North Star with Ellin Bessner

Tonight begins Yom ha-Zikaron, Israel's Remembrance Day, in honour of the soldiers and underground fighters who have died helping to create and defend the State of Israel. But ask Zvi Kan-Tor, a retired Israeli general, and he'll tell you it's time his country broadened their remembrance to include the 1.5 million Jewish Allied soldiers who fought in the Second World War. Kan-Tor has spent decades trying to fix this problem by creating a museum dedicated to that group of Diaspora fighters, which included 17,000 Canadians, as well as 35,000 soldiers from British Palestine that joined the British army. Now, after 20 years of political squabbles and funding issues, the Chaim Herzog Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II will finally open its doors to the public in Latrun, a hilltop battleground during Israel's 1948 War of Independence that sits between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Kan-Tor hopes tourists and locals will stop by his museum after visiting Yad Vashem, so they can gain a fuller picture of what Jews accomplished during that terrible time. He'll also discuss what earned the British, Soviet, American and South African Jewish military forces major exhibitions and their own separate wings—while the Canadian contribution got capped at a handful of noteworthy men. What we talked about: See the museum's website Watch the trailer for the The Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II Watch the Yom ha-Zikaron ceremony in Toronto 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. 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.

Early last year, The Times of Israel launched a daily news podcast called The Daily Briefing. It runs Sundays to Thursdays. Episodes rarely run past 20 minutes. Sound familiar? Swap out the Israeli angle for a Canadian one, and you've got a pretty good summary of The CJN Daily. We launched this show one year ago this week. And with more than 270,000 listens and 200 episodes under our belts, we're celebrating by sitting down for a lengthy chat with our Israeli counterparts, Amanda Borschel-Dan and Jessica Steinberg, who host essentially a doppelganger version of this program for the Times of Israel. In this special extra-long episode, we discuss the latest twists in Israeli politics, if it's safe to go to Israel now, and the two Israeli hosts' surprising connection to Canada. What we talked about: Listen to the Times of Israel's podcast Listen to the first-ever episode of _The CJN Daily_, which aired May 3, 2021 Learn how to support us by subscribing to this podcast 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. 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.

A historic debate took place in the House of Commons on Wednesday. With two nearly identical proposals tabled to ban Holocaust denial, members of Parliament tackled the one put forth first, by Conservative MP Kevin Waugh. They spent an hour debating it, though most of them agreed to support it, at least in principle. It may all be moot—the bill may be thrown out if and when the federal budget gets passed, as the Liberals' version of the bill is nestled into that massive document. But until then, and on the eve of Yom ha-Shoah, Waugh's bill continues to go through the proper motions. Today you'll hear from representatives of the four major parties who delivered speeches, including Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, NDP MP Blake Desjarlais and Bloc Québécois MP René Villemure. What we talked about: Watch MP Kevin Waugh's full interview with _The CJN Daily_ Watch MP Melissa Lantsman's speech in the House of Commons Listen to Tuesday's episode of The CJN Daily, "A Tory MP claims the Liberals ‘stole’ his Holocaust denial bill—and watered it down" 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. 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.

It's highly unusual that eight family members would not only survive the Holocaust, but all end up living in Canada after the war. Yet that's what happened to the Veffers. The Dutch family withstood appendicitis, scurvy and Nazi raids while hiding for nearly three years, only to wind up moving to Canada after the only Veffer daughter married a Canadian Jewish soldier, who helped the whole family come to Toronto. Now, 60 years later, the Veffers' story is being commemorated in a new children's book by a Jewish author and filmmaker who lives in Bussum, the Dutch town where the Veffers hid. Annet Betsalel wrote Where is Max? to portray the war through the eyes of one of the Veffer boys, Max, a soccer fanatic. Betsalel and the son of one of the six Veffer children, Dr. Hartley Stern, join the show to talk about the book and the renewed attention brought to the hidden and those who hid them. What we talked about: Order the book and read an excerpt Watch the _This is Your Life_ segment Watch the Yad Vashem ceremony 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. 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.

As Parliament resumed Monday after a two-week break, politicians jumped straight into debating the recently revealed annual budget. Tucked inside the Liberals' hefty document, on page 275, is a proposal that would ban Holocaust denial. This might normally be welcome news across the aisle, except that the Conservatives already presented a nearly identical bill back in February. Kevin Waugh, the MP for Saskatoon–Grasswood, is now furious at the federal government, claiming they stole his idea in drafting their own legislation—except they made it weaker. Now, as Yom ha-Shoah approaches Thursday, the House of Commons finds itself in the unusual position of having to debate duelling bills targeting Holocaust denial. Waugh joins to lay out his argument—and afterwards, we'll hear from Liberal MP Ya’ara Saks, who defends her party's decision because she believes it will be approved faster. What we talked about: Listen: "Canada might ban Holocaust denial. Here’s why that probably won’t curtail antisemitism" Read: "A bill that would make Holocaust denial a crime was introduced in Parliament by Conservative MP Kevin Waugh" Read Waugh's bill online Read: "According to B’nai Brith’s audit, antisemitic incidents increased in Canada for the sixth straight year" 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. 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.

For Robert Foxman, this photograph has become family lore. It's a shot of hockey legend Guy Lafleur sporting a kippah, draped in a tallit and holding a siddur, as if in prayer. Foxman snapped the shot in 1981, when he was a 19-year-old photography student. Foxman showed up to a Montreal Canadiens practice and asked Lafleur, who, incredibly, agreed to pose for this kid he'd never met. Foxman has been reflecting on the encounter this week after Lafleur died from cancer at age 70. He considers the homegrown hockey hero and five-time Stanley Cup winner a true mensch—as do many other Canadian Jews, given the numerous Jewish fundraiser events Lafleur attended in Montreal to help the community. Foxman joins to share the story behind Guy Lafeur's most Jewish photo and explain what he hopes the Lafleur family takes away from it. What we talked about: Sign the digital guestbook to express condolences to the family of Guy Lafleur Read "‘Offensive’ photos taken at Canada’s National Holocaust Monument have been removed from Instagram: Ottawa photographer" Read how Lafleur helped raise money for Montreal's Jewish community in The CJN archives 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. 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.

Four years ago, Rabbi Avraham Plotkin was writing a book about bereavement when, in a horrible coincidence, his own 14-year-old son died. Rather than let that derail his project, he pushed forward, drawing from 35 years of working funerals and shivas, and understanding what helped people move on after the shiva period ends. He says the advice in his book actually helped him move forward on a personal level. His book came out in Nov. 2020, months into the COVID pandemic, after traditional bereavement rules and hospital visiting hours were completely upturned. Now, as Jews worldwide approach the first Yizkor of 2022 this weekend, having endured two full years of COVID, many are mourning more friends and family members than they expected. Rabbi Plotkin joins from Thornhill, Ont., to share his take on some of the biggest questions and concerns about death, including how to manage our feelings toward the deceased and where souls actually go after we die. What we talked about: Learn more Rabbi Plotkin's book, Seven Conversations with Jerry: A Book about the Human Soul, Bereavement and the Afterlife Read about the death of 14-year-old Zalmy Plotkin 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. 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 Green Party of Ontario has only one seat at Queen's Park right now, but Dianne Saxe is hoping to change that. The high-profile environmental lawyer, who was sacked by Premier Doug Ford shortly after his election in 2019—he in fact scrapped her entire office, dissolving the independent environmental commissioner role—has since decided to continue her crusade in the political fray. Saxe has spent the last few years travelling the country, speaking out about environmental issues at town halls and launching a podcast. She was also elected the deputy leader Ontario's Green party, and she's running in University-Rosedale—a downtown riding that's a combination of the wealthy and socially conscious. With six weeks to go before Ontario's election, Saxe is on the move, spreading her message of why the world needs to get rid of fossil fuels, especially in the wake of the war in Ukraine. What we talked about: Learn more about Dianne Saxe at votefordianne.ca Read The CJN's profile of her Read the IHRA definition of antisemitism 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. 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 Sara Davis began exploring her Jewish roots, she decided to order a bunch of items from an online Judaica store based in Israel. She bought two shofars, two necklaces with a Star of David, a tallit and an Israeli flag. Her package finally arrived in early March, but it felt lighter than it should have. When she tore the box open, she found the shofars were missing—replaced, instead, with a note by the Canadian government informing her that her items were being held at an Environment Canada facility in Quebec. The reason? The shofars were made of rams' horns, and government officials were looking for smuggled wildlife that violates Canada's treaty to protect endangered species. Davis joins the show today to share her experience, from her rediscovery of Judaism to her brush-up with border control, and how the story of Passover played a pivotal role in letting the shofars go. What we talked about: Find the shofars at ajudaica.com Learn more about the shofars here Read about the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising 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. 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.

Canada's most recent budget earmarks $70 million dollars for the Jewish community, with a specific focus on fighting antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Millions of dollars are designated for educational projects like Holocaust museums. But way down, on page 275, is a promise that essentially makes Holocaust denial outright illegal. The move would see Canada join 17 other countries that have already banned Holocaust denial, including France, Belgium and, of course, Israel. But the arguments against criminalizing Holocaust denial are myriad. The United States and United Kingdom don’t for fears it would impinge on freedom of expression. Canadian columnists have argued singling out Jews for special treatment could have the opposite effect, sparking more antisemitic conspiracies. Meanwhile, in countries that have outlawed it—again, France and Belgium—antisemitism still runs rampant. To break down its meaning, we're joined by Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada in Winnipeg and director of the Freeman Family Foundation Holocaust Education Centre. She helps break down the bill and argues that any legislation is toothless without a core ingredient: Holocaust education. What we talked about: Read Canada's 2022 budget Read "Role of Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism to be made permanent, Trudeau tells conference" at thecjn.ca Read "Liberals have decided to start from scratch on their bill to combat online hate" at thecjn.ca Participate in the survey about the National Action Plan on Combatting Hate Listen to the Bonjour Chai episode, "Holocaust denial could be criminalized in Canada with a new proposed bill. But would it work?", 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. 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.