North Star with Ellin Bessner

For decades, Jewish philanthropy has been sustained by wealthy donors who believed in supporting the community with their dollars. But some of those philanthropists worry their children and grandchildren won't feel the same commitment to supporting Jewish institutions—that's how American businessman Mike Leven felt, and it's the reason he started the Jewish Future Pledge in 2020. The initiative, inspired by Bill Gates's and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, encourages wealthy Jews to commit to giving at least half the money designated for charities in their wills to Jewish causes. Thousands of Americans have signed on, and Leven expects as much as $600 billion could soon be promised to sustain American Jewish life. But in Canada? The uptake hasn't been as swift. A small group of Canadian Jewish philanthropists recently introduced the Jewish Future Pledge north of the border, and so far, 500 people have signed on. That's no small number—but it's a far cry from organizers' expectations. They're hoping the Canadian Jewish community can pledge up to $10 billion to keep the lights on for Jewish communal institutions, ranging from Birthright trips to summer camps and Jewish advocacy. Canadian philanthropists Wendy Switzer Myles and Warren Kimmel join to discuss their reasons for signing the pledge and why they're urging others to do the same. What we talked about: Learn about the original Jewish Future Pledge Learn about the Canadian version of the Jewish Future Pledge Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

Camp Kadimah was founded in the 1940s to give Jewish kids from small, disparate Maritime communities the chance to meet each other. Its creation resulted in many lifelong friendships and even a few marriages—including the Conters, who have just sent a fourth-generation family member to the camp. On July 3, Karen Conter saw off her six-year-old grandson for his first summer at the historic Jewish summer camp. Conter attended in 1970s, even meeting her husband there; her mother and children attended as well. She believes they might be the only family in Kadimah's history to reach that milestone. This summer's camp season is historic for another reason, too: it's the first time since 2019 that the camp opened, due to the pandemic. And even still, campers will show up to find numerous anomalies: no visiting day, for example, due to COVID, and more health and safety protocols around the dining room. Members from all four generations of the Conter-Abramsky family join to talk about what the camp means to them, recall their favourite memories and explain how they feel sending Reuben off with the pandemic not quite behind us. What we talked about: Visit Camp Kadimah's website at campkadimah.com Watch The Kadimah Movie at thekadimahmovie.com Read about the 70 toppled gravestones in Winnipeg Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

El Al customers received emails this week confirming what we reported earlier: Israel's flagship carrier is halting direct service between Tel Aviv and Toronto this fall. According to the airline, it's readjusting its schedule to handle demand after COVID-19 threw the entire travel industry into turmoil. But this may not be the end of El Al in Canada. Fred Lazar is an aviation expert who teaches at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto. He has some insight into why El Al made the decision, what it means for Israeli-bound ticket fares on Air Canada (spoiler: they'll likely go up 10 to 20%), and why he believes El Al's executives will realize their error—and return next spring. None of that, however, helps those who relied on El Al for trips to the Holy Land. On today's episode, you'll also hear from affected travellers about why they preferred to fly with El Al and how this abrupt ending has thrown their travel plans into disarray. What we talked about: Read The CJN's coverage of El Al closing shop in Canada See the full list of the Order of Canada Listen to our interview with the Canadian manager and players of Israel’s national women's hockey team Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

After two years of lockdowns, Canadians are starting to head back to movie theatres with increasing frequency. For Ellis Jacob, the CEO of Cineplex, Canada's largest theatre chain, that means coming up with new ways to lure audiences into his 170 brick-and-mortar cinemas around the country. It's a challenge he's been tackling since he became president and CEO of Cineplex Galaxy back in 2003. But with streaming services now dominating the industry and some moviegoers wary of catching COVID, the battle is significantly harder. Cineplex lost $42 million in the first fiscal quarter of 2022—half of what it lost in Q1 2021, but still not ideal. To compensate, the corporation recently announced it would be adding a $1.50 surcharge to every ticket ordered online—but that caused a backlash, with many pointing out the irony that a digital ticket should cost more than a paper one. On today's episode of The CJN Daily, Jacob joins to lay out his plan for survival—and even growth—during one of the most precarious points in Canadian moviegoing history. What we talked about: Read The CJN's tribute to Frieda Wertman Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

In January 2021, Roman Baber—then a rookie Progressive Conservative MPP—was booted from caucus by Doug Ford after opposing his government's COVID-19 vaccine mandates and provincial lockdowns. Fast-forward just over a year, and Baber, who continued to sit as an independent in Ontario's legislature after that ejection, announced he would seek the leadership of the federal Conservative party. He's something of a maverick candidate. He staunchly opposes vaccine mandates, supports the trucker convoy and is one of the few Conservative politicians speaking out against Canada's strict supply management of dairy products. If elected party leader—and ultimately prime minister—he would scrap the carbon tax; fire the chief public health officer, Theresa Tam; and be the first Jewish prime minister in the country's history. In this wide-reaching interview, Baber discusses his concerns over Canada's economy, his immigrant journey moving from the former Soviet Union to Israel before settling in Canada, and whether he's afraid of suffering the same kind of antisemitism that brought down Green leader Annamie Paul. What we talked about: Visit Roman Baber's website Read The CJN's coverage of Baber's Conservative leadership announcement Read the press release about Michael Levitt meeting the Pope Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

Joseph Segal, a billionaire businessman and real estate magnate; Louise Glatt, an Ottawa-based musician and entrepreneur; Shirley Granovsky, a philanthropist in Toronto; broadcast veteran Arthur Weinthal; and Yehudi Lindeman, a Holocaust survivor who became a documentarian of his fellow survivors' stories in Montreal. These are some of the most notable Canadian Jews to pass away in the last few months. And to explain their impact, we're joined by The CJN's reporter emeritus, Ron Csillag, who joins for the second edition of The CJN Daily Dead Beat, a roundup of honourable mentions to some honourable menschen and women whom our community recently lost. Plus, Ron explains why the name "Dead Beat" isn't meant to be offensive—just a bit of journalistic jargon dating back decades in the industry. What we talked about: Read Joseph Segal's obituary Read Shirley Granovsky's obituary Read Yehudi Lindeman's obituary Listen to the first edition of The CJN Daily Dead Beat Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

Yesterday, The CJN confirmed that El Al, Israel's largest airline, will stop servicing Canada directly by the end of October 2022. The company will stop flying out of Toronto after the high holidays following a half-century of operations in the country. Many in the Canadian Jewish community were stunned, shocked and saddened by the abrupt announcement. But one man isn't letting the airline go without a fight: Asaf Halperin, a financial advisor in Toronto who launched a petition to keep El Al in Canada. His petition has racked up more than 2,000 signatures quickly, with many supporters citing security protocols, kosher food options and support for Israel as main reasons for preferring El Al to Air Canada, the only other carrier that flies directly from Toronto to Tel Aviv. Halperin joins to explain why he launched this petition and what the airline means to him personally. Plus, you'll hear from Gal Hana, the the Israeli diplomat in charge of promoting Israeli tourism in Canada, who says even he was surprised by El Al's decision. What we talked about: Sign Halperin's petition, "Keep El Al in Canada" Listen to The CJN Daily episode from June 2021, "El Al is flying to Toronto again, but are Canadians ready to travel?" Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

Last Sunday, 115 teenagers in Ottawa celebrated their b’nai mitzvah—together—in a long-awaited, pent-up party after pandemic postponements. The celebrants got to enjoy all the trimmings a pre-COVID simcha would have had, including a DJ, glow sticks, a photo booth and swag. The teens were part of a "COVID cohort" event put on by Kehillat Beth Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Ottawa, for Jewish kids from all across the city—not just their own members. The kids all had their individual coming-of-age ceremonies during the pandemic (either virtually or in virtually empty sanctuaries), making this past Sunday purely for the party. To hear about how it all went down, we're joined by organizer Ruta Fluxgold; the shul's cantor, Jason Green; 14-year-old Alivia Greenberg and her mother, Melanie Itzkovitch; 13-year-old Ravi Wolfish; Michal Jacob and her daughter, Ella Fletcher; teen Jordan Secter; and synagogue board member David Lyman. What we talked about: Visit Kehillat Beth Israel's website at kehillatbethisrael.com Watch Volodymyr Zelensky's speech to Canadian university students at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy's YouTube channel Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

Four years ago, Harley Finkelstein, the president of Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify, along with his wife, Lindsay Taub, donated half a million dollars to help open a Chabad student centre in downtown Ottawa. The gift was in thanks to an energetic rabbi who helped Finkelstein when he was a poor law student studying at the University of Ottawa. Since then, Finkelstein and his family have decided to up their pledge, adding another $1.5 million to expand and renovate the building—which now bears his name. The Finkelstein Chabad Jewish Centre is on Friel Street, just three minutes from where the city's old Jewish community centre stood for 50 years. That building closed in 1998, following the community's migration to the suburbs and away from the historic downtown. Finkelstein joins The CJN Daily to explain why he believes it's important to bring a visible Jewish presence back downtown, where tourists and locals can see it nearby Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market and the popular university campus. What we talked about: Read about Finkelstein's initial donation in 2018 Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.

For the past 20 years, Ari Sitnik has taken small acting gigs on the side in Toronto. But nothing compared to two weeks ago, when he got a call to show up at the Royal York Hotel for the top-secret filming of Drake’s new music video, “Falling Back”. The video shows a lavish wedding featuring Drake getting married to 23 Instagram models. Sitnik, as the officiant, appears right at the beginning, clad in his ultra-Orthodox outfit, asking the betrothed if they will act "according to our values and traditions." He then pronounces them "man and wives." Today on The CJN Daily, you'll meet the real Sitnik, the father of four who works as a computer specialist, who doesn't call himself "Rabbi Sitnik," who was born in Brazil before moving to Canada—and who isn't too worried about Jews criticizing his portrayal of our religion for what is currently the most popular (and controversial) music video on the internet. What we talked about: Watch the video for "Falling Back" Watch Sitnik in the "Slammin for Shabbos" video Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. 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.