Shabbat Message - November 26, 2021

 

This message has 779 words and will take about 3.5 minutes to read.

 

Thank you! Our BC Flood Relief Fund currently stands at over $268,000 and we’re very proud to announce that our board has approved the first disbursement to help where it’s needed most.
 
Here is what we’re supporting:
Our initial focus has been to partner with the Sikh community, who have done a remarkable job of mobilizing people to donate urgently needed food, water, toiletries, and medication. The items are at the operation centre in Surrey, and the challenge now is getting them to people in Merritt.
 
We are distributing $36,000 to two registered charities, the Gurdwara Dukh Nirvan Sahib (Surrey Sikh Temple) and the Guru Nanak Food Bank. Our funds will offset the cost of shipping the goods to Merritt and renting a warehouse to establish a new food bank there, as well as the purchase of blankets and air mattresses for people who have been displaced by the flooding or lost their possessions or both.
 
Next, we are developing a strategic approach.
We know that this is one of the key reasons you trust us with your tzedakah, and we take this very seriously. In particular, we are looking into the needs of isolated communities, including Indigenous communities, and longer term needs such as mental health support. There is no question that flood-related needs will be with us for quite some time and that they will evolve along the way. All you have to do is look at the weather report and the calendar: the rain is still coming and will be until the seasons change.
 
More than 490 donors have contributed to the fund so far, and we hope you will join them. Click here to give.
 
A strong community means we can do more.
Our community is best able to respond to new needs and crises when we are at our strongest, and the Annual Campaign plays an important role in that. From now until Tuesday, PearTree Canada will match your Annual Campaign gift up to $25,000. It is part of our Giving Tuesday partnership that is now in its second year, and we are grateful for their generous support. Click here to have your gift matched.
 
PearTree Canada also donated $25,000 to our BC Flood Relief Fund, which enabled us to match gifts to that fund as well. A huge todah rabah to them for doubling their support—and helping us double your impact!
 
A strong community is a diverse community.
We all know the financial pressures of living in this beautiful but expensive region, and the added cost of living Jewishly. That is of particular concern to members of the Orthodox segment of our community, and many of them have moved away over the last few years. Not only are we made stronger as a whole when every area of our community is thriving, many of us rely on resources that are maintained by Orthodox community members and organizations, and which are crucial to day-to-day life and lifecycle events, including the mikveh, the chevra kadisha, and more.
 
In order to attract and retain Orthodox families and individuals, we are proud to announce a new initiative called Torah West. It arose from a community planning process we managed, and is co-chaired by Hodie Kahn and Jonathon Leipsic, who are involved with Orthodox institutions and Jewish Federation. We would like to thank the Diamond Family Foundation for providing the funding for the planning process and who have stepped up once again to provide funding for the manager of recruitment and retention, which is key to this initiative. The official launch will take place on Sunday at the lighting of the Silber Family Agam Menorah at the Vancouver Public Library.
 
A strong community has dedicated leaders to thank.
And many of them were honoured by JFS at their 85th anniversary celebration this week. A number of volunteer leaders who are also involved with Jewish Federation were honoured, including Shirley Barnett and Stan Shaw.
 
Shirley was honoured with the JFS Lifetime Achievement Award for her “vision, commitment and passion for serving those in need” and we could not think of a more deserving recipient. Shirley is a force of nature in the best possible way, which has enabled her to make an indelible impact at every organization with which she has volunteered, including ours. Stan Shaw, who currently serves on our board and as chair of the planning council, received the Paula Lenga Award for his outstanding volunteer contributions, ingenuity, leadership, mentorship and collaboration. We are delighted for them both as well as all who were honoured!
 
Speaking of leadership, that was the topic of an interview I gave last week on CKNW. You can listen to it here, and maybe you’ll be inspired to find new ways to get involved in our community.
 
Shabbat shalom and happy Hanukkah.

 

Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer