ottawa jewish Terrorist attack at 1972 Olympics drove athlete from

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ottawa jewish Terrorist attack at 1972 Olympics drove athlete from
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volume 75, no. 2
october 11, 2010
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Terrorist attack at 1972 Olympics drove athlete
from Judaism and brought her back
By Benita Baker
Karen James, a 19-year-old
swimmer, was jubilant, energized
and ready to savour every moment
of her Olympic experience when
she marched into the stadium with
her Canadian teammates at the
opening ceremony of the 1972
Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
Sadly, her memory of Olympics
is not the positive and exhilarating
one that it should have been. Instead, she is left with the memory of
attending the memorial service for
the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches
who were murdered by Black September, the Palestinian terrorist
group.
James, who was raised as a Jew,
had swum competitively at several
Play hockey in Israel
Ottawa won the championship last winter at the First Annual Roger Neilson Hockey Tournament
organized by the Israeli Recreational Hockey Association at the Canada Centre in Metulla, Israel.
We’re now organizing a team to defend our title at the 2011 tournament, February 21 to 25.
If you love hockey and Israel, this is the trip for you. It will be another incredible and memorable week of hockey and touring. Last year, our team was made up of Ottawans, Jewish and nonJewish, and friends and family from Toronto, Calgary, New York and Israel – so all are welcome.
Although the non-contact tournament is geared for 35+ men and women, each team is allowed a
few under-agers. Encourage your significant other to join you on the ice or to come and cheer us
on. Contact me at [email protected] for more information.
− Mitch Miller
international events, including the
Maccabiah Games in Israel, witnessed the unfolding hostage crisis.
She saw the terrorists in the window, the negotiators, the police,
camera crews and the blindfolded
hostages being led out to the waiting bus.
“I can still see it in my mind,”
she said in an interview with the
Bulletin.
James’ memory of the games is
further overshadowed by another
deeply disturbing incident just prior
to the hostage crisis. Her swimming
heat was over early in the Olympic
schedule, so she went out one night
with three teammates to have some
fun. Returning late to the athletes’
village, the group decided to climb
over the chain link fence rather than
go all the way around to the main
gate.
Four men emerged from the
darkness and climbed the fence
alongside them. The athletes were
not suspicious. They had no reason
to be; at least until the next day,
when the horrifying events began to
play out.
“At the time, I didn’t make the
connection,” said James. “I think I
blocked it out.”
She didn’t talk about it – even to
family. For 22 years, the shocking
events of the Munich Olympics
stayed buried until she reconnected
with one of three Olympic teammates who climbed the fence with
her that fateful night.
“We just looked at each other
Karen James will be the keynote
speaker, October 28, at the
Women’s Campaign Choices
event.
and said, ‘We knew they weren’t
athletes,’” she remembers. “I think
at some point I made the connection, but it was the first time I said
it out loud.”
The floodgates opened. She
began to talk about her Munich experience and also began to think
about the Jewish identity she had
abandoned. Although raised Jewish,
James strayed from Judaism as an
adult. She married a non-Jew and
raised her children, now 29, 27 and
25, without religion.
“The Olympic experience made
me afraid to be Jewish,” she said.
Not anymore.
James is now the Women’s Phil(Continued on page 2)
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Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Canadian Jewish Congress and B’nai Brith at odds over cartoon
(JTA) – The Canadian
Jewish Congress and B’nai
Brith Canada have clashed
over a cartoon.
Just as B’nai Brith Canada condemned an editorial
cartoon in Le Droit, Ottawa’s
French-language daily, as
anti-Semitic, and demanded
an apology, the Canadian
Jewish Congress came to the
cartoonist’s defence.
Published in the September 20 issue of Le Droit, the
cartoon depicts the Peace
Tower – an iconic part of
Canada’s Parliament buildings – with what resembles a
Star of David in the face of
the tower’s clock.
The French caption on the
cartoon read, “Parliament returns,” while a traffic sign in
the foreground signifies a
slippery road ahead.
In a statement issued the
same day as the cartoon,
B’nai Brith called the drawing “outrageous” because the
Star of David “insinuates the
false and offensive allegation
that Jews control the government of Canada.”
“There is a Star of David on the face of the Peace Tower
clock,” says CJC CEO Bernie Farber.
B’nai Brith called for the
cartoon’s removal from the
paper’s website and an apology “for publishing such blatantly anti-Semitic propaganda” and to “re-examine editorial policies that have allowed dissemination of such
vile material.”
Cartoonist Guy Badeaux,
known as Bado, countered
that his illustration was misinterpreted. He said he was
only trying to depict the geometric design on the clock
face, which resembles a star.
Bernie Farber, an Ottawa
native who is the Canadian
Jewish Congress’ chief executive officer, said he believes
that explanation.
“There is a Star of David
on the face of the Peace
Tower clock,” Farber told
CBC News.
“This has nothing to do
with anti-Semitism and
everything do with a cartoonist who was trying to depict
the Peace Tower. It was very
legitimate.”
Farber
added
that
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Badeaux is a friend of the
Jewish community and has
addressed synagogues and
anti-racism initiatives.
Despite that, B’nai Brith
issued another statement two
days later saying that
Badeaux’s explanation was
not acceptable.
James: ‘I knew in my heart that I was Jewish’
(Continued from page 1)
“Where there is help
there is hope”
The Le Droit cartoon condemned by B’nai Brith Canada as anti-Semitic.
anthropy chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and is a
proud and sincere woman who has
reclaimed her Jewish identity, and is
thriving as a result.
James will be in Ottawa, Thursday, October 28, as the featured
speaker at this year’s Jewish Federation of Ottawa Women’s Campaign
Choices event. She will tell her
Olympic story, but her talk will primarily focus on Jewish identity and
her personal journey back to Judaism. A journey which she said was
not easy.
When James decided to reclaim
her religion, she was turned away
from several synagogues.
It turned out that her mother, who
was not born Jewish, had never converted; something James did not
know. Although she was raised Jewishly, had a Jewish father, and had at-
tended Jewish schools, she was not
considered Jewish.
“I knew in my heart that I was
Jewish,” she said. “But, I knew that I
was different, too.”
James ultimately enrolled in conversion classes.
“I wanted to be official,” she said.
“I wanted to belong and I didn’t want
anyone to doubt it.”
The road back took seven years.
Her only disappointment was that, by
the time she completed the process,
her children were too old to experience it with her.
“If the rabbis had accepted me
right away, then my kids would have
been more involved Jewishly,” she
said.
James was asked to be a torch
bearer for the Olympic torch relay for
the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. At first, she hesitated, but then
relented. Shortly afterwards, she
went to a special exhibit about the
1936 Olympic Games in Berlin at the
Vancouver Holocaust Education
Centre. She discovered that the
Olympic torch relay did not originate
in Greece, but was initiated by the
Nazis as a propaganda tool.
“It was an awful feeling and I
struggled with the decision,” she said.
To make matters worse, she read
in a newspaper story that footage
from Olympia, the documentary
about the 1936 Berlin Games by Nazi
propagandist Leni Riefenstahl, albeit
with the Nazi symbols blocked out,
was being shown on the bus shuttling
torchbearers to their routes. James
was so disturbed by this that she
called the torch relay organizers and
asked that the footage be removed.
They complied.
In the end, carrying the torch was
an enjoyable and positive experience
for James, perhaps making up for
what eluded her at the Munich
Games.
“It was an incredible experience,”
she said. “It is a unifying symbol that
reminded me of the ideals of the
Olympics and what the Games represent.”
As for her message about Jewish
continuity and her fight to regain her
Jewish identity, James is pragmatic.
“The Munich experience drove
me away from Judaism, but it also
brought me back,” she said. “It is important to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone who wants to be Jewish. Don’t shut the doors. Open
them.”
The Choices event featuring
Karen James takes place Thursday,
October 28, 6:00 pm, at Agudath
Israel Congregation. For information, contact Lindsay Rothenberg
at 613-798-4696, ext. 270, or
[email protected].
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 3
Page 4 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Hillel Ottawa starts year with successful retreat
By Chelsea Sauvé
City-wide President
Hillel Ottawa
I felt an incredible sense
of fulfilment as we drove
home from the first annual
Hillel Ottawa retreat, held
Sunday to Tuesday, September 5 to 7, at the Kollel cottage.
The goal of the retreat
was to facilitate a sense of
community among new and
veteran students, while
equipping us with the tools
we need to be student activists on campus.
The retreat began with
fervour as students from various political and cultural
backgrounds joined together
at the serene Kollel cottage.
The theme of the retreat was
Connections and we began
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with a session about the concept of connections and the
importance they hold in our
everyday lives. Surrounded
by the bold beauty of the cottage and its surroundings, we
explored the meaning of the
connections we each hold in
our relationships and in the
networks in which we find
ourselves.
Because the retreat took
place just before Rosh
Hashanah, we were privileged to have a discussion
about the meaning of the
High Holy Days, the significance they hold in the lives
of individuals, and the varied
experiences they bring.
Those programs were followed by two jam-packed
days with focuses on both
Jewish-based programming
and Israel advocacy.
We had a discussion via
Skype with two students in
Israel and the U.K. about the
role of Hezbollah within
Lebanon and regarding Israel. We simulated anti-Israel
situations that students may
encounter on campus, and
learned strategies to deal
Students participate in a discussion during the first annual Hillel Ottawa retreat.
with such occurrences.
We also held various discussions on Jewish life, including the meaning of
tzedakah and volunteer work
in the Jewish community.
This balance between advocacy and Jewish life
proved to be an effective
combination. Students from a
wide variety of academic
backgrounds – from undergraduate arts, science and engineering students, to law
and graduate students – attended the retreat and engaged in fruitful discussions
with one another.
Of course, we could not
be in such a setting for three
days without having a
bonfire. So, naturally, we
had a big one with plenty of
rikud (Israeli dancing) to
accompany it!
The true beauty of this retreat was the manner in
which these programs were
facilitated. As a communitysupported, grassroots organization, Hillel Ottawa is proud
of being a student-led body
that initiates student programming for students. As
such, with guidance from the
staff when required, all of the
retreat programming was student-led and organized.
As a true believer in peerto-peer mentorship and
learning, I cannot stress
enough the importance of
this element of the retreat.
The effort of the executives
of Hillel Ottawa and the Israel Awareness Committee,
and of the Hillel Ottawa
staff, was evident. And the
success of the retreat was apparent from the appreciation
and gratitude expressed by
the participants.
Many students who attended the retreat were new
to Ottawa. Their participation helped open their social
networks to the Ottawa Jewish student community: a
community that is growing in
size, strength and ruach.
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 5
Page 6 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Hillel Ottawa: ‘Connecting our community through action’
Rabbi Hillel said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for
others, what am I? And if not now, when?”
As the new Hillel Ottawa executive director for the past two months, I have additional appreciation for this quote. Our university student leadership is working for
themselves on the behalf of others, now. My
responsibility is facilitating their success in
creating a stronger, more vibrant Jewish
community for Carleton University, the
University of Ottawa and Algonquin College students.
I worked for the past four years as a consultant for KPMG in New York and Ottawa.
The time I spent in the business world
taught me about project, time and people
management. These skills help me be effective. By teaching these skills to students,
prior to their entering the workforce, I help
them be the best Jewish leaders they can be.
When asked about career change, I think
of the Hillel quote. I made the decision that
my efforts working for the Jewish community would make me happier and help others. The opportunity presented itself and I
had to seize it.
Connecting our community through ac-
Federation
Report
Ross Diamond
Hillel Ottawa
tion is the secret to Hillel Ottawa’s success.
“Responsibility is taking an idea and following it through to fruition,” said Joel Diener, Hillel’s Advisory Board co-chair.
Building community through student-initiated events is a responsibility I have already seen both the Hillel student board and
the Israel Awareness Committee board accomplish. The opening Hillel barbecue and
the Israeli wine and Canadian cheese event
were impressive examples of students taking their ideas and following them through
to fruition. The Hillel House, at 284 Laurier
Avenue East, provides a space for ideas like
those to develop. Our students volunteer
countless hours to make these events a success. They do it to be the change they want
to see and build the community they want.
Hillel Ottawa would not exist without their
We encourage
students to make
Hillel a place
to build
their own
community.
vision and dedication.
Building upon the success of Alana
Kayfetz, my predecessor and friend, we
have an opportunity to grow our organization to new heights. Our dedicated staff is
always building new and meaningful relationships with both the student community
and the greater Ottawa Jewish community.
Rabbi David Rotenberg, a.k.a. Rabbi
Dave, our veteran on-campus rabbi, meets
with many students to discuss a large array
of Jewish topics. He helps enhance students’ Jewish identities by being both full of
knowledge and a listening ear.
Ben Singer, our Israel advocacy co-ordinator, has already partnered with national
organizations like CJPAC (Canadian Jewish
Political Affairs Committee) and Canadian
Jewish Congress to give our students the
tools they need to advocate on Israel’s behalf on campus.
Continuing with successes like our Shabbat dinners, and organizing new initiatives
like a mentor initiative, will add value to
the Jewish experiences here in Ottawa. Our
goal is to provide every Jewish student in
Ottawa an opportunity to have a meaningful, positive Jewish experience, whatever
that may mean for them. Whether it is
Birthright, Shabbat dinners or football on
Sundays with Kosher hot wings, we encourage students to make Hillel a place to build
their own community.
The Ottawa Jewish community has made
it possible to have accessible, meaningful
Jewish experiences for students. Their university years are a formative time in their
lives shaping many of their lifelong beliefs
and attitudes.
Thank you for helping make those years
exciting and fun while keeping to our Jewish roots. By continuing to enrich the lives
of Jewish students here in Ottawa, we will
enrich the Jewish people and the world
Giving thanks to God, the Jewish way
After performing the mitzvah of brit
milah, Avraham was, to say the least, under
the weather. God made it unbearably hot on
purpose so that no one in their right mind
would be travelling that day, in order not to
burden Avraham.
Avraham, however, was not content to
rest. On the contrary, he was in more pain
over the fact that he wasn’t able to bring in
guests. So God sent three angels disguised
as wayfarers. Avraham sees them, and ignoring his intense pain, he runs, pleads and begs
them not to pass by without first stopping to
rest.
The Torah then informs us that “he sat
them under a tree.” The Midrash explains
that, as a reward for sitting his guests under
a tree, Avraham’s descendants would merit
the mitzvah of sitting in a sukkah.
I’ve often wondered why Avraham settled
them under a tree. Why didn’t he bring them
into his home? And what connection is there
between placing his guest under a tree, and
Sukkot?
The Talmud explains Avraham’s method
for teaching monotheism. He would invite
people in, and prepare an elaborate feast for
them. When they would thank Avraham for
his hospitality, he would respond by asking
“Why are you thanking me?”
Their reaction would be, “Well, who
should we thank?”
Avraham would then respond, “Well,
where did all this food come from?”
“The store,” they retorted.
“Well, where did the store obtain the
food?”
“From a Wal-Mart!”
From the
pulpit
Rabbi
Ari Galandauer
Young Israel
“And Wal-Mart …?”
This would continue back and forth until
they realized that everything in the world
comes from a higher source, the Almighty!
And, one by one, Avraham would answer
their questions, doubts and concerns until
they were fully convinced that there is a God
who is in charge, who is constantly running
the show, and it is Him we ought to truly
thank for everything.
As we face the challenges of life, it is
with an awareness and appreciation that,
even though we are the ones doing and accomplishing, God is the one who grants us
success or failure. To impress this idea on
his guests, Avraham would sit them outside
in the open air, under the sky, moon and
stars, to focus on the beauty around them
and to contemplate how everything in this
world is from God.
It was for this reason that he would
specifically sit them under a tree. Because a
tree is something that man has to first labour
in. He first has to plough and plant and
weed. But, after all of man’s efforts, it’s still
not enough. We need God to bring down the
rain, for without it, nothing will grow.
Well, the same rules apply to us. We
work, we play and we have business deal-
ings. We do our best. But, we should never
fool ourselves into thinking we control the
outcome. Only God decides whether our actions will bear fruit.
This is the idea behind the mitzvah of the
sukkah. We leave our homes, our comfort
zone, and move outside exposed to all the elements, demonstrating our belief and trust in
the Almighty that He’s the one who truly
provides protection, not our man-made
sukkah walls.
Sukkot represents divine providence, because Avraham brought this concept to the
world, his descendants merited to have this
mitzvah which represents and teaches us,
that were all in Gods hands.
It is interesting that we, Avraham’s descendants, are most popularly referred to as
‘Jews.’ Not ‘Israelites’ or ‘Hebrews.’ Jews!
The name comes from the tribe of Yehuda, the tribe that established the Jewish
monarchy and the tribe that produces the
Moshiach. Yaakov’s wife, Leah, gave birth
to a fourth son and named him Yehuda with
the explanation, “This time I will thank
God.” The root of Yehuda’s name means “to
thank, or acknowledge.” We, as a people,
carry this title with pride as we acknowledge
God as our creator, and are thankful for the
opportunity and responsibility God gives us.
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 7
Controversy over cartoon is a tempest in a teapot
I’ve always found Parliament Hill and
its buildings to be an inspiring place. Not
because of the politics that play out there,
but because of the democratic ideals Parliament represents.
One of the most inspiring sights on
Parliament Hill is the Peace Tower. Built
in the 1920s as a memorial to Canada’s
fallen soldiers in the First World War, the
Peace Tower looms high over Parliament
Hill and, until the 1970s, was the tallest
structure in Ottawa.
When I see the Peace Tower, whether
up close on a visit to Parliament Hill or
just catching a fleeting, distant glimpse
from the 417, I am reminded of how privileged we are, as Canadians, to be living
in a free and democratic country. Canada
– however flawed our democracy may be
– is one of the world’s most democratic
countries.
Aside from its great height, one of the
most instantly recognizable features of the
Peace Tower is the clock with its four
faces looking to the north, south, east and
west.
The clock was a gift from the government of the United Kingdom in honour of
the 60th anniversary of Confederation in
1927.
In the centre of the Peace Tower
Editor
Michael
Regenstreif
clock’s face is a geometric figure consisting of a series of triangles made of molded glass that make up a 12-pointed starlike design. And within that 12-pointed
star-like figure, the dominant six points
look like the six-pointed Star of David, a
symbol of the Jewish people for the past
2,000 years.
Although the Star of David does appear to be within the clock face design, I
doubt the designer had any kind of a Jewish message in mind more than 80 years
ago.
I also don’t think Le Droit editorial
cartoonist Guy Badeaux – who draws
under the name ‘Bado’ – had any kind of
a Jewish message in mind when he drew
his September 20 cartoon marking the
opening of the fall Parliamentary session.
The cartoon is dominated by a traffic sign
in front of Parliament Hill indicating a
slippery road ahead.
Although
the Star of David
does appear to be
within the
clock face design,
I doubt the designer
had any kind
of a Jewish message
in mind.
As you can read in a news report on
page 2, a controversy has erupted over
whether the cartoon, which we show in
the report, is anti-Semitic.
Officials of B’nai Brith Canada say
that it is, that it represents the idea that
Jews control the Canadian government,
and that the cartoon will be used by antiJewish and Islamist websites to spread
anti-Semitism.
According to Badeaux, the cartoon had
nothing to do with Jews; that’s just how
he draws a simplified version of the clock
face design.
The Canadian Jewish Congress and the
Quebec Jewish Congress are standing be-
hind Badeaux, who, they say, has been a
good friend to the Jewish community over
the years. Badeaux recently participated in a
panel discussion of cartoonists organized by
the Quebec Jewish Congress in Montreal.
It’s all quite the tempest in a teapot.
There are battles to be fought against antiSemitism, but the Le Droit cartoon does
not seem to be one of them. Without any
evidence to suggest any anti-Semitic intent on Badeaux’s part, I would agree with
the Canadian Jewish Congress position
that we should accept his explanation and
put this issue in the forget-about-it file.
B’nai Brith Canada, though, wouldn’t
let go of the issue.
“The cartoon’s message is clear to
those who understand the history of antiSemitic imagery,” said B’nai Brith Canada CEO Frank Dimant in the September
30 issue of B’nai Brith’s Jewish Tribune
newspaper.
Ironically, the page in the Tribune with
Dimant’s comments was dominated by a
large advertisement for a film called Jews
and Baseball: An American Love Story.
The graphic in the ad is a baseball whose
seam stitching pattern is of Stars of David.
Every stitch is another Star of David.
So, just who is it that controls baseball?
Question Period: ‘red-faced, finger-pointing, name-calling theatrics’
Shortly before members of Parliament
gathered up their briefcases and returned
to work late last month after an extended
summer vacation, they were greeted with a
sobering performance review from their
employers.
That’s us, of course: The Canadian
people.
Five days before Parliament opened, a
non-partisan think-tank called the Public
Policy Forum released poll findings showing that Canadians think their MPs stink.
I’m paraphrasing a bit here. Poll respondents didn’t quite say that MPs stink.
But a majority of them felt federal politicians are falling far short in the performance of one of the most prominent part
of their jobs: Question Period.
Question Period, of course, is only a
very small part of what MPs do. It’s a 45minute exercise that takes place on days
the House of Commons is sitting. The rest
of those days are devoted to less publicized, more sober and often productive activities, such as legislative debates and
committee meetings.
But Question Period is what many
Canadians think about when they think
about what MPs do on Parliament Hill. It’s
the House of Commons activity that gets
shown most frequently on the nightly
news because it’s the time when the political story of the day plays out most dramatically and most publicly.
Alan Echenberg
And the more they think about Question Period, the more Canadians think that
it stinks.
Two-thirds of the respondents to the
Public Policy Forum’s poll agreed that
“Question Period is just a forum for politicians to grandstand for the media and try
to score cheap, short-term political
points.”
The poll also found a majority (56 per
cent) of Canadians “think less of our system of government when (they) see scenes
from Question Period,” and that two-thirds
believe “Question Period needs to be reformed and improved.”
Ironically enough, Question Period itself was introduced many decades ago as a
reform and improvement of Parliament,
said Public Policy Forum President David
Mitchell. It was created to give the opportunity for regular backbench members of
Parliament to ask pertinent questions of
cabinet ministers.
According to Mitchell, the decline of
Question Period began when cameras were
introduced in the House of Commons in
the late 1970s and MPs started to use a
time intended for serious questions to instead, well, “grandstand for the media and
try to score cheap, short-term political
points.”
Nowadays, it has become more of a
forum for red-faced, finger-pointing,
name-calling theatrics than a chance for
elected representatives to get civilized
answers from the government about the
pressing issues of the day.
Teachers are embarrassed to bring their
students on field trips to Parliament to witness behaviour that would net their students detentions or suspensions if emulated back in class.
It’s important to note that some observers say the source of the problem is
not cameras in the House, but rather too
few cameras there, and that a lot of the
heckling and bad behaviour that turns off
Canadians might be reduced if its perpetrators could be better identified and publicly shamed.
Clearly, the problem is compounded by
the fact that we have had minority Parliaments in Canada for more than six years
and counting. To some extent, the growing
nastiness of Question Period reflects the
general nastiness of federal politics in an
extended period of uncertainty and heightened partisanship.
In concert with its poll release, the Pub-
lic Policy Forum held a one-day conference to discuss ideas for reforming Question Period. Conference participants included MPs from different parties, perhaps
recognizing that the status quo is becoming increasingly unpalatable to Canadians,
and is hurting all of their reputations.
They came up with a list of 10 very
practical recommendations, including
giving the Speaker of the House more authority, and allocating more time for MPs
to ask more substantive questions and receive more substantive answers.
The recommendations agreed with those
of Conservative MP Michael Chong,
whose private member’s motion to reform
Question Period may soon come to a vote.
But hopes for an immediate change in
the tone of federal politics and an increase
in goodwill and civility in Parliament were
quickly dashed when MPs finally did
come back to work.
The finger-pointing and name-calling
began again right where they left off last
spring, and spilled out beyond the confines
of the House of Commons into a heavily
partisan speech by Finance Minister Jim
Flaherty to an audience expecting sober
economic analysis.
If politicians do not find the will to
change that tone, they’ll continue to debase their profession and alienate their employers.
That’s us.
Page 8 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Temple Israel to celebrate
Heather Cohen’s 21 years
as executive director
By Annette Paquin for Temple Israel
This year marks Heather Cohen’s 21st year as
executive director of Temple Israel. She is well
known at Temple Israel, and within Ottawa’s Jewish
community, for her unfailingly positive attitude, care
and concern, endless patience and professionalism.
Heather’s greatest loves are her family and her
dogs and, although she is somewhat shy about
celebrations or recognitions in her honour, Temple
Israel is planning a special celebration that will reflect
Heather’s personal style and passions: a garden party
for people and dogs.
The Ottawa Humane Society will be part of the
celebration and, in recognition of Heather’s service
milestone, will be raising funds to have her name
appear on the donor wall in the lobby of the new
Humane Society building.
The garden party honouring Heather Cohen will
be held Sunday, October 17, 1:30-3:00 pm at Temple
Israel. People and dogs are welcome.
RSVP to [email protected].
An RSVP is necessary to ensure there are enough
dog cookies and people cookies too!
A garden party for people and
dogs, October 17, will celebrate
Heather Cohen’s 21 years as executive director of Temple Israel.
From the Archives
Jewish-owned family businesses
Elaine Schwartz of Ottawa Leather Goods – which will celebrate 90 years of
business in November – responded to the Ottawa Jewish Archives appeal for information and records about Jewish-owned family businesses and arrived at the
Archives recently with a briefcase full of advertisements and articles about the
store, including this one from 1939.
Elaine’s grandfather, George M. Wolf, began operations at 92 Bank Street in
the Keith Theatre building in 1921. Ten years later, business was so successful
they had to move to larger quarters at 126 Sparks Street. An invitation to the
store’s opening event mentioned “Trunks, Novelties and Ladies’ Handbags, representing the best domestic and foreign makers.”
In September 1966, Ottawa Leather Goods moved to its current location at
179 Sparks Street, on the mall. By that time, George Wolf, Jr. had joined the business, which continued to supply high quality leather goods to travellers from Ottawa, including the diplomatic community, and tourists visiting the nation’s capital. Elaine and her husband, Eric Schwartz, are looking forward to celebrating
the success of Ottawa Leather Goods, which they have been a part of for more
than 30 years.
If you have a story to tell about your family business, contact Laurie Dougherty at the Ottawa Jewish Archives at 613-798-4696, ext. 260.
(Photo courtesy Ottawa Jewish Archives)
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 9
Advertorial
JEWISH
NATIONAL
FUND
More than trees
613.798.2411
Brian Pearl
president
Chag Sameach: KKL-JNF’s forest rangers
set up sukkahs in seven different popular sites
“You will dwell in booths seven days.”
(Leviticus 23:42)
As I write,
Sukkot will be
starting in a few
days. Israelis appreciate this holiday enormously,
and it is also a
wonderful time to
visit there. As a
service to the public enjoying the
Sukkot festival,
KKL-JNF set up
sukkahs in its
forests all around
the country. This
enabled those wishing to observe the commandment of
sitting in a sukkah to do so, adding immeasurably to the
pleasure of their vacation time. The sukkahs were built
in sites that attract the greatest number of visitors
throughout the year.
In the North, kosher sukkahs were built at the Biryah
Fortress and the Hula Lake Park where thousands of
people thronged to take part in the varied activities offered during the festival. At the Lavi Forest, the sukkah
was set up September 26 in special honour of the olive
harvest event that KKL-JNF held on that day. In the centre of the country, KKL-JNF’s forest rangers set up
sukkahs in seven different popular sites, including in the
Jerusalem Metropolitan Park – in which KKL-JNF is a
partner with the Jerusalem Development Authority and
the Nature and National Parks Authority. In the South,
vacationers were able to enjoy the mitzvah of the
sukkahs at the Angels Forest, Yeruham Park and also in
the Golda Park. All the sukkahs (apart from the special
olive harvest ones) were open to the general public
throughout all the days of the festival.
Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post
to speak in Ottawa on November 8
Ottawa JNF is pleased to announce that Gil Hoffman,
chief political correspondent and analyst for the
Jerusalem Post, will be speaking in Ottawa on November 8. Hoffman is closely connected with both Israeli
and Palestinian leaders, has interviewed every major figure across the Israeli political spectrum, and is a regular
analyst on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and other news outlets.
The program, which is open to all members of the Ottawa Jewish community, is being sponsored jointly by
JNF Ottawa and Congregation Machzikei Hadas and
will take place at the Synagogue at 7:30 pm. Pease see
our ad in this Bulletin for details.
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).
Busy children at Terry Schwarzfeld Ottawa Daycare Centre in Akko, Israel.
Exciting opening meeting planned
for CHW Ottawa Centre, Oct. 26
By Anna Bilsky
CHW Ottawa Centre
The Ottawa Centre of
Canadian Hadassah-WIZO
(CHW) will hold its opening
meeting, Tuesday, October
26, at Temple Israel. Our special guests will be Marla Dan,
national president, and Alina
Ianson, national executive director, of CHW.
It promises to be a busy
and exciting evening with the
installation of the new executive for 2010-2012 and the
awarding of all our major trophies.
The Lillian Freiman Trophy will be presented to the
Amit Chapter. The trophy, established in 1956 by
Lawrence Freiman on behalf
of the Freiman family, is
awarded to the chapter
demonstrating the greatest
progress and initiative over
the course of two years.
Patsy Royer will receive
the Sadie Shapero Memorial
Trophy, established in 1991 to
honour a new member, for her
outstanding contribution to
CHW.
Betty Altman will receive
the Lena Coplan Cup. Established in 1967 by her daughter, Lillian Gertsman, it is
awarded biannually to the
woman who best exemplifies
the ideals of CHW.
Esther Awards will also be
presented by each chapter to
their deserving members.
The Ottawa Centre has a
special responsibility for the
day-care centre in Akko. The
centre has been renamed the
Terry Schwarzfeld Ottawa
Daycare Centre in memory of
our beloved Terry.
Ruth Kahane Goldberg,
president of Amit Chapter,
visited “our” day-care centre
in April and we are delighted
that she has agreed to tell us
about her visit and show her
slides. Ruth calls her talk,
Home Away From Home: The
Terry Schwarzfeld Ottawa
Daycare Centre. Thanks to
the support of CHW Ottawa,
the centre provides a warm
and stimulating environment
for 60 preschoolers from the
Russian, Ethiopian and Israeli
Arab communities in northern Akko.
And there’s more!
Six wonderful women, the
Friends of the Forest, have
produced a remarkable cookbook as a tribute to Terry’s
memory. This book contains
Terry’s recipes, along with
stories from her friends, and
many wonderful pictures.
Bobbi Soderstrom will have
copies of the book for anyone
wishing to buy one.
This will be an outstanding meeting and both CHW
members and non-members
are encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served.
The couvert is $10. For more
information, call Toby Yan at
613-224-4560.
MARK S. BORTS
Insurance & Financial Services
Mark S. Borts, B. Comm., CFP, CLU, CH.F.C, RHU
Telephone: 613 565 6275
Facsimile: 1 866 267 5635
Cell: 613 851 1198
[email protected]
Suite 950-130 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6E2
Page 10 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Temple Israel announces Books and Bagels series
By Anne Alper
for Temple Israel
Temple Israel invites the
community to attend our
2010-11 Books and Bagels
discussion series. This year,
three novels and two nonfiction books of interest to
the Ottawa Jewish community will be featured.
All the sessions will be
held on Sunday mornings at
Temple Israel, 1301 Prince
of Wales Drive, and will
begin with a complimentary
bagel breakfast at 9:30 am,
followed by the presentation and discussion at
10:00. Pre-registration is
not required and there is no
charge for the program.
October 17
Ottawa author Gabriella
Goliger will read from her
new novel Girl Unwrapped,
an achingly honest novel
about forbidden love, isolation, and the search for personal truth despite the stranglehold of family history. Gabriella will take questions from the audience following the reading. (Note:
See the review of Girl Unwrapped on page 20.)
November 28
Fortunée Shugar, an Ottawa artist born in Egypt,
will review The Man in the
White Sharkskin Suit: My
Family’s Exodus from Old
Cairo to the New World by
Lucette Lagnado (2007).
The book tells the story of
the life of the author’s father, a successful businessman and notorious boulevardier in Cairo during and
after the Second World War,
and the impact of the family’s painful exodus to Paris,
and eventually the United
States, to escape growing
anti-Semitism in Egypt
under President Gamal
Abdel Nasser.
December 12
Rabbi Steven Garten of
Temple Israel, who teaches
widely in the community
and is active in Ottawa’s interfaith dialogues, will review The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff
(2008). This novel is a
funny and entertaining story
of Jewish publicist Aimee
Albert who finds herself
falling for Josh Hirsch who
/($'(56+,3
)25$%(77(5
277$:$
mistakes her for a shiksa
and who has a different attitude toward Judaism than
she does.
points of view as well as the
Christian Arab and Muslim
perspectives. (Note: Exact
date to be announced.)
March 2011
Hal Burnham will review City of Oranges:
Arabs and Jews in Jaffa by
Adam
Lebor
(2006).
Through the stories of six
families, this book illuminates the underlying complexity of modern Israel
telling the story from the
Ashkenazi and Sephardic
April 2011
Day After Night by Anita
Diamant (2009) will be reviewed. This novel is set in
an immigrant holding camp
in 1945 Palestine where
four women, refugees from
Nazi Europe, find healing in
the bonds of friendship that
are forged while recounting
their loses. (Note: Exact
date and reviewer to be announced.)
These books are all available through the Ottawa Public Library and the Temple
Israel Library. The Malca
Pass Library at Agudath Israel Congregation and the
Greenberg Families Library
at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre carry some of
these titles as well.
For more information,
contact Shayla Mindell at
[email protected]
or at 613-594-4556.
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 11
Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program
at uOttawa offers new course
By Randal F. Schnoor
Vered Jewish Canadian
Studies Program
University of Ottawa
What is Jewish identity
in Canada today? Can it be
measured? Are there some
standard Jewish beliefs or
behaviours that must form a
part of an individual’s Jewish identity, or is each Jewish person free to express
his or her Jewish identity in
any way that he or she
pleases?
These and other important contemporary Jewish
questions are being ex-
plored in Sociology of Contemporary Canadian Jewish
Life, a new course I am offering at the University of
Ottawa this semester.
As a sociologist who has
taught a similar course at
York University, I was delighted to be invited by the
Vered Jewish Canadian
Studies Program to teach at
the University of Ottawa, to
work with Professors Seymour Mayne and Rebecca
Margolis, and to contribute
to the growing Vered Program at uOttawa.
A broad range of social,
cultural, political and religious issues of concern to
Canadian Jewry are analyzed in the course. These
include assimilation, intermarriage, ethnic integration
and economic mobility.
The course begins with
an historical overview of
the major immigration patterns of Jews to North
America. Canadian Census
data is used to develop a demographic profile of contemporary Canadian Jewry.
The course emphasizes
the pluralistic nature and diversity of Canadian Jewish
Best of Hebrew University
program to take place Oct. 21
Dr. Abraham Fainsod,
deputy chair of the Institute
for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) in the
Faculty of Medicine at the
Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, will deliver the
keynote address at the
Canadian Friends of Hebrew University’s annual
Best of Hebrew U program
taking place Thursday, October 21, 5:30 to 9:30 pm at
the Soloway Jewish Community Centre.
Fainsod’s keynote address, which follows a light
dinner, will discuss current
research at IMRIC and its
implications for medical ad-
vance and cures.
Following the keynote
address, there will be two
lecture sessions. The first, at
7:10 pm, offers two options:
Judaism as a (nation) State
with Professor Dan Avnon
and The Story of the Text of
the Bible with Dr. Michael
Segal.
The second session, at
8:30 pm, offers three options. Avnon will discuss
Civic Dilemmas in Israel,
Segal’s topic will be The
Writing is on the Wall:
Dream Interpretation in the
Book of Daniel, and
Fainsod will look at Stem
Cells: From Embryos to
Cancers.
Visit cfhu.org for further
information.
What’s happening at
Congregation Beth Shalom
Wednesday, October 13 Annual General Meeting
6:00 pm
Friday, October 15
Kabbalat Shabbat
6:00 pm • followed by Shabbat dinner
Wednesday, October 20 Eat • Learn • Kibbitz
12:00 pm Rabbi Scott Rosenberg
Watch
for more upcoming events
Watch for more upcoming events
Everyone
Everyoneis
is Welcome!
Welcome!
For more information, please contact the synagogue
at 613-789-3501 or [email protected]
www.bethshalom.ca
communities and particular
attention is paid to less studied Jewish groups, such
as ultra-Orthodox/Chasidic
Jews, Jewish women and
gay and lesbian Jews.
It also offers comparisons between Canadian
Jews and other Canadian
ethnic groups. There is
space for more students in
the course and those who
wish to audit the class are
also welcome.
The community is invited to hear Leo Davids, a
professor emeritus and senior scholar at York University, give a guest lecture in
the course. Davids’ lecture,
Yiddish and Hebrew in
Canada Today, will examine patterns of Yiddish and
Hebrew usage in Canada
over the past few decades.
The lecture, free of
charge, will take place
Monday, November 1, 5:456:45 pm, in room 8161 of
the Desmarais Building at
55 Laurier Avenue East.
Sociologist Randal F. Schnoor is a visiting professor
in the Vered Jewish Canadian Studies Program at
uOttawa.
Page 12 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
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 September 1 and 21, 2010 inclusive.
HONOUR FUNDS
Unlike a bequest or gift of life insurance,
which are realized some time in the future, a
named Honour Fund (i.e., endowment fund) is
established during your lifetime.
By making a contribution of $1,000 or more,
you can create a permanent remembrance for a
loved one, honour a family member, declare what
the Lodge has meant to you and/or support a cause
that you believe in.
A Hillel Lodge Honour Fund is a permanent
pool of capital that earns interest or income each
year. This income then supports the priorities designated by you, the donor.
Ruth and Irving Aaron Family Fund
In Memory of:
Edith Sporn by Ruth and Irving Aaron
Lou Pearl by Ruth and Irving Aaron
Bill and Leona Adler Memorial Fund
In Honour of:
Blanche and Joey Osterer Shana Tova by Elayne
Adler, Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler
Jack and Eva Minuk Shana Tova by Elayne Adler,
Farley, Jordan and Benjamin Stenzler
In Memory of:
Edith Sporn by Marilyn Adler
Samuel and Jean Akerman Memorial Fund
In Honour of:
Sheila and Larry Hartman Mazal tov on the birth of
your grandson by Sandy and Michael Shaver
Auxiliary of Hillel Lodge Fund
In Honour of:
Lillian and Mark Zunder Shana Tova by Liz and Jeff
Kofsky and family
Fred and Esther Ballon Family Fund
In Honour of:
Betty Ballon love and best wishes for a happy and
healthy New Year by Freddie, Esther and family
Norma and Phil Lazear and family With our love and
best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year by Esther
and Freddie Ballon
Dorothy Karp With our love and best wishes for a
happy and healthy New Year by Esther and Freddie Ballon
Friedberg and Dale Families Fund
In Honour of:
Marvin Avery Happy 60th Birthday by Elaine
Friedberg and Bob Dale.
Rabbi and Mrs. Yehuda Simes Mazel Tov on the birth
of your son by Elaine Friedberg and Bob Dale.
Gladys and Mark Zarecki Mazel Tov on the engagement of Elisha to Chani Gross by Elaine Friedberg and Bob
Dale.
Malcolm and Vera Glube Endowment Fund
In Honour of:
George and Elaine Citrome Congratulations on your
new granddaughter Macy by Vera and Malcolm Glube
R’fuah Shlema:
Norman Slover by Vera and Malcolm Glube
Nell Gluck Memorial Fund
In Memory of:
Helen Rosenthal by Henry and Maureen Molot
Gunner Family Fund
In Memory of:
Edith Sporn by Sol and Estelle Gunner
In Honour of:
Phyllis Sadowski Mazal tov on your 85th birthday by
Sol and Estelle Gunner
Nordau and Roslyn Kanigsberg Family Fund
In Honour of:
Libby and Stan Katz Happy 60th anniversary with
love by Roz and Nordau Kanigsberg
Naomi and Allan Cracower Happy 40th anniversary
with love by Roz and Nordau Kanigserg
In Memory of:
Abraham Davis by Susan and Jonathan Fisher
Dorothy and Maurie Karp Endowment Fund
In Memory of:
Carol Spiro by Etta Karp
Morris and Lillian Kimmel Family Fund
In Memory of:
Marvin Teitlebaum by Brenda, Nathan, Jesse and
Daniel Levine
Edith Sporn by Morris Kimmel and family
Donald E. Greene by Zaidy, Auntie Janice and
family and Auntie Brenda and family
In Honour of:
Janet Kaiman Mazal tov on becoming the best principal with love by Brenda, Nathan, Jesse and Daniel Levine
Morris Kimmel Shana Tova Metuka by Anna Heilman
Janet Kaiman and family Shana Tova Metuka by
Anna Heilman
Brenda Levine and family Shana Tova Metuka by
Anna Heilman
Morris Kimmel Best wishes on your special birthday
by Karyn and Bernie Farber
R’fuah Shlema:
Noreen Bosloy by the Kimmel, Kaiman and Levine
families
Bill and Phyllis Leith Family Endowment Fund
In Memory of:
Miriam Algom’s mother by Arlene and Seymour
Isenberg
Levenson-Polowin Feeding Fund
In Memory of:
Shirley Levenson by Marcia and Barry Cantor
In Honour of:
Jozef Straus Mazal tov on receiving an Honourary
Doctorate Degree from Carleton University by Inez
Zelikovitz
Mark Max Mazal tov on your special birthday by
Heidi Levenson Polowin and Stephen Polowin
Shelley and Sidney Rothman Family Fund
In Memory of:
Edith Sporn by Shelley, Stuart, Nina, PJ and Marshall
Rothman
Irma and Harold Sachs Family Fund
In Honour of:
Sheila and Larry Hartman Mazal tov on the birth of
your grandson by Irma Sachs
R’fuah Shlema:
Noreen Bosloy by Irma Sachs
Schachter-Ingber Family Fund
In Memory of:
Edith Sporn by Rachel, Howard, Davida and Josh
Schachter
Stephen and Debra Schneiderman Family Fund
In Memory of:
Mary Brewer by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman
Edith Sporn by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman.
Irving Adessky by Debra and Stephen Schneiderman
Harold and Lillian Shoihet Memorial fund
In Memory of:
Rose Wald by David Shoihet and family
In Honour of:
Taylor Siegel Shana Tova and Mazal tov on your sister
Ashley’s wedding by Dovid Shoihet
Milton and Mary (Terry) Viner Family Fund
In Observance of the Yahrzeit of:
Ida Schleider by Millie Schaenfield
R’fuah Shlema:
John Greenberg by Millie Schaenfield
Anna and Samuel Wex Family Fund
In Memory of:
Irving Bloomberg by Anna and Sam Wex
Carole and Norman Zagerman Family Fund
In Memory of:
Carol Spiro by Carole and Norman Zagerman
In Honour of:
Helen Saipe Wishing you a very happy birthday by
Carole and Norman Zagerman and Andrea Arron
Therapeutics Fund
In Memory of:
Mary Brewer by Sonja and Ron Kesten
Edith Sporn by The Residents, Board and Staff of
Hillel Lodge; by Corinne and Sheldon Taylor and family;
by Sheela and Ozzie Silverman; by Norman and Elaine
Wolfish; by Carolyn and Sid Katz; by Carol and Lawrence
Gradus; Pinchas and Barbara Pleet; by Kurt and Ron
Brewer; by Beth Roodman; by Jerry and Lily Penso; by
Sam and Dora Litwack; by Anna and Ron Cantor; by Ken
Kavanat; by Marsha and Art Saper; by Dee and Yale
Gaffen; by Beverley and Abe Feinstein; by Cathy and Dan
Sigler; by Brenda, Jerry and Eytan Rip; by Barb Fine; by
Bonnie and Sherwin Lyman; by Helen Trachtenberg; and
by Joe and Sheila Nadrich
R’fuah Shlema:
Sam Litwack and a happy and healthy New Year to
Dora and Sam by Sonja and Ron Kesten
**************
IN HONOUR OF:
Claire Bercovitch Wishing you a Happy New Year and
continued good health by Anna and Ronny Cantor.
Libby and Stan Katz Shana Tova by Cila Farber
Mrs. Malca Feig by Cila Farber
Izzy and Mary Farber and family by Cila Farber
Barry and Zahava Farber and family by Cila
Farber
Len and Barb Farber and family by Cila Farber
Elaine Friedberg, Jonathan and Bob Dale Wishing
you a sweet and Happy New Year by Kathi Kovacs and
Irwin Schweitzer
Lynn and Brian Keller Congratulations on the birth of
your grandson Sawyer by Roz and Steve Fremeth
Marcy and Tony Manne Congratulations on the birth
of your granddaughter by Roz and Steve Fremeth
Faigy and Zack Muroff Mazel Tov on the birth of
your grandchild by Kathi Kovacs and Irwin Schweitzer
Gladys and Mark Zarecki Mazel Tov on Elisha’s
wedding by Kathi Kovacs and Irwin Schweitzer.
Mr. and Mrs. Burt Gorenstein Happy New Year and
Mazal tov on your 50th wedding anniversary by Ingrid
Levitz
Margo Kardish Happy birthday by Marsha and Art
Saper
Harry Kamen Congratulations on receiving your
Master’s Degree by Yvonne and Yehuda Azuelos
Debi Shore Mazal tov on being honoured by the Hillel
Lodge Auxiliary by Ruth and Arthur Kizell
Semyon Ioffe Happy 65th birthday by Arnie and
Chevy Fine
Arthur Kizell Congratulations on your 85th birthday
with love by Sara and Josh Epstein
Barbara and David Slipacoff Mazal tov on the birth
of your granddaughter Lyla Faith by Dee and Yale Gaffen
Maureen and Mark Farovitch Mazal tov on the birth
of your grandson Luca Charlie by Dee and Yale Gaffen
IN MEMORY OF:
Mary Brewer by Cathy and Bruce Loucks; by Horace
and Muriel Beilin; by Anita Rosenfeld; Barbara and Sy
Gutmajer; Carol Pascoe; Anna and Ronny Cantor; by
Harriette and Saul Brottman; and by Dr. Simi Silver
Lil Rosenhek by Arlene and Norman Glube
Helen Rosenthal by Debi and David Shore; by
Maureen Kirvan; by Anna Bergant; by Lisa Gorra; by the
lawyers and staff of Stikeman Elliott Ottawa; Anna and
Ronny Cantor; Shelley Kamin; by Zachary and Faigy
Muroff and family; and by Jackie, Gary and family
Rebie Schwartz by Roz and Steve Fremeth
Lily Tonchin by Ingrid Preuss; by Sari Adler
Rose Wald by Anna and Ronny Cantor
Rita Wanless by Ingrid Levitz
Morton Meyer Roodman by Brenda, Jerry and Eytan
Rip
Irving Adessky by Rhonda, Danny, Sam, Zachary and
Shelby Levine
R’FUAH SHLEMA:
Ed Cohen by Estelle Backman
Norman Slover by Anna and Ron Cantor
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 Bev at 613-728-3900, extension 111, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Friday. You may also e-mail your orders to
[email protected]. 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 – October 11, 2010 – Page 13
Patinkin tackles an Anne Frank obsession in new play
By Sue Fishkoff
Berkeley, Calif. (JTA) –
Mandy Patinkin says he only
plays Jewish characters.
Che Guevara, his Tony
Award-winning role in the
1980 Broadway play, Evita,
Jewish? Inigo “prepare to
die” Montoya in The Princess
Bride, also Jewish?
“Everything I do is Jewish. It’s who I am. It’s my
soul,” said Patinkin, 57,
whose 30-year career on
stage and screen ranges from
Barbra Streisand’s love interest in Yentl to Mamaloshen,
his traveling celebration of
Yiddish music.
Patinkin is currently appearing in Compulsion, a new
play about the world’s enduring fascination with Anne
Frank, at the Berkeley Repertory Theater. The production
will open at the Public Theater in New York February 1.
Compulsion is playwright
Rinne Groff’s fictionalized
tale of the true story of Meyer
Levin, an ambitious writer
obsessed for 30 years with
producing his own theatrical
version of Anne’s diary, a
right he claims was stolen
from him by the people behind the 1955 Broadway
play, The Diary of Anne
Frank.
The intensity Patinkin
brings to his work stands him
in good stead to play Sid Silver, the Levin character in
Compulsion. Silver, like
Levin, is seared by images
from the concentration camps
and absorbed with bringing
what he believed was Anne’s
true message to the world
versus what he called the “deJudaized” version of the
Broadway play and later Hollywood film.
“Anne was not a univer-
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salist, she was a Jewish idealist,” Patinkin said. “That was
the core of [Levin’s] argument.”
It
was
playwrights
Frances Goodrich and Albert
Hackett and producer Kermit
Bloomgarden who universalized Anne’s story for American audiences in the 1950s.
That was their goal, Groff
says, perhaps understandably.
Anne’s diary was, after all,
the first widely published account of the horrors of the
Holocaust, before the searing
works by Elie Wiesel and
Primo Levi.
Groff’s play “didn’t just
speak to me, it shouted at
me,” said Patinkin, who read
the script last year and immediately told director Oskar
Eustis it would be “illegal”
for the play to be put on without him. “I was stunned at
how it hit a nerve in my soul,
on so many levels.”
Patinkin says his Jewish
identity was “shaken to the
core” by a recent trip to
Auschwitz-Birkenau
and
Theresienstadt.
“It was the sound of the
train tracks that finally undid
me,” he said. “I was headed
back to Warsaw to continue
to other places, and I had to
stop; I couldn’t go any further. I couldn’t separate out
how I was going to get off, go
to a pretty hotel and have a
nice meal, but if I closed my
eyes, those sounds would
have been taking me to a gas
chamber.”
Paul Dewar, MP/Député Ottawa Centre
Working for you! / Au travail pour vous!
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• provide assistance with federal agencies
• arrange letters of greetings
for special occasions
• answer questions about federal legislation
• listen to your feedback
Je suis heureux de:
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Saying he “can’t understand” how people can sit by
and let something like the
Holocaust happen, Patinkin
added, “You can say I’m
naive, that I don’t get it, but
neither did Anne. She believed, as she says repeatedly
and as we repeat in this play,
that people are really good at
heart.”
But, Compulsion isn’t
about Anne. It’s about one
man’s obsession with Anne
and, by extension, Groff says,
the notion of many that only
they truly understand the
young diarist.
That was Levin’s mishegas, too. He read Anne’s
diary in the late 1940s and
extracted a verbal agreement
from her father, Otto, to the
stage rights. But Levin’s version was deemed unsuitable,
other writers were brought in
and Levin sued the bunch of
them, including Otto Frank.
He won, they appealed and
the case was settled by a
panel of “Jewish experts”
who awarded Levin $15,000
in damages while ordering
him to give up his quest.
Levin never did, and that’s
the heart of Compulsion.
“It’s about his obsession
with an idealistic vision of
humanity that this child represented, and his core belief
that it must be respected, protected and guarded in perpetuity, and rekindled every
day,” Patinkin said. “This
play asks us to what degree
are we willing to go for what
we believe in? Is the cost
worth it? Are we living in a
world of endless compromise?”
Patinkin has a long involvement with Jewish and
Israeli causes. He received
the 2000 Peace Award from
Americans for Peace Now, is
a board member of the Jewish
sustainability
non-profit
Hazon, and supports the
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.
He said his activism stems
from the lessons he learned
growing up at Rodfei Zedek
on Chicago’s South Side, as
well as at the family dinner
table.
“Forgiveness, compassion
and Tikkun Olam,” Patinkin
said. “It’s pretty simple. Repair the world. My world,
your world, our children’s
world, the Middle East world,
the world of the environment,
health care, ethics, all those
worlds.”
See photo on page 15.
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Page 14 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
l
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 15
Cyclists gather at Hillel Lodge just before their 54-km ride in the annual Biking for Bubbies Bike-a-thon, September 19.
Second annual Biking for Bubbies Bike-a-thon a success
By Estelle Gunner
for Hillel Lodge
Perfect weather, 40 fit cyclists, 17 resident-bikers, dedicated volunteers and many
generous sponsors and donors conspired to
ensure the phenomenal success of the Bess
and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge’s
second annual Biking for Bubbies Bike-athon on Sunday, September 19. By press time,
more than $50,000 had been raised for the
Lodge’s operations.
This year’s participants were instantly recognizable in their sky blue T-shirts with the
Biking for Bubbies logo designed by Irv Osterer. Each bike was adorned with a card with
the names of three Lodge residents and cyclists followed a 54-km route that began and
ended at the Lodge.
Residents contributed to the effort by totalling up their distances on the exercise bike
at the Lodge over several weeks. The residents combined to add 224 kilometres to the
bike-a-thon total.
On their return to the Lodge, the cyclists,
and the residents, were treated to lunch and a
concert from A Touch of Klez.
The next Biking for Bubbies Bike-a-thon
is scheduled for September 2011.
You can volunteer to participate by
contacting
Seymour
Mender
at
[email protected].
Donations are still being accepted for this
year’s bike-a-thon. Call the Hillel Lodge
Foundation at 613-728-3900, ext. 111. Your
donation would be most appreciated by our
bubbies and zadies!
Lunchtime in the sukkah
Mandy Patinkin plays a man obsessed with the story of Anne Frank
in the play Compulsion, now in Berkeley, California and opening
February 1 in New York. See story on page 13. (Photo: Joan Marcus)
(From left) Justin Azerrad, Max Sandler and Jake Nemiroff, Grade 7 students at the Ottawa Jewish
Community School, in the sukkah outside the Joseph and Rose Ages Family Building at lunchtime
on Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot.
(Photo: Michael Regenstreif)
Page 16 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
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The Embassy of Israel in Canada
and The Jewish Federation of Ottawa present
The Raanana Symphonette
Orchestra of Israel
Alma Rosé: From Vienna to Auschwitz
Laurence Wall, CBC News - Master of Ceremonies
Launch
Event
Tuesday, November 9
7:30 pm • Tickets $18
Shenkman Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard, Orleans
Tickets: (613) 580-2700
More Info: Sarah Beutel (613) 798-4696, ext 253
or [email protected]
or www.jewishottawa.com
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 17
Israel’s Vice Prime Minister
and Minister of Strategic Affairs
to speak October 13
at the Solowway JCC
Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon,
Israel’s Vice Prime
Minister and Minister
of Strategic Affairs,
will be in Ottawa
to discuss the
Contemporary
Strategic
Challenges
of Israel and the
Western World.
Letters welcome
Letters to the Editor are welcome if they are brief, signed, timely and of interest to our readership.
The Bulletin reserves the right to refuse, edit or condense letters.
The Mailbag column will be published as space permits.
Send your letters to Michael Regenstreif, Ottawa Jewish Bulletin, 21 Nadolny Sachs Private,
Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9; or e-mail him at [email protected].
Wednesday,
October 13
7:00 pm
Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon
Social Hall
Soloway JCC
21 Nadolny Sachs Private
Ya’alon’s illustrious military career began in 1968,
when he was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) and culminated with his appointment as the
IDF’s Chief of Staff in 2002 where he served in this
capacity until 2005.
He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Adelson
Institute for Strategic Studies at the Shalem Center
and serves as the chairman of the Center for Jewish
Identity and Culture at Beit Morasha in Jerusalem.
This program is presented by the Jewish Federation
of Ottawa and the Vered Israel Cultural and
Educational Program. Admission is free.
For further information contact Francie Greenspoon
at (613) 798-4696, ext. 255
or [email protected]
Page 18 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Analysis: Why Israel allowed the settlement freeze to expire
By Uriel Heilman
JERUSALEM (JTA) – In the four weeks
after direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed, settlement construction was widely
identified as the most immediate obstacle to
the survival of negotiations.
In media accounts about the diplomatic
standoff over the issue, Israel’s decision not
to extend its self-imposed 10-month freeze
on settlement building has been portrayed as
a slap in the face to the Obama administration, deepening Israel’s occupation of the
West Bank and creating more stumbling
blocks to a final peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians.
In the week leading to the freeze’s September 26 expiry date, world leaders reportedly telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge him to extend it.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for
an end to settlement building following a
meeting in Paris with Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas, and Quartet
peacemaking envoy Tony Blair met with Netanyahu twice over four days. All to no avail.
“Of course we don’t want to end negotiations; we want to continue,” Abbas told Europe 1 radio, after the freeze ended. “But if
colonization continues, we will be forced to
end them.”
In Israel, the response was the rumbling
of earth-moving equipment headed for construction sites in the West Bank.
That’s because what is perceived around
the world as Israeli stubbornness is seen
much differently in Israel. The differences in
outlook cut to the heart not only of how Israelis view these negotiations, but how they
view the future border between Israel and a
Palestinian state.
In Jerusalem, it is the Palestinians who
are seen as stubborn for sticking to their insistence that settlement building be halted
before coming to the negotiating table.
Never before had such a precondition been
imposed on negotiations; in the past, Israelis
and Palestinians talked while both continued
to build in their respective West Bank communities.
Having offered the freeze unilaterally 10
months ago to coax the Palestinians back to
the negotiating table and to satisfy U.S. demands for an Israeli good-will gesture, the
Israeli government sees itself as the accommodating party whose gesture was never
reciprocated. Rather, it took the Palestinian
Authority nine months to agree to resume
negotiations, leaving virtually no time for
substantive progress before the freeze expired.
Then there are the political considerations: Netanyahu’s right-leaning coalition
partners made clear that extending the freeze
was a nonstarter. Perhaps most important,
however, the freeze was seen by many Israelis as unfair.
The vast majority of the 300,000 or so
Jews who live in the West Bank are families
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living in bedroom communities within easy
commuting distance of Jerusalem or metropolitan Tel Aviv. While some Israelis moved
to the settlements for ideological reasons, for
many the motivating factor was economic:
Housing was much cheaper in the West Bank
than in Israel proper.
What’s more, for decades the government
offered Israelis economic incentives to settle
across the Green Line – the 1949 armistice
line that marked the Jordan-Israel border
until the 1967 Six Day War.
During the freeze, these Israelis saw
themselves as unfairly penalized: Why were
they barred from expanding their homes
when their Palestinians neighbours were
not?
“Stop making us look like monsters,”
Yigal Dilmoni, director of the information
office for the Yesha Council, the settlers’
umbrella organization, told JTA in a recent
interview.
The problem, of course, stems from the
ambiguous nature of Israel’s presence in the
West Bank.
Most nations view the area as illegally
occupied by Israel. The Israeli government
views it as disputed territory captured from
Jordan in the 1967 war. While Israel annexed
some territories captured in that war (Eastern
Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan Heights
from Syria) and withdrew from others either
unilaterally or within a peace deal (the Sinai
Peninsula in a deal with Egypt, the Gaza
Strip unilaterally), Israel left the West Bank
in legal limbo.
The Palestinians claim
the land as the site of their
future state.
In Israel, many on the
right believe that Israel
should not cede an inch, and
many on the left say settlements are a crime and the
West Bank should be entirely Palestinian. But the ma-
jority Israeli view is that most of the West
Bank will end up as Palestine while parts of
it – large Jewish settlement blocs adjacent to
the Green Line – will be annexed to Israel.
In almost all the scenarios, Israel plans to
keep the major settlement blocs. Among
them are Gush Etzion, a largely religious
cluster of towns with some 55,000 people
less than 10 miles from Jerusalem; Maale
Adumim, a mixed religious-secular city of
some 35,000 about five miles east of
Jerusalem; and Modiin Illit, a Haredi Orthodox city of some 45,000 located less than
two miles inside the West Bank, halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
More difficult is Ariel, a city of 18,000 located approximately 13 miles inside the
West Bank. Israel also aims to keep the
smaller settlements near the West Bank-Israel boundary. This plan encompasses the
vast majority of the settler population.
Israeli officials say they have received assurances from U.S. officials that this would
be the case – most notably in the April 2004
letter by then-president George W. Bush to
then-Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon.
Operating under this assumption, the Israeli government viewed a complete, openended settlement freeze as unreasonable: If
the major settlement blocs will be Israeli,
why stop building within them?
After 10 months of an experimental
freeze to see what it would elicit from the
Palestinians, their return to the negotiating
table was not enough. It was time for the experiment to end.
R ESPECT. T RADITION.
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Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 19
We can all learn from the conversion process
Most of the recent talk about Jewish conversion has focused on the controversial conversion bill in Israel. But less
discussed is what Jews everywhere might learn from the
conversion process for our own Jewish identity and practice.
For most non-Orthodox Jews, the biggest amount of
Jewish learning takes place in the formative years. Let’s say
the typical cycle for an engaged Jewish kid is some form of
elementary Jewish education, some Shabbat and holiday
celebrations in the home, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, maybe a
high school youth group, summer camp or an Israel trip
and, possibly, a Jewish studies course in university. But, by
the time marriage and parenthood roll around, the typical
Jewish adult will have had a decade or more of very thin
Jewish intellectual and spiritual life.
Contrast that with adult converts to Judaism. As Jews
by choice, these individuals have spent considerable time
learning about Jewish life through a mature lens. They
have had the opportunity to bring an analytical eye to the
study of Jewish history, culture, texts and liturgy. Since
they come from other faith backgrounds, they can view
Jewish ritual and symbols in broad, societal context. At a
personal level, they are forced to think about how Judaism
will fit into their own adult lives. And, to boot, they have
had the opportunity to develop an adult relationship with a
rabbi.
If my kids are anything like me and most of my friends,
by the time they are ready to get married, they will have left
home for university, travelled overseas and met a life partner somewhere along the way. Come their nuptials, they
may or may not pop into their home town – where they may
or may not choose to settle – for their wedding celebrations.
And they probably won’t have given a lot of thought to the
precise kind of Jewish life they plan to embark on as spouses and as parents.
In the days following the birth of my first child, I recall
devouring a book given to me as a baby gift: Becoming a
Jewish Parent, by Rabbi Daniel Gordis. (The best nugget I
recall is that Jewish holidays are not Christian-holiday
equivalents. Purim is Purim, not a Jewish Halloween.
Chanukah is Chanukah, not a Jewish Christmas.) It was in
those pages, mostly bed-bound while nursing my baby
daughter, that I first seriously envisioned the kind of Jewish
home I wished to help run.
But, why wait until a few years into marriage to think
about Jewish life as adults? What would our Jewish lives,
as newly minted spouses and parents, look like if we were
required – by custom or convention – to undergo a process
of engaging with Judaism with a rabbi, say for a year prior
to the wedding?
Chances are we would be able to share our communal
and religious vision with our partner and help iron out differences early on. (Whether in an intermarried or in-married scenario, there is often some degree of religious tension.) We would be able to foresee a Jewish life that properly connects with who we are as adults – not necessarily
with whom we thought we were at age 12 or 13. This would
give us a chance to examine Judaism with the nuance it deserves. Jewish complexity is all too often lost in the types
of formative education more concerned with inculcating the
basics and forging simplified identities than with challenging the learner to think critically. And we would have the
support of a rabbi who has helped guide and challenge us
through our journey of self-discovery as Jewish grownups.
When my husband and I became engaged, living in
Washington, D.C. as graduate students, we eagerly shopped
for rings, flowers and musicians. On Sunday nights, we
headed downtown to the DCJCC – we hardly even noticed
that it was a Jewish community centre – to get tutored in big
band swing moves for our first dance.
It never occurred to us that a dose of adult Jewish edu-
Values, Ethics,
Community
Mira
Sucharov
cation might enrich our next phase together. We even lived
across the street from a synagogue whose doorway we
never thought to darken being the young, independently
minded, urban hipsters we fancied ourselves. We could
have discussed the range of theological perspectives open
to scientifically minded skeptics. We could have deepened
our knowledge of Judaic texts and ideas. (That shul, Temple Micah, is now the professional home of Ottawa native
Rabbi Esther Lederman and was named by Newsweek as
one of “America’s most vibrant congregations.”)
The challenge for converts – underscored by Israel’s increasingly hostile attitudes to North American conversions
– may be to feel at home in a community they were not born
into. But there’s a lot everyone can learn from the adult
conversion process for defining Jewish journeys.
Mira Sucharov, an associate professor of political science at Carleton University, is writing a book on nostalgia
and political change.
Is Turkey’s bid to join
the EU a Trojan Horse?
In the business world, in order to avoid the lengthy and
complex process of an initial public offering (IPO) and all
the associated dog and pony shows, people sometimes buy a
shell company that has very little value, products, services or
employees, at a fraction of what it would have cost to conduct an IPO. The only value the shell company brings is its
listing with the Security and Exchange Commission. Once
the acquisition is complete, the shell company takes over the
original company that wanted to be listed and, voilà, you
have yourself a listed and publicly traded company.
In Turkey’s September 12 constitutional referendum, a
slim majority of Turks preferred constitutional amendments
that, on the surface, enable Turkey to align itself with European legal and legislative standards and demands. The
changes, on the surface, allow Turkey to present its institutions as those of an open and democratic nation. But, looking under the hood, openness is receding and the questionable intentions of the ruling party, its questionable monetary sources and practices, and the strengthening Islamist
ideology of the ruling party, have been slowly eroding the
secular culture and undermining the power nationalists and
the judiciary once had.
While countries such as Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have
been funding the AKP (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Reconciliation Party) since the early
2000s as part of their foreign policy to influence increased
Islamist governance in Turkey (and globally), the AKP
seems to have expanded its circle of donors, which now
also includes neighbouring Iran. It is said that AKP is to receive as much as $12 million from Iran immediately with
an additional $25 million coming later this year. This is to
ensure Erdogan’s hold on power. While Europeans and
Americans see the referendum and legislative changes as
positive steps towards eventual integration with Europe,
Turkey sees itself building the shell for a reverse takeover.
This is what Iran, the Saudis and the Malaysians are betting
on.
Turkey has become an influential conduit for trade and
espionage for Iran since the sanctions were put in place.
Turkey is quickly assuming the role that Dubai and the
United Arab Emirates played before the sanctions. We may
see trade up to $30 billion within the next few years due to
this shift. Iran has further announced that it would now
openly fund IHH, the Turkish Islamic charity that supported last May’s flotilla to Gaza.
Germany and France are rather cool toward the idea of
Turkey’s union with Europe and are concerned that bringing in the largest Muslim nation in Europe, with the second
largest military force in NATO, and an Islamist government
to boot, will change the balance of power in the European
World
Affairs
Oliver
Javanpour
Union (EU).
As Erdogan is seeking to marginalize, and even eliminate, all secularists from the circles of power in Turkey, Europe will acquire a shell that would present some significant challenges.
Could this be a reverse takeover of the EU, not only by
Turkey, but by Islamists? Is this Turkey’s Trojan Horse?
And will the EU be in need of a poison pill to divest itself
of such a reverse takeover?
These are legitimate questions.
While the nation is ideologically polarized, the Turkish
economy is enjoying exponential growth due to the influx
of green money from Islamist states, groups and individuals. There is suspicion that some of Hamas and Hezbollah’s
drug money from South and Central America may have
found its way to be laundered and recycled in the country
as well. There is a lack of any credible statistics on the
sources of the green money as Iranian banks in Turkey operate with complete autonomy, even those thought to be associated with the Islamic Republic Guard Corp.
As the relationship between Iran and Turkey blossoms
further in the face of sanctions, we seem to be contributing
to the creation of a larger problem that our children will end
up trying to resolve. We need to remember that not all
democracies lead to the peaceful exercise of human rights,
respect, protection of minorities and equality. We have to
remember that Hamas was democratically elected.
Democracy is a funny business. When mixed with religious fundamentalism, it can yield unexpected dividends.
Turkey, with its Islamist president and prime minister, will
be restructuring its constitutional court, reforming the judiciary, and the unions – all in the name of democratization
and realignment with European expectations. So, while on
the surface, Turkey seems to be making significant advances in democracy and is realigning itself to enter Europe, we need to explore potential threats and ask whether
Europe is ready for Turkey’s interpretation of democracy
and its expectations of the EU.
Oliver Javanpour is a senior partner at Cyrus Echo specializing in public policy and international relations..
Page 20 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
A girl’s multilayered identity
is unwrapped in Goliger’s first novel
Girl Unwrapped
By Gabriella Goliger
Arsenal Pulp Press
336 pages
Ottawa writer Gabriella Goliger’s first book, Song of Ascent, published a decade ago, was an acclaimed collection of
short stories. Girl Unwrapped, her first full-length novel, tells
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the story of Toni Goldblatt and her multifaceted identity.
We first meet Toni as an eight-year-old girl in Montreal,
sitting down to Friday night Shabbat dinner with her Holocaust-survivor parents. At these Friday night dinners, Toni
hears more earfuls of her parents’ arguments about various
relatives than she’d ever care to. The conflicts that play out at
these Shabbat dinners set the scene for the conflicts, particularly with herself, that Toni will deal with as she passes
through adolescence and early adulthood.
As the story progresses, we follow Toni from her tomboy
adolescence in Montreal, and at summer camp in the Laurentians, to an extended stay in Israel not long after the Six Day
War, to her return to Montreal as a McGill student. Along the
way, she deals with the passing of her father and conflicts with
her mother, and with her own sexual awakening and first
loves.
Although the book is a work of fiction, Goliger explained
to Bulletin reporter Jacqueline Shabsove (Goliger examines
issues of identity in new novel, September 6, 2010) that it explores two defining aspects of her identity: her Jewishness and
her lesbianism.
“I drew on my own life and experiences, but emphatically,
this is not my story,” she said. “I very deliberately made it fictional, someone else’s story. The main character is not me.”
Indeed, Goliger writes from a third-person perspective. This
allows readers to see the story seemingly unfold through their
own eyes, rather than through those of a particular character.
The lesbianism that will become central to the story as
Toni matures is hinted at in the early pages by Toni’s total disinterest in the dolls most girls her age play with and by her
hostility to the very feminine clothing her mother sews for her.
A dirndl dress is described as “despicable” and a confrontation over her mother’s insistence that she dress appropriately
for Shabbat dinner escalates into a tantrum that drives her father behind closed doors with a migraine.
It’s at Camp Tikvah, at age 15, when Toni’s confusion over
her sexual identity reaches a crisis point. A crush on her counsellor leads to a breakdown that necessitates her leaving camp.
As Toni’s story continues to unfold in Montreal, the Jewish community, including her and her parents, is transfixed by
the events in the Middle East leading to the Six Day War in
1967.
After the war, Toni graduates from high school and earns a
scholarship to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It is in Israel where, away from her parents, Toni begins to resolve the
questions of identity that lie at the heart of Girl Unwrapped,
particularly after an encounter with Janet, the Camp Tikvah
counsellor who had moved to Israel to become a folksinger.
The sudden death of her father brings Toni back to Montreal where she continues her academic studies at McGill and
her ongoing self-discovery – and the conflict it brings with her
mother – in the then-underground lesbian bar scene.
As the book ends, Toni’s widowed mother has come to an
understanding and acceptance of the sexual identity her
daughter, at first, had tried to hide from her, and Toni, now liv-
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ing on her own in a small apartment in the McGill Ghetto, is
celebrating the openness and freedom that characterized Montreal in the summer of 1970 (just a couple of months before
the city would be transformed by the October Crisis).
Goliger’s writing shows a deft touch throughout the book.
The story and her characters, particularly Toni, are well served
by the observational style of the prose. And, although I have
much less in common with Toni than does Goliger, I did come
of age in Montreal at about the same time, and her settings of
times and places ring with authenticity.
Gabriella Goliger will read from Girl Unwrapped on Sunday, October 17, 9:30 am, at Temple Israel as part of the
Books ‘n Bagels series; and on Tuesday, October 26, 7:00 pm,
at the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, as part of the
Greenberg Families Library authors’ series.
For more information on the library event, call 613-7989818, ext. 245, or e-mail [email protected].
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 21
Did you know about Dr. Dan Lewinshtein’s awards?
• Dr. Dan Lewinshtein was presented with two Merit
Awards by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The
awards, given by the society for “exceptional contribution to
the research of genitourinary tract cancer,” were based on his
research into prostate cancer and testicular cancer. A graduate
of Hillel Academy, Dan attended McGill University Medical
School and completed a residency in urology at the University
of Montreal. He is currently enrolled in a two-year fellowship
in oncology at the Virginia Mason Medical Center and the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.
His parents, Sam and Rhona, are understandably proud.
• Michael Polowin has been listed in the 2011 edition of
The Best Lawyers in Canada, in the practice areas of municipal law and real estate law. Described by The American
lawyer magazine as “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice,” inclusion in this prestigious annual publication is based on an exhaustive, rigorous and confidential peer
review survey by over 320,000 Canadian lawyers.
• Mazal Tov to Michael Abbey, who has become a secondtime grandfather. Avery Abbey, born in Calgary to Jordan and
Lindsay Abbey, weighed more than nine pounds. Ouch! Michael
continues to travel the world, fixing the databases of governments and multinational corporations. His latest assignments
have taken him to Vietnam, Nigeria, Portugal and Uganda.
• Speaking of globetrotting, Michael’s wife, Sandy
Kronick-Abbey, has also been doing a bit of international
work-related travel. On sabbatical from her position as an instructor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Algonquin
College, Sandy is currently teaching hotel management in
Montenegro. Algonquin’s International Education Centre has
a satellite campus in the small southeastern European country
bordered by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania. A reciprocal arrangement with Algonquin allows students to transfer credits and complete their studies in
Canada. Earlier this summer, Sandy was instrumental in facilitating the on-time and efficient opening of the new Holiday
Inn Express hotel in Bells Corners.
• Just because she retired doesn’t mean Janet Yale is going
to slow down. The former executive vice-president of corporate affairs for TELUS Corporation is now chief executive officer of Scouts Canada. It’s no surprise that the new CEO has
ambitious plans for the ailing organization, beginning with increasing both membership and volunteer support.
• For 15 years, Solly Patrontasch has participated in the
Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research, and, for the past four
years, he has been the Ottawa run’s top fundraiser. This year,
he raised $11,591, far surpassing last year’s record $8,268.
Solly is a cancer survivor and one of the men who account for
one per cent of those have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
• They have all graduated from Dalhousie University and
Did you
know?
Benita Baker
moved away from Nova Scotia, but Zac Resnick, Michael
Schacter, Ben Sherman and Joey Hoffman happily returned
to Halifax in August to attend their friend’s wedding. While
there, they couldn’t resist checking out some of their old
haunts, like Sunday night at the famous Lower Deck Pub
down on the waterfront.
Shana Tova. My thanks to the many readers who tell me
how much they enjoy this column and to those who have kept
me informed. Please keep it coming. I firmly believe we
should announce and celebrate the milestones, the accomplishments and the events of our community. But – as I constantly stress – I cannot do it alone. Without your input, the
page is blank. If you know something we all should know, tell
me, so I can tell the community. Send e-mail to me at
[email protected].
IAC begins the year with Israeli wine and Canadian cheese
Elegantly dressed students, community members and politicians rubbed shoulders in the lobby of Congregation Beth
Shalom on September 16, as Ottawa’s citywide Israel Awareness
Committee (IAC) kicked off another year of activism on campus.
Israeli wine and Canadian cheese were served; a conspicuously symbolic pairing and an appropriate backdrop to the
evening’s political climate with Liberal MP Marlene Jennings
and Conservative MP Jeff Watson mingling among the crowd.
Watson, who travelled to Israel for the first time in July, said
the relationship between Canada and Israel has “never been
stronger,” and referenced the condemnation Prime Minister
Stephen Harper received for his support of Israel during its war
with Hamas in response to years of rocket attacks.
“We share the same fundamental values,” he said, mentioning freedom of speech, press, religion and democracy. “Why
should Canadians care about Israel? Because Israel matters?”
he exclaimed.
Events like these promote partnerships between Canada and
Israel and support the IAC mandate as enunciated on its Facebook page: “Israel Awareness Committee is a non-denominational group dedicated to engaging in debate, discussion, and dialogue on Israeli society … [and to] showcasing the political and
cultural life of Israel through innovative and engaging programming ... [IAC] endorses international recognition of Israel’s …
right to exist within secure and internationally recognized borders.”
One can expect to see big changes from the IAC for this academic year, said IAC Carleton President Alina Sherman.
“We are going to be heavily involved in campus politics,”
she said. “Israel shouldn’t always have to defend itself.”
Ilan Orzy, chair of marketing and communications for the
IAC, said they are working to get more people out to events in
support of IAC causes, “not just the Jewish community … We’re
not as big as we’d like to be … Any support is good support.”
Jennings spoke to this notion in her speech, saying she is
commonly asked why she, as a black, Canadian woman, is an
advocate for Israel.
“I was taught that you stand by your friends and, to me, the
Jewish community has always been a friend to people of
African ancestry and continues to be a friend.”
Jennings recalled her father bringing her to the Negro Community Centre in Montreal for music lessons, dance classes and
tutoring.
Campus
Life
Ilana Belfer
“That centre,” she said, “existed with the help of the Jewish
community.”
Jennings said a strain of anti-Semitism still exists within her
community. “When I tell them our history, many are flabbergasted,” she said. “It’s only the older generation that remembers … We have to get it to the younger generation.”
Israeli Apartheid Week, an annual campaign by Students
Against Israeli Apartheid Carleton (SAIA) and Solidarity for
Palestinian Human Rights uOttawa (SPHR), presents a foreseeable challenge for the IAC.
“As always, the goal is to demonize Israel as a bully,” said
Sherman. She stressed the importance of showing facts that
look beyond the information being spewed out by SAIA and
SPHR.
Orzy called Israeli Apartheid Week “one of the most detrimental things on campus.”
He said, “We’d very much like to remove it.”
Both members of Parliament also spoke out against the Israeli apartheid campaigns on campus.
“The opposition uses the mantra of free speech to deliver a
message filled with hate,” said Jennings. “When they pull out
the bit about Desmond Tutu, as much as I admire and love the
man … he has made a big mistake.”
“It’s no different than the link, made in the 1970s when I
was a student, that Zionism equals racism. Every decade there
has been a new attempt to demonize Jews and the State of Israel. We cannot allow that to happen,” she said.
Watson said the movement to demonize Israel as an
apartheid state was a new form of anti-Semitism.
“It needs to be openly resisted,” he said, encouraging other
public figures and students on campus to be active in publicizing the truth.
The Israel Awareness Committee provides those opportunities and is planning future events, including talks with Neil
Lazarus, an internationally acclaimed expert on Israel advocacy, on November 4, and Gil Hoffman, the chief political correspondent and analyst for the Jerusalem Post, on November 8.
Locations for both events are to be announced.
Page 22 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 23
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ENDOWMENT FUND
Congratulations to:
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for Bubbies for Hillel Lodge by Merle and Ricky
Moses.
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Katz and family.
FREEDHOFF FAMILY FUND
Thinking of you to:
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Segal.
Continued on page 24
Page 24 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
FOUNDATION DONATIONS
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COMMUNITY ENDOWMENT FUND
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MEMORIAL FUND
In observance of the Yahzeit of:
Annie Lang a dear aunt by Norman and Isabel Lesh
and family.
Arthur Kimmel a very dear father and grandfather
by Norman and Isabel Lesh and family.
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 2010 disbursements,
the request needs to be received in writing
by October 31st.
Please send your allocation instructions
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Speedy recovery to:
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FAMILY FUND
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MEMORIAL FUND
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Landau.
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JOHN AND ESTELLE LIBERMAN
ENDOWMENT FUND
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Speedy recovery to:
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ARNOLD AND ROSE LITHWICK
MEMORIAL FUND
Birthday wishes to:
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and family.
SAMUEL AND LEEMA MAGIDSON
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and family; and by Lilyan Philipp.
RHODA AND JEFFREY MILLER
FAMILY FUND
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family.
Anniversary wishes to:
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MEMORIAL FUND
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PEARL AND DAVID MOSKOVIC
ENDOWMENT FUND
Condolences to:
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the loss of a beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather by Joy and Michael Moskovic and family.
JEAN AND MAX NAEMARK
ENDOWMENT FUND
In observance of the Yahrzeit of:
Chenya Torontow, a beloved mother by Jean
Naemark.
In memory of:
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family.
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ENDOWMENT FUND
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MOE AND SARAH RESNICK
ENDOWMENT FUND
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MEMORIAL FUND
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Irving Adessky by Sheldon and Corinne Taylor.
SHELLEY AND SID ROTHMAN FAMILY FUND
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Continued on page 25
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 25
FOUNDATION DONATIONS
JOSEPH AND MOLLY SADINSKY
FAMILY ENDOWMENT FUND
In memory of:
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FAMILY FUND
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JAY B. TALLER MEMORIAL FUND
Mazal Tov to:
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In observance of the Yahrzeit of:
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father by Sally Taller.
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MEMORIAL FUND
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and family.
BARBARA AND GERALD THAW
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In memory of:
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Speedy recovery to:
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MOSES, CHENYA AND HENRY TORONTOW
MEMORIAL FUND
New Year wishes to:
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ELIZABETH AND ARNON VERED
FAMILY COMMUNITY FUND
In memory of:
Irving Adessky by Clair Krantzberg; Stanley and
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family; Elissa and Avraham Iny; Michael Landau and
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STEPHEN AND GAIL VICTOR
ENDOWMENT FUND
Speedy recovery to:
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In memory of:
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MIRIAM AND LOUIS WEINER
ENDOWMENT FUND
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MILDRED AND PERCY WEINSTEIN
ENDOWMENT FUND
New Year wishes to:
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Dorothy Nadolny by Mildred Weinstein and Bruce
Weinstein.
PINCHAS ZUKERMAN
MUSICAL EDUCATION FUND
In memory of:
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Kerson Leong by Evelyn Greenberg.
THE SAUL AND EDNA GOLDFARB
B’NAI MITZVAH PROGRAM
STACEY SAMANTHA KATZ
B’NAI MITZVAH FUND
New Year wishes to:
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Contributions may be made online at
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CARLSON WAGONLIT TRAVEL
EXCLUSIVE TOURS
January 29th, 2011 – BRIDGE WITH LIZ SCHWARTZ
Barcelo Maya Beach Resort. Ottawa direct flights
May 23rd, 2011 – “CREATING CULTURAL CONNECTIONS”
a CICF tour to Israel, escorted by Sara Vered and Norman Barwin.
Special world premier AIDA at Masada
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For complete details on these and other 2011 departures ...
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Page 26 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
I’m not always such a great cook
People always assume that, just because I went to cooking school and worked in a professional kitchen, everything I cook is delicious.
Nothing could be further from the truth. I screw up
plenty. I just don’t write about it. But, in the spirit of starting the new year with a clean slate, I thought I’d be honest and share a few of my disasters with you.
My earliest cooking disaster was back in the 70s when
Jell-O molds were all the rage. My mom used to make
whipped Jell-O desserts. My favourite was a red Jell-O
and frozen raspberry concoction that had sour cream or
whipped cream folded into it. It had a mousse-like consistency. Sometimes, when she was feeling a little exotic she
would make a green Jell-O and crushed pineapple variation. When that happened, I had to call my friend Corrie
immediately. It was her favourite.
I begged my mom to let me help her make the Jell-O
dessert. She had everything laid out on the counter and
gave me my instructions.
“When the water boils, add two packages of lime
Jell-O.”
She went upstairs to get the fish shaped Jell-O mold
and left me alone. In a few minutes, clouds of steam billowed out of that kettle, so I added the Jell-O powder –
right into the kettle! Suffice it to say, it was a while before
she let me help her again.
Many years ago, when my children were still small,
I accidentally put salt in the apple crisp instead of sugar. A
totally forgivable mistake, if you ask me. After all, I had
three kids under the age of four, so my brain was mush.
The very first time I made real macaroni and cheese –
not Kraft Dinner – I was so busy talking to my girlfriend
that I wasn’t paying attention to my béchamel sauce.
When I finally got around to stirring it, little black flecks
floated to the surface. Roger was sweet and told me it was
just black pepper. We were still dating then! I had totally
burned the sauce.
The first time I made quinoa, it was so disgustingly
Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with Spicy Yogurt
Adapted from the original recipe in the February 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine.
4 (1 1/4-inch-thick) pieces skinless halibut fillet
(about 6 ounces each)
1 cup milk (any kind is fine)
1/3 cup shelled (salted or unsalted) pistachios
(preferably Turkish), finely chopped
3 tablespoons cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt (fat-free is fine)
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon Maras or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Line a sieve or colander with either a coffee filter or double thickness of paper towel. Add yogurt to the lined sieve
and place over a bowl to catch the water that drains off. Refrigerate for about an hour. Discard the drained liquid.
Put fish in a shallow baking dish and pour milk over it
and chill, covered, turning over once, for 30 minutes.
Stir together pistachios and cornmeal in a wide shallow
bowl or glass pie plate.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment paper. Brush parchment with 2 tablespoons of
olive oil. Place pan in oven to heat up just before you coat
the fish.
Remove fish from milk, letting excess drip off. Transfer
to a plate and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, then
dredge lightly in cornmeal-pistachio mixture. Transfer to a
clean plate as coated.
Transfer coated fish to hot baking sheet in oven. Bake for
about 8-10 minutes until crispy and cooked through. Turn
the fillets over halfway through cooking time.
While fish cooks, stir together all ingredients for spicy
yogurt.
Serve fish with spicy yogurt on the side.
I’m Jerry
of Jerry’s Hobby Reg’d
and I can take
“Memories out of a box”
Think of all your old photos,
slides, 8mm & 16mm home movies
in boxes in your basement.
“Memories in a box”.
I can convert those “memories”
with an easy-to-use format onto a DVD.
Just sit back and enjoy “your memories” on TV.
For more information, I can be reached at
613-301-4919
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Made
with Love
Cindy Feingold
bitter I had to throw the entire thing out. I later found out
you must rinse this grain before cooking it as it has an intensely bitter coating on it.
Last week, serendipity shone upon me. The fish delivery man and I arrived at Merivale Fish Market at exactly
the same time. When that happens, you must buy whatever kind of fish he is delivering. Luckily for me, it was
halibut.
Some people dismiss halibut as a boring, bland fish. I
like to think of halibut as the chicken of the ocean. It is so
versatile and takes on the flavour of whatever you prepare
it with. This is a fish that can take a lot of spice, so I decided to try Lucy Waverman’s recipe for Halibut with
Mushroom Tomato Jam.
I can usually tell from reading a recipe whether I will
like it or not. This recipe had all the flavours I love: garlic,
fresh ginger, ground cumin and coriander, tomatoes,
balsamic vinegar and garam masala. Garam masala is a
spice blend typically used in Indian cooking – garam
means hot and masala means spice blend. It typically
contains coriander, cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds,
fenugreek, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon. I buy the
mix at the Allspice Superstore in Bell’s Corners.
In Lucy’s recipe, the sauce is prepared and served on
the side. I made up a batch and it smelled heavenly. I tasted it and quickly realized something had gone horribly
wrong. It tasted gritty and very sour. I added some honey
and whisked the heck out of that sauce to see if I could
smooth it out. I tasted it again and it was still disgusting. I
am not sure what went wrong. I think perhaps I did not
cook the powdered/dried spices long enough in the oil before I added the liquid ingredients. All I knew for sure was
that this sauce was going in the garbage.
Luckily, the halibut was not cooked in this sauce, so all
was not lost. I decided to go in a totally different direction
after my Indian disaster. I made Boston chef Chris
Schlesinger’s Pistachio-Crusted Halibut with Spicy Yogurt. It turned out crispy and a little bit salty on the outside
with the meltingly tender flesh of the halibut inside. Perfection!
Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010 – Page 27
Survival against all odds
Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale
by the Stepsister of Anne Frank
By Eva Schloss with Evelyn Julia Kent
William B. Eerdmans Publishing
256 pages. Ages 12 to adults.
Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Stepsister of Anne
Frank was first published in Great Britain in 1988. This
new American publication includes a 2009 interview with
Eva, who is now more than 80 years old. An epilogue and
postscript satisfy readers’ curiosity about the lives of all
the key people after the Second World War.
Written in 26 short chapters, Eva’s Story unfolds
chronologically in a soft-spoken, understated, yet graphically dramatic, detailed fashion. No aspect of her experiences and feelings are omitted. None are irrelevant. That
Eva and her mother triumphed is indeed a source of pride,
but it is always balanced by the weight of loss.
A simple, stylistic technique adds immeasurably to the
poignancy of Eva’s Story. Throughout the book, the narrative is periodically interrupted by a date and the reason
for its significance. In that way Eva juxtaposes a kind of
reality check about what is happening to her and her family relative to what Nazi Germany is doing in Europe and
Russia.
What a difference a year makes!
That’s what struck me when I finished reading this extraordinary book. Although Eva’s Story takes place over
several years, what stuck in my mind was all that happened to her, her mother (referred to as Mutti and Fritzi),
her father (referred to as Pappy and Erich) and her older
brother, Heinz, between May 1944, when she turned 15,
and May 1945.
Eva’s family had already fled Vienna, Austria, and
started a new life in Amsterdam, Holland, before May
1944. Eva and Heinz knew Anne and Margot Frank because they lived in the same apartment complex in Amsterdam. When the Germans invaded Holland in May 1940,
all their lifestyles began to change.
But it wasn’t until May 1942 that Eva’s family went
into hiding. For two years, Mutti and Eva lived in a variety of urban hiding places while Pappy and Heinz hid
mainly in the countryside. On Eva’s birthday, May 11,
1944, they were all captured by the Gestapo, having liter-
Kid Lit
Deanna
Silverman
By Eva Schloss with Evelyn Julia Kent
ally been “sold out” by an informer.
Eva’s account, and occasionally Mutti’s account, of
their time in Auschwitz-Birkenau, the huge, infamous
death camp, is a mind-numbing story of horror after horror. But, it’s also a breath-taking story of courage, determination, chutzpah, stubbornness, friendship, hope and
tremendous amounts of luck.
Mutti and Eva’s willingness to help others helped them
on numerous occasions, but especially during the three
months in Birkenau when they were separated. Was Mutti
dead? Eva thought so. How could she go on? How would
she break the news to Pappy when he next arranged to see
her in the section of Birkenau known as “Canada”?
Cousin Minni from Prague just happened to be a nurse
in the Birkenau hospital run by Dr. Josef Mengele. On several occasions, Minni risked her own life to save Mutti and
Eva. In the end, it was Minni who was forced to go on a
death march – which she survived – while Eva and Mutti,
both deathly ill, remained in Birkenau.
Liberation was a two-fold event for Eva and Mutti. In
January 1945, the Germans magically disappeared. For a
couple of weeks Eva, Mutti and others fended for themselves. Then their liberators, the Soviet Army, arrived.
Eva’s portrayal of the Russians’ concern and caring is affectionate, enthusiastic and occasionally humorous.
Eva’s description of their travel into Russia and their
time in Czernowitz and Odessa during the closing months
of the Second World War is of special interest because it’s
seldom mentioned in other survivors’ stories.
Everyone was shocked by the stories of the Jewish survivors. Their episodic meeting with Russian Jews was especially heart-warming, as was the bittersweet story of
Eva and Mutti’s repatriation to a war-ravaged Amsterdam,
Holland.
As to Eva’s being the stepsister of Anne Frank, that occurred after the war. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was also
liberated by the Russians and repatriated to Amsterdam.
Over time, he and Mutti became good friends and eventually married. Linking Eva with Anne Frank in the subtitle
suggests that, had Anne Frank lived, her story of survival
would have been similar to Eva’s.
Why read this Holocaust autobiography?
Because Eva’s Story is an inspiring tale about both the
dangers of virulent zealotry and the power of love to keep
hope and the will to live alive. That 15-year-old Eva came
of age in a death camp is a powerful reminder that people
of all ages can triumph over the cruelest adversity.
Stopping the linguistic exploitation of animals
I have been hearing and reading for a long time that the
slaughter and exploitation of animals was a bad thing. So,
last year, I considered becoming more vegetarian. I decided against becoming vegan because it sounded too much
like I was an alien from a faraway star system.
It occurred to me that I should stop exploiting animals
linguistically as well as nutritionally. If I wasn’t going to eat
them, maybe I should stop using metaphors that involved
them. This has proven, by far, to be the more difficult task.
I kid you not.
I couldn’t tell anyone to stop eating like a pig or say,
with pride, about my son with the healthy appetite that he
eats like a horse. Although, given his own vegan diet, that
is probably an accurate description. I also couldn’t tell my
grandchildren to stop wolfing down their food.
Isn’t it strange that, in these expressions, it is the animal
that is eating rather than being eaten?
It is also not that easy to find quick ways to say the same
thing. I found I was sounding odd when I told my grandson to
stop taking such big bites and swallowing them so quickly.
Doesn’t that sound fishy?
The whole enterprise started to smell fishy, but I was
having a whale of a time trying to find alternate turns of
Humour me,
please
Rubin Friedman
phrase. When I went out with my friends, I couldn’t pony
up the money for my share of the bill. And, if I tried to explain it, I couldn’t because the cat had my tongue. Although
what the cat was doing with my tongue is, to me, still a
mystery.
The good side of this was no that one could call me an
old goat either, or, for that matter, an old coot, which, I
learned, is a kind of bird. And even if it were true, they
couldn’t say that I ate like a bird, which is a weird expression in itself because a small bird typically eats several
times its own weight in a day. Try to imagine what we
would look like if we really ate like birds.
People would say, “Yep, here comes Rubin, pushing a
thousand pounds. It’s because he eats like a bird.”
I am also sure that, if I ate like a bird, others might treat
me like a dog.
But, this is also a strange expression. If I went by how
my brother treats his dog, I would be well fed, taken care of
and pampered – although I would also be neutered. Hmmm,
maybe a dog’s life is not for me.
I think it would make me very crabby, although crabbiness might improve my physical ability to walk backward
and sideways. I could go into the circus where I could perform like a trained seal using my eagle eye in amazing feats
of walking strangely and juggling at the same time.
I have to admit, though, that, while I am generally stubborn as a mule, I might have to give up on my quest to write
vegetarian prose and chicken out. I have been beavering
away now for almost an hour and you can see the fruits (not
animal!) of my labour. My progress is slower than a turtle’s.
I’m not giving you a load of bull.
Overall, my experiment has been a failure and, if I have
not made an ass of myself, I will learn and remember.
Given my large ears and bulk, I could say about myself that
“an elephant never forgets.”
Page 28 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – October 11, 2010
WHAT’S GOING ON
October 11 to 24, 2010
WEEKLY EVENTS
MONDAYS
Motorin’ Munchkins Drop-In
for ages 5 and under, sponsored
by the SJCC Family Life Centre.
All children must be accompanied
and supervised by an adult, 9 am
to 12 pm. Info: 613-798-9818,
ext. 294.
FRIDAYS
Shabbat Shalom Drop-In for
ages 5 and under, sponsored by
the JCC Family Life Centre, welcomes Shabbat through crafts,
songs, stories and games.
Bracha Bear will be there! All children must be accompanied by an
adult, 9:30 to 11 am.
TUESDAYS
Israeli Folkdancing, learn
dances, have fun, no experience
or partner necessary, Hillel Academy, 31 Nadolny Sachs Private,
7:00 pm. Info: 613-722-9323.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14
Lomir Reydn Yiddish conversation group, sponsored by
Jewish Family Services, 10 am,
2255 Carling Avenue, suite 301.
Info: 613-722-2225.
2010 Bridge and Mah-Jongg
Fundraiser, sponsored by AJA
50+, includes other games, lunch,
door prizes. Everyone welcome,
1400 Coldrey Avenue, 11:15 am.
Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 309.
The Art of Giving,“an evening
with Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon,” persented by the
Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation, Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre, 1315 Prince of
WEDNESDAYS
Baby Play Group, sponsored
by JCC Family Life Centre, 9:00
am. Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 294.
CANDLELIGHTING
BEFORE
Oct 15
Oct 22
✡
✡
6:01 pm
5:49 pm
Wales Drive, 7:00 pm. Info: 613798-4696, ext 232.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17
Books and Bagels, sponsored
by Temple Israel, featuring Gabriella Goliger reading from her novel,
Girl Unwrapped, 1301 Prince of
Wales Drive. Breakfast at 9:30 am,
program starts at 10:00 am. Info:
[email protected].
JCC Family Life Centre
Open House. See what this exciting new program is all about,
10:00 am-12:00 pm. Info: 613798-9818, ext. 294.
Jewish Information Course,
designed for individuals interested in acquiring an in-depth understanding of Judaism, or who are
contemplating conversion in the
liberal tradition, taught by Rabbi
Steven Garten of Temple Israel,
1301 Prince of Wales Drive,
12:45-3:00 pm. Course recurs
weekly until April 30, 2011. Info:
[email protected].
A Celebration of Yiddish in
For more community listings,
visit ottawa.jewishottawa.com
Select Calendar/Upcoming Events
and Click to See More
Ottawa, presented by uOttawa’s
Vered Jewish Canadian Studies
Program, features the music of
Musaica Ebraica and Shiru Lach
and the presentation of the inaugural Ethel Cooper Yiddish Studies Award of Excellence to uOttawa student Danielle Lynch, 2:00
pm. Info: 613-562-5800.
United Together in Prayer,
an interfaith prayer service by the
Capital Region Interfaith Council
and Machzikei Hadas Congregation, 2310 Virginia Drive, 3:00 pm.
Info: 613-769-7448.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20
Let’s Do Lunch, sponsored
by Congregation Agudath Israel
and Jewish Family Services.
Guest speaker: Dr. Isra Levy, Ottawa’s medical officer of health,
1400 Coldrey Avenue, 12:00 pm.
Info: 613-728-3501.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21
Shalom Baby’s Parent and
Baby Swim Class, 10:30 am.
Info: 613-798-9818, ext. 243.
Best of Hebrew U light dinner
and keynote addresses by visiting
professors from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 6:00 pm. Info:
613-829-3150.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24
Shalom Ottawa, the com-
munity TV show on Rogers 22,
12:00 pm. Repeats October 28
at 6:00 pm and October 30 at
noon.
Bess and Moe Greenberg
Hillel Lodge Auxiliary Tea, in honour of Debi Shore, 10 Nadolny
Sachs Private, 2:00 pm. Info: 613820-4004.
COMING SOON
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25
Personalized Medicine: Doctor in a Cell, a talk given
by Dr. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann Institute of Science,
who will describe his ground-breaking research looking for
changes in molecules, which can indicate the presence
of certain cancers and other diseases, Canadian Blood
Services, 1800 Alta Vista Road, 7:30 pm. Reservations required.
Info: 613-236-3391.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
CHOICES, sponsored by the Women’s Division of the Jewish
Federation of Ottawa, dinner featuring guest speaker
Karen James, a Jewish Olympian at the 1972 Munich Olympics,
1400 Coldrey Avenue, 6:00 pm.
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 Ottawa InfoCentre. Organizations which would like their events to be listed, no matter where they are to be held, should send the information to InfoCentre coordinator Benita Siemiatycki via e-mail at [email protected] or fax at 613-798-4695. She can also be reached by telephone at 613-798-4644. Accurate details must be provided and all events must be open to the Jewish public.
Condolences
Condolences are extended to the families of:
Irving Adessky
Esther Goldstein, Montreal
(mother of Dr. William Goldstein)
Leonard Karp, Almonte (son of Etta Karp)
Sheldon Kert, Toronto (father of Felicia Saslove)
Andre Robert, Montreal (father of Andy Robert)
Jacob Siskind
May their memory be a blessing always.
The
CONDOLENCE
COLUMN
is offered
as a public service
to the community.
There is no charge.
For a listing
in this column,
please call
613-798-4696,
ext. 232.
Voice mail is available.
BULLETIN DEADLINES
OCTOBER 20 FOR NOVEMBER 8
NOVEMBER 10 FOR NOVEMBER 29*
NOVEMBER 24 FOR DECEMBER 13
JANUARY 5 FOR JANUARY 24
JANUARY 19 FOR FEBRUARY 7
FEBRUARY 2 FOR FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 16 FOR MARCH 7
* Community-wide Issue (all dates subject to change)
Meet The Romspen Fund’s Second Largest Investor
As one of the founders of the Romspen Mortgage Investment Fund, Arthur Resnick
knows many, many investors. Arthur doesn’t just sell units in the Fund, he helps
manage it. But perhaps most important to Arthur’s success and future is the large
number of Fund units that he has personally purchased.
Arthur Resnick knows full well how important the monthly income distributed
by the Fund is to its 2000 investors, including himself, his family and friends.
162 Cumberland Street, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5R 3N5
You’ve heard of the Romspen Mortgage Investment Fund. Isn’t it time you found
416.966.1100
1.800.494.0389
out more? Call us to receive an information package or visit www.romspen.com.
www.romspen.com