Shabbat Message - October 22, 2021
This message has 758 words and will take a little more than 3 minutes to read.
Over the past several months we have developed a set of performance values that guide our interactions as a team. I am very pleased to report that our board of directors has officially adopted these, too, so they will also guide their work with us and vice versa.
Topping our performance values is chesed.
Caring: Treating each other with respect and kindness
Excellence: Consistently meeting or exceeding expectations
Collaboration: Working together to achieve our goals
Efficiency: Maximizing the effective use of our resources
We also welcomed a new board member, Marty Weinberg.
Marty brings extensive private and public company experience and has always dedicated significant time to giving back to his community. He has even been recognized by the Association for Fundraising Professionals for his leadership in various community and international not-for-profit organizations.
We are very proud to have Marty join the board and we hope you will join us in making him feel welcome!
Our performance value of collaboration was in full force today, as we worked with our advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, on a concerning situation.
In the East Kootenays there is a mountain named for Philippe Pétain, who at the time the naming was a French WWI hero. Fast forward to WWII: Pétain became a Nazi collaborator who led Vichy France. After the war, he was found guilty of treason, sentenced to death (commuted) and died in prison.
The B.C. Geographical Names Office recommended to the Regional District of East Kootenay board that the name of the mountain be changed. Earlier this month, the board approved the change, and we commend the directors who voted in favour of this.
However, we are very concerned that four directors voted against it, including Sparwood mayor and former MP David Wilks, who defended his position in this Daybreak South interview with Chris Walker on CBC, saying that Pétain "may have been looking out for the interests of France."
It is hard to believe that anyone could argue in favour of keeping a mountain named after a Nazi collaborator, and inexcusable that an elected official would not only vote to do so but double down on that decision in an attempt to defend it. I will be joining Chris Walker for an interview about this on Monday morning and will keep you posted on how the situation develops.
Until then, let’s move on to some more positive news.
On Tuesday, 19 women told us how they have been strengthened and inspired by community during the pandemic.
Their reflections will form part of the program for Choices, our community’s biggest women’s event of the year, featuring Jill Zarin as the keynote speaker. It is always an evening full of heart and inspiration, and I hope you will join us (virtually) on Sunday, November 7th. Register here.
Last Sunday, a diverse group of volunteer leaders led by our board chair, Candace Kwinter, along with Jewish professionals, and young adults participated in the 8th Annual Jewish World Dialogue held by the Jewish People Policy Institution, a think tank in Jerusalem.
The subject: Evolving Israel-Diaspora Relations in the context of Actualizing Israel’s 2018 Nation-State Law.
The group discussed meaningful tools to maintain and improve Israel-Diaspora relations, such as tailoring school curricula to each community’s needs, and the importance of mutual understanding and dialogue to improving relationships, starting from an early age up to policymakers.
Later that evening, we honoured my grandfather Rabbi Sidney Shanken z’l.
In honour of his first yahrzeit, my family and I hosted, with the support of the JCC and the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival Society, an intimate screening of GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II. I am so proud that my father, who is visiting us from New Jersey, could attend. It was a chance for both of us to process our loss.
When I spoke about my grandfather, I remarked that most of the people present in the audience have one thing in common: we all commit our lives to others. I want to thank all those present for making my family and me your "other" that evening. I would also like to thank Gabe Bloomfield, manager of the executive office, for making sure the event went off without a hitch, and Jeff Balin, Emily Pritchard, and Elana Gold from our office for volunteering.
We want to leave you on a happy note, so here are photos from yesterday’s PJ Library Challah Bake at Vancouver Talmud Torah, where my family and I joined more than 30 families to bake the challah they will be enjoying this evening!
Shabbat shalom.
Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer