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Attending a seder is one of the most widely practiced observances. In 2009 we conducted a survey of community attitudes and levels of observance, and attendance at at least one seder dominated the list of observances across all age ranges. A 2013 Pew study of American Jewry showed a similar result: 70% of respondents attended a Passover seder in the previous year, which is more than kept a kosher home or lit Shabbat candles. But the percentages and comparisons aren’t the point. Attending a seder can be a jumping-off point to build our connections throughout the year.

With much of the focus of Passover on teaching our children, we thought this would be a great time to remind you about our supplementary Jewish education survey. If you have children in the public school system or if you do not see existing supplementary programs as the right fit for your family, I encourage you to complete this survey. Our Jewish Education Task Force recommended a multi-pronged strategy to nurture innovation, and to support new options and better support existing options for supplemental Jewish education. Through the survey you can make your opinion known about the kinds of programs you’d like to see. Whether or not the survey applies to you, I encourage you to play a little Jewish geography and send the link to your friends and family. We need to collect about 50 more responses before we have a critical mass.

Another area where we are exploring innovative ways of meeting community needs is with the Food Security Task Force that we lead jointly with Jewish Family Services (JFS). This includes looking at new delivery models that could reach members of the Jewish community who live outside of Vancouver, which would complement existing programs such as the Jewish Food Bank that is run by JFS. People who are food insecure do not know where their next meal will come from. This is an enormous issue for the 16% of community members who live in poverty, including the working poor. At our seders we open the door and invite all who are hungry to come and eat. Karen James, our Board chair, had the privilege of speaking about food security at the adults’ Passover seder at Beth Israel, and to highlight the important work being done throughout the community.

Also at Beth Israel on the second night was the sold-out young families seder that was co-sponsored by PJ Library, and which Rachel and I attended with our boys. We hosted our own seder the night before, and it turned out to be a difficult night, because that was when we received the news of Sam Belzberg’s z”l passing.

Sam had a remarkable effect on the world around him. We were extremely fortunate that he was such a committed supporter of our Federation, and indeed of many organizations across the Jewish community. He had a youthful energy about him, and he was always open to having a conversation about any new idea I brought him. He and Fran were always a team, and their impact on our community is significant and will last for generations. The same can be said of the impact they have had on our province and our city.  

Sam also had a positive effect on the people around him. One of the guests we hosted at our seder was a woman named Susan who has worked as Sam’s assistant for the past several years. When we talked earlier that day I asked what we could do for her, and she said that she thought Sam would want her to go to a seder that night. Susan isn’t Jewish, but she knows how deeply Sam cared about community and she thought he would want her to be surrounded by our community. We were honoured to have her.

Sam’s passing leaves a void, but his love of community can inspire us to connect or reconnect with those around us. May his memory be a blessing. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Shabbat shalom and chag sameach,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver