TORONTO — There’s no need to man the ramparts, a new wave of antisemitism in not about to descend on Canadian society. Nevertheless, reports from Germany naming 74 individuals linked to neo-Nazi and white supremacist websites should alert Canadians to the fact that the “classical” antisemitic attitudes have not been vanquished. Read More »
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The Canadian Jewish News 
David Broza evokes nostalgia and yearning
נוסטלגיה וגעגועים דייויד ברוזה הצליח לפרוט על מיתרי הרגש של הישראלים יוסי טסטסה מיוחד עבור העיתון היהודי-קנדי יום חמישי ה 26- בינואר היה עוד יום חורפי באיזור טורונטו רבתי. יציאה שגרתית לעבודה, השארת הילדים במסגרות החינוך ולבסוף סידורים נוספים של אחר הצהריים בקור הקנדי המקפיא. אולם לא היה זה יום רגיל כהרגלו. Read More »
Torontonians mix it up to aid victims of terror
Pam Foreht and Samantha Margolis TORONTO — Almost 200 people gathered recently at One Family Fund’s first annual Mix It Up at Brassaii Restaurant and Lounge on King Street West in Toronto. The Jan. Read More »
Concert to feature ‘world’s greatest cantors’
Cantor Eric Moses TORONTO — Last July, Cantor Eric Moses of Toronto’s Beth Sholom Synagogue was sitting with colleagues Sol Zim and Yaakov Motzen over a late-night shwarma dinner in Manchester, England, where they were attending a cantors’ convention. Read More »
Exciting new discoveries
Recently, two important discoveries pertaining to Jews and ancient Israel were announced. One involved a cache of Jewish documents around 1,000 years old that were found in a cave in Afghanistan. The other discovery takes us much further back in time to the first use of the word “Israel” outside of the Bible. Read More »
Pénétrer dans le Monde de la Kabbale
Le Rabbin Raphaël Afilalo Le Rabbin Raphaël Afilalo a lancé récemment à la Maison de la Culture sépharade de la Communauté sépharade unifiée du Québec deux nouveaux livres sur la Kabbale: Dictionnaire de Kabbalah et Concepts de Kabbalah, publiés aux Éditions Kabbalah. Read More »
Tennis Canada hires Israeli to develop players
Oded Jacob MIAMI — Tennis Canada hired top Israeli coach Oded Jacob recently to head its junior development group in British Columbia “We are fortunate to have hired one of the best coaches in the world to identify talented youngsters in tennis,” said Ryan Clark, chief executive of Tennis BC, who selected Jacob over other top candidate. Read More »
Be a humanitarian matchmaker
The Vietnam War came into our homes in the 1960s and ’70s through the nightly news and newspaper headlines. We learned that three million Americans served in the war, 58,220 soldiers were killed and 150,000 were wounded. Read More »
How proud we are
Without doubt, the simultaneous visit last week to Israel by Foreign Minister John Baird and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was one of the most memorable demonstrations of alliance with and support for the Jewish state by a Canadian government in recent history. Read More »
Chabad centre eyes increased security
Rabbi Meir Kaplan VANCOUVER — In the wake of recent antisemitic incidents in Victoria, B.C., one Jewish institution in the city is hoping to beef up its security measures. Read More »
Haredi leaders must speak out against zealots
The recent violence in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighbourhood has led me to speak out against the so-called “Sikrikim” in the harshest possible terms, equating their actions to terrorism. Read More »
Fundraiser combines a passion for dance & fashion
Danielle Kagan The adage “busy people get things done” certainly applies to Danielle Kagan. Read More »
What’s New: Week of Feb. 9
Deadline reminder: Feb. 13 is the deadline for the issue of Feb. 23. Feb. 17 is the deadline for the issue of March 1. Phone 416-391-1836, ext. 269; e-mail whatsnewcjn@gmail.com , or fax 416-391-0829. Thursday, Feb. Read More »
Actor Baruchel credits ‘stage mom’ for success
MONTREAL — He was the scrawny kid aspiring to a boxing career in the Best Picture Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby. He starred alongside Nicolas Cage in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and had the lead role in the acclaimed Canadian movie The Trotsky. Read More »
Yeshiva University trip focuses on social justice
Montrealer Gershon Albert, at right, speaks with two participants during Yeshiva University’s Tzedek v’Tzedaka mission to Israel. Read More »
Family business turned into an entertainment empire
Howard Pechet with his Guiness Award Soon after graduating with a master’s of arts degree from Washington State University, Howard Pechet joined his family’s hotel business, eventually turning it into an entertainment empire. Read More »
Egypt’s ‘economic woes’ distract from religious extremist reality
Seth J. Frantzman As the one-year anniversary of Egypt’s Tahrir Square uprising came and went, many commentators felt obliged to wax positive about the revolution in the country. The analysts didn’t want to appear to be cynical on hopes that Egypt will emerge as a wonderful beacon of democracy in the Middle East. Read More »
Baird, Flaherty celebrate Canada-Israel friendship
John Baird lays a wreath at Yad Vashem JERUSALEM — It was an evening of mutual gratitude. At a gala reception held on Feb. 1, visiting Canadian parliamentarians spoke of Canada’s passionate bond with this little nation in the Middle East, while their Israeli hosts reiterated appreciation for Canada’s strong support. Read More »
Canada looks to strengthen trade with Israel
Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu JERUSALEM — Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty met with members of Israel’s financial community and representatives from Israel’s high-tech sector during his visit to Israel last week. Read More »
Israeli quartet gives lesson in improvised jazz
Ori Dakari performs at Trane Studio. Toronto’s Trane Studio was packed recently when the Ori Dakari Quartet made their way onto the stage, to play the first show of a scheduled three-city Canadian tour, with stops in Edmonton and Calgary. Read More »
Shabbat dinner and ski biking in Steamboat Springs
Getting ready to ski bike. It’s Friday night in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and I’m feeling grateful as I open the doors of the Anglican United Church, clutching a chocolate cake. It’s not hymns I’ve come for but a potluck Shabbat dinner with some of the members of Har Mishpacha, the Jewish community of Steamboat. Read More »
Group decries ‘veiled threats’ against Jews
HAMILTON — A lecture at McMaster University by pro-Iranian, anti-Israel speaker Zafar Bangash late last month contained “veiled threats” against Jews, said Avi Benlolo, president and CEO of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. Read More »
Survivor of 9-11 no longer lives to work
OTTAWA — Esti Fogel was once ill and housebound, relying on the goodness of family and friends to help her with basic needs such as meals and child care. Once recovered, she resolved to “pay it forward” and help others whenever possible. Read More »
Shoah studies program seeks master’s students
Arieh Kochavi The hope for the University of Haifa’s new Holocaust studies graduate program – the first of its kind in Israel – is that it will address the declining number of young students who choose to pursue an academic career in the field. Read More »
Judges discuss comparative law
Federal Court justice Roger Hughes, left, Supreme Court justice Marshall Rothstein and Rabbi Berel Bell of the Montreal Beth Din take part in a symposium on intellectual property. MONTREAL — Even a Supreme Court justice, it seems, can benefit from the wisdom of the Talmud. Read More »
Young adults get set to gather in Vegas
Former Saturday Night Live cast member and comedian Rachel Dratch to appear at Tribefest In just its second year, TribeFest, “a celebration” of Jewish culture for young North American Jews, is on pace to attract a capacity crowd of 1,800 people to its three-day event in Las Vegas next month. Read More »
Orthodox rabbi decries haredi extremism
Rabbi Jacob Schacter TORONTO — Almost 40 years after being ordained by a haredi yeshiva, a leading modern Orthodox rabbi says he is still very much in contact with the haredi world and that recent reports of marginalization of women by that community Read More »
Winter is an enriching time in South Florida
Broward Center for the Performing Arts Nothing will enhance a destination of sun, sand and sea as much as a wide array of theatre, music, exhibits, films and other arts. Read More »
It’s a new year for trees – enjoy your fruits and nuts
Feb. 7, the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar, it’s time to celebrate Tu b’Shvat, New Year of the Trees. On Tu b’Shvat, it is customary to eat fruits and nuts, especially those that are associated with Israel. I have several Israeli friends who eat carob on Tu b’Shvat and some will eat some form of etrog, either candied or as preserves. Read More »
Project recalls 1939 tragedy of MS St. Louis
Herbert Karliner and Michoel Muchnik in front of Muchnik’s mural. OTTAWA — The tragic fate of a ship carrying Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany was recalled Jan. 25 at the launch of the MS St. Louis Commemorative Project, which features a new children’s book and a mural depicting the ill-fated ship and its passengers. Read More »
The Street Sweeper is a very inspiring read
There’s a scene in The Street Sweeper (Doubleday Canada) where a black oncologist, a white Jewish historian and a skinny, black street sweeper carrying a menorah are engaged in conversation about a Holocaust survivor. Read More »
Actor Baruchel credits ‘stage mom’ for success
Actor Jay Baruchel and his sister, Taylor, right, joined their mother, Robyne, for the launch of her book, The Stage Parent Survival Guide: Second Edition. MONTREAL — He was the scrawny kid aspiring to a boxing career in the Best Picture Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby. Read More »
New rabbinical book called ‘heretical’
A prominent Chabad Lubavitch rabbi in Toronto has condemned the latest book by celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and pronounced that it’s “forbidden” for anyone to buy or read it. In an open letter published on the Jewish news website the Algemeiner, Rabbi Immanuel Schochet denounced Rabbi Boteach’s book, Kosher Jesus, as “heretical. Read More »
My road to recovery (Part 2)
I repeatedly asked my physiotherapist to treat my leg, but he refused, telling me my back was causing issues in my leg, not the other way around. I continued to get worse. Then my MRI results came in. It showed re-herniation of the L5 disc, right side. I had to see a surgeon. I told my doctor that I wasn’t having another back surgery. Read More »
Islamic tide washes over Egypt
For as long as he was Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak never tired of telling foreign visitors that he was a force for stability and that Islamic fundamentalists would be the chief beneficiaries were he to be violently overthrown. In hindsight, he was right. Read More »
Why I stopped kvetching and learned to love FB
I’m a new convert. I’m a “Facebook by choice” user. I’m going to learn Twitter next week. I’ve started a blog. What the heck happened to me? For many years, I sarcastically dismissed social media, and everything I hated about it is still true: it can be a colossal time-waster – inane, narcissistic, prying and all-encompassing. Read More »
Students asked to ‘draw Jewish music’ for art contest
TORONTO — Students in grades 1 through 12 are being asked to “draw Jewish music” for an art contest that is part of Jewish Music Week in Toronto: From Bible to Broadway. The weeklong festival, now in its second year, will run from June 3 to 10. The contest deadline is March 15. Read More »
They taught a lesson to all
A few weeks ago I lost one of my teachers when the wonderful Eliza Shawn passed away. This woman, the first sisterhood president of my synagogue, was married to the late Edward Shawn, a founder and first president of the kehila. This eshet chayil was so happy, so positive and so active until the very end. Read More »
Working up a sweat in Israel
If you have a love of the outdoors, want to experience Israel from a different perspective and don’t particularly like riding around in tour buses with tinted windows, there’s a tour waiting for you. Especially if you’re not afraid of working up a sweat. Read More »
Canadian screenwriter’s film is an Oscar contender
David Shamoon The most glittering event in Hollywood’s crowded calendar, the annual Academy Awards ceremony, takes place on Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Read More »
JPL’s Yiddish audio collection to go digital
David Shlitt, a fellow of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass., examines a tape in the Jewish Public Library archives. MONTREAL — Thousands of hours of Yiddish audio books and literary programming taped at the Jewish Public Library (JPL) from at least the early 1950s are about to enter the digital age. Read More »
Student points his lens at photojournalism in Israel
Ruben Salvadori Ruben Salvadori started taking photographs about four years ago as a way to understand culture and human behaviour. Now, the 22-year-old Italian Jewish student is an award-winning photographer. Read More »
Spiritual journey of a Jewish-born Muslim ideologue
Maryam Jameelah is renowned as well as revered in conservative and radical Muslim circles. A fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy, she hates Israel, rejects secularism and modernism and believes that western civilization and Islamic civilization are implacably irreconcilable. Read More »
What’s New: Week of Feb. 2
Deadline reminder: Feb. 6 is the deadline for the issue of Feb. 16. Feb. 13 is the deadline for the issue of Feb. 23. Phone 416-391-1836, ext. 269; e-mail whatsnewcjn@gmail.com , or fax 416-391-0829. Thursday, Feb. Read More »
What we choose to make of memory
Within the span of a day in New York, I paid respects at two memory sites. They commemorated two different sets of events, separated by more than half a century, each murderous and horrifying. Each struggled with what it means to remember – that is, with the ethical obligation of the rememberer. Read More »
Mémoires et Dialogue entre Juifs et Musulmans
Amine Dabchy, Coprésident de l’Association Mémoires & Dialogue, qui prône le rapprochement entre Juifs et Musulmans, et Katia Dahan, membre du Conseil d’Administration de cette nouvelle Association judéo-arabe. Read More »
‘Isn’t that special?’
I mentioned to my friend Menachem that I always figured I would do something special with my life. He replied that everyone feels that way. I didn’t know if he was right, so I started asking around. Read More »
Campus play funny, yet thought provoking
Ron Jones, left and Larry Jay Tish TORONTO — Through jokes, props, costumes and videos, Ron Jones and Larry Jay Tish, creators of a show called Black-Jew Dialogues, aim at shedding light on the shared histories of American blacks and Jews. “You don’t lose part of your own heritage by learning more about another,” says Jones. Read More »
An icon of American literature
J.D. Salinger’s quasi-autobiographical novel about teenage angst and adolescent alienation, The Catcher in the Rye, is a classic of American literature. Written as a series of short stories when he served as a soldier in the U.S. army during World War II, the book was published on July 16, 1951, to mixed reviews. Read More »
Physician is part Jewish mystic, part gynecologist
Dr. Alvin Pettle TORONTO — In 1994, Dr. Alvin Pettle began to learn to disentangle himself from ego – no small feat for anyone, let alone a popular, in-demand physician. He’s part Jewish mystic, part gynecologist, and all soul. Read More »
Israeli singer dedicated to keeping Ladino alive
Yasmin Levy TORONTO — Israeli songstress Yasmin Levy is dedicated to keeping Ladino alive. “It’s my life mission,” she said in an interview from her home in Israel last week. Levy, an international star who promotes Ladino through her concerts, will perform in Toronto on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. Read More »
Fearing those who fear God
חרדה מהחרדים ייתכן ועל מדינת ישראל לאמץ את גישת הניכר יוסי טסטסה מיוחד עבור העיתון היהודי-קנדי מתברר שנושא הדרת הנשים משטחים ציבוריים הינו רק קצה הקרחון של בעיה הרבה יותר גדולה והרבה יותר מורכבת לפיתרון. Read More »
Overheard in Starbucks
I was at the local Starbucks the other day. A mother was there with three kids. While she was ordering and paying, her youngest child picked up a sandwich. The mother’s hands were full, and she didn’t notice until she had finished paying and was walking away. Read More »
Survivor, 88, raises funds for monument at massacre site
Mila Mesner is assisted as she steps down from the monument commemorating the murdered Jews of Zaleszczyki, a mass grave previously unmarked. Her husband, Izio, is behind her. MONTREAL — Mila Sandberg Mesner of Montreal, who lost relatives, friends and neighbours that Nov. Read More »
About Town: Week of Feb. 2
Friday, Feb. 3 FIVE BUCK SHABBAT A complete Shabbat dinner for only $5 follows “family friendly” 5: 45 p.m. services at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom that include a Shabbat Shira concert with the Torah School’s ShabbaTones. Reservations required. Call 514-937-3575, ext. 213. Read More »
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