Saturday, Sept. 7
BEDOUIN ACTIVIST
Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, one of the most prominent and praised figures in Israel for her work on behalf of its Bedouin community and Bedouin women, will speak Sept. 7 at the Reconstuctionist Synagogue, Dorshei Emet. Alh’jooj is co-executive director of the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development and was one of only two Bedouin women at the time to attend Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She also earned a master of arts in community development at McGill University before returning to Israel.
Monday, Sept. 9
MOUNT SINAI AGM
The Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary holds its annual general meeting and installation, 12-2 p.m., 5690 Cavendish Blvd. Barbara Schneider, 514-369-2222, ext. 133.
Tuesday, Sept. 10
NA’AMAT OPENING
Na’amat Canada Montreal holds its opening event of the season with the installation of Jennifer Solomon as Montreal council president, 7:30-10 p.m., at the Sheraton Hotel Dorval, 555 rue McMillan. Guest speaker is Westmount–Ville-Marie Liberal MP Marc Garneau. Lisa, 514-484-0252.
Thursday, Sept. 12
CRB HONOURED BY JCF
Community leader and philanthropist Charles Bronfman will be honoured as man of the year at the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal’s invitation-only annual general meeting, 5-7 p.m. at the Gelber Conference Centre. Bronfman, 82, former owner of the Montreal Expos and co-founder of Birthright Israel who worked for 50 years at Seagram’s, founded by his father, Sam, will discuss his latest book, The Art of Doing Good. Details at 514-345-6414 or [email protected].
Sunday, Sept. 15
SUPER SUNDAY
Super Sunday, the day that volunteers canvass the community by phone for Federation CJA’s annual Combined Jewish Appeal campaign, takes place at the Gelber Centre. Call 514-735-3541.
CURRENT EVENTS
Educator Hershey Dwoskin discusses current events at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim’s Sunday at the Shaar lunch and lecture at noon. Reservations required. Call 514-937-9471, ext. 139.
Monday, Sept. 16
BARBARA KAY BOOK
Iconoclastic columnist and essayist Barbara Kay of the National Post will be on hand for the launch of her book, Acknowledgements, 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Public Library (Kay is a former president of the JPL). She’ll be interviewed by her son, Jonathan, editor of the newspaper’s editorial page and a prominent columnist himself, and will be introduced by CJAD talk-show host Tommy Schnurmacher. Call 514-345-2627.
BIBA STUDENT PROGRAM
An information session on Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation’s Jewish Life Program, a Jewish learning program started last year for children not attending Jewish day schools, takes place 7-8 p.m. at the synagogue. The emphasis of the program, which begins Oct. 15, is “hands-on” learning and providing positive Jewish experiences for kids by exposing them to Jewish ritual and tradition and building connections to Israel, the Jewish world, Jewish history, and the Jewish community. Two classes are held Tuesday evenings, 6-7:30 p.m.: a “junior” one for grades 3 and 4, and a “senior” one for grades 5 and 6. The program, deemed a “huge hit” in its inaugural year, also offers pizza dinners, outings and a warm and engaging environment. For details or to register, call 514-487-1323, or email [email protected].
Tuesday, Sept. 17
GILAD SCHALIT
Gilad Schalit, the former Israel Defence Forces soldier who spent five years as a captive of the terror group Hamas until his release in 2011 in a story that captured world headlines , expresses his gratitude to the Jewish community for its support, 7:30 p.m., Congregation Shaar Hashomayim. The event is part of a speaking tour sponsored by JNF Canada. Each $18 ticket purchased earns the right to send one “e-tree” card. Call 934-0313, or visit www.jnf.ca/Gilad.
STE-SOPHIE REVISITED
Flourishing Jewish life a century ago in the lower Laurentian towns of Ste-Sophie–St-Lin and New Glasgow, about 65 km from Montreal, will be discussed by Freddy Rudy, Murray Goodz, and Pearl Zaritsky Cooper at a Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal lecture meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Public Library. All three grew up there in families that were prominent in the general community and attended Sir Wilfred Laurier School in New Glasgow at a time when its entire school board was Jewish. Call the JGS Hotline, 514-484-0969, or visit www.jgs-montreal.org.
FROSHASHANA!
Hillel holds its fifth annual back-to-school Froshashana and barbecue, 6-11 p.m. at Hillel House, 3460 Stanley St. Elyse Kumer, 514-845-9171.
AGM@JGH
The Jewish General Hospital holds its 79th annual general meeting, 5 p.m. in the Samuel S. Cohen Auditorium (A-102), 3755 Cote Ste. Catherine Rd. Marisa Rodi, [email protected].
TELETHON SEPHARADE
Combined Jewish Appeal’s Campagne Sepharade holds a telethon at Federation CJA, 6-8 p.m. Nina Assedo, 514-345-2545, ext. 2660.
…Et Cetera…
SURVIVORS’ BOOK FAIR
Excerpts from the memoirs of three local Holocaust survivors were read at last month’s third Montreal Survivors Memoirs Book Fair, held at the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre. Marguerite Quddus read from her memoir, Cachée, while Michael Kutz read from If, By Miracle, and Michael Nehemia read from his late grandfather Benjamin Kujawski’s memoir, My Long Road to Freedom. As well, for the first time at the book fair, a child of survivors, S. Nadja Zajdman, read from her own memoir, Bent Branches. All the memoirs were published by a variety of sources, including the families themselves as well as the the Azrieli Foundation and the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada, the event’s co-sponsor.
TOP GERIATRIC UNIT
The extensively renovated Cons Family Geriatric Unit at the Jewish General Hospital is garnering high praise for its use of “progressive design” in enhancing compassionate care, the hospital says. The unit features a cozy lounge/dining room, a rehabilitation room, and a private washing machine and dryer. It proves that proper care for seniors involves more than just top medical care, said JGH geriatrics director Dr. Ruby Friedman. “That’s why such great care was taken with so many details of design and decor.”
JEWISH FOOD TRUCK
Montreal native Michael Israel and his wife Emily, now of California, were featured in the Aug. 18 episode of Chopped! on the Food Network. Israel authors the Kosher Bacon food blog on the jewishjournal.com website, and the couple have a Los Angeles-area food truck called MOE Eggrolls that features kosher Montreal-style egg rolls. On Chopped!, it was vying for best food truck honours.