ALBERTA NEWS Publication Mail Agreement Number: 40050628 Volume 32, No. 5 Visit us online at albertajewishnews.com May 19, 2021 B’nai Brith Calgary Innovative Grade 6 Novel Study at CJA presents Dr. Allan Donsky: June 6 By Jeremy Appel Tikkun Olam – repairing the world – is one of the core values of Judaism. The work needed to heal the world must include at its foundation, the work to heal ourselves, says Calgary Psychiatrist and Mindfulness Teacher, Dr. Allan Donsky. This statement is the starting point for a very special zoom webinar presentation by Dr. Donsky, on Sunday June 6, 2021 as part of the Calgary B’nai Brith Speaker Series. The theme of the presentation is “Tikkun Olam: Healing yourself as essential for healing the world.” The topic is particularly relevant in these times of turmoil, including the necessity of navigating the global pandemic, the climate crisis, and fears for our economic future. Our own mental, spiritual and physical health is paramount in the work of Tikkun Olam. Grade six classes at the Calgary Jewish Academy participated in an interactive and integrative novel “As a therapist, a lot of the work I do is to guide people study program that explored Holocaust themes using both Hebrew and English language skills. to healing themselves,” Donsky, who’s been a therapist for 26 years, told AJNews. problem. It’s about healing (and) integration, both has a wonderful message and a lot to offer our community,” “People often feel fractured or disconnected from inwardly and outwardly.” she said. “We have so many talented people in our themselves, or they don’t feel integrated in some way, and He says there’s a major spiritual component to community, and we need to be promoting our own talent, this can present in various ways. It can present as emotional and mental health, which is not necessarily and giving voice to the special things they’re doing.” depression or anxiety. Trauma can do this to people. It can religious, although it can be. B’nai Brith Calgary Chapter 816 President Darren present in the form of secondary problems, like addictions Bondar is encouraging the whole community to participate and eating disorders.” His presentation will incorporate kabbalistic concepts of healing, Donsky says, but he has also studied various other in this virtual event. “Dr. Allan Donsky is a compelling The words ‘heal,’ ‘healthy’ and ‘wholeness’ come from the faiths to inform his spiritual practice. speaker and he has insightful information about Tikkun same root word, he added, underscoring how the concepts Olam and our health as individuals and as a community to are connected. “I have faith in the human capacity to transcend our baser behaviour and activities. We can transcend the share with us,” stated Bondar. “With the postponement of “When we heal ourselves, we will automatically have immediate and become creatures of the material plane,” he our annual dinner, which is our key fundraiser and with healthier, more nourishing connections to the world out said. “There’s no mental health without spiritual health.” the needs of the organizations that we support as great as there, and those connections can be with partners, our ever during this Covid-19 pandemic, we greatly appreciate families, our kids, our communities and the world at Lodge member Irena Karshenbaum, who’s co-chairing your generosity and support.” large,” says Donsky. the event with Joel Zimmerman, says the event was originally supposed to occur in-person last year, but it had The event is happening on Sunday, June 6 at 10 a.m. “Healing yourself is not selfish, or self-indulgent, or to be postponed due to COVID. They decided it would make To register visit bnaibrithcalgary.org. arrogant. It’s essential.” the most sense to do it online this year. Admission is by donation which can be made before or Within each individual is an “inner garden waiting to She said that Dr. Donsky’s message is very inspiring and after you register at bnaibrithcalgary.org/donation. blossom” that needs to be taken care of by uprooting its thought provoking and that she hopes this event will get After registering, you will receive a confirmation email weeds, rocks and clay, so it can flourish, he says. more people involved with the Calgary lodge. containing information about joining the webinar. “Tikkun Olam is about development. It’s not about “Dr. Donsky is a very talented therapist and I think he chasing away evils. It’s not about trying to fix every Camp Gan Izzy is ready for Summer 2021 – in Calgary and in Edmonton By Rochel Matusof memories for many years to come. 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The Covid Pandemic has left families not knowing Camp Gan Israel is ready to be your summer camp of what might be when summer arrives, and ultimately Camp Gan Izzy is held in both Calgary and choice for 2021. The camp is a leader in providing the what that will look like for your family. Camp Gan Israel Edmonton. most exhilarating, educationally stimulating, safe, is dedicated to allowing you the option to plan - with activity driven, and caring camp experience for ALL affordable rates as well as a refundable policy (due to having a safe summer, in following Covid-19 protocols children. Camp Gan Israel is a truly exciting program Covid-19). In addition, the Chabad Campus has made it while simultaneously, providing our campers with tons instilling Jewish values that live in your children’s our number one priority to ensure your children are Continued on page 16 Page 2 Alberta Jewish News May, 2021 back of my hand,” said Jayne. The spiritual While his peers focused on sports, Russell Jayne was on speed dial at the parish. journey of Cantor “I think one of the reasons that I was originally drawn to the cantorate is because of that love of ritual. The chazzan, the cantor, is the keeper of the traditions of Russell Jayne our people and I really see it as a natural extension of my life as an altar boy... Now, as a Jew, I get to learn By Maxine Fischbein and experience and understand all of the beautiful ritual foundation that we have, and I get to teach it to the “I don’t understand how my goyishe Anglican boy-friend next generation.” became my Jewish Chazzan husband,” Russell Janiger Cantor Jayne noted that people are often uncomfortable used to say. with ritual because they don’t understand it. Yet ritual, Cantor Russell Jayne, spiritual leader at Calgary Beth when properly explained, can help people become more Tzedec Congregation, addressed his husband’s connected to their Judaism. bewilderment during recent talks about his path to Russell Jayne remained a devout Catholic until he went Judaism. to university. His discovery that he was gay would, Born and raised as a Roman Catholic in Boonton, New however, soon lead to profound changes. Jersey, Russell Jayne made a spiritual journey that took “I could only come out if I could justify it with my faith him through Anglicanism to Judaism, transforming the at that time,” recalled Jayne, who worked hard to reconcile former altar boy into an engaged Jew, a talented and his spiritual life with his desire to live proudly and openly Russell Jayne is the cantor and spiritual leader skilled Cantor, and a soon-to-be Rabbi. as a gay man. at Beth Tzedec Congregation in Calgary. Having recently celebrated his 19th anniversary as a “I just couldn’t give up my faith because of the member of the tribe, Cantor Jayne describes his long and foundation that my mother and grandmother laid out for winding road as a “marvellous journey.” His story – which me. They made faith such a beautiful and integral part of Jayne encouraged Janiger to affix a mezuzah to his front he shared during online talks for Beth Tzedec congregants my life that for me to come out of the closet necessitated door. He studied the Haggadah with him so as to make and Limmud Winnipeg participants – inspires those who that I should be able to be a person of faith and still be able Passover more meaningful and suggested that they buy were born Jewish and those who have chosen Judaism. to express who I was as a homosexual.” and light a menorah on Chanukah. “He humored me,” said Jayne, who began to suspect that he was gaining more “In 21st century North America, we are all Jews by Delighted when he had worked things out for from the effort than his fiancé was. choice, because every morning we have to wake up and himself, Jayne went to speak with the priest at his make a definite choice to say I am going to live my home parish.