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BUYcott Lavan
Last Sunday, local Boycott, Divestiture, and Sanctions (BDS) activists targeted a small local business that carries Israeli products. You can see the type of tactics these groups use by watching their YouTube video. Watching the video, you can imagine both the reaction of those working in the shop, and also the impact on other local businesses affected by the disruption. The equation of Israel with the former apartheid state of South Africa is at the core of the BDS strategy and belies the complex reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Are there real issues to solve? Of course. Is Israel an apartheid state? No.

To show community support and communicate a clear message that businesses which carry Israeli products must not be intimidated, the next two Sundays have been set aside for a community BUYcott. Feel free to forward the link to others who may be interested.

Public Speaking Contest
On Tuesday, more than 110 of our community's grades 4-7 students competed in the very successful 24th Annual Public Speaking Contest at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCCGV). The contest, presented by Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and State of Israel Bonds, and supported by the JCCGV, gave each participant a chance to shine in front of peers, family members and friends. Many thanks to chair Larry Barzelai, project manager Samara Bordan, and the dedicated team of volunteer judges and moderators. With over 250 people gathering in the Wosk Auditorium to hear the final results, the ruach of the students was incredible. Mazel tov to all who participated!

King David High School Recruitment in Process
King David High School continues to grow in its ability to provide a high quality value based Jewish education to high school students in our community. So often when we think of our schools, we imagine them uni-dimensionally, focusing on classroom education, which is, of course, the core of the experience. But, a successful Jewish high school strives to meet its students on all levels of interest and engagement, and King David is no exception. The compilation of images in the video from the first half of this school year captures this beautifully. For more information visit King David High School’s website.

Sharansky on Recent “Beit Shemesh” Flashpoint in Israeli Society
One of the more thoughtful pieces I have seen reflecting on the growing tensions in Israeli society between ultra-Orthodox extremists and others comes from Natan Sharansky, an extraordinary Jewish leader and current chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. As with many issues related to Israel, a simplistic scan doesn’t suffice; things are far more complex and nuanced than quick sound bites allow. Sharansky is one of the deepest thinkers in contemporary Jewish life – it is worth taking a few minutes to read his view on the subject.

Parashat Mishpatim
This week's parasha, coming just after the one in which we receive the ten commandments, includes the enumeration of many laws. Many reflect a rationale framework for the ordering of a just society, dealing with relationships among people, adjudication of property disputes, and other such issues. Some relate to how we take care of the poor and the widowed or others in need in our community, and are at the heart of the charitable institutions that are part of our community today. For example, the Hebrew Free Loan Association, an organization in our community that provides interest free loans to community members with varied needs, draws its inspiration from verse Exodus 22:24, which speaks about not charging interest on loans made to fellow Jews.

Others don't seem to have such rationale underpinnings. Over the years our rabbis have provided interpretations that reinforce religious faith, such as the reasons for the system of kashrut that flows from the precept that we should not boil a kid in its mother's milk (Exodus 23:16).

The complex interweaving of a rationale and just basis for society with elements of faith based precepts and practices is fundamental to the unique religious culture that binds us together.

Shabbat Shalom!