Words of Wisdom

As a birthright madrich (leader) it is my passion to educate, mentor and inspire my participants. But it is more often than not that it is my participants who inspire and teach me. 

Following tragic news Natalie Roz, a participant of mine wrote these powerful and moving words: 

"Having met the soldiers in Israel I really hope it gave everyone a perspective into a different world. We were fortunate enough to meet 8 incredible soldiers. I personally connected really well with Daniel Raz who is currently serving in the Hevron (West Bank). Yesterday there was an exchange of fire between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Daniel's best friend fell in this exchange fire. He was also 20 years old. Nadav Rotenberg died trying to protect the Jewish people, his homeland- The state of Israel.

He just like me and you, had hopes, dreams, plans for the future. Has a mother, a father , a sister and two brothers waiting for him to return home. Has friends that all love him very much. But he will no longer be able to be a part of their life. He gave his life for the sole purpose of protecting all those he loves and cares most about.

We are so fortunate to be living in Canada. A country at peace with its neighbours, please never forget that. Please kindly take a second out of your day to realize that yet another soldier as young as 20 has been buried in another Israeli cemetery. This is not the end... this is not even the middle...

As a Jew you have an obligation to your fellow Jews. Never forget where you're from and who/what it took to get you here. As you and I return home and are faced to deal with our realities. The soldiers we met, are forced to return and deal with theirs.

My thoughts and prayers are with Daniel and the Rotenberg family."

Some comments from the group to which Daniel Raz responded:

"Hey guys! A huge thank you from me and his family. They also wanted to say that they are happy his name got so far to Canada and his story will be told. We are not taking that for granted.. Thank you all!"

• • 

    Emma Tiffin mine too.

    January 9 at 5:38pm · 
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    Julie Weisz gum ani. As are mine.

    January 9 at 5:39pm · 
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    Tammy Rosner My love goes out to you, Daniel.

    January 9 at 5:47pm · 
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    Daniel Avner R.I.P.

    January 9 at 5:57pm · 
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    Natalie R. Roz http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/he-didn-t-have-to-be-there-1.335960

    January 9 at 5:59pm · 
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    Betsy K. thank you to all the soldiers who fight to keep us safe

    January 9 at 6:31pm · 
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    Jamie Matin so sorry Daniel

    January 9 at 7:00pm · 
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    Samantha Leviston my deepest sympathies go out to Nadav's friends and family.

    January 9 at 7:15pm · 
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    Sharon Rachel Terner I'm so sorry Daniel. My condolences. I hope you are alright. We are always here for u. We're all family now, so if u ever need us we're a fb msg, phone call away!

    January 9 at 8:30pm · 
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    Daniel Galperin I hope, for the sake of all the soldiers currently in the IDF and those that will be, that this kind of event does not repeat itself, and that everyone who knew Nadav could continue on with their lives after this.

    January 9 at 10:00pm · 
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    Ben Buiumovici Mesteacăn My deepest sympathies. I'm sick of our soldiers dieing needlessly. They are doing the bravest and most noble thing in the world.

    January 9 at 10:03pm · 
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    Elise Loterman Baruch Dayan Emet.

    January 9 at 11:43pm · 
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    Stefanie Shatsky rest in peace ♥

    January 10 at 12:35am · 
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    Hadara Gill Yashar Koach, Natalie. Your words are heart warming.

    January 10 at 3:55am ·  ·  3 people
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    Dean Medina Thank you Natalie for these words

    January 10 at 9:35am · 
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    Lauren Kaufman rest in peace

    January 10 at 10:49am · 
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    Adi Ginzburg rest in peace

    January 10 at 3:23pm · 
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    Shanelle Goodman R.I.P.

    January 10 at 3:49pm · 

Boardwalk Empire & My Jewish Connection to the Mob (Part II)

Written by: Dave Goodman

Hard picture huh?  Not really, but the majesty of photo booth on a macbook does wonders for my cigar smoking prowess.  In January 2009 I became wildly fascinated with cigars, which coincided with a work mission to Havana, Cuba.  Big coincidence, I know.  

Two years back I also developed great interest in the dealings of the Jewish mob, and, how I may not have explored the world of Jewish communal work had it not been for the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro in the 1950's.

Meyer Lansky being brought in by FBI in 70's

I dabbled around the topic in 2009, growing a profound interest in a man name Meyer Lansky, who basically took over the New York Jewish mafia after the death of Arnold Rothstein in 1928.  Lansky was doing a ton of 'business' in hotels and casinos in Miami, Las Vegas and ultimately, Havana, Cuba, which became a booming market for tourism, and more importantly, a hotbed for illegal activity that could not be controlled by the FBI.  

Portrayed as the fictitious character and Jewish Mobster in the Godfather Part II, Hyman Roth, who does business with Michael Corleone; Meyer Lansky inspired one of the best mob film storyline's in our time.  

Hyman Roth (Lansky) & Michael Corleone in Miami
scheming in Godfather Part II

So you are probably asking yourself, what the hell does Meyer Lansky or Hyman Roth or Havana have to do with Dave Goodman?  To tell you the truth, not so much.  But ever since Boardwalk Empire premiered this year, and Meir Lansky made his start under Arnold Rothstein in NYC, it resurrected my interest in the Jewish players in the mob game.

My family business record is squeaky clean (I thought).  However, aside from my Papa's twin-brothers who were both thrown in the slammer for mob-related activity back in the glory days, my Papa was doing quite well in the Hotel business.

That is, until his twin-bros met this man named Meyer Lansky who convinced them to be investors in the Havana Riviera Hotel in Cuba.  This was the very same hotel and casino resort that was envisioned in Godfather II.  Great Success! Well, not so much.  On paper it looked like a fool-proof plan.  The newest and best hotel in Cuba; backed by lots of North American money in the 50's to hit the booming tourist destination of Havana;  the first hotel with central air conditioning!  In the first year of operations, it was THE destination to hit. 

Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, Eva Rodriguez, Joe Lewis and Rocky Marciano were some of the who's who that frequented the Riviera.  Did I mention the central air conditioning?  

Here's a photo of my Grammy and Papa in their prime clubbing and casino days. Ahhh yes, times were good in the 50's, and future Dave Goodman was on his way to becoming a part-owner in the Riviera until tragedy struck (Capitalist Cuba that is).  Guerilla fighters of Castro's Communist movement closed in on Bautista's government and took over Havana in 1958.  

Castro and Crew outside the Riviera taking over shop in 1958

The dream of Jewish mob control in the city was lost and Lansky and almost all of his assets that were sunk into the Riviera mega project was finished.  More importantly, my new found dream (in 2009) to become a hotel heir ala Paris Hilton was also lost.

That did not stop me from smoking a Cohiba on the lobby floor of the Riviera thinking of what could have been in January 2009 (I may or may not have been crying).  Very mobster of me huh?  Perhaps I was not cut out for the Jewish mob.

The BAC Crew in the Hotel Riviera Lobby after a few Mojhitos and Rum & Cokes

This is my gorgeous grandmother, Evie Smith,
shown here on the diving board of the Hotel Riviera Pool in the 50's.
Below, is her grandson on the very same diving board some 50 odd years later.
The dream lives on!

My Five Jew Do Music Makers

By: Dean Medina 




These are some of the greats who really changed my life musically in no particular order:

 1. Sammy Davis Junior

A member of Frank Sinatra's infamous "Rat Pack" 

A convert to Judaism, when asked what his handicap was on the golf course he made a comment that became his signature: "Handicap?" he asked. "Talk about handicap — I'm a one-eyed Negro Jew."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5voM2HExV_Q

Oh Mr. Bonjangles

2. Guster

One of my favorite bands that just happens to be pretty much all Jewish

When asked if the band is Jewish Brian, the band's percussionist replied:

“Rather than answer this one with a simple yes/no, we suggest you check the following sources for clues: 1) Brian’s last name – ‘Rosenworcel.’ 2) Any photo of Ryan where you can see his profile. 3) The Guster Backstage Contract Rider, where we stipify (sic) that ‘the dressing room must be furnished with plenty of borscht, noodle kugels, potato latkes, gefilte fish and homemade rugulah for dessert.”

My favorite song "Amsterdam"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0TQVbiWeEs

3. Simon and Garfunkel

I saw them in concert when they came to town a number of years ago and they sound just as good as they did 30 years ago. Paul Simon's unparalleled song writing mixed with the angelic voice of Garfunkel = the greatest duo in music history

Feelin' Groovy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KZi-aV0VTk

Garfunklin! Flight of the Conchords

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUd71o9nWGM

4. Leonard Cohen

Probably one of the greatest songwriters ever.

 Wrote what is probably my favorite all-time song: Hallelujah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q

Check out Jeff Buckley's version (this is really my favorite)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4

and last but not least... 

5. Bob Dylan

Definitely the greatest hair in the music biz along with Garfunkel. 

Ranked by the Rolling Stone Magazine as the greatest song of all time:

"Like a Rolling Stone"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk3mAX5xdxo

SO GOOD!!! 

Eight Nights Highlights

Wooohooo!!! Wednesday night marked the official end of Chanukah and 8 Crazy Nights. Here are some highlights from the incredible events that went on around the city.

By: Dean Medina

SoCalled rocked the House @ Mod Club

Alana Kayfetz comes in peace @ SoCalled

Saturday Night we jam-packed LOL Resto Lounge with over 400 Jews from all over T.O. for our annual Chanukah Party!!!

Check out the video here: http://animoto.com/play/y1R9S0fUVqoek1w1W3vixA

Beautiful people abound!

Community Connect came to represent

Our very own Andy Lucacescu and his band The Apollo Effect blew us all away!

One Fell Swoop followed

As I said, the place was PACKED

Booze, music and good times 

We slowed things down Tuesday night with Latka making... Check out this sizzle: 

All about the people! 

Lending a helping hand

Squeeze that potato ball!!! 

We also celebrated a couple of birthdays. Only got the last couple of seconds though :p

We finished off the craziness with the first of it's kind Games Night @ JUMP

 Go Sparky!!! 

I really wanted the girl to win

What an AMAZING Chanukah

SEE YOU ALL AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!!

A Story Worth A Read...

Written By: Melissa Zeller

A couple weeks ago I recieved an email to get in touch with former Birthright participant Adriana Katzman to help her get more involved in the Jewish community. Going into the meeting, I simply thought we were going to discuss some different programs Adriana could be apart of or committees she could sit on. However, little did I know that this meeting would leave me as the listener. Adriana stole the spotlight...

Adriana (26 years old) worked at a bank for two years after completing univeristy. One day, a colleague of hers forwarded her an online job posting to work at RBC on the Olympic Torch Relay in the lead up to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Since Adriana was truly passionate about sports and had always been a dedicated athlete she thought "what the hell" and applied for the job. After 6 rounds of long tedious interviews, Adriana got the job.

After completing the planning and organizing stages for this journey, Adriana had the opportunity to travel across the country to ensure that the Olympic Torch Relay went off without a hitch. The entire journey was 106 days, 45000 kms and invovled traveling through 1036 communitues. While Adriana encountered thousands of different people and heard all of their great stories, the last torchbearer of the entire relay, Karen, is truly responsible for impacting Adriana.

The 2010 Torch Relay



Even though Adriana heard thousands of different stories, she asked Karen how she was selected to carrying the Olympic Torch and this is her story...

Karen is Jewish, and a former Olympian. In 1972, she was a member of the Canadian Olympic team at the Munich Summer Games. Karen was 19, and a swimmer ready to compete in the 200-metre individual medley. She finished fourth in her heat, and 17th or 18th overall, she can't remember which. The memory of her exact standing has faded with time.

What has not faded from the 57-year-old's memory is what happened after her swim.

"With my event done, I went out that night with a group of other swimmers. There were four of us, and we had gone to the press building to watch the Canada-Russia hockey series. By the time we got back to the athletes' village, it was 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., and we didn't want to go through the main gate -- it was on the other side of the compound -- so we said, 'Let's just climb the chain link fence.' It was a different world then, and the security was really lax, almost non-existent, really. So we climbed the fence."

It was the morning of Sept. 4. And while the four Canadians were climbing, a group of men saw them and joined them. They were clearly not dressed as athletes, but neither Karen nor her three companions thought anything of it at the time. The young, unsuspecting group said nothing.

They did not report the men to authorities.

The next day, Karen awoke to the sound of helicopters overhead. She saw the drama unfold in the building across from her -- police on rooftops, camera crews everywhere, and armed men in balaclavas.

The gunmen were the men that climbed the fence with Karen and her companions, the men who murdered 11 Israeli athletes in the ensuing tragedy, were members of Black September, a militant group with ties to Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization. 

As noted, Adriana met countless people who made an impression on her, however, spending her last moments on the relay with Karen truly changed her life. It was hearing Karen's story that solidifed her dream of visiting Israel. Her experience on the torch relay allowed her to understand the significane of being Canadian but also left her with the desire to learn more about what it means to be Jewish.

Adriana during the Torch Relay

Adriana's dream of learning more about what it means to be Jewish was fulfilled when was granted the amazing opportuntiy to go on Birthright this past August.

Adriana in Israel





Getting Bac 2 Fashion

Written by: Dave Goodman

2.5 years ago, Jen Weisz & Jordan Morra came to the UJA offices at Lipa Green Center with a plan to make an impact through fashion.  Today, we have 4 new volunteer chairs and over 26 young Jewish adults sitting on a volunteer committee to help transform the lives of vulnerable Jewish seniors through our 3rd annual charity dance/fashion show in June 2011.

What is 'BAC 2 FASHION'?

Well the 'BAC' is a play on words for 'back'.  We are looking 'back' so to speak.  But since the initiative was founded by two Birthright Israel Alumni Community leaders, we scooped the acronym BAC and threw the '2' in there (meaning 'to') and the rest is history.  Funky stuff huh?  Thanks.

B2F 2011 Concept

If you happened to catch HBO's 'Shmatta' two part series last spring, you would learn all about the integral role that Jewish immigrants had in the garment sector in the 20th century.  We owned the runways, we ran the sweatshops, we schlepped the goods...North American fashion at at it's core had Jewish influence on it everywhere you looked.  In many ways, it still does today.  From designer brands run by Joseph Mimran (JOE Fresh) or Ralph Lipshitz (Lauren) to up and coming break out clothing designers like Jay Godfrey and Erin Kleinberg, Jewish influence in the fashion industry is still thriving! 


So for 2011, we decided to roll with the concept of looking BAC on Jewish influence in fashion and recognizing the efforts of the Jewish pioneers in the industry, while showcasing the incredible Jewish talent coming out of Toronto today.

B2F 2010 Promo @ Six Degrees Nightclub (by: Corbin Visual).

I think what makes B2F a significant volunteer outlet in our community is the tie-in we are trying to facilitate with the cause.  Since we are looking back on fashion and recognizing the great Jewish pioneers in the industry, it is the very same people that form the 'seniors' demographic.  In Toronto alone, by 2011 they estimate that almost 30,000 people will be categorized as 'seniors', 20% of which live below the poverty line.  Another staggering finding is that almost 1/3 of these individuals are Holocaust survivors.

BAC 2 Fashion net proceeds ($35,000+ was raised in 2010) will go towards UJA Federation of Toronto Seniors initiatives that provide amazing services to this vulnerable sector of our Toronto Jewish community.  From providing basic necessities, to facilitating the social opportunities that will keep our seniors out of isolation and depression, BAC 2 Fashion committee members will be living the cause and volunteering with Jewish seniors throughout the year leading up to the event and hopefully beyond.  How's that for a tie-in?!

So we have our hands full and we have super strong Volunteer Chairs for 2011, so without any further ado, here are our ladies with the plan:

Jess Taylor, 2010 Co-Chair & 2011 Volunteer Co-Chair

Raquel Binder, 2011 Volunteer Co-Chair

Lisa Steele, 2011 Volunteer Co-Chair

Julie Goldstein, 2011 Volunteer Co-Chair

Stay tuned for more updates on who else will be showcased in this great event and how we are trying to change a few lives with our efforts in the Jewish seniors community across Toronto (Bathurst St.).

Happy Chanukah!!

Tis the season: The best of Hanukkah gifts!

Written by: Alana Kayfetz

Tis the season of Jewish gift giving! Hanukkah is my favorite time of year. Judah Maccabee, the rockstar of the Hunukkah story, gave the gift of reclaiming worship in the temple. I am inspired by Judah Maccabee to out gift, out wrap and out present the best gift givers around. I enjoy giving gifts to strangers as well as close friends.  Hanukkah puts people in the gift giving mood- this is why I love toy drives for the holidays. I was blown away this past weekend when I received a massive donation of toys for the Driedel Drive:

Donations to Jewish Family and Child Services from Jake Gigantic Give!

When it comes to personal gifting, I take pride that I have known someone well enough to create joy in their life with a simple present. This is facilitated through the thoughtfulness of an item I have selected for their pleasure. As a child, I had a habit of giving my friends my toys- It is a running sibling joke that I had to buy my friends in kindergarten. The truth is that gift giving is an art.  Here is some of the highlights from our office Hanukkah Harry $10 gift Exchange:


Shirs received Bay Mittens ( from me!) 

Check out Dave's New Bride/Groom flip flops (Great Job Lior!)



Ali knows Mel well enough to give her the greatest gift of all: an express Manicure!



Lior is very excited about his gift card to Starbucks ( Dave, I assure you is a better gift giver than this, but he was busy proposing over the weekend. David, you are excused.)

Ali is smiling big with her fish from Dean - Enough said! 

Photo not available
Dean received an amazing Office survival kit filled with candies and Advil! Great gift Shira!

A gift that keeps on giving- Mel surprised me with Jelly Beans. Great for sharing in the office!

When you are doing your gift shopping, remember that a gift it more about the thought than the item. Judah Maccabee was a leader amongst the Jewish people. You can be a leader too by giving the gift of Hanukkah.  Remember to live generously this holiday season! There are tons of kids that go without Hanukkah gifts. You can help out by donating to Jewish Family and Child Services.  

Gift cards and monetary donations are especially needed and should be delivered/mailed to: Leah Marmer | JF&CS | 4600 Bathurst St., 1st Floor | M2R 3V3 For more information please call 416.638.7800 x 6312 | or email lmarmer@jfandcs.com

Happy Hanukkah everyone!