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A lot of us are looking for relief from what has been a smoky week due to hundreds of forest fires across BC. Rain is a blessing, and each fall and winter that’s exactly what we pray for. It’s not often that we hope for it on a summer weekend, but this Shabbat is an exception. While rain will clear away the smoke in the literal sense, many of us are searching for a way to see beyond the smoke metaphorically.

I had one of those moments when the haze cleared a few years ago when I took part in a leadership program in LA. Along with thousands of other young Jews I would attend Friday Night Live each Shabbat. One of the highlights was meeting event co-founder and senior rabbi at Sinai Temple, Rabbi Wolpe. I remember sitting and hanging on the words that he would bring to this impressionable group of young people.

It was really exciting to watch our Federation team have a similar moment when they led a call with Rabbi Wolpe yesterday, in preparation for his participation in our FEDtalks event to kick off campaign. He talked about what Judaism gives to the world, which reminded me of what he told another Federation community recently in the context of acts of chesed: “The more Jewish you are,” he said, “the more universal you can be.” It might not hit you at first, but when you take a moment to think about it, it’s an incredibly inclusive statement about how our Jewish values connect to our human values. This is a rabbi who is known for his successful outreach efforts – Friday Night Live being just one of many. It’s what makes him such a natural fit here.

As part of our commitment to inclusiveness and honouring the diversity of our community, we recently provided a grant to East Side Jews to support their Jewish holiday programming. Their innovative approach increases accessibility to Jewish life by delivering programs to young Jewish families where they live and bringing them together around Shabbat and Jewish holidays. East Side Jews is doing a fantastic job creating meaningful connections for this vibrant segment of our community, many of whom have young children. Their monthly events are casual, approachable, and open to all. They’ve made a specific point of warmly welcoming “neighbours of all backgrounds” and interfaith families. Rabbi Carey Brown, who coordinates the program, says “East Side Jews provides authentic Jewish experiences beyond institutional walls.”

Connecting with community can be tough, especially for students who are living on their own for the first time. A campus like UBC, with 60,000 students and staff, can be a daunting experience. It is Hillel that so often provides a Jewish home away from home. And, in turn, for about 70% of Hillel students, that organization is their first contact with our Jewish community. From UBC to SFU, Langara, and Emily Carr, Hillel is making Jewish life accessible in an inclusive environment. When we talked to UBC Hillel member David Rosengarten, he put it this way: “It’s very easy to get lost (on campus) – physically and also emotionally, as well. There are a lot of things going on. It’s nice to find a home base that you can come back to. I mean, for me that’s what Hillel is.”

It’s not always easy to see through the haze. Maybe you’re a young, interfaith family looking for new and relevant pathways into Jewish life. Maybe you’re a lone freshman surrounded by tens of thousands of strangers on your first day of university. Whatever the situation, our Federation is committed to supporting programs that clear the way for everyone to see there is a place for them in our community.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver