Jan-Feb 13 - Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture

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Peretz Papers
Newsletter of the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture
January – February 2013
I.L. Peretz
Peretz Community Seder: Saturday, March 30
Your Board of Directors
for 2012–2013
Front row (l-r): Bernice Kastner (president), Gary Shilling
(member at large), Anton Friedman (recording secretary).
Back row (l-r): [inset] Gene Homel (vice president), Victor
Neuman (treasurer), Rivka Stein (alternate), Colin Nicol-Smith
(member at large), Serena Stone (alternate), Mark Neuman
(financial secretary)
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Please join us in honouring our
people’s Shabbes traditions
of candles, wine, challah, and
food; in our case, a fabulous
potluck meal, plus a talk by a
guest speaker.
Admission: a contribution
to the potluck or $12/person.
Please RSVP:
Gallia, 604-322-6077
December 21, 6:00 pm:
Ginny NiCarthy, author of
Seeing for myself: A political
traveler’s memoir.
January 18, 6:00 pm: David
Skulski: Twentieth century
Jewish Mexican composers
February 15, 6:00 pm: Ellen
Cassedy, author of We are
here: Memoirs of the Lithuanian
Holocaust.
Sunday Adult Discussion Group
Come to our Sunday Discussion Group on the last Sunday
of each month, 10:30-12:30, and treat yourself to some stimulating
conversation on a variety of topics.
The topic for the January 27, 2013 meeting will be “Language,
Metaphor and Concepts.” The discussion will be led by
Bernice Kastner.
The Peretz Centre warmly
welcomes Gyda Chud
to the position of
Coordinator of the
Sholem Aleichem Seniors
program. Please see
page 2 for her January
program.
Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture 6184 Ash Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 3G9
604-325-1812 info@peretz-centre.org www.peretz-centre.org

Sholem Aleichem Seniors
It’s old news by now that Gyda Chud has been
hired to replace Lorraine Isaacson, who has retired as
coordinator of the Sholem Aleichem Seniors.
Gyda has hit the ground running, as they say. Here is
her program schedule for January, 2013. Please note
that for the near future the program will be meeting
three times a month, not meeting on the Friday that we
have our Fraytik tsu Nakht secular Shabbes dinner, so
please check the schedule each month.
Jan. 4, 11:00: “Between Now and Jan. 4, 2013”
Join us to review and reflect on Current Events with
Ralph Levy, our ever-interesting and knowledgeable
facilitator!
Jan. 11, 11:00: “Back to the Shtetl.” Facilitated by
our president, Bernice Kastner, this session will feature
a visit back to the Ukraine as told by Dorothy Sucher,
a lifelong friend of Bernice’s, in a specially created
DVD.
Jan. 25, 11:00: “Reflecting on Our Work Lives”
Meet Elizabeth Bishop, who has done some amazing
work on Reflective Practice for her Master’s Degree
and looks forward to sharing this with us as we think
about our own work and professional experiences.
The February program TBA.
Three Yiddish CDs available at the Peretz Centre:
Sing to me in Yiddish
Claire Klein Osipov©s
First Album; accompanied by
Wendy Bross Stuart ($20)
Contents:
ÊÊA lidele in Yiddish
ÊÊNign
ÊÊAs der rebe zingt / Sha
shtil
ÊÊMayn rue platz
ÊÊBuzi
ÊÊFregt vos ken ikh
ÊÊMayn yingele
ÊÊUndzer shtetl brent
ÊÊHer nor du sheyn meydele
ÊÊTrili trilili
ÊÊDon khosidl
Lullabies and Longings: A collection
of new and old Yiddish
songs
Myrna Rabinowitz ($20)
Contents:
ÊÊA yingele
Sing and Learn Yiddish
ÊÊMayn tate
Claire Klein Osipov, produced by
ÊÊA ziseh mame
Muni and Carol Basman ($30)
ÊÊRozhinkes mit mandlen
Follow the words in transliteration (with ÊÊMoyshele mayn fraynd
translation) while you listen to the CD. ÊÊFriling
ÊÊFun yener zayt lid
Contents:
ÊÊMayn rue platz
ÊÊHop mayne homentashn
ÊÊOyfn oyvn zitst a meydl
ÊÊDona dona
ÊÊAye lu lu lu
ÊÊShlof zhe yingele
ÊÊOy Abram
ÊÊTayere Malke
ÊÊAkhtsik er un zibetsik zi ÊÊVos zhe vilstu
ÊÊOyfn pripetshik ÊÊBuzi
ÊÊDray yingelekh ÊÊVigndig a fremd kind
ÊÊMargaritkelekh
ÊÊOyfn veg shteyt a boym
ÊÊBistu mit mir broyges ÊÊGenzelekh
ÊÊReyzele
ÊÊTsen brider
ÊÊGey ikh mir shpatsirn
Peretz Papers January – February 2013 2

c
A Sheynem Dank!
Two big changes at the Peretz Centre,
both involving well-deserved thank-yous.
First of all, deep-felt thanks go to Richard
Rosenberg, who has stepped down after a lengthy
tenure at the Peretz Centre helm.
Richard’s major legacy is nothing short of our new
building. He served as Peretz president during the
period of negotiations with VanCity Developers, the
move out and demolition of the old building, the year
in diaspora, and the opening of our current home. He
has presided over our organization as we got used to
our new digs and dealt with some of the not quite up
to par aspects of the new building.
In addition to fulfilling such presidential duties as
representing us in the community, welcoming guests
at our banquets and seders and writing a column for
the Peretz Papers, Richard has taught B’nai Mitzvah
for many years, given talks at the Sholem Aleichem
Seniors and Fraytik tsu Nakht programs and sung in
the Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir, and we hope he will
continue to do these latter activities.
Richard, it has been a pleasure working with
you. I’ve appreciated (in no particular order) your
tightly-run board meetings (well, we do enjoy the
conversational side trips, but on the other hand we’re
all happy to get home), your warm smile, sharp
intelligence and sense of humour, your dedication to
the Peretz Centre and your expressed appreciation of
how hard I and all the volunteers work to make our
events, celebrations, classes—all of our activities, in
fact—as well organized and carried out as possible.
Richard’s retirement marks the end of an era, and
as we welcome Bernice Kastner to the head of the
table, so to speak, we also keep Richard firmly in our
hearts.
Secondly, after over nine years of leading the Sholem
Aleichem Seniors, Lorraine Isaacson has retired as
continued on p. 4
lqnyc stnedyzerp
Perhaps you’ve noticed
that there is a new face in the
Vinkl. It will not be easy to
follow Richard, but I have
learned much from serving
on the Board with him for
the past couple of years. We
are grateful for his ongoing
involvement with Peretz and we very much
appreciate that he will continue to contribute to
our community. Thank you, Richard, for all you
have done for Peretz over the years. I also want
to thank our new Board member, Colin Nicol-
Smith, and our new alternate member, Serena
Stone, for stepping up and sharing their energy
and new ideas. It is fresh perspectives and new
approaches that will help us to find ways to connect
with the new members we need to reach if
we want to build our community.
It was great to have had much higher attendance
than usual for the Annual General
Meeting and to have made some necessary
changes to our constitution. We were, of course,
very pleased to have been able to report that we
are in a better position with respect to both our
membership numbers and our financial situation
than we were at last year’s AGM. Although the
changes are small, the direction is good.
It was also gratifying to have such a wonderful
turnout for our Annual Banquet. We are
indeed fortunate to have been able to show our
appreciation to Gallia Chud for all her contributions
to our community. As many of you
have heard me say before, I am delighted to
have found the Peretz Centre now that I have
established myself in Vancouver, and this is why
I have accepted the responsibility of making
whatever contribution I can as President. It is
due to people like Gallia and Claire Osipov,
who was our honoree at last year’s banquet,
continued on p. 6
President’s Corner
Peretz Papers January – February 2013 3

continued from p. 3 Sheynem dank
the program’s coordinator. Thank you, Lorraine, for
all of the time and effort you put into the program,
including your innovation of the current affairs
discussion groups led by Ralph Levy and your choice of
speakers and DVDs that has shown you are very aware
of and sensitive to the “culture” of the group. We hope
that you, like Richard, will continue to be a presence at
the Peretz Centre.
Lorraine’s retirement also marks the end of an era. We
welcome the new Seniors Coordinator, Gyda Chud,
and look forward to the seeing in what new directions
her stewardship will take the group.
Annual Banquet
Almost all of the feedback on our recent banquet
honouring Gallia Chud has been positive, and I would
like to acknowledge the people who worked so hard to
make the evening so successful.
sFirst s of all, I’d like to thank all of you who came,
participated, donated, and especially those of you who
paid in advance. It certainly helped that we pretty
much knew our numbers in advance. (And if you made
a donation, your tax receipt will be sent in February.)
sThe s Planning Committee, which met several times to
deal with everything from planning the order of events
to hiring a caterer to choosing the colour of the napkins:
Mia Bonettemaker, Gyda Chud, Rita Chudnovsky,
Bluma Field, Sylvia Friedman, Arlene Jackson,
Karen Kaplan, Stephen Kaplan, Louise Miller,
Judy Nicol-Smith, Claire Osipov (chair), and I.
sGyda s Chud, Rita Chudnovsky, Irene Dawson,
Bluma Field, Arlene Jackson, Karen Kaplan,
Louise Miller, Tammy Neuman, Colin Nicol-
Smith, Judy Nicol-Smith, Claire Osipov, Rivka
Stein and Jackie Weiler set the tables and made the
room look beautiful.
sGene s Homel and Al Stein checked people in and
sold tickets. Loree Rose pinch-hit on the spot for Karen
Kaplan as greeter until Karen finished making sure each
table had the proper number of chairs and place settings.
sStacey s Kettleman (Star Catering) made a delicious
brisket dinner, and this year the vegetarian option was
terrific, too: portabella stuffed with brown rice.
sGyda s Chud, Bluma Field and Karen Kaplan did
most of the non-food shopping; Harold Berson, on very
short notice, bought Gallia’s gift (a brick for our Tree of Life).
sStephen s Kaplan not only did a splendid job as
MC, including performing some Money Magic, he also
produced the excellent video, “Gallia Then and Now.”
sThank s you to our evening’s entertainment: Saul
Berson, Wendy Bross Stuart, Jeannie Corsi, Moshe
Denburg, Claire Klein Osipov.
sAlan s Le Fevre and Victor Neuman worked as
stage managers. Victor also did the technical set up.
Adam Caron operated the sound booth.
sThe s 50/50 draw brought in a nice chunk of change;
thanks, Faith Jones, Rivka Stein and Winifred
Tovey for your assertive sales technique.
sBesides s all the other ways Sylvia Friedman supports the
banquet, and me, she proofread the printed programme.
sAnd s of course, thanks as ever to our caretaker, Iosif
Gershstein, for doing all the heavy work of setting up
and taking down tables and chairs, and cleaning up.
I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone. If I have, please let
me know, so I can acknowledge you next issue.
— Donna Becker, Program Coordinator
In Memoriam
Elise Goldsmith, mother of
Penny Goldsmith
Anne Minovitz,
mother of Ethan Minovitz
Eric Carlin,
cousin of Tom Hansen
Pam Kendall,
aunt of Peter Kendall
We honour their memories.
4 January – February 2013 Peretz Papers

Nu Arab Students’ New Shtick: Kibbitizing in Yiddish
Yiddish intrigues me with its majesty and
its enigmatic, refined musical tone. I have no
explanation for the fact that I have always felt a
connection to this language.”
Contrary to what you might expect, the speaker
of these lines is not a Polish poet or German
philosopher. He is Yusuf Alakili, 50, from Kfar
Kassem, currently investing much effort in his
studies for a Master’s degree in literature at Bar
Ilan University’s Hebrew. Alakili studies Yiddish
on the side for his own enjoyment.
How did this affair start “In the 1980s, I
worked with a Jew of Polish origin who lived in
Bnei Brak, and Yiddish was the main language
there. I was captivated by its musical tone and
decided to study it in earnest. My dream is to
read Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye the Dairyman
[the inspiration for Fiddler on the Roof] in its
original language.”
And what bothers him “I don’t know who is
to blame, but I don’t understand why this magnificent
language is neglected, when such an
extensive body of literature exists in Yiddish.
Did you know that [Nobel Prize laureate] Agnon
started writing in Yiddish, and only later transferred
to Hebrew” he asks.
Alakili is not alone. About a quarter of the 400
students studying Yiddish at Bar Ilan are Arabs,
says Ber Kotlerman, academic director of Bar
Ilan’s Center for Yiddish Studies. According to
Kotlerman, some of the Israeli Arabs are
searching for a way to connect to the Jewish
culture with which they must cope,
and it is not easy for them.
“Even Jews in the Diaspora search for
this — a way to connect to the local culture
— and it is wonderful that Yiddish
can be a sort of ambassador, a bridge
between nations and cultures,” he says.
“Take, for example, the case of Tevye the
Dairyman, whose daughter marries a
Posted on www.al-monitor.com by Dudi Goldman
Christian and he sits shiva [the traditional Jewish
mourning ceremony] for her. Two years ago,
a female Arab student approached me to say
that her father would do the same thing if she
fell in love with a Jew,” says Kotlerman.
Salam Bashara, 22, of Tira, is currently finishing
her undergraduate degree in Arab literature.
She explains how the Yiddish language
and culture move her greatly.
”I fell in love with Hebrew literature back in
high school. When I studied Yiddish, I became
acquainted with Sholem Aleichem and the early
works of Agnon,” and also watched various
films, such as the wonderful movie “The Cantor
from Vilna.”
“The cantor’s loss of his son [to the surrounding
secular culture] is a universal experience,
something that everyone can identify with,”
says Bashara, who hopes one day to write her
masters thesis on the parallels between Arab
and Yiddish literature.
Our beautiful building is available for rental
for your meeting or simcha. We’d love to help
you work out the logistics of your life-cycle
event (baby naming, bar/bas mitsvah, wedding,
memorial service). Phone our Rentals
Manager, Sylvia Friedman, 604-325-1810.
You are invited to join the
Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir
Searle Friedman, founder
Sing in Yiddish, Hebrew, Ladino and English
every Tuesday evening, 7:30–9:45 pm
couldn’t couldn’t hoit!
For information,
hoit!
phone Donna, 604-325-1812
5 January – February 2013 Peretz Papers

Peretz Centre Schedule, January — February 2013
Youth
p B’nai Mitzvah ’13 and ’14: check with your teacher
for the schedule
p Sunday School: none this term. Inquire about a class
to start in January 2013.
p B’nai Mitzvah grads stay-connected group. Open to
all recent B’nai Mitzvah grads: Check with the office
for the next activity.
Adults and Seniors
p Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir rehearsal: Tuesdays,
7:30–9:30 pm.
p Yiddish Class: Mondays, 11:30-1:30 (Advanced),
Wednesdays, 6:30–8:30 (Beginners). Starting Jan.
21.
p Nokhmitogdiker yiddisher leyn krayz (Afternoon Yiddish
Reading Circle): First and third Wednesday of
each month, 3:00–4:30 pm. Jan. 2, 16; Feb. 6, 20.
p Fraytik tsu Nakht (Friday night Secular-Humanist
Shabbes celebration): Jan. 18, 6:00 pm: David
Skulski, Twentieth Century Jewish Mexican Composers;
Feb. 15, 6:00 pm: Ellen Cassedy, author of We
Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust.
p Sholem Aleichem Seniors: Fridays, 11:00 am. Jan.
program: page 2. Feb. program TBA.
p Sunday Adult Discussion Group. The last Sunday
of each month, explore a wide range of philosophical,
ethical, historical and sociological topics pertaining to
secular Jewish life and thought. Jan. 27: Language,
Metaphor and Concepts.
Yiddishists: Check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=Qon_
qIL1AyQ
A fun and educational little documentary,
in Yiddish with English subtitles,
of the history of Coney Island.
Special Events & Holiday Observances
Dec. 21, 6:00 pm
Jan. 18, 6:00 pm
Jan. 27, 11:00 am
Jan. 27, 10:30 am
Feb. 15, 6:00 pm
Feb. 24 10:30 am
Mar. 15, 6:00 pm
Mar. 30, 5:30 pm
Mar. 31, 10:30 am
Apr. 19, 6:00 pm
Apr. 28, 10:30 am
May, 17, 6:00 pm
May 26, 10:30 am
Jun.*
Jun. *
Jun. 30, 10:30 am
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Tu b’Shvat Seder
Adult Discussion Group
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Adult Discussion Group
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Community Seder
Adult Discussion Group
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Adult Discussion Group
Fraytik tsu Nakht
Adult Discussion Group
B’nai Mitzvah dress rehearsal
Choir spring concert
* Date and/or time to be confirmed
continued from p. 3 President’s Vinkl
Adult Discussion Group
along with their families, who have made the Peretz
Centre what it is: a place to nourish the values of
secular Jewish culture, of heymishkayt, yidishkayt
and menshlikhkayt in a society where it has become
increasingly difficult to maintain such human connections.
We have many challenges ahead of us as we try
to rebuild some of our traditional programs, in particular
the shule (school), which was so much a part
of the original founding of the Peretz Centre. I invite
you to come forward with ideas and suggestions to
help your Board in this work. Please email your
suggestions to info@peretz-centre.org, and Donna
will see that they reach the proper ears.
— Bernice Kastner
6 January – February 2013 Peretz Papers