North Star with Ellin Bessner

Helmut Oberlander came to Canada in 1954. He was married, raised a family and became a successful real estate developer in Waterloo, Ont. But in 1986, a secret spilled out into public, when a retired Quebec judge, Jules Deschênes, held an inquiry into Nazis secretly living in Canada. Deschênes named Oberlander among those who were. Years of legal battles ensued, in which the federal government stripped Oberlander of his citizenship four times for lying about his wartime past. The case languished in legal purgatory for decades—until this week. On Sept. 20, 2021, Oberlander died in his home, surrounded by family. That he was allowed to pass away peacefully, without serving any jail time, is now being called a black mark on Canada's judiciary system. One critic is Steven Rambam, a private detective and Nazi hunter based in New York, who was intimately involved in tracking down war criminals in Canada. Rambam joins today to point out where, and how, the Canadian government and the Jewish community failed to bring Oberlander to justice. What we talked about: Read The CJN's coverage of Oberlander's death at thecjn.ca/news/helmut-oberlander-obit Learn more about Steven Rambam's investigative agency at pallorium.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.

It sounds like it could be a movie—and maybe, one day, it could become one. In late August, just before the United States pulled out of Afghanistan, an effort began to save some of the athletes on the Afghan women’s national cycling team from the impending Taliban takeover. This mission was partly spearheaded by Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli billionaire with a passion for cycling. After moving to Israel in 2015, Adams helped found the country's first professional cycling team, called "Israel Start-Up Nation", which has competed globally. Adams personally paid for the rescue of the Afghan cyclists, who will make their way to Canada as refugees. Adams joins to share the details and origins of this nerve-wracking rescue. What we talked about: Read "The secret rescue of the Afghanistan women’s cycling team: helped by Canada’s Jewish community" at thecjn.ca Learn about Israel Start-Up Nation at israelcyclingacademy.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.

Ahead of today's election, the People's Party of Canada is polling at around 10 per cent nationally. Much of their rise can be attributed to leader Maxime Bernier, whose presence at large-scale anti-lockdown rallies across Canada has sparked a grassroots populist movement grounded in distrust of governments, health care systems and public institutions. But working within that same movement have been infamous Canadian antisemites, white supremacists and Holocaust deniers. Figures such as Chris Sky, Brian Ruhe and Paul Fromm have been driving across the country to attend anti-lockdown rallies and events, where they can easily and quickly spread their dangerous messages. The People's Party, with its stated intent to scrap laws that party members believe hamper free speech, has proven to be fertile ground for this kind of hateful agenda. On today's episode of The CJN Daily podcast, Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, joins to discuss his group's findings and the connections between this far-right network. What we talked about: Learn more about the Canadian Anti-Hate Network at antihate.ca Read why The CJN won't be reporting on the election until Thursday at thecjn.ca/news/election-out-of-office/ 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.

The 44th Canadian election is happening Monday. Up for grabs are 14 ridings that are notable for Jewish voters, either because of their large Jewish populations or high-profile Jewish candidates. Sporting some of the highest profiles are Annamie Paul and Avi Lewis, who will try and make their marks by winning difficult seats; elsewhere, traditional battlegrounds in the Toronto area are proving to be tight races that could swing either to the Liberals or Conservatives. On today's special weekend edition of The CJN Daily, longtime CJN reporter Ron Csillag joins to walk us through the 14 ridings to watch for Jewish Canadians. What we talked about: Read "Canada Votes: A forshpeiz..." at thecjn.ca Read "Artist Charlotte Salomon comes to life in this new Canadian animated film" 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 July 2021, the Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair attended an event at a Chabad Lubavitch centre in Markham, Ont., where he announced the government would spend $8 million to help non-profit faith community groups update their buildings' security. The money is meant to go towards projects like fortifying doors, installing cameras, erecting fences, training security guards and improving lighting. Recipients can include places of worship, private schools and community centres—anywhere that might be the target of a hate crime. In the last week, the ministry in charge of dispensing these funds extended the deadline for a new round of grants, and issued a reminder to organizations to submit their applications by Oct. 6. Vancouver's Jewish community has been taking advantage of the funding over the years, including for the JCC of Greater Vancouver, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar rebuilding campaign. Blair visited the site in August to see firsthand how the money was being used. One of the men accompanying Blair was Bernard Pinsky, a lawyer and longtime volunteer who heads up the security advisory committee for Jewish Vancouver. He joins to give some advice about security plans and strategies, and what fears keep him up at night. What we talked about: Read: "Toronto is getting pop-up sites to help report antisemitic incidents during High Holidays" (thecjn.ca) Watch Bill Blair's announcement for a new round of security grants at the Chabad center in Markham on Public Safety Canada's Twitter page 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.

Last night, The CJN and CIJA hosted an election debate on issues that matter to the Jewish community. Our participants were Marco Mendicino, the Liberal minister of immigration; Michael Chong, the Conservative shadow critic for foreign affairs; and Hal Berman, a doctor and NDP candidate in Toronto. The subjects ranged beyond Israel and combatting antisemitism. There are Jewish connections to climate change, Indigenous reconciliation and Canadian foreign policy beyond the Middle East. We asked hard questions to each candidate: Could Berman clarify the NDP's stance on the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement? How can the Conservatives reconcile a credible climate strategy with support for the oil and gas industry? And why do the Liberals continue to fund UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, despite its evident flaws? In today's episode, we've packaged the highlights from the evening, plus key takeaways from our post-show political panel as well. What we talked about: Watch the full debate at thecjn.ca/news/canada/2021-debate Learn more about CIJA's federal election guide at cija.ca/election 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.

Tonight, The CJN and CIJA are hosting a federal election debate featuring candidates from the three major parties: Liberal Marco Mendicino, Conservative Michael Chong and New Democrat Hal Berman. The candidates will debate issues relating to the safety of Canada's Jewish community and the country's relationship with Israel. To get a better sense of what those issues are, four Jewish volunteers from across the political spectrum discuss their views on the election and how it will impact the community. We're joined by Green members Corey Shefman, a lawyer running the campaign for party leader Annamie Paul; Anthony Koch, a Conservative strategist who worked on Erin O'Toole's leadership campaign; Carolyn Svonkin, a student at Queen's volunteering for the Liberals; and Sophie Hershfield, from Winnipeg, who volunteers with the NDP. What we talked about: Reserve a spot for our virtual debate at Eventbrite Submit a video question at thecjn.ca/debate Join The CJN Circle at thecjn.ca/circle 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.

This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11, when al-Qaeda suicide attackers flew four planes into American landmarks, resulting in 2,977 deaths, including 24 Canadians. The planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. Rabbi Leivi Sudak didn't know any of this when his flight to New York from London, U.K., was ordered to land in Gander, Newfoundland. Rabbi Sudak was flying to New York to pray at the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson on 9/11. It was right before Rosh Hashanah—he planned to make the trip there and back in one long day. Instead, Rabbi Sudak's flight was one of 38 planes diverted and forced to land in Gander. after North American airspace was shut down. What happened to him there—the warm reception he received from Canadian locals, and how they accommodated his religious needs—was commemorated in the hit Tony-winning musical Come From Away. On today's episode, Rabbi Sudak joins to remember that life-changing day and recall his role in the story that changed the world. What we talked about: Register to attend The CJN's political debate on Sept. 13 at eventbrite.ca, and submit a question at thecjn.ca/debate Watch the trailer for _Come From Away_, streaming on Apple TV+ starting Sept. 10 Learn more about Rabbi Leivi Sudak's work at lubavitchofedgware.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.

Canada’s Jewish community is a little larger this high holiday season. In July, 11 adults and two young children officially converted—and all of them live in Kelowna, B.C., with a Jewish population of about 500. Well, about 513 now. This was a unique conversion process for many reasons. Being virtual, of course, classes were led by rabbis from across the country over Zoom. Since Kelowna doesn't have a mikvah, the converts took a dip on the beach in Lake Okanagan. And the converts' individual reasons for joining Judaism are myriad. None are for the usual reasons, like getting married or joining the Israel army. Somehow, they all found each other in their tight-knit community and came to the same spiritual realization. Today, two of the women join the show, along with the rabbi who led the conversion, to discuss their reasons for converting, what the process was like during a pandemic and how they feel going into their first-ever high holiday season. What we talked about: Visit the Okanagan Jewish Community Centre at ojcc.ca Listen to members of Kelowna's community on Yehupetzville, our podcast about small-town Canadian Jews, at thecjn.ca/yehupetzville Read about how Canadianscan help Afghan refugees at canada.ca Learn about B'nai Brith Canada's emergency Afghan refugee relief campaign at bnaibrith.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.

Soon after COVID-19 vaccines began rolling out, clashes erupted between authorities and the Hasidic community in Montreal. Police officers raided a synagogue that violated the lockdown curfew in January 2021; court battles ensued; more illegal gatherings took place in March, blowing past attendance limits. But there has been a shift in tone this summer, especially since vaccine passports became mandatory across Quebec this week. Other provinces announced similar plans to restrict movement for the willingly unvaccinated. The Quebec Council of Hasidic Jews is urging its members to get vaccinated. To that end, they've been holding vaccine clinics in the heart of their communities, handing out pamphlets in Yiddish and setting up help lines for people who don't use the internet or have smartphones. The latest clinic was held recently, just before Rosh Hashanah. Avi Finegold, host of The CJN's weekly current affairs podcast Bonjour Chai, attended the clinic to talk to the attendees and give an on-the-ground report. What we talked about: Watch the video from January of police raiding a Hasidic synagogue in Montreal on Twitter Read about Montreal's vaccination drives at thecjn.ca Learn about the Abraham Global Peace Initiative Campus Petition at agpi.ca/campus-declaration-1 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.