Shabbat Message - May 7, 2021

This message has 833 words and will take a little more than 4 minutes to read.

It’s our first Shabbat Message of May, which happens to be Jewish Heritage Month! We are very happy to share with you the official declaration, which was issued by the BC government.
 
If you’re looking for a way to celebrate, a great option is to research your genealogy at JewishGen.org, which will provide you with access to millions of records. As you might imagine, some of the important information you will find there is sourced from past censuses. The census provides important information about our community to the government, which they use to plan community programs and services related to employment, public transit, schools, hospitals, and more. Organizations like ours also use census information to guide our community planning work.
 
One in every four census questionnaires is the long-form version and will include questions on ethnicity (Question 23) and religion (Question 30). If you identify as Jewish, then write “Jewish” in responding to these questions. On Question 23, which pertains to ethnicity, you can include multiple answers, for example “French” and “Jewish.” I completed our census questionnaire a few days ago, and I hope you will complete yours too.
 
One of the wonderful things about this past week was that it was full of connections between our community and Israel, which is a central focus of our work.
 
We are very proud to announce that our board has approved $5,000 USD from our emergency fund to support of the families of the Mount Meron tragedy. The funds will support grants distributed by our trusted international partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel. We know that whenever and wherever disaster strikes, you want us to be there to help in a way that represents our community, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
 
Our ongoing, strategic international work encompasses much more than that, with a focus on improving the lives of Jews in Israel and around the world and building connections with our own community.
 
Just as with our local work, developing the next generation of leaders in our partnership region of Northern Israel is a priority. Members of our flagship program, GalilUp recently presented their different projects to our Israel and Global Engagement Committee on social, educational and transportation initiatives to improve communal life and connections throughout the Upper Galilee.
 
Our Madrichim In Training (MIT), who will staff Israel experience trips when travel ramps up post-COVID, had a speed dating-style Zoom meeting with young leaders, where they all had a chance to inspire one another with their life experiences and their commitment to community. Todah rabah to Kyra Morris, chair of the Axis Steering Committee; Michael Solomon, a volunteer with Jewish Family Services; Ilana Zackron of Moishe House; Yael Schechter of Temple Sholom; Katia Fermon of Hillel BC; and Grace Miller-Day, a community volunteer and past Hillel professional, for taking part in this rich conversation.

I was very fortunate to be among the group of community leaders from across the country who took part in another conversation with Lisa Stadelbauer, Canada’s new ambassador to Israel. To give you an idea of how new, Ambassador Stadelbauer has just arrived in Israel and was still in quarantine when we spoke. It was great to meet her so soon after her appointment, and we look forward to working with her.
 
It’s all too easy to feel disconnected during COVID, and that feeling can be exacerbated when you’re new to Canada. Fortunately, our BeyachadBC partnership is here to help. They held a great workshop called, “Networking for Newcomers: How to utilize LinkedIn to foster connections and access job opportunities”. Heather Spiegel, founder of Hidden Squirrel Consulting, guided participants through the "hidden job market", gave them tips on how to position themselves as stellar talent and shared her unique insights into the recruitment and hiring process.
 
We have long said that COVID has affected individuals, organizations and the community as a whole—and it will for some time. Last week, over 190 community members participated in Moving Beyond Covid 19: Preparing Ourselves and our Community for Recovery, which was organized by the Older Adult Coordinating Committee, a consortium of organizations focused on the needs of seniors. Dr. Betsy Stone and Dr. Steven Windmueller spoke eloquently about COVID-19 as a community trauma and the diverse ways in which Jewish communities have responded. If you missed it, click here (password: 9t=N.@Ze) and here (password: A#*i6V9A) for their presentations.

One event you don’t want to miss is coming up this Sunday: What Canada can Learn from Israel's Roll-out of the Covid-19 Vaccine. Pamela Fayerman, a medical journalist, will lead a Q&A with Eli Beer and Dov Maisel, funders of United Hatzalah of Israel, the country’s largest volunteer based emergency medical response network. We are very pleased that Diane Switzer, chair of the Jewish Community Foundation, and Jeff Klein, governor of the Jewish Community Foundation, will be opening and closing the event. Register here and join us!

Shabbat shalom and happy Mother’s Day,

Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer