About Town: Week of March 21

Thursday, March 21

 

YOUNG SEGAL LEADERS

Jean-Pierre Desrosiers, partner in the law firm Fasken Martineau, and Sébastien Barangé, communications director at CGI, both active in bringing business and the arts together, are guest interviewees at the next Segal Centre Young Leaders cocktail, 6-8 p.m. The goal is to familiarize young businesspeople and philanthropists with the Segal Centre for Performing Arts. Reservations, Aryeh Nissan, [email protected]. SCYL membership comes with a number of exclusive benefits.

 

LEONARD COHEN TRIBUTE

Dance Me to the End of On/Off Love, celebrating the music and lyrics of Leonard Cohen opens at 8 p.m. at the Centaur Theatre. It’s the North American premiere of this Danish production, directed by Palle Granhoj, who also performs the central role. This blending of theatre, dance, text and imagery continues until April 14. Tickets, 514-288-3161.

 

Friday, March 22

 

CORBER HONOURED

Deborah Corber, CEO of Federation CJA and one of the few women heading a major North American Jewish federation, will be honoured at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, 7:45 p.m., during services celebrating Jewish Women’s History Week.

 

Saturday, March 23

 

ON RADIO

Dawson College professor Sheryl Halpern discusses her new short story collection Surviving Love, on Jewish Digest, Radio Centre-Ville 102.3FM at 8:30 a.m.

 

Monday, March 25

 

INTERFAITH SEDER

The Jewish Community Centre of the Eastern Townships, will hold a bilingual interfaith seder in Sherbrooke, 6:30 p.m., on the theme “Free the Wounded Earth and Face the Pharaohs of Today.” It will be led by the centre’s Isaac Romano, Unitarian minister Carole Martignacco and Catholic priest Reegan Soosai. Reservations, [email protected].

 

Tuesday, March 26

 

SECOND SEDER

The Chevra synagogue holds a second seder for families. Reservations, Iona, 514-482-3366.

 

RICHLER REVIEW

Samuel Mercier, a doctoral student in literature at the Université du Québec à Montréal, gives a lecture titled “Cracher dans le potage communautaire: Tensions entre individu et collectivité dans l’oeuvre de Mordecai Richler,” at the Université de Montréal’s Pavillon Marguerite-d’Youville, 2375 Côte Ste. Catherine Rd., 4 p.m. It’s part of a public series on the Quebec Jewish community.

 

Thursday, March 28

 

DANCE AT SEGAL

Acclaimed choreographer Ginette Laurin and her O Vertigo Danse perform Les Petites Formes at 8 p.m. at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts – for free. This work presents the classics of the troupe’s repertoire and showcases the work of one of Canada’s most influential modern dancemakers. Reservations, 514-739-7944.

 

…Et Cetera…

 

ISRAELI DANCING

Maurice Perez leads a new Israeli dance class for beginners Wednesdays, 6:30-7:45 p.m. at the YM-YWHA Grover auditorium. Circle, line and partner dances to modern and traditional music will be taught. 514-962-1932.

 

FOR SENIORS

The Creative Social Centre, which meets at The Chevra synagogue, offers stone sculpture with Eugene Jankowki,Wednesdays 9-11:30 a.m., drawing with Susan Mott, Mondays 1:30-3:30 p.m., and mahjongg with Bryna Frankel, time to be announced. Registration, 514-488-0907.

 

ICRF HONOURS BROCK

The Israel Cancer Fund honours lawyer and cancer survivor William Brock at its 36th annual gala benefit evening, April 9 at Place des Arts. Comedians Rita Rudner and Paul Reiser star in He Said She Said. Gala co-chairs are Paul Ostrov and Gloria Richman. Tickets, 514-481-2723.

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Mount Sinai Hospital is looking for volunteers to assist in the coffee and gift shops. Three-hour shifts once a week are available. Volunteers are also needed at flexible times to help patients with meals or just to visit. Minimum age is 16 years old. 514-369-2222, ext. 1332.

 

ABERDEEN STRIKE

A graphic novel called Kids on Strike at Montreal’s Aberdeen School, 1913 will soon be off the presses. It’s co-written by historians Rod MacLeod and Mary Anne Poutanen, with artist Derek Broad. The intention is to distribute it to schools, both English and French (a translation will follow). One hundred years ago, up to 200 Jewish elementary students at the Protestant school walked out of classes to protest an antisemitic remark by a teacher. The authors believe these young strikers are an example of taking positive action for social justice, and, indeed, their walkout did lead to reforms in the school system. Poutanen and MacLeod continue to research this little-known episode and would like to hear from anyone with information about it. Email [email protected]. ca, or call 514-398-4400, ext. 089463.

 

NAZI FOOTAGE

Film footage commissioned in 1944 by the commander of Westerbork, a former Dutch refugee camp turned transit camp by the Nazis after the occupation of Holland in 1942, forms the basis of an art film by Harun Farocki on view at the SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art, 372 St. Catherine St. W., suite 507, until April 27. The original film footage was meant to showcase the efficiency of the camp. Farocki, however, contrasts this propaganda with descriptions of the reality of the death camps. www.sbcgallery.ca.

Chartered accountant Oliver Bleuer received an Honourable Citation for Good Citizenship from the Quebec government for courage. On May 7, 2011, Bleuer was walking his dog on Rielle Street in Verdun when he spotted three young men apparently shouting abuse at a young woman and surrounding her in a threatening way. He immediately went up to the aggressors and ordered them to leave her alone. They stepped back and the woman fled. That was not the end of it. Bleuer continued on his way until he reached Wellington Street, where he saw the young men, this time accompanied by others. The group jumped on him, threw him to the ground, sprayed him with an aerosol, and hit him with a baseball bat, a bottle and other objects. Bleuer lost consciousness and only came to in the ambulance taking him to the hospital, where he stayed several days. He has no regrets about intervening, however…

Côte St. Luc Mayor Anthony Housefather will compete in the Maccabiah Games in Israel this summer in the masters swimming meet.