This message has 683 words and will take about 3 minutes to read.

Purim is the kind of holiday – rich with food and wine, songs and play – that invites the telling of stories, and not only because reading the Book of Esther is commanded. The tale of Esther speaking up to King Achashverosh despite the danger of doing so, in order to save the Jewish people from extermination, is the kind of tale that can help inform how we see our own experiences.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how our work here at Federation is, in many ways, inspired by the kind of courage demonstrated by Esther and Mordechai. Indeed, every time any of us in the Jewish community shows up to an event, acts on our shared Jewish values, commits to further involvement, we’re doing our part to ensure the preservation and persistence of our people. When we emulate the courage we celebrate at Purim, we bolster our community and forge connections that make us all stronger.

And of course, one of the great joys of Purim is watching children across the community dress up in costumes and play. Our PJ Library program has been in high gear all over town, helping to engage kids, their parents and grandparents in the joys of celebrating the holiday. PJ hosted a pre-Purim Toddler Tuesday program at Vancouver Talmud Torah last week, co-hosted a Purim & Pizza program at the Louis Brier on Tuesday in cooperation with JNF and Habonim Dror, and sponsored the Toddler Room at the JCC Purim Carnival last weekend where I had a great time with my two boys. This coming Sunday, PJ will join our Connect Me In initiative at the Burquest Purim Carnival – the free event has received so many RSVPs it’s considered to be “sold out.”

Last weekend I had the pleasure of introducing Idan Raichel's performance at the Chutzpah Festival. We're so proud to be a longtime supporter of this month-long showcase of performance artists from around the world, and it was very special to have the opportunity to address our community about the living bridge that connects us with Israel.

Supporting arts and cultural events is not only a way to ensure the health of our creative sector, it also provides a point of entry into our community for people who might not yet be connected. And the dynamic range of performances featured throughout the Chutzpah Festival draws members from all walks of life to experience the warmth and vitality of the local Jewish community.

Listening to Idan's music transported me to the heart of the Holy Land, even as I sat as part of the audience in our own city. Big thanks to Mary-Louise Albert, artistic managing director of the Chutzpah Festival, for inviting me to introduce Idan.

Speaking of Israel, If'at Eilon-Heiber, director, Israel and Overseas Affairs, returned this week after a trip to our partnership region of Etzba HaGalil (the Galilee Panhandle), where she joined staff and board members of Beit Vancouver Youth Centre for a strategic planning session.

Beit Vancouver has come to play a role beyond that of a physical building housing vital social and community services benefiting a large proportion of the population in the region’s largest city, Kiryat Shmona. The centre has come to represent a model of community building, with outreach programming serving three of the five neighbourhoods in the city and expanding into the fourth. It's a model many other communities in Israel are working to emulate.

Many local donors support our work in Israel, both with capital investments and in the form of direct support for programs. Marcie Flom, executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation, joined If’at in Israel to participate in several site visits as part of Federation’s due diligence and work on the part of our donors.

It's a privilege to know our community here in the Lower Mainland is deeply involved with supporting organizations like Beit Vancouver to effect real change in our partnership region.

How could you draw from the courage of Esther and Mordechai over the coming year?

I hope you had a wonderful Purim.

Shabbat shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver