October 31, 2022 | 6 Heshvan 5783
Small Steps with Big Impact
Jewish Federation’s partnership with Hazon, the Jewish lab for sustainability kicked off in March 2022. We brought together 13 community organizations, including our own, to form green teams to help us all operate more sustainably through a Jewish lens.
What’s special about a Jewish approach to sustainability?
Hazon’s program manager, Bruce Spierer explains:
“All our festivals are tied to harvests. Caring for the natural world is deeply wound into our tradition. From a general values perspective, whether you pick it up from bal tashchit (commandment not to destroy or waste items from the natural world) or tikkun olam (repairing the world) – there are many ways for us to tie to a values perspective.”
Kids Lead the Way
Bruce has been mentoring our 13 community green teams, some of which involve students. From pre-schoolers to teens, change often begins with them. Spierer notes, “One of the interesting things we find generationally is the younger generations are far more attuned to living in climate smart and sustainable ways. To the point where youth are teaching parents.”
What seems like a small step of teaching pre-schoolers about food waste and where their food comes from - changes what their values default is. “For those children at the [JCC] daycare, the default of what we do with food waste is going to be different from all other generations and it makes it much easier to create these systems over time,” says Spierer.
What may seem like a small step can fundamentally change a child’s perceived role in existence as they build these little connections over time. These steps will be common practice and inherent in our children’s values system.
Green Team Initiatives
Recently, some of the green teams reported on their progress. Here are a few of the highlights:
- JCC is expanding their compost program and their daycare has acquired worms to teach children about composting;
- Jewish Family Services will undertake sustainability education for their clients;
- Richmond Jewish Day School is planting a rain garden;
- Vancouver Talmud Torah is asking students to bring reusable containers for their afternoon snacks;
- King David High School is engaging students in a sustainability audit;
- Schara Tzedeck will conduct an energy audit and host a Tu B’Shevat dinner with locally sourced food;
- Camp Miriam ran a series on Jewish perspectives on the environment and the intersections between climate change, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and food insecurity. They have also set up a successful compost system;
- White Rock South Surrey JCC took part in a tree-planting expedition with the City of Surrey and they will also be holding a clothing swap;
- Jewish Federation is working towards making each of our departments' greener, from composting with the JCC to moving towards a more paper-free office and holding sustainable events.
Jewish Federation is committed to helping community organizations embrace sustainability. Programs like this are part of what you support through your Annual Campaign gift. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity - make your gift today and help us make Amazing Happen!
Unistream Develops Next Generation of Entrepreneurs in Israel
Jewish Federation strategically invests funds to strengthen our partnership region of the Galilee Panhandle through education, leadership development, community building, and wellness services, including support of Unistream’s Entrepreneurship Centre in Kiryat Shmona.
The centre teaches local youth from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds the potentially life-changing entrepreneurial skillset.
Participants meet twice weekly, where they receive guidance from onsite mentors and expert lecturers, to help develop business venture as a group. They decide on who will act as CEO, CFO, CMO, etc., and set to work on the conceiving of, learning about, and testing the feasibility of their ideas. They are also given the opportunity to present their project throughout its development to panels of expert judges for feedback.
We are proud to report that one of Kiryat Shmona’s participating ventures took home first place for their “FO” venture at this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year competition! A competition that saw over 100 Unistream centres from across Israel come together to compete in front of thousands of “movers and shakers” from Israel and around the world.
The FO venture is an app that they developed that allows teens to make purchases, exchange money with others, and increase their financial literacy and management skills along the way.
Unistream provides innovative, entrepreneurial, and technological thinking throughout Israel’s periphery to provide equal opportunities to all and reduce socioeconomic disparity.
March of the Living Extends Application Deadline to Nov.11
2023 will be a year of milestones, as we mark the 75th birthday of the State of Israel, the 85th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and the 35th year of the March of the Living. Registration is now open to join the 2023 March of the Living!
It will be a journey you’ll never forget. Alongside thousands of others, you’ll walk the three kilometres from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). Together, you will honour the survivors and uphold the memory of those who were murdered. You will join in mourning with Israelis on Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day) and celebrate the country’s birthday on Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day).
Register now for one of the 2023 programs: high school (grades 10 - 12), young adults (21 - 40 years), and adults (40+ years). Join the journey of a lifetime!
For any questions, please contact Dafna at Dsilberstein@jewishvancouver.com.
Do you live in the White Rock/ South Surrey Area? Want to connect with community members near you?
Drop into White Rock South Surrey JCC for a coffee, bagel, and a chat every Wednesday! Bring your friends, children, and grandparents - all are welcome. Join us and let's start building community together!
Every Wednesday
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
White Rock South Surrey JCC - 3033 King George Blvd #32, Surrey, BC
For more information, please contact Community Engagement Manager Kim Berger: kberger@jewishvancouver.com
Elections in Israel: What Happened and What Can We Expect Now?
Following Election Day in Israel, Jewish Federations of North America invites you to join them for an exclusive briefing with the Senior Contributing Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent of The Jerusalem Post, Lahav Harkov.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
12:00 p.m. PST via zoom
Jewish Federation is proud to be sponsoring Chutzpah! Festival’s dynamic lineup of music, theatre, comedy, dance, multimedia arts and more! Including Israeli performers:
Liraz Charhi November 23, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
Celebrated Israeli singer, songwriter, actress Liraz Charhi has wowed crowds with her performances on stage, sound, and screen. Her latest album, Only You’re Allowed, is a collaboration of Israel’s best writers and composers and combines modern sounds with the ethnic Persian flavour of Liraz’s upbringing.
Yenta – comedy night! November 24, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
The Holy Sisters – Ziona Patriot and Talula Bonet, Israel's leading Drag Queens have taken the country by storm. Now they join us for their Canadian debut in a night of belly laughs that will have you rolling in the aisles. Liz Glazer and Stuart B Meyers join in the fun.
If these Israeli performances sound exciting to you - stay tuned! In May 2023 we will celebrate Israel@75 with a lineup of Israeli artists and events you won’t want to miss!
ISRAEL@75 starts April 29 through May 14, 2023!
Kolot Mayim Speaker Series: Building Bridges: Hineini – Answering the Call to Heal the World
Our friends at Kolot Mayim are pleased to welcome Rabbi Allan Finkel, the spiritual leader of Temple Shalom in Winnipeg, to speak on “Addiction in the Jewish Community and Jewish-based Recovery.” The lecture will be on Zoom, on November 6, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. (PST) and launches a six-part series on the theme of Building Bridges: Hineini – Answering the Call to Heal the World.
Rabbi Finkel will explore recent changes in the field of addictions. Speaking from experience, Rabbi Finkel said, “As a recovering addict—well before my rabbinical career at Temple Shalom—I have come to understand and lived the huge ‘denial’ issues in the Jewish community that we will explore together.”
Sunday, November 6, 2022
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. via zoom
Free
Our partners the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and Congregation Beth Israel will be hosting a Kristallnacht Commemoration on November 9, 2022. Keynote speaker Liliane Pari Umuhoza is a survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and a human rights advocate. The Honourable Irwin Cotler and Dr. Chris Friedrichs will also give remarks.
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
7:00 p.m. start
Congregation Beth Israel - 989 W. 28th Ave.
No RSVP required
