August 1, 2025

A group photo of 24 people standing and sitting together in a well-lit room with decorative tile flooring, labeled "Binat HaLev Journey - Group photo."

August 1, 2025 | 7 Av 5785 | Candle lighting at 8:34 p.m.

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Before we get into this week's Shabbat message, we have some troubling news to share: Two girls are currently missing, including Sarah Perez, a student at King David High School.

Our Security Department is in close contact with Sarah’s family and is actively working with law enforcement to support the search. We are urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything that could assist in locating the girls to come forward immediately.

📞 If you have any information, please call 604-717-2530 without delay.

Just last week, Statistics Canada released new data showing that hate crimes against Jewish Canadians remained alarmingly high in 2024, with 920 incidents reported to police. That’s not just a number—it’s a wake-up call. It shows that Jewish people in this country were 25 times more likely to be targeted than the average Canadian. Read more here.

I sat with that for a while. It’s heavy. And it’s personal. Because behind those incidents is someone in our community—someone who could be your neighbour, your friend, your child’s teacher. It reminded me why our work matters so much. Why we show up. Why we speak out. Why we keep building spaces of safety, pride, and connection.

Just two days ago, we learned of Prime Minister Carney’s announcement regarding Canada’s position on the Middle East. In response, our advocacy agent, The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), released a clear and powerful statement expressing deep concern over the government’s decision to pre-emptively recognize a Palestinian state without meaningful conditions. Read the statement here.

CIJA’s work is vital, and it continues every day. But meaningful advocacy is something we can all take part in. There’s a new opportunity to make your voice heard: urge the Prime Minister to ensure that any recognition of a Palestinian state is grounded in genuine peace and mutual recognition of Israel’s right to exist. Click here to learn more and take action. Every step counts.

Bearing Witness: What Our Educators Brought Back from Israel

That’s also why I’m so proud of the twenty Canadian educators, both Jewish and non-Jewish allies, from Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Ottawa who recently took part in Binat HaLev, a six-day mission to Israel curated by JFC-UIA. The Vancouver cohort’s participation was made possible thanks to the leadership of the Israel and Global Engagement Committee, which is committed to ensuring our community has direct, meaningful experiences with Israel and Israelis, so that understanding and connection remain strong across B.C.

They didn’t go for a tour—they went to bear witness. To stand at the sites of the October 7th attacks. To learn from Israeli trauma experts. And most importantly, to connect with fellow educators and bring those lessons home.

And today, we’re honoured to feature a reflection from Ginaya Peters, member of BC Teachers Against Antisemitism and one of the participants, who shares what it meant to be there and how it’s shaping the way she teaches and supports her students. I hope you’ll take a moment to read her words; they’re powerful.

I had the privilege and honour of leading a group of 20 public school educators from across Canada through the land of Israel. All of her beauty, complexity, and love were on full display for us to soak in.

Our journey began on July 14 in Tel Aviv, where we got to know each other along with hearing from some incredible speakers: journalist Matti Friedman, hostage psychologist Glenn Cohen, and the parents of murdered Israeli Canadian Adi Kaploun-Vital, z’l. We visited Hostage Square and took in the art and the displays.

We then travelled south to the Otef. We met with Vancouver’s own Dikla and Itzik Mizrachi, parents of Ben Mizrachi, z’l. They shared their story with us and allowed us to share in their grief. We journeyed to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the hardest-hit on October 7. One of the few remaining residents, Shachar, led us through the kibbutz, showing us the devastation but also the hope and resilience through their rebuilding efforts. We then bore witness at the Nova site where the mother of Nova victim Maya Puder z’l shared her daughter’s story and the story of the Nova festival. We continued to Sderot, the southern city that has borne the brunt of Hamas attacks for years. We met with educators and heard about how the children of Sderot are coping with displacement and trauma.

We finished our day with dinner in Rahat, the only Bedouin city in the world. We got to break bread with young Bedouins and hear about their lives in Israel and their plans. I asked one of them what Israelis and Jews can do to foster coexistence and peace with our Arab cousins. She swiftly answered, “All Israelis should learn Arabic and all Arabs should learn Hebrew.

Then we can break bread together all the time, just like we did tonight.” Wise words from a 25-year-old.

Our third day was spent in the north, visiting communities on the Lebanon border, including our partnership region and our twin city of Metulla! We toured Tel Hai College, soon to be Israel’s newest university. We learned about the amazing work of Krembo Wings and their efforts to fully include and engage neurodiverse students, along with educators leading us through activities designed to foster resilience and self-regulation in their students. We finished up with a delicious dinner at Beit Vancouver in Kiryat Shemona. What pride I felt at seeing so many familiar names on the donor wall. The generosity and compassion of our Vancouver Jewish community is something special to see.

Where else could we wrap up our trip but Jerusalem? There we had sessions with author and thought leader Micah Goodman and Rabbi Joe Schwartz. Through our discussions with them, we were able to synthesize our learning and decide how and when to incorporate what we’ve learned into our classrooms and discussions with colleagues.

We finished up with a food tour of Machane Yehuda shuk, a delicious rooftop dinner that we helped prepare, and a tour of the old city. As a member of BC Teacher Against Antisemitism, these trips are crucial to developing allyship and the tools to keep educators aware and informed as to what life is really like in our Indigenous homeland. I have been to Israel several times and have a son who made Aliyah. Seeing the land through the eyes of public-school educators was revelatory and important. Shabbat shalom.

Welcoming Tamim Academy and Ner Atid to the community

Jewish education in Vancouver continues to grow, reflecting our community’s strong commitment to nurturing future generations with strong values, identity, and academic excellence. We're excited to share that adding to the options for Jewish elementary education in our community, like Vancouver Talmud Torah and Richmond Jewish Day School, is Tamim Academy of Vancouver (formerly known as Vancouver Hebrew Academy) and Ner Atid Childcare Centre. These new facilities offer a K-7 elementary program and year-round childcare for infants up to age 5, helping to shape a vibrant future for Jewish families in our city. Read more here.

Happy BC Day long weekend and Shabbat shalom,