North Star with Ellin Bessner

It seems every Jew in Toronto has spotted Adam Sandler this summer—or knows someone who has. He’s in the area filming a new movie for Netflix, based on a coming-of-age book, called You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah! Sandler stars in the film with his wife and daughters, as well as Idina Menzel and Sarah Sherman, and a whole bunch of local teenagers (and some adults) were paid $100 a day to be extras. The crew is filming at the Royal York Hotel, the Liberty Grand and midtown’s own Beth Tzedec synagogue—so The CJN Daily visited to see if we could spy any celebs (we couldn't) and talk to some of the staff who are helping out. That includes Rabbi Steven Wernick and Daniel Silverman, who share what they did to help on set and how the shoot seems to be going. What we talked about: Learn more about the film adaptation of You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah! Read Ellin's piece about the Zisman family and Benjamin's funeral home at thecjn.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

When their only child, Liam, died in January 2022, Jeanne and Raziel Zisman of Toronto had to book a funeral quickly—Jewish law states a burial should happen as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours. Liam was 19. The Zismans, distraught and emotional, met virtually with a representative from Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel, the country's biggest Jewish funeral home, to make arrangements. Among their services, Benjamin's offered them the use of the Benjamin Foundation, a charity arm of the company that collects donations in the name of the deceased and transfers the money later, to a charity of the family's choosing. What's only in the fine print, however, is that Benjamin's Foundation keeps 10 per cent of the money for administrative purposes. It's been this way for nearly 40 years. In the past decade alone, Benjamin's has routed more than $3 million through this foundation to charities—and quietly deducted 10 per cent of that. That's a higher percentage than many other charities, particularly many Jewish ones. When the Zismans found out, they set off on a lengthy legal battle. The case is still ongoing in provincial court, but on July 27, the Zismans won a small victory: the regulatory body that oversees funeral homes in Ontario sided with the grieving family, ordering Benjamin's to release all funds—including the 10 per cent fee—to the charities, and mandated the company to make their fee structure more transparent on their website and in contracts and in conversations with clients. On today's CJN Daily, the Zismans joins to talk about their son and their legal struggles, and you'll also hear Benjamin's side of the story. What we talked about: Read Liam Zisman's obituary See how Benjamin's describes The Benjamin Foundation on their website Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Gary Averbach left Calgary on a mission. The 79-year-old real estate mogul, based in Vancouver, is currently trekking through 40-degree heat waves across the Rockies from Calgary to his home city to raise money for cancer research. He's about three-quarters of the way there—his goal is to arrive home by mid-August, just shy of his 80th birthday, and to have raised $500,000 in the process. The project stemmed from a promise Averbach made last summer to his late cousin and business partner, Robert Golden, who passed away from bone cancer. After Averbach lost two more cousins and his housekeeper to cancer this spring, he decided to embark on the journey to raise money for a good cause, while also ticking off a bucket-list adventure. Averbach spoke to The CJN Daily from Boston Bar, B.C., around 45 kilometres south of Lytton, where he stopped after completing another daily 24-km hike. What we talked about: Follow Averbach's journey Find Miriam Libicki's comics on her website, or read about her in The CJN (from 2017) Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Last week, an international conservation body declared the monarch butterfly an endangered species. But that didn't surprise Carol Pasternak, who writes under the pseudonym "The Monarch Crusader". For years, she's used her garden in Toronto as a launching pad to teach Canadians about the importance and habits of monarchs, which—like many Canadian Jews—spend their winters flying thousands of kilometres south to warmer climes. Yet between climate change and rampant real estate development, butterfly habitats have been decimated in recent decades, and the insect's population has decreased 75 percent, according to some estimates. That's why Pasternak has transformed her townhouse lawn into a monarch waystation, filled with milkweed and other pollen-packed flowers that help the creatures lay new eggs. The CJN Daily team had the chance to visit Pasternak at her home to better understand the crisis, the solutions and why the species' endangerment is a Jewish issue. What we talked about: Learn more about The Monarch Crusader Join the Monarch Blitz Hear the CJN Daily episode with magician Ben Train Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

After the Edmonton Oilers lost four straight games in the conference finals to the Colorado Avalanche this past June, star player Zach Hyman returned to his hometown of Toronto with his family. There's plenty filling his busy schedule—including the birth of his second child any day now—but one keystone event was his annual celebrity golf tournament, which aimed to raise $350,000 for Jewish Federations in Edmonton and Toronto, as well as Sick Kids Hospital. The CJN Daily visited the Oakdale golf club to catch the action and join the media scrum with Zach Hyman, who brought his NHL friends Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, Jake Muzzin and Darnell Nurse. And while most of the reporters there wanted to talk hockey, we were able to speak to Hyman about his Jewish identity and what it means to give back to Edmonton's community. Plus, we spoke with several Jewish attendees about what the event, and Hyman's involvement, means to them. What we talked about: Learn about the Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic at hymanhelps.com Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

The one-year anniversary of Canada's first National Summit on Antisemitism passed quietly on July 21. Last year, after violence resurged Israel and Hamas and Canadians saw a spike in antisemitic incidents, the government convened this emergency summit and appointed Irwin Cotler as its special envoy. The summit lasted seven hours, during which time Cotler met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers. Since then, Parliament has outlawed Holocaust denial and made progress toward an anti-hate-speech bill that would cover antisemitism, while Ottawa has earmarked $30 million in the last budget to help Jews feel safer, on top of millions pledged for new Holocaust museums across the country. Yet with all these resources devoted to fighting Jew-hatred, has antisemitism actually quieted down? To give a sense of the progress that's been made so far, and what still needs to be done, The CJN Daily sat down with Cotler for a candid self-reflection and assessment. What we talked about: Listen to our podcast about the National Summit on Antisemitism from July 22, 2021 Read our coverage of the summit See the Canadian Heritage video about what has been accomplished in the last year Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Gordon "Gordy" Wiseman—better known as Gabriel Emanuel—wrote Mr. Begin, a one-man play about the life of renowned but controversial Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, nine years ago. But in May, Israel awarded it and him the prestigious Prime Minister's Prize for 2022, an award that only goes out every year to a select few artists. What's less common is for the award to go to a Canadian. While Wiseman now lives in Israel, he's originally from Winnipeg, born into an artistic family. His three brothers all work in the arts: Ron is a musician, Howie is a filmmaker and Bob was a founding member of Blue Rodeo. Gordy, pushed by his parents to get a real job, became a lawyer. But the law couldn't contain his artistic impulses. Mr. Begin delves into the lessons and legacy of the sixth Israeli prime minister's career, echos of which resonate deeply with the country's messy modern-day politics. Wiseman believes it isn't a coincidence that it took an outsider, a Canadian, to analyze and dive into the issues. Now, with this award under his belt, Wiseman joins The CJN Daily to explain why he hopes Canadian Jewish theatres will mount the play, which dives into uncomfortable issues surrounding Israeli politics, warfare and anti-terrorism measures, including Israel's involvement in the infamous Sabra and Shatila massacre. What we talked about: Visit Gabriel Emanuel's website Watch a trailer for _Mr. Begin_ Listen to Gabriel Emanuel's music Read about Israel's cycling team Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Nick Yudell was a gifted photographer. But at just 26 years old, Yudell, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force fighting Nazis in the Second World War, was killed in action. He and his five crewmates were shot down by German forces over Tunisia. After he was killed, he left behind a gray hand-painted box full of hundreds of film negatives. Yudell excelled at portraiture and street life, and his unpublished work depicted the everyday world of his hometown of Morden, Manitoba, as well as Winnipeg, where he attended high school. His family saved that box ever since his death; and this year, thanks to one of his cousins, Celia Rabinovitch, the war hero has received his very own exhibit at the Manitoba Museum. The Lost Expressionist opened in February and runs until December, and today, Rabinovitch joins to explain how she kept a promise to her late father by doing something noteworthy with the family's treasure trove of art. What we talked about: Learn more about The Lost Expressionist Watch Rabbi Dow Marmur's funeral Listen to The CJN Daily episode about the man who was attacked for carrying a Israeli flag Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Eight years ago this week, Dan Markel was killed in his car as he was pulling into his driveway in Tallahassee, Florida. Markel, 41, was a well-regarded professor whose then-recent divorce lies at the centre of this whole saga: his ex-wife wanted to move their two sons to Miami, but the courts sided with Markel. Days after his murder, the children were moved. A messy, complex series of arrests and court cases unfolded, in which the arrested murderers and conspirators confessed to receiving $100,000 to perform the job on behalf of Markel's former in-laws. Despite this, that family has always denied any involvement. The process has been a brutal experience for Markel's parents, Ruth and Phil. The Toronto residents have struggled with the death of their son, a drawn-out legal battle and the inability to see their own grandchildren. But they haven't been sitting still. Later this year, Simon and Schuster will be publishing Ruth Markel's book, The Unveiling, which documents her struggle and grief, as well as her fights—both political and legal—to win some kind of justice for her son. Ruth joins today to discuss the last eight years and give a glimpse into her new book. What we talked about: Read about Dan Markel's death in The CJN Pre-order The Unveiling Learn more about the "Justice For Dan" movement Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Rick Karp and his fellow Jewish Yukoners have spent the past week carefully monitoring the ongoing wildfires that are raging through their territory. There have been more than 240 forest fires in the Yukon this year, including 182 burning right now—the most in a generation, and five times more than last year—all because of lighting strikes and abnormally hot weather. There were evacuation notices and even advisories from the government last week asking people not to travel in or to the Yukon. Major highways have been closed, which also means trucks can't deliver food on their usual schedules. It's a significant danger for those choosing to live in the North. In that time, Karp, the longtime head of the Yukon's Jewish Cultural Society, has been working on community projects for the territory's 38 Jews. In addition to building a new website, one of his biggest challenges is getting Whitehorse to host the city's first-ever Jewish Heritage Month. On today's episode of The CJN Daily, Karp joins to share his plans to make that happen—and what the future of the Yukon's small Jewish community looks like. What we talked about: Visit the Jewish Cultural Society of Yukon at jcsy.org Watch the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah Games Learn more about Rick Karp at his website Read "The pioneering Jews who went north to find riches in the Klondike" at thecjn.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.