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January 9, 2026 | 20 Tevet 5786 | Candle lighting at 4:16 p.m.
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This message has approximately 937 words and will take about 3 minutes to read.
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On Monday, our community gathered around an essential truth: educators are the heartbeat of our collective future. As a father of three children in a Jewish elementary school, this work is personal; the care our teachers show in the classroom echoes at home and across our community. More than teaching the curriculum, they comfort skinned knees, guide teens through complex realities, and create environments where every child is known and valued. Our annual professional development day gave us the chance to say thank you and to invest in those who shape the next generation, day in and day out.
Pro‑D Day: A Community of Learners |
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| This year’s professional development was organized around the concept of a community of learners, drawing on the internal talents of educators who presented in their areas of expertise. The day opened with a keynote from Ginaya Peters, a district resource teacher with the Vancouver School Board (VSB) and a dedicated lay leader in both the VSB and the Jewish community. |
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| With a portfolio deeply connected to Holocaust education and combating antisemitism, Ginaya delivered The Power of Jewish Resiliency in K–12 Teachers and Students, offering meaningful insights into the realities educators face across public schools in our province. |
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| Over the course of the day, more than 140 educators from the Jewish day schools and synagogue supplementary schools chose from 11 workshops, reflecting practical skills and creative exploration, from Canva for Beginners and Using ChatGPT to Tips for Teaching Judaic Texts to Neurodivergent Learners, Art Therapy, and even an opportunity to learn basic skateboarding. |
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| Throughout the programs, we shared a simple but profound message: educators are a keystone of communal life. One tribute resonated deeply—“all of you, our teachers, create Bens”—honouring Ben Mizrachi, a graduate of Vancouver Jewish day schools who was murdered at the Nova Music Festival while using his medic training to save lives. It reminds us that the courage, compassion, and character nurtured in our schools can echo far beyond the classroom.
Connection remained a highlight, as colleagues reconnected and new relationships formed.
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| As one participant reflected, “The instructors were great, and it was lovely to meet so many new colleagues.” We appreciate the educators and staff for their daily commitment, Ginaya for her leadership, and the workshop presenters for their creativity. A special thank you to Lissa Weinberger for her dedicated work and to partner schools for their valuable collaboration. |
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From Our Classrooms to Our Campuses: Hillel BC
The investment in learning does not end with our schools; it continues on campus with Hillel BC, where Jewish students find safety, pride, and belonging. |
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| Each year, Hillel BC supports over 800 unique students across six campuses: UBC, SFU, UVic, Langara College, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University and continues to engage students connected with Quest University Canada. |
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| This breadth of engagement ensures that wherever our students study, they have access to community, programs, and care.
Since October 7, Hillel BC has remained a home base, welcoming students with warmth and meaningful experiences. The new term launched with strong energy, featuring a Campfire Party, a Shabbat Dinner & Comedy Night at UBC, and a lively Trivia Night at UVic. That spirit carries forward into next week, with a thoughtful mix of programs that foster community and conversation, among them: a guest speaker on LGBTQ issues in Israel, an Israeli Board Game Night, and a Challah Bake service event in partnership with JFS. Hillel is also sending 15 students to a national leadership conference in Toronto, where they will build skills and networks they will bring back to their campuses. Students can find details through the UBC Linktree or by following Hillel BC on social media.
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Deepening Learning: Holocaust Education Week
As we strengthen learning in our schools and on campus, we also deepen remembrance and understanding. |
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| In partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Hillel BC will host Holocaust Education Week, bringing focused programming to campuses that honours memory, encourages dialogue, and equips students to stand against antisemitism. This collaborative effort reflects our shared commitment to education that builds empathy, resilience, and responsibility. |
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| The Holocaust Education Week includes a screening of Son of a Seeker and a talk with creator Kai Balin, a Name Reading Ceremony led by AEPi, and a personal testimony by survivor Malka Pischanitskaya. We will close the week by sharing a Shabbat dinner with Holocaust survivors.
Congratulations to the Order of Canada Honourees
Before we close, we extend heartfelt congratulations to the Jewish Canadians recognized in the latest round of Order of Canada appointments.
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| Close to home, we celebrate Vancouver’s Leonard Schein, founder of the Vancouver Film Festival, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, a music journalist and radio host whose decades of creative work have shaped Canadian culture, and UBC’s Professor Adele Diamond, appointed Officer of the Order of Canada for her groundbreaking contributions to developmental cognitive neuroscience. |
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| Trailblazers' contributions were recognized across law, education, arts, science, and civic life are a source of pride and inspiration for our community. Read more here.
As we celebrate these honourees, we’re committed that the same excellence animates our classrooms and campuses. This week showed what makes our community strong: educators who cultivate knowledge and character, and student leaders who build belonging and pride. We will continue to invest in both: strengthening professional development in our schools and expanding campus programming with Hillel BC and our partners. Let’s carry this momentum forward: show up, learn together, and keep building a community where every child and student feels supported and seen.
Shabbat shalom,
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Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver |
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| John Irving is coming to the Jewish Book Festival. Learn more here. |
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| Save the date. The Jewish Book Festival is coming to White Rock/South Surrey! |
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| Chabad Rabbis and Rebbetzins invite you to Bondi Shloshim. Register here. |
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| Join the City of White Rock as Canada’s longest pier is lit yellow for IHRD. |
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| Yehuda Kurtzer speaks with journalist and Canadaland host Jesse Brown about his recent series What Is Happening Here and his decision to investigate the rise of anti-Zionism and antisemitism in Canada. Together, they examine why media and political institutions have struggled to respond and what it costs to name these realities publicly. Listen here. |
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| Jewish Federations of North America hosted a special briefing about the situation in Venezuela. Specialists and experts take a closer look at how the detention of Nicolas Maduro may impact the local Jewish communities, as well as the broader geopolitical implications. Watch the briefing here. |
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