversary by Freda and Ernie Rashkovan; by the Blacher family; by Arni and Anne May and by Miriam Weigensberg and Howard. MORTY MAYBERGER UNITED JEWISH APPEAL GOLF TOURNAMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: Shelley and Morris Schachnow on their 50th wedding anniversary by Arni and Anne May. BONNIE AND CHUCK MEROVITZ FAMILY FUND Anniversary wishes to: Sheila Shayna and Dan Yolleck by Chuck and Bonnie Merovitz. Arlene and Norm Glube on their 40th wedding anniversary by Chuck and Bonnie Merovitz. Mazal Tov to: Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz on the birth of their grandson by Sherri and Jack Torjman and family. ABRAM AND EDITH MOLOT MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Toby Appel by Yvonne and Harvey Lithwick and family. DOROTHY AND HERBERT NADOLNY ENDOWMENT FUND New Year wishes to: Dorothy Nadolny by Gail and Stephen Victor. JEAN AND MAX NAEMARK ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Leonard Naemark by Mom. PHYLLIS AND ALAN RACKOW ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: Freda Lithwick on her 90th birthday by
Phyllis and Alan Rackow. Anniversary wishes to: Nina and Mark Dover on their 55th wedding anniversary by Phyllis and Alan Rackow. Evelyn and Joe Lieff on their 55th wedding anniversary by Phyllis and Alan Rackow. Mazal Tov to: Elsa Wendman on the birth of her twin grandchildren by Phyllis and Alan Rackow. SHELLEY AND SID ROTHMAN FAMILY FUND Mazal Tov to: Stephen and Madam Justice Heidi Polowin on the marriage of Jordana to Ari Lesser by Shelley Rothman and family. Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz on the birth of their grandson by Shelley Rothman and family. HARRY AND FRANCES SAXE ENDOWMENT FUND Birthday wishes to: David Saxe by Carole and Norman Zagerman, Andrea and Laurie Aaron. ELAYNE AND WESLEY SCHACTER ENDOWMENT FUND Speedy recovery to: Mel Shafer by Elayne and Wesley Schacter and family. Mazal Tov to: Arlene and Norm Glube on their anniversary and the marriage of Stephanie to John by Elayne and Wesley Schacter and family. HERMINA SCHACHNOW MEMORIAL FUND Anniversary wishes to: Shelley and Morris Schachnow on their 50th wedding anniversary by the Blacher family; by Arni and Anne May; and by Alicia and Brian Bailey. Congratulations to: Pearl and David Moskovic on their 50th wedding anniversary and their grandchildren’s Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvah by Shelley and Morris Schachnow. CLARE AND MAURICE SCHWARTZ FUND In memory of: Toby Appel by Julia Schwartz and Gilbert Bismuth. In appreciation to: Allan Baker by Julia Schwartz and Gilbert Bismuth.
HAROLD SHAFFER MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Toby Appel by Frances Shaffer. Lillian Katznelson by Frances Shaffer. In observance of the Yahrzeit of: Beatrice Zagon, a dear sister by Sheldon and Sonia Shaffer. DR. ROBERT NORMAN SHOIHET MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Roslyn Cogan by the Shoihet family. FAY AND JOSEPH SHULMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Gerry Markus by Lynne and Barry Shulman. Anniversary wishes to: Glenn and Alana Markus on their 40th anniversary by Lynne and Barry Shulman. LORNE AND LAURIE SHUSTERMAN FAMILY FUND Birthday wishes to: Zehava Vered by Lorne, Laurie, Zak and Ben Shusterman. LOUIS AND STELLA SLACK MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Herb Gosewich by Lester, Myra, Jennifer, Donna, Gregory and Jordan Aronson.
Anniversary wishes to: Gail and Bob Edelstein by Lester and Myra Aronson. MOE AND CHARLOTTE SLACK MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Stephen Gordon by Marlene Levine and Andrew Siman. SAM AND SUE SLACK ENDOWMENT FUND Anniversary wishes to: David and Sharon Appotive by Sue Slack. MAX AND PHYLLIS STERNTHAL FAMILY FUND Mazal Tov to: Dr. and Mrs. Elliot Sternthal on the marriage of Jaclyn to Scott by Max and Phyllis Sternthal. Birthday wishes to: Harold Schneider on his 90th birthday by Max and Phyllis Sternthal. RACHEL AND ZELIG SWEDLOVE MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Freda Lithwick on her 90th birthday by Howie Smolkin and Annice Kronick and by Marjorie and Ben Achbar. Continued on page 26
A time to celebrate and rejoice with friends and loved ones for a healthy and sweet year ahead. L’Shana Tova Happy New Year! Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation
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CARLSON WAGONLIT TRAVEL Experienced Travel Professionals â—?â—?â—? Exclusive Tours â—?â—?â—? Corporate Travel â—?â—?â—? Israel Specialists â—?â—?â—? Cruise Specialists â—?â—?â—? Competitive Airfares â—?â—?â—? Package Tours â—?â—?â—? Independent travel planning assistance â—?â—?â—? Support from the International Carlson Network
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Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008
FOUNDATION DONATIONS JAY B. TALLER MEMORIAL FUND Birthday wishes to: Morton Taller on his 89th birthday by Libby and Stan Katz. In memory of: Toby Appel by Sally and Morton Taller and by Connie and Henry Steinberg. RUTH TALLER MEMORIAL FUND Mazal Tov to: Mendy Taller on the marriage of his daughter Natalie to James by Edie Landau. CHARLES AND RAE TAVEL MEMORIAL FUND In memory of: Iris Loves by Sunny and John Tavel. Toby Appel by Sunny and John Tavel.
ZIPES KARANOFSKY FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Tonia Hirsch by Rick, Helen, Kyle, Erin, Michael, Audrey and Griffin Zipes. Mazal tov to: Doris Leibovitch on becoming a great-grandparent by Rick and Helen Zipes and family. Bonnie and Chuck Merovitz on the birth of their first grandchild by Rick and Helen Zipes and family.
THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM
JEFFREY TAYLOR AND SUSIE WEISMAN ENDOWMENT FUND In memory of: Molly Wex by Susan Weisman and Jeff Taylor and family.
STACEY SAMANTHA KATZ B’NAI MITZVAH FUND New Year and best wishes to: Richard and Rhonda Waserman by Joany and Andy Katz and family. Birthday wishes to: Libby Katz by Joany, Andy, Jaclyn, Jonathan and Stacey Katz. Sydney Greenberg by Joany, Andy, Jaclyn, Jonathan and Stacey Katz.
MOSES, CHENYA AND HENRY TORONTOW MEMORIAL FUND Anniversary wishes to: Cathie and Jerry Torontow by Jean Naemark. Birthday wishes to: Allen Torontow by Jean Naemark.
MARSHALL ROTHMAN B’NAI MITZVAH FUND Mazal Tov to: Beverly and Mark Steinberg on the occasions of Jordon’s Bar Mitzvah and Lindsay’s Bat Mitzvah by Shelley Rothman and family.
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That’s my story and I’m sticking to it I work in the public service and fear I might get driven to mass murder. In the lunch room, someone asked my boss about his protruding lip. “Oh you mean the liver lip?” he joked. “I have a tooth growing the wrong way and next week, I am going to see Dr. Schumacher about it.” The next week, I passed by his office and noticed a yellow sticky on the screen of his computer, so I went over and read it. “I’m going to see Dr. Schumacher about my liver lip today. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Later, I received an e-mail from a colleague asking where the boss was. I replied that he was going to see Dr. Schumacher to have his problem with the liver lip dealt with and would be back tomorrow. I CCed the other staff who report directly to my boss. The next day, the boss comes storming in to my office, all
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red in the face. “How dare you send out personal information about me to everyone!” he raged. “I never authorized anyone to say what doctor I was going to see or what I was going to have done. And do you think it’s fair to make fun of people with a dental problem by talking about their liver lip?” I had taken a job that no one wanted because it was too much drudgery. I had rolled up my sleeves and gotten to work and soon senior departmental officials were asking to see what I had done. Now everyone is complaining that the boss gave this wonderful job opportunity to a complete novice – me. I like colour folders to organize my work and when I noticed the office had none, I ordered them. When they came in, the administrator said with a furrowed brow, “I can’t give these to you. They have to be for everybody.” So she put them in the common room, from where they promptly disappeared. I had to order them again, but this time
Mazal Tov
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Humour me, please Rubin Friedman I got there early and took them all. With a long explanatory note, I ordered an electric stapler because I have pain in my wrists. Again the administrator put it in the common room where I have to wait my turn for the device I ordered. When it first arrived, the administrator actually asked me, “Do you really need this?” I finally noticed that I was surrounded by people who never laughed at my jokes and who congregated at the photocopy machine, which was usually on the fritz, with everyone hovering about trying to fix it. And when they talked, they did so in whispers and seemed to be pointing at me either with their eyes or their fingers. They all say humble things to one another. One has to be more humble than the next. It’s a competition. I got a security pass to get up to my floor, but I can never get it to work. When I go to the security guard, he walks to the elevator, swipes it and, voilà, the green light goes on and the elevator works. The next time, I have exactly the same problem. The new guard says it must be fine because, according to his records, the last security guard checked it. I stomp away and go to the elevator, where I discover that, without the pass, I can take the elevator to the floor above mine and walk down. What will really drives me over the edge is when I discover they’ve cello-taped the doors and installed trip wires to know when people go for breaks. And when they arrest me for murder, I will say, “That’s all I remember before everything went black. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – September 29, 2008 – Page 27
A childhood in Kiev under Soviet rule ‘Kiev’ was a name I grew up with. My father came from a small farming community not far from Kiev in the Ukraine. He immigrated to Canada in 1919. Much, much later, after the Second World War, my mother learned that some of her cousins were living in Kiev. I met one of them, Haskal, at my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary party in Winnipeg. He spoke of great hardship and was flooded with gifts to take back for the many cousins in Kiev. Years later, a letter in Yiddish arrived from Haskal in Kiev. The Soviet Union was no more and the poverty was even more extreme. Could we send food? The Canadian cousins pitched in and, for awhile, we regularly sent food parcels through a Ukrainian Canadian agency. A few years later I received a letter in English from Kiev. This time from Evgeni, a cousin I’d never heard of, asking for help in getting him, his wife and son into Canada. Saul and I, and later my sister, Lona and her husband, Al, helped, as did other cousins after their arrival. All that is by way of saying I had a special interest in reading the following book that describes life in Kiev under Soviet rule where all of life’s events were designated as occurring either before or after the Great War, the Second World War. Out of Line: Growing Up Soviet By Tina Grimberg Tundra Books 2007 117 pages. Ages 11 and up Few, if any, of today’s youth know about the Soviet Union, its involvement in the Second World War, the Cold War, and what life was like for Jews living behind the Iron Curtain. Nor do they have any idea that from the 1960’s on, we, their parents and grandparents, demonstrated and campaigned for the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate or to live as Jews in their own country. When, in the late 1970s, the Soviet Union finally agreed to allow its Jewish citizens to emigrate, our joy and relief were overwhelming. Out of Line: Growing Up Soviet, the first book by Rabbi Tina Grimberg of Congregation Darchei Noam, a Reconstructionist synagogue in Toronto, fills in many of those blanks. A collection of childhood memories that goes back and forth in time rather than a formal autobiography, Out of
Kid Lit Deanna Silverman
Line describes her life in Kiev, Ukraine between 1962 and 1979. Tina’s matter-of-fact description of her family’s two room home, her parents, grandparents, neighbours and their experiences, her school life, and her emotional reactions are sparkling, funny, heart-breaking, and loving. Out of Line is a wonderfully appropriate title for a book about growing up in the Soviet Union, let alone being Jewish, in a dictatorial communist country that prized conformity and outlawed religion. Standing in line was a way of life in that society, not only for kids at school, but for everyone. Citizens stood in line for hours to buy groceries and clothing, to visit hospitalized family members, to take food to unjustly jailed relatives, to take a bus, etc. They lined up on paper to rent apartments or gain a place in school. And, despite all that lining up, they needed connections, or the knowledge of who to bribe, in order to succeed. School kids know that being out of line may bring punishment. They also know about the outcast who isn’t allowed to fit in, or purposely chooses not to. In Out of Line, these aspects of being out of line, and more, are detailed with wry humour and clever clarity. While our children may not identify with Tina’s fears because her grandmother is speaking Yiddish on a bus, or her crush on a statue of Lenin as a boy, or her horror at being called a traitor just because her parents applied for exit visas, they will certainly identify with being embarrassed by one’s elders and meeting expectations at school. Although Out of Line is not intended as a critique of the former Soviet Union, the message comes across loud and
By Tina Grimberg
clear that on such issues as treatment of people with disabilities, health care, the distinction between workers and professionals, the care of veterans, widows, orphans, the elderly and people without connections, that society left much to be desired. For my money, Out of Line should be required reading not only for anyone interested in learning about how millions of people lived before the break-up of the Soviet Union, but also for our young people so that they’ll understand the beauty and importance of the freedoms we so often take for granted. Yasher Koach, Rabbi Grimberg!
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WHAT’S GOING ON September 29 to October 12, 2008 ON-GOING PROGRAMS Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race exhibition, through display and specific programs, looks at how the Nazis used eugenics to justify mass murder and, ultimately, the Holocaust, Canadian War Museum until November 11. Info: 819-776-8600.
CANDLELIGHTING BEFORE Oct 3
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6:21 pm
WEEKLY EVENTS TUESDAYS Israeli Folkdancing, no experience or partner required, Hillel Academy, 31 Nadolny Sachs Private, 6:30 pm. Info: 613-729-2090.
EREV YOM KIPPUR Oct 8 ✡ 6:11 pm Fast begins 6:25 pm Oct 10 ✡ 6:08 pm EREV SUKKOT Oct 13 ✡ 6:02 pm First Day SUKKOT Oct 14 ✡ after 7:02 pm
Happy Sukkot from the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin!
For a further listings visit www.jewishottawa.org/ calendar/planitjewish
COMING SOON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 Yiddish-speaking group for Seniors, sponsored by Jewish Family Services, “Kumpt un redt a bisl mameh-loshn mit undz!” 2255 Carling Avenue, 12:00 pm. Info: 613-722-2225, ext. 325. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 Annual Tea and Fundraiser honouring Sarah Swedler, sponsored by the Auxiliary of the Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge, 10 Nadolny Sachs Private, 2:00 pm. Info: 613-224-3354. Holocaust Education Program Launch event, a compelling story of survival features the Stermer family of Montreal, who spent almost two years hiding in caves in Western Ukraine, 7:00 pm. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 253.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Newcomers’ Tea, sponsored by the Ladies’ Reception Committee of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, home of Roz Kanigsberg, 2:30 pm. Info: 613-727-1917. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 Members Meeting, Jewish Federation of Ottawa, 7:00 pm. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 236. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Jewish National Fund of Ottawa Negev Dinner, honouring Barbara Crook and Dan Greenberg, with keynote speaker Ambassador Dennis Ross, special adviser to Senator Barack Obama and lead negotiator on Israeli-Palestinian issue for former US presidents George H.W. Bush and William Clinton, Museum of Civilization, 6:00 pm. Info: 613-798-2411.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 CHOICES, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Women’s Division, with guest speaker Ruth Andrew Ellenson, Agudath Israel Congregation, 1400 Coldrey Avenue, 6:00 pm. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 270.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 Mitzvah Day ‘08, sponsored by the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. Info: 613-798-4696, ext. 270.
Unless otherwise noted, activities take place at The Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private. This information is taken from the community calendar maintained by the Jewish Community Campus of Ottawa Inc. Organizations which would like their events to be listed, no matter where they are to be held, should make sure they are recorded by Benita Siemiatycki, calendar coordinator at 613-798-4696 ext. 227. We have voice mail. Accurate details must be provided and all events must be open to the Jewish public. You may fax to 798-4695 or email to bsiemiatycki@ewishottawa.com.
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Condolences Condolences are extended to the families of: Lawrence Arron Max Brauer, Toronto Avrom Evenchick Abe Fleming, Montreal Edith Lang, Tamarac, FL (mother of Heather and Larry, sister of Shirley Berman)
Jules Loeb, Toronto Fred Pinkus Pearl Scope Molly Wex Tonia Hirsch, Winnipeg
May their memory be a blessing always.
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