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February 27, 2026 | 10 Adar 5786 | Candle lighting at 5:35 p.m.
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This message has approximately 1,115 words and will take about 4 minutes to read.
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Before I begin today's message, I want to take a moment to speak directly to our fellow Canadians who are currently in Israel. With tensions in the region continuing and during uncertain moments like this, one simple but important step you can take is to register your presence with Global Affairs Canada so you can receive timely updates and support if needed: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration. I encourage anyone with loved ones in Israel to share this link with them. It’s a small act that can bring a measure of reassurance to help them stay informed and connected to support.
As we look ahead, I’ve been reflecting on how much of our work comes down to building community, through initiatives that shape our physical spaces and through the relationships and values that shape our daily lives. This week brings a moment I’m genuinely proud and excited to share. We are entering the final stretch of community fundraising before construction begins on JWest, with $18 million left to raise. |
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| JWest emerged from a shared vision between the Jewish Community Centre, King David High School, and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, a collective belief that our community deserves spaces that reflect our values, our energy, and our future. |
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| Over many years, volunteers, consultants, and staff have poured tremendous heart and effort into bringing this vision forward, and we are finally seeing it come to fruition.
In the last days, you may have seen signs going up at the JCC and KDHS, gentle reminders that this long‑held dream is moving from vision to reality. From the 8‑lane pool to upgraded classrooms, gyms, childcare spaces, and a theatre, the future of JWest is taking shape. If you’re nearby, stop by the JWest office at the JCC (suite 103) to see it for yourself. This is a moment for our community to come together and help bring this extraordinary project fully to life.
What Our Kids Teach Us on Pink Shirt Day
I want to turn to something much smaller in scale but filled with just as much heart. Pink Shirt Day reminds us that kindness isn’t just a value we teach, it’s one our students live every day. Across our Jewish schools, they showed what it means to stand up for one another and build communities defined by empathy and respect. As a parent, it’s incredibly moving to watch children grow into young people who understand the power of supporting each other and building communities rooted in care.
At Vancouver Talmud Torah (VTT), Richmond Jewish Day School (RJDS), and King David High School (KDHS), Pink Shirt Day became something deeper than wearing pink; it became a lesson in kindness lived, not just taught. |
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| VTT students marked the day alongside Purim Spirit Week by bringing essential items for local organizations and adding colourful, heartfelt notes, while KDHS students reflected on bullying, cyberbullying, and the responsibility we all share to create spaces where everyone feels seen and safe. At the RJDS, students were invited to write what treating others with care and respect means to them. |
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A Volunteer Mission That Reaffirmed Who We Are
Our community’s commitment to showing up for one another extends far beyond our local schools. This was evident on the recent young adult volunteer mission to Israel, a collaboration between Jewish Federation and Congregation Beth Israel. Katia Fermon, Federation's manager of Family and Young Adult Engagement, was part of the mission and helped lead the experience, capturing it in a way that conveys both the personal impact and the collective meaning of the journey.
Forty‑six young adults from BC, Toronto, and Washington State travelled not for a tour, but to help a country rebuilding itself after trauma. What struck me most was how much Israel gave back to us in return. |
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| Resilience isn’t a slogan there, it’s something you feel in conversations, in neighbourhoods, in the simple act of people rebuilding even before the dust settles. During our visit to our partnership region, we stopped at Beit Vancouver and saw firsthand that global Jewish community is not an abstract idea, but a living bridge between people. |
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We built an outdoor playground, painted structures, constructed benches, and landscaped shared spaces—tasks that in another year might have seemed routine, but in this moment became acts of solidarity. Nothing about this year is ordinary. Every nail hammered, every brushstroke applied, every shovel turned was a declaration: we are still here.
In Metula, on the Lebanese border, we met Meital, who shared what it has meant for her family to be evacuated, return home, and rebuild their lives with quiet strength. She spoke not with bitterness, but with clarity. “This is our home,” she told us, a simple sentence that carries the weight of generations. To live on a border overlooking Lebanon requires courage—not loud courage, but the kind that shows up every day and keeps building. For Meital, leaving permanently was never the answer. Home is not something you give up on. |
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And in Haifa, we packed Shabbat meals for 129 families—129 tables that would not be empty. It grounded us in the truth that community is not theoretical; it is lived through acts of care.
Amid all that heaviness, we still danced Israeli dances in a plaza, young adults moving in circles, connected by rhythm, purpose, and shared responsibility. We went to give, and we left with a deeper understanding than ever of what it means to belong to a global Jewish family. |
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| If you’ve ever considered joining a volunteer mission to Israel, I encourage you to come. These experiences change you, and they strengthen our collective resilience in ways that are lasting and profound.
Strengthening Stability at Home
After reflecting on the powerful stories of rebuilding and perseverance we heard in Israel, I was reminded of the important work happening right here in our own community. Tikva Housing’s newly released Impact Report highlights how rising housing costs in Metro Vancouver are affecting more seniors, families, and newcomers than ever before, and how essential it is that we continue supporting those facing uncertainty.
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| Tikva has responded with the kind of steady, thoughtful leadership our times demand, expanding safe, affordable housing options and deepening partnerships to meet growing needs. What stays with me most is that for the people Tikva supports, a home is never just a roof. It is dignity, security, and a sense of belonging in a community that sees and values them. |
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Purim Is Around the Corner
With Purim beginning on March 3, our community is getting ready to celebrate with joy, generosity, and connection. There are events for every age across the community. I encourage you to explore the community calendar here, learn what’s happening and join in the celebration. |
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| Before I close, mazel tov to Justin L. Segal, Storkcraft’s Vice President of Product & Brand, on being named to Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40, a prestigious award that recognizes emerging leaders who are shaping their industries and strengthening the wider Vancouver community. |
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| Justin’s vision, integrity, and leadership go beyond his role; these qualities uplift and drive meaningful, lasting impact on our community.
Shabbat shalom,
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Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver |
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| Join our Wexner Session: Exercise Jewish Leadership in Turbulent Times. RSVP. |
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| Gilad Segev leads a celebration of Jewish courage, pride, and unity. RSVP here. |
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| The National Jewish Book Awards recently named "Hostage" as the Book of the Year. This New York Times Bestseller is a powerful memoir by Eli Sharabi, who endured 491 days of captivity by Hamas. He shares his harrowing experience of being abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, the tragic loss of his wife and daughters, and his determination to survive. Learn more here. |
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Haviv Rettig Gur explores what motivates groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to view suffering as strength and destruction as victory. This episode is essential for understanding the underlying causes of the region’s recurring wars.
Listen here.
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