In The Ottawa Community
* = New item this week
Community Events and Announcements
Virtual Tour of City of David/Silwan with archaeologist Yonathan Mizrachi, Founder and CEO of Emek Shaveh, May 2, 2021, 11:00 am ET. Archaeology has become a political tool in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Emek Shaveh is an Israeli NGO working against this trend and to ensure heritage sites are used to build bridges between the two peoples rather than deepen divisions. In this video tour, Yonathan guides us through the City of David National Park, situated in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan. We learn what archaeological remains can tell us about the history of Jerusalem, the social and political consequences of the park for the Palestinians living in and around it, its impact on public perceptions of Jerusalem's past, present and future, and its implications for the two-state solution. The tour will be preceded by a short introduction to the geopolitics of East Jerusalem and the Old City Basin and followed by a Q & A with the audience. Register here.
* Canadian Society for Jewish Studies Annual Conference, online: Sunday May 2 through Friday May 7, 2021. All times are Eastern Time (Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal/New York). All odd-numbered panels are 10-11:30 am Eastern; the other panels are at various afternoon and evening times. To register and receive Zoom links, contact Justin Jaron Lewis, Justin_Lewis@umanitoba.ca, with CSJS in the subject line. There is no charge to attend, but all attendees are invited to consider becoming members of CSJS: http://www.csjs.ca/membership. For a list of panelists, visit http://www.csjs.ca/conference.
* JPPI’s 7th Jewish World Dialogue: The Growth of Antisemitism and its Impact on Jewish Identity, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at Noon EDT. Opening Remarks by Prof. Yedidia Stern, President, JPPI; Presentation of Findings by Dr. Shlomo Fischer and Dr. John Ruskay, Project Heads; Comments by Prof. Deborah Lipstadt, Emory University and Ambs. Dennis Ross and Stuart Eizenstat, JPPI Co-Chairs. Q & A to Follow. Click here to participate. Click here to read the report .
Register for Liberation75, a global gathering of Holocaust survivors, descendants, educators & friends, May 4-9, 2021. Dozens of discussions, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, performances, exhibits, and film screenings. All free. More information and to register at https://www.liberation75.org/
Opportunities
* Upcoming Chevrah Kadisha events and courses that may be of interest:
Journey of the Soul in the World Beyond with Reb Simcha Raphael. Wednesday April 28, 2021 8 PM EDT - Course Fee is $36USD. We shall explore Judaism’s teachings on life after death, particularly in Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism. Through discussion, storytelling and study of mystical texts, we shall explore the relevance of these teachings in dealing with the human encounter with death and the connection between Jewish teachings on the afterlife and traditional Jewish death rituals.
19th Kavod v’Nichum North American Chevrah Kadisha and Jewish Cemetery Conference. Sunday - Wednesday, June 13-16, 2021, with daily plenary and workshop sessions, informal schmoozing, and opportunities for poster sessions and “evening-like” programming. Advance rates through April 30, 2021
Harvesting Your Life – Writing Your Own Obituary with Jean Berman. Wednesday May 12 & 26, 2021, 8 - 9:30 PM EDT, Course Fee is $72 USD. What has been important as you reflect on your life. Enjoy memories, reflect on meaningful experiences, think about where you are in your life, and how you would like to be remembered. Humor, things that people don’t know about you, the flavor of telling your own story can all impact those you know. This workshop will include exploring different styles of obituaries, writing to prompts and optionally reading aloud what you have written.
For more information, www.jewish-funerals.org (note the hyphen)