About Town: Week of June 6

Thursday, June 6

 

CHEVRA GALA

The Chevra Gala honours Rabbi Asher Jacobson and his wife Lieba, and Tina and Martin Rosenthal. Iona, 514-482-3366.

 

MEET ’N RIDE

The Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors holds a “Meet ‘n Ride” 40-to-50-km bike trip. Annette Vezina, 514-342-1234, ext. 7305.

 

Friday, June 7

 

“FIRST FRIDAY” SHABBAT

Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom’s “First Friday” in June family Shabbat starts at 5:45 p.m. followed by potluck supper. Call 514-937-3575.

 

MUSICAL SHABBAT

B’nai Or Jewish renewal shul holds a musical Kabbalat Shabbat 7:30 p.m. at YM-YWHA’s Kellert Hall. Visit www.bnai-or.org.

 

KARATE KID TO KARATE YID

Rabbi Fishel Jacobs, a halachic scholar and karate expert (due to bullying as a kid), speaks, 8 p.m. at Chabad of Westmount. RSVP, www.chabadwestmount.com.

 

Saturday, June 8

 

ISRAEL BEHIND BARS

Rabbi Fishel Jacobs at 9:45 a.m. Chabad of Westmount services speaks on ministering at a notorious Israeli prison, 514-937-4772.

 

Sunday, June 9

 

LAW & MEDICINE

Family lawyer Lynne Kassie and surgeon Dr. Issie Weissglas speak on law and medicine “in the golden years,” noon, Congregation Shaar Hashomayim. Reserve at 514-937-9471, ext. 139.

 

ISRAEL’S “DÉFIS”

The CJN’s Elias Levy, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ David Ouellette, and the Israeli consulate’s Alon Melchior comprise a French-language panel on Israel’s 21st century challenges 7 p.m. in the Sinai Room at YM-YWHA’s Centre Communautaire Juif. Reserve with Florelle Del Burgo, 514-733-4998, ext. 8230.

 

REHAB RUN

Olympic diving champ Alexandre Depatie lends support to the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital’s fifth Laval run-walk. 450-688-9550.

 

TAMMUZ SERVICE

Women’s Rosh Chodesh Tammuz service (for children, too), 9:30 a.m., Spanish & Portuguese synagogue. Shelley, 514-489-9094.

 

Monday, June 10

 

MISSILE DEFENCE

Rocket scientist Ari Sacher discusses Israel’s missile defence with Combined Jewish Appeal Health & Academia Division’s Maimonides Society, 7 p.m., Jewish General Hospital, Block Amphitheatre, 514-345-2645, ext.. 3660.

 

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE GALA

“Friendship’s Got Talent” is the theme of Friendship Circle’s annual gala, 5:30 p.m., Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, honouring Rabbi David and Norma Woolfson, and David Pinchuk, 514-735-2255.

 

SOUSA MENDES STORY

Jewish Public Library and Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre screen Disobedience: The Sousa Mendes Story, 7:30 p.m. at the JPL, with Mendes’ grandson present. Tickets, 514-345-6416.

 

Tuesday, June 11

 

COMPLAINING EFFECTIVELY

Canadian Hadassah-WIZO’s Golda Meir chapter presents Amy Fish, author of The Art of Complaining Effectively, 7:30 p.m. at Chevra Mishnais Jacob Josef Congregation, 715 de Sablon. Reserve at 450-681-9342.

BIBLICAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Monette Vacquin speaks on human rights, part of an Alliance Israelite Universelle-Institute Européen Emmanuel Levinas series. 7:30 p.m., Gelber Conference Centre, 514-345-2656.

 

BRAIN TRAINING & FILM

The Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors holds a “brain training” workshop, 2-3:30 p.m., and screens a documentary, 7 p.m., at Segal Centre Cinemaspace on a musician with MS, 514-342-1234.

 

MIDDLE EAST PROBLEMS

Hershey Dwoskin speaks on the Mideast to Beth Ora Seniors, 1 p.m., 514-342-1234, ext. 7318.

 

Wednesday, June 12

 

JNF NEGEV EVENING

In a departure from its usual tribute dinner, the Jewish National Fund of Montreal heads to the Montreal Science Centre for a 6-9:30 p.m. “Negev Evening” showcasing Israel’s “start-up to now” accomplishments at age  65, with MC Stephan Ouaknine, managing partner of Inerjys Ventures; guest speakers Dan Cohen of Better Place and Élie Saheb of Hydro-Québec, and The Maccabeats as entertainment. RSVP, 514-934-0313, or visit, montrealnegev.ca.

 

THREE JGS PRESENTERS

Rikee and daughter Maryn Madoff, Harriet Sugar Miller, and Andrea Schwab are featured in the Jewish Genealogical Society’s annual “Three Presenter Program,” 7:30 p.m.,  Jewish Public Library, 514-484-0969.

 

CHOCOLATE’S DARK SIDE

The Dark Side of Chocolate, a documentary film on African child labour, screens 7:30 p.m. at the Spanish & Portuguese synagogue, 514-737-3695, ext. 104.

 

MUSIC APPRECIATION

Join Robert Markow for music appreciation at the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors, 1-3 p.m., 514-342-1234, ext. 7348.

 

…Et Cetera…

 

C2 SUCCESS

Last month’s three-day second edition of the C2-MTL conference at the Arsenal Montreal lived up to its promise of reinventing the business conference and bringing it to whole new 21st-century global levels. Local Jewish participation included Just for Laughs CEO Andy Nulman, who earned a standing ovation for his presentation “Growing Wings”; business magnate Stephan Ouaknine; Twist Image’s Mitch Joel, and the Claudia and Stephen Bronfman Foundation, which sponsored a forum by Tom’s Shoes’ Blake Mycoskie. Others who came in from out of town for the conference included fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg, media magnate Barry Diller, designer Neri Oxman, and cosmetics queen Bobbi Brown.

 

JGH ‘EXEMPLARY’

Accreditation Canada (AC) recently raised the Jewish General Hospital’s status to “exemplary” following a “comprehensive and rigorous” review by AC. The hospital was upgraded from “with commendation” status, given last January for complying with almost 97 per cent of the criteria for “highest level of performance.”

NEW TORAH

There was much singing and dancing at Hebrew Academy last month as it received a new sefer Torah for its sephardi beit midrash. The torah was donated by alumnus Gabriel Malca.

The Jewish General Hospital’s Lady Davis Institute and McGill University recently announced Dr. Michael Pollack as recipient of the Canadian Cancer Society’s O. Harold Warwick Prize for his research in understanding the risk of cancer as a function of metabolism, which is having a major impact on cancer control in Canada… Stanley Plotnick recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal from the federal government for his contributions to the Jewish and business communities.