Kislev / Tevet / Shevat / Adar 5777 Vol. 28, No. 2 Winter 2017 / 2018 THE BULLETIN Congregation Agudas Israel 715 McKinnon Ave, Saskatoon S7H 2G2 (306) 343-7023 Fax: (306) 343-1244 Rabbi Claudio Jodorkovsky Website: www.agudasisrael.org President: Harold Shiffman HOW YOU CANIt’s CONTRIBUTE our 28th The Legacy Fund TAX BENEFITS Annual Every contribution to the CAI Legacy Project – Capital Fund Raising Campaign will be eligible for a charitable donation receipt from Congregation Agudas How high Israel. Congregation Agudas Israel is registered as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency. Our registration number is 106967169 RR0001 . Here’s an example of how a contribution of $10,000 from a Saskatchewan resident will be treated for tax purposes: You make a donation of $10,000 in 2017 and you are a Saskatchewan resident; can we go! 1.The Federal charitable tax credit rate is 15% on the first $200 and 29% on the balance of the donation. Your Federal tax credit is therefore $2,872; $3 Million 2. The Saskatchewan charitable tax credit rateMonday, is 11% on the first $200 May and 15% on 7,the balance 2018 of the donation. Your provincial charitable tax credit is therefore $1,492. The Silver Spoon Dinner, famous for bringing celebrity Your net cost, after the tax saving, is actually only $5,636. This benefit is available for each and every year you make the donation in the event your donation is spread over a number of years. speakers to Saskatoon, is proud to present this year’s entertainment – Award-Winning Canadian Comedians…. There are also significant tax benefits for gifts of publicly listed securities. We would be pleased to discuss this option with you at any time. Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It, Anyway?) and his MAKING A DONATION OR PLEDGE st To get involved in the CAI Legacy Project Capital Fund Raisingwife Campaign Debraplease call, send McGrath a cheque or fill out (Littlethe ‘Pledge Form’ Mosque insert included in on this the Prairies). December 1 80% brochure and send it to: Grant Scharfstein Tickets go on sale on-line at www.Picatic.com 200 – 123 2nd Ave. S. starting at noon Thursday, January 11th. Saskatoon Saskatchewan, S7K 7E6 Or email it to: [email protected] Cheques are to be made out to CAI Legacy Project You can also contribute online by Debit or Visa by going to the Congregation Agudas Israel Website at www.agudasisrael.org and clicking on ‘Legacy Project’ The time is now, the THE CAI LEGACY PROJECT need is great. As our CAPITAL CAMPAIGN grandparents and parents did for us, so CONGREGATION too shall we do for AGUDAS ISRAEL the next generations SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN L’dor V’dor We need you to participate in this life changing Legacy Project - if you have any FACILITY RENEWAL PLAN 2017 questions or comments please contact Grant Scharfstein at [email protected] or by calling 306-653-2838. Thank you for your consideration. This page is sponsored by Gladys Rose of Toronto Deadline for the next Bulletin is February 16th, 2018 B’nai Brith 63rd Silver Plate Dinner by David Katzman, President Auction Financier Marsha Scharfstein and We’re Proud of You Award - Synergy Group Grant Scharfstein The 2017 Silver Plate Dinner was another stunning success. We had 913 of our closest friends over to TCU Place for a great meal, lots of laughs, and over $24 000 in prizes. Joel Bernbaum shared the microphone with Steven Goluboff to provide professional grade entertainment. More importantly, the support of our friends allowed B’nai Brith to provide (over 1 to 3 years) $25K to Big Bruce Cameron Alan Rosenberg Kyle Katzman Brothers/Big Sisters, $10K to Persephone Youth Theatre, $25K to Sistema Music, $5K Daniel Katzman and Jay Avivi to the Saskatoon Community Foundation and a number of smaller grants. This is in addi- tion to the $200K BB has committed to the Grant Scharfstein CAI Legacy Project and our annual support and Errol Berenbaum to CAI and B’nai Brith Canada. We were also pleased to honour Synergy 8, a small Dinner Chairman and President David Katzman group of 9 volunteers who raise remarkable amounts of money for the Saskatoon Cancer Agency, with our annual We Are Proud of You Award. None of this is possible without the tre- mendous support of our many volunteers. Our MCs put in dozens of hours in prepara- tion, Ron Gitlin organized the best Silent and Kevin Sharfe and A top ticket seller Les Fenyes Matthew Ditlove Live Auctions that Saskatoon sees, and Arnie Josh Gitlin Ron Gitlin Shaw put in many, many days managing our ticket sales. Bryce Sasko replaced the many tacky 8x11 papers cluttering tables with a beautiful program and organized all of our AV. Steve Simpson schlepped our We Are Proud display board for the umpteenth year, and Seth Shecter is now our Lodge photogra- pher/historian. Many others greeted guests, MC Steven Goluboff Michael Gertler Michael MC Joel Bernbaum set up tables and generally made the whole Scharfstein thing happen. Our next event is Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. when B’nai Brith will be servers at the Holiday Meal at King George Community School. Thanks to Janet Erickson who cre- ated the official B’nai Brith blue and white serving hats. Please let me know if you can attend ([email protected], 306- Michael Shaw and Bryce Sasko Perry Jacobson Ralph Katzman 716-4128). Our next meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. at CAI. BB is open to all Jewish men Singing Finale in our community, and to those men with Jewish spouses. We will begin the process of identifying groups for our Tzedakah for next fall. Please contact me if you want to learn more about our Lodge. Ticket Wizard Arnie Shaw photos by Seth Shacter This page is sponsored by Leona Wasserman 2 Editorial FROM OUR CONGREGATIONAL FAMILY by Steven Goluboff The Mission Statement of Congregation Agudas Israel Congregation Agudas Israel is a spiritual, religious, educational and social home committed to deepening the quality of Jewish life in Saskatoon and district. We are an evolving link in the historical traditions of With the Bulletin the Jewish people. We are a progressive, democratic and sensitive congregation responding to the widest only being published spectrum of Jewish thought and practice. quarterly, I am sur- Written at the 2002 Kallah by the members of Congregation Agudas Israel prised that there has WELCOME NEW MEMBERS: not been more interest David and Jen Soucy are new members of the Jewish community here at in bringing forward is- Agudas Israel; we have been attending since the spring of 2016. sues that are of vital importance to our future Our family has just grown with the birth of our first child and baby girl, as a viable Jewish community. If one takes Sisuei Seraphina Lucile Soucy. She was delivered by her father at home in time to peruse this issue of The Bulletin, you the early hours of November 5th, 2017. will find articles that are clearly relevant to our I am a Native American Jew, who grew up in Canada and then moved to issues here in Saskatoon. Articles by David Israel to play hockey. I made the decision to move back to Canada to get Katzman and Linda Shaw directly address married. Within the next year, I found out that I had Jewish blood by seeing my Grandmother’s the imperative of fundraising to maintain last name on the list of sought out families in the Spanish Inquisition. I then decided to go our own congregation and how we are held through the reconnection/ conversion process with Rabbi Claudio. I am a leather worker and in such high regard in the general Saskatoon blacksmith. Jennifer was born and raised here in Saskatoon and went to Africa with a group of 6 community to whom we have a wonderful other nurses a couple years ago to work in schools, hospitals, clinics, a prison, and an orphanage. relationship with and are also the recipients As I went through the reconnection, Jennifer went through the conversion process here at of our Tikkun Olam and financial generosity. Agudas Israel with Rabbi Claudio. Rabbi Claudio poignantly addresses the impor- Michael Levin and Audrey Zucker-Levin : Michael and Audrey have come to Saskatoon tant of Synagogue in our Jewish lives. Yes, if from Memphis, Tennessee. Michael is the first Saskatchewan Chair in Multiple Sclerosis we relied on truly religious Jews to maintain Clinical Research for a seven-year term. Audrey has joined the the community we would have closed the Faculty of the School of Physical Therapy at the U of S where doors years ago. The value of an occasional she will be doing research and clinical teaching. They have two Shabbat morning service can be a meaningful sons Danny and Samuel Levin, studying in Louisiana. They claim experience, whether or not expressed in formal to be enjoying the various seasons offered to them in Saskatoon, prayer, self-reflection or meditation, or learn- including the winter. ing about Judaism during the service or after during the wonderful lunches provided on a WELCOME HOME TO: weekly basis, thanks to Rebecca Simpson. David Avivi, son of June and Abe Avivi, who has transitioned to Saskatoon after living 48 Our Board members should be exemplary and years at Valley View Centre, a residence for intellectually disabled adults in Moose Jaw. provide leadership by making a commitment to attend services and encourage others to do CONDOLENCES TO: so even if only on a less than regular basis.