North Star with Ellin Bessner

Congregation Shaar Hashomayim is older than Canada itself. It was founded by Jews who came from England to what is now Quebec, wanting to create their own space apart from the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. Decades after the congregation's inception in 1846, a new building was built, in 1922, in Westmount. And in a cornerstone of that building, congregants placed a time capsule—a memento of a bygone era that only now, 100 years later, is being unearthed. The synagogue's archivist, Hannah Srour-Zackon, watched as the capsule re-emerged for the first time in a century during the synagogue's weekend-long 100th-anniversary ceremony. She joins today to describe what they found, how the capsule reminds us of the rich history of the Shaar, and what its role has been in the Canadian Jewish community. What we talked about: Learn about Shaar Hashomayim's archival work Read "Deep diving into Shaar Hashomayim’s hidden history of Montreal with archivist Hannah Srour" Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

This weekend, after spending 15 years as an arts writer for The Globe and Mail, Marsha Lederman is debuting her new opinion column for the paper. The shift comes just a few months after the debut of her book, Kiss the Red Stairs, which chronicled her parents' experiences in the Holocaust and how intergenerational trauma has affected her life. Those themes have led to her having a strong reaction to Holocaust denial and antisemitism today. And while she won't reveal what she plans to write about in the paper, she knows readers will be anticipating her perspective as a Jewish Canadian with opinions about difficult subjects—including the conflict in the Middle East. Lederman, who recently contributed to The CJN Magazine, joins Ellin for an in-depth discussion about her lengthy career, how her book is educating people about the Holocaust and what her aspirations are for her new national platform. What we talked about: Visit her website at marshalederman.ca Read Lederman's piece in The CJN Magazine Subscribe the The CJN Circle Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

As Canadian Jews debate whether to head back to in-person synagogue services for the High Holidays, and parents may fret about their kids' safety at the onset of back-to-school season, security is top of mind for many. While security is not as big a concern as it is in the United States, where shooting and hostage situations in Jewish spaces have become distressingly common, for Canadian security professionals, the goal is to ensure Canada doesn't get any worse in the face of rising waves of antisemitism. The new head of community security for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Gerry Almendrades—who served in the Canadian Armed Forces with time in Afghanistan—has been holding training sessions and conducting site visits of Jewish buildings in some parts of the country. He's teaching a new security protocol, called "Run Hide Defend", which is used by police forces to educate the public about how to act in an active-shooter situation. On today's episode of The CJN Daily, Almendrades joins to discuss his advice for Canadian Jews. After that, you'll hear from Christopher Fernandes, a veteran police officer in the Toronto area: he's now the vice president of community security for the UJA in Toronto. He'll discuss what his reaction was to a protester who disrupted a major UJA fundraising event that featured speakers former U.S. President George W. Bush and former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper. What we talked about: Book security training for your organization or school Read about CIJA’s security policies Read The CJN’s story: “Public safety minister Marco Mendicino says Ottawa is considering expanded security measures for Jewish buildings” Watch video of the pro-Palestine protester at the UJA fundraiser Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

The late David Shentow once vowed he would "crawl on his hands and knees to Auschwitz" to tell his Holocaust story, as a way to counter those who deny the Nazis murdered six million Jews during the Second World War. Over the years, until his death in 2017, Shentow spoke to hundreds of schoolchildren and adults about his experiences as a teenage slave labourer under the Nazis, and also as a prisoner at both Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps. His family and supporters with March of the Living Canada hope new generations of young people can learn Shentow's message when they pass through a park in the west end of Ottawa that now bears his name. The rededication ceremony was held on Sept. 11, 2022. On today's episode of The CJN Daily, we hear from three people who knew Shentow best: his daughter Lorie Shentow in Toronto; Eli Rubenstein of Congregation Habonim in Toronto, who accompanied Shentow on multiple March of the Living trips to Poland; and Bram Bregman, an Ottawa Jewish volunteer who shepherded the park renaming campaign through City Hall. What we talked about: Read about David Shentow in The CJN archives and also here Watch David Shentow in this film by Carleton University’s Jewish studies program, meeting with Grade 10 students at Carina Wilson Secondary School Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video.

As the official mourning period continues for Queen Elizabeth II – who died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96 – the Jewish community is, mostly, remembering her long reign with fondness and admiration. She supported Holocaust survivors and welcomed Israeli leaders, and connected with the Canadian Jewish community, too: in 1973, she laid a cornerstone for Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto; and in 2010, during her last royal tour of Canada, she met the late Rabbi Reuven Bulka and Rabbi Chaim Mendelsohn in Ottawa. But despite her wide travels, the Queen never visited Israel, an unofficial boycott that still hurts. On today’s show, you’ll hear from Jews—on both sides of the pond—who reflect on their experiences with the late Queen. Brigit Grant, a British journalist with London’s _Jewish News, _discusses the Queen’s impact on her country’s Jewish community and also what kind of friend King Charles will be. Plus, in Halifax, Myra Freeman, who was the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia from 2000 to 2006, reflects on being the first Jewish woman to act as the Queen’s representative in Canada, and what her interactions with Elizabeth II were like, even mistakenly breaking Royal Protocol at Buckingham Palace. What we talked about: Read "Rabbi Bulka blesses the Queen" in The CJN archives Read "Myra Freeman: the first female, and first Jewish, lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia" in The CJN archives Visit the Jewish News at jewishnews.co.uk Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

While RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki has been in the hot seat all summer, facing an inquiry into the mass shooting that struck Nova Scotia in 2020, she's also been quietly working on another project with a huge impact on Canadian Jews. For the first time in the history of the RCMP, Jewish members and cadets will be permitted to wear a kippah while on duty. It began with a request—which was denied—from a Jewish officer in B.C. to wear the Jewish head covering. B'nai Brith's human rights arm got involved, snowballing into an official move by the federal police to match what they'd already done for turbans and hijabs: pay for the design and creation of a regulation RCMP kippah. While we won't see it for a while, in the interim, Jewish staff can bring their own. Marvin Rotrand, the director of B'nai Brith Canada's League for Human Rights, joins to discuss what went on behind the scenes of this groundbreaking move for Canada's national police. What we talked about: Read about how police forces in Ontario and Vancouver agreed to allow officers to wear kippot Read about Toronto's new antisemitism program Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

When Vancouver's current Jewish community centre opened in Oakridge in 1962, the local community numbered about 8,000. Today, Vancouver's Jewish community is the third largest in Canada and nearly twice as big as it was back then—about 14,000 people. But the JCC is used by more than just Jews, with about 40,000 regular visitors. That's why the campus is undergoing one of the most expensive renovations for a Jewish building project Canada has ever seen. With two phases costing a total of $450 million over 10 years, the new site, dubbed JWest, will eventually be home to 20 Jewish agencies, a new Holocaust education centre, a library, a performing arts theatre, a daycare and 500 affordable rental units. While various governments have so far contributed the bulk of the funds, organizers are turning to Vancouverites to pitch in the remainder, to the tune of $125 million for starters. To discuss the scope and hopes of this project, we're joined by Alex Cristall, head of the JWest campaign; Eldad Goldfarb, head of the current JCCGV; and Ezra Shanken, CEO of Vancouver's Federation. What we talked about: Watch the video announcing JWest and visit their website Read The CJN's coverage from June 2022 Join The CJN Circle Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

At 98, Alex Polowin, one of Canada's most prominent Second World War veterans, passed away at his home in Ottawa. He was the last surviving veteran of HMCS Huron, who, after the war, spoke regularly to thousands of people across Canada and Europe about his experience as a 17-year-old Jew fighting Nazis. He saw action on D-Day and served in the Soviet Union and Northern Scotland; he helped sink a German battleship; and he even charmed political leaders, including Queen Elizabeth, with his gentle humour and harmonica skills. In his twilight years, he became good friends with The CJN Daily's own Ellin Bessner. The two forged a bond, particularly during the pandemic, which isolated Polowin, alone, in his home. On today's episode, Ellin remembers Alex Polowin's life and accomplishments, and you'll hear from a few family members—as well as former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, who worked closely with Polowin, and spoke at his funeral in mid-August. What we talked about: Watch Alex Polowin play “Lili Marleen” for the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society Read "Ottawa Jewish war veteran awarded Canada’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers" Read "The Toronto Board of Rabbis calls on Benjamin’s funeral home owners to ‘uphold their sacred responsibilities’ after complaints" Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

This week, the families of the 11 Israeli athletes who were murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics have finally earned a formal apology by the German president, also reaching an agreement over compensation. The deal comes after months of some victims' family members threatening to boycott the 50th anniversary event, being held on Sept. 5 in Munich. The news is a relief for Francine Zuckerman, a Canadian filmmaker who spent years shooting a documentary about four women involved in the Munich massacre and its aftermath. Her film, After Munich, directly follows some of the women struggling to get exactly what the German government only now has offered: compensation and a formal apology. After Munich debuted in 2019, but because of the pandemic, it never got a global release. Now, on the eve of the tragedy's 50th anniversary, Zuckerman has been touring the world giving talks and screenings. She joins our show to discuss her film and the important lessons still being learned today. What we talked about: Watch _After Munich_ on CBC Gem Listen to _The CJN Daily_ episode about Laith Marouf Read The CJN's coverage of _After Munich_ from 2019 Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Fifteen years ago, Alexandre Matte was working in finance, running a Francophone cultural centre. He admits he was pretty shy. Then he joined a Toastmasters club in Sudbury and began learning how to speak more confidently in public. He ended up quitting his job to make a living as a professional storyteller and speaking coach for kids and adults. On top of this career shift, one of his goals has been to win the World Championship of Public Speaking, Toastmasters' international public-speaking contest. This month, he came as close as he's ever gotten, finishing second with a story about his grandmother's "no bake cake" and his family's traditions. Matte joins the show from his home in Sudbury to tell us more about his Jewish and Francophone roots—and how he got the idea for his prize-winning speech. What we talked about: Watch his winning speech Visit his website at alexandrematte.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.