Shabbat Message - October 1, 2021
This message has 579 words and will take a little more than 2.5 minutes to read.
Last Sunday our community marked a momentous milestone with the official opening of Tikva Housing Society’s Ben and Esther Dayson Residences, which features 32 two-, three-, and four-bedroom units of affordable housing in River District. What is special about these units is that they are suitable for families, and the tenants have already formed a tight mini-community. I want to personally thank the Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation, Shirley Barnett and the entire Dayson and Barnett family for their ongoing generosity and support.
The event was also an opportunity to dedicate a tree and bench in honour of the memory of our beloved colleague Susana Cogan z’l, who initiated Tikva’s first three housing communities.
We are proud to have played an important part, along with generous donors, in helping Tikva Housing get its start. The organization now manages 100 units of affordable housing, but the need is still growing. Your gift to the Annual Campaign supports the important work of Tikva Housing and 30+ other partner organizations that those in need in our community rely on.
On Sunday we also celebrated Sukkot at the Stable Harvest SukkahFest in Langley.
Organized by our community engagement team and involving our BeyachadBC, Connect Me In, and PJ Library programs, the event drew nearly 100 people and it was fantastic to see Jewish life thriving in the Langley area. You can watch the highlights here. A special thank you to Syd Belzberg and the entire team at Stable Harvest Farm for helping make this happen. If you live outside of Vancouver and want to connect, please contact Adam BenDov.
Marking our first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was eye opening.
We honoured the day by watching an episode of Wab Kinew’s 8th Fire television series. It was powerful and accessible at the same time. I am eager to do more, and I hope that the ways in which we educate ourselves, mark the day, and press ahead for change will evolve. This is a broken piece of our country that needs to be repaired.
Next up is the General Assembly on October 3.
Looking ahead, we have one of the most important annual global gatherings of Jewish leaders coming up – Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) General Assembly, where I will be moderating a Leadership Lab panel on what Federations can do to impact the climate conversation. Assembling together, even virtually, is a powerful way to inspire, recognize, and support one another as we prepare for the year ahead. You can register here.
JFNA is also presenting MOED Healing: A Support Group for Jewish People of Color.
JFNA and The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies have partnered to create MOED Healing, a communal space that will tend to the minds and hearts of Jewish people of color and relieve some of the stress of racially charged interactions in their daily lives. You can register for their upcoming sessions on October 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Are you joining us on Sunday?
We are putting the final touches on The Community of Awesome event this Sunday, October 3rd at 5:00 p.m. I hope you’re planning to join us, because our presenter is going to be, well, awesome!
Neil Pasricha, is full of energy and inspiration, and quite frankly he is a lot of fun. His TED Talk has millions of views, and he is the bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. This is just the event we need right now. Please plan to join us and I’ll see you there!
Shabbat shalom.
Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer