Shabbat Candlelighting 3:56 p.m. | Friday, December 12, 2014/20 Kislev 5775
 

This message has 539 words that will take about 2 to 3 minutes to read.

As I mentioned in last week’s Shabbat message, I attended the Jewish Federations of Canada Board of Governors meeting, with representatives from Vancouver, and enjoyed productive discussions on some of the issues faced by our community across the country. One of the highlights was the Dvar Torah delivered by Jonathan Berkowitz, in his inimitable style, which I promised we would share with you this week. Enjoy!

High School Debates
The High School Debates, which took place last night at King David High School, is one of the initiatives sponsored by Jewish Federation to reinforce Jewish identity, values and customs amongst our teens. More than 80 teenagers from King David High School, Pacific Torah Institute, Shalhavet and Torah High debated issues such as whether “Israel should not release prisoners as a bargaining tool in negotiations with Palestinians” and if “Canadian institutions and organizations have the right to set religious, ethical or personal standards for members”. The quality of the debates was remarkable and the list of the teams that emerged victorious can be found here.

Young Adult Hanukkah Party
This coming Thursday, Jewish Federation’s young adult initiative, Axis Vancouver, is hosting a Hanukkah party in partnership with JNFuture and community sponsors Congregation Beth Israel, Moishe House and Temple Sholom. Young professionals in their 20s and 30s are invited to celebrate Hanukkah at the Fox Cabaret with a night of music, live entertainment, food and drinks. More information about the event is available here and you can click here to purchase tickets.

Camp Shalom Winter Camp
We are pleased to support Camp Shalom’s winter day camp, in partnership with Jewish Family Services Agency and the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. All new and old campers are invited to register and enjoy an unforgettable camp experience.

Dragon Boat Israel
Prepare to paddle into history with a combined Jewish Federation and Hebrew University team at Dragon Boat Israel on the Sea of Galilee, May 28 – 29, 2015. No experience is required and participation is open to all ages. More details are available here.

Federation Annual Campaign
With gifts to date totalling $7.2 million, the Federation Annual Campaign is now 90% of the way towards achieving our $8 million goal. 25% of funds raised during the Annual Campaign go directly to providing food, shelter, medicine and other necessities to our poorest community members. As we approach the celebration of Hanukkah, think about how your gift will bring light to the lives of the 4,220 Jews in Greater Vancouver currently living below the low-income cut-off, or the 630 children living in economically disadvantaged circumstances. Be a light for those in need by making a gift to this year’s campaign.

Parshat Vayeishev

We continue to share reflections on the week’s parsha by young professionals from across North America. This week's Shabbat Message was written by Jewish Federations of North America National Young Leadership Cabinet Second-Year Class Representative Seth Wong, from Denver.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

 
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