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April 17, 2026 | 30 Nissan 5786 | Candle lighting at 7:50 p.m.
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This message has approximately 999 words and will take about 3.5 minutes to read.
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| This Pesach, Jewish life across British Columbia didn’t just happen, it was made possible. Around seder tables large and small, in communities long‑established and newly gathering, people came together because someone ensured the door was open and the table was set.
Over the course of the holiday, Federation-supported seders and celebrations reached close to 800 people in nearly 20 communities, spanning Victoria, Salt Spring Island, White Rock, Whistler, Kelowna, Kamloops, Penticton, Revelstoke, Nelson, Gibsons, Chilliwack, and even Yellowknife. From the OJC Community Passover Seder in Kelowna, with 110 participants, to more intimate gatherings across the Interior and the Island, Jewish connection took many forms but shared the same purpose.
Chilliwack and Yellowknife: Firsts That Mattered
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| That purpose translated directly into presence and connection. This year marked the first‑ever Community Passover Seder in Chilliwack, supported through Federation’s Regional Community Engagement Grant. It was especially emotional to learn that for many who attended, this was their first Seder in years. |
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| Several attendees shared that if this gathering had not taken place, they likely would not have had a Seder at all this year. |
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| That same spirit was felt far north in Yellowknife, where a first‑ever Community Passover Seder brought together 35 people. People wanted to come, to be together, and to celebrate in a space that felt intentional and inviting. For those involved, it was described simply as a powerful beginning for Jewish communal life in a place where opportunities to gather are few and deeply appreciated. |
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| What unfolded in Chilliwack and Yellowknife underscored why our work matters. Knowing that these gatherings gave people the opportunity to reconnect with tradition, community, and the meaning of Passover made it deeply meaningful. This is engagement at its most essential, meeting people where they are and ensuring that no one is left without a place at the table.
Looking Ahead: Gathering to Build What Comes Next
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| That same commitment, to sustaining Jewish life wherever Jews live, now carries us forward to the Community Engagement Summit. Soon, community leaders, professionals, and volunteers from across BC will come together to learn from one another, deepen relationships, and help shape the future of Jewish life in this province. |
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| Hotels are filling quickly, and registration remains open. Register here.
There’s also a special opportunity to join us for Friday night only at the Community Engagement Summit. This $54 registration includes kids’ activities, a pizza truck, full access to the plenary, sessions, and dinner. It’s a great way for individuals and families to experience the Summit, connect with communities from across BC, and take part in shaping what comes next, without committing to the full weekend. Register today; the deadline is May 15.
From Building Community to Remembering Why It Matters
And it is precisely because Jewish life is being built, nurtured, and renewed that remembrance can never be abstract.
Central to this work of remembrance is the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC), whose role has never been more vital: ensuring that Holocaust memory is not frozen in history, but actively carried forward with rigour, care, and moral clarity. At a time when antisemitism is rising, and misinformation and denial persist, the VHEC’s work anchors remembrance in truth and equips students and communities across British Columbia to understand the consequences of hatred and indifference.
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| Representatives from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), our community’s advocacy agent, attended a Yom HaShoah commemoration alongside members of the Jewish community, underscoring that remembrance is also a public and civic act. Child survivor Lillian Boraks‑Nemetz shared her testimony, recounting how she was marched toward certain death to a cattle train bound for the Nazi extermination camp Treblinka, only to be saved at the last moment. Her sister, however, could not be saved. I want to thank Shirly Berelowitz from CIJA for all her work in coordinating this event with the BC Legislature. |
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| Organized by VHEC, in partnership with the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) and Temple Sholom, the evening marked the 83rd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a powerful testament to our community's resistance and courage. The program centred on the voices of three generations: Holocaust survivor Malka Pischanitskaya, her daughter Inna Turner, and her granddaughter Sophie Turner. |
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| Their presence made clear how the Shoah continues to shape lives across time. |
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Malka, now 95, shared memories from her childhood in Nazi‑occupied Ukraine, of violence, survival, hiding her mother, and going door to door as a child begging for food to keep her alive. Her testimony was not distant history. It was living memory.
Malka shared her story in her book titled "A Mother to My Mother." You can learn more about it here. |
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| As she spoke, the present remained firmly in view. Through the sanctuary windows stood the October 7 memorial, a mound of black stones etched with names and ages. Bitachon volunteers moved quietly nearby. In that moment, past and present felt uncomfortably close.
The evening featured remarks from Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, a musical offering by Cantor Shani Cohen and Wendy Bross Stuart, and songs of remembrance by descendants of Holocaust survivors. Attending survivors participated in a candlelighting ceremony to remember and bear witness together.
Holding It All Together
From first seders in Chilliwack and Yellowknife to remembrance in Vancouver, this is where Federation stands, connecting people, sustaining Jewish life, and ensuring that no community is left unsupported.
As we look to the week ahead, we move into one of the most meaningful transitions on the Jewish calendar. On the eve of Yom HaZikaron, Monday, April 20, we gather to honour the fallen and those lost to terror, holding families and our shared grief close as the day of remembrance begins. If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so here. Almost immediately, we move from remembrance to renewal. On the eve of Yom HaAtzmaut, Tuesday, April 21, we come together to mark Israel’s Independence Day, a moment that affirms resilience, sovereignty, and the enduring determination to choose life and build a future. Purchase your tickets here.
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| These days are meant to be experienced together, in community. I encourage you to mark them intentionally and to join us in observing and celebrating with purpose. Secure your spot and be part of these moments that bind memory, responsibility, and hope.
As we close, a final reminder about our Federation Webinar Series, Federation Today and Tomorrow, a three‑part leadership series focused on where we are as a Federation and where we are headed. Yesterday, we hosted the first briefing, and the conversation was candid, thoughtful, and future‑focused. If you happened to miss it, no worries, you can watch it here.
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| Registration is now open for Briefing 2: Federation 5‑Year Performance & Benchmarking, featuring Angus Richardson, Chief Financial Officer. The session will take place on Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 pm. If you'd like a deeper understanding of our trajectory, priorities, and long-term sustainability, please join us for this important conversation. Register here to secure your spot. |
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Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver |
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| Don't miss out the upcoming Wexner Speaker Series. RSVP here. |
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| RSVP for The Fast Runner's screening, followed by a panel with the filmmaker. |
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| HAEA launched two sets of educational materials. Learn more here. |
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| BI is hosting a Shabbat Dinner with David Koffman. RSVP here. |
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A thoughtful, challenging read that questions whether Holocaust education really does what we expect. It explores how simplified moral lessons can backfire, become politicized, and even confuse young people about antisemitism, Israel, power, and responsibility in today’s far more complicated world.
Read more here. |
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| As these commemorations were unfolding, I was interviewed by City News and spoke about what Holocaust remembrance requires of us at a time of skyrocketing antisemitism in British Columbia, issuing a clear call to action to all levels of government to ensure the Jewish community is protected, and to all British Columbians to stand up against hate. Read the article here. |
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