Another Side Forgotten Heroes Carob Creations Settlers provide journalists with A new film highlights Turkish Tu b’Shevat is the perfect time an alternative perspective / 5 diplomats who saved Jews / 13 to try out new recipes / 15 Jew sh Formerly the Jewish Western BulletinIndependent jewishindependent.ca $60 FOR HOME DELIVERY, $28 FOR E-DELIVERY • FEBRUARY 3, 2012/10 SHEVAT 5772 Serving British Columbia since 1930 Chutzpah’s global music mix Rejoicing in the desert life Israel’s Hadag Nahash will have their Vancouver debut. BASYA LAYE CYNTHIA RAMSAY C raditionally, through O “I’m here more than 30 “ U Tu b’Shevat, we en- R years – I’m a farmer … I was T C E O courage our sup- S the manager of Moshav Tzo- Y U R O T porters to donate far, I was the head of the re- T F E J S N Y money for planting more search and development, I F O F trees in various areas in Is- was a volunteer…. I always C H rael. This year, we are privi- U say that the disadvantages T Z leged to get on board a most are the advantages of the Ar- P A H unique project,” explained ava. So, the Arava is an iso- ! local Jewish National Fund lated area with a beautiful shaliach Micky Goldwein to desert, a very tough desert; the Independent. it’s a huge challenge to de- “Through Tu b’Shevat, our velop it and to bring more volunteers will call our com- people down to the region. munity members, asking Understanding that every- Ezra Ravins them to ‘give a hand’ for thing is ‘impossible’ – it’s im- planting more acacia trees in the Arava,” possible to do here agriculture, impossible he continued. “By doing this, we con- to do here tourism – when someone says tribute to the ecosystem of the region, we to me ‘impossible,’ I always like to do help to make the Arava greener and we things ‘possible’ [instead]. I think … when beautify the villages and kibbutzim of the you look at this region, you see how we region. What can be more attractive than developed it, you understand that the men to plant a tree in the desert, the only tree and the women, the people that came to that can exist in this region and the tree this region at the end of the ’50s and start- from which the Mishkan was built ed to settle the region, they are the really during our forefathers’ journey from Egypt special people that made the change, that Hadag Nahash comes to Vancouver for a Feb. 25 Chutzpah! concert. to Israel?” took a very, very tough desert and devel- Next week, JNF hosts Ezra Ravins, may- oped it.” ear comfortable shoes to the 2005, they received a Western Canada Mu- or of the Central Arava Regional Council, One way to attract more settlement is Commodore Ballroom on Sat- sic Awards nomination for best children’s who will speak to local Jewish day schools, by promoting economic growth and in- urday, Feb. 25. From the first recording, for “The Hero Inside,” which was Hillel students and young professionals, vestment, which necessitates good rela- Wnotes of the opening band, written for Cackleberries, an online animated in Victoria and at Congregation Beth Israel tionships with Israel’s neighbors, both in Santa Lucia, through the repertoire of the learning series. during a four-day visit. Ravins will intro- the Palestinian Authority and across the headliners, Hadag Nahash, you’ll be on the Hadag Nahash has won multiple awards. duce the Adopt-an-Acacia campaign and border in Jordan. floor dancing. Since 1996, the band has been not only rockin’ talk about the Central Arava, an area that Like any desert region, the number one Chutzpah! The Lisa Nemetz Showcase of the house, so to speak, but shakin’ up Israel’s covers six percent of the land of Israel. issue is lack of water, and this is a prob- Jewish Performing Arts is bringing Israeli band political and social scenes. As much as they In an interview, Ravins described the lem that requires cross-border cooperation. Hadag Nahash to Vancouver for the first time. are known and have been honored for their challenges that people in the Arava expe- “We have a problem of water in the desert, The promotional material describes their mu- musical ability, Hadag Nahash’s songs, which rience and some of the projects that are on the Jordanian side and the Israeli side…. sic as “a sonic melting pot of hip hop, rock, “call for peace, tolerance and equality and in- critical to the sustainability of the region. Today, we have 52 wells that supply the wa- jazz, reggae and electro-funk, with hard-dri- clude provocative and controversial left-lean- “It’s impossible to live in the desert,” ter. A lot of these wells have very tough, ving grooves and a Middle Eastern flavor,” ing lyrics of political protest ... ha[ve] become Ravins said of life-at-first-glance in the Ara- salty water and we have to bring sweeter which a listen bears out. Its energetic and mul- part of the soundtrack for progressive strug- va. “This is a desert of 30 millimetres [of rain] water [here]. When we’re talking ticultural rhythms mix well with Vancouver- gles within and beyond Israel.” a year and, the truth is, the first settlers came about environmental issues, we PM 40051198 based Santa Lucia’s self-described “sound that About their social activism, band front man here in 1959 and I heard from the politicians have to be very sensitive when evokes the early days of Latin funk ... [an] ad- Sha’anan Streett told the Independent in an e- that came down in those days, and even we’re developing the region be- dictive combination of Nuyorican Boogaloo, mail interview, “I don’t know about ‘inten- ministers, that they said to the first settlers, cause the region has a lot of na- West Coast funk and the ever-present Cuban tion,’ but it was definitely part of who we are ‘You’re out of your mind; you can’t succeed ture reserves and we have a lot grooves ... with monstrous horns and bass, from very early on. The first song we played to settle this region.’” of animal issues and tree issues” funky breaks, polyrhythmic beats and furious together is called ‘Shalom Salaam Peace,’ and The residents of the region have proven that they want to preserve, he lyrics in English and Spanish.” we’ve been playing volunteer gigs for just those naysayers wrong, however, and to- continued. The music will speak for itself for the most causes for as long as we’ve existed.” day more than 3,000 people call the area This is where the Adopt-an- part but, for those who understand Hebrew He added, “In the band and in my/our home. As a consequence of this growth, Acacia campaign comes in. “Aca- and Spanish, it will communicate even more. personal life, I try to help do what’s need- the area will be breaking ground on a new cia is, perhaps, a symbol, it’s the Santa Lucia – Byron Russell (saxophone), ed most. Another thing is – it’s easier to raise school for the first time in 40 years. Located main tree in the region, it’s the Anthony “Chiko” Misomali (drums), German awareness for important stuff when you midway between the Dead and Red seas, only kind of tree that can grow in Cantillo (guitar and vocals), Colin Maskell have a successful band like Hadag Nahash much of the region is below sea level, the region,” Ravins said of the (tenor sax), Ryan Conroy (bass) and “Choco- on your side.” which is an obstacle to population growth. hardy species. “It’s a tree that late” Gonzales (trumpet and percussion) – Hadag Nahash is comprised of Streett, As the mayor and as a resident, Ravins is we’re trying to save and to plant, have three full-length albums to their credit. who composes many of the songs, on vo- more circumspect, however, when listing to bring more trees into the re- On their website, the description of Suppressed cals, Moshe Asaraf on drums, Yaya Cohen the area’s disadvantages, and for good rea- gion, because the last few years Anthems, which was released last year, in- Harounoff on bass guitar, David Klemes on son: the area is home to several innova- there’s been very little rain, and cludes the comment, “Latin revolutionary slo- keyboards, Shlomi Alon on saxophone, EWI tive agricultural and research and sometimes, because of the de- ganeering, environmental concerns, global (electronic wind instrument) and vocals, and development institutions and companies velopment of agriculture, some politics and clenched-fist leftist anthems all that have made significant advances in a bounce over the band’s leftist grooves....” In Please see HADAG on page 4 relatively short period of time. Please see RAVINS on page 12 Food Cover Story RAVINS from page 1 of these trees are dying. It’s a very im- don’t want anyone to know about it, thinking together and solving all kinds portant tree to the ecological system in everything has to be quiet, but we have of problems. Sometimes people say, Eve of tasting food the Arava. This is something we’re work- negotiations with the Jordanians, we a lot of people say, ‘it’s impossible to ing on, on the Israeli side and, I believe, have small projects with them and the grow in salty water’ – we grow in nline food and drink guide Vancouver Food- in the future we’re going to start work- last few months, when what we call the salty water; ‘it’s impossible to eradicate ster and Taste and Sip Magazine are present- ing together with the Jordanians.” Arab Spring started to spread around the pests’ – we do it; ‘it’s impossible to do ing Tasting Plates Vancouver on Wednesday, Other projects with the Jordanians Middle East, there were also a lot of ten- biological control in peppers’ – we OFeb.