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August 28, 2026 | 15 Elul 5786 | Candle lighting at 7:45 p.m.
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This message has approximately 1,439 words and will take about 5 minutes to read.
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Take Action: Thank the PNE and Stand with Boy George
Our community is strongest when people have the courage to stand by their values, even when it's not easy.
Following the release of his song We Will Dance Again, written in solidarity with Israel and in memory of the victims of October 7, some groups called on the PNE to remove Boy George from its Summer Night Concerts lineup. In response, the PNE reaffirmed its commitment to artistic freedom and freedom of expression, making it clear that the show would go on.
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The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is encouraging community members to take a moment to add your voice and thank the PNE for standing firm, reaffirming its commitment to freedom of expression and the right of audiences to choose which artists they support.
Take action here. |
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Standing With Us When It Matters
At a time when speaking up for the Jewish community and Israel can come with criticism, pressure, and consequences, acts of allyship matter, and there is something powerful about someone choosing to use their voice anyway. |
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| On September 9, our community will come together to honour Boy George for doing exactly that. Temple Sholom, Jewish Federation of British Columbia, and CIJA are privileged to recognize Boy George with an award celebrating his support and friendship with the Jewish community and his willingness to stand up for Israel, followed by an exclusive conversation with Rabbi Dan Moskovitz. |
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| Using his very public platform, Boy George has expressed solidarity with the Jewish community, condemned antisemitism, and stood with Israel at moments when doing so was not always easy. He understands the importance of using your voice when it matters most, and choosing to use it for something bigger than yourself.
This evening is our opportunity to say thank you. To recognize his allyship. To acknowledge his courage. And to let him know that our community sees those who choose to stand with us when it matters most.
Wednesday, September 9
Doors: 6:00 p.m. | Program: 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $18, with 100% of ticket proceeds directed to the fund combatting antisemitism.
This is more than a conversation with an iconic artist. It is an opportunity for our community to come together, express our gratitude, and honour someone who has chosen to stand with us. Secure your tickets here.
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| To learn more about Boy George's support for Israel and why this recognition matters, I encourage you to read the recent coverage in the Canadian Jewish News and join us for what promises to be a meaningful and inspiring evening.
One Relationship at a Time
From standing with our community publicly to strengthening it through personal relationships, there are many ways to make a difference. That is why the ShinShinim program continues to be one of the most meaningful investments we make in the next generation.
Over the last few weeks, we said our final goodbyes to Gur, Nehorai, Noa B., and Noa R. as they completed their year as ShinShinim and returned to Israel to begin their new chapter.
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| Their impact was felt across British Columbia. This past year, our four ShinShinim worked in five synagogues, three day schools, and two overnight camps. They visited 13 regional communities, including Langley, Comox, Whistler, and Revelstoke, connected with more than 1,500 school-aged children, organized our first-ever Mimouna celebration, and emceed Yom Ha'atzmaut. |
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| But the true impact of the program isn't found in those numbers.
Earlier this year, we sent Gur to Revelstoke, home to just a handful of Jewish families, most of them Israeli. Afterward, the volunteer who organized the visit told us how incredible he had been and how her children couldn't wait to see him again at the Whistler Summit.
That conversation stayed with me because it captures what makes this program so special. The real impact is found in the relationships our ShinShinim build: a conversation after class, a friendship formed at camp, or a connection that helps a young person feel more connected to their Jewish identity, their community, or Israel.
When young people meet our ShinShinim, the impact can last for years. It may inspire them to attend camp, participate in a Jewish program, travel on Birthright or Masa, become a community leader, or simply wear their Magen David a little more proudly. Over time, those individual relationships become something much bigger.
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As we celebrate the accomplishments of the outgoing cohort, I also want to recognize someone whose work makes so much of this possible: Lissa Weinberger, our Federation's manager of ShinShinim and Informal Jewish Education.
Each year, Lissa helps our ShinShinim navigate life in a new country, adapt to a new culture, and build meaningful relationships across our community. |
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| Lissa, thank you for all that you do for our Federation, our community, and the connection between BC and Israel. We are fortunate to have you leading this important work. Serving as a mentor, advocate, and guide, she plays an essential role in the program's success and its impact throughout British Columbia.
The ShinShinim are also part of a larger delegation of Israeli emissaries serving communities across British Columbia. Adi Pollack is beginning her second year as the Israel Fellow at UBC, working with students across the province, while Ifrat Ariel will arrive in the coming weeks as the new Habonim Dror Shlicha, supporting the Camp Miriam community. We look forward to sharing more about these and other shlichim once they have all arrived in Canada and settled into their new roles.
Welcoming the New ShinShinim
This week, we are excited to welcome four new young leaders to British Columbia: Itay, Ohad, Lia, and Yahel.
Each brings their own unique story. Ohad comes from Kfar Blum in our Partnership Region, and his sister participated in the Israeli contingent at Camp Hatikvah this summer. Lia's youth movement counsellor and Scouts mentor was Shelley Inbar, who served here as a ShinShin in 2023-24. Yahel has already spent a summer working at a JCC camp in Rochester, New York. And Itay speaks Hebrew, English, and Spanish after living in Colombia with his family.
This year, our ShinShinim will continue building connections throughout the province.
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| Sababa B'Valley will return as a bi-weekly gathering for tweens and teens in Langley. They will have an expanded presence at the JCC and bring Jewish and Israeli programming into public school classrooms. The program is also growing to include connections with adults, such as events at Tikva Housing and giving Dvrei Israel on Shabbat mornings at synagogues across the city. |
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| If you would like a ShinShin to visit your child's classroom, please contact Lissa Weinberger at [email protected].
We are also creating new opportunities for community members to connect with this year's cohort. Whether it's hosting a Shabbat or holiday meal, inviting a ShinShin to join a family outing, preparing a home-cooked meal, or helping host a weekend visit in a regional community, every interaction helps strengthen the bonds that make this program so meaningful.
Learn more at Host a ShinShin Your Own Way.
Bearing Witness Together
This week, I joined hundreds of community members at Temple Sholom to hear Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin share their family's story. For 330 days, we prayed alongside Jews around the world for the safe return of Hersh Goldberg-Polin z"l. While that prayer was not answered as we had hoped, the evening was a powerful reminder of the strength, courage, and humanity that can emerge even in the face of unimaginable loss.
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| Rachel spoke about grief, love, memory, and what it means to keep moving forward when life changes forever. Jon's reflections were equally moving. Together, they gave our community the opportunity to bear witness, to mourn, and to draw strength from one another. I left grateful for their willingness to share their story and for the many members of our community who came together for such a meaningful evening. |
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Looking Ahead
In just a few weeks, our community will gather for the official JWest groundbreaking ceremony. This milestone is the result of years of vision, partnership, generosity, and a shared belief that strong Jewish communities do not happen by accident; they are built together.
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| I hope you can join us on September 14 to kick off this exciting new chapter for our community and future generations! Please note that advance registration is required, so RSVP by September 1. To learn more and register, click here. Looking forward to seeing you there! |
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| As we welcome new faces, prepare for a new season, and continue investing in the next generation, may we remember that the strength of our community is built one relationship at a time.
Shabbat shalom,
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Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of British Columbia |
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| Connect over books and conversation at Jewish Book Club. Register here. |
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| Prepare for the High Holy Days with Selichot and reflection. Register here. |
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Check out our calendar for more community events. |
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| On The CJN's "North Star", Ellin Bessner speaks with Cristall and Leavitt-Wright about why their communities are investing in Jewish spaces after Oct. 7, how the projects have changed, and what these major investments say about the future of Jewish life in Western Canada. At the heart of both projects is the same question: after Oct. 7, what does it mean to build Jewish community in Canada? Watch it here. |
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