V ebruary Camp BB Riback Beneficiary Profile€¦ · It is a great way for families to give a...

Volume 2, #2 February 2015

What’s inside:

Message from the President

Page 2

Kristallnacht Commemoration

Page 3

City of Edmonton Award Page 6

Partnership Together (P2G)

Page 9

“Camp helps children to grow physically, mentally and Jewishly, including a love for Israel and Jewish people everywhere. They learn about Judaism and about iving in peace and harmony with others.”

Aron Eichler, 1st Camp Director, 1957 Calgary Jewish Free Press, Feb. 2012

For almost 60 years, the traditions of Camp BB Riback have been main-

tained and enhanced each summer by the enthusiasm and creativity of new and returning staff and campers. Camp is a magical opportunity to connect our roots in Judaism and the natural world with our visions of the future. Combining tradition and innovation, Camp BB Riback provides not only an unforgettable Jewish camp experience – but an unforgettable life experience as well.

Children from grades 1 through 10 can expect an exciting and adventurous sum-mer of activities along the shores of Pine Lake, Alberta. Parents can rest assured that the health and happiness of their children are the camp’s first priority and that the camp is accredited by The Alberta Camping Association.

Camp BB Riback is an important part of ensuring the strength, engagement in, and longevity of the Edmonton Jewish Community. Recent research identifies participation in Jewish overnight camps as a predictor of long-term engagement and involvement in Jewish life. The Long-term Impact of Jewish Overnight Camp (2011) study says that as adults, campers are:

Continued on Page 6

Camp BB Riback Beneficiary Profile

2 February 2015

For current events and news, check out the JFed e-weekly at www.Jewishedmonton.org

HaKol

HaKolVolume 2, #2

HAKOL is a free publication of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, published three times per year and mailed to community households.

Address corrections requested.

Mailing address #200, 10220-156 Street, Edmonton, AB T5P-2R1.

www.jewishedmonton.org

eMail ContaCt [email protected]

exeCutive Publisher Ellery Lew

Publisher Debby Shoctor

Editor-in-Chief Daniel Larson

editor Elianna Lisan

Printing and design PageMaster Publication Services Inc.

Federation board MeMbers: Stephanie Hendin, Debby Shoctor,

Ellery Lew, Sarah Dolgoy, Steve Shafir, Stacey Leavitt-Wright, Seth Glick,

Cheryl Goldstein, Clive Oshry, Rotem Lavy, Mor Barzel, Gary Goldsand, Sharon Marcus, Ben Gleiberman,

Eytan Wine, Adam Zepp, Rachel Miller, Shane Asbell, Chloe Soibelman, David Eisenstat, Marni Baram-Kondor, Ben

Ragosin, Erin Isman, Lisa Miller, Lauren Gayle Pearson, Ivan Steiner, Angela

Zwaigenbaum, Matt Singer, Alan Richter.

We have attempted to be as correct and current as possible in our content,

however please excuse any errors or unintended omissions.

No information contained herein may be copied or re-distributed, in whole or in part, without the prior written

approval of the Publisher. © Copyright Edmonton, AB, 2015

Message from the PresidentIam writing this article

after about a month in my new position as

President of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton. My term began in the midst of a lot of activity here. The Federation is a busy organization.

The Federation elected a number of new Board members during the AGM at the beginning of December. The new members of the Board are young and vibrant and will bring fresh ideas to the Federation. On behalf of the Board I welcome Lisa Miller, Alan Richter, Marni Baram Kondor, Ben Ragosin, Erin Isman, and Matt Singer. Returning for a renewed 3-year term are Cheryl Goldstein and David Eisenstat. I have also appointed four people to one-year terms: Ivan Steiner, Seth Glick, Lauren-Gayle Pearson and Angela Zwaigenbaum. I am looking for-ward to working with the continuing board members, and those new mem-bers, for the benefit of the Federation.

I would like to thank the devoted ser-vice of the outgoing board members and executive who have made important con-tributions to the Federation over recent years. In particular, I would like to thank Stephanie Hendin for three long years (long to her but not to us) of service as President. Stephanie always tackled every challenge calmly, with care and thought. Stephanie stays on as Past-President and I look forward to her continuing contri-bution, drawing on her many years of dedicated service to Federation and other Jewish organizations. She is a tireless and dedicated volunteer and Federation has benefitted and will continue to bene-fit from her service.

I would also like to thank departing executive members Gillian Horwitz, Sol Rolingher, Clyde Hurtig and Marvin Abugov, who also conclude many years of service to Federation, and departing board members Harry Silverman, Doron Or, Alan Swerling and Shira Uretsky.

At the first Board meeting following the AGM, the Board elected the following

people to serve as the Executive:PAST-PRESIDENT ........ Stephanie HendinVICE-PRESIDENTS ...... Clive Oshry Shane Asbell Sarah DolgoySECRETARY .................. Sharon MarcusTREASURER ................. Steve ShafirUJA CO-CHAIR .............. Stacey Wright

For the coming year, I have identified the following priorities or initiatives:

A review of Federation Board struc-1. ture and governance. This initiative is aimed at reviewing the processes for consideration and approval of a community decision on the JCC facil-ity, once we get there, reviewing and redefining roles of some of the offi-cers and committees, if appropriate, and restructuring Board meetings. Increase communication from 2. Federation to the Board, member organizations and the membership at large with a view to shorten meet-ings and increase the efficiency and hopefully effectiveness of volunteers’ time. Volunteers’ time, enthusiasm and energy is a precious resource which needs to be respected.Continue to strengthen the role of 3. Federation as a vehicle for finding and supporting common community causes on issues which affect us.Continue the important work of 4. the Community Facility Utilization Committee moving towards a recom-mendation regarding the JCC facility.Review and formalize policies gov-5. erning day-to-day activities and deci-sion making.Continue and conclude the ongoing 6. review of community security to adapt to the challenges faced by Jewish communities in 2015.

I know these initiatives are a tall order, but with the help of Federation Board members and volunteers, I am confident they are achievable.

Not all the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to Federation are

Continued on Page 5

HaKolFebruary 2015 3


It is the mandate of the Edmonton Jew-ish Community Charitable Foundation

(EJCCF) to annually distribute 3.5% of the total value of held funds to various Jewish organizations throughout Edmonton.

Our aim is that one day we will grow our funds such that our annual distribu-tion will be so vast that we will be able to annually fund all of our local Jewish Charitable Organizations. We are a far cry from that, but I have learned that you have to make small goals first.

Our goal for this year is to have $1,000,000 in our fund in perpetuity, which means every year we distribute the 3.5% and still at the end of the year have over $1,000,000. While acknowledging that we all have everyday needs, the EJCCF sees the need for our Community to understand the value of long-term thinking and planning.

We have started to meet with Community stakeholders who are willing to start up a fund, by donating $10,000 or

$25,000, and paying that amount over a five- or ten-year period. It is a great way for families to give a special thank-you to their parents or grandparents by naming the fund after them, and then directing which partner agency in the community should be a beneficiary.

Another area of great interest for our board is bringing on new members. The board meets up to six times a year, and members have input on which Jewish organizations will receive EJCCF funding each year. It is a great opportunity to get involved and learn more about how our community works together.

If you are interested in learning more about the simple process of setting up a fund within the EJCCF, or would like to join our board, please be in touch!

Sincerely,Michael Paull

Chair, Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable Foundation

[email protected] 780-452-0490

On Sunday November 9th, 2014 the Jewish community came together

to commemorate Kristallnacht. The event, which was held in the theatre at the Royal Alberta Museum, was well attended, despite snowy weather and the 102 Avenue Bridge being out.

We were fortunate to have as a guest speaker Dr. Jeremy Maron, a researcher/curator from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg. Not only does Jeremy work for the CMHR, he also holds a PhD. in Cultural Mediations from Carleton University and focused his dissertation on the treatment of the Holocaust in Canadian cinema.

After the commemoration service we viewed the film “The Quarrel”, about two childhood friends from a yeshiva in

Kristallnacht Commemoration

Poland who took two very different paths before, during and after World War II.

The Federation’s Holocaust Education Committee would like to thank everyone for their participation in this important evening. A special thank you to Daniella Drisdell of Planet Pareve for catering the food at the reception that followed.

Update from the Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable FoundationBy Michael Paull

Art Gallery of AlbertaIsraeli Art

Exhibit OpeningOn Thursday, October 23rd, The Jewish

Federation of Edmonton presented a VIP/Patron preview of the exhibition, “A Moving Image”, part of the National Gallery of Canada at the AGA exhibition series.

His Excellency Mr. Rafael Barak, Ambassador of Israel to Canada and Josée Drouin-Brisebois, Curator of Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Canada were in attendance at this open-ing night event. The preview was followed by an AGA members opening reception.

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton was approached by community member Barry Zalmanowitz, President of the Art Gallery of Alberta, to help sponsor this exhibit, which was the subject of a BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanction) action by a previously secured sponsor. Barry also approached the Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable Foundation, sev-eral private members of the commun-ity and other organizations, who were all happy to help out. These included Daryl Katz and Rene Gouin-Katz, Kayla Shoctor, Phyllis and Eli Adler, Dr. Eric and Elexis Schloss, The Embassy of Israel, General Recycling Industries Limited, The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation, Maclab Enterprises, Witten LLP, and Barry Zalmanowitz and June Ross.

The Exhibit featured the work of sev-eral Israeli visual artists, including Yael Bartana, Guy Ben-Ner, Omer Fast, Sigalit Landau and Nira Pereg.

The opening was well-attended by community members, who thorough-ly enjoyed themselves. Many City Councillors and MLAs attended, includ-ing Councillors Michael Oshry and Ben Henderson, MLA Laurie Blakeman and Culture Minister Maureen Kubinec. Additional Kosher catering for the event was provided by Catering by Ed.

Holocaust Education Committee Chair Mr. Gary Goldsand with Dr. Jeremy Maron of

the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

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Report from the CEOAs we start a new cycle on the secu-

lar calendar, it is apt to reflect on the past year, but also to look towards the future. 2014 saw many successful events in our community, and many changes. We had some great programs last spring and we are already look-ing forward to planning newer ver-sions of them. Coming up, we have the Asper Trip to Washington, the Holocaust Symposium, Festival Hatza-fon, the Edmonton Jewish Film Festi-val, Yom Ha’atzmaut, Yom Hazikaron, Yom Hashoah and many others. There are already two J.CORE events in the works, Still Schtikin’ Around, and a TED-Talk formatted program. Hillel just had a very successful conference in Winnipeg and continues to host popular lunch and learn programs and public affairs programs, BBYO has a Snoboy Convention coming up, and please be on the lookout for a new pro-gram, Good Deeds Day on March 15th, which is a worldwide initiative we hope to take part in this year for the first time – in short the events and the work never ceases.

This past December we welcomed in a new slate of board members as well as a new President, Ellery Lew, who you will hear from in this issue. I hope you all read the wonderful article on him in the Edmonton Jewish News last month. We are very excited to welcome Ellery and all the new board and executive members. We are also sad to see some of our long-serving board members go as they finish their terms, and we wish them well.

We have just finished up another successful UJA campaign, which raised over $1.2 million for our commun-ity. Thanks to the efforts of a dedi-cated team of volunteers, guided by

Co-Chairs Stacey Wright and Clyde Hurtig, as well as our staff, we had a card-for-card increase of 6.5%, as well as a much smoother campaign this year, with higher pledges and collections before year-end than ever before. Thank you to all the donors, canvassers, chairs and staff who made this such a successful and smooth-running campaign. The success of our recent campaigns has allowed us to increase both our regular and surplus allocations to our beneficiaries, which makes everyone happy! Thank you to Past President Stephanie Hendin for chairing the Budget and Allocations Committee this year, and to all her committee members who work tire-lessly to meet the community’s ever-growing needs.

Unfortunately, the start of the New Year brought tragedy to the inter-national Jewish community with the terrorist attacks in Paris in which five Jews were killed, one at the magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and four in the kosher supermarket. There are no words to express how saddened we were by these events, and how outraged we were, yet again, at the violence, of which we always seem to be ready targets. However, it was heartening to see the public outpouring of support for the victims from the worldwide commun-ity. We would like to thank Rabbi Friedman of the Beth Israel Synagogue for holding a prayer vigil for the victims of this tragedy in such a timely fashion. We ourselves wrote a letter of support to the French Jewish Community and received an almost immediate response. We also wrote a letter of support to a Sikh Temple here in Edmonton, which was targeted as collateral damage due to these events. Unfortunately, this

tragedy struck home with vandalism to the Beth Israel Synagogue as well. It is a terrible tragedy that these types of events have repercussions against innocent victims half a world away, but that is the nature of our global village today. A fund has been set up through JFC-UIA if you would like to donate to help the victims in France.

On that note, we would like to inform you that we have set up a fund for security in the community, which can be used when we feel that the security level in Edmonton warrants it. We are in constant contact with the Edmonton Police Service through our designated liaison, Deputy Chief Danielle Campbell. We participate in a Community Liaison Committee which meets four times a year, and serve on the Police Chief’s Advisory Council. We are also able to use the services of CIJA’s national security consultant, Adam Cohen, who has already made one visit to our community, to consult with Beit Horim, but who is coming back shortly to consult with all our institu-tions about their security measures. Joey Tappenden, who is our designated staff member in charge of security, is putting together a community-wide security plan which he will be sharing with the leadership of all community organizations shortly.

In conclusion, let us affirm that we will take steps to make this a bet-ter, safer and more tolerant society; just as we are always striving to make the Edmonton Jewish Community a better place to raise our children in a Jewish manner, and to live in peace and harmony with our friends and neighbours.

Debby ShoctorCEO, The Jewish Federation of Edmonton



We have been having a great time with PJ Library! We have been celebrat-

ing Rosh Hashanah, Succoth, Chanukah, Tu B’Shevat and the value of mitzvot. Our Chanukah party was celebrated with one of our PJ partners, Beth Shalom. A big thank-you goes out to Rabbi Kliel Rose, Ben Ragosin, and Asaf Sagi for pro-viding the music and entertainment, and another thank-you to Bliss Bakery for the amazing sufganiyot!

PJ Library is building incredible momen-tum by engaging not only active members of our community, but also those who have yet to be active. It is so nice to see new faces and familiar ones as well.

We hold monthly programs at various PJ Partner locations; please check the community calendar at www.jewished-monton.org to see when and where we are holding our next program.

Happy Reading!PJ Library is a monthly subscription

of free, Jewish-themed books and CDs that come to your child in the mail. To sign up for your child’s subscription to PJ Library please visit www.pjlibrary.org/communities/edmonton/309 or contact Dani Uretsky at 780-487-0585 ext. 205 or [email protected]

Keeping Jewish Literacy Thriving!

Board members. Many people from our community contribute their expertise and we welcome input from Federation mem-bers interested in becoming involved.

But our community, both locally and internationally, faces enormous chal-lenges. The recent horrible events in France were a tragic reminder of an evolving virulent and violent strain of anti-Semitism. Events like this touch every community member. A letter was

sent to the Jewish community in France expressing our communities’ sadness and sympathies at the senseless loss of inno-cent lives and conveying our unwavering support. May the memories of those lives lost be a blessing to their families and their communities. I attended a national conference call to update community members. The Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) was asked what we can do to respond to events of this kind. I thought his response very insightful. He

said we should continue to build vibrant and caring communities. In his simple response was an affirmation of the sanc-tity of prayer, acts of charity, kindness and Tikun Olam, those attributes we hold most dear, in the face of the darkest evil.

As we learn from the principle of Tikun Olam, our world is not complete and there is much work to be done. I look forward to furthering that work here in our community.

Ellery [email protected]

continued from page 2

Message from the President

mailto:[email protected]

6 February 2015


HaKol

37% more likely to light Shabbat can-dles; 45% more likely to attend syna-gogue monthly or more; and 55% more likely to be very emotionally attached to Israel. The study also shows that 7 out of 10 young Jewish leaders in their 20s and 30s attended Jewish Summer camp and 1 out of 3 Jewish profession-als (rabbis, cantors, teachers) started as Counselors at Jewish Camp.

Summer 2014 at Camp BB Riback included 237 individual campers from 168 different families. Registration numbers have been increasing over the last few years as has the Edmonton representation at camp. We are very pleased with this trend and have even had to turn some kids away from the July Session, and recommend August options. At Camp BB Riback we are blessed with six decades of tradition and many new and returning campers and staff families. There are a growing number of families with at least three generations of Camp BB connections and history!

Almost 50 campers required financial assistance to attend Camp BB Riback in summer 2014. Your Edmonton United Jewish Appeal contributions helped to ensure these children could benefit from a Jewish Camp experience. However, even after generous support from The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, Camp still had to absorb almost $40,000 of the bursaries awarded to Edmonton families alone. This year, Federation has increased its support of these bursaries, and we are grateful for that. Camp BB Riback believes that all children deserve a Jewish Camp experience regardless of

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Camp BB Riback

Federation Past President Gillian Horwitz recently received a City of

Edmonton Citation Award. In a gala ceremony at City Hall on November 25th, Ms. Horwitz was presented with the award by the Mayor of Edmonton, Don Iveson, and all the City of Edmon-ton Councillors.

Citation Awards hon-our those individuals or groups who have given significant service and inspiring leadership in the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Service or Sports. As Lind Cochrane, master of ceremonies and general manager of Community Services stat-ed in her opening remarks, “The City of Edmonton has earned its reputation as the City of Volunteers. Every facet of life in our city is enriched by the dedication of its citizens in arts and culture, community service and sports.”

Gillian was honoured in the category of Community Service. She has been an active member of the community in Edmonton for over 30 years. As President of Edmonton Hadassah-WIZO and Vice President of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, she provided support to women, chil-dren and healthcare initiatives in Canada and Israel. She is one of the few who served twice as President of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton and has spent 20 years providing Holocaust Education experiences to Edmonton youth. She was involved in the success of the annu-al Holocaust Education Symposium of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, and her passion ensured the completion of the Alberta Holocaust Monument on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature.

Gillian also helped found the annual Toby and Saul Reichert Holocaust Lecture at the University of Alberta’s Wirth Institute. She participated in the production of Black Snow, a film about Holocaust sur-

vivors in Edmonton, and in documenting the stor-ies of Holocaust survivors. She also spent a number of years volunteering on the Lois Hole Hospital, Pilgrim’s Hospice, Kids on the Block and Compassion House committees, as well as working on vari-ous other volunteer com-mittees such as Jewish Family Services, Beth Shalom, Senior’s Drop-in Centre and JNF. For many years, she hosted

The Jewish Hour on CKER and the TV program On Being Jewish. She is cur-rently co-chairing the JNF Negev Dinner with Cory Felber honouring Abe & Joan Goldstein.

Ms. Horwitz’s fellow honourees includ-ed David Dodge, Arnold Rumbold, Ken Regan, Todd Janes, Dorothy Jean Harris, Don Bouzek, Wendy Grasdahl, Heather Bedford Clooney and Jalal Barzanji, as well as community member Jared Lazar, who was honoured with a Performance Award for winning a Gold medal in the 2014 Junior Elite Diving Championships.

Ms. Horwitz was nominated for this award by Federation CEO Debby Shoctor, and the 2014-15 Salute to Excellence Committee members included Senior’s Drop-in Centre President Hal Simons and former Federation Board Member Sol Rolingher, as well as individuals repre-senting many other communities and organizations throughout the City. To nominate someone for this award, visit www.edmonton.ca/salute.

Federation Past President Receives City of Edmonton Award

Gillian Horwitz

http://www.edmonton.ca/salute



ability to pay, and we need your help and support to continue to do so. Please give to your Edmonton United Jewish Appeal in order to continue supporting Camp.

Campers and staff now enjoy and bene-fit from more activities and programs than ever before. Over two or three weeks at camp, participants are likely to: enjoy a special Shabbat including proces-sion, camper led services, and lakeside Havdallah service; memorize the Motzi, Birkat ha’mazon and other Hebrew songs and prayers; water ski, wakeboard, and/or tube; go canoeing and kayaking (kayaks were purchased in 2014 thanks to your UJA contributions!) swim in the lake or heated pool; go horseback riding; reach new heights on the zip line, climbing wall, or high ropes course; develop their bike skills and safety; try a new sport or master an old one; perform on a stage; do some arts & crafts, pottery and jewelry making; participate in cabin, unit, and camp-wide creative programming and so much more! One of the great things about our vast array of offerings is that most campers will experience something they excel at and something that challenges them. This is part of the magic and growth that occurs at camp, everyone has an opportunity to shine.

Camp BB Riback has also been grow-ing its network of partner agencies and programs. We had a number of agen-cies join us at camp for staff training or program delivery this summer. Faren Hochman, a Jewish Women International-trained program facilitator, ran a session called “When Push Comes To Shove”, about healthy relationships for our staff team. Calgary Jewish Family Services’ Shalom Bayit Coordinators did a day-long training session with the staff team about abuse within the Jewish community and abuse prevention and reporting from a Jewish and Talmudic perspective. Joey Tappenden, from The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, facilitated staff training pro-grams on understanding the impact and influence of Jewish Camp on ourselves and our campers’ lives and how to integrate meaningful Judaic content into daily life, activities, and programming at camp.

Camp BB Riback welcomed four young Israelis onto our staff team again this summer as part of the JAFI Summer Shlichim Program. Through their per-sonal and professional interactions, they educated campers and staff alike about Israel. Hadar Epstein, JNF Shaliach from Toronto, came to teach the campers about the Jewish National Fund, using fun, interactive activities. Wendy Kenelly of the Jewish Community Foundation of Calgary piloted a “Philanthropy Camp” project with our Leadership Training Program partici-pants. The curriculum included teaching the campers about tzedakah -- identifying values and processes for deciding where and how to give. The sessions culminated with the campers assessing a number of grant proposals from various charities and awarding $1000 to one of the groups. The CIT program youth participated in “Soup Sisters/Broth Brothers – Summer Stock Program”. The campers and staff were provided with recipes, instructions and all the supplies needed to prepare, package, and label soup to be donated and delivered to The Central Alberta Women’s Shelter in Red Deer. The participants also delivered the soup, did a tour of the shelter, and

received a “healthy relationships” pres-entation. Eleanor Millar of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee joined us to lead a Friday night Sicha (discussion group and program) for the LTP and CIT campers interactively teaching them about political engagement and advocacy from a Jewish and Zionist perspective.

Camp BB was also excited to work with partner organizations to offer a number of shoulder season experiences for the spring of 2014: BBYO’s Spring Convention, Alberta Hillel’s “Jews, Schmooze & Canoes” and the Camp BB Riback Family Weekend all allowed participants to experience the magic and power of Camp BB Riback. For some it was the first time at camp, for others the chance to return and for “the regulars” a chance to experience it in a different way.

Camp BB Riback is proud and blessed to play such an important role in the past, present, and future of the Edmonton and Alberta Jewish Communities. We are grate-ful for the ongoing dedication and support of so many Edmonton families and look forward to connecting with more each and every summer. There are many options for your family’s time and resources this summer. Thank you for considering Camp BB Riback as one of them. Please contact us to discuss your needs and goals for your child. We look forward to your family join-ing ours!

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HaKol

Talmud Torah is the largest beneficiary of the Edmonton United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaign. The substantial funds we receive make a tremendous difference to the families who are in need of subsidies so that their children can experience an afford-able and outstanding Jewish education at Edmonton’s Talmud Torah School.

The Edmonton Talmud Torah and our families are very fortunate to have the commitment of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, and its generous donors. The Federation is a critical piece of the pie in the Edmonton Jewish Community, and we wish it continued success!

Respectfully,Rebecca Asbell

President, Talmud Torah Society

Yes, that’s right. It’s been almost three years since our 100th anniversary

celebrations. The entire weekend of cele-brations that took place in May 2012 was fantastic, and the memories still make us smile. The weekend culminated with a gala fundraiser event filled with great food, great entertainment and nearly 500 people that have been enriched in some way by the school.

At the time of preparations for the gala fundraiser, some decisions needed to be made regarding how the funds would be spent. There were many options discussed and we decided to focus on two main areas that needed enhancing: technology and enrolment.

In terms of improved technology, since the time of the 100th anniversary, we have purchased three carts of Chromebooks which are being used by the grade 1 – 6 students, one cart of laptops which are being used by the Junior High students, and iPads which are being used by the kindergarteners. Teachers and students have been very creative with the use of these new technologies. One of the many highlights of having these is a program whereby the grade 5 students teach the grade 1 students how to use the Chromebooks. The grade 5 students enjoy being “teachers”, and the grade 1 students really look up to their mentors; it is truly such a positive program.

With regards to enrolment, we knew one thing for sure – the numbers needed to go up. Our enrolment in the school was hitting some scary lows, and we had to fig-ure out a solution. After much discussion, and careful consideration, we decided to focus on improving our preschool pro-gram. Our thoughts were focused on bringing children and their families into the school early on, and ensuring they were welcomed and comfortable within our building. We then hoped they would choose to stay at Talmud Torah when entering Kindergarten; thus, using the playschool as a farm team for our school.

On Tuesday November 11, 2014 the community gathered at the Edmonton

Jewish Cemetery to remember those Jew-ish Edmontonians who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our Canadian free-doms. Rabbi Moch of Temple Beth Ora led us in a beautiful service and memorialized those who came before us who fought to give us the world in which we live today.

Members of BBYO led us out to the cenotaph to complete the service where

Rabbi Friedman recited the El Moleh and Ben Comer played “The Last Post” on the bugle, which was then followed by vari-ous Jewish community representatives laying their wreaths at the Cenotaph in remembrance.

A special thank-you goes out to Ken Wasserman, Dave Marcus, and Murray Glick for their many years of continued assistance in running this program and making sure it runs smoothly.

Jewish Edmonton RemembersBy Dani uretsky

Yael Rosenblum uses a smart board at Talmud Torah.

Talmud Torah is turning 103! Beneficiary ProfileWell, in just three

short years we have been thrilled with the outcome thus far. We have a thriv-ing Early Learning Centre consisting of the playschool, day-care, and after-school care program which are all fully accredited by the Government of Alberta. When we look at the numbers, our enrolment in the school from Kindergarten to grade 9 for the 2010 – 2011 school year was 116 stu-dents. This year we have 151 students. Our playschool program had an enrolment of 29 children in 2011 and it is currently at full capacity with 70 children. For next school year, it is quite possible that we may have enough children for two Kindergarten classes. This is an issue we could not have imagined just a few years back, but we are happy to be facing issues like this.

The entire Talmud Torah Board is pleased with the progress we have made in a few years, none of which would have been pos-sible without our many dedicated volunteers and excellent staff. We can also take this opportunity to thank The Jewish Federation of Edmonton for their generous support.



for this worthy endeavour. The goal is to procure the musical instruments during the current school year.

The teaching staff of Metulla High School teach history and Holocaust education. The grade 11 students travel to Poland and visit the concentration camps and various Jewish historical sites. The goals of this program are many: to encourage students to deal with topics related to Jewish Peoplehood and Jewish heritage and to strengthen the connec-tion between the students and the com-munity in Metulla. Many students come from families of modest means and there is a need for financial subsidies, in the form of scholarships. The school would like to provide scholarships for 22 stu-dents a year. The recipients will have to do volunteer work for their community, as a form of payback. Over the next three years, Edmonton will provide funds for these annual scholarships.

Regional Development in the Northeastern Galilee:

Matmon (a Hebrew acronym for Youth Therapy Centre) is a regional

program centered in the town of Kiriyat Shmone. It provides services to youth at risk and their families. There are four therapy units: a girls’ unit, a boys’ unit, a drug abuse unit and a parental coun-selling unit. This program has been operational for the last few years. I have firsthand proof of its efficacy. Last year, I visited the unit and had the opportun-ity to speak to a parent who receives services. According to this person, her family is intact and functional today because of the support and services they receive. Our contribution from Edmonton will assist in providing addi-tional social worker support for families in distress.

In summary, P2G Edmonton, an arm of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, pro-vides multi-faceted, effective interventions that enhance our partnership with Jewish communities in Northern Israel. These funds are available thanks to the proceeds of the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival as well as annual Federation UJA allocations. Please support UJA and the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, which continue to provide these incredible opportunities for the youth of this region.

You may have heard of P2G, but what is it and what does it engage in? P2G

consists of three major programs: Gesher Chai (Living Bridges), Youth and Educa-tion and Regional Development of the Northeastern Galilee.

Gesher Chai:I traveled to the Northeastern Galilee

around Hanukkah. While there, I had the opportunity to visit the schools that our Talmud Torah Jewish day school is twinned with. Once a year, our students visit them, and they visit us. The in-class visits at the Lev Haemek Elementary School allowed me to see firsthand the enthusiasm of the students about the relationship with their counterparts here in Edmonton. Testimonials from the prin-cipal and teachers further reaffirmed the value of the relationship. At the Emek Hahula Regional High School, I met with the principal and the teachers involved in the reciprocal students visit. They all see the full value of the relationship with Edmonton. They believe that it teaches their students about Jewish Peoplehood. In addition, the participating students acquire various leadership skills. I also had a meeting with the parents of students who were here in Edmonton over Succot. The parents feel that there is huge value in the relationship, as their children learn to be informed ambassadors for Israel; learning about Jewish life in the Diaspora makes them better-rounded citizens.

Youth and Education:The Ramat Korazim community ele-

mentary school aims to fulfill a vision to provide instrumental musical education to its students. In order to achieve this, the school requested funds for music-al instruments for 100 grade 3-5 stu-dents. In partnership with the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, Edmonton is providing onetime capital project money

Partnership Together (P2G) Edmonton: An Update By ivan steiner, P2G chair eDMonton

Ivan Steiner, P2G Chair, with Mira Alexander, Principal of Lev HaEmek Elementary School.

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On November 16, Edmonton was one of more than 400 Jewish communities

in over 40 countries which celebrated the Global Day of Jewish Learning. This event was created by the Aleph Society in New York City in 2010, and its purpose is to fos-ter Jewish unity and identity, through shar-ing meaningful educational experiences.

This year’s event was held at the Talmud Torah School, and was com-prised of three presentations. First, Rabbi Oren Steinitz, a professor at Mount Royal University, spoke about the Jewish online world. He specifically focused on the benefits and detriments of “ask the rabbi” websites. Is the anonymity of the online

world a blessing to those who need to ask a rabbi sensitive questions? Or is it harmful when people are disrespecting rabbis, or when rabbis are giving one-word answers with no scholarly explana-tions to back their opinions?

Next, Professor Andrew Gow of the University of Alberta spoke about Jewish history in Canada. Professor Gow reminded us that Jews have been in North America since the mid-17th cen-tury, and in Canada since the mid-18th century. Professor Gow’s ancestors, the Harts, were some of the earliest Jews to arrive in Canada. We learned of their social greatness, and of their flaws and

Global Day of Jewish LearningBy elianna lisan

eccentricities. Professor Gow cautioned us to remember that people of the past were just that—people.

Finally, Jared Henoch, Director of Camp BB Riback, led a panel on Jewish experi-ential education. Jared shared his experi-ences growing up in the Winnipeg Jewish community. He had a negative day school experience, but always loved camp. This positive experience with Judaism dur-ing his summers eventually drew him back to work at Camp BB-Riback. Panelist Sydney Podgurny only went to Jewish school as a child. When she eventually went to camp, she was able to reconnect with her childhood friends. She ultimately decided to go on the March of the Living. Her experiences in Poland had a great impact on Sydney, giving her a desire to be more involved in the Jewish commun-ity. Furthermore, panelist Ari Sniderman grew up with a strong Jewish background. All of his experiences growing up led him to be extremely passionate about Jewish life, learning, and culture: so much so that he is now a teacher at Talmud Torah, pass-ing his knowledge and love for Judaism onto the next generation. Lastly, panelist Tamara Raynor-Cote grew up outside the Jewish community. She got in touch with her Jewish roots as an adult, taking part in several Israel-experience programs, and becoming involved with the local commun-ity. As a result of her experiential learning of Judaism, Tamara decided to make aliyah, and has since moved to Israel.

A common thread in the panel discus-sion was camp experience, especially the value of Havdallah. People were drawn to powerful, unified experiences, through which they could make Judaism their own. The greatest impact that experien-tial learning had on all four of the panel members, was that it appeared to inspire all of them to want to share their passion with future generations.

Please watch the J-Fed for this year’s Global Day of Jewish Learning, which will take place on November 15th.

The Chief’s Community Advisory Council (CAC) was developed in 2004

to engage the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and Edmontonians in a proactive dialogue centered on developing mutual trust, information sharing, and relation-ship building. Since its inception, the CAC has been working proactively with diverse communities that are committed to working together, and with the police service, to foster a climate of safety, security, and mutual respect.

The Edmonton Jewish Community is one of many ethno-cultural commun-ities that enjoys a warm relationship with EPS. This has allowed for excel-lent opportunities to provide a formal structure with support to take action on identified issues of concern within our community. This has been displayed time and time again with the great level of support that we have received from EPS for our community’s High Holiday services over the years.

Each community gets the opportunity to work with a member of Edmonton’s

finest, and the Jewish Community is for-tunate to have been working with Deputy Chief Danielle Campbell over a num-ber of years. Jewish communal organ-izations and institutions meet with the Deputy Chief four to five times a year. EPS and the Jewish Community Liaison Committee meet to discuss ways that we can be proactive and engage in creating a better and safer Edmonton. The Deputy Chief has certainly been a great partner with our Community, as she has always made herself available in times of need, ensuring that our community is a safe one.

EPS is truly an advocate for keeping Edmonton a safe and strong city. We are so fortunate to be working with such an amaz-ing team of professionals, and look forward to a continued positive relationship with Edmonton’s law enforcement personnel.

In his capacity as Director of Community Relations, Joey serves on the Chief’s Advisory Council. If you have any questions or concerns, Joey can be reached at [email protected]

Building Relationships with the Edmonton Police ServiceBy Joey taPPenDen



For the past few months, Edmonton AZA has been jam-packed with a

variety of programs and conventions. It is already halfway through the pro-gramming term, and before we know it, the end of the programming year will be upon us. I’d like to revisit what we have done this year by highlighting some of the most memorable moments.

Leadership Training Institute (LTI), was the second convention of the year and was held between the 21st and 23rd of November, in Edmonton at the Radisson Hotel. Mostly, it was focused on leadership skills and how to work well with others. This is the only hotel convention, which gives it a different vibe that the BBYO members love. Jacob Oshry and Mettannah Jacobson coordinated LTI this year and did a stel-lar job. Congratulations to both of you. Annually, the members of AZA from

Edmonton and Calgary face-off in a hockey game, or an Ice Lig. Coming into LTI, Edmonton had won back-to-back titles and was looking to win Stanley’s Cup once again. While in recent years the games have been extremely close and competitive, this one was a lopsided Edmonton victory, and we drank from the cup once again.

Aside from LTI, we have had diverse programs approximately once a week. Two of my personal favorites were the Mall Scavenger Hunt program and our Chanukah program. One Sunday after-noon at West Edmonton Mall, the boys met up and had to take pictures of obscure things that could be found in the mall. It was a blast. On one of the nights of Chanukah, we also met up for a holiday-themed get together. We ate latkes, played dreidel, and even made Chanukah cookies to really embrace

our large appetites. These two programs stuck out to me due to their entertain-ment, education, and brotherhood val-ues, while still being very unique.

One thing we are going to focus on in the second half of the programming year is getting grade eight students really excited about officially joining BBYO in September. Edmonton AZA is doing this is by inviting them to pro-grams over the next few months. I really believe this is a great way of engaging the younger teens and getting them excited for BBYO. By just letting them have a brief look at the organization earlier, we hope that they will be able to further appreciate it when the time comes for them to be involved.

So far this year has been great for BBYO, and I am extremely confident things will continue, and even improve in the second half of the year.

Perspectives on BBYOBy saM GolDsanD

Mark your calendar! Festival Hatza-fon, presented by General Recycling,

is entering its fourth year with exciting additions and changes to our lineup! We are very excited to partner with the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival and Infiniti Auto to bring you the documen-tary Dancing in Jaffa on March 18 at the Art Gallery of Alberta. “Irresistible to behold” (New York Times), Dancing in Jaffa is a true story of a dance program for children that was created to bridge cultural divides and overcome discord. A reception and an intercultural dance exchange will follow the screening.

The following week, on March 22, Festival Hatzafon will present two dance shows with the theme “Celebrations in Israel” at the ATB Financial Arts Barns. These shows will feature performances by the Aviv, Mayim, and Shemesh per-forming troupes, Rikud Acadamy as well

Israeli Dance is Expanding in Edmonton!There will truly be something for

everyone at Festival Hatzafon, as we will also feature an Interactive Israeli Expo taking place before and after the shows. We are fortunate to partner with many community organizations in providing hands-on opportunities to be exposed to, and engage with, Israel. Camp BB Riback, J.CORE, Jewish Family Services, JNF, Na’amat, PJ Library and Talmud Torah will offer activities to delight all ages. Of course, you will want to come early to take advantage of kosher-style deli fare available to purchase from Lauren Baram, and a concession stand run by the Edmonton delegation to the JCC Maccabi Games. Circle dancing and door prizes will be part of the festivities too!

Tickets sales start in February. For more information please visit www.festi-valhatzafon.com or contact [email protected]

as guest performers from the Edmonton Druze community, Winnipeg, Calgary and the University of Alberta. Original choreographies and costuming are sure to delight the entire family with a variety of styles and influences based on contem-porary Israeli dance.

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Upcoming Events:February 8: PJ Library, Talmud Torah

February 26: J.CORE Presents: Still Schtickin’ Around, The Yardbird Suite

March 6-8: BBYO Snoboy/MBA

March 15: Good Deeds Day, Various locations

March 15: PJ Library, Federation offices

March 19: Festival Hatzafon/Film Festival movie night, Art Gallery of Alberta

March 22: Festival Hatzafon, ATB Financial Arts Barns

March 24-25: Holocaust Education Symposium, Royal Alberta Museum

April 12: PJ Library, Location TBA

April 15: Yom Hashoah, Alberta Legislature Grounds

April 22: Yom Hazikaron, Beth Israel Synagogue

April 23: Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration, Beth Israel Synagogue

April 30: J.CORE Event, Location TBA

May 3-6: The Asper Foundation Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program, Washington, D.C.

May 3-5 and 10-12: Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, Landmark City Centre Cinemas

May 15-17: BBYO Spring Convention

May 29-31: Hillel of the Prairies: Jews, Schmooze, and Canoes, Camp BB

Why Go to Winnipeg? By Bari lavy

During these cold months, Edmon-tonians often flee to warmer cli-

mates like Mexico and Arizona, but who in their right mind would want to go to Winnipeg in the middle of winter? Crazy university students, that’s who! On the first weekend of January a delegation of Hillel members bravely flew out to the ‘Peg to attend the annual Shabbat Shabbang where they were joined by young adults both from Manitoba’s cap-ital and a nice group of students hailing from Calgary.

The Shabbaton kicked off with high spirits and lots of amicability among the attendees. Over the course of the three days, the students delved into subjects such as their Jewish identity, leadership on campus, Israel advocacy, and how to handle the responsibility that comes with being a young Jewish leader. These topics coupled with a number of power-ful sessions with representatives from CIJA, CJPAC as well as members of the Winnipeg Jewish community infused the small but mighty Hillels of The Prairies with a sense of duty to represent their Jewish identity in all avenues of their lives along with the inspiration to carry out this obligation.

A raucous Saturday night of celebra-tion led to an active Sunday morning filled with Israeli dance and deep conver-sation. As the weekend drew to a close, everyone who attended wanted to shout out to the world (both the online and the real) about what an amazing experience they had. Indeed, our final program, Photo Degel 2.0, aimed to get the Hillel word out online and #Hillel even trended that day on Facebook and Twitter! It turns out that being surrounded by the right group of young Jewish adults can turn supposedly frigid Winnipeg into an outstanding experience in Winter Wonderland! Shabbat Shabbang participants gather for a group photo on the steps

of Gray Academy, at the Asper Jewish Community Campus.

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