Shalom magazine - The Atlantic Jewish Council

arouNd rabbi’s our CorNer regioN: Cape bretoN & rabbi’s
Cape Breton Hadassah Rings Up
Another Successful Bazaar
by Evelyn Davis
The 42nd Canada Hadassah Wizo
Bazaar was held on May 27th
at the Temple Sons of Israel
Synagogue in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
The co-chairs; Shirley Cherin, Marilyn
Zisserson and Betty Shore referred to
this year’s event as a “ Mini Bazaar”,
but the public response was once
Bazaar Workers L-R Shayna Strong, Myrna
Yazer, Karen Conter, Mary Anne Cohen
Many of you know I was invited
with many others to welcome
Queen Elizabeth on her
entrance to Province House. Obviously
it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I
will always remember it.
But it was not the most memorable thing
for me that day. Something else was.
As I walked out from the delegation, I met
two of Nova Scotia’s former premiers, John
Hamm and Rodney MacDonald.
John Hamm immediately accosted me,
“Say, where were you this year? You were
supposed to be at our ceremony at King’s
College, and you weren’t there!” He was
referring to the graduation ceremonies
they hold each year in May at the college,
his alma mater. “But, Premier, this year
your ceremony was scheduled on Shavuot,
a major holiday, and I was in Cape Breton
again overwhelming.
The handmade quilt, made and donated
by Mary Anne Cohen, created a great stir
and Warren Zisserson sold the tickets with
enthusiasm. The tea room was busy the
entire day and repeat customers welcomed
Bazaar Workers L-R (standing) Wendy
Cohen-Ross, Ruth Levine, Charlene Cohen,
Ann Neville, Sheila Murphy,
(seated) Nonie MacLeod
An Unforgettable Moment
Rabbi David Ellis, AJC Regional Chaplain
for that. I sent something to be read in my
absence. Didn’t they read it?” “Yes, they
did. But we want to see you back there next
year. We’ll get the date right.”
I was greatly honoured by this
complement. I would only add that
Premier Hamm was the most dedicated
and honest leader of any government I
have ever lived under.
My absent words for the graduation
are below. LaShanah HaBaah, if not in
Jerusalem, at least I will be at King’s.
For The Commencement at
King’s College, 20 May 2010
The graduates of Kings are gathered
together on this day coinciding with the
Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Unwittingly, a
more appropriate day could not have been
selected, though I am not there personally
to convey this message.
Page 5 Tishre 5771 - Vol 35 No. 2
one another since many had not seen each
other for a full year.
Once again, the evening auction was lively
and the response enthusiastic. Everyone
enjoyed the birthday cake served at the end
of the evening.
Bargain hunters at the 42nd annual Cape
Breton Hadassah Bazaar
For Shavuot, “weeks” in Hebrew,
commemorates the end of the Passover
holiday season.
Passover, celebrating the coming out
of Egypt, is not a finality on the Jewish
calendar. It was the beginning of the
Jewish nation as a free people. But as you
have learned from history, freedom is only
a penultimate goal. Many peoples have
achieved freedom over the last centuries
but reverted to tyrannies because they
had no plan to implement their new-found
possibilities.
The Jewish tradition makes Passover the
beginning of the journey, which finally
ends fifty days later at Mt. Sinai. However
the experience is conceived, there is no
doubt that a heritage was formed at that
time which would guide the children of
Israel to their settlement in the Promised