About Town: March 3

Thursday, March 3


21ST CENTURY SPIRITUALITY

CJAD host Tommy Schnurmacher and lawyer Richard Dermer talk about finding spirituality in the 21st century, 8 p.m., Chabad NDG, as part of its “Ready to Jewgle?” lecture series. Call 514-686-6770.

Friday, March 4

SEPHARDI SHABBATON
Yeshiva University Sephardi and Iranian studies prof Daniel Tsadik and Rabbi Moshe Tessone take part in a Sephardic Heritage Shabbaton, starting with Shabbat dinner and continuing March 5 at the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue with an 8 p.m. concert ushering in the month of Adar (Sheini) with the Oriental Orchestra. Call Linda at 514-737-3695.

ETHIOPIAN JEWISH HISTORY
The history of Ethiopian Jewry “past and present” will be presented 10 a.m., Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors. Call Joyce for details, 514-342-1234, ext. 7318.

Saturday, March 5


SNOWSHOE UNDER STARS

Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors holds an evening of snowshoeing under the stars, starting at 5 p.m. at Beaver Lake. Registration is mandatory. Call Stefani at 514-342-1234, ext. 7201.

POET ON MIDDLE EAST
Host Leslie Lutsky interviews Endre Farkas about his book length video-poem on the Middle East conflict, Blood is Blood, on Jewish Digest, 8:30 a.m. on Radio Centre-Ville, 102.3 FM.

Sunday, March 6


BUILD A FAMILY TREE

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal holds its regular Sunday Morning Family Tree Workshop, 10 a.m.-noon at the Jewish Public Library. Call the JGS hotline at 514-484-0969.

WOMEN’S ROSH CHODESH
Women and children are welcome at a Women’s Rosh Chodesh service for the month of Adar Sheini, 9:30 a.m. at the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue. Call Shelley at 514-489-9094, or Barbara at 514-683-4926.

Monday, March 7

‘BLOOD IS BLOOD’
Canadian Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights’ annual general meeting, 7:15 p.m. at Congregation Dorshei Emet, is followed by a screening of the video-poem Blood is Blood, a depiction of two poets, Emre Farkas and Carolyn Marie Souaid, who confront the truth and each other over the “destructive reality” of the Mideast conflict. Call 514-489-5651.

YIDDISH SONG AND DANCE
Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors’ West Island Prime Time Division screens the Yiddish film, To Sing and to Laugh, with the Israeli Yiddish Theatre’s Anat Azmon and Yakov Bodo, 1:30 p.m., 96 Roger Pilon in DDO. Call Ellen Tock at 514-624-5005, ext. 230.

KOSHER SUSHI

Try making kosher sushi, 7-9 p.m. at the YM-YWHA Ben Weider JCC. For details, call Elina at 514-737-6551, ext. 240.

Tuesday, March 8

MÉDIAS QUÉBÉCOIS
Châtelaine Magazine’s Lise Ravary discusses the role of women in Quebec media, as guest of Ghila Sroka’s L’Institut Québécois du Judaïsme Laïque’s French-language series on Learning and Understanding Quebec, 7 p.m. at the Gelber Conference Centre. Co-sponsored with Federation CJA’s Gen J. Call 514-737-2666.

IS THE TALMUD ZIONISTIC?
Kollel Torah Mitzion director Eddie Shostak asks whether the Talmud is “Zionistic,” at a 7:30 p.m. French-language talk at Gelber Conference Centre sponsored by  Sonia Sarah Lipsyc’s Aleph Centre d’Études Juives Contemporaines and the Communauté Sépharade Unifiée du Québéc. Call 514-733-4998, ext. 3159.

ISRAELI FILM
The award-winning Israeli film Lemon Tree is the attraction at a Beth Ora Seniors meeting, 1:30 p.m. Call 514-342-1234, ext. 7316.

Wednesday, March 9


SEARCHING AUTHENTICITY

Author and architect Avi Friedman speaks on his latest book, A Place in the Mind: The Search for Authenticity, at the 5:30 p.m. Canada Council for the Arts Literary Readings with Wine Reception at the Jewish Public Library. The book is the produce of Friedman’s continuing quest to seek out environments and spaces that serve both the community and the soul. Registration a must, at 514-345-6416, or 514-345-2627, ext. 3017.

HAITI HAMANTASHEN
Today’s the deadline to order Hamantashen for Haiti (H4H) and mishloach manot baskets through Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom to benefit victims of the January 2010 earthquake. All funds raised will be sent to Montreal-based Kanpe and will be matched by the Grammy-winning rock group Arcade Fire. Place your order with Zak at 514-909-5241, or e-mail [email protected].

TOMMY & THE RABBI

CJAD’s Tommy Schnurmacher interviews Chabad’s Rabbi Moshe New on everything from euthanasia to women’s rights to Lady Gaga, 8 p.m. at the Montreal Torah Centre. Call 514-739-0770.

DIALOGUE JUDÉO-CHRÉTIEN
Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom holds a French-language discussion between Rabbi Leigh Lerner and Jean Duhaime on Judeo-Christian relations. RSVP with Thérèse Klein at 514-739-2103.

Thursday, March 10


WHO THE JEW ARE YOU?

The Jewish Public Library, in collaboration with Shtetl on the Shortwave, present Who the Jew Are You?, Alan Goldman’s film on Jewish identity, followed by a discussion, 7 p.m. at the Ewola Cinema, 3981 St. Lawrence Blvd. Reserve at 514-345-6416, or 514-345-2627, ext. 3006.

…Et Cetera…


DRUG PREVENTION

Federation CJA’s Agence Ometz, Concordia University Applied Human Sciences, and English Montreal School Board (EMSB) Human Services are partners in a pilot project called Kids Can!, a six-session drug prevention and education program for elementary schools also involving teachers and parental focus groups. Six EMSB schools have signed on to the initiative, which is being funded by Health Canada. Agence Ometz participation is from project co-ordinator Heidi Hutman and clinical director Barbara Victor. Another 30 schools will eventually participate through the 2012-13 school year.

TORAH TRAINERS
The Jewish Education Program (JEP) offers free “personal Torah trainers,” partners for individuals who can learn Torah by telephone or face-to-face. Call 514-737-3086.

TEA & TALK
Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors’ West Island division, Prime Time, hosts a Tea and Talk “friendly discussion” group, Mondays, 1-3 p.m. at 96 Roger Pilon in DDO. Call 514-624-5005, ext. 230.

AKIVA TREES
Akiva School Grade 6 students Jared Boretsky, Elliot Grenier, and Zachary Sone recently spearheaded a school-wide Tu b’Shvat fundraising campaign that raised $18,000, enough to replant a Jewish National Fund “Akiva Grove” of 1,000 trees in Israel’s Mount Carmel forest, which was devastated by fire last December.

PARSHAH SHIUR
Kollel Torah Mitzion holds a weekly Tuesday evening shiur with Rav Nadav Levin delving into the parshah of the week, 8 p.m. at Hebrew Academy’s Lieberman Beit Midrash, 5700 Kellert Ave. Call 514-486-5718.