Thursday, Oct. 24
PLAY READING
The Marriage Contract, a hilarious comedy set in Tel Aviv in the 1950s, is presented by the Playreading Ensemble, directed by Aviva Ravel, at the Eleanor London Côte St. Luc Public Library at 7 p.m. 514-485-6900.
Saturday, Oct. 26
JEWISH SONGS
Hélene Engel and Abby Geiger perform Jewish songs from around the world at Au Bistro Mousse Café, 2522 Beaubien St. E., at 9 p.m. 514-376-8265.
DANCE IN PROGRESS
Dancer Caroline Gravel stages the creation she is working on at the Segal Centre at 8:30 p.m. She’s exploring the effect of the plasticity of the body on the senses and emotions. Free admission.
Sunday, Oct. 27
FALL FAIR
The Jewish General Hospital Auxiliary holds its Fall Fair, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Pavilion Auditorium. Continues on Monday at the same time. Proceeds go to buy a fibroscan unit for the department of gastroenterology. 514-340-8216.
VOULEZ-VOUS…?
The 2012 French film Would You Have Sex With an Arab? directed by Yolande Zauberman will be screened at Cinéma du Parc, 9 p.m. She toured the night clubs of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with camera in hand asking people whether they would have sex with an Arab or Jewish Israeli, as the case may be. The screening is part of the annual Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal. www.festivalarabe.com.
AFTERNOON OF SONG
Cantor Gideon Zelermyer and director of music Stephen Glass offer a program of Broadway, Israeli, opera and cantorial songs after a Leisure Institute lunch at noon at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim. Reservations, 514-937-9471, ext. 139.
FRIENDLY WALK
The Friendship Circle, which serves special-needs children and their families, holds a Walk 4 Friendship at Côte St. Luc’s Trudeau Park, noon to 4 p.m., to raise funds and awareness. Choice of a 2-km walk or 5-km run. Register at http://walk4friendship.ca.
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
Rabbi Ronnie Fine and Pesach Nussbaum begin a course “Life in the Balance,” 7:30 p.m. at Chabad Queen Mary. They address ethical dilemmas posed by modern medicine from a Jewish perspective. Also offered starting Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 31 at noon. [email protected].
Monday, Oct. 28
ELIMINATING WORRY
Laibl Wolf of Australia, described as a “mix of Deepak Chopra and Anthony Robbins,” speaks on “How to Eliminate Worry and Anxiety Through Mindful Living and Retraining of the Brain,” at Chabad of Westmount, now in Westmount Square 4, Suite 110, at 7 p.m. A psychologist, he also draws on the Kabbalah. Tickets, [email protected].
CRAFT SALE
The Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors holds a craft and jewelry sale, noon to 7 p.m., with an intergenerational hands-on craft activity 4-6 p.m. Sale continues Oct. 29, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Riva Fenster, 514-342-1234, ext. 7269.
Tuesday, Oct. 29
AUTHOR SPEAKS
Rabbi Jeff Salkin, author of Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah, gives two lectures at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom: at noon on “Fixing the Broken Hallelujah”, an examination of the Jewish influences in Leonard Cohen’s songs; and, at 7 p.m., “What They Never Taught Us in Religious School: What are Judaism’s Most Controversial Teachings, and Why Don’t We Talk About Them More Often?” [email protected].
ON CHAIM WEIZMANN
Jehuda Reinharz, Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History at Brandeis University, speaks on “Chaim Weizmann: Statesman Without a State,” at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim at 8 :30 p.m. Preceded by talks by Rabbis Adam Scheier and Mark Fishman on, respectively, family life and Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai at 7:30 p.m. 514-937-9471.
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Brenda Ajzenkopf discusses her book Second Hand Shoes at a meeting of the Canadian Hadassah-WIZO Golda Meir Chapter at the Chevra Mishnais Jacob Josef Synagogue in Chomedey at 1 p.m. Reservations, Evie Applebee, president, 450-681-9342.
LITERARY BREAKFAST
Larry Weller reviews On Canaan’s Side by Sebastian Barry at the Auxiliary of Mount Sinai hospital Literary Breakfast Club at Congregation Beth-El at 9:30 a.m. Tickets, 514-369-2222, ext. 1337.
ELLENBOGEN LAUNCH
Montreal-born poet George Ellenbogen of Boston launches his memoir Stone in My Shoe: In Search of Neighbourhood (Véhicule Press) at the Gelber Conference Centre at 7:30 p.m.
…Et Cetera…
Jennifer Solomon was installed as the new president of Na’amat Canada Montreal, succeeding Mindy Spiegel, at a gala evening at the Sheraton Centre in Dorval. Westmount-Ville Marie MP Marc Garneau, Canada’s first astronaut, was guest speaker.
In appreciation, Solomon presented him with a donation in his honour to Hope Air, a charity that arranges free flights for Canadians who can’t otherwise afford to travel to medical care they need within the country, as well as another that will provide snacks for a month to a Na’amat daycare in Israel.
A Na’amat volunteer for nine years, Solomon works at the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies at Concordia University. The evening also saw the premiere of a new Na’amat Canada public service announcement featuring American actor Mayim Bialik, of The Big Bang Theory fame.
HONOURS AND MORE
Bernard Stotland, president from 2009-2011, was presented with the Jewish General Hospital’s Distinguished Service Award at its recent annual general meeting. Stotland was instrumental in the JGH receiving government approval for the construction of Pavilion K and developing partnerships with other health care institutions. He’s also known for “going down into the trenches” to understand the needs of staff and patients and the hospital’s operations… Bill Schreiber was honoured by the Canadian Ski Patrol, Laurentian Zone, for his 50-year service, only one of four volunteers to reach that milestone. He said the care he received from the ski patrol when he had a serious ski accident in 1961 motivated him to become a patroller himself…
Les couleurs du Québec, an exhibition of the paintings of Abe Pinchuk is on at the Gemst gallery until Oct. 26. Pinchuk, 84, has been painting for 65 years, and has been more productive than ever since he retired from business in 2005.