Hannuka 2009

Vol. 7 Issue 1 Hanukah 2009
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada
4600 Bathurst Street, Suite 315, Toronto, Ontario M2R 3V3 Canada
416.630.9051
A Hanukah Message from our President
Dear Friends,
As Hanukah quickly approaches, I would like to take this
opportunity to reflect on the role of JIAS Canada and its work
over nearly a century.
Canada has always been a country of many different
ethnicities and religions, with thousands of immigrants each
year. The growth of the Jewish community in Canada in the
last 30 years is in large part due to immigration. For this
reason, it is crucial for JIAS Canada to continue to assist
Jewish immigrants in all capacities. This includes supporting
them as they get settled in Canada, providing them with the
necessary tools to succeed, and helping them to integrate
into tightly-knit Jewish communities across Canada.
More recently, our focus has been to emphasize the
importance of building and maintaining the strength of our
communities and allowing dedicated immigrants to join us
in establishing numerous Jewish programs and institutions.
The JOLT program, designed and administered by JIAS
Canada, which was introduced this year as a pilot project in
Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, is the best example of the
importance of developing leadership skills among Jewish
immigrants.
JIAS Canada derives its power and effectiveness from the
support of its committed members. I know that this year has
been a tough one for many of us, but all indications are that
2010 will be a better year - so there is light at the end of the
tunnel. I’d like to hope that we can count on our members
and the Jewish community at large for its continued support
throughout next year and beyond.
I cannot stress enough the importance of your support. Let
the determination that brought victory to the Maccabees
and eight days of light to the Temple guide us in the face of
adversity. Remember what we have learned from the story
of Hanukah – that faith gives us the strength to perform
miracles and to find light even in the darkest of times. I
encourage you to continue showing generosity so that we
may strive toward a brighter future for all of us.
On behalf of the Board and staff of JIAS Canada, I would like
to wish you and your families a Chag Sameach.
May the spirit of Hanukah bring us together and act as a
guiding light for us all.
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Victor Linetsky
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 2
Giving Jewish Communities a Little JOLT
By Ronda Stoller Wunsch, M.A.,
· Build welcoming Jewish communities
learn the nuts and bolts of
National Project Coordinator, JOLT Project
through dialogue and create
Jewish communal leadership in Canada,
opportunities
for
Jewish
leadership;
and
get the practical tools
It was a dream come true when a phone call
and skills to become leaders in the Jewish
from GENESIS Philanthropy Group (GPG) came · Connect Russian Jews with local Jewish
community;
to Jewish Immigration Services of Canada
community & educate local
(JIAS Canada) about two years
· Deepen Russian Jews’ own
ago, making the JOLT project
sense of Jewish identity and
a reality. Originally named
end an us/
Decade Plus Immigrants:
them mentality where
Leadership Bridging Cultures,
“Canadian”
JOLT stands for JIAS Canada
is us and “Russian” is
Opportunity for Leadership
them.
Training and was changed
To accomplish all that is not
as a result of discussions at
an easy task but after one
the dynamic Train the Trainer
year, we are confident that
session in Calgary in January
it is possible. All three pilot
2009 with Drs. David Shneer
cities successfully completed
and Caryn Aviv, two university
the first component of the
professors from Denver who
project, all with different
helped develop the curriculum.
results reflecting the reality
It was especially exciting
of their community. (See
that a project targeting the
other newsletter articles).
The JOLT team at the Train the Trainer in Calgary, Jan./09. Front row from l to r: Prof.
Russian-speaking Jewish (RSJ)
The project began almost
Caryn Aviv, Co-Trainer and Curriculum Co-Developer; Ronda Stoller Wunsch, National
community was receiving
a year ago with eight
Project Coordinator, JIAS Canada; Shelley Karrel, Educator, JFSA; Mila Voihanski,
financial support from a
monthly training sessions.
E.D., JIAS Canada; Irena Karshenbaum, JOLT Coordinator, JFSC; Adele Lewin, Project
foundation created by a group Coordinator, JFSA; Bev Sheckter, E.D., JFSC; Ivan Zendel, Educator, JFSC. Back Row from By November, almost 40
of affluent Russian Jews out of L to r: Vladimir Vais, Educator, JFS Ottawa; Charlotte Katzen, Acting E.D., JFSA; Prof.
participants completed
Moscow whose mandate is to David Shneer, Co-Trainer and Curriculum Co-Developer; Mark Zarecki, E.D., JFS Ottawa; the curriculum and started
strengthen the Jewish identity Neta Golshtein, Educator, JFS Ottawa.
matching up with their
of RSJs across the world. As
mentors. They enjoyed the
a pilot project initially launched in Calgary,
communities about the Russian Jewish
sessions which involved discussions about
Ottawa, and Vancouver, JOLT’s objectives are
experience;
Jewish identity and issues, meeting with
to:
· Enable Russian Jews to feel empowered,
local leaders, building leadership skills and
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 3
Giving Jewish Communities a Little JOLT
readings from and about Russian-speaking
Jews (RSJs).
During the first year, both JIAS Canada’s
Executive Director and National Coordinator
were able to travel to the pilot communities
and attend a few sessions. It was a
most invigorating experience to see
the participants discussing their Jewish
experiences and sharing their vision of a
welcoming and inclusive Jewish community.
Local coordinators and volunteers have been
engaging with staff and lay leaders in their
local Jewish community to raise awareness
of the project, create a group of dynamic
mentors and orient the host community
to the RSJ community. In November,
Ottawa held a launch meeting to finalize
the internship placements and Calgary and
Vancouver are expected to have theirs soon.
At this point, the second component is about
to begin. The internships offer both the
émigré participants and their local mentors
an opportunity to learn more about each
other as well as become ambassadors for
the RSJ community and the organized Jewish
Community.
The JOLT project has been supported by the
National Leadership Council (NLC), a group of
volunteers representing the pilot cities and
others committed to the project. Quarterly
meetings have been skilfully chaired by Anna
Gelt, a committed community volunteer from
Calgary. Members include Seymour (Epi)
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Epstein, Toronto; Steve Gordon, Ottawa;
Tina Grimberg, Toronto; Stephen Kaganov,
Calgary; David Sela, Montreal; Paula SpeevakSladowski, Ottawa; Lani Levine, Vancouver;
Dmitry Schiglik, N.Y.
People are excited about the way this project
has taken off. We’re in the process of
launching JOLT in other Canadian cities and
look forward to marketing it in the U.S. and
around the world in the not so distant future.
JIAS Canada receives
Bernard Laven Program Development
Award
JIAS Canada received the Bernard Laven Program Development Award from Jewish Family Service Calgary (JFSC)
for its JOLT & resettlement work, Sept./09. L to R: Irena Karshenbaum, JOLT Coordinator, JFSC; Edith Dimant,
JOLT participant; Bev Sheckter, E.D., JFSC; Mila Voihanski, E.D., JIAS Canada; Ilya Kamenetsky, JOLT participant;
Ivan Zendel, JOLT Educator.
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 4
JOLTing CALGARY
Russians Take Calgary by Storm
By Irena Karshenbaum, JOLT Coordinator
As the old cliché goes, “The more things change,
the more they stay the same.” With life becoming
increasingly complicated, time and again we have
heard from various members of the Russianspeaking Jewish (RSJ) community the desire to
engage with the greater Jewish community.
That opportunity has come in the form of the
JOLT pilot program (JIAS Canada Opportunity
for Leadership Training: Leadership Bridging
Cultures), which was launched in early 2009 in
three consecutive cities across Canada: Calgary,
Vancouver and Ottawa. JOLT aims to grow the
Jewish community by engaging members of the
RSJ community in meaningful lay leadership
roles, giving them a mental map of the structure,
function and needs of the Jewish community
and connecting them with Jewish community
organizations and lay leaders.
Started in January 2009 in Calgary, thirteen
members of the RSJ community began meeting
monthly. The eight originally planned training
sessions quickly grew to extra sessions as JOLT
participants expressed a desire to organize
themselves as a group and provide additional
help to the Jewish community over and above
their roles on various community boards.
The specifics of that help are in the process of
being discovered but the connection between
JOLT participants and Jewish community
organizations has been made. JOLT participants
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have selected board or committee participation
with the following: two with B’nai Brith; four
with Canadian Hadassah WIZO (one participant
went on a CHW youth conference to Israel in
November); two with the Jewish Family Service
Calgary (JFSC) board; one with Young Leadership
and Program Allocations Committee; three
with the UJA campaign; one with the Jewish
Historical Society of Southern Alberta; and four
as volunteers with JFSC. If these numbers don’t
quite add up, it’s because some participants have
decided to contribute their skills with multiple
organizations.
One such multiple contributor has been Alex
Linetsky: “JOLT gave me an opportunity to learn
more about the Calgary Jewish community. The
leadership training gave much insight into
how various boards operate. I have had the
privilege of getting involved in Young Leadership
Development Calgary, the CJCC Planning and
Allocation Committee and am volunteering with
Jewish Family Service Calgary. I believe that in
order for our community to be stronger, we must
be more whole. The necessity of involving Jewish
immigrants from various countries in community
life is as crucial today as it has ever been.”
The benefits from the JOLT program have
been mutual to both the participants and their
mentors. Linda Barron, CHW Board Member
says, “CHW would like to thank JIAS and JFSC for
this much needed and important initiative and
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“What was really exciting
was meeting so many new
interesting people, sharing
common views and ideas and
working together toward
common goals. As our meetings
progressed it gradually went
from just a social club to more
serious discussions about
leadership roles, issues faced
by modern Jewry, Jewish
organizations, the way they
operate, raise money and
work towards eliminating
social injustice. What I liked
about those meetings is that
they were not dry or boring.
In fact it was the opposite; we
participated in team building
activities, watched movies
about Jewish identity and
met with representatives of
different Jewish communal
organizations.”
Ilya Kamenetsky, JOLT Participant,
Calgary
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 5
JOLTing CALGARY
“
The materials we have read and discussions we had at our
sessions were very informative and helpful. Iʼm very thankful to the
JOLT program and Jewish Family Service Calgary for giving me
such an opportunity. Our meetings have been inspiring and push us
to accomplish new things in helping the Jewish community using our
skills, forces and hearts.”
Irena Babitska, JOLT Participant, Calgary
Not even a winter storm could stop the JOLT tour in Calgary.
the opportunities it has afforded our organization. What began as a
mentorship of community leaders has become a project that has made
CHW a beneficiary as well. This has been a great learning experience,
challenging each of us to do the best that we can do in hopes of
mentoring others. We are so fortunate to have these women amongst
us, working, hand-in-hand, towards attaining our goals. Their skills
and expertise are admired and appreciated and we look forward to an
ongoing relationship with many more JOLT participants. Personally, I
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have found this project to be very enlightening and a great opportunity
for personal growth. Todah Rabah!!”
JOLT participants have decided to call their group JOLT 1.0 and have
begun recruiting the next group, which they’ve termed JOLT 2.0, and
which will start meeting some time in early 2010 in Calgary.
In Calgary, the JOLT program is provided by Jewish Family Service
Calgary through the generous support of the Calgary Jewish Community
Council.
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 6
JOLTing VANCOUVER
JOLT Program in Vancouver Making Strides
By: Adele Lewin, JOLT
to network with lay leaders and Jewish
Coordinator, Jewish
communal professionals. Until now, little
Family Service Agency
has been done to address the longer-term
integration needs of RSJs or support our
What does it take to
Jewish community organizations to become
become a leader in
more inclusive and reflective of our diverse
your Jewish community?
population.
How do you run an
efficient and effective
A key component of the program is the
board/committee
internship practicum, where each participant
meeting? How do you
is matched with a lay leader from the
begin networking and
Jewish community as their mentor, to
make a difference
provide practical volunteer experience.
in your community?
Several organizations have provided
These questions are
mentorship opportunities including: The
being explored through
Jewish Film Festival; Yom Ha’atzmaut
an exciting new
Committee at Jewish Federation of Greater
leadership program developed
Vancouver; Jewish Museum and Archives of BC; Camp
meeting
by Jewish Immigrant Aid Services
Miriam; Maccabee Games at the Jewish Community Centre of
I am looking forward to
in
rs
de
lea
r
ee
nt
lu
vo
d
(JIAS) of Canada in partnership
Greater Vancouver; and Kehila Society of Richmond Jewish
an
professionals
g
in
m
co
be
d
with Jewish Family Service Agency
Community. Participants expressed an interest to continue
the Jewish community an
(JFSA) in Vancouver as one of
meeting monthly to share updates on internship progress
more involved”.
three pilot projects in Canada.
and to continue with guest speakers on relevant topics.
ant,
a Gringruz, JOLT particip
len
Ye
The JOLT project (JIAS Canada
Alexey Orekhov, a JOLT participant, is excited about his
ver
ou
nc
Va
Opportunity for Leadership
internship as part of the Maccabee Games Committee. As
Training: Leadership Bridging
a past participant in the Olympic games in Athens and having
Cultures) provides a forum where Russian-speaking Jews (RSJs)
worked many years as a Taekwondo coach, Alexey is looking forward
can identify opportunities for connection and involvement in the
to contributing his knowledge and skills while at the same time gaining
community. Vancouver’s nine participants have completed eight
valuable lay leadership experience.
workshops ranging from topics on Jewish identity to Jewish communal
Katerina Livshitz and Yelena Gringuz, JOLT participants, are very
structure. In addressing some of these issues, there were opportunities much looking forward to one day having an exhibit documenting
“
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 7
“I am a leader in the Russian
community but I would like to know
how to be a leader in the Vancouver
Jewish Community”
Alexandra Gerson, JOLT participant, Vancouver
“I enjoy the discussions at the
sessions and look forward to sharing
the readings with my family”.
Yelena Gringruz, JOLT participant, Vancouver
“As a future Jewish leader, I need
to learn the structure of the Jewish
community in order to teach and
share with others that are not
familiar with the Vancouver Jewish
Community”.
Mark Minukin, JOLT participant, Vancouver
the immigration of Russian Jews to Vancouver at the Jewish Museum
and Archives of BC. Their mentor, Lani Levine, Board Member of
the Museum, former President of JFSA and member of JIAS Canada’s
National Leadership Council (NLC), will be working to facilitate their
participation in the museum and at board meetings.
Camp Miriam is in the process of recruiting more members to their
board and Alex Aminov, JOLT participant, was invited to attend a full
day board training session.
Bridget Sacks, Volunteer Coordinator of the Jewish Film Festival and
mentor to Alexandra Gerson, JOLT participant, enjoys reaching out to
the RSJ community. Alexandra is the host of a Russian radio talk show
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and is eager to promote the Jewish Film Festival, as well as other
programs in the Jewish community.
These are only a few ways that the JOLT program is beginning to make
a difference in Vancouver’s Jewish community. It is often said that
many Russian immigrants feel like outsiders despite having lived in
Canada for many years, if not decades. In Russia, they are called Jews.
In Canada, they are called Russians. With all that the JOLT program
has achieved in this short time, can you imagine how much the Jewish
community would benefit from ongoing programs like this? How
remarkable would it be for all of us to feel part of the Vancouver Jewish
community and make a difference together!
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 8
JOLTing OTTAWA
The Russians are Here!!!
By Vladimir Vais, JOLT Project Coordinator, Jewish Family Services (JFS),
Ottawa
JOLT stands for JIAS Canada Opportunity for Leadership Training:
Leadership Bridging Cultures. JOLT is a brilliant idea – to involve
Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants (RSJs) in the mainstream Jewish
community. Despite being highly educated, skilled and adaptable, RSJs
were generally not known to the Jewish community which was even
unaware of what they have to offer.
JOLT brought together different people who would never meet
otherwise: Sasha the computer programmer from Moscow and Martin,
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one of the community leaders, who was born in Ottawa in late 50’s;
Irina, mother of two with a diploma in social services and Maurice,
Program Coordinator in the Jewish community; Rabbi, the principal of
a Jewish day school with Anatoli, a professional in Science Education.
People enjoyed talking together, playing ‘’Jewish Geography’’, and
sharing and comparing recent immigration experiences with that of 2030 years ago.
Two of the JOLT participants have already been elected as JFS Board
members; another participant met Principals of two Jewish day schools
in order to improve and enrich the math program. The final placement
of participants into organizations was completed on November 26
when organization leaders and participants met for a matchmaking
session. A special thank you went out to Neta Golshtein, the JOLT group
facilitator who
did so much
to make the
meetings
interesting,
helpful and
dynamic. She
has really
succeeded.
‘’Yasher
koach’’ to JIAS
Canada for a
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JIAS Canada Newsletter Hanukah 2009 page 9
JOLTing OTTAWA
“
I liked the course as a chance to meet new people
and to know more about being a Russian Jew and a
Jew in general, to have some new info about Ottawa
Jewish organizations.”
JOLT participant, Ottawa
great idea and constant support, and Genesis Philanthropy Group
for its financial support. Best wishes to Drs. David Shneer and
Karen Aviv who tailored the training program.
This program started what has never happened before:
professionally directed and supervised dialogue between RSJs
and the mainstream Jewish community. Now the road is open.
Our participants have a ‘’green light’’ on every Community Street.
Their faces are now known in the Jewish community.
JOLT Project Sponsors
American Forum of World Russian Jewish Congress
Calgary Jewish Community Council
Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG – North America)
Jewish Family Services (JFS) Ottawa
Jewish Family Service Calgary (JFSC)
Jewish Family Services Agency (JFSA) Vancouver
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada (JIAS Canada)
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local and national programs.
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