Connecting the Atlantic Jewish Community
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Shalom SPRING 2019 CONNECTING THE ATLANTIC JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THIS ISSUE: THE MONTREAL SHTETL: MAKING HOME AFTER THE HOLOCAUST RESEARCHING THE JEWISH HISTORY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND I A MOMENT OF SILENCE (POWAY, CA) COVER ARTWORK BY TOM FORRESTALL NOVEMBER 21-24 2019 HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA AJFF.ca CELEBRATE AT THE SATURDAY NIGHT FILM AND PARTY AT PIER 21 STAY TUNED FOR ALL THE DETAILS We welcome you to become part of the AJFF family by becoming a sponsor. For more information on the many perks of sponsorship: AJFF.ca IN THIS ISSUE SPRING 2019 VOL. 44 | NO. 1 Shalom IYAR 5779 SHALOM MAGAZINE FEATURES President ON THE COVER See Page 11 for details MARILYN KAUFMAN 12 Canadian Young Judaea Executive Director 14 My Kadimah Home is Here NAOMI ROSENFELD 18 An Evening of Dramatic Readings from Editor The Montreal Shtetl: Making Home After EDNA LEVINE The Holocaust Contributing Editor 20 Researching the Jewish History of Prince JOEL JACOBSON Edward Island Design 40 A Moment of Silence (Poway, CA) MEGHAN RUSHTON 41 Letter to the Editor Advertising 43 The Abraham Leventhal Memorial EDNA LEVINE Scholarship Winners! BEN LAZARE Address all correspondence including advertising enquires to: IN EVERY ISSUE EDITOR, C/O SHALOM ATLANTIC JEWISH COUNCIL 12 4 President’s message: Marilyn Kaufman 5670 SPRING GARDEN ROAD SUITE 309 5 From the desk of Naomi Rosenfeld, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA B3J 1H6 Executive Director TEL. 902-422-7491 | FAX 902-425-3722 7 From the desk of Edna LeVine, [email protected] Director of Community Engagement [email protected] 9 The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs www.theajc.ca (CIJA) Report 11 Campus News This publication is printed by: Camp Kadimah News HALCRAFT PRINTERS INC. 20 13 Mailed under Canada Post: 36 Rabbis Corner PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT NO. 40052452 AROUND OUR REGION NOTE TO OUR READERS 26 ThankYou and Farewell! Our Atlantic Jewish community is losing more 28 Prince Edward Island and more members as the years go on. In the past, Shalom has printed stories of regional community 29 Moncton members who have passed away. While we try to 30 Saint John STAY TUNED FOR ALL THE DETAILS acknowledge the major contributions of many of 26 31 Fredericton our late friends and family members, we request that you inform Shalom of passings of which 32 Cape Breton we may be unaware so we may recognize these 34 Newfoundland individuals. Shalom’s editorial staff reserves the right to determine the length of memorial pieces to be printed in the magazine. Written articles are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the AJC. theAJC.ca SPRING 2019 Shalom 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE From The Desk Of MARILYN KAUFMAN President of the Atlantic Jewish Council SHALOM FRIENDS Although it has been a long cold winter, of fruit treats native to Israel, to celebrate the private homes hosted relatives and friends to members of the Atlantic Jewish Council occasion. celebrate Passover. We hear of the significance have convened on a regular basis to discuss The happy holiday of Purim was celebrated of the unleavened bread, of the bitter herbs, of and outline priorities and implementation of in many local communities. Queen Esther the dipping of the bitter herbs and of eating in programs for our communities. This is an on proved to be too much of a match for the evil a reclining position. This is the legacy of our going process and it has, indeed, been a busy Haman and so, in a time honoured tradition, forefathers, the exodus from bondage in Egypt few months as you will see in my following we made lots of noise and munched on to becoming a free nation. While shopping remarks. Let me thank Naomi, Edna, Lindsay, Hamantashen. for Passover, I encountered a gentleman from Svetlana and Ben for their assistance with The Shabbat Across Atlantic Canada Sackville, NB whose wife was preparing implementing a number of our programs and initiative, where young families came together for a large troupe for the first seder. I also keeping our office running smoothly. Thank for Shabbat dinner, saw participation from bumped into Debbie and Morely Rinzler from you to members of the AJC Board for your various areas of our region. We may have Moncton. When wandering around a grocery continued input and work on behalf of all taken creative licence with the “age factor” to store at Pesach time one is bound to meet up Jewish communities in Atlantic Canada. broaden the scope, but the outcome proved with fellow kin. Aviv—Spring—a season of birth and to be successful. Meanwhile, ongoing Hillel Sadly, the world once again was confronted renewal, much like the events which define programming continues on a number of with terrorist attacks, this time at two our Jewish history. campuses bringing both Jewish students and mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, On Jan.27th, some of our communities faculty together. and days later followed by bombings of observed International Holocaust Day The Montreal Shtel, Making Home Christian churches in Sri Lanka and then the simultaneously with the showing of the after the Holocaust, a book by Dr. Zelda shooting at a Chabad shul service in Poway, award winning film documentary, Who Will Abramson and John Lynch was launched in California. I attended an open house at our Write Our History. The global screening Fredericton (Feb.) and in Halifax (Apr.). The Fredericton mosque. Interfaith vigils were held event debuted at UNESCO headquarters in Drama Dept. at St. Thomas University headed in a number of our communities which were Paris, France. A poignant film, it gives us first by Prof. Robin Whittaker sponsored the attended by members of our congregations. hand knowledge, through a Jewish lens, of Fredericton program, and Halifax presented Also in April and May, Fredericton, Jewish life in Warsaw during the dark days it’s program through St. Mary’s University. Dr. Moncton, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, of the Holocaust. It documents the work of Abramson, an Associate Professor in sociology St. John’s and Prince Edward Island held a group called the Oyneg Shabes, scholars, at Mount Allison University, launched her Holocaust Remembrance ceremonies. journalists and community leaders who, co-authored book which depicts life of Eastern Andy Reti, an Hungarian child Holocaust using pen and paper, worked in the Warsaw European Jews who immigrated to Montreal survivor and Ellin Bessner, journalist and Ghetto, to challenge the Nazi propaganda. after the Holocaust. author of the book Double Threat: Canadian Known as the Ringelblum Archives, “it April 1st, I had the honour of representing Jews in the Military, and World War 11, contains the collection of more than 35,000 Atlantic Canada at a state dinner held in travelled to some of our communities to give pages of art works, photographs, execution Ottawa hosted by Prime Minister Justin presentations. Andy also addressed students at announcements, and hand-drawn maps of Trudeau for Israeli President Reuven several schools in Saint John, N.B. concentration maps.” These are only from 2 Rivlin who was here to discuss updating the We held Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations— discovered post World War II caches. A third Canada Israel Free Trade Agreement. Both Israel’s Independence Day. Halifax, is thought to be buried beneath the Chinese gentlemen offered toasts and re-affirmed their Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton Embassy in Poland. This film was part of the strong 70 year long friendship between our had Mijal Ben Dori, the Canada Director 2019 Miami Jewish Film Festival. If you have two countries. President Rivlin spoke proudly for Israel, a shaliach on loan from the seen it, it is deserving of a second viewing. of his being a 7th generation Jerusalemite. Jewish Agency, bring us a sound and video Tu B’shevat, the holiday of the New Year It is to be noted that the bill outlining the presentation which traced the history of Israel of the Trees in Israel, once again saw the upgrades to the new CIFTA just passed its through music, song and dance. The film clips launching of a successful Atlantic Canada JNF third reading in the House in Ottawa. illustrated the country’s changing social fabric telethon under the direction of Susan David. Community seders were hosted by Many of our chedar children were recipients Synagogues in some communities while many Continue on page 42 4 Shalom SPRING 2019 theAJC.ca FROM THE DESK OF NAOMI ROSENFELD From The Desk Of NAOMI ROSENFELD Executive Director THE TOP 6 LESSONS THAT BIG JEWISH COMMUNITIES CAN LEARN FROM SMALL JEWISH COMMUNITIES Big Jewish communities are all the rage, and committing 40+ hours a week to our Jewish has always been in style. If you want to go to why wouldn’t they be? In an increasingly institutions. Is it any wonder that we produce shul in our community, expect an invitation urbanized Jewish world, the vast majority some of the most dedicated and committed for lunch that very same day! of Jews live in large Jewish communities. Jewish communal leaders—wherever they end These communities do amazing work—they up in the world? 1. WE WORK FOR IT raise tons of money, they provide countless In a small Jewish community like Atlantic programs and services, and they inspire 4. THE “WELCOME-TO-THE-FAMILY” ATTITUDE Canada, you don’t develop Jewish identities communal innovation. Utter excitement, joy, and warmth whenever on the basis of your environment or your However, when I moved to Atlantic a new Jewish family moves to town? Well friend group. In fact, just the opposite is true: Canada in the summer of 2016, I was of course, that’s just the norm around here! being Jewish—and raising Jewish children—is immediately taken aback by the countless We know that every Jewish family—every really hard: services, programs, and communal dedicated Jewish leaders and other strongly- Jewish person—is so incredibly vital for our institutions are scarce, and the vast majority identified Jews.