North Star with Ellin Bessner

If you haven’t heard of Josh Zilberberg, you're clearly not one of his nearly 2 million followers on TikTok, nor one of his 438,000 Instagram followers. Certainly Zilberberg himself never expected this when he started posting videos about life as a 27-year-old living with his parents during the pandemic. Yet Zilberberg has quickly ascended to social media stardom. He burst onto the scene from his bedroom in his parents' house in Markham last year by posting hilarious, fast-paced, bite-sized videos in which he deadpans a 10-second, rapid-fire monologue joke that invariably ends with what's become his tagline: "Thank yew." On his feed, you'll hear him unload self-deprecating one-liners about his dancing skills, body image, dating troubles and being gay. But one thing he’s never talked about publicly—until now—has been his Canadian Jewish roots. Zilberberg joins today to discuss his rise to internet stardom, his new job as an influencer and how he hopes to fight anti-Semitism online. What we talked about: Follow Josh on TikTok @josh.zilberberg and find his merch at fanjoy.co View the government's readout of Justin Trudeau's conversation with Yair Lapid at pm.gc.ca 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

In 1947 and '48, thousands of foreign military personnel—including 300 from Canada—flew to the emerging State of Israel to fight for its survival against hostile Arab forces. Most volunteers were experienced Jewish veterans of the Second World War. Their vital military skills helped reinforce existing troops in prewar Palestine, then later the State of Israel; in the case of the air force, they actually helped create it. These fighters were known as the Machal, a name derived from Hebrew, meaning "volunteers from abroad". Decades passed before Israel officially recognized the Machal's contribution. Today, very few of them are still alive. But two of the last surviving Canadian Machal veterans are marking an important milestone this week: it’s the anniversary of their arrival in Israel, in July 1948, right in the middle of the country's War of Independence. Bill Novick is 97; Irving Matlow is a couple years younger. Both veterans join us to share stories from the war, explain why they went and discuss how it changed their lives. What we talked about: Learn more about the Machal's contributions at machal.org.il Buy Irving Matlow's book, At the Family Table, on Amazon Sign up for the 7th Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism at combatantisemitism.org Learn about Bernie Grempel at findbernard.com 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Israel's national airline, El Al, halted flights to Canada when the pandemic broke out globally in March 2020. But more than a year later, on June 28, 2021, El Al quietly started service up again on the Toronto–Tel Aviv route. On the first planeload, they handed out teddy bears to kids. There were nearly 100 empty seats. The next flight is scheduled to depart from Toronto today—Monday, July 12—but with Israel’s travel rules still in flux, and the Canadian border still closed to international tourists, it will be a while before we see the four full El Al flights per week that used to run from Toronto in the summers before COVID-19. Nonetheless, news that El Al flights have resumed is a big deal. On today's episode, Dinah Kutner, the general manager of El Al in Toronto, joins to explain what the resumption of service is looking like and what the future holds for Israeli travel. What we talked about: Find flights between Israel and Canada at elal.com Learn about Birthright resuming trips this August at israelforfree.com Register for CIJA's town hall at fightit.ca 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Max Shoham has been making movies since he was a little boy growing up in Toronto. This month, the 18-year-old's most ambitious project—an animated short called Sophie and Jacob—debuts on CBC Gem, after screening at numerous international film festivals. The short is based on the true story of his great-grandparents' escape from Romania in 1939 and their perilous voyage to Palestine. Shoham started making the film while he was in Grade 11. He drew every frame, and coloured, shot and edited the whole picture. His goal is to bring attention to the plight of refugees today—Jewish or not—while also telling a personal story about his great-grandparents, since he never got the chance to speak with them about their journey before they passed away. On today's episode, Shoham joins to talk about how his great-grandparents endured their odyssey and what he hopes this film can teach us about the refugee crisis today. What we talked about: Watch Sophie and Jacob on Vimeo Learn more about the backstory at fofs.ca Find details for the Hatzoloh Toronto vaccination clinic at hatzolohtoronto.org 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Few Canadians know the name Morris Saxe. He was a Jewish dairy farmer who lived in Georgetown, Ontario, having moved to Canada in 1902. He was a hard worker and one of the founders of Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto, but his greatest accomplishment came in the 1920s. He convinced the Canadian government, still quite anti-Semitic at the time, to open its doors to 79 Jewish teens from one particular orphanage in Poland. But there was one catch: all the orphans had to train to become farmers.   Saxe's story is so inspiring that one author just recently published a young-adult book inspired by the man, who now is sometimes called "Canada's Schindler." That book, Jacob and the Mandolin Adventure, by Anne Dublin, tells the story of a 13-year-old Polish Jew who's promised a new life on a Canadian farm.   On today's episode, Ellin is joined by Dublin and David Fleishman, Saxe's grandson, to discuss Saxe's story and legacy. What we talked about: Buy Jacob and the Mandolin Adventure at secondstorypress.ca Watch A Man of Conscience on YouTube Learn more about Morris Saxe at the Ontario Jewish Archives 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marc Garneau, became the first foreign minister to visit Israel since Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government was sworn on June 13. Garneau arrived on Canada Day and spent the weekend meeting Bennett and Israel's foreign minister, Yair Lapid, among others. Garneau's main goal was to lower "the temperature" regarding the conflict between Israel and Gaza, and to reiterate Canada’s positions on peace, settlements and the controversial forced evictions happening in East Jerusalem. He also announced more funding for research and development projects between the two countries. So what are the key takeaways from this significant visit? While Canada still supports the two-state solution, that’s really on the backburner right now. Instead, Canada's focus is on dealing with Gaza's immediate humanitarian issues and making sure the ceasefire holds. To that end, Canada is hoping Israel will stop building new settlements in the Palestinian territories and cease the controversial forced evictions of Palestinians from neighbourhoods like Sheikh Jarrah. The CJN's Ron Csillag joins the show to break down what Garneau accomplished on his trip, what he said that was new and how much Canadian opinion matters to the Israel government. What we talked about: Read: "Lowering ‘temperature’ was priority for Foreign Minister Garneau’s Mideast trip; urges PA to conduct elections" (thecjn.ca) Find the Canadian government's press release about Garneau's visit at Global Affairs Canada Visit Hand in Hand at handinhandk12.org 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Once upon a time, when the Montreal Canadiens still played at the Forum, their unofficial team mascot was a trumpet-blowing super fan known as Kid Mercury. The trumpeter was a fixture in Montreal, and his siren's call could be heard blaring during the Habs' last two Stanley Cup victories, in 1986 and 1993. Kid Mercury has been retired for a few years... until a couple of weeks ago, when he got thrust back into the public spotlight. His hometown NHL team, on the road to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since that 1993 victory, invited him back to perform at the Bell Centre during the teams' three home games against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Now that they've beaten Vegas and are vying for the championship itself, Kid Mercury's 15 minutes of fame have once again been extended into overtime. But underneath Kid Mercury's trademark cape—and his lightning bolt–studded cap—is a nice Jewish boy from Côte Saint-Luc whose parents got him his first trumpet as a bar mitzvah present. In fact, not only does he play the trumpet, but he blows a mean shofar, too. As the Canadiens now struggle against Tampa Bay in the NHL finals—their dreams may be dashed as soon as this evening, if they lose Game 4—Kid Mercury says that, no matter what happens, the surprising success of the Habs this season has brought hope back to Montrealers from all walks of life after their city was devastated by COVID-19. What we talked about: Learn more about Kid Mercury and get in touch with him at kidmercury.com Watch Ellin's full interview with Kid Mercury on The CJN's YouTube channel 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Etel Ergun Avimelek hasn't been able to meet very many people in Winnipeg yet. They arrived just last summer from Turkey, hoping to escape rising anti-Semitism there, but getting settled hasn't been easy. First they had to quarantine, then find a house, then get the kids settled in their new school—a Jewish high school in Winnipeg, Gray Academy—all while working new jobs and navigating pandemic life. Ergun Avimelek, her husband and their teenage kids moved to Canada in August 2020 as part of the local Jewish federation's GrowWinnipeg program. The idea behind it is to staunch the decline of the city's Jewish population by actively recruiting new Jewish immigrants. Since the program started 20 years ago, 6,000 new residents have arrived. Ergun Avimelek and her family are among the latest newcomers. But their story comes with a few twists. On top of pandemic problems, the family has found themselves celebrating their first Canada Day in the midst of a national reckoning with the country's residential school program. Understanding this horrific legacy was not on their radar when they moved here, but it is now. On today's episode, Ergun Avimelek describes her perspective as a newcomer to Canada, why she chose this country as her home and how she sees the struggles of Indigenous Canadians. What we talked about: Visit GrowWinnipeg's Facebook page at facebook.com/GrowWinnipeg See the company Ergun Avimelek's husband, Moris Avimelek, started at upperwear.ca Learn more about Jewish immigration to Winnipeg at jewishwinnipeg.org/immigration-to-winnipeg 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

It’s not every day that the Israel Philharmonic performs private birthday concerts from the stage of the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv. But if you happen to be Charles Bronfman—and it's your 90th birthday, which it was on June 27, 2021—and you’ve got your name on the building because you were the main donor when the cultural centre was renovated—then you get Schubert, Brahms, balloons and surprise video greetings from Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman and the new incoming president of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog. Bronfman is a Canadian billionaire, philanthropist and recipient of the Order of Canada, among numerous other accolades. If don't know his name, you might at least know of Birthright, the international program that offers free trips to Israel for young Jews. He's the co-founder. Although Bronfman's goals have long been to help young Jews fall in love with Israel and embrace their Judaism, he sees a rise in anti-Semitism that makes it hard for young Jews to do that. The current conflict in the Middle East isn't helping matters. On today's episode, Bronfman joins for an in-depth interview about his new venture, called the Jewish Peoplehood Alliance, as well as his views on Israeli politics, Donald Trump, the Montreal Canadiens' odds at winning the Stanley Cup and how negotiations are going to bring a baseball team back to Montreal. What we talked about: Watch the Israel Philharmonic's "Concert in Denim", honouring Charles Bronfman’s 90th birthday, on YouTube Read: "Charles Bronfman warns of 'rift' between diaspora and Israel" (cjnews.com) Learn about Bronfman's work at thecharlesbronfmanprize.org 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

As many have now heard, Rabbi Reuven Bulka died on June 27, 2021. Rabbi Bulka was a beloved public figure in Ottawa, once called "Canada's Rabbi" by former prime minister Stephen Harper. He was being treated in a New York State hospital for terminal pancreatic and liver cancer. He had just turned 77 on June 6. His funeral, held on June 27, was a massive event. As many as 800 people attended in-person at the Long Island funeral home, while officials told us it was the largest gathering online for a funeral they had ever seen: more than 4,200 people tuned in to watch the live broadcast. As the tributes came pouring in from politicians and Jewish organizations, The CJN Daily reached out to two leaders in Ottawa's Jewish community, who share how Rabbi Bulka inspired them. Andrea Freedman is the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, and Ian Sherman is the federation's chair. What we talked about: Read Rabbi Bulka's obituary at thecjn.ca Learn about his Kindness Project at rabbibulka.ca Watch his funeral at The CJN's YouTube channel Listen to The CJN Daily's episode on Kindness Week at thecjn.ca 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. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.