About Town: Week of Dec. 22

Friday, Dec. 23

 

CANDLE-LIT CHANUKAH

The sanctuary at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom will be illuminated solely by menorah light at a Chanukah Shabbat celebration, 8:15 p.m.

 

A MILE END CHANUKAH

The Mile End Chavurah, now in its second year, throws a Chanukah Shabbat party at Ahimsa Yoga, 5369 St. Laurent  Blvd., 7 p.m. Potluck dinner, Kabbalat Shabbat service, latkes and games and crafts are on the bill. Reservations, http://www.doodle.com/hwzv7duksz6m72c2.

On Dec. 24, the Chavurah is  passing Christmas Eve the traditional Jewish way: at a Chinese restaurant. In fact, the group is renting the entire Luck Hop Foo on St. Laurent. A film screening rounds out the evening.

 

Saturday, Dec. 24

 

ON AIR

Amy Beth Oppenheimer, the young American director of the documentary Faces of Israel, is the guest on Jewish Digest, Radio Centre-Ville 102.3FM at 8:30 a.m.

 

Sunday, Dec. 25

 

CHANUKAH IN DORVAL

Chabad’s new Dorval Jewish Centre holds a Chanukah celebration at 440 Roy Ave., 4:30-6:30 p.m., for the whole family. Special feature: “Who Wants to be a Chanukah Millionaire?” game. www.jewishdorval.com.

 

Monday, Dec. 26

 

SPECIAL-NEEDS CAMP OPENS

The Friendship Circle’s Don Berman Winter Camp opens today and continues until Dec. 29 for special-needs children. Registration, 735-2255.

 

…Et Cetera…

 

JNF BALL HOCKEY MEET

Jewish National Fund is organizing its first adult ball hockey tournament Jan. 15, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., hosted by Bialik High School. Participation is limited to 10 teams of eight to 12 players, male, female or mixed, ages 18 and up, who pay $150 each or $1,500 per team. Grand prize for the top fundraising team is a box at the Bell Centre for a Montreal Canadiens games. “It’s Just a Kibbitz” awards will go to teams exhibiting the best spirit and sportsmanship. All proceeds go toward the purchase of outdoor gym equipment at the Iris Village, a residential complex for people with autism, ages 14 to 38, located on six acres in Be’er Sheva, Israel. Online registration at www.jnfballhockey.com.

 

ORT GALA

One of Quebec’s top entrepreneurs, Charles Sirois, chair and CEO of Telesystem Ltd., chairman of the board of CIBC, and co-founder of the new Coalition Avenir Québec party, was honoured at the annual ORT Montreal gala at Place des Arts. Like ORT, Sirois is interested in giving disadvantaged people the tools to improve their lives. He’s the founder and chair of Enablis Entrepreneurial Network, which is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries.

The evening, which featured a performance by popular singer Kenny Loggins, was co-chaired by Lois and Gary Alexander. In addition to ORT,  the gala benefited six Jewish day schools, the B’nai Brith Youth Organization, Maccabi Canada and Yaldei Development Centre. An annual ORT Montreal Scholarship was inaugurated, which will be awarded to a student at one of the day schools.

 

AT THE AGENCIES

“Preserving your Memories through Creative Arts” is a new course offered by the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors for people with memory loss. They should be accompanied by a relative. Sessions will be held Thursdays, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at a start date to be determined. 342-1234, ext. 3189…

Agence Ometz urgently needs a French-speaking volunteer to lead a group for secondary I and II students who need to develop study skills. The group will meet at a school in the west end after school hours. Geri Shaw, 342-0000, ext. 3424.

 

G. BRONFMAN RECALLED

McGill University celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Gerald Bronfman Centre for Clinical Research in Oncology. The centre was established with a visionary donation by Marjorie and the late Gerald Bronfman and has since made a major impact on cancer prevention and patient care. The annual Gerald Bronfman Centre Scientific Lecture was inaugurated last month, and five McGill researchers were recognized, including Dr. Richard Margolese, who received a Gerald Bronfman Centre Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

OPERATION THANK YOU

Operation Thank You, a national B’nai Brith Canada project to show appreciation to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and its veterans, is now available in French. It encourages Canadians, especially students, to  support the troops by writing letters to military personnel serving overseas. A curriculum guide, now available in French as well as English, recalls the bravery of Canadians who served in past wars and underscores the importance of patriotism and civic responsibility. Operation Thank You was launched seven years ago.

 

FEEDING THE HUNGRY

B’nai Brith Food Baskets is now on YouTube. Each year, the program raises funds to buy food for more than 4,000 family food baskets, 107,000 mini-breakfasts to 600 needy students daily, 4,000 loaves of bread for the Mada food bank, and 500 frozen chickens for the Sun Youth food bank. The program is already planning its big fundraiser, an annual golf tournament, at the Islesmere Club Aug. 9. 744-6457.

 

PEACEMAKING

Living Together, a project in St. Laurent that brought together Jewish and Arab high school students last year, was a finalist for the Quebec YMCA’s annual Peace Medal. The project is under the auspices of the McGill University program that also supports the McGill Middle East Peace Program. Now 18 years old, the peace program today focuses on helping the most disadvantaged people in Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan claim their rights and  working for social justice. Its new website is www.mcgill.ca/mmep.

About Ourselves

Joelle Berdugo Adler, president and CEO of Diesel Canada Inc., was appointed to the Concordia University board of governors by the new governance and ethics committee. Besides heading the Canadian operations of one of the world’s leading casual apparel manufacturers (the National Post just named her one of the 100 most powerful women in Canada), Adler is a philanthropist. She established the ONEXONE charitable foundation aiding disadvantaged kids in the world, and is a major supporter of Camp B’nai Brith and the Hope & Cope Wellness Centre… David Eidelman becomes McGill University vice-principal (health affairs) and dean of medicine Jan. 1. A native Montrealer and McGill graduate, the asthma expert has been on leave at the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital… Aldo Group founder Aldo Bensadoun and Sun Youth executive vice-president Sid Stevens were named Great Montrealers by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.