SPRING 2016 Philip Riteman Receives Sovereign’s Medal For Volunteers Combating BDS On Campus Windsor Jewish Legion David Korn Recalls His Youth In Shalom A Slovakian Catholic Orphanage CONNECTING THE ATLANTIC JEWISH COMMUNITY CAPE BRETON: TH SYDNEY SHUL 100 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS THIS SUMMER! JEWISHÊFEDERATIONSÊOFÊCANADAÊ-ÊUIA הפדרציות היהודיות בקנדה -ÊUIA 309 FƒDƒRATIONSÊJUIVESÊDUÊCANADAÊ-ÊUIA Thank you ‘Do good Everywhere. From Anywhere.’ Thank you for your donation to the United Jewish Appeal of Atlantic Canada. Because of your generosity, good things are happening for Jewish people in Atlantic Canada, Israel & Overseas. Your gift will go a long way towards creating a brighter tomorrow for thousands of Jews across the globe. Atlantic Jewish Council | 5670 Spring Garden Road, Suite 309 | Halifax, Nova Scotia | B3J 1H6 P 902-422-7491 www. theajc.ns.ca IN THIS ISSUE SPRING 2016 VOL. 41 | NO. 1 Shalom IYAR 5776 SHALOM MAGAZINE FEATURES President 6 Philip Riteman Receives MICHAEL ARGAND Sovereign’s Medal For Volunteers Executive Director 11 Combating BDS On Campus JON GOLDBERG 15 Cape Breton 100th Anniversary Editor EDNA LEVINE 16 Windsor Jewish Legion Contributing Editor 18 David Korn Recalls His Youth In JOEL JACOBSON A Slovakian Catholic Orphanage Design 20 World Jewish Congress MEGHAN RUSHTON 25 The Gilsig Series in Jewish Arts and Culture Celebrates its 5th Anniversary Advertising Lieutenant-Governor JJ Grant lights a memorial candle DEAN ATIAS | ROMAN GITER this Fall 26 Remembering Connie Glube Z”L Address all correspondence including advertising enquires to: 27 Remembering Frank Medjuck Z”L EDITOR, C/O SHALOM ATLANTIC JEWISH COUNCIL IN EVERY ISSUE 5670 SPRING GARDEN ROAD SUITE 309 4 President’s Message: Michael Argand HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA B3J 1H6 5 From The Desk of Jon Goldberg, TEL. 902-422-7491 | FAX 902-425-3722 Executive Director [email protected] 7 From The Desk of Edna LeVine, [email protected] ON THE COVER Director of Community Engagement River at Kibbutz Dafna, From The Desk of Mark David, www.theajc.ns.ca by Tom Forrestall 8 The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs This publication is printed by: The original watercolour River at Kibbutz (CIJA) Report TRANSCONTINENTAL Dafna is available for purchase from the AJC. $4,100 framed. Please contact Jon Goldberg, AJC executive 10 Campus News Mailed under Canada Post: director, [email protected] 902-422-7491 x222 12 Camp Kadimah 2016 Tom Forrestall is one of Canada’s most exciting realist painters. PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT Pre-Summer Update NO. 40052452 Forrestall was born in Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia in 1936. In 1965, he held his first solo show at Roberts Gallery 14 Kadimah Alumni in Toronto and has since continued to show in galleries and NOTE TO OUR READERS museums across Canada. He completed a large outdoor piece 38 Rabbis Corner for Expo ’67. He was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Our Atlantic Jewish community is losing more Academy in 1973. 41 Letters To The Editor and more members as the years go on. In the past, In the fall of 2010 Tom Forrestall, accompanied by his son Shalom has printed stories of regional community Frank, joined with 24 participants on an eight day AJC – UIA members who have passed away. While we try to Ruach and Chevra Mission to Israel. Together with this group AROUND OUR REGION acknowledge the major contributions of many of of Maritimers and former Maritimers, the Forrestalls traveled to 22 Halifax Photos many parts of the country; from the Negev to the south, to the our late friends and family members, we request Northern Galilee Panhandle. When the mission was completed, 24 Welcome To Our Community that you inform Shalom of passings of which Tom, assisted by Frank, spent the next 27 days in the Holy 28 Newfoundland we may be unaware so we may recognize these Land wandering through Israel, during which he painted 35 watercolours, expressing his feelings and personal observations individuals. Shalom’s editorial staff reserves the of many parts of the country. 31 Prince Edward Island right to determine the length of memorial pieces to 32 Moncton be printed in the magazine. 33 Fredericton Written articles are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily 34 Saint John reflect the opinion of the AJC. 37 Cape Breton theAJC.ns.ca SPRING 2016 Shalom 3 PRESIDent’S MESSAGE MICHAEL ARGAND President of the Atlantic Jewish Council It is a time of change. Our Executive Director, Jon Goldberg, who has served our community for more than 20 years will be retiring this Fall and we will be welcoming Naomi Rosenfield, an alumni of Camp Kadimah, as our new Executive Director in August. Jon will be staying on and working with Naomi for a few months, trying to impart a smidgen of the wisdom he has gathered about our community and the wonderful work he has done over the years, and in particular, he will be assisting with the UJA Campaign. Jon has been in- upcoming Biennial, November 18th-20th and Brandeis University with a concentration in strumental in so I hope that you will join us! Israel Education from The iCenter. She is one many projects. * * * of JFNA’s Federation Executive Recruitment Camp Kadimah “We are grateful for all the work Jon has done and Education Program (FEREP) Graduate has always been to strengthen Jewish life in communities across Scholars and a recipient of the Charles R. close to his heart. the Atlantic region. The impact of his efforts Bronfman Scholarship from the Hornstein How many camp- will resonate for years to come. We wish him Jewish Professional Leadership Program. ers has he delivered great success in all future endeavours. While born and raised in Toronto, it was a care package to As leader of the Atlantic Jewish commu- as a staff member at Camp Kadimah that and for how many nity, Jon built lasting bonds between Israel Naomi developed a love and appreciation for parents has he allayed anxious feelings? The and communities across the Atlantic region the Atlantic Canadian Jewish community. relationships he has built with both Israelis by promoting Jewish continuity at home Subsequently, as the Hillel Director of Atlan- and P2G leadership from across the country and advocating for Israel. He collaborated tic Canada, she engaged hundreds of students have been important to Jon, and at their with local and national partners to counter on seven university campuses across the re- most recent meeting, the warmth and affec- antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment and gion. Naomi spearheaded innovative Jewish tion displayed towards Jon, is a testament to to celebrate Jewish culture. Among his many student programming including holiday cel- his dedication and caring. The Russian Israeli notable achievements is a 20% growth in the ebrations, social justice initiatives, Holocaust immigrant project, which has increased our size of the local Jewish community between education events, and Israel education. local Jewish community by 20%, is a major 2009 and 2014 by spearheading an immigra- “I am both excited and humbled to be return- achievement that will help strengthen our tion program for Russian Israeli Jews. ing to Atlantic Canada, and I can’t wait to community for years to come. Jon was in- “I’ll miss the spirit and friendship I have reacquaint myself with this unique, committed, volved in the sponsorship of the First World developed over the years with Canadian and and welcoming community. A big thank you War Centennial Exhibit at the Army Mu- Israeli professionals and friends. I’ll especially to the board of the Atlantic Jewish Council for seum at Halifax Citadel which tells the story miss dealing with the community at large as the their trust and support during this process. I of David Ben Gurion and the Jewish Legion spokesperson in Atlantic Canada for Israel and look forward to engaging with them, as well as training in Windsor, NS. Most important are the Jewish community.” the broader community, as partners in our the relationships he has built throughout At- Naomi Rosenfeld has been hired to suc- pursuit towards enhancing the quality of Jewish lantic Canada, and the continuing develop- ceed Jon Goldberg. She is completing a Mas- life in this region.” ment of hevrah throughout the years. ters of Business Administration and Masters Naomi will start in the position in the We will be celebrating Jon at the of Arts in Jewish Professional Leadership at summer of 2016. S 4 Shalom SPRING 2016 theAJC.ns.ca FROM THE DESK OF JON GOLDBERG From The Desk Of JON GOLDBERG Executive Director Three Score and Ten A few months ago, I celebrated my seventi- eth birthday with my family in Honolulu. I had always wanted to visit Pearl Harbour and it was a great birthday present. As I looked out on the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, I thought of the last twenty-three plus years serving as Executive Director of the AJC. One word kept coming to my mind and that was “succession”. Over the past two years, a number of board members had questioned me as to my plans for retire- ment and to be truthful, I mostly ignored the reality of where and why these questions were coming. Nevertheless, as you can see from our President’s article, I have reached an amica- ble parting of the ways with the AJC. As I sit here in my office on a lovely spring day, PHOTO: Michael Argand, President of the Atlantic I can only think of the past, the present and Jewish Council with Andy Filmore, Liberal MP for SUMMER FAMILY what will be my future, which I will reflect Halifax and Executive Director, Jon Goldberg on in my last article as executive director in SHABBATON AT the September issue of Shalom.