vo l u m e shalom! - fedweb-assets.s3. · pdf file2 hakol september 2013 uja c a mp a gi n...

Volume 1, #1 September 2013

The newsletter you are holding in your hands is the inaugural edition of HaKol (The Voice), and while we are not a daytime talk-show, we are sure you’ll find plenty of interesting information inside. HaKol is envisioned to be a thrice-yearly publica-tion, produced by The Jewish Federation of Edmonton as a way to update the com-munity with Federation news.

HaKol will not only provide informa-tion on upcoming events, but will also provide a retrospective of recent com-munity programming. Inside, you’ll also find columns from community lay-lead-ers and Federation staff, and information about the many changes going on in our Community.

We understand that different people in our Community like to receive their news in different formats, whether that is electronically or through the medium of print. While our electronic communi-cations through the JFED E-Weekly allow for frequent and immediate mes-sages to our subscribers, print media such as HaKol provides a greater degree of “shelf-life”, and allows for more in-depth content, albeit on a less-frequent basis. We hope that you will keep this edition around for a while and once everyone in your household has had a chance to look it over, why not pass it on to another?

While we are happy to distribute HaKol in print format, we will also be distribut-ing an electronic version through the JFED E-Weekly.

We hope you enjoy the material that we have assembled within HaKol and look forward to receiving any feedback or sug-gestions you might have.

Daniel LarsonEditor in Chief, HaKol

Shalom!

Holocaust Survivor & educator Eva Olsson with March of the Living alumnus Rayna Lew, at the Edmonton Holocaust Symposium, March, 2013. See story on page 3.

What’s inside:

Breakfast with the Premier

Page 3

Edmonton Jewish Film Festival

Page 4

Celebrating Israel with The Maccabeats!

Page 6

Community Facility Utilization Committee

1

HaKol2 September 2013

UJA cAmpAign 2013 kicks off on september 15th!.

HaKolVolume 1, #1

HAKOL is a free publication of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, published three times per year and mailed to community households.

Address correction requested.

Mailing address #200, 10220-156 Street, Edmonton, AB T5P-2R1.

www.jewishedmonton.org

eMail ContaCt [email protected]

exeCutive Publisher Stephanie Hendin

Publisher Russ Joseph

Editor-in-Chief Daniel Larson

editor Debby Shoctor

Contributors Dani Uretsky

Joey Tappenden

Printing and design PageMaster Publication Services Inc.

We have attempted to be as correct and current as possible in our content,

however please excuse any errors or unintended omissions.

No information contained herein may be copied or re-distributed, in whole or in part, without the prior written

approval of the Publisher. © Copyright Edmonton, AB, 2013

We are honoured to be your UJA co-chairs for the

2013-2014 campaign. As we all know, so many of our local partners rely heavily upon the success of this annual, com-munity-wide appeal in order to deliver services to their con-stituents.

Your dollars help to pro-vide bursaries so that children can receive a Jewish education; help to subsidize families so that their children can enjoy a summer camping experience; provide emergency aid to vul-nerable individuals and families; support counseling for at-risk people; enable us to deliver our Holocaust education agenda; provide funding for seniors in Edmonton; sustain our programming on Campus; and fund all of the youth and young adult programming that helps to ensure Jewish continuity in Edmonton.

In addition, of course, your dollars help to support the over-100 different projects that we fund, in whole or in part, in Israel and enable us to provide assistance to vul-

I am pleased to be able to finally welcome the first edition of this new communi-

cation piece, HaKol, The Voice. We have been anxiously awaiting its arrival as a medium to deliver Community news and details of upcoming events, in a clear and concise manner to our membership.

With a dramatically smaller complement of Federation staff than we had less than two years ago, it has been very difficult for them to find the time to prepare a piece of this quality while still working diligently on their normal programming duties.

Special thanks to Russ, Daniel and our other staff for this extra effort and to Debby Shoctor for her expertise in editing.

HaKol is not meant to take the place of more-timely, weekly electronic news blasts but rather, to enable us to take a step back and review what has taken place. I hope you will enjoy reading this first edition and look forward to receiving your feedback.

A message from our Federation President

A message from our UJA co-chairs:

UJA Co-Chair Lauren Gayle Pearson.

UJA Co-Chair Clyde Hurtig.

STEPHANIE HENDIN

nerable Jewish populations in other parts of the world. As you can see, Together we really do extraordinary things!

We are thrilled, once again, to be working with such a dedicated group of canvassers; some brand-new, many experienced; some young and some not so young, who are truly the backbone of our Annual Campaign. Some communities have moved away from the personal can-vass model that we use and have gone to highly impersonal, electronic and/or mail solicitations, but you have told us loud and clear that you want to maintain that

Continued on Page 15

Notice of ANNuAl GeNerAl MeetiNG

See page 14

HaKolSeptember 2013 3

for cUrrent events And news, check oUt the Jfed e-weekly At www.Jewishedmonton.org

On Monday, December 10th, members of the Jewish community of Edmon-

ton arrived at Beth Israel Synagogue for an early breakfast. They were joined by the Honourable Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta.

The sold out Breakfast With the Premier was organized by CJPAC (the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee) and The Jewish Federation of Edmonton to bring together the com-munity leadership, membership and the Premier. Attendees enjoyed a delicious Chanukah-themed kosher breakfast buf-fet and heard from Rabbi Daniel Friedman of Beth Israel Synagogue, who presented some words of Torah and an invoca-tion. Stephanie Hendin, President of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, acted as the Master of Ceremonies for the event as well as introducing Ms. Redford.

The Premier spoke of building bridges between the Government of Alberta and the Jewish community and her desire to advance connections between our prov-ince and Israel. She also took this oppor-

tunity to announce her intention to lead a mission to Israel within the next year; she will be accompanied by other mem-bers of her government and business leaders. They will be looking to find areas where relationships can be strengthened for the mutual benefit of Alberta and Israel, especially in areas such as the energy sector and the environment. This announcement was warmly received by the crowd. To wrap up the event, Marlee Mozeson, a CJPAC Fellowship Alumnus and member of the Edmonton Jewish Community thanked the Premier and presented her with the book The First Century of Jewish Life in Edmonton and Northern Alberta: 1893-1993, published by JAHSENA.

After her remarks, the Premier spent time chatting one-on-one with many of the attendees, before heading off to the next event in her busy schedule. These opportunities continue to strengthen relationships with our elected officials and ensure their deeper understanding of our community.

Breakfast with the Premier

Eleanor Millar, CJPAC Western Regional Director; Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta; Stephanie Hendin, Federation President; Russ Joseph, Federation CEO. Edmonton Jewish Community at ‘Breakfast with The Premier’, December 2012.

Eva Olsson speaking at the Edmonton Holocaust Symposium, March, 2013.

Our annual Holocaust Education Sym-posium was held at the Royal Alberta

Museum this past March 11th to 13th and we were pleased to once again wel-come Holocaust survivor, Dr. Eva Olsson from Bracebridge, Ontario, as our key-note speaker.

Through increased efforts to recruit new schools and to bring back those who had drifted away, attendance surged to over 1,100 local high school students this year. Special thanks to our principal sponsor, The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation for their continued com-mitment to Holocaust education and to the Holocaust Education Committee for their outstanding work in putting this program together.

The next Symposium is already sched-uled for March 17th, 18th and 19th, 2014 at the Museum. All members of the Community are welcome to attend.

Holocaust Education Symposium 2013



The Edmonton Jewish Film Festival was held from May 26th through

29th in the Zeidler Hall of The Citadel Theatre in downtown Edmonton. Eight films were shown over the course of the Festival, with attendance rates at the Festival higher than ever before!

The eight films that were shown revolved around this year’s themes of Bridging Culture, Keeping Faith and Valuing Life. Films topics touched on the eccentricities of life, romance across cul-tures, Jewish-Muslim relations and hid-den stories surrounding the Holocaust.

Led by Festival Chair Josh Miller, the Festival Committee worked hard for sev-eral months, sifting through many films to select only the very best, as well as organizing the planning of the Festival itself.

The Edmonton Jewish Film Festival received a great deal of exposure this year, having been featured on Global Television, 630 CHED, Vue Weekly and GigCity. The Festival was also featured on numerous community and media cal-endars.

This year was a first for the Festival, as the event was a recipient of grant sup-port from the Edmonton Arts Council, the City of Edmonton and the Downtown Business Association. Money raised from the Festival will go towards supporting our P2G projects in Northern Israel.

Thanks go out to all the Festival sponsors, volunteers and attendees who helped make this event such a success!

The Edmonton Jewish Film Festival

Taryn Horwitz, Farrel Shadlyn, Trevor Horwitz & Daphne Horwitz at the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, May 2013.

Josh Miller, EJFF Chair; Stephanie Hendin, Federation President; Sam Koplowicz, Incoming EJFF Chair & Debby Shoctor, VP and Program Committee Chair,

at the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, May 2013.

A full house at the Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, May 2013.



The Asper Foundation:

Human Rights and Holocaust Studies Program

First off, let me just say how phenom-enal my trip to Washington was. I was

with some very close friends, and we got to spend four days in Washington, some-where none of us had been before. We saw a ton of things in the four days, and it was truly unforgettable. I want to thank the Jewish Federation of Edmonton for sponsoring such a fantastic program.

The learning sessions were quite heavy, but very informative. It gave us more insight as to what went on during the Holocaust, and other times when human rights were thrown out the window. My group and I were also lucky enough to meet a survivor of the Holocaust. I think that it was my favourite session, and I am very glad that we got to meet her. Her name was Eva Olsson, and her story was a truly amazing one. While it was absolutely heart breaking, it was such an inspirational story. She has spoken all over Canada, and in the US, and when she came to our school to talk to our small group of 9, it was the first time she had ever sat down in a school desk. Listening to her story, reminded me of how truly grateful I am, for the life I have.

Our trip was jam-packed with trips to museums, plays and even a little bit of time for shopping.

On the day we flew in, we went on a night tour of Washington. Washington is a beautiful city, and we saw many memor-ials which are breathtaking. We got to see the Lincoln memorial, Jefferson memor-ial, White House, and the Washington Monument. These are things I had only ever seen in movies, and I got to be there.

Our first full day, was quite an emo-

My Experience on the Washington Trip April 21-24by METTANNAH JAcobSoN

tional day for us. We spent the majority of our day at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The museum was incredibly well-planned and thought out. Prior to our trip, we read a book that was the fictional journey of a person in the Holocaust, called ‘Daniel’s Story’. At the museum, there was a section dedicated to the book.

We started at the sixth floor, and worked our way down. It really did show the progression of the Holocaust. Many things stood out to us about that exhibit. You walked through a real train car, and into a room where it showed you what some of the concentration camps were like. It showed the process that hap-pened when people arrived, had actual bunkers, and talked about some of the experiments that happened. There were so many things in that museum, we were just blown away. On one of the upper floors, there were probably hundreds of pictures, lined up wall to ceiling, from a shtetl in Lithuania. A couple of floors lower, there were more pictures from that shtetl, but it said that the entire shtetl was completely wiped out. To this day, there are no Jewish people living in

that area. The area with the shoes was another

one of the stand out moments in that museum. Here are these shoes that belonged to people, many of whom were killed for no reason. The shoes were old and beat up, and it seemed highly unlike-ly to find a pair. Innocent men, women, and children, unknowingly walked to their death in those shoes, for simply being different.

At the end of the museum, was a memorial room, with Yarzheit candles lit for the six million victims. When we had all finished going through the museum, we all sat and talked about what we had all just experienced. Then we listened to a Holocaust survivor. Her story was amazing. Louisa Lawrence Israels lived with her family and another woman for two and a half years in an attic. She and her brother were perfectly happy, because their parents had never told them what was happening in the outside world. Her story was also very inspirational, and we were very lucky to be able to hear her story.

Our final day, we got to go to the

The Edmonton contingent of the Asper Foundation for Human Rights and Holocaust Studies trip, in Washington, D.C.

Continued on Page 11



Celebrating Israel at 65 with The Maccabeats!

World-renowned a cappella group The Maccabeats, with Suzie Fialkow; 2013 Miss Teen Alberta at The Maccabeats’ Yom Ha’atzmaut performance, May 2013.

On Sunday, April 14th, more than 600 members Edmonton’s Jewish commun-

ity as well as many members of the public had the privilege of celebrating Israel’s 65th Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli independence Day) with The Maccabeats at The Venue at the Marriott River Cree!

The Maccabeats are a world-renowned a cappella group from New York that has received considerable attention for their Jewish pop covers of popular songs as well as their stunning harmony and vocal hooks. They really are a world-class act, having performed all over the world and having been featured on many media networks.

This was The Maccabeats’ first time performing in Western Canada, and they were excited to make their first show here a memorable one! Enthused by an excit-ed, flag-waving audience that eagerly sang along with every song, The Maccabeats per-formed some of their own hit songs, vari-ous Hebrew songs, as well as engaged the audience in call-and-reply songs to really make the event an inclusive one.

This was the largest and best-attended Yom Ha’atzmaut event ever held in Edmonton and the community response was fantastic! After their stellar perform-ance, attendees were able to meet and greet The Maccabeats as well as purchase mer-chandise, including kippot, shirts and CDs.

Carla Bushewsky & Eyar Barness celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut at The

Maccabeat’s performance, May 2013.

As lead singer Noah Jacobson said at the end of the show, in thanking The Jewish Federation of Edmonton for organizing the event “We had an amazing time, and we hope to be back soon!”

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton

would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the event in honour of Israel’s 65 years of independence, as well as all the fabulous sponsors of the event- without whom this event would not have been the success that it was!

PJ Library LaunchThe Jewish Federation of Edmonton is

thrilled to launch PJ LIBRARY (PJ, as in pajamas), a program that provides families raising Jewish children ages 6 months to 8 years with a FREE treasury of Jewish books and music! Every month, families enrolled in PJ LIBRARY receive a high-quality, expertly-selected and kid-tested Jewish book or CD as a gift from the community.

Through the generosity of the Federation and with support from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, The Jewish Federation of Edmonton is making 150 free membership subscriptions available on a first-come, first-served basis to families living throughout the Edmonton area.

Lists have been compiled and soon infor-mational material and enrolment applications will be mailed to most of those who are on Community lists. If you receive one and don’t have children that fall within the age cohort, please pass it on to another Jewish family who

does. Shortly, after the books start arriving, we will begin offering monthly programs for all PJ recipients. Watch for details soon.

If you have children 6 months through 8 years old, we invite you to sign up today and join a growing global community of more than 300,000 PJ families throughout North America and Israel. Sign up your own family. Then, invite Jewish friends and neighbors to enroll and share in the PJ experience as well! Enroll Online:

www.pjlibrary.org/ny/thejewishfederationofedmonton

Learn more about PJ LIBRARY: www.pjlibrary.org

Questions or Comments: Contact Dani Uretsky 780-487-0585 ext 205 or [email protected]

To learn more about The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, go to:

www.jewishedmonton.org



Rally for IsraelOn Tuesday, November 20th, 2013,

over 300 members of Edmon-ton’s Jewish community came out to the Rally for Israel held at the Beth Israel Synagogue.

Hosted by Russ Joseph, CEO of The Jewish Federation of Edmonton, attendees were treated to Israel updates courtesy of Dr. Ivan Steiner, chair of the P2G Committee, who recently returned to Canada from Israel, as well as an update from D.J. Schneeweiss—the Israeli Consul General to Canada. One of the high-lights of the evening was a special sur-prise visit (via Skype) by Beth Israel’s very own Rabbi Daniel Friedman, currently in Israel on a solidarity mission.

Rabbi Friedman spoke about what his solidarity mission had seen in the areas of Israel affected by Hamas rock-et-fire and the appreciation expressed by Israelis on hearing of the support offered to them by North American communities, including our own! The community also heard words of Jewish wisdom and prayer offered by Rabbis Kunin, Harari and Draiman.

We were also greatly honoured to have in attendance two special guests from the Jewish Federations of Canada (JFC), President Marc Gold and CEO Linda Kislowicz. Marc Gold and former UJA Co-Chair Ellery Lew spoke to our community about the need to maintain our connection to Israel and building on our generous giving to Israel to support worthy programs, important beneficiary agencies and those most in need.

In the aftermath of the recent The Jewish Federation of Edmonton gives $5000 for the Victims of Terror Fund

escalation between Israel and Islamist militants in the Gaza Strip, Edmonton UJA has partnered with the Jewish Agency For Israel to establish the Victims of Terror Fund to support those Israelis living under threat of rocket-fire.

To kick-start Edmonton’s giving to the Victims of Terror Fund, a $5000 cheque was presented by Stephanie Hendin, President of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton to JFC President Marc Gold on behalf of the Edmonton Jewish Community. The Victims of Terror Fund will support respite programs for children to leave affected areas and engage in positive educational and fun activities safely away from the threat of rockets. The Fund will also support the refurbish-

ment of bomb shelters and provide general aid to those whose lives have been greatly affected by terror.

After the event, an anonymous donor generously offered to match donations made to the Victims of Terror Fund, thereby doubling all gifts! Aided by this generous gesture, we strongly encourage community members to donate to the fund over and above their UJA donations, to help improve the living standards of affected Israelis living in a constant environment of fear of terror.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the event and strengthened the connection between our community and Israel.

by DANIEl lArSoN

Edmonton UJA wishes to acknowledge the following generous gifts

received during the 2012 UJA campaign

Through your generosity, $1,083,271

was raised for Jewish Community needs at the local level, nationally and in Israel. Stay tuned for the launch of the 2013 UJA campaign in the fall!

We apologize for any errors or omissions. If your name has been missed, please contact the UJA office at 780-487-0585 x 206 or [email protected]

Hinen i : $ 100,000+Ghermezian FamilyKatz FamilyIrving & Dianne Kipnes

Phi lanthropists : $ 50,000-$ 99,000Anonymous

Ambassadors : $ 15,000-$ 49,999David & Pamela MargolusToby & Saul ReichertSelwyn & Elaine RomanovskyEric & Elexis SchlossLeo Superstein

Governors : $ 10,000-$ 14,999Leonard Dolgoy & Catherine MillerKaren HofmannHarry & Pam KipnesArliss MillerLauren Gayle PearsonTulane RollingherKayla Shoctor

Bui lders : $7,000-$ 9,999Eli AdlerRonald BercovLionel GrobermanMiriam & Jerry KatzValda LevinRobert RosenFarrel Shadlyn & Lisa MillerShawna Vogel & Chris GregsonNorman & Mona WittenBarry Zalmanowitz & June Ross

Trustees : $ 5,000-$ 6,999AnonymousDaniel AbbottIsidore BurstynHenry CynamonLily CynamonSamuel FriedmanJan & Russ JosephNorbert & Patricia R. MorgensternClive & Heidi OshryAsher PertmanSharon PertmanWayne PertmanCindy Lou PertmanAnthony S. RussellHoward & Riva SheinFred SingerHowie & Debbie SnidermanDavid & Heather Vickar

Benefactors : $ 3,000-$ 4,999Anonymous (x2)Wes A. Alexander

Howard & Debbie AnsonKaren Farkas & Clyde HurtigAbe GoldsteinJoan GoldsteinStanley & Faith GreenspanAbe HeringTrevor HorwitzMark & Debbi JoffeStanley KitayLewis & Irene KlarLawrie & Nora LymanLeslie MossMichael & Alissia OshryEarl & Reeva ParkerCecil PaullAdam & Amanda RomanovskyStan & Carole RutwindAnn SecterStephen & Beverly ShafranAllan ShustackRon SorokinGrant VogelLarry & Marielle WittenDanny & Connie Zalmanowitz

Champions : $2,000-$2,999Anonymous (x2)Robert AbellsSydney & Eleanor BercovRuth Bogoch SteinerGlenn A. CohenHoward DavidowRobin & Melanie FainsingerSheldon Geller & FamilyNorman GleibermanLinda GoodySid & Emily HansonPhil & Penny HardinEllery LewEva MargolusNip Olyan z”lKaren OshryAaron & Jean OshryRuth PakesJustin & Cheryl PertmanGregory & Frida PesinErrol & Renee RaffRay RutmanPerry SegalMarshall ShoctorStan & Doris SmordinAlan & Ruth SwerlingJonathan TankelMarvin Weisler

Sponsors : $ 1 ,500-$ 1 ,999Lemore AlimaShane & Rebecca M. AsbellSheila Bailin & Daniel Barer

Neil & Marlene BrownMichael ChetnerTed R. CrollFrances CyngiserJerrold DiamondSam & Joyce GalanteShulamit Gil & Keith DannackerMichael & Cheryl GluckmanPam HofmannTaryn HorwitzLyle KaneeJack MargolusRon & Carol RitchSolomon RolingherEvelyn SchayerJenny SingerHershel & Lois A. SorokinHoward StarkmanIrv Yaverbaum

Leaders : $ 1 ,000-$ 1 ,499Anonymous (x2)Theodore AaronBernard AdlerDavid & Florie AxlerMarcia BercovMarvin H. BercovichSuzan BlattMichael & Shelley BobroffJack & Marilyn CohenErica A. DanceSuzanne DavisJoseph DozLynn EinsteinMoshe (Chico) FelberFelix FridmanRodney & Sharon FriedlandManuel FriedmanSharon Bookhalter & Jerry GlasserAnn GoldblattGeorge & Judy GoldsandJerry & Norma GrobmanMichael HandmanStephanie HendinAvi IsacksonSteven & Tobey LevineVictor & Lena LinetskyEric & Sharon MacklinJosh & Michele MillerCharles MozesonJosef & Rachel OvicsJay PalterMichael & Colleen PaullAbraham PeliowskiRobert PokroyEd RabinovitchLisa RedmondWynne M. RigalOlga RolandJeff Rubin

Steven & Talia ShafirPaul SilvermanAbe SilvermanSveta SilvermanJack SorokaMark & Lorraine StillmanAllan UramSyma UramRick UretskyNorman WaselFreya & Lewis WaselJoel & Linda WeinerRichard & Rhonda WinstonRon WolchGary Wolch and Mor BarzelMoises WornovitzkyStacey Leavitt-Wright & Erin WrightHal Zalmanowitz

Patrons : $750-$ 999Debbie DavisRonald & Ellen DlinClarice GarbuzBenaron GleibermanIzzy GlienerJason & Debbie HatchWilliam K. HorwitzCyril & Faye KaySydney & Sheila LabelleDaniel LarsonSonny MarkusJacob & Odette MasliyahThomas OwenRebeccah RosenblumHarold & Ruth SamuelsEsther SklofskyChloe & Felix SoibelmanRobyn SperberFrank WeichmanDonna WeislerSamuel & Eva WeiszAlvin Winestock

Stewards : $ 500-$749Anonymous (x3)Marvin & Freda AbugovMiriam AdlerEdward & Bella AndlerAlan & Alyssa ArnsteinRichard BairdBrian BesneyCynthia Blackman-DozMarty BlattHarry BondarElaine BookhalterDavid BookhalterBeverly BrezerRick & Tammy BronsonJudah BusheikinJerry CooperLarry Derkach & Alberto GenisJack Feldman

Simen FialkowRabbi Daniel & Batya FriedmanShirley GhitterMurray GlickAlvin & Debbie GoldsmanRobert A. GraesserLeslie HalpertMichael HendinLesley JacobsonAllan JacobsonLeon KaganLeon I. KagnaVerne KarasickEdgar & Jane KarstaedtAbram & Irina KhazanovichRosemary KitayAllan & Patricia KleinMitch KlimoveStephen KushnerKaysi KushnerPercy LernerMurray & Susan LiebermanPhil ListerSharon MarcusRobert S. & Terrie MargolisSue MarxheimerGary & Shari McNeilEd & Joy-Ruth MickelsonLeon MillerBruce MintzAnita PearlmanNetta PhilletIrwin RaphaelAbner RubinAlison RussellJack SchwartzbergJoe ShafirJim Bowron & Maita SilverHarry SilvermanLauren SkyNeil SmordinHersh & Jane SobelGaylene SoiferColin SoskolneEsther StarkmanJoseph, Alex & Lee TappendenJini VogelLeanne WaselShelley WeinsteinDavid Weisz & Roanne MazerMel WyneMichael ZabludowskiMarty ZellStephen Zepp & Karen Leibovici

Supporters : $ 300-$ 499Anonymous (x3)Stephen L. Aaron

Gloria AaronSharon AbbottClive AllenLissa AntflickBoris BelostotskyJoshua BensimonMarilyn F. BercovichRivie BondarRobert & Krista BrickJoseph P. BrumlikMark DolgoyNina Estrin-HardinHerb FreedmanCyril FriedSean & Shayna GalanteGabe & Sonia GoldbergShirley GoldbergGary GoldsandBessie GoldstickSheila GreenbergRon GrobermanSondra GroshNeil HandelsmanGillian HorwitzMark HubermanEddy & Honey IsaacsAmir IsacksonMark KatzeffLiam KellyRandy & Karen KondorLijun LiuDoreen LutskyFred ManusLutz MarburgFrank & Marilyn MarksonArlene & Pierre MorinLaurie MozesonBeryl J. NahornickPhyllis NurgitzAlexander & Ludmilla PogrebinskyFrances Ratner DolgoyMark & Elaine L. SalkieSari SchiffReisa & Gary SegalBarb ShermanDebby ShoctorMark & Miriam SidersonLinda SilvermanGeoff SkyPaula SnyderGaby & Debbie SonegoPhillip SwitzerPenny TappendenPauline UretskyAubrey & Shira UretskyEsfira VaynshteynZalman VaynshteynRick & Nikki VogelMichael & Denise WebsterSue WinestockNaomi WolfmanMorley Wolfman

Edmonton UJA wishes to acknowledge the following generous gifts

received during the 2012 UJA campaign

Through your generosity, $1,083,271

was raised for Jewish Community needs at the local level, nationally and in Israel. Stay tuned for the launch of the 2013 UJA campaign in the fall!

We apologize for any errors or omissions. If your name has been missed, please contact the UJA office at 780-487-0585 x 206 or [email protected]

Edward YedgarovaSusan YedgarovaEsi ZionLonnie Zwaigenbaum & Angela Topping

Fr iends : $ 150-$299Anonymous (x8)Robert AaronLaurence AbbottLuba AllenOfer ArazyLauren BaramAron & Sofia BelostotskiFredelle BensimonMorris BesneySusan BinningtonHelaine BlattStan BronsonSheila BronsonBrian & Gail BuckFrieda BugisSylvia ChetnerMiriam CooperCherie DiamondSarah DolgoyBill DolmanJudith EdelmannHarvey EmasArnold FaintuchCory FelberDonna FreedmanRhoda FriedmanSam FrohlichMichael FurmanGertrude FurmanMarilyn GlickBarry GoldbergJack & Bluma GoldbergGeorge GoldfordKaren GoldsteinBrent GreenBarry Greenspan & Sandra MaygardThe Happy Camel, Inc.Rabbi Carmit HarariRory Ziv & Joy HartmanJames HeilikBernie HoffmanJeannette HoffmanZachary HoltzmanMichelle HubermanCharles HymanEleanor JohnstonErica KarabusDebby KarasickShelby KarpmanJennifer KatzMichael Klebanov

Jerome KleinCaroline KowallGeorge KrausAlex & Lilia KravetsMartha KushnerBrian LeighPenny LernerSari & Kingsley LeungHart LevineJames MalletKevin & Gail MilnerIsadore MonsAnton MorgulisMike NahornickHarry & Ruth NolanSharon OhayonDoron & Meirav OrIlya & Maria OratovskyViolet OwenMia Owen - ToporowskiJanet PollockPaul PolushinJosie PromislowJeff RabinovitchLinda RabinovitchSaul RabinovitzMildred RagosinJoel & Christina Tzipora RebohNurit ReshefLawrence RodnunskyCraig RoseMona RosenbergLinda RutmanMoira SacksAsaf SagiRowena SchwartzbergRuth-Ellen ShafirDebra ShatzJeff SheckterRoni ShepsWayne & Cheryl ShurGarry SilvermanFrances SimonJune SkibinGary SmordinEarle L. SniderRuth SniderJane SoiferKen & Natalie SorokaLillian SorokaMarv SorokaEd (Bucky) StochinskyBoris SukalskyZhanna & Leonid UritskyDavid WarhaftHarry WarhaftEric & Paula Weil

Eytan WineDoug WolchNaomi WolchRobert Wood & Sherrie BanksJodi ZabludowskiMark Zeltserman Donors: $76-$149Anonymous (x2)Jennifer Abbott- CaronDoreen AlbertMichael AlpernJamie AnsonMichael AnsonJerry AntflickIda AntflickSusan BaramSylvia BenjaminNorman & Ruth BlaywaysLawrence & Shirlann BlissJudi CardDavid CowanPaul DeutschBernard DlinRabbi Ari DrelichMurray DubiskyLarry & Judi FieldingTanis (Tybie) FloomLeonid & Eleonora GermanJoel R. GhitterMara GhitterSandra Ghitter MannesOsnat GoldsandKira GregsonAvi & Sarah HabinskyFred KatzMaury KatzinSofia Vichnevsky & Alex KoganBruce KoligerEva KoplowiczAlexander KrimbergJack LainwandJay LernerEthel LeveneRimma & Igor LevinAube LevineDiana LevineGary J. LevineMiriam LiebermanNancy LiebermanElaine C. LyonsVera MannerowRobin MarcusMax Marcus

Marcia & Walter McKallEsther MillerMarvin MitchellDaniel OwenAlla OygenSean ParkerHanna PollackRobert & Lisa RabinovitchMaxine RaphaelFern RobinsonMiriam RobsonIsabel RodnunskyHelen RosenbergDavid SchwartzBernard SchwartzSofi ShapiroSam Fialkow & Marilyn SheckterRhoda SheininInger ShermanStewart & Rose ShinewaldAnita SkyErica Solomon & Jeff WintersteinGayle TallmanCindie ThompsonJason & Dani UretskyTovah YedlinSaul Zalik

Contr ibutors : $75 and underHannah AaronGeorge AbramsJeni AdlerVera AlberkantDmitry AlmanVera AlmanSylvia AlpernMartin BankeyShoshana BankeyItsikas & Regina BarakerisTodd BaramTslila & Gershon BarzelDror & Mickey BavlyEzra BavlySara BavlyRichard BealeTeresa BennettMarni BercovElizabeth BerkovichEsther BesneyRabbi Mendy & Chaya-Sarah BlachmanLana BlackYelena BraslavskyFreda BraudeEarl Bubis

Roberta BubisMira & Gary CampbellFrances ChatrinMatt S. CohenSharon CohenMartin CzitronRenee Davis ConstamDaniella DrisdellArkady DvorkinReuven DvorkinJason EidelmanRhonda EidelmanLeeor EliyahuBarry EstrinFani EstrinSharon EstrinRakhmiel FeldmanRocky FeldmanFrida FeldmanEvgeny FialkovLori ForbesGloria FrankelBernie FrankelDavid FriedlandMargaret FrohlichDorita FurmanCarol GallKaren GallAndrew GergelyVergenne GlaserJudy GleibermanAbraham GoldbergLeah GoldfordJacob GoorNellie Bass & Doug HainesAdele HartumJerrod HenochMarvin HorwitzDaphne HorwitzSandra KahnAnita KalitskyBenjamin KaneeYefmas & Rozalia KarpulisEsta KarpulisMaya KhasinDaniel KoganJennifer KoganElizabeth KoganEmily KoganSamuel KoplowiczMarla KovacsEli LagnadoLiebe LagnadoGerald LarsonSara LarsonAdam LarsonRotem Lavy

Fay LeighReesa LernerRobby LernerAnna LinetskyHinda LipshitzMike LiptonYakov LokshinDavid MannesDavid & Miriam MansourDave MarcusAnnie MarcusRivvy MeloffPaul MessingerBernice MilnerShenita MooreMichael & Olga MuradovStan NathanRobert OvicsAbraham OvicsJared PaullMisha PesinJosephine PetersKhana PodjarskayaShoshana PollackLiza RobinsonJody SchellSusan SchubertWerner SchulzeAnna ShapiroGrigory ShapiroLyubov ShapiroSonia SheckterMiriam SheckterMihail ShmuilovichIrvin ShoreSheila ShoreIrina ShulmanAnita ShwarzmanStaci SilvermanDan SmithAriel SnidermanFlorence Soifer - OvicsMark SolomonovichPhyllis SolsbergInna SukonnikAlice SwitzerClarice SwitzerShirley Tarnow z”lReeva TheumanRichard TheumanRachel WarhaftJoel WeiszLarry Woloshin



Russ Joseph, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Russ joined our Federation staff at the start of 2011, first on a temporary basis and then permanently, in May of that year after a thorough candidate search was completed. He was no stranger to our Community, having served as a volunteer for many local organizations for over 30 years, including several terms on the Federation board.

He came to this role as our senior staff person following a career as a retailer and entrepreneur and brings a true business sense to the organization. He holds an MBA from the Shulich School of Business at York University in Toronto as well as undergraduate degrees in Commerce and Industrial Engineering. Russ and his wife Jan have two daughters, Michele and Lisa, both of whom grew up in Edmonton and were active in BBYO, and three grandsons, all of whom now reside in Toronto.

During these first years as CEO, Russ has focused much of his energy on try-ing to bring together the disparate ele-ments in our Community; to build on our strengths; and to increase efficient utilization of all of our assets. “This past year has brought many challenges as we moved out of the old JCC and into tem-porary office space,” notes Russ, “but I am thrilled at how well the Community has responded and our staff have adapted.

“As shown elsewhere in this publica-tion, the number of events that we have held has increased; attendance at these functions has been at all-time highs; and the cooperation we have received

from constituent organizations that have opened their doors and graciously wel-comed the Community into their facili-ties for Federation-sponsored events is heart-warming. From my perspective, says Russ, we all seem to be pulling in the right direction.”

Betty Koss, Office Manager

Betty has capably and efficiently looked after the financial records of Federation, the JCC, and our Charitable Foundation for over 15 years. She looks after many other duties including compliance with government agencies, human resource issues, and the preparation of budgets, tax receipts and monthly financial reports. During our current hiatus without a JCC, Betty’s workload has dropped off somewhat, enabling her to cut back on her hours. She welcomes any questions regarding UJA or tax receipts at any time and cheerfully provides invaluable sup-port in so many ways.

Daniel Larson, Director of Communications

Daniel is the new-est member of our staff, having joined Federation in August of 2012. With his Arts background, he has proven to be invaluable in provid-ing guidance and support to both the Festival Hatzafon committee and to the Film Festival. In addition, though, Daniel looks after much of the behind-the-scenes

work that supports our annual United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaign that is so important to the work that we do here and in Israel.

In the next school year, Daniel will also be providing support to our Hillel campus organization. Daniel is the staff person responsible for this HaKol news-letter; Daniel also plays a supporting role with various other Federation commit-tees and events.

Joey Tappenden, Director of Community Relations

In the just over two years that Joey has been part of our Staff, this “gentle giant” has played a major role in so many areas. Joey’s major responsibility has been the support of most of our campus and advocacy work. He has developed lasting relationships with university and college students as well as being instrumental in opening many doors with faculty and administration.

In addition, Joey has capably taken on the stewardship of our entire Israel Pavilion at the Heritage Festival and has worked with a great volunteer team to re-design our space and re-launch our brand. We think the results are wonderful and will only get better.

Building on the wonderful job that Joey has done with our March of the Living youth, Joey will soon assume the position of Edmonton City Supervisor with BBYO, a program that now falls under the Federation umbrella.

This fall, Joey will be going back to university as a part-time student to finish

MEET YOUR FEDERATION STAFF… HARD AT WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY



off his degree. He will temporarily pass off the campus work and his e-weekly editor position to his colleagues. We wish him much success as he completes his studies.

Dani Uretsky, Director of Programming

Dani has been a member of Federation staff for just over four years. Prior to the sale of the old JCC, Dani primarily was respon-sible for youth programming including day camp and after school care as well as the coordination of classes that were held in that facility. Once Federation relocated temporarily to office space, Dani’s role changed to now emphasize Holocaust Education, events surround-ing festivals such as Yom Ha’atzmaut and the preparation and distribution of our weekly electronic communication items. In addition, Dani is also the staff person assigned to look after the PJ Library program.

Dani is married to Jason, a school teacher and they have one daughter, Iyla.

A dedicated group of vol-unteers, led by com-

mittee chair Reeva Parker, worked for several years to determine if the former JCC building and lands could be adapted to better serve the needs of the Edmonton Jew-ish Community. Once it was agreed that the site was no longer viable, the Federa-tion sought the approval of the community membership to sell the JCC.

Almost exactly a year ago, a sale of the JCC lands was completed and the Federation staff, along with all of the local agencies that were housed in the JCC, relocated to office space further up 156 Street. Their work concluded, Reeva and her committee wrapped up their activities so that a new group could take us to the next phase of com-munity facility planning.

Federation President Stephanie Hendin met with key advisors and decided that a new committee, charged with the responsibility to review com-munity facility needs and wants and recommend next steps, would be led by Marshall Shoctor, a Past President of Federation.

Marshall agreed to take on this critical task and selected his committee membership to include a cross-section of our community’s demographics and provide specific skills and experience. In addition to Marshall, the committee members are Shane Asbell, Ellery Lew, Sharon Marcus, Clive Oshry, Elaine Romanovsky and Chloe Soibelman. Stephanie Hendin is an ex-officio mem-ber as Federation President, and CEO

Russ Joseph provides staff support to the committee.

The committee began its work by drafting its own terms of reference, which were then vetted by the Federation Executive and subsequently approved by the full Federation Board.

The committee is now reviewing the past commun-ity research and analysis that was completed, determining its relevance, meeting with

multiple stakeholders, and establish-ing a process for fulfilling its terms of reference.

The committee intends to present recommendations to the Federation Board in 2014 for a course of action that will serve the community-wide facility needs of our diverse population without burdening future generations with a facility that becomes financially unsustainable.

With the assistance of an independ-ent, professional consultant who is generously volunteering his time, the committee met on August 27th to develop an action plan. At the end of the session, with unanimity that the committee activities will be transpar-ent, accountable and inclusive, it was agreed that a process will be put in place this fall to gather input from as many members of the community as possible regarding the future of a home for the community.

If you have any input for the com-mittee in advance, please email your comments to: [email protected] and mark them, “Facility” or else call 780-487-0585, extension 203.

Community Facility Utilization Committee

Marshall Shoctor, Community Facility Committee Chair

continued from page 5

Holocaust Studies

Newseum. It was one of my favourites from the entire trip. It was filled with so many articles, and news reports, it was hard to take all of it in. Every floor was different, but they were all interesting and caught your attention.

Then, after all the things we experienced on our trip, it was over. It truly was an amazing trip, and I am truly grateful I went on it. My eyes are more open to all the times that human rights have been breached. All the hours we spent volunteering, and learn-ing, were worth the several days we spent. It was an unforgettable experience, and I have many great memories from my trip.

mailto:[email protected]



On Thursday November 8th, in the aftermath of a major winter storm,

over 200 members of our Community came together at the Beth Shalom Synagogue to commemorate the 74th anniversary of Kristallnacht – The Night of Broken Glass.

We had the pleasure of hosting Holocaust Survivor Eva Kor. Mrs. Kor came to us from Terre Haute, Indiana where, in 1984, she founded the organ-ization known as CANDLES (an acro-nym for “Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors”). Through this group, she has been able to locate 122 other living Mengele twins, as the survivors of the experi-mentations came to be known.

Eva and her twin sister Miriam were subjected to human experimentation under Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. Both her parents and two older sisters were killed at the camp; only she and Miriam survived. Kor branched out and opened the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in 1995 to educate the public about eugenics, the Holocaust, and the power of for-giveness.

Eva is a very prolific speaker. She looks at being a Holocaust Survivor from a different angle. Instead of act-ing like a victim and keeping things to herself, Eva realized that in order for her to heal and to share her story, she needed to forgive what was done to her and her sister. Ultimately she has been able to forgive the perpetrators. Eva had our Community captivated

Eva Kor spoke at the Beth Shalom Synagogue for the

Kristallnacht commemoration ceremony

Edmonton BBYO members stand as honour guard at the cenotaph at the Edmonton Jewish Cemetery for Remembrance Day, November 11, 2012.

KristallnachtA Survivor’s Story

with her story of survival, life after the Holocaust, and her life today. Mrs. Kor was also able to speak that day to a group of 100 students at Queen Elizabeth High School, they too were captivated by her story.

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton would like to thank Sol Rolingher for bringing Eva’s story to our atten-tion and the Holocaust Education Committee for their tireless work in bringing Holocaust Education and Human Rights Education to our City. We would also like to acknowledge the generous donation from the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation that provides financial support for this important work.



Dr. Jonathan Fine visits EdmontonOn Thursday, January 24th, our Com-

munity was honoured by the presence of a very special guest speaker— Dr. Jona-than Fine.

A renowned professor of counter-terror-ism studies at the IDC (the Interdisciplinary Centre) in Herzliya, Israel, Dr. Fine’s visit was facilitated by The Jewish Federation of Edmonton and The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

Dr. Fine is the undergraduate advis-or of both the International Program in Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy at the Raphael Recanati International School and the Lauder Government School at the IDC and a fellow researcher at the ICT (The International Institute for Counter Terrorism). He has also often

lectured to elite IDF units and training courses such as: naval officers and navy Seals, air force pilot courses, the IDF Tactical Command College, and both IDF Paratrooper and Golani brigades.

Over 50 members of our Community, as well as representatives from the law enforcement and intelligence communities gathered in the Lower Auditorium of the Beth Shalom Synagogue to hear Dr. Fine give a presentation entitled, “Holy War in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – a Comparative Analysis: Past & Present”.

In his talk, Dr. Fine spoke about reli-giously-driven violence in many parts of the world, the varied forms it may take, and the challenges faced by civil society in addressing these challenges. He par-

ticularly focused on challenges faced by Israel, with regards to religious radicalism in those countries that neighbor Israel. He finished his presentation with multimedia clips of different groups engaging in reli-gious violence.

The presentation was very informative and educational and was well-received by those in attendance, and Dr. Fine was happy to respond to questions posed to him by attendees.

While only in town for the day, Dr. Fine said he would be more than happy to return to Edmonton in the future to speak and we look forward to hosting him again!

The Jewish Federation of Edmonton and CIJA thank Beth Shalom Synagogue for usage of the venue.

The Edmonton Jewish Commun-ity Charitable Foundation (EJCCF)

helps members of our Community sup-port Jewish causes that are important to them. We provide resources to make the Community’s vision a reality, working in partnership with our donors, and striving to ensure the long-term financial secur-ity of the Jewish community.

You don’t need to be wealthy or change your lifestyle to participate. Your gift can be made with:

An outright gift of cash or appreci-•ated assets like stocks, bonds or life insurance policies.A bequest in your will. This is the •easiest way to make a gift. You simply state in your will a dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to be used for an endow-ment.A gift of a new or existing life •insurance policy. By naming the Foundation owner and beneficiary, you may be able to deduct the pre-

Leave a Jewish Legacy

The Jewish Drop-In Centre and Jewish Family Services Edmonton were two of the recipients of Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable Foundation 2013 grants.

miums from your taxes.Pension Plans are subject to signifi-•cant tax liability, making them ideal instruments to use, in whole or in part, to create a fund naming the Foundation as the beneficiary.A Charitable Remainder Trust or •Charitable Gift Annuity provides you with income during your life-time and thereafter, the remainder is used to create the endowment.

For the plan best suited to your per-sonal situation and charitable objectives we recommend that you consult with

your legal and financial counsel and with the Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable Foundation. For further information, email [email protected] or call 780-487-0585, extension 203 and one of the Foundation staff or board will answer your questions.

A planned gift to the Jewish com-munity ensures the perpetuation of your family name. No matter where or when in the future, you can be there to help.

As is says in the Talmud, “As my father planted before I was born, so do I plant for those who will come after me”.

mailto:[email protected]



Members of the Aviv Israeli Folk Dance Association perform as part of Festival Hatzafon, at the ATB Financial Arts Barns, March 2013.

Notice of ANNuAl GeNerAl MeetiNGNotice is hereby given, in accordance with

Article VI, Part D (3) of the Bylaws, that the

Annual General Meeting ofthe Jewish federAtioN of edMoNtoN,

the edMoNtoN Jewish Youth ceNtre and,the Jewish coMMuNitY ceNtre of edMoNtoN

As well as the edMoNtoN Jewish coMMuNitY chAritAble fouNdAtioN

Will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 At 7:00pm in the Lower Auditorium of the

Beth Shalom Synagogue11916 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton.

In addition to reporting to the Community, an election will be heldto fill vacancies on the Board of Directors. Any member who wouldlike to submit his or her name in writing for consideration by theNominating Committee to stand for election has 14 days to do so.

Mail to: #200, 10220-156 Street, Edmonton, AB., T5P-2R1

The Servus Heritage Festival is one of the most important outreach oppor-

tunities for the Edmonton Jewish Com-munity. This year was no different, as thousands of people visited the Israel pavilion at the Festival on August 4th and 5th.

The culmination of many months of hard work from volunteers and staff, the Israel pavilion celebrated Israeli and Jewish culture, while educating the broader public too! Visitors had opportun-ities to take in cultural displays, includ-ing performances of classical and modern Israeli dance from the Aviv Dancers, as well as visual exhibits in the cultural tent that showed off many aspects of Israeli culture and history.

These included a recreated Israeli marketplace with sights, smells and sounds, as well as an oasis in the Negev desert. All that walking around Hawrelak Park can make anyone hungry; luckily the Israeli pavilion had a wide selection of delicious foods to snack on, including fala-fel, latkes, rugelach and for the very first time, deep-fried pickles! Special thanks go out to Pavillion Chair Christina Reboh and Federation staff Joey Tappenden and Dani Uretsky.

Heritage Days



Yom Hashoah 2013Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remem-

brance Day, was commemorated on the grounds of the Provincial Legisla-ture on a cold, blustery day this past April. Despite the inclement weather, a very large crowd turned up, aided, in part, by the Committee’s decision to provide bus transportation to the site from several points of origin. Our Dep-uty Premier and the Mayor made brief remarks and the Talmud Torah Choir sang several songs. They were joined by several of Edmonton’s rabbis and others who gave readings. The high-light, as always, was the lighting of six candles by our survivors.

Please mark your calendars for Monday, April 28, 2014 at 12 noon when we will once again gather to remember (zachor).

one-on-one relationship between donor and canvasser. We agree.

We have been fortunate that, as a result of the collective generosity of the community, total pledges have remained just above the $1,000,000 mark now for the past three years.

The list of donors to last year’s campaign appears in this publication. However, as we well know, as costs go up, buying power goes down, and therefore to do the same amount of work that we did some years ago requires MORE money. The need continues to be acute… more seniors require our help, more children need education and a camp experience, and the list goes on and on. We hope that you will take that into account when your

continued from page 2

Message from Co-chairs

canvasser calls and give a little more to help us hit our goal of $1,200,000!

Finally, we hope you will mark your calendars for Sunday, September 15th when we are presenting a special event at 7pm at the Provincial Museum. We are calling the evening, “The Neutral Zone”, and we will have, as our guest speaker, Michael Farber from TSN Sports.

Mr. Farber, in addition to being on-air every week, has recently directed and narrated a documentary which takes a fascinating look at hockey in Israel. The evening promises to be a fun one and will conclude with light refreshments. There is no charge… it is brought to you by Your UJA and there will be no solicitation. We hope to see you there.

vo l u m e shalom! - fedweb-assets.s3. · pdf file2 hakol september 2013 uja c a mp a gi n...

Documents