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As I complete my first week, we resume our weekly messages from the desk of the CEO. We hope that this will offer a glimpse into the work that we have done with your help, along with the parsha of the week.

This week has seen so much good in our Jewish world with the election of a new Israeli president, Reuven Rivlin. Jewish Federation congratulates our chevre in Israel on the election of this experienced parliamentarian to the post.

Unfortunately, just hours ago we heard news of three Yeshiva teens missing in the West Bank, whom the IDF fears may have been kidnapped. We send our prayers for the speedy return of these young people and reiterate our support for Israel during this difficult time.

JHub Richmond – Serving the needs of the Richmond community

One of my first opportunities to see our community in action was at the launch of the new Richmond Community Service Hub on Wednesday, June 11. There was a wonderful mix of community members, rabbis, communal professionals and City of Richmond officials gathered together to celebrate the opening and to affix the five mezzuzot on the office doors. As Rabbi Baitelman from Chabad Richmond so eloquently explained, the mezzuzot remind us daily of our sacred responsibility to show caring and compassion for those in need and to work together as a community to promote health and well-being.

In 2011, our board approved the concept and the necessary allocation of funds required to establish the Richmond Community Service Hub. Using a shared service model, the hub provides a professional and neutral space for community professionals to bring needed Jewish social services to Richmond.

The planning committee, comprised of representatives from Beth Tikvah Congregation, Chabad of Richmond, Kehila Society of Richmond, Richmond Jewish Day School, Jewish Family Service Agency, the Jewish Community Centre, Jewish Seniors Alliance and Jewish Federation, met for almost two years to bring the concept to reality. As the planning progressed, the hub evolved from a single focus on seniors to a more broad-based community service hub that would also meet the needs of children, youth and families.

Special thanks to our partner agencies’ representatives involved on the planning committee along with the many Richmond Jewish community volunteers who gave so generously of their time and expertise.

As our Jewish community continues to grow in the Lower Mainland, I believe that JHub Richmond will serve as a model for the development and delivery of customized services for an increasingly geographically dispersed community.

Mazel Tov to 2014 Graduates

With almost one-third of our youth enrolled in Jewish day schools, graduation time is an important milestone for our community. Last night, I had the honour of attending the King David High School graduation – my first since arriving in Vancouver. I was moved by the pride and love these graduates expressed toward their teachers, their school and the Jewish community. Over the next two weeks, I will be attending the graduation ceremonies at Pacific Torah Institute, Vancouver Hebrew Academy, Richmond Jewish Day School and Vancouver Talmud Torah. I look forward to sharing this wonderful accomplishment with the graduates, their parents and friends. I also want to say mazel tov to the graduates of Shalhevet Girls High School, our newest partner agency, who had their graduation ceremony two weeks ago.

Parshat Shelach

I love when the parsha of the week reflects the experience of one’s life during that week. For someone like me, completing my first week as CEO, the story of the scouts entering a new landscape is apropos. The story tells of 12 scouts sent in to the land of Canaan to assess the viability of the land that G-d had promised the Jewish people. The reaction of the spies, as we remember, was mixed. They spoke of abundance, but also huge dangers. The enormous grapes and dates were matched by giants protecting them. Only two scouts came back and said that the land was even conquerable. One of those scouts was Joshua. Unfortunately, the two who believed in the Jewish community’s power to achieve were drowned out by the 10 others and panic spread through the population, causing G-d to decree that the people would wander in the desert for another 40 years.

My own personal scouting over these initial few days has reaped both abundance and opportunity. At Federation, we are constantly scouting new challenges and opportunities for the community. When seeing the enormity of what may be in front of us, when caring for those in need, inspiring a love for Jewish life and creating a sense of Jewish peoplehood which spans the globe (the giants that our scouts in the story saw), it is easy to say we cannot and will not conquer. However, we at Federation stand with the lone scouts who said yes.  We can because we understand that with a community united in faith, we can conquer anything.

I invite you to join me at our Annual General Meeting on June 19th at 7:30 p.m. at King David High School where we will celebrate and present awards to some of our leaders who have contributed to our ongoing success:

Alex Cristall - Lou Zimmerman Award
Mark James - Harry Woogman Award
Marcus Brandt - Young Leadership Award
Justine Levenberg - Young Leadership Award

Let us enter this new chapter for our Federation by committing ourselves to facing future giants and coming home triumphant.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver