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Friday, May 1, 2026 | 14 Iyar 5786 | Candle lighting at 8:12 p.m.
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This message has approximately 915 words and will take about 3 minutes to read.
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As May begins, we step into Canadian Jewish Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Jewish life in Canada and to recognize the many ways Jewish Canadians have shaped, and continue to shape, our country’s social, cultural, and civic fabric. It is a moment to reflect not only on milestones and achievements, but on the stories, values, and acts of courage that have defined Jewish life here across generations.
Understanding our story, where we come from, how we work, and what we stand for is essential to carrying our legacy forward. This is the spirit behind our Federation Today and Tomorrow webinar series, which offers deeper insight into how Federation strengthens Jewish life across our community. Yesterday, we were pleased to host a Federation 101 conversation led by Director of Communications and Marketing, Caryl Dolinko, and Chief Planning Officer, Mijal Ben Dori, focused on the evolution of Federation BC and our shared direction ahead. If you weren’t able to join us live, you can watch the webinar here.
I encourage you to take a moment to read our special FAQs page. It provides valuable insights into our transition from the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver to the Jewish Federation of British Columbia. Understanding this change is important, as it reflects our commitment to better serving our community and enhancing our impact across the province.
From Heritage to Moral Courage: Honouring Rudolf Vrba
Heritage lives on when stories are carried forward and when courage is named, acknowledged, and brought into the public square. We honour Jewish heritage most powerfully when our community’s stories are not only preserved, but publicly recognized.
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| That is why the recent City Hall recognition of Rudolf Vrba feels especially meaningful during Jewish Heritage Month. Made possible through the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC), and the leadership of Geoffrey Druker, Glen Steinman, and Dr. John Gruetzner, the effort culminated in the City of Vancouver proclaiming April 7, 2026 as “Rudolf Vrba Day.” |
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Rudolf Vrba was not only a Holocaust survivor but a moral whistleblower whose actions altered the course of history. After escaping Auschwitz in April 1944, Vrba co-authored what became known as the Vrba–Wetzler Report, an unflinching account of the systematic mass murder taking place in the camp. His testimony is widely credited with helping to halt the deportation of Hungarian Jews and saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Vrba’s legacy reminds us that courage is not abstract: it is a choice, made under unimaginable circumstances, to speak truth even when the cost is high. Learn more here.
Keeping Jewish History Alive in British Columbia
That responsibility to remember, preserve, and share our stories lives on through the work of the Jewish Museum & Archives of BC (JMABC). The organization houses the collective memory of Jewish life in British Columbia, safeguarding the records and personal histories that tell the story of our community from the Gold Rush era to the present day.
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| Their archival collection includes more than 338 linear metres of textual records, 345,000 photographs, and 1,040 oral histories that bring our past vividly into focus.
JMABC is not just about preserving history in boxes and vaults. These valuable materials are revitalized through various engaging initiatives.
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They enrich the community's understanding through public programs, educational workshops, publications, pop-up exhibits, and collaborations with community partners across the province. One of their most popular programs is the summer walking tour series, a chance to explore Jewish life and culture while exploring some of the most historic neighbourhoods of Vancouver and Victoria. Tours begin in June and consistently sell out, offering a powerful, accessible way to connect place, memory, and story. Reserve your spot here.
Jewish Heritage Month also invites reflection on the power of communal spaces. Long before synagogues and community centres existed, Jewish life in BC took shape in improvised gathering places, quiet back rooms and storefronts where people came together to pray, organize, and imagine a future.
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| The first Jewish communal space in BC was a modest storefront on Yates Street in Victoria, where the earliest prayer services were held, and the idea of a lasting community was born. By 1862, that vision became Temple Emanu-El, Victoria’s first synagogue, celebrated not only by Jewish residents but by the wider community as well. |
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The documents and artifacts preserved by JMABC tell these stories of growth and belonging, reminding us how deeply Jewish life is woven into the fabric of British Columbia, and how much promise still lies ahead. To learn more, explore upcoming programs, visit www.jewishmuseum.ca or contact [email protected].
Protecting Jewish Life Today
Earlier this week, we welcomed the federal government’s strengthened commitment to community security through increased funding and recent emergency investments. Our community’s advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), released a statement recognizing this announcement as a meaningful and necessary step in addressing the growing security needs facing Jewish communities across Canada. Read more here.
While this progress is important, it’s clear that security cannot be built on barriers alone. Protecting Jewish life must go hand in hand with confronting hatred, extremism, and intimidation at their source. As a community, we deserve not only safety, but the enduring freedom to live openly, visibly, and confidently as Jews, today and for generations to come.
An Update from the Jewish Community Foundation
As we look ahead, strong communities are sustained by steady leadership and a clear sense of continuity. Mazel tov to Inês Cindra on her appointment as Associate Director of the Jewish Community Foundation. She has been a steady and thoughtful leader during a period of transition, and her continued leadership reflects both her deep commitment to this work and the confidence placed in her by colleagues and community alike. |
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| To learn more about the Foundation’s work and stewardship, and also to have the opportunity to meet Inês, at our Federation Today and Tomorrow briefings, we invite you to join our webinar, Foundation 101, on Tuesday, May 12, from 5:30–6:30 pm. |
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Before I close, I invite you to visit our community calendar to find Lag BaOmer events across the community starting this weekend.
Shabbat shalom,
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Ezra S. Shanken
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver |
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When We See You Again is a book that breaks your heart open and asks you to keep it open. Rachel Goldberg‑Polin writes with unbearable honesty and profound love, giving shape to grief, longing, and the daily work of surviving the unimaginable. This is a mother’s love on the page, a witness to loss and a quiet, powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, humanity and light still live within us.
Read more here. |
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| After escaping Auschwitz in 1944, Rudolf Vrba co‑authored the Vrba‑Wetzler Report—an act credited with saving some 200,000 Hungarian Jews. Charismatic and uncompromising, Vrba insisted on telling hard truths, even when they made him controversial. His story speaks to a form of courage rooted not just in survival or resistance, but in the moral urgency to speak out, regardless of the cost. Learn more here. |
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