North Star with Ellin Bessner

If David Segal's name sounds familiar, it's because he put the "David" in DavidsTea, the popular chain of heavily curated loose leaf teas and cafes that sprang up across North America in the 2010s. Segal left the company in 2016, starting a salad-based restaurant chain called Mad Radish instead. Now the Ottawa-based entrepreneur is getting back into the tea game alongside fellow Jewish Ottawan Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify. Segal is bringing the tea knowledge; Finkelstein is bringing the digital platform. Instead of launching hundreds of cafes and appearing on supermarket shelves, this new brand, called Firebelly Tea, will be digital-only, relying exclusively on its Shopify store for sales. So why does Segal think his formula will work in the middle of a pandemic, in a market hit with rising inflation and consumers hesitant to indulge in nice-to-have luxuries like fancy tea? He joins to discuss. What we talked about: Learn about Firebelly Tea at firebellytea.ca Read "Yet another ‘Heil Hitler’ salute—this time targeting a Jewish teacher—is reported at a Toronto middle school, in Flemingdon Park" 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

How widespread is antisemitism and anti-Zionism on Canadian campuses? A new report, commissioned by the Abraham Global Peace Initiative, found nearly 100 reported instances last year. The authors—Neil Orlowsky from York University and Dana Fischman from Carleton University—looked at media articles, social media posts, student unions, faculty associations and hate crime reports from across the country to determine which campus was friendliest—and which was the most uncomfortable—for Jewish students. The worst offenders: York and the University of Toronto. The report comes out in the wake of a recent U of T student union vote to support boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel—as well as, paradoxically, a pledge by the school's administration to crack down on antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Orlowsky calls the U of T's pledge nothing more than "virtue signalling". He joins to discuss the report's findings and what steps schools can take. What we talked about: Read the report at agpiworld.com/campus Watch the video of the goldfish "driving" its tank at bgu.ac.il (and learn about the webinar on Facebook) Read "University of Toronto’s plan to tackle antisemitism gets a cool response from Jewish advocacy groups" at thecjn.ca Listen to The CJN Daily episode about the birth of the AGPI, "Why Avi Benlolo thinks Canada needs a new organization to fight antisemitism", 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

In March 2020, magicians Ben Train and Jonah Babins, like so many other performers, found their livelihoods put on indefinite pause. So they did what any young entrepreneurs would: they pivoted by taking their show to the Zoom circuit. Two years in, it's gotten them noticed by the likes of Seth Rogan. They've recently returned from Las Vegas, where they met with some of their magician idols, David Copperfield and Mac King. And with COVID restrictions easing up, they're finally preparing for their first in-person show of 2022, held at Yuk Yuk's in downtown Toronto. Train and Babins join The CJN Daily to discuss their Jewish roots and how they transformed their pandemic problems into a booming business model. What we talked about: Learn about the The Toronto Magic Company at torontomagiccompany.com Get tickets for their Yuk Yuk's show, Hocus Jokus, at yukyuks.com 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Maya Sinclair lives with an extremely rare genetic condition. At six months old, she was diagnosed with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, which stunted her growth, kept her teeth abnormally small and forced her to have multiple eye surgeries for glaucoma. Despite these challenges, and being bullied for them at school, Sinclair has written two children's books, spoken publicly about her condition, danced competitively and starred in a recent documentary. And she's only 12. On Feb. 16, she and her documentary costars are taking part in an event in Montreal for Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. They’ll be talking about Sinclair's challenges and what it was like making the film. To give a sneak peak, she joins The CJN Daily with her mother and their rabbi to discuss what life has been like with this rare disorder. What we talked about: To attend the Zoom interview on Feb. 16 with Maya, the rabbi and her mother, register at jlive.app/events/1540 Watch all four episodes of Becoming Big on YouTube Find Maya on Facebook and Amazon 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Yesterday, Premier Doug Ford of Ontario announced he would join Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan in speeding up a timeline for loosening COVID restrictions. That means the province would get rid of vaccine mandates, reopening restaurants and bars to full capacity, while keeping mandatory masks in place. It was welcome news to Ontarians who support the truckers' protest that has spent two weeks occupying downtown Ottawa. Those supporters include at least two Jewish Canadians: a goalie coach from rural Ontario and a Chabad rabbi whose day job is in IT. The two don't know each other. But after hearing Monday's episode of The CJN Daily, both the rabbi, and Launy Schwartz, the goalie coach, felt compelled to reach out and share their stories, including why they support the truckers, how they view the Nazi flags in Ottawa and how the pandemic's economic fallhout has decimated their careers. What we talked about: Learn about Launy Schwartz's school, Stop the Puck Goaltending, at stpgoaltending.com 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Ariel Troster doesn't know who she is more mad at: the local police in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or the truck protesters clogging her city's streets, disrupting locals' lives while wrapping themselves in Canadian flags. Troster was one of the Ottawans who took to the streets over the weekend to counter-protest the "freedom convoy" that's rolled across the country. in -22-degree weather (with the wind chill), she and her fellow protesters set up counter-blockades to prevent truckers from getting downtown, where 50,000 residents have become fed up with the constant noise, late-night honking, social disruption and sleep deprivation. Troster is livid that this was allowed to happen in the first place, that her wife was threatened on the street and that her daughter, who goes to school in the neighbourhood, is now is afraid of people carrying Canadian flags. She joins to detail what life has been like in the mess that has taken over downtown Ottawa for over two weeks. What we talked about: Watch Absolutely Canadian - Just As I Am: The Shira Choir on CBC Gem. Watch a video of the counter-protesters in Ottawa on Twitter 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Yesterday, we brought you a story on three antisemitic incidents that happened within days of each other at two different Toronto middle schools. (If you haven't listened yet, hear Part 1 of this series here.) Two of those incidents happened to one boy at Charles H. Best Junior Middle School. Today, he and his parents are speaking out publicly for the first time to offer their reaction to the incidents. And their reaction isn't what you might expect. After their son was targeted one kid who formed a swastika out of classroom blocks, and two others who separately gave the Nazi salute to him, parents Yaniv and Shirra Berliner felt compelled to report the incidents to the school. But after seeing the swift public condemnation, the Berliners are angry with how the school and the board handled it all without hearing their side of the story. The family is wrestling with complicated issues involved in the fight against antisemitism in schools, but they believe these incidents were just tomfoolery and ignorance by a bunch of teenagers who didn't grasp what they were doing—and they wish the whole controversy would just blow over already. All three of them join The CJN Daily podcast for an exclusive interview. What we talked about: Listen to Part 1 of this series, "Antisemitism in Toronto schools, Part 1: Why are we still seeing Nazi symbols in classrooms?" at thecjn.ca Read Ellin's print story on the incidents at thecjn.ca Read "Debunking the Amnesty Report" at agpiworld.com 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Recently, two separate Toronto-area middle schools have witnessed three antisemitic incidents. At Charles H. Best Junior Middle School, kids targeted a Jewish student with Nazi salutes and, separately, with a swastika made out of classroom blocks. Meanwhile, at Ledbury Park Elementary and Middle School, a teacher has been removed for comparing vaccine passports to yellow stars that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Nearly identical letters were sent to parents at both schools this week outlining what had happened, expressing regret and promising to bring in Holocaust educators to teach about antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Officials say the timing of these incidents is not surprising, as these symbols have been widely shared in the news and on social media—particularly now, with protests happening across Canada against vaccine mandates. Board spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz and Michael Levitt, president of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, join to discuss what the board's next steps are, after seeing a clear spike in antisemitism since the start of the school year. What we talked about: Listen to The CJN Daily episode, "After the Alexandra Lulka fiasco, what’s next for Toronto’s school board?" at thecjn.ca Read the 2021 annual report by the Toronto District School Board's director at tdsb.on.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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Pinchas Gutter has been one of Canada's most active Holocaust survivors. He's spent years educating Canadians about the genocide and what life was like for European Jews during the war. But these days, he's also on a different mission: raising awareness about the 1,200 poor Holocaust survivors living in the Toronto area who are, he says, in need of up to $12 million just to live out their final years in dignity and comfort. There are approximately 10,000 survivors living in Canada; according to global statistics, about one in three lives in poverty. Despite receiving financial aid from the Claims Conference and other organizations, the survivors continue to struggle day to day. Gutter now leads a committee for Jewish Family and Child Service that's dedicated to helping these survivors with emergency health needs, such as walkers, false teeth and hearing aids—all things Ontario's health care plan doesn't cover. He joins the show with Dori Eckstein, vice-president of the JF&CS committee, to discuss the initiative and a fundraising gala set for the spring. What we talked about: To donate, visit jfandcs.com Read more about Pinchas Gutter at thecjn.ca Read about the Claims Conference programs in Canada at claimscon.org 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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Ophira Calof is having a busy month. The 28-year-old Toronto-based actor, writer and curator will be judging entries for AccessCBC, the CBC’s new access project for filmmakers with disabilities; she's picking films and handling programming for the annual ReelAbilities film festival, screening at the Miles Nadal JCC; and she is, as always, advocating for the arts world to make room for creatives like her who have physical, mental or other disabilities. To kick off Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month, Calof joins to discuss how Jewish institutions can become more aware of the realities faced by Jews who live with disabilities every day, and why she purposely chose to reclaim the word "crip" by naming her consulting company #CriptheScript. What we talked about: To register for "An evening with Ophira Calof", visit kehillatbethisrael.com Watch Ophira Calof perform Me and My Wheelchair on YouTube Read about the CBC initiative at cbc.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; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.