The Prize award winners

The walls of Israel By Laura Goldfarb Plus 10 more winning essays THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS B2 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] MARCH 16, 2017 WINNER Award for The walls of Israel Excellence in Jewish LAURA GOLDFARB to my shadow as my soles dragged through Writing the scalding sand. In the distance, we t isn’t often that I overhear discussion caught sight of two silhouettes reclining of Israel or Judaism in my residence in the shade of a large boulder. Aroused I building, which happens to overlook by the prospect of external interaction af- the giant, monumental cross of the Water- ter days without it, we approached them. loo Seminary. However, a few days ago, as From their ankle-length black cloaks and I was walking back to my room, the word cylindrical white head coverings, our guide “Israel” slipped out from underneath my identified them as Druze, and introduced neighbours’ door. As though it was a com- herself in Arabic. She conversed with the mander’s order, I halted immediately. two men animatedly, as though she was “My cousin just told me that she’s going catching up with old friends. Gradually, to Israel,” the first girl announced indif- however, their conversation began to take ferently. “Israel…,” the other pondered, on a discernibly earnest tone. It was then “that’s the Jewish one with all the walls, that our guide started translating what the right?” men were saying. My curiosity was piqued, and as I eaves- They told us about their younger brother, dropped, ironically through the wall, I who served gallantly as a combat soldier began to wonder if my neighbour’s per- for the IDF during the Second Lebanon ception was right; if the significance of Is- War. Tears escaped from their eyes, damp- rael to those who had no connection to it ening their dehydrated cheeks, as they de- could be distilled to just “the one with all scribed the events of their brother’s cap- the walls.” I ruminated on this point, and ture and his tragic death at the hands of From left: Carl Ehrlich, director of the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, I believe that she was, in a way, right – but Lebanese fighters. The younger of the two CJN Prize winner Laura Goldfarb and CJN editor Yoni Goldstein. only half right. weeped silently, while the other recounted Ever since kindergarten, I’ve been the utterly devastating details of their of a different ethnicity, and of a different to. But, I can’t help wondering whether taught that Judaism cherishes shalom brother’s week-long captivity, culminating language, but the barriers that existed be- her perception would change if she knew – peace – and achdut—togetherness. I in his untimely death at just 19 years old. tween us disintegrated almost instantly. In that, in a sense, walls are also broken can recall one seemingly endless Tanach With his gaze unblinking and fixed in the that moment, they were our brothers, and down in Israel quicker than in any place class during which we deconstructed distance, he explained that, sometimes, their brother was our brother, too. We lis- I’ve ever known. That an unmistakable the phrase, “Behold, how good and how when they imagine the four dark walls tened and we felt their pain, and no walls infusion of openness imbues the stagnant pleasant it is for brothers to dwell togeth- that imprisoned their brother, they be- separated us. desert air and engenders the overly can- er in unity!” from Ketuvim. As I now read come sick with a sort of claustrophobia – I would be mistaken not to count this did, wonderfully forthright behaviour of over my lazily scribbled notes, I learn that “or maybe it’s just the grief creeping back”, as a uniquely Israeli experience. In Israel, the Israeli people. That the many religious the word “brothers” is often interpreted, he wondered. Regardless, that’s why they when you accidentally make eye-contact and cultural walls, along with their appeal quite self-referentially, as any people who come out here, he said, because the desert with someone on a bus, the person doesn’t to be knocked down, allow for those un- successfully “dwell together in unity,” sug- has no walls, just “vast openness,” as our dart his eyes away in embarrassment like avoidable connections and that spirit of gesting that faith, and ethnicity, and lan- guide translated. a Canadian does, he stares. When people brotherhood that permeates every city, guage are immaterial to the question of It’s true, in some areas, the Israeli land- lock eyes, they accept the connection, town, and kibbutz in Israel. brotherhood. scape is expansive, spacious, freeing. But they don’t shy away from it. It’s only in Israel that a group of Eng- I think back to an encounter from my it wasn’t just the landscape that was unob- Admittedly, in spite of my anecdotes, lish-speaking teenage girls can sit in the summer on Biluim Israel. structed, it was our empathy, our connec- there are walls in Israel. Literal walls. heart of a bustling market with a group of We were well into the sixth hour on the tion, our understanding, too, that was un- Walls that segregate people. Walls that Arab women whom they had just met, and third day of our five-day hiking trip. The obstructed. On that day, in the desert, we hold great political significance. These are speak about food and the weather and smell of burning rubber stubbornly clung encountered two men of a different faith, the walls that my neighbour was referring current events like old pals. Only in Israel can such an eclectic group come together over a traditional freeqa and falafel. Only in Israel do partitions between people The CJN Prize Event crumble like fistfuls of Bamba. So, my neighbour was, in a way, right. Israel is the Jewish one with all the walls. But she was only half right, because Israel is the Jewish one with all the walls being brought down. In Israel it’s plain to see that those who choose to live together in unity, those who hold sacred the values of shalom and achdut, no matter their faith, ethnicity, or language, are brothers. Is- rael’s significance extends far beyond the walls that stand, its significance lies deep- ly in the “vast openness” of its vivacious culture. ■

Laura Goldfarb is in her first year of communication studies at Wilfrid Laurier CJN Prize winner Laura Goldfarb, third from right, with family and friends at the event reception. University. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS MARCH 16, 2017 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] B3

Runner Up When the fast is slow Award for Excellence in struggled to focus on the conversations ing ever is) but I was living spend most days around me because I was so distracted by in accordance with my val- Jewish Writing of the year feel- the cruel, abusive voice inside my head. I ues. I believe this is the key ing unworthy and spent many holidays hiding in the bath- to living a life without regrets. struggling to feed room, trying to breathe through a panic Somewhere along the way, I lost yourself, perhaps attack or just finding a safe haven from the person I used to be to my ill- Yom Kippur should be the chaos. ness. I know there is only one way to a time to embrace com- Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a restore a valued life, and that is through passion. After all, what is forgive- time of renewal. We celebrate the new the ultimate fresh start– beginning a new ness but an act of compassion? Not only year and we are granted a fresh start. life that does not include the abusive part- compassion towards others, but also to- We reflect on the ways in which we have ner called anorexia. wards oneself. strayed from our values and we aim to do One of the barriers to recovering from Anorexia is a very complicated condition better than the year before. anorexia, for myself and for many others with many biological, genetic, environ- This year, I spent some time considering I have spoken to, is feeling undeserving. mental and psychological factors involved. how my disorder prevents me from living Feeling trapped in this painful disorder Recovery is not a simple or easy process by a valued life. Not only does it interfere with can really take a toll on one’s self-esteem any means, but for me, it is composed of celebrating joyous occasions, but it inter- and self-worth. This is why the holiday of small and manageable steps. One step that HAYLEY DANZIGER feres with my ability to be my true self. I Yom Kippur has a very different meaning I can take is to find meaning in the holiest am not fully present to engage with my for me these days than it used to, and I of the holidays by choosing to forgive my- s a child, the Jewish holiday of community and participate in charitable have come to approach it in a non-trad- self, to take care of myself, and to be the Yom Kippur always bewildered projects, be a supportive family member, itional way. Instead of fasting on Yom Kip- best version of myself. For it is through be- A me. I would watch my parents and or pursue my passions. pur, it is one day of the year when I will ing compassionate towards ourselves that grandparents abstain from food, and I ob- As a child, I loved to write stories, poetry 100 percent commit to feeding myself. we can radiate compassion outwards and served a drastic change in their behaviour. and essays. I spent every evening laughing Yom Kippur is a time to repent and ask for find the redemption that we seek. ■ They were quiet, withdrawn, and spoke of with my sister, my parents and my grand- forgiveness. feeling light-headed and weak. I didn’t parents. I volunteered at soup kitchens The truth is that we fast for many per- Hayley Danziger earned her designation understand why we, the Jewish people, and assisted living facilities. I practised sonal reasons, but many of us do it to as a certified nutritional practitioner fast on Yom Kippur. Is it a self-punishing gratitude every day for the beautiful life I focus on redeeming ourselves instead of from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in act, a way to atone for our sins? Or is it a had, which was far from perfect (as noth- feeding ourselves. However, when you Toronto. method of cleansing? Perhaps for some it allows them to spend the day in servi- ces or in prayer, without any distractions. However, my young mind couldn’t fully grasp the spiritual purpose of fasting, and The CJN Prize Event I was very confused by the whole concept. Fast forward a few years and this very concept of abstaining from food became the centre of my universe. The type of fasting I began to engage in was differ- ent from the typical religious fast. It last- ed much longer than 24 hours and there was no spiritual meaning to it. Instead it was a compulsion, part of a drive to re- strict my food and to exercise excessively in order to quell an unbearable anxiety. I have used food – or rather, the abstinence of it– as a method of feeling in control of my life since I was 11 years old. This was the beginning of my battle with anorexia nervosa. Over the years, the Jewish holidays have been difficult for me. When Jews are not fasting, we are feasting. Most Jewish holidays involve sitting around a table of copious amounts of traditional food. As you can imagine, this can be quite stress- ful for someone who is food-phobic. For every Jewish holiday with my family over the years, my eating disorder tagged along as my guest. A popular analogy amongst those who suffer from eating disorders compares the condition to an abusive partner. It can feel similar to having a constant voice of a controlling monster in your head, shaming and berating you. So while I sat at the table for my family Michael Goldbloom, principal and vice-chancellor at Bishop’s University delivers the keynote lecture seders or Rosh Hashanah celebrations, I to attentive guests at the CJN Prize Event Feb. 22. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS B4 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] MARCH 16, 2017

Runner Up Award for Jewish privilege: a poetic essay Excellence in by the grandchild of survivors Jewish Writing

feel bad for what happened to us in Eur- all along! Isn’t it remarkable, existence, and that of my ope for six years during the 20th century. how a character that was cre- whole family and so many of Privilege. ated by and for American Jews my friends, my whole community I will tell you what it means to me, this during World War II – people who needed even, occurs in the wake of the genocide privilege. Jewish privilege is the micro-ag- that emotional outlet because of what was of my ancestors. I’m alive today because gressions that eat away at your sense of happening to their family in Europe and my grandparents – who were terrorized, self. It’s people at parties thinking of you their powerlessness to fix it – was so easily who lost their families – they were the as a novelty. Without trying to be hateful, appropriated for entertainment value? It’s lucky ones. The ones who lived. they treat the presence of your culture like the stomachaches, the anxiety; the history But I will tell you what the real privilege it’s a joke. Oh, you’re Jewish? That’s so… of constantly being driven out of some- is. In spite of a near-universal rhetoric that funny! That’s a word I’ve heard used be- where. Being hunted. tells me I should resent it, I have fallen in fore. Funny. We control the media indus- They say we go on and on about the love with my Jewishness. I am so in awe try, and yet our representation goes little Holocaust. They say “let bygones be by- of how resilient my people are, and our beyond the stereotypes that have been gones.” And still yet some of them like to refusal to be silenced. Our painful history ascribed to us. We are swindling lawyers; say it wasn’t real. Don’t you understand? informs our present. Our culture teaches we are doctors with funny accents. We repeat “never forget”over and over to us warmth and kindness. Watch us light It’s hate graffiti scrawled somewhere in drown out the sound of a world that wants candles and surround ourselves with love. DARA POIZNER a dorm hallway in your school. And no us to. Watch us find our version of happiness in one cares, because Jews aren’t a real min- Jewish privilege is “none is too many,” or spite of how cruel the world has been. hey like to say we own the banks. ority, even though we’re the most target- a number tattooed on an arm. It’s people If you ask me one more time about my And by virtue of that we control ed group when it comes to hate crimes. saying “perished” and “passed” instead Jewish privilege, I will scream out the T the money. They act like our prom- Jewish privilege is when anti-Semitism of “murdered” and “slaughtered”. If the plight and the history of my people loud inence in the entertainment industry and misogyny combine to form “JAP,” an Nazi officer who stopped my grandfather enough to drown out the sound of your is some sort of evil conspiracy – not the acronym for Jewish American Princess; a in the street had truly done his job, if he ignorance. We will always defy the force product of hard work and sacrifice. They special language used to alienate young had taken one more moment to see that that seeks to obliterate our existence. It is like to discount our experiences and say Jewish women. the boy he was talking to was Jewish, my not new to us. We have been survivors for that we have something called…Jewish It’s the big Marvel plot twist that Captain family line would have ended there. So all time. ■ privilege. America, fictional hero of the great United many did. It’s the idea that anti-Semitism We’re all rich snobs, you see, and people States, known for fighting the Axis pow- was over after 1945. Dara Poizner studies English at the give us special dispensation, because they ers, has been a Hydra agent (read: Nazi) Jewish privilege is knowing that my University of Guelph.

The CJN Prize Event

Prize winners, family, friends, CJN staffers and many more attended The CJN Prize Event held at the Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre at York University on Feb. 22. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS MARCH 16, 2017 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] B5 Runner Up Runner Up Award for ExcellenceAward for in JewishExcellence Writing in Combina, chutzpah, and a blooming desert: Jewish Writing experiencing the magic of Startup Nation

Two Ben Gurion quotes jump to mind: soldiers from the IDF intelligence unit. I the button for the clinic floor and wishes “In Israel, in order to be a realist you must see young interns pitching to the media me a speedy recovery. Completely dumb- believe in miracles.” And, “It is in the Ne- and striking up conversations with CEOs founded, I can’t thank this kind stranger gev that the creativity and pioneer vigour – now that’s chutzpah for you! enough. of Israel shall be tested.” There’s a collective feeling in Israel that This sums up Israel: everyone feels re- Shvil HaSalat (The Salad Trail) farm is a anything is possible. The country itself sponsible to help. The startup commun- perfect example of how Israel has made is a startup, succeeding against all odds. ity is especially supportive and willing to the desert bloom. All the water used Networking doesn’t feel like networking offer advice, mentorship, and assistance. here is reclaimed from Jaffa and pumped here – it flows easily and no person, no People say that in Israel anyone is only down to the desert where it’s purified. matter their accomplishments or title, is two phone calls away, and everyone has As a symbol for the country’s collective off-limits. Organizational structures tend 30 minutes to help you think through a resourcefulness, the desert blooming to be more flat, and work environments challenge. I found this to be spot on, both proves an apt metaphor. From agricul- more casual. It’s a breeding ground for in my professional and day-to-day experi- ture to robotics, medicine to security, Is- creativity and new ideas. ence. rael innovates to make something out of I hobble out of the Gett taxi, limping to- Whether you’re standing together dur- nothing. wards the walk-in clinic. I can’t see exactly ing the Yom Hashoah siren, completing It’s a sweltering June evening, and I’m where it is in the plaza and my sprained reserve duty, raising kids, or growing a MARSHA DRUKER unpacking in my new apartment on foot is not up for a long search. There’s a startup, Israelis are in it together in this Dizengoff street. It’s one of the most de- man enjoying a smoke break outside a crazy place we call our homeland. ■ It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m on bus num- sirable and lively areas of Tel Aviv, yet, I pizzeria. He asks if I’m OK, drops his ciga- ber 125 heading to the up-and-coming can see the pub where the 2016 New Year’s rette and takes my hand to help me to my Marsha Druker is marketing manager at Florentine area of Tel Aviv. Surrounded Day shooting attack took place from my destination. Next thing I know, he swoops Askuity, a growing Toronto startup. She by graffiti, grungy construction zones and doorstep. Suddenly, I notice my WhatsApp me up in his arms, “This is easier”. He gent- completed her BBA at the Schulich School some of the best hummus joints around group chat start frantically flashing with ly sets me down by the elevator, presses of Business. sits Veed.me, the startup where I’ll be messages such as “Was anyone at Sarona working for the next eight months. Market?”, “Is everyone safe?!”, “I was there, I’m wearing ripped jeans, a print t-shirt but we ran and are safe now”. Pulling up and Converses. I jump right into the action YNet, I learn about yet another terror at- – strategy discussions, content ideas, prod- tack steps from home. The next day, like The CJN Prize Event uct testing, and more importantly, giving all Israelis, I go into work without a second my opinion on flower arrangements for thought. It’s business as usual. significant others. In Israel, the only thing that’s certain is It’s Valentine’s Day and I think I’m in uncertainty. You wake up every morning love. With my surroundings, my new and continue your routine, knowing that co-workers, and my decision to leave my anything can happen, any time. This is life in Canada behind to experience Star- another element that makes Israelis such tup Nation firsthand. great entrepreneurs. In entrepreneurship, Israel is famous for its dynamic tech and particularly in startups, uncertainty startup ecosystem, with only Silicon Val- and risk are inherent, and you have to roll ley rivalling it in number of startups per with the punches to succeed (or get up capita. In a region plagued with conflict, and keep trying if you fail). Israelis have honed the art of problem In particular, the country’s mandatory solving, turning a tiny desert nation into army service teaches assertiveness, con- an innovation powerhouse. For a country fidence and how to manage a team. Com- that has existed for only 68 years, with a bina is a word that’s often heard in Israel. population of just over eight million, this It’s the ability to improvise in uncertain is no ordinary feat. situations, overcome obstacles, leverage There are countless numbered lists ex- your skills and contacts, and ‘cheat’ the plaining the factors behind this unlikely system to get the results you want. success, but that’s not what this is going I’m on a rooftop overlooking the “white to be. Instead, I want to share a collection city” skyline and the sea. The sun is set- of memories that shaped my own under- ting, and a drone is buzzing overhead. I’m standing of Startup Nation. sipping a beer and chatting with a charis- Reaching up, I grab a bright red, perfectly matic guy who invented a construction ro- plump strawberry. It’s growing in the most bot. Around us, I hear a mixture of English unlikely of places – in the middle of the and Hebrew, Russian and French – and Negev desert. Around me, my friends are those are just the languages I recognize. unearthing purple carrots and snacking We’re at an annual Startup Grind sum- on organic cherry tomatoes. We’re about mer party. This doesn’t feel like a typical eight kilometers from the Egyptian border, networking event, though. There’s a differ- at Shvil HaSalat, the most unique farm ent energy here, with a mix of expats, Is- I’ve ever seen. raelis, fellow startup folks, and even a few Marsha Druker’s parents. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS B6 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] MARCH 16, 2017

Runner Up Sighet wakes to the sound of chanting Award for Excellence in women remain on the bus, and I move closer to the front. I am shivering, the air Jewish Writing is cold, and I wish I weren’t alone. Five minutes later, we stop on another dark street. “Autogara,” the driver announ- I am here, in the ces, and opens the door. I ask him to call cemetery, picking up me a taxi, I hold out my phone, but he shakes his head and shrugs and pretends apples and walnuts not to understand. He pulls my backpack that fall from the out of the trailer and drops it at my feet, trees whose roots gets back in the van, and drives off. It is my ancestors are er and she anxiously touches my shoul- barely eight p.m. but the darkness is total, ders and my belly and asks why I don’t the fog icy against my cheeks. I have direc- clutching. have a husband or babies. Alina laughs tions prepared, I meant to walk to the city and tells her my age; Maria tells me then, centre to find my hotel, but I am too afraid no rush. to walk into this night. I play with Alina’s children, who know Two men stand smoking cigarettes out- only one word of English and run around side of the dark station. I beg them to call the house screaming, “hello! hello!” and me a taxi, and finally a red car pulls up out kissing my shins, my shoulders, my hands. TAMAR WOLOFSKY of the darkness. It brings me to a small I eat sarmale, cabbage rolls, with them, town square, the streetlamps shrouded in and I tell Alina that my grandmother awake on the cold floor of an over- mist, and I am there. these find no correlates on my map, leav- makes these too. She is surprised until I crowded minibus, my neck cramped My grandparents were born in Sighet, ing me lost. I stand very still on the street remind her, my grandmother is from Si- I and back sore from the angle at which were deported from Sighet, found their formerly named Dorobunçilor, hoping ghet too. I lean upon an aisle armrest. I haven’t separate ways home to Sighet, were mar- that, if I am quiet enough, I will hear a Sighet wakes to the sound of chanting. understood a word anyone has said for ried in Sighet, birthed a baby in Sighet, voice. A gentle hum, at first, rising and gain- hours, and the flat farmland out the win- crossed the border under the cover of I meet Alina, a historian, who points out ing strength until the windowpanes start dow has long since given way to impene- night from Sighet to crawl into the belly of the former Jewish streets, the ghetto, the to shake. Through the open door, in the trable darkness. The drive from Timisoara a ship that bore them to Canada. yeshiva caved in on itself. She takes my other room, I can see my grandfather was supposed to take six hours, but six And now, I am here, in the cemetery, hand and points out a Star of David en- wrapping the leather straps of his tfillin hours came and went an hour ago and picking up apples and walnuts that fall graved in the pavement, another in the around his arms, his forehead. Cloaked in still, we are driving. Now, though, the road from the trees whose roots my ancestors stair rails at the hotel. She quietly lets her- the white tallit, its fringes nearly sweeping begins to wind around a mountain, and I are clutching. The stones are tumbled self into a private courtyard to show me the floor, he sways back and forth, sing- am jostled together with the crush of Ro- over and the Hebrew script is crumbled the faded mark of where a mezuzah used ing the prayers just loud enough so God manian teenagers we picked up in Arad. but I can still read names: Yoseph, Moshe, to hang, but we cannot stay long because can hear. I open my eyes and sunlight They started off talking and laughing and Chaim, Shalom, Israel. I try to look for the people who live there don’t like her floods the room, the chanting is birds, sharing snacks, but now all of them have the names I know – Herman, Menachem, making it known. my grandfather is not here, but I close my succumbed to open-mouthed sleep. I Mendel, Faiga – but all Jews are blessed or She invites me into her home, where I eyes again and I have the feeling that half have no idea where I am. cursed with a repeating set of names that meet her grandmother, Maria, tiny and of this city’s population are ghosts, and I I am headed to Sighetu Maramatiei, to makes them impossible to distinguish. white-haired, who kisses me on both can hear them chanting Shema. ■ look for ghosts. The sky is clear today and I can see the cheeks and asks me the name of my The teenagers pile out of the car an mountains, mountains where my grand- grandmother as if she might recognize it. Tamar Wolofsky completed her BA in hour later, in front of a dark house on a mother spent her summers swimming She takes my hands in her shaking palms contemporary studies at the University of dark street. “Autogara?” I ask weakly – the and playing. In my pocket I carry a list of and apologizes for the circumstances that King’s College, and is currently studying driver, extraordinarily unhelpful, shakes names remembered, street names, school brought me back and the ones that took community economic development at his head. I take comfort that two other names, a cake shop on a main street, but them away. We drink fiery palinca togeth- Concordia University.

The CJN Prize Event

Pictured from le : Special guest speaker Sharon (Weltman) Fix- ler, general studies principal at Eitz Chaim (and CJN Prize judge) with winner Ezra Tanen’s mother; CJN Chief Operating O cer Tara Fainstein ; Carl Ehrlich, director of the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies with CJN editor Yoni Goldstein. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS MARCH 16, 2017 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] B7

Runner Up Kvetching about Chrismukah Award for Excellence in EVAN DAURIO Jewish Writing did not learn of the Exodus from a Haggadah. Nor did I learn it from my I parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, or rabbis. Rather, my first under- standing of the Passover story came from a viewing of A Rugrats Passover. Yes, those Rugrats. The wise words of the classic Jewish tale rang in my ears and scanned across my eyes, transporting me from my childhood den to biblical Egypt into the midst of slavery. As the story unfolded on my television set, I watched intently as Grandpa Boris retold the classic Jewish tale of how Tommy Pickles, his precious einikel as a stand-in for Moses, freed the enslaved babies from the cruel hands of Pharaoh Angelica. Boris Pickles – a real Baal Shem Tov for millennials. The Rugrats, the popular Nickelodeon cartoon, is only one in a long line of his- torical television programs that have featured Jewish characters in distinctly Jewish stories. Whether it is Rhoda Mor- ganstern, Monica and Ross Geller, Seth Cohen, or Herschel Krustofsky (aka Krusty the Klown), television has not shied away from warmly embracing Jewish charac- ters and their distinctly Jewish narratives. These characters have celebrated Cha- Evan Daurio with his family. nukah, mourned the loss of a relative in shivah, and become bar and bat mitzvah as we watched on our screens. They have punchline. Much like Tim Whatley in Se- will deliver. ish friendship on Girls, and the process of been ambassadors of Judaism to an audi- infeld, television shows are exploiting Ju- Is it really that simple though – we de- Jewish conversion and redemption for an ence that may otherwise never be exposed daism solely “for the jokes.” mand it and they create it? According to African-American inmate on Orange is the to it, providing a peek into an otherwise The flat characterization of Jews on the most recent diversity report com- New Black. unknown culture and religion. That is a the small screen has led to a damaging missioned by the Ralph Bunche Center What Transparent, Girls, and Orange is feat worth shepping nachas over. number of Jewish characters portrayed at UCLA, it is. Their 2015 findings dem- the New Black do so successfully is focus Unfortunately, a peek truly is all that as one-dimensional archetypes. Many of onstrated that greater representation of on portrayals of Jewish identity beyond most viewers have gotten to see. As Jews these archetypes we have grown accus- diversity in entertainment content con- the superficial. These shows move past have become increasingly prominent on tomed to – the Jewish American Princess tinues to result in above-average ratings the shallow gag of being a Jew in a world television screens, Jewish identity has (JAP for short), the crazy Jewish mother and greater financial performance across governed by Christianity and secularism not. Token Jewish characters are often (you really should call her more often), the television platforms. As the report ex- and meaningfully explore how embracing, pushed into the A-plot one week to cele- money-hungry Jewish professional (insert plains, television audiences are becom- or denouncing, Jewish identity impacts brate Chanukah, only to recede back into lawyer/doctor/banker here), the nice Jew- ing increasingly diverse and are tuning each character’s perspective and person- the ensemble the next week, their Jewish- ish boy/girl (your crazy Jewish mother is out traditional homogenized storytelling ality. These shows disregard Jewishness as ness never to be mentioned again. Jew- guaranteed to approve of him/her), and in favour of stories that are more repre- otherness in favour of using Jewish values ish identity, the core foundation of one’s the self-depreciating Jewish schmuck (any sentative of the diverse television-viewing as a prism for evaluating the societies and Jewishness, has been sacrificed on the character created by Larry David) are just population. In the increasingly fractured situations these characters interact with. screen in favour of assimilated conven- a few that come to mind. The problem television marketplace, increasing audi- Finally, these shows are funny and enter- ience – embrace it when you need it, dis- with these one-dimensional character- ences and profits are an anomaly; diverse taining, and continue to garner success regard it when you don’t. As Chrismukah izations is that they pigeonhole Judaism storytelling represents a clear solution and acclaim for their respective creators. concludes on The O.C., so does any trace into a single element, disregarding the to this problem. Audiences are engaged Change is starting to take shape on TV, of Jewishness among the Cohen family. multifaceted components of religion and and businesses reap greater profits– that’s but it is still early days. The art of Jewish On television, Judaism often masquer- culture that inform daily life as a Jew in fa- something for the Cohen family to cele- storytelling on television is in the pro- ades as a stand-in for otherness, a charac- vour of dangerous stereotypes. brate weekly. cess of becoming richer, deeper, more in- ter quirk in the same vein as an unrelent- With these challenges plaguing Jews on Television companies are finally start- sightful, and more engaging. Complicated ing love for waffles or a need to have one’s television, what can we as viewers do to ing to catch on, and complex Jewish nar- and layered depictions of Jewish identity spot on the couch not be disconcerted remedy the problem? Well, much like con- ratives that are reflective of a multitude are finally receiving the attention they (Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation and sumer activism, we as viewers yield the of Jewish experiences are finally being deserve – that is something for Grandpa Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory power. Rather than taking a stand with our brought to the small screen. For example, Boris to kvell over. ■ respectively). This otherness, while pro- wallets, we can impact change with our there’s the examination of evolving Jewish viding a differentiation for a character, eyeballs. Television companies are in the identity in the wake of a parent’s gender Evan Daurio graduated with an Honours mines Judaism for a shallow character business of following and monetizing our transition on Transparent, the exploration Business Administration degree from the trait that often reduces a deep set of reli- attention- if we promise to watch complex of Judaism as an internally uniting and Ivey Business School at Western University. gious, spiritual, and cultural values into a Jewish narratives, then television creators similarly externally isolating factor in Jew- He is an analyst at Corus Entertainment. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS B8 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] MARCH 16, 2017

Runner Up Sharing that which is most sacred: Award for Excellence in Friday night dinner with a Muslim Jewish Writing

EZRA TANEN

anada has forged for itself, in the past few decades, a reputation as C a tranquil place of refuge in a tu- multuous world. Our country is known for welcoming immigrants into a peace- ful coexistence of nationalities which are sometimes hostile to each other in their countries of origin. It seems that age-old and recurrent feuds are forgotten on the Canadian shores in accordance with the dictates of a cultural mosaic society. Take for example Thornhill. The com- munity is often viewed from within one’s own cultural bubble but is in reality a ser- ies of bubbles within a few square kilom- eters. A Persian market could be found on Yonge, just north of Centre, and not too far away from the Sobey’s Kosher Market on Clark. The truth is that even Thornhill fulfills the ideal of the cultural mosaic with multitudes of ethnicities living side by side, yet few are willing to share the beauty of their tradition with outsiders or welcome those of different cultures as friends. The insularity of each group is maintained by intersections which serve as borders and cultural practices often used as barriers. Of course the term peaceful coexistence only describes the overall state of our neighbourliness, there are times when our bubbles collide. The ugly debate over Carl Ehrlich, director of the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies, left, runner up Ezra Tanen and CJN editor Yoni Goldstein. the Jaffari Village development in 2015 serves as one example of a not-so-cour- is at Shabbat meals where the value of taboo against airing out your dirty laun- mosaic. teous meddling in another’s affairs. An- sending Jewish students to York is often dry in mixed company. As it turns out, the A Jew walking to shul will in the vast ma- other venue which challenges ethnic and fiercely debated. Shabbat meal which is often viewed as a jority of cases decline a ride to synagogue religious insularity is York University, an Generally Jewish rituals are used as a fence within which we develop our own and will reside in its proximity. The Bath- institution where the many cultures of means to reinforce cultural barriers and religious norms and values, is an incred- urst Corridor arose because of the instru- the GTA could freely interact. It seems the Shabbat meal is no exception. It is rare ible venue for cultural mixing. mental importance of propinquity to the that only the minority of intercultural for even adherents of different Jewish de- My friend soon returned the favour in- development of a community. That being interactions at York University which go nominations to break bread together. The viting my parents and me for dinner at said, members of the Jewish community terribly wrong receive any attention. For Shabbat table is a place for customs, a safe a Muslim family’s home way up north must respect the value of a place like York many in the Jewish community York has space for the political, social and religious in Maple. Herein lies the second risk, for University which is one of the few places become a rather contentious subject. views of whichever group of friends get families observant of kashrut laws, in where the divisions of the cultural mosaic I wear a kippah at York just as my class- together. I think that it is for these reasons inviting those belonging to different de- blur. Our religious mores do not need to mates wear turbans and hijabs. I have why many are reluctant to invite others to nominations or religions; the prospect of be kept to ourselves, they are valuable never felt remotely uncomfortable or vic- these sacred events. an invitation to eat in a non-kosher home. places for cultural exchange. Shabbat is timized at any point in my student career. The meal with this friend was marked That being said, any anxieties about mak- a time when many refuse a car ride from The truth is that York offers an opportun- by its normalcy. It was a typical Thornhill ing excuses for not being able to eat were a Muslim, but it is also a time to invite a ity rarely encountered in a cultural mo- affair with lots of guests and lots of stroll- completely assuaged by the fact that the Muslim to a Shabbat meal. saic, it is home to students who live both ers walked back from shul. The only inci- hostess happened to have fantastic prior I believe that sharing that which is most on Bathurst and Don Mills and is a place dent of note was my friend’s shock at the knowledge of kashrut and we were soon sacred can make neighbours more famil- where those who live in different pieces of mildness of the Sabra “Turkish” salad we all sharing food bought from Sobey’s and iar and contentious subjects less hostile. the GTA mosaic become lifelong friends. served and the fact that we had to fetch served on plastic plates. Embracing our Muslim peers in particular It was at York where I, like thousands him grape juice for Kiddush instead of al- The host family told us that they often is an important step in realizing that the of students all the time, became friends coholic wine. drive past groups of Jews walking to syna- tranquillity we enjoy in Canada is not only with a Muslim. We both attended an Of course no Shabbat meal is complete gogue on Saturday mornings, often in the dependent on borders but on the ability to interfaith event organized by a number without a controversial subject: a guest freezing cold and blowing wind, they said work together and for that to happen we of different religious organizations on brought up the topic of agunot, or women that they always want to stop and offer a must know each other. ■ campus. I decided, some time later, to trapped in a marriage due to the male-ori- ride. It is easy to see how and why Shabbat invite this fellow to a Shabbat meal. This ented auspices of divorce law. The ensu- is valued as part of the insular commun- Ezra Tanen is a health studies major at decision was somewhat ironic since it ing discussion completely shattered the ity-making institutions of the Canadian York University. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS MARCH 16, 2017 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] B9

Runner Up Below: Debra Danilewitz Award for receives the award for her son Excellence in Marlon, who was unable to Jewish Writing The Haida Gwaii Haggadah attend, from Carl Ehrlich, le , and Yoni Goldstein. al and emotional wounds bleed into the daily clinic visits. Likewise, my patients quickly got to know my warm and out- going personality. During my time on the island, I vol- unteered at Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (SHIP), a program led by local elders to preserve and revitalize the Haida language. On these days, I could not help think about how similar the experience must have been a century ago when Eliezer Ben Yehuda was working to reignite the Hebrew language. At SHIP, I developed MARLON DANILEWITZ relationships with the Haida elders and began to learn about Haida language, or many people the location Haida food and culture. I met and shared meals Gwaii stirs images of fishing, totems, with members of the community, joined F kayaking or oiltankers. While I was the band’s chief on a fishing voyage, and Finally, the first night of Passover arrived person was so moved by the night that he drawn to visit Haida Gwaii, an archipel- earned the nickname the “Hebrew Haida.” and it was time to start the seder. There chose to refrain from eating bread for the ago of islands in the north coast of British I also had the chance to share my back- were 10 guests at our Passover potluck remainder of Passover, leaving me in the Columbia, to learn about Haida culture, ground and culture with the local com- meal, including one fellow visiting Jewish precarious position of gifting him one of explore its forests and waters, one of the munity. As Passover approached, I toyed medical resident. At the centre of the table my two remaining boxes of matzah. most pivotal memories of my time there around in my mind with the idea of host- was our traditional seder plate, consisting When I celebrate Passover with my was celebrating Passover. ing a communal seder. I shared the idea of all local items. To my surprise, the family, we have adopted the tradition over I visited Haida Gwaii in the spring of with community members and they be- group was enthralled by the traditional the passing years of taking pause during 2016 as part of my medical residency came excited at the prospect of celebrat- songs and were quick to join in using the the night to remember our loved ones training. I spent four weeks working in ing their first Passover. I was lucky that transliterated Hebrew. who have passed. While I continue this family medicine clinics and the local ER when I had flown from Vancouver to Haida As the evening progressed, our con- tradition, I also pause to remember the in Queen Charlotte City, Haida Gwaii’s Gwaii I was frugal with packing clothes so versations drifted to some of the paral- seders of my life, as a boy in South Africa, largest city. that I had room to bring matzah and a few lel themes between the narratives of the a teenager in Toronto, or a yeshiva student Working as a doctor in a small town of other Passover staples. In preparation for affliction of Israelites in the desert and in Israel. This spring when I sit to tell the roughly 1,000 people introduced me to the seder, I developed a personalized Hag- those of the Haida in Canada. During story of Exodus, I will be reminded by my the fact that no person’s personal life is gadah for the evening. The Haida Gwaii these debates, I watched as the matzah time in Haida Gwaii that matzah is a bread private. The man who might drive me as I Haggadah, as I titled it, incorporated the shifted from being a novelty of the night of our shared affliction. ■ hitchhiked across the island might be the standard structure and liturgy of the sed- to the bread of our shared affliction. With same who might unexpectedly present a er, in addition to explanations from think- the end of Had Gadya, we concluded the Dr. Marlon Danilewitz is a psychiatry week later to the hospital. When a tragedy ers like Abraham Heschel, and meditative seder but everyone stayed to talk, delv- resident and clinical researcher at the afflicted the community, I saw the physic- and narrative activities. ing into Passover and Jewish history. One University of British Columbia.

The CJN Prize Event The menu was generously provided by Applause Catering THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS B10 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] MARCH 16, 2017

Mameloshen Runner Up Award for around the world participated in the sum- China, wrote and per- Excellence in weekend I spent on Yid- mer program at the YIVO Institute for Jew- formed a Yiddish and Jewish Writing dish Farm in Goshen, ish Research in New York City. Mandarin song at the N.Y. The husband and Why Yiddish? My desire to learn Yiddish closing ceremony of wife who run the farm is in part about finding my voice, one the summer program. are chassidic, while the stu- manifestation of a 20-something looking Chloe, a master’s student dents who come for the Yid- to carve out her space in the world. Yid- in Boston, is exploring the dish immersion program range dish lets me articulate certain thoughts in relationship between Yiddish- from Orthodox to atheist. But they all a way that English does not. keit and queer culture – both diasporic, speak a rapid-fire Yiddish inflected with an For example, I find Yiddish vocabulary cosmopolitan, and alternative commun- American accent. Their speech is speckled and syntax better suited to how I feel. I like ities. with what they treat as throwaway lines, to refer to my friends and family by the di- Outside our classroom, Yiddish lives but I see as gems, such as: “Yiddish izmey- minutive forms of their names because it as a spoken language in New York, most nbeliebsteshprakh. Emes.” (Yiddish is my is warmer, more tender. My friend from commonly in chassidic communities. A favourite language. Truth.) Yiddish class is much more Rokhele than Filipino waiter at a kosher restaurant in This is not my grandparents’ Yiddish. Rachel; my sister is Sorele, not just Sarah. Williamsburg told me he learned some It is the bones of their language in a new Yiddish has not only the diminutive, Yiddish to interact with customers who environment, a new dimension of a rich but also the imminutive, an even small- do not speak English. A four-year-old girl tradition. Like my take on my bubbie’s er, more affectionate, way of referring to from a chassidic family approached me in chicken soup, it is not for purists, but it is someone or something. A girl is a maydl Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. In the middle of warm, comforting, and a hell of a lot more in the diminutive or a maydele in the im- our conversation about her favourite food nourishing than a cupcake – no offence to munitive. We learned this in one of our (latkes with cheese), she exclaimed, “Du the cupcake ladies. ■ LEANNA KATZ first grammar lessons, a signal that learn- redstazoy funny!” (You speak so funny!). ing the close, caring ways of referring to Our conversation mirrored the divide, Leanna Katz is a law clerk at the Court of andering along a small street off people and things is a foundational part and sometimes tension, between Yiddish Appeal for British Columbia. She recently Second Avenue in Manhattan, I of Yiddish. in religious and secular worlds. This gap graduated from the University of Toronto W came across a sandwich board In our first language class we learned was particularly visible to me during the faculty of law. sign that read: “Come inside and see what common responses to “how are you?” The we’ve got!” I accepted the invitation. In- answers include: “I have no news” (nish- side, stood two young women, a brunette tokeynnayes), “It’s better you shouldn’t and a blonde, both with bangs, working ask” (izbesernishtfregn),and“I’m not well” behind a glass case filled with carefully (ikh bin nishtgezunt). My classmate Mi- The CJN Prize Event iced cupcakes. chelle commented, “this is the language “Where are you from?” asked the brun- I’ve been looking for. In English I’m ex- ette shop owner. pected to answer ‘fine.’ But I’m not fine. “Toronto.” Fine is a useless answer. Yiddish has the “Cool!” they cooed in unison. answers I feel.” “What are you doing in the city?” the By learning my grandparents’ language, blonde followed up. I can access a deeper part of me. Knowing “Studying Yiddish!” facts about the shtetls where they grew “Wow. Cool!” They cooed again. up or seeing a family tree does not tell “But isn’t Yiddish a dying language?” me about how my family for generations asked the brunette. lived and kvetched, how they insulted I smiled at the irony of this question one another (may trouble come upon coming from a woman who had just your head - a brodtsudayn kop), how they opened a cupcake shop, long after the worried about one another (the evil eye cupcake trend had gone stale. shouldn’t be with you, then spitting three Yiddish lives. Not on the scale it once times - keyneynhorapfftpfftpfft), how they did – at its height, before the Holocaust, said goodnight to one another (sleep well the mother tongue (or mameloshen, in and wake up refreshed in the morning - Yiddish) of over 10 million Jews, mostly in shlofgezunt un shteyoyfgezunterfrish). But Eastern European shtetls. Yiddish today Yiddish is not spoken in eastern European is a way into the past, a time machine of- shtetls anymore. Those shtetls no longer fering insight into the mindsets and con- exist. cerns of people in pre-Holocaust Jewish Yiddish today looks and sounds differ- communities. Yiddish is also a playground ent. My classmates are a microcosm of the for creating new forms of cultural expres- ways Yiddish lives. sion. Some students learn Yiddish to uncov- I came to this conclusion after studying er European Jewish history. My classmate Yiddish in New York City for six weeks this Milena is a tour guide and genealogist in summer, following my graduation from Lodz, Poland who helps Jewish families law school. Most of my friends traveled, uncover their histories and leads volun- and I initially assumed I would do the teers to restore Jewish cemeteries. She is same. But as I thought about how I want- learning Yiddish to work with historical ed to spend my last school summer break, documents. I decided to study Yiddish. Other students are creating art and I wasn’t alone – about 50 others from culture in Yiddish. Meng, a student from Ezra Tanen with his grandmother. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS MARCH 16, 2017 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] B11

Runner Up Award for What it was like to be Excellence in a Jewish immigrant in Victoria Jewish Writing during the mid-19th century

Jewish migration to Victoria began First Nations peoples, something that a unified Victoria Jewish community was around the time of the Gold Rush in 1858. lot of non-Jews would not do. Again, since the 1863 opening of the first synagogue in Jews as well as non-Jews moved to the many of the Jews in Victoria originally the city, Temple Emanu-El. Incredibly, 70 region as excited prospectors hoping to came from San Francisco, their adaptation per cent of the funding for this synagogue create personal fortunes. The majority of to Victorian culture had already largely oc- came from non-Jews. This showed how these prospectors originally came up from curred. This helped them to understand Victoria had accepted Jews as part of the California as the gold reserves there were how to run a successful business in this greater community. almost depleted. That being said, many of type of a society. Business was, at first, the The integration of Jews into Victoria, the Jewish immigrants in Victoria hailed only type of connection the early Jews of B.C. during the mid-19th century was one from San Francisco and not directly from Victoria had with each other due to their of relative ease. Considering that the Vic- their ancestral homelands. coming to the city primarily as individ- toria Jewish community was comprised As the community grew its ethnic com- uals rather than as families. This was all to at first of mostly Americanized and Angli- position diversified. Most of the Jews in change within the first few years of arrival. cized Jews, their transition into Canadian Victoria during the late 1850s were of As the community continued to grow, society was endured with few hardships. Ashkenazi descent, comprised of main- awareness of the lack of Jewish resources Acting quickly to build Jewish institutions ly Austrian, Polish, Russian, English, and and institutions in the city and the in- helped this small community to officially American Jews. The fact that the majority creasingly desperate need for this infra- establish themselves as part of the great- of these immigrants had already lived in structure became apparent. Sylvester er Victoria culture while eventually ce- the United States allowed them to have Frank, one of the first Jewish immigrants menting their Jewish identity. MEGAN HOLLINGER an easier time adjusting to life in Canada. to Victoria, recounted his experiences as Later influxes of Jews, especially those This was because they were already well- one of the first Jews in the city in his per- of eastern European ancestry, into other he difficult experience many immi- versed in the art of Victorian living which sonal writings. Observing Shabbat was parts of the country were difficult for the grants groups face when arriving in was the dominant style of living in the very difficult as there was no synagogue at rest of the Canadian community to ac- T a new country is both well-known British Empire and the United States at first and keeping kosher was next to im- cept. Although this seemed to be the pat- and well documented. There was no ex- this time. Major Victorian values, such as possible. He recounts that he even had to tern of acceptance for Jewish migrants ception for the Jews of Canada. After first modesty, charity, education, and sociabil- resort to regularly eating pork and beans no matter to where in the world they mi- arriving here, many groups fell into the ity paired well with major Jewish values, which would otherwise be prohibited grated, this trend was broken in Victoria. trap of segregation. With no established for example, tzedakah (charity). This al- according to the laws of kashrut. These The Victoria community’s unique accept- communities or available resources, lowed the Jews to relate better to the dom- difficulties were present for all of the first ance of its new Jewish community in the these Jewish immigrants had to pave the inant non-Jewish British culture of the Jewish immigrants in the city. mid-19th century was a foreshadow into way for future Jewish generations. While times. Knowing the English language and This need to officially establish a Jewish Canada’s acceptance and embracing of maintaining Jewish identity was challen- understanding how the society around community in Victoria was ever present Jewish migrants during the second half of ging, adjusting to a new culture and new them functioned allowed them to have and the Jews of the time took it upon the 20th century and into the 21st century. languages was even harder. a very successful time adjusting to life in themselves to do just this. After one year, Jews in Canada now live with a freedom The first Jews of Victoria, B.C., however, another new home. by 1859, the Jews of Victoria had come that was seldom experienced back during had a particularly easy time adjusting to Many of the Jews who arrived in Victoria together to organize services for the High the 1800s and even beyond that, with the life here in Canada despite some conven- at this time set up shops and businesses Holidays. They purchased land which first Jews in Victoria being that glimmer of tional difficulties in establishing their Jew- and became very successful in commerce they designated for burying the dead ac- hope for the future of the Canadian Jewish ish roots, which were resolved quickly. and trade. Some of the Jewish arrivals en- cording to Jewish custom. Well-versed in community. ■ Historically, as only Catholics were per- tered the fur-trading business. Their en- the art of Victorian sociability, they started mitted to settle in New France during the deavours in this line of work were very to found benevolent societies such as the Megan Hollinger is finishing her under- 1700s, Jews first settled in Upper Canada rewarding due to their willingness to leave Victoria Hebrew Benevolent Society. What graduate degree in religious studies at the as this was British territory. Only after the city limits and trade directly with the was considered the official start of the University of Ottawa. New France was absorbed into the British Empire in the 1760s and became Lower Canada could Jews settle there. By 1768, most Jews in Canada lived in Montreal. By Pictured, from le , CJN Prize runners up Marsha Druker and Dara the time of Confederation in 1867, there The CJN Prize Event Poizner; Benjamin Levy with his parents; and Rabbi Michal Shekel. were already 1,115 Jews in Canada with most of them living in Upper and Lower Canada. By 1871, when British Columbia joined Confederation, over 100 Jews were already living in the province. In fact, the first Jew- ish Member of Parliament hailed from B.C. His name was Henry Nathan and he was a part of B.C.’s first delegation to the House of Commons. His success story is very representative of the other Jewish immigrants’ stories in Victoria around this time. THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS B12 [ THE CJN PRIZE ] MARCH 16, 2017

Runner Up Award for Beware the single-issue Jewish vote Excellence in

private donors. The organization’s agenda In the most recent elec- Jewish Writing mitted to Israel’s de- focuses on issues such as Iran’s nuclear tion in 2015, many of the fence. In other words, program, opposing BDS, and continued loudest Jewish political we can’t put all of our assistance for Israel’s security. For many voices came out in support eggs in one basket. people, including myself, Sanders opting of Stephen Harper’s Conserva- out of speaking at AIPAC was a serious tive Party of Canada, citing Harper’s Conclusion: In Sanders’ own wake-up call. unwavering support of Israel on the inter- speech on Israel and the Middle East, The mainstream Jewish political iden- national stage as his main qualification. which he gave on the same day as the AI- tity used to be one of social progressiv- Ben Carniol, a professor of social work PAC General Meeting, he continually af- ism. Jewish leaders were instrumental in at Ryerson University, decried Harper as firmed Israel’s right to exist and to defend the American civil rights movement of the being contrary to Jewish values in a 2015 itself. But unique to Sanders’ speech was 1960s, which won equal legal rights and piece in the Toronto Star. Carniol points criticism of how Israel’s government has protections for African-Americans. Israel out how during Harper’s tenure as prime acted in recent years, including the ex- was founded through the socialist egali- minister, Canada’s record on the environ- pansion of settlements in the West Bank tarianism of the kibbutz movement: the ment, the treatment of its indigenous and a failure to help relieve the misery in idea that the only way to realize a com- peoples, and rhetoric toward immigrant Gaza. This was more than just Jewish guilt: BENJAMIN LEVY mon goal is to treat all as equals. Fighting and refugee populations were all shame- it was a voice of moderation in a world of for the oppressed is in our blood, since so ful. Yet Harper still enjoyed the highest extremes and it was exactly what the Jew- n March 21, 2016 almost all the often in our history we have found our- Jewish support of any political leader dur- ish community and the world needed to leading candidates for the United selves under oppressive rule. ing the last two elections. hear. OStates presidency addressed the However, a problem arises when we al- Politics involves trade-offs. As Jewish It is time to reassert the Jewish political American Israel Political Affairs Commit- low a politician’s full and unwavering sup- voters, we need to ask ourselves whether voice as one that calls for things to get bet- tee (AIPAC) at the organization’s annual port for Israel to be enough to mask their full and unconditional support for Israel ter, one that supports the marginalized general meeting. Naturally, the event fo- shortcomings in other areas. When this is really enough for a candidate to prom- and disenfranchised, and one that tire- cused on how each candidate would de- happens, we risk becoming single-issue ise in order to win our votes. We cannot lessly self-evaluates. If we allow our sup- fend and support Israel as president, with voters. This was most obvious at AIPAC, let support for Israel blind us to the social port to be monopolized by whoever sup- topics ranging from peace with the Pales- when two of the candidates – Cruz and progressivism that used to define the Jew- ports Israel the most vocally, then we risk tinians to the Iran nuclear deal. Trump – ran on platforms against the ish political identity. We must push par- being absent from the discussion when Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, rights of immigrants, Muslims, and LG- ties to be more inclusive and not to turn it comes to issues such as indigenous and Donald Trump all gave speeches reaf- BTQ people. Meanwhile, Sanders, the a blind eye to policies that go against our and minority rights. One does not need firming their commitment to Israel’s sec- most progressive candidate by far, was values so long as that politician promises to look very far back to see a time when urity to thunderous applause. However, nowhere to be seen. What kind of message to vote against a certain UN resolution. It we were such a highly oppressed group in one notable candidate was absent from does this send about where Jewish voters cannot be so black-and-white. desperate need of advocates. Now, even in the event entirely: the only Jewish candi- are throwing their support when we give But even for those of us who do truly a world of rising anti-Semitism and hate, date running for a major party’s nomina- a stage to candidates who call for bans on care about Israel’s security and well-be- it is our obligation as Jews to stand for tion, Bernie Sanders. Muslim immigrants and deregulation of ing above domestic issues, unconditional more than just Israel’s security. Above all Sanders’ choice to forgo AIPAC, and in- coal power, but not those calling for unity support for pro-Israel candidates from the else, we need to stand for the values that stead give his own speech on the topic of or environmentalism? right risks backfiring even more. If Jewish are at Israel’s core: inclusion, peace, and American-Israeli relations, was extreme- This has been nearly as present in Can- voters overwhelmingly elect a Conserva- innovation. ■ ly significant. AIPAC is a potent lobbying ada, where over 50 per cent of Jewish vot- tive candidate based on support for Israel, group that routinely spends around $3 ers were estimated to have voted for the that means that when there is ultimately Benjamin Levy is a second-year student at million (US) every year, not to mention Conservatives in 2011, versus the 39 per a changing of the guard, the new govern- the University of Toronto studying global its capacity to mobilize both voters and cent national popular vote they received. ment’s base is less likely to be as com- health, statistics, and philosophy.

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