PLANT A TREE Brit milah Ken SCHACHNOW FOR ALL OCCASIONS Sales Representative Ottawa’s three mohels DIRECT: 613.292.2200 TREES $18 | TREE BANK $150 FOR 10 TREES OFFICE: 613.829.1818 [email protected] help families keep EMAIL: [email protected] KELLERWILLIAMS 613-798-2411 VIP REALTY www.kenschachnow.com the ‘eternal covenant’ > p. 10 Brokerage, Independently Owned And Operated Ottawa Jewish Bulletin NOVEMBER 24, 2014 | 2 KISLEV 5775 ESTABLISHED 1937 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM | $2 Farber: ‘Never again’ has become ‘again and again’ Holocaust Education Month launch event keynote speaker Bernie Farber describes Canada’s treatment of First Nations peoples as “genocide” and asks, “Is our conscience clear?” Louise Rachlis reports. “Tonight my own thoughts are laced son of a Polish Jew who lost his fi rst wife, with tears, confusion and questions two children and other family members about human kind,” said Bernie Farber in the Holocaust. as he spoke about Kristallnacht and He said up to one-and-a-half million the Holocaust. “There have been things Armenians were murdered in the fi rst in Jewish history too horrible to be genocide of the modern era, and Hitler believed, but not too horrible to have said, “Who remembers the Armenians?” happened.” The “book on the Holocaust of the Farber was the keynote speaker, 20th Century that should have closed, is November 9 at the Soloway Jewish still open,” he said, mentioning later PHOTO: FRANCIE GREENSPOON Community Centre, for the offi cial genocides in Cambodia, Kosovo, Darfur, Keynote speaker Bernie Farber (second from right) at the launch of Holocaust launch of Holocaust Education Month in Rwanda, and “casting our eyes to the Education Month with (from left) Jewish Federation of Ottawa President and CEO Ottawa. present day,” massacres in Africa and Andrea Freedman, Israeli Ambassador Rafael Barak, Shoah Committee Chair Mina Cohn, Farber, who grew up in Ottawa, is the See Launch on page 2 and event MC Laurence Wall. Kevin Vickers at the Knesset Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) met with House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers at the Knesset in Jerusalem, November 12. Vickers told Netanyahu about the events in Ottawa on October 22 and how he stopped the terrorist who shot Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial and then entered Parliament’s Centre Block. Netanyahu praised Vickers on his bravery and quick response, which saved the lives of many. “This terror attack in Ottawa proves, once again, that Islamic radical terrorism has no limits and respects no borders. Israel and Canada stand side-by-side in the international effort to eliminate terrorism,” said Netanyahu. Vickers, who was in Israel for an international security conference, was honoured in the Knesset for his actions. PHOTO: HAIM TZACH/GPO Andrea Freedman on Limmud Ottawa’s Barbara Crook on a tour inside: a ‘sacred responsibility’ > p. day of Jewish learning > p. 16 that took on new meaning > p. 23 World Class Outsourcing ... and more! 613-744-6444 613-244-7225 Providing quality service 613-744-5767 613-244-4444 to the National Capital Region Publication Mail Agreement No. 40018822 since 1947! www.boydgroup.on.ca 2 November 24, 2014 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM Launch: ‘We are living in a time of outrage after outrage’ Continued from page 1 “What do we do about the short Syria. “‘Never again’ has, sadly, become attention span of the world?” Wall asked ‘again and again.’ While we have a Farber during the question period. tendency to look over there, it is here as “We are living in a time of outrage well.” after outrage,” Farber said. “We have He said, “The question for tonight is ‘Is done as Jews an exceptionally good job our conscience clear?’” of educating about the Shoah. This is Farber, the former CEO of the Canadian what has to be done. There is only Jewish Congress, is now senior vice-presi- one antidote, and it is remembering dent for government and external history. Education is paramount ... relations at Gemini Power Corporation, We are teachers and we have long, long which helps First Nations reserves in memories. We will continue to teach Northern and Northwestern Ontario those lessons, and it’s the only way build sustainable industries. forward.” He said it’s time for Canadians to To a question on anti-Semitism in “accept the sad truth” that the Canadian France, he replied, “Despite how you feel government engaged in genocide of First about the French government or the U.K. Nations people during the 19th and 20th government, they do take this seriously. centuries. What has been done in Canada It is not Hitler ... We are certainly not PHOTO: FRANCIE GREENSPOON fi ts the defi nition of genocide, he said, turning our backs. Democratic nations Nathan Cantor (centre) receives special recognition for Outstanding Student citing nutrition experiments, residential will protect their citizens.” Leadership in Holocaust Education and Remembrance at the launch of Holocaust Education schools, adoption by non-aboriginal To another question on Iran’s nuclear Month, November 9, from Shoah Committee Chair Mina Cohn (right) and Ottawa March families and being allowed to die from capability, he said, “I believe one thing: of the Living Chair Karen Palayew. tuberculosis. the State of Israel is very focussed on this. Canada recognizes fi ve genocides, he The Jews fully understand the lessons of events for Jewish and non-Jewish of the hundreds of little steps leading up said, citing the Holocaust and the ‘never again.’” students: a screening of the fi lm to the Holocaust and compared them to Ukrainian, Armenian, Rwandan and Mina Cohn, chair of the Shoah Paperclips, which uses individual paper events like the wave of anti-Semitism in Yugoslavian genocides. Committee of the Jewish Federation of clips to represent each of the six million Europe this past summer. “The time has come for Canada to Ottawa, and Karen Palayew, Ottawa chair Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust; “We feel it is our duty to make sure recognize the sixth genocide, in search of of March of the Living, presented Queen’s and a student assembly on the Holocaust ‘never again’ doesn’t become ‘again and a name but not of historical facts,” he University student Nathan Cantor with at Sir Robert Borden High School. again,’” they said. said, referring to Canada’s First Nations. special recognition for Outstanding Seven March of the Living alumni – In attendance were many Holocaust “A national conversation is now Student Leadership in Holocaust Madeleine Burke, Jordan Geist, Abby survivors as well as dignitaries, including engaged.” Education and Remembrance. Greenberg, Rachel Kardish, Joshua community rabbis, Israeli Ambassador CBC Ottawa radio news anchor Cohn said Cantor returned from the Kofsky, Jacob Melamed and Matthew Rafael Barak, MPPs Yasir Naqvi and John Laurence Wall was the evening’s MC. March of the Living and organized two Silverman – presented a timeline of some Fraser, and MP Royal Galipeau. End of an era as 153 Chapel Street comes down; Beth Shalom to fi nd temporary home at SJCC in April BY ANITA ALMSTEDT of the demolition begins in May, CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM Congregation Beth Shalom will have The redevelopment of the property at moved to our temporary new home on 151-153 Chapel Street – the site of the Jewish Community Campus, where Congregation Beth Shalom’s synagogue we will have offi ce space in the Soloway building and the former Jewish JCC and hold weekly Shabbat services in Community Centre (JCC) – began the main social hall. The daily minyan October 29 when Trinity Properties will be held in the chapel at Hillel Lodge. Investments Inc. and Forgestone Capital Beth Shalom has signed a one-year Management GP Inc., which bought the lease at the Soloway JCC, with options to property last year, began to demolish the extend the lease, should that be former JCC building at 153 Chapel. necessary. Beth Shalom services and other A preservation task force has been communal activities will continue as assembled and is currently deciding usual at 151 Chapel Street over the next which artifacts of religious or historical few months during the fi rst phase of the signifi cance will move with the congre- demolition. gation to the Soloway JCC and which will However, by the time the second phase be put into storage. Both Barry Sohn, president and chief Correction operating offi cer of the Soloway JCC, and Stephen Schneiderman, executive Demolition begins at 153 Chapel Street, the site of the former JCC. Congregation Beth Shalom In the Emerging Gen column (print will continue to hold services at 151 Chapel Street until the end of March before temporarily director of Hillel Lodge, have been edition, November 10), Esther Peters’ moving to the Jewish Community Campus. extremely supportive and have made synagogue affi liation was incorrectly this emotionally challenging time in the identifi ed. In fact, she attends Ohev shul’s history much easier. which, fi ttingly, is the evening of the fi rst of the people of Israel, this year, will also Yisroel, the Orthodox congregation in Beth Shalom’s fi rst service at the Passover seder. The holiday, which, symbolically mark the renewal of downtown Ottawa. Soloway JCC will be held Friday, April 3, among other things, marks the renewal Congregation Beth Shalom. November 24, 2014 3 OTTAWAJEWISHBULLETIN.COM Tel Aviv University president touts innovation at Ottawa conference Neil Fine B.Sc., M.Cl.Sc., Aud (C), Reg. 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