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Pesach Newsletter 2013 Nisan 5773

Mission & GuidingPrinciples

Jewish Family Service Calgary strengthens communities by providing social services to individuals and families based on the Jewish values of compassion, social justice and improving the world.

We treat each individual with dignity and respect.

We are accessible to people of all faiths and cultures.

We work together to strengthen all communities recognizing the value of participation and collaboration.

We are accountable to our clients and stakeholders.

We empower individuals and families by promoting self-sufficiency.

We respond to new ideas and emerging needs.

Welcome Message 3

Beverly Centre Programme 4

Our Food Programmes 6

Postone Passover Project 8

New Jewish Family Service Staff 9

Coalition of Jewish Women for the GET 9

Donors 10

Staff & Board of Directors 12

ableof Contents

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Bev Sheckter Executive Director

L’Olam

Ben GrintuchPresident, Board of Directors

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of Contents

DDear JFSC Friends,

Passover comes early this year and once again we will share the story with our family and friends of the Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt. As we read the Haggadah it seems that our children are fascinated with the ten plagues. This gives us an opportunity to talk about others who are not as privileged to share a Passover seder and what their “plagues” might be.

In order for those seeking assistance at Jewish Family Service Calgary to gain their freedom from poverty and experience a full meaningful life, they need to overcome their own barriers including:

• Finding sustainable work;

• Learning new language skills;

• Accessing counselling for various concerns;

• Locating a safe place away from family violence or childhood sexual abuse;

• Acquiring food hampers and housing subsidies;

Neither our clients nor our Board and staff at JFSC can do this alone. If you are an employer, or a landlord, or you have time to be a friendly visitor or you would like to sponsor a family with food and clothing, or invite them to your seder table – you will make an enormous difference in someone’s life and give them the ability to take a step forward. We all have an opportunity to help someone overcome their “plagues”.

On behalf of the Board and staff at JFSC, I would like to wish our Jewish community a healthy and kosher Pesach.

Chag Sameach.

• Learning about available resources and receiving assistance with forms as an older adult;

• Settling and integrating into a new community;

• Gaining knowledge about family life circumstances through education.

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Since 1999, Jewish Family Service Calgary has been in a long-standing partnership with B’nai Brith Calgary, to provide a weekly connection to the Jewish community to the elderly residents of the Beverly Centre. For the last thirteen years, every Friday morning, residents, volunteers, and members of the community come together to greet Shabbat with prayer, songs, kiddush and companionship that brightens the week for both the residents and visitors.

This programme has enabled countless residents and families over the years to continue their Jewish traditions and practices and to celebrate important holidays with other members of their community. Shabbat candles are lit, there is always some form of entertainment whether a local rabbi doing a brief Kabbalat Shabbat or a musician performing Yiddish songs, kiddush and hamotsi are said – often by the residents themselves – and often the programme ends with dancing and celebration. On occasion, children from the JCC daycare or from the Jewish schools will join us for a multi-generational programme.

The holidays are observed as well. On the second day of Rosh HaShanah, a service is led for the residents – often with Aron Eichler presiding. The Torah is read, aliyot are assigned to some residents and the shofar is blown. Apples, honey and the traditional honey cake join the usual challah and juice. For Chanukah, Leah Saltman makes latkes and delicious pastries and the programme usually features children from the Calgary Jewish Academy or Akiva Academy. For Purim, the Megillah is read by Sam Wainer. Pesach is observed with a model seder for the Jewish residents and is led by one of Calgary’s rabbis. The family and friends of the residents are invited to join us and the programme features grape juice, matzah, gefilte fish, hardboiled eggs, macaroons and more.

Jewish Family Service Calgary has recently inaugurated similar programmes at the Bertha Gold Jewish Seniors Residence and Chinook Care Centre, which B’nai Brith also generously supports.

We would like to sincerely thank B’nai Brith Calgary for their generous and wonderful support of these programmes, which bring so much light and love into the heart of our Jewish community.

ProgrammeBeverly Centre

We would like to sincerely thank B’nai Brith Calgary for their generous and wonderful support of these programmes, which bring so much light and love into the heart of our Jewish community.

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Jewish Family Service Calgary is a beneficiary of United Jewish Appeal. We encourage all of our supporters to make a gift to UJA.

Miriam Fry, Volunteer/Project Coordinator of JFSC, receiving a cheque from Harold Lipton, Allocations Chair, representing B’nai Brith Calgary Lodge #816. Standing left to right, Harold Lipton, Miriam Fry, Rudy Berger.

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Food ProgrammesOur

Volunteers Bev Sklar, and daughter, Jacki Tucker, work to fill the shelves of Miriam’s Well.

Thank you so much to all of our wonderful and generous supporters who have donated to our “Operation Sustenance Fund” and purchased food to donate to our “Miriam’s Well” with drop-off boxes located at Glenmore Landing’s Safeway, Southland Drive and 24th Street Co-op Store, the Jewish Community Centre and Temple B’nai Tikvah.

Operation Sustenance is the fund that we use to purchase strictly kosher food for our clients who keep kosher. This is an important aspect of our agency as there is no other “food bank” that supplies only kosher food.

Miriam’s Well is an actual pantry full of food both kosher and non-kosher. We assist all people no matter what religion or culture they are from, so non-kosher items are also needed.

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tinned tuna

Ensure or Boost, etc. nutritional supplement

tinned salmon

peanut butter

tinned vegetables (any type)

breakfast cereal

pasta

If you would like to help out with our supply of actual food items, the following is a list of some of the products we would like to keep in stock in both kosher and non-kosher varieties:

olive oil

pasta sauce

liquid honey

tomato paste

instant coffee

chick peas

tea

rice Please be aware of the sell by or best by date on any package.

When food has reached that date we are not allowed to give out that food for liability reasons.

We would also like to be able to give clients certain hygiene products. Things such as scent free deodorant, so suitable for both men and women, shampoo, toothpaste, bars of hand soap and scent free laundry detergent, scent free because some people are allergic to scents, would always be appreciated.

Finally, a project that is totally reliant on our agency’s generous and dedicated volunteers, is the homemade frozen soups. If you would like to join this group of volunteers please contact Kathie Wainer using her email at wainerk@gmail.com or her home phone number (403) 238 - 3339. Kathie would like people to be aware that the soup must be vegetarian, not too spicy or chunky and it must be frozen.

This is an important aspect of our agency as there is no other “food bank” that supplies only kosher food.

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In 2008, Jewish Family Service Calgary was privileged to have Rabbi Abraham and Mrs. Evelyn Postone establish a Passover Fund in their name. In 2013, their children will continue their legacy by establishing a long-term financial commitment that honours their parents’ memory.

The Rabbi Abraham and Mrs. Evelyn Postone Passover Project was created to help financially struggling families celebrate this important traditional holiday. The Rabbi Abraham and Mrs. Evelyn Postone Passover Project provides Safeway gift cards to families and seniors so that they are able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables during Passover.

This project for JFSC was very important to Rabbi and Mrs. Postone as they were very involved in the Alberta Jewish community and had very strong values about Tzedakah. Both Rabbi and Mrs. Postone experienced hard times when they were young. Mrs. Postone went through pogroms in Russia and Rabbi Postone narrowly escaped the holocaust in Lithuania while the rest of his family perished. Having lived with hunger and the lack of necessities for the Jewish holidays, this project was a perfect fit.

Rabbi Postone performed life cycle events; brit milahs, bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings and funerals for 60 years in Alberta and knew 3 or 4 generations of families. Having guests for Passover was so important to the Postones. They welcomed people ranging from soldiers, students, travelling salespersons, clergy from out of town, so it made sense to continue that tradition by establishing the Passover fund in their beloved Calgary.

The Postones welcomed their children’s friends into their home and invited them to be a part of something very special. Many of those relationships continued until the Postones moved to Vancouver but the impact that they made on people’s lives will be remembered for a very long time. I was fortunate enough to be one of those friends and I will always fondly remember their nurturing, caring ways.

Bev Sheckter

he Rabbi Abraham and Mrs. Evelyn Postone Passover Project

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iNESSA kESSEl Inessa is originally from the former Soviet Union. After finishing high school, she moved to Israel where she graduated from

college and worked with special needs children. She has a level 3 certificate in Early Childhood Education that was received from Kaye Academic College of Education in Beer-Sheva, Israel. When she moved to Canada, she worked at an immigration centre with youth. Beginning in 1998 she worked in 123 Busy Beavers Learning Centre and then became a Director of EDLEUN-Southwood Learning Centre. In 2011 she was hired as the Director of Calgary Jewish Community Centre’s Day Care and was in that position for 15 wonderful months. She is very excited to join the JFSC team.

StaffJFSC RAChEl ShEPhERdRachel is from Halifax, Nova Scotia and moved to Calgary 5 years ago. She has recently joined JFSC as the Community Support Services

Coordinator. She has a degree in Women’s Studies from St. Francis Xavier University and the majority of her experience is working with women and children who are homeless and facing many barriers. Her past employment was at a Calgary homeless shelter serving 100 women and children. She is coming to JFSC with lots of experience working with community resources in Calgary and hopes to be an asset to their team. Rachel is actively involved with the YWCA Canada and volunteers on their committee advising on advocacy issues. Advocacy and supporting clients is Rachel’s passion. In her free time, Rachel loves spending time with her family and her Miniature Pinscher, Sasha.

divoRCiNG?If you are contemplating, or in the midst of divorce proceedings contact

The Coalition of Jewish Women for the GetThis 2-step approach is prevention against the lamentable status of AGUNAh*

STEP 1 - Obtain your Jewish divorce (GET).STEP 2 - Finalize your civil divorce only after the GET document is in your hands.

For more information, leave a message at our confidential help lines:Montreal (514) 343-8706 Winnipeg (204) 992-2762Toronto (416) 849-3135 Calgary (403) 444-3164

*AGUNAH - A Jewish woman whose husband refuses to give her a Get.According to Jewish law, without the Get, she is unable to remarry religiously and start a new family. She is a chained woman.

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Lorie Abernethy & Gie Roberts

Karen & Dr. Brian Abrams

Doreen Abugov

Sheryl & Howard Ackman

Terri Adair & Don Rempel

Judy Adler

Sherry Adler-Perera & Dilan Perera

Nily & Avram Alima

Carol & Ray Allan

Marilyn Anderson & Jim Ball

Anonymous

Association of Fundraising Professionals

Bonny & Dr. Eric Babins

Pam Bacchus-Rostoker & Gerard Rostoker

Gerry Barron

Leona Bell

Marcia & Allan Bell

Jenny & Hy Belzberg

Jeanette & Rudy Berger

Sheila Bermack

Claire & Ben Berman

B’nai Brith Calgary Lodge #816

Wayne Bobroff

Victoria & Leonid Boguslavsky

Mimi & Ariel Breitman

Harriet & Richard Breslauer

Carol Brettschneider

Galina & Lev Briskin

Annie Brodsky

George Brookman

Marilyn & Dr. Robert Burke

Calgary Jewish Community Centre

Calgary Jewish Senior Citizen Residence Society

Ros & Myron Calof

Glenda Campbell & Stephen Livergant

Canadian Online Giving Foundation- ATB Financial

Ethel Caplan

Helen & Elkan Charikar - United Way Donor Choice

Anita & Myer Cohen

Clarice & Bernie Cohen

Lisa & Dr. Rob Cohen

Cathy & Dr. Marty Cole

Sandy & Dr. Bernie Corenblum

Hilary & David Cornberg

Susan Culham & Maurice de la Salle

Luisa & Grant Currie

Dr. Judy & Steele Curry

Bronia & Sid Cyngiser

Ruth & Harry Dashevsky

Betty Claire & Billy Davids

Sydney Deitch

Alana & Shane Devlin

Mim & Les Diamond

Faith & Jerry Dubisky

Ruth & Norman Dvorkin

Rose & Jack Edelson

Jeff Eichler

Lynn Einstein & Lionel Groberman

Rhoda & David Eisenstadt

Sandra & Dr. Haskel Eisner

Sandra & Barney Faber

Lil Faider

Dorothy Feldman

Libby & Harry Feldman

Marty Fine

Maxine & Milt Fischbein

Benny Freitag

Toba & William Friedman

Dr. Jana & Bryant Frydberg

Etelka Gardos

Glenda & Boyd Geisler

Louise & Saul Glin

Bert Glow

Fran & Harry Goldberg

Christina & Rick Goodis

Sondra & George Goodman

Anne & Sam Goresht

Sheldon Granofsky

Muriel & Arnold Grobman

Therese & Charles Groner

Harold Gruman

Sheila & Dr. Ralph Gurevitch

Jackie Halpern & Glenn Solomon

Evelyn & Jay Hamilton

Zelda Hanson

Becky & Leon* Hapton

Sharon & Garry Hapton

Elaine & Peter Harding

Hana & Gavriel Harel

Anne & William Harris

Josh Hassall

Leni & Dr. Burton Hoffman

Arlene & David Holmes

Myrna Ichelson

Susan & David Inhaber

Tzilia & Mark Issakovitch

Sylvia Itzcovitch

Martin Jaekel

Alexandra & Alan Jochelson

Mindy & Dr. Danny Joffe

Mona & Cy Joffe

Risha Joffe

Robyn & Hal Joffe

Steve Kaganov

Sandy Kalef

Maureen & Joe Katchen

Eta & Morley Kerr

Reva & Alex Kislik

Doreen & Cecil Kline

Mara Kline

Pam & Syd Klinger

Lea & William Kohn

Wendy & Jeff Kohn

Ivy Kopstein & Murray Palay

Janis & Brian Kowall

Larissa & Isaak Kreyner

Deborah Krowitz

Debbie & Albert Krygier

Nicki & Cory Krygier

Rosalee & Saul Krygier

Donors October 5th, 2012 - January 16th, 2013

We sincerely apologize to anyone for any errors or for who may have inadvertently been missed from our list of “Friends” and Donors. *Deceased

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Caroline & Gerald Kugelmass

Efrat & Dror Lahav

Muriel Lainof

Lesuto Developments Inc.

Leslie & Dr. Marvin Levant

Helen Libenson

Barbara Libin

Harriet & Phil Libin

Stuart Libin

Judge Steven Lipton

Barb & Barry Litchinsky

Alla & Eugene Magid

Margie & Stan Margolis

Brenda-Ann & Colin Marks

Beulah & Norman Martin

Sandy & Larry Martin

Betty Mayer

Trish & Dr. Stanley Mayer

Belinda Meller

Myra & Alan Meyers

Jackie & Ian Mills

Eleanor & Jack Mintz

Charlene & Gerry Molotsky

Illana & Henry Morton

Marilyn Moss & Sam Hanson

Lila & Jacques Mydlarski

Elaine & Stuart Myron

Therese Nagler

Norma Nozick

Danna & Dr. Leonard Numerow

Sandy Oman & Michael Barr

Clarice Ondrack

Roz & Danny Oppenheim

Kathy & Pat O’Reilly

Alex Osten

Fira & Alexander Oussatinski

Myra & Maurice Paperny

Dr. Raechelle & Lorne Paperny

Frances Pearlman

Dale & Jack Pepper

Deanna & Eddy Peranson

Robin & Ron Perlmutter

Shirley & Daniel Philips

Karen & Jamie Phillips

Esther & Sam Plucer

Ron Plucer

Susan & Myron Podlog

Sylvia Polsky

Edith & Lou Pomerance

Ida & Phil Pomerance

Marla & Norm Rabinovitch

Shirley Rabinovitch

Rochelle Rabinovitz

Faith Riback

Sheila Riesenberg

Robert L. Barsky Professional Corp.

Joan Robins

Andria & Greg Rodin

Mona & Ben Rosenbaum

Irene & Dr. Stuart Ross

Linda & Isaac Rotstein

Karen & Dr. Sheldon Roth

Phyllis Rubin

Carol & Larry Ryder

Debbie & Stephen Ryder

Dr. Jaclyn Safran

Lili & Mark Scharf

Dora Segall

Marg Semel & Adam Singer

Myra & Dr. Sam Share

Betty & Jack Sharp

Jackie & Roy Shaw

Bev & Larry Sheckter

Marilyn Sheftel

Arnold Sherman

Gayle Sherman & Dr. Brian Shustack

Betty Sherwood

Cheryl & Morley Shore

Albina Shuman

Joseph Shuman

Gail & Brian Sidorsky

Judy & Dr. Ron Sigal

Hentze Signer

Jemmie & Neil Silver

Lisa & Markham Silver

Elaine & Bob Silverman

Bev & Harvey Silverstone

Marny & Bruce Simpson

Karen & Morley Sklar

Joan Smehoff

Carey & Dr. Stanley Smith

Debby & Barry Smolkin

Audrey & Syd Sniderman

Jerry Snukal

Somar Family Foundation

Sondra & Joe Spier

Sybil & Dr. Coleman Staniloff

Anna & Jan Steinberg

Rosslyn & Norman Steinberg

Edith & Norman Sugarman

Sheila Sunderland

Helen & Mark Swartz

Ida & Sam Switzer

Sam Switzer

Shauna Switzer

William Switzer

Deborah Sword

Jack Tabatchnick

Mary & Dr. Ken Taub

Wynne & Harvey Thal

The Canadian Jewish Humanitarian & Relief Committee - Ve’ahavta

The Philip & Harriet Libin Family Foundation

Jacki Tucker

United Israel Appeal of Canada

Belle Velbis & Jason Clement

Cheryl & Dr. Sid Viner

Evelyn Viner

Fran Viner

Lynn Viner & Mel Citrin

Aleksandra & Oleg Vinogradov

Vogel LLP Lawyers

Kathie & Dr. Stephen Wainer

Helen Walker

Debra & Gary Walters

Carol Weatherdon

Colleen & Dr. Brent Winston

Lori Wolf

Toby & Joel Yan

Helen & Leonard Zenith

Rose Zivot

We sincerely apologize to anyone for any errors or for who may have inadvertently been missed from our list of “Friends” and Donors. *Deceased

Please help us cut down our costs and help the environment by signing up to receive this newsletter and other correspondence from JFSC via email. This information is confidential and will not be shared with any other organization. Please contact Ronalda at ronalda@jfsc.org to be part of this growing trend.

Back Row - left to right:Sara Ralph Nicole MacGregor Ronalda Greensides Andrea Silverstone Tara Luhtanen Maida Edey

Seated - left to right:Megan MacLeod Lori Wolf Monica Lis Bev Sheckter Barb Dickie Greg Storozhakov Miriam Fry

Back Row - left to right:Max Feldman Lev Khitrine Dr. Ben Grintuch Danny Oppenheim Gary Lifshits

Seated - left to right: Rosslyn Steinberg Nicki Krygier Dr. Jana Frydberg Lisa Thomson Dr. Judy Curry Bobbie Osadchey Craig Steinberg

Missing from the picture: Carley Goetting Inessa KesselCirel Rutstein Rachel ShepherdAlbina ShumanShaune ThompsonRobyn Winograd

Missing from the picture:Dr. Martha CohenSteve KaganovBrenda LiebermanDr. Stan MayerDr. Raechelle PapernyMedina Shatz

JFSC

JFSC

Board of Directors

Staff

We are a beneficiary agency of the Calgary Jewish Federation and UJA.