Shabbat Message - February 19, 2021

This message has 831 words and will take about 4 minutes to read.

We had a bit of a cold spell here recently, but it is nothing like the situation in Texas. With temperatures plunging to -18 celsius and widespread power outages, many Texans have turned to their own devices as they try to keep warm. The state has recorded a record number of deaths resulting from car accidents, house fires, and carbon monoxide poisonings due to running generators indoors. BBC reported that one county said it “had seen more than 300 suspected carbon monoxide cases during the cold snap,” and the Houston Chronicle quoted a local health official who called it “a mini mass casualty event.” Another medical official told local television station KPRC-TV that the situation is “an absolute public health disaster."

Jewish Federations of North America has set up a disaster relief fund, and you can support their efforts through us. Click here to donate to the Texas Freeze Disaster Relief Fund. 

If you'd like to read more, the Jewish Federations in Dallas and Houston have mobilized to help, and you can read an interview here with my friend and colleague, Mariam Shpeen Feist, CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.
 
February is Black History Month, and we are proud to be part of a Canada-wide event called I am Jewish: Honouring Black Jewish Experiences. Register here and join us as we honour Black Jewish community members and celebrate Black History Month.
 
February is also Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month, and our advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, hosted an event this week called Mobilizing Canadians for Inclusion. Two community members, Mara Shnay and Lisa Romalis, participated in an interactive discussion with adults and family members across Canada with the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. Participants were able to ask the minister specific questions about government legislation and programs that affect the lives of children, youth and adults with disabilities. The event is one of two advocacy opportunities that have been scheduled during Jewish Disability Awareness Month. A second event will be held next week with communal professionals and a select group of BC MPs.
 
We are proud to support inclusion services offered by the JCC through the Annual Campaign and with Community Recovery funds. We asked the JCC to share with us how these programs have impacted participants. Due to the pandemic, social isolation is more prevalent than ever, and individuals with diverse abilities rely on community resources—like those provided by the JCC–for support. Here’s what a local parent of an adult child had to say about the impact on their family:
 
My daughter has been attending programs run by Inclusion Services [at the JCC] over the past year and they have been a wonderful experience for her. It is a great gift that they are still available during the pandemic. The current Zoom theatre classes are extremely well done. They are improving my daughter’s confidence, self-expression and social skills in addition to developing her natural skills in theatre.
 
One of our key strategic priorities as an organization is affordability. Another city that can relate to this challenge is Tel Aviv. On Wednesday, we had a collaborative webinar with The Canadian Friends of Tel-Aviv University on housing affordability, Vancouver vs Tel-Aviv, which was facilitated by Shelley Rivkin, our vice president of global and local engagement. Real estate and finance experts Dr. Danny Ben-Shahar of Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Tsur Somerville of UBC presented the similarities between the two cities. Dr. Somerville ended on a somewhat positive note about Vancouver’s goals to balance the preservation of the city while becoming more affordable, accommodating newcomers, creating housing opportunities, improving sustainability, and achieving a lower carbon footprint.
 
Purim is a time not only for celebration, but for remembering that threats can happen that affect a community as a whole. As a Jewish community, we know that all too well—and we are not alone. This week, the Vancouver Police Department released a report to the Police Board that showed that anti-Asian hate crimes increased 717% over the past year. We are deeply troubled by this and stand together with the Asian community against hate in all its forms.  
 
Last Purim was really the last time we celebrated together in the usual way. Becky Saegert, our vice president, marketing and communications, says that last year she took the groggers that were still in her purse from Purim and started using them to make noise at 7:00 for frontline workers. Last Purim happened on the cusp of a major turning point for all of us.
 
This Purim, there is already a lot of laughter in the community, starting with VTT’s Night of Laughter yesterday. Now, Schara Tzedeck has gotten into the Purim spirit this week with an amazing video with visuals inspired by Queen—not Queen Esther, but the rock group. Enjoy!
 
We’re already well into post-Purim planning here, and that means Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. I hope you will join us to honour those who lost their lives in wars and terror attacks in Israel, and then to celebrate the country’s Independence Day. It will be a uniquely local celebration featuring plenty of home-grown talent alongside well-known Israeli performers. Click here to register.

Shabbat shalom.

Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer