About Town: August 26

 
Thursday, Aug. 26


IRANIAN THREAT

Former Israeli defence minister and deputy prime minister Shaul Mofaz speaks on “The Threat of a Nuclear Iran and its Terrorist Proxies to Israel and the Importance of Peace in the Middle East,” Congregation Beth Israel Beth Aaron, 7:30 p.m., co-sponsored by ORT Montreal. 481-2787.

Friday, Aug. 27


IDA HAENDEL

Sherry Steinberg lectures on “Ida Haendel: Grande Dame of the Violin,” 10 a.m., Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors. Joyce, 342-1234, ext. 7318.

Saturday, Aug. 28


KLEZMER MUSIC

Mike Anklewicz, leader of the Klezfactor Band, is the guest on Jewish Digest, Radio Centre-Ville 102.3 FM, 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, Aug. 29


NA’AMAT INSTALLATION

Mindy Spiegel will be installed as council president of Na’amat Canada Montreal for 2010-11 at the organization’s 85th anniversary celebration. In Your Face Entertainment will perform its Broadway revue Sing. Refreshments will be served. 484-0252.

HOLIDAY PREP
The West Island Jewish Community Centre holds a program of family art activities and storytelling related to Rosh Hashanah, at Chapters bookstore in Pointe Claire, 10 a.m. to noon. Robyn Krane, 624-6750.

SEASONAL SEMINAR

The Aleph Centre d’études juives contemporaines presents a seminar on “Les convocations des  fêtes juives de l’automne,” 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Cummings House. Speakers are Steven Shlomo Sebag of Centre Breslav, Rabbi Zushe Silberstein of Centre Chabad Chabanel, Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Beth Hamidrach HaZohar, and Rabbi Aryeh Coffman of Or Hadaat in Mexico. Tickets, 733-4998.

NEW SEFER TORAH
A new Sefer Torah, donated by  Willie Mercer, will be dedicated by Congregation Shomrim Laboker, starting with a 12:30 p.m. parade from Beth Rivkah Academy.

Monday, Aug. 30


BAR/BAT MITZVAH INFO

Rabbi Leigh Lerner talks about the B’nai Mitzvah Education Program of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom for children born in 1998, 1999 and 2000, at Federation CJA’s West Island branch, 7:30-8:30 p.m. He does the same at the temple on Aug. 31.

FALL COURSES
Prime Time, a West Island division of the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors, hold fall course registration today through Sept. 2, 10 a.m. to noon and 2-8 p.m., 96 Roger Pilon Blvd., Dollard des Ormeaux. Ellen Tock, 624-5005, ext. 230.

Tuesday, Aug. 31


TAI CHI CLASS

A free trial beginner’s class in tai chi will be offered by the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors, 12:20-1:20 p.m. Annette, 342-1234, ext. 7305.

BETH ORA KICKOFF
Beth Ora Seniors opens the new season at 1:30 pm. with a light lunch and entertainment by Andy Antonacci. 342-1234, ext. 7348.

Wednesday, Sept. 1


JWIC CHOMEDEY OPENER

The Chomedey Chapter of Jewish Women International of Canada holds its season-opening dinner meeting, 7 p.m. at Aux Vieux Duluth restaurant in St. Laurent. Members and anyone interested in joining the group, whose mission is to end violence against women, can call Lily , 450-688-0026.

SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
Temple Emanuel-Beth Sholom’s Torah School holds an open house, 7-8:30 p.m. The 10-week fall semester begins Saturday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to noon. www.templemontreal.ca.

Thursday, Sept. 2


JPL’S  96th AGM

The Jewish Public Library’s 96th annual general meeting takes place at the Gelber Conference Centre, 7:30 p.m. Tribute will be paid to outgoing committee chairs Bonnie Feigenbaum, Louise Goldstein, Clayre Kogan, Ethel Roskies and Janice Steinberg. Guest speaker will be Guy Berthiaume, chair and chief executive officer of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. 345-2627, ext. 3017.

…Et Cetera…


3,000 HOLIDAY MEALS

The MADA Community Centre is preparing to serve 3,000 free Rosh Hashanah dinners at nine locations: its headquarters at 6700 Côte des Neiges Rd., Congregation Chevra Kadisha, Federation CJA’s Gelber Conference Centre, Côte St. Luc city hall, MADA of Montreal West, Chabad of NDG, the Ghetto Shul on Park Avenue, the Ufarazta Centre in St. Laurent, and Chabad of Kirkland. The evening includes a full-course meal, rabbinical inspiration, singing and dancing. Reservations required, 342-4969, ext. 0. Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 5, volunteers are needed to help with preparations. Donations are also gratefully accepted. 342-4969, ext. 222.

ADDICTION SUPPORT
Chabad Project Pride has started a free weekly support group for people with addictions and mental-health issues. It meets Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at 4985 Queen Mary Rd. For an initial evaluation, call Donna Cohen, 485-5121.

KLEZMER IN STE. AGATHE
Quebec Jewish Congress (QJC) and the town of Ste. Agathe des Monts collaborated to present an outdoor concert of klezmer and Québécois music in Place Lagny recently, called “Bonjour, Shalom Ste. Agathe.” It featured the up-and-coming bands Wandering Stars and Salonika. More than 400 people attended, including Mayor Denis Chalifoux, who said: “The Jewish community of Ste. Agathe des Monts is an active community. It has a significant role in our history, which is why we feel it is important to build bridges between our cultures, and what better way to do it than through music?” He said he hopes the concert becomes an annual event. The MC, television actor and QJC board member Ariel Ifergan, said the evening was a celebration of openness and dialogue. It was funded by the Alex and Ruth Dworkin Foundation.

LEBANON NOW PLAYING

The acclaimed Israeli film Lebanon, based on its director, Samuel Maoz’s experience as a young soldier in the First Lebanon War in 1982, is now playing in Montreal cinemas with English and French subtitles.

Jeff Itcush, a Bialik High School teacher and Quebec Jewish Congress board member, has been nominated as the NDP candidate for Mount Royal riding in the next election. Itcush is a past president of the Federation of Teachers of Jewish Schools and a veteran union negotiator…
Jeannette Moscovitch, who founded the Canadian Cultural Programmes and for many years promoted Canadian authors and the love of literature, has published her first book. The Expatriate is a “docu-novel” about two German citizens, one Jewish and the other posing as such, who flee Germany after World War II.The Jewish Hermann Baumbach is eager to start a new life in Canada, while Capt. Janos von Heissel, under the alias Jaakob Kesselmann, is also looking to turn the page, but for a very different reason. He was a Nazi and is being sought for war crimes by the Nuremberg court. He adopts a Jewish identity and settles in Argentina. The two men meet on a trans-Atlantic crossing and become friends, promising to stay in touch after they disembark in Halifax. Moscovitch says that although the characters are fictitious, most incidents in the book occurred.