The Winchevsky Centre Community Newsletter Toronto’s Secular Jewish Culture and Education Centre

March/April 2011

Programs at a Glance

New Developments Executive Report by Maxine Hermolin Winchevsky Downtown

March Sunday, March 6 10am

Homentashn Baking & Costume Making Winchevsky Centre

Saturday, March 26 11am

Purim Celebration with West PJ’s 918 Bathurst St.

Third Seyder

Celebration of Passover

May 1, 2011 4:30pm

“Honouring our Labour Roots” -order form enclosed with this issue-

CSJO Conference May 27-30 at Humber College in Toronto

*Register online*

-see article in this issue for details-

For event information call 416-789-5502 email [email protected] or visit www.winchevskycentre.org

We’re listening ... we’ve heard from several members of our community that we should plan some of our programs at a downtown location. So we’re very excited to announce that both our Purim Celebration and our Shule spring semester will take place at: The 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education (2 blocks north of Bloor at Barton)

Join us at this location on March 26th to celebrate Purim! And introduce your children, grandchildren and friends to Toronto’s Secular Jewish Community School’s creative, progressive, approach to Jewish Education. Register for our TSJCS Sunday morning spring semester pilot program: • Kinder Kapers (for pre-schoolers and their grown-ups): March 27, April 3, 17 • Modular program (for Grades 1-6): March 27, April 3, 10, 17 See inside for details about TSJCS modules. We`re looking forward to welcoming you to our new downtown campus! Join us and tell your family & friends!

AGM Report

The Annual General Meeting of UJPO-Toronto and Morris Winchevsky School (MWS), on February 6th, reflected on the past year of activities, projects and programming of our dynamic and multi-faceted organization.

We have embarked on a Strategic Planning venture to determine the future short- and long-term priorities and directions of the organizations.

AGM attendees munched on bagels and chewed the fat of the organzations

We also discussed the reactions to the recent program “Never Again for Anyone” which generated some media interest (see a report on the next page). I am pleased to introduce the UJPOToronto and MWS Board of Directors who were elected at the AGM: Julia Barnett Lev Jaeger Hilarie Klapman Henry Lowi

Sol Blaser Howard Kaplan Ronit Little Marsha Solnicki

It is through the strong leadership and dedicated group of volunteer Boards and Committees that we are able to sustain our Shule, our Camp, our Choir and offer our community a place to discuss, to celebrate and to build friendships. I invite you to consider becoming a member. Contact us and add your voice and your ideas to the future of our progressive secular Jewish organization with an 85-year history of activism and social justice. You can reach us at 416-789-5502 or by email at [email protected].

UJPO in the News

Calls for Your Support United Jewish People’s Order, Toronto UJPO has recently landed in the public headlines by hosting “Never Again For Anyone,” a tour featuring Dr. Hajo Meyer, which recently made two stops in Toronto. Meyer survived ten months in Auschwitz and is an author,

Lee Maracle, poet from the Sto: Loh nation

violinmaker, and an active member of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), Netherlands. One of the main purposes of these events is to honour those who perished in the Holocaust by advocating for the human rights of all people, including Palestinians living under Israel’s military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza as well as Palestinians living in Israel. The tour is also a way to make links between the various forms of genocides that have occurred historically as well as those ongoing today.

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On February 1, at the Winchevsky Centre, Meyer was joined by Lee Maracle, author and activist from the Sto: Loh nation, Khaled Mouammar, the national president of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) and Sara Kershnar, one of the co-founders of IJAN. The night was well-attended, and drew a very mixed crowd from different communities. The tour itself was timed to coincide with the official United Nations Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, the day that Auschwitz was liberated. The United Jewish People’s Order - Toronto and IJAN,

Canada were the local co-sponsors. IJAN, American Muslims For Palestine (AMP), and the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) were the primary sponsors of the entire tour, which went through 12 U.S. cities as well as Toronto. UJPO has a long history of sponsoring these types of events and engaging in a range of political views on the issue of Israel-Palestine. As a progressive venue, we feel it is important to provide opportunities for open political discussion. By hosting “Never Again For Anyone”, we continued our proud tradition of providing democratic forums for people with varying political positions to take up the discussion. As a host venue in a diverse community, we offered an opportunity to bring progressive people together in a pluralist, non-sectarian, open space

Khaled Mouammar, President of the CAF

to discuss Israel-Palestine, and a voice for those experiencing genocide on an international basis today. A number of participants have congratulated our organization for having such a needed discussion when so many refuse, or are intimidated to do so. Intimidation takes many forms. In our case, the pressure to cancel the event came from the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Greater Toronto. There were several rounds

of correspondence with the CJC and the UJA Federation, a subsequent article and letters to the editor in the Canadian Jewish News. As a result of hosting “Never Again For Anyone,” The Winchevsky Centre was informed by the CJC and the UJA Federation that they “cannot continue their affiliation with the Winchevsky Centre” and that, the Winchevsky Centre is to remove “all references to affiliation” with CJC/UJA from our website and promotional materials. The United Jewish People’s Order Toronto stands by our original decision to co-sponsor and hold this important event based on our desire to be an open and pluralist organization, guided by the democratic principles of debate and dialogue, be it on Israel-Palestine or any other topic. We are grateful for the many messages of solidarity and support we have received during this affair. Thanks to you, our supporters, we will not be intimidated or silenced. For all of those who attended this event or others that UJPO has presented, and any of you who support these principles, we encourage you to “strengthen your affiliation” and become a member of UJPO, work with us on the programs we currently offer and help create new, exciting, and relevant events independently, as sponsors and with partners. - Julia Barnett

Hajo Meyer, Holocaust survivor and Palestian rights activist

CSJO Conference

Around the corner! United Jewish People’s Order, National If you’ve never been to a CSJO Conference before, now is your big chance. The conference is in Toronto this year from May 27-30, 2011. Just as UJPO-Canada and the Morris Winchevsky School were excited to be there when CSJO began 41 years ago, we are very proud to be hosting CSJO’s 41st annual spring conference.

Holding the conference in Toronto is an opportunity to showcase our local riches – come and hear our own Professor Ester Reiter and Vancouver’s Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture’s Kerry Dyson each deliver the keynote addresses on the theme “Jewish Traditions Today – Continuity in Change.”

Being secular, progressive and humanistic in one’s celebration of Jewish life, we owe a great deal to CSJO for providing a foundation and centre of gravity for those of us who describe our connection to Jewishness as “cultural”. CSJO conferences offer an opportunity to come together with like-minded organizations and shules (schools) across North America to learn, to network, to develop and to strengthen the work of the affiliate groups. The warm camaraderie from the participants is a bonus!

Workshops will include educational, arts and cultural and political/social justice streams featuring workshop leaders from Toronto’s crème de la crème – here is a small sample just to tempt you ....

The strong presence of youth at conferences is another proud aspect of CSJO – a tribute to the enduring lessons and values that are passed on and are imbued in our young people. Seeing the young people in action is quite something to behold – from keynote addresses, to workshops, to special friendships and of course fun!

• Professor Richard Lee: Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean • Gerry Kane: Making Secular Jewishness Relevant • Esther Gartner: The Soul of Jewish Music • Ruth Howard: Enhancing Programs through Theatre & Community Arts The Friday evening Oneg Shabbat will feature our Winchevsky Wits and the Saturday night cultural program will feature our Naivelt Singers presenting excerpts from “Our History Through Song” honouring Camp Naivelt’s 85th anniversary as well as a special tzedakah

project with Ve’ahavta: the Canadian Jewish Humanitarian and Relief Committee. And of course Sunday evening’s talent show is always a hit at every conference. So get on the bandwagon! Help volunteer in the planning phases and during the conference, and by all means be sure to register. You’ll be warmly welcomed from the moment you arrive. You’ll learn; you’ll network; you’ll meet the exceptional people that make up the CSJO mishpokhe (family). You won’t be sorry. Contact us to get involved: 416-789-5502 or [email protected].

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Shule Moves Downtown TSJCS Pilots a Downtown Location

is h t s u a new Introduce your children, grandchildren, n i o J g at ! n o i to a creative, progressive, t n i a spr wn loc t & friends approach to Jewish Education! o t s r n u w do Bath

918 treet S

Stimulating 4 week modules for Grades 1-6 students

Sunday mornings March 27 - April 17, The Joys of Jewish Foods Instructor: Barbara Blaser

Every Jewish holiday revolves around a similar theme: “They tried to hurt us, we survived – let’s eat!” As food plays a very important role in Jewish culture, students will learn about the history of kosher food, the symbolism behind traditional holiday dishes, and the differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardic cuisine. Each class will include a tasting of a traditional homemade Jewish delicacy.

Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean Instructors: Richard Lee & Lucah Rosenberg-Lee

After Columbus “discovered” the Americas in 1492, Spain became Europe’s leading superpower, and launched the Spanish Inquisition. Their persecution of the Jews would come back to haunt them, as many of these exiled Jews played important roles in the European pirate world, both as financiers and as pirate chiefs. Students will sail to adventure on the Caribbean Sea as they explore this little known but true chapter in Jewish history.

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To register, call 416-789-5502

Winchevsky Community Events March 2011 Unless otherwise indicated all events are held at

The Winchevsky Centre, 585 Cranbrooke Avenue (Lawrence and Bathurst Area) To RSVP, Call 416-789-5502

Homentashn Bake &

Costume-Making Bee with

Family Purim Celebration

Leah Houston

Featuring special guests

Josh Engel

Grab your apron and your craft glue to work with professional artists and help us make masks, props, noisemakers, hats and costumes,

Singer, songwriter & musical educator for children of all ages.

Leah Houston

We`ll also need help baking these delicious, triangular-shaped holiday cookies filled with prunes, poppy seeds, nuts, honey, apples and chocolate.

Artistic Director of MABELLEarts, a community-based arts initiative in Etobicoke - With MABELLE Artists

Purim Shpiel (play) & Pageant Holiday Songs Arts & Crafts Pizza & Homentashn Costume Parade 50/50 Raffle

Is your mouth watering yet?

We’ll need lots of homentashn and costumes for everyone to enjoy at our Family Purim Celebration on Saturday March 26th

Sunday, March 6 10:00 am Winchevsky Centre 585 Cranbrooke Avenue

Everyone welcome - bring your family and friends.

Saturday March 26, 2011

11:00 am T he 918 Bathurst C C ,A ,M &E entre for

ulture

rts

edia

ducation

Parking at Palmerston Avenue Junior Public School 734 Palmerston Avenue

Adult: Child (3-12):

$10.00 $5.00 Children under 3 years: $3.00 Includes homentashn & drinks. Pizza - $1.00 per slice

Purim Donation Drive

In keeping with the Purim tradition of ‘Shalakh Mones’ please bring donations of household items for Sistering, a women’s drop in centre in downtown Toronto. For a list of items needed, visit www.sistering.org/donate

For reservations or more info: 416-789-5502 or [email protected]

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We Remember

Community News

O ut

Our heartfelt condolences to... Esther Pifko and Family on the passing of Sadie Taub.

of the

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T he T riangle S hirt waist F ire

F lame :

and it s

L egacy

On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in New York. Flammable materials were in the cramped space, the exit doors were locked, and as a result, 146 workers died that day. Most were young Jewish and Italian teenage women, killed by the fire or from leaping to their deaths in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. One hundred years later, all throughout the U.S., a series of commemorative events will be held throughout the month of March, linking the sweatshop conditions of that period to the global sweatshops of today. Ester Reiter will be presenting a paper at the Labor and Working Class History Conference in New York that commemorates the disaster and those who lost their lives. Her paper is entitled “Zingen far Sholem, Zingen Far Broyt/ Sing for Peace, Sing for Bread: Culture and Political Activism among the Jewish Left in Canada, 1920s-1930s, and its Legacy.” UJPO-Canada is a co-sponsor of this conference. Our Third Seyder will take place on May Day this year to celebrate our labour roots, and will include a special section on the 100 year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. The Winchevsky Centre is home to: • United Jewish People’s Order • Morris Winchevsky School Toronto’s Secular Jewish Community School • Camp Naivelt • Toronto Jewish Folk Choir The Winchevsky Centre, founded on the traditions of social justice and humanism, is committed to making secular Jewish life relevent and accessible through a wide variety of cultural, social and educational programs.

The Fridlyand Family on the passing of Michael Fridlyand. Paula Eidlitz and Family on the passing of Hy Eidlitz. The Orlan-Nichols Family on the passing of Rae Orlan.

Do you have a special event to mark? Birthday? Condolence? Mazel Tov? Keep the the Winchevsky community in mind and consider making comemorative donations. Your donations are critical in sustaining the important cultural and educational work of the Winchevsky Centre. Tax deductible receipts are issued for donations to the “Morris Winchevsky School” and “Toronto Jewish Folk Choir.”

Support the 2011 Third Seyder You can support this year’s Third Seyder Passover Celebration by placing a personal greeting or an ad for your business in the Haggodeh Supplement. Contact the Winchevsky Center for more information.

Every year, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) holds a Passover Food Drive, which provides food to over 3,000 families in Toronto. There will be a Passover food drop box outside the office at the Winchevsky Centre until March 18th. Donations must be marked “Kosher for Passover” and boxes of matze stamped “2011.” All donations are appreciated.

The Winchevsky Centre 585 Cranbrooke Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6A 2X9

Telephone: 416-789-5502 Fax: 416-789-5981 Email: [email protected] Website: www.winchevskycentre.org If you wish to correct, add or delete a name from our mailing list, or if you do not wish for your photograph to appear in L`Khaim or on our website, contact L`Khaim editor Aaron Samsel