Opinion: The folly of pro-Palestinian protesters screaming at Jewish teenage girls playing softball in Surrey, B.C.
Did the protesters even realize who would be on the field when they showed up?
Holocaust education is becoming mandatory in British Columbia schools—but the teachers’ union is currently denying funds to experts in the field
The reasons behind the decision two weeks ago by a council within the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), the union representing teachers in the province, to deny funding to a specialist association focused on Holocaust education remain unclear and continue to upset local Jewish groups. The BCTF, which represents 50,000 teachers in British Columbia, relies […]
B.C.’s Jewish community welcomes attorney general Niki Sharma’s new anti-racism legislation—but prompter action is wanted on antisemitism
After consultations with various ethnic, faith and other community groups, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), British Columbia’s NDP-led government tabled new legislation last week aimed at holding provincial bodies accountable for racist policies and practices. Though largely worded to address injustices carried out against Indigenous and other marginalized communities, CIJA is […]
Behind the scenes of Justin Trudeau’s private meeting with rabbis in Vancouver on March 27
It started with Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed placing a call.
Former B.C. cabinet minister Selina Robinson talks about feeling heartbroken by the NDP government’s unwillingness to confront antisemitism in the province—and in caucus
A week after she left the governing NDP caucus in British Columbia because of what she described as the antisemitism within it, MLA Selina Robinson wonders where the leadership is going to come from to tackle the problem of antisemitism in the party, the public service and the province as a whole. “The premier (David […]
British Columbia’s Jewish community is outraged after MLA Selina Robinson is removed from cabinet over remarks about Israel
Leaders of the British Columbia Jewish community have reacted with dismay to the decision by David Eby, the province’s premier, to remove Selina Robinson from her position as minister of post-secondary education and future skills on Feb. 5 due to remarks she made the previous week during an online discussion. While speaking on a panel […]
British Columbia’s premier David Eby announces the province has joined Ontario in making Holocaust education mandatory
Jewish groups in British Columbia are welcoming an announcement by Premier David Eby to make Holocaust education mandatory for all high school students in the province beginning in 2025. Eby revealed the news Oct. 30 at the Jewish Community Centre in Vancouver, surrounded by Holocaust survivors and their descendants, along with representatives of the Vancouver […]
This couple from Halifax organized a music festival to raise money for flood relief in Canada
Following the recent floods that devastated Canada’s east and west coasts in November, Halifax couple Sondra Rutman and Jason Brown felt compelled to do something. A mere three weeks later, on Dec. 19 and 20, they had successfully co-organized an online music festival which raised over $20,000 for the Canadian Red Cross. “At the beginning it […]
Jewish environmental programming is becoming more popular in British Columbia
Just before Rosh Hashanah, seven Jewish young adults met on a farm in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley for the inaugural three-day Moishe’s Retreat to explore Jewish farming practices, learn about food systems and sustainability, and to share meals. The retreat is an example of Jewish outdoor, food and environmental education (JOFEE) programming that some in […]
The view from the climate disaster in B.C.: ‘We have departed from the shores of the safe and predictable world we imagined for ourselves and our children’
It’s been a year of natural disasters for B.C.—but the situation is only getting worse.
