This message has 739 words and will take about 3 to 4 minutes to read.

There was an article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently about tips for telling stories that move people to action, and it got me thinking about this being a time of year punctuated by telling the stories of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.

Our storytelling journey started last night with the 27th Annual Public Speaking Contest, in which 120 students gathered to present three-minute speeches on Jewish topics. Every child has a different comfort level presenting in front of an audience, and for many it’s their first time. Emotions can range from excitement to more than a bit of fear, but public speaking is a life skill that we must all master. Last night there were hundreds of parents giving their children words of encouragement, reassuring smiles and big hugs, and then cheering them on. Watching these scenes unfold, I thought this is what it’s all about. This is community. Right here in the hallways of the JCC. Kol hakavod to these kids for breaking out of their comfort zones, for embracing this new experience, and for speaking from the heart about Jewish topics that matter to them. You are truly the next generation of our community’s leaders.

One thing that may have gone unnoticed last night is just how broad a group of participants there was. This diversity is a testament to how our community works together to educate our children. The Public Speaking Contest was created by Larry Barzelai in memory of his late father, and for the past 27 years he has been instrumental in bringing this event to life. The Public Speaking Contest also benefits from the involvement of numerous judges who give their time that night, and the administrators and teachers at Richmond Jewish Day School, Vancouver Hebrew Academy, and Vancouver Talmud Torah, who incorporate the speeches into their curriculum. Jewish Federation and State of Israel Bonds co-present the event, with support from the Jewish Community Centre. So, not only do students and families come together, but a cross section of community organizations and educators do, too.

We’re thrilled that some of the students and their parents have shared copies of their speeches with us. Congratulations and thanks to Ava Abromowich, Riva Berger, Mendel Bitton, Sarale Bitton, Chase Dodek, Avrel Festinger, Aaron Guralnick, Ellis Jackson, Omer Murad, Zac Peter, Elliot Pollock, Shoshona Pollock, Alex Ritch, Adin Tischler, and Devorah Leah Yeshayahu for sharing these. You can read their wonderful speeches here and see a list of the winners in each category here.

Naturally, the stories that we tell are often those of our own history. And being relatively new to Vancouver I’m still learning about this city’s rich Jewish past. So, when I received an email from one of our volunteer leaders about a condo in a former synagogue downtown I was excited, and just a little confused. It turns out that our city’s first synagogue, located at 700 East Pender Street, was long ago converted into condos. Our partner, The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC has a historic photo on their website of the original Schara Tzedeck synagogue, which was completed in 1921. We’ve included a photo so you can how it looks today. If you’re interested in learning more about local Jewish history, contact The Jewish Museum and Archives about their walking tours of various Vancouver neighborhoods, including Strathcona where this building is located.

Here in the present is when we make tomorrow’s history – a point driven home by the Israeli election this week. In this election, Israeli voters considered issues familiar to many of us, such as the economy, affordable housing, and social services. Being Israel, election issues also included security and regional instability. Voter turnout was an incredible 72.3%, the highest since 1999. There will be a record number of female Members of the Knesset (28) and a 29% increase in Arab Members of the Knesset. Soon, a new government will be formed and a new chapter of Israel’s story will start to be written.

In one of the speeches last night Avrel Festinger, a grade seven student, quoted Elie Wiesel: “People become the stories they hear and the stories they tell.” She wisely remarked that “Wiesel’s words tell us that we find who we are, in the stories we tell.” In this week and this season of telling our most important stories, we couldn’t agree more.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver