JEWISH NATIONAL FUND OF OTTAWA ottawa jewish ✡ Join us for the Bulletin redesign and website launch, November 26 · 7 pm. More info page 27. ottawajewishbulletin.com bulletinnovember 11, 2013 volume 78, no. 5 kislev 8, 5774 Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Publishing Co. Ltd. • 21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9 • Publisher: Andrea Freedman • Editor: Michael Regenstreif $2.00 at large, “as well as his remarkable personal generosity.” Arnie Vered receives Despite his current battle with cancer, O’Reilly Runte noted Vered “remains centred on caring for the Ontario Medal others and ensuring the continued well-being of family, friends and community. for Good Citizenship Vered’s nomination for the medal received widespread support. Jewish community leader is one of only eight people “In the close to 50 years I have been in Ottawa, I do not know of in the province to receive the award in 2013 anyone who comes close to Ar- By Michael Regenstreif Ottawa Jewish community leader ly,” noted the award citation. nie’s record of community service,” In an investiture ceremony pre- Arnon (Arnie) Vered, who was un- Vered was nominated for the wrote Rabbi Reuven Bulka in his sided over by Lieutenant-Governor able to attend the ceremony because award by Carleton University Pres- letter of support. David C. Olney in the Legislative he is currently undergoing cancer ident Roseann O’Reilly Runte, who Rabbi Bulka mentioned Vered’s Building at Queen’s Park in Toron- treatment. cited Vered’s “extraordinary career support for hospitals, the arts and Arnie Vered’s nomination for the education, and called special at- to, October 17, eight Ontarians were “Wherever he turns his sights of voluntary service, his strong lead- Ontario Medal for Good Citizen- honoured with the Ontario Medal and energies, people say he brings ership qualities, dedication and ac- tention to leadership roles he has ship received widespread sup- for Good Citizenship. an incredible vision, focus and the complishments,” in both the Jewish assumed in the Jewish community: port. Among the eight honourees was ability to get things done effi cient- community and in the community president of Hillel Academy for two terms, chair of the UJA Campaign, “He is a leader who inspires oth- chair of the Soloway Jewish Com- ers to emulate his personal level of munity Centre and president of the commitment and active engage- Jewish Community Council of Ot- ment,” wrote CHEO CEO Alex tawa/Vaad Ha’Ir (now the Jewish Munter and CHEO Foundation CEO Federation of Ottawa). Kevin Keohane, who noted that “No one in the community’s Vered’s efforts on behalf of CHEO history has held all these positions, over the past 17 years have “benefi t- each very demanding and time con- ed many children in the past; many, suming,” noted Rabbi Bulka, add- many more children in the present ing, “He is always ready to help, and will still benefi t more in the fu- and has done so for countless people ture when they need critical care.” and causes ... He is a community su- “It is an unbelievable honour to perstar.” receive this recognition from the Attorney Jacques Shore called Ministry of Citizenship and Im- attention to Vered’s efforts leading migration,” Vered told the Ottawa fundraising campaigns on behalf of Jewish Bulletin in response to learn- health care facilities, the National ing he would receive the award. “I Arts Centre, the Jewish community, was most thankful and very proud the greater Ottawa community, and to be one of eight people selected to the United Way. receive the 2013 Ontario Medal for Limmud Ottawa opening concert “The successes of our communi- Good Citizenship. (From left) Singers Adam Moscoe, Cantor Jeremy Burko, Cantor Daniel Benlolo and Shira Taylor, ty are his successes and are largely “More importantly, though, I am pianist Evelyn Greenberg and MC Laurence Wall with the Beth Shalom Choir at the fi nale to The due to his diligent and heartfelt ef- humbled by what was written on my Music We Love, the opening night concert at Limmud Ottawa, October 19. More Limmud photos forts,” wrote Shore in his letter of behalf for my nomination organized on page 14. (Photo: Robin Chernick) support to the nomination. by Roseann O’Reilly Runte.” World Class Outsourcing ... and more! 613-744-6444 613-244-7225 Providing quality service 613-744-5767 613-244-4444 to the National Capital Region Publications Mail Registration No. 07519 since 1947! www.boydgroup.on.ca Page 2 – Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – November 11, 2013 Jerusalem movie archeologist visits Ottawa Jodi Magness describes Samson mosaic found in ancient synagogue at Huqoq By Louise Rachlis in the east. One reason why Israel is such a At St. Paul University, she gave good place for archeologists is that an overview of the excavations at there is so much archeology going Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village on there. in Galilee, where her team found an “Israel is a pretty easy place to ancient synagogue with a mosaic work,” said archeologist Jodi Mag- fl oor depicting the biblical fi gure of ness, who spent two days in Ottawa Samson and a Hebrew inscription. last month and spoke to the Ottawa The synagogue dates to the fi fth Jewish Bulletin before delivering century CE – the Talmudic or late a lecture at St. Paul University on Roman period. She said only a few October 17. late Roman synagogues contain “In Israel, we stay at a local mosaics with biblical scenes, and kibbutz in air-conditioned rooms, the discovery is signifi cant and and they cook for us. It’s therefore stunning. much easier than in some other Her visit to Ottawa was spon- Archeologist Jodi Magness at her excavation in Huqoq, Israel. Magness discussed the dig during her visit to Ottawa in October. (Photo: Jim Haberman) parts of the world. And it’s such sored by the Archeological Insti- a small country that it’s easier to tute of America, a professional so- treasure hunters, like Indiana Jones. the past by using a particular kind Another thing the rabbis may not travel around and see other sites.” ciety of archeologists. A connected misconception is that of information. Not everything have liked in the Samson mosaics Magness, a professor of early “There has always been a good we get to keep what we fi nd. That’s people made has survived.” is the Philistines with horses, as Judaism at the University of North level of public interest in biblical not true. I can study our fi nds, but In an article for Biblical Arche- this feature is a later elaboration, Carolina at Chapel Hill who spends archeology because of the nature of they belong to the State of Israel.” ology Review (“Scholar’s Update: not a part of the Biblical account. about two months in Israel each the subject matter,” she said. Professional archeologists don’t New Mosaics from the Huqoq The appearance of these elements summer on archeological digs, is Magness, who was born in Phil- look for things like Noah’s Ark or Synagogue,” September/October at Huqoq (and at the nearby syna- featured in Jerusalem, the IMAX adelphia and grew up in Miami, the Ark of the Covenant, she said. 2013), Magness writes it might gogue of Wadi Hamam) may refl ect documentary now showing at the said she’d wanted to be an archeol- “Archeologists seek to understand surprise some readers “to learn popular Jewish traditions that cir- Canadian Museum of Civilization. ogist since she was 12, when an ex- the past by excavating human ma- that Samson is not described as a culated outside of rabbinic circles.” Magness also served as a histor- ceptional teacher got her interested terial remains, anything people giant in the Bible. Samson’s giant Magness said public engage- ical consultant during the making in ancient Greece. manufactured and left behind – a stature refl ects later Jewish tradi- ment with archeology is import- of the fi lm and was present at the “My interest was always in the house, pottery, stone tools, whatev- tions about the Biblical judge and ant because it’s good for people to museum, October 16, for a ques- ancient classical world.” er. We study those remains in the hero, which considered him as a learn about the past. tion-and-answer session following She majored in archeology and same way a historian studies writ- potential (and failed but not false) “You can subscribe to archeolo- the regularly scheduled screening. history at the Hebrew Universi- ten texts. messiah – a forerunner of the true gy magazines. Many digs take vol- Her areas of expertise are the ty of Jerusalem, including ancient “Another popular misconcep- messiah.” unteers, and there are plenty of dig archaeology of Palestine in the Ro- Greek, participating in many exca- tion – we don’t study dinosaurs, She adds, “In the period after the opportunities out there all around man, Byzantine and early Islamic vations and learning constantly. those are paleontologists; we don’t Roman destruction of the Temple the world,” she said. periods; ancient pottery; ancient “I think there are a lot of popu- study bones, those are anthropolo- in 70 CE, many rabbis disapproved Visit jodimagness.org for more synagogues; Qumran and the Dead lar misconceptions about archeolo- gists. Humans did not manufacture of Samson because of his sexual information on Magness and her Sea Scrolls; and the Roman army gists,” she said. “One is that we are bones ... Archeology is the study of exploits with non-Israelite women. work. Stephen Victor among the nominees for the Genesis Prize The Genesis Prize Founda- for centuries.” tion announced, October 21, that Ottawa lawyer and philanthrop- New York City Mayor Michael ist Stephen Victor was among the Bloomberg will be the inaugural nominees for the Genesis Prize.