Canada

Montreal’s Jewish mayor arrested on corruption charges

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:09:14 +0100

Montreal’s first-ever Jewish mayor has been arrested on 14 counts of corruption.

Michael Applebaum was taken away yesterday by UPAC, the police’s anti-corruption unit, to be charged with “conspiracy, fraud, breach of trust and corruption”, according to UPAC head Robert Lafreniere.

The charges relate to two real estate projects in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough between 2006 and 2011, while Applebaum was mayor of the borough.

Applebaum was elected in November 2012 by city councillors to become Montreal’s 42nd Mayor after the previous incumbent, Gérald Tremblay, resigned in the light of corruption allegations.

Speaking just after he was voted into office, Applebaum insisted that targeting corruption was one of his top priorities: “We have to bring back pride and trust in elected officials to the city of Montreal. You have to be able to catch that collusion and corruption.”

Canadian Jewish News to fold

Zoe Winograd — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:50:26 +0100

The Canadian Jewish News has announced it will cease publishing from June 20.

The independent newspaper has been in print for 42 years with a regular circulation of 40,000 copies a week.

The paper’s president, Donald Carr, wrote on the CJN website on Monday: “I never dreamed that I would be writing this. No nightmare of mine envisioned it. For some time, we have known of the ravages that printed newspapers and magazines have been experiencing across the world. The digital age, in which news and commentary are retrieved instantly on smart phones, on computers and on all kinds of new devices, has overtaken the printed word.”

According to Mr Carr, CJN struggled to secure advertising as a result of online competition, which led to the paper’s downfall. He wrote: “Newspapers depend for their existence on advertising. It is their lifeblood. Growing numbers of advertisers are no longer convinced that they will get responses to what they pay for in printed publications.”

The president also thanked CJN’s “committed staff” of 50 employees.

Bernie Bellan, publisher of the Jewish Post and News in Winnipeg wrote on the CJN website: “What a great loss it will be, not only to Torontonians, but Canadian Jews as a whole.”

It is unclear whether an online edition will continue.

The newspaper was an initiative of the late businessman and philanthropist Ray Wolfe in 1960. The company operated from Toronto and Montreal with correspondents around the world.

The Jewish Tribune, published by B'nai Brith Canada, will be the community's sole national Jewish publication.

Alanis Morissette performs in Tel Aviv

Jennifer Lipman — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:23:32 +0000

Alanis Morissette defied boycott campaigners and took to the stage in Israel last night.

The Canadian star, who has won seven Grammy awards in her career, was urged not to keep the Israel concert as part of her international tour, in protest against the political situation.

But the sold-out show at the Nokia Theatre went ahead, with a delighted audience cheering the singer as she wrapped up the global tour.

The "Ironic" singer arrived in Israel a few days earlier with her husband and son in tow, in order to spend time at tourist sites including the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

She last performed in Israel 12 years ago, an experience she recently described as "a great time… professionally, spiritually and emotionally".

Canada severs ties with Iran

Orlando Radice — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:11:38 +0100

Canada is suspending its diplomatic relations with Iran and expelling all Iranian envoys from the country.

The Canadian government cited as reasons for the move Iran’s support for Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, its threats to the existence of Israel, its ongoing nuclear programme and its politicians’ regular use of “antisemitic rhetoric”.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said: "Iran is among the world's worst violators of human rights; and it shelters and materially supports terrorist groups, requiring the Government of Canada to formally list Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.

"Canada views the government of Iran as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Canada, saying: "This is a bold decision that is sending a clear message to Iran and to the entire world, one week after a show of antisemitism and hate in Tehran. The Canadian government took a moral step.”

Canadian church regrets fairness on Israel

Ron Csillag — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:31:30 +0100

A decision by Canada’s largest Protestant denomination to boycott West Bank settlement products has shattered its relations with the country’s Jewish leadership.

Meeting in Ottawa for its triennial General Council last week, the United Church of Canada passed a resolution calling for a boycott of products made in the “illegal” settlements of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A further, last-minute amendment expressed “regret” over a previous request for the Palestinians to acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state as a precondition to peace.

Also passed by the 350-member General Council, which sets church policy, was a request for the Canadian government to ensure that “all products produced in the settlements be labelled clearly and differently from products of Israel”. The council also resolved that products produced in the settlements should “not given preferential treatment” under the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1996.

Tensions between the church and the Jewish community have been building since the resolutions were introduced in a 29-page report in May, and erupted in the days after the boycott motion was adopted.

In reaction, Rabbi Steven Garten of Ottawa’s Temple Israel cancelled an interfaith programme with a neighbouring United Church scheduled for next month.

“I was to have spoken at the church, and church members would have come to synagogue,” Rabbi Garten told the Globe and Mail newspaper. “But after the church council’s decision, I wrote to say there did not seem to be a lot of room for dialogue. The minister wrote back to say he understood.”

Rabbi Garten said he also wrote to the Ottawa Christian-Jewish interfaith dialogue to say he might not be able to continue as its co-chair.

Shimon Fogel, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said: “The only comments I’ve received so far are those advocating a complete severing of ties with the United Church.”

The United Church of Canada has an estimated 2.8 million adherents.

Baby with Hitler moustache used in advert

Jennifer Lipman — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:05:55 +0100

Given the popularity of cats that look like Hitler and houses that appear to be sporting the Fuhrer's moustache, it was only a matter of time before entertainers appropriated the image for their own use.

But the decision by the organisers of the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal to advertise a play using an image of a baby with the characteristic facial hair of the Nazi leader has still caused consternation.

A spokesman for the Canadian Jewish organisation B'nai Brith labelled the image insensitive to the memory of the victims of the Nazi regime. Steven Slimovitch said: "Any kind of connection to Hitler is still an open wound for many people,"

The offending image appeared on posters for the play "Le Prenom", which follows a father who names his son Adolf. The festival's organiser said he chose the image because it was "striking and controversial".

But after seeing the play Mr Slimovitch said he was satisfied that it was actually "a condemnation of hatred" and that the posters were not offensive.

"We wouldn't have chosen that type of poster," he said, but he admitted: "We can understand where it came from and the important thing is the message and the message is that hatred is unacceptable."

Anger over Nazi salute at Canadian student protests

Jennifer Lipman — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:31:59 +0100

Student protesters in Canada have been criticised for using the Nazi salute as part of their campaign against a controversial increase in university tuition fees.

Some protesters in Montreal have also decorated flyers attacking the police with swastikas while others have begun referring to the police as the SS.

The demonstrators, who have held a number of protests in recent weeks, have also been photographed raising their arms in the Nazi salute.

B'nai Brith Canada said it condemned "in the strongest terms" the use of Nazi slogans and gestures in this way.

Frank Dimant, its chief executive, described it as an "inexcusable display of hate by Quebec student protesters". He said it demonstrated "just how low the level of public debate has fallen".

He said: "The actions of these protesters, whether for the purposes of deriding Montreal police or drawing attention to their cause, defile the memory of the Holocaust and remind us just how quickly antisemitism and the manifestations of hate can venture their way into our public discourse."

Martine Desjardins, president of the Quebec Federation of Students, admitted: "We think it was an error in judgment that they used that sign."

Israel's Shimon Peres in hospital for hernia surgery

Jennifer Lipman — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:06:16 +0100

Shimon Peres is being treated in hospital for a hernia.

The Israeli President, 89 in August, was in Canada this week on a state visit, and returned earlier today. On arrival in Tel Aviv he was admitted to the Sheba Medical Centre to undergo surgery.

His spokeswoman, Ayelet Frisch, said that Mr Peres's son-in-law and personal doctor Rafi Walden found the hernia earlier in the week, but the president opted to continue with the trip.

She said he was "feeling fine" when she spoke to him before the operation.

It means that the president will most likely be unable to present the Wolf Prize at a ceremony at the Knesset on Sunday. The prestigious award, worth $100,000, is given annually to people who have excelled in the arts and sciences.

During his stay in Canada Mr Peres spoke warmly of ties between the two countries and expressed gratitude for 60 years of friendship. "Canada is always positive, never indifferent, never neutral," he said.

Sorry for 'unintentional offence' after Muslim school teaches hate for Jews

Sandy Rashty — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:52:50 +0100

A Muslim Sunday school in Canada has apologised for anti-Jewish teachings published on its website.

The Jewish community challenged posts on the East End Madrassah's page that drew comparisons between Judaism and Nazism, and further accused Jews of being "treacherous", "crafty" and "conspiring to kill the Prophet Muhammad".

Avi Benlolo, president of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies, noticed the material and lodged a police complaint last week.

The East End Madrassah, running for 37 years, is now under investigation for "hate crimes" by police following the complaint, confirmed Constable Rebecca Boyd.

"The onus is on them to prove to the community at large that they are not teaching hate," said Mr Benlolo.

The Toronto-based East End Madrassah religious class, run by a Shia mosque, said it "unreservedly apologises to the Jewish community for the unintentional offence.

"Our curriculum is not intended to promote hatred towards any individual or group of people," the group said.

The Toronto District School Board has not yet confirmed whether it will take any action against the group, which uses its space to teach classes.

"We will continue to work with police and take appropriate action pending the conclusion of the investigation," said board spokesperson Ryan Bird.

Being Leonard Cohen's son - it's not all hallelujahs

Brigit Grant — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:50:41 +0100

There is a quiz on the internet that lets Leonard Cohen fans measure the intensity of their admiration for the musician and poet. The site, 1heckofaguy.com, is ironic (one hopes), but for a high score a "serious fan" should have considered converting to Judaism; played unlikely Cohen songs at a barmitzvah or wedding; and carried a photograph in their wallet of Leonard's children, Lorca and Adam.

As weird as this all sounds, Adam Cohen would never dismiss any of it as beyond the realms of possibility. As the off-spring of an icon, he has a better understanding of die-hard devotion, having witnessed it at close quarters from a young age. Through his teens he "tolerated" the hero-worship of his dad and now as a performer in his own right has acquired his own band of followers. Adam just doesn't like talking about them.

"I'm uncertain and uncomfortable discussing fans," says the 39-year-old who is an aesthetically pleasing chip off the old block. "I'm sure I have a core following in Europe and Canada."

After several decades of plugging away in the music business, one would expect Adam to have already "made it". But it is only now, with his fourth album, Like A Man, that he finally feels on the right track (or tracks), having produced "my most honest work and something to be really proud of".

"This album is a reflection of who I truly am, having finally recognised that I come from a long line of people who have embraced the family business. It also represents a kind of acquittal after years of being in a contortion act," says Adam, who metaphorically tied himself up in creative knots to escape his father's shadow and avoid the inevitable comparisons. Now at last he has embraced his heritage with an album of whimsical love songs that echo Leonard and have been described by his father as "world-class". Even the vocal is reassuringly gravelly, and Leonard agrees that his son sings more sweetly.

"It has taken me a very long time," muses Adam who bit the bullet in 2007 when he played his first Leonard Cohen song at a concert in Barcelona. "I was able to raise eyebrows and open doors with people's curiosity about me, for sure. But I also saw swift and sometimes unforgiving judgement levied on my work. I have seen the disappointment on people's faces when I'm either too little or too much like my father for their tastes."

Adam never doubted music was his destiny: "But it had nothing to do with what my dad had done. It was something I was drawn to, like most kids. It is not unimaginable that a son wants to identify with his father and music was a way of having a dialogue with him. But you don't need a reason. The glamour and fame is very seductive. My parents encouraged it, tutoring me in violin, while I taught myself guitar, drums and piano by the time I was 12. But when I started out professionally I had an appetite for success and being a pop star that had very little to do with the music. But I wasn't sure how to position myself. I just knew I didn't want to emulate my father."

His first album - Adam Cohen - released in 1998 was well-received, but never made any real impact. "I'm not embarrassed by the songwriting I did then, but the production choices were poor," says Adam. "I was chasing a sound that wasn't entirely my own. Even then I didn't pay enough attention to my father's work, though I have always been encouraged, guided and rewarded by him."

A French-language album followed in 2004 with a tepid response and then Adam became the frontman for the rock band, Low Millions. "Another step on the road to me discovering my true voice and having a fantastic time in the process," he says, but once again it did not go anywhere.

"I have been incredibly lucky that I had people who were willing to invest in me with large sums of cash. I also managed to lose money for everyone involved because the albums never did as well as everyone hoped. When people are so enthusiastically generous in their belief, you want to validate it and I've never felt that I honoured my part of the agreement. But these things are highly circumstantial and they are after all experts who are handsomely paid to identify talent and I don't think anyone was wrong."

Born and raised in Montreal alongside younger sister, Lorca, the young Cohens lived a "gypsy-like" existence from the moment their parents separated in 1979. "Our childhood was divided between France with our mother [Suzanne Elrod], and our dad in New York, Los Angeles and on the island of Hydra in Greece," explains Adam. "I still think of Greece as my spiritual home and I am incorporating Greek mythology and traditions into my son's education."

Adam is keen that his four-year-old son, Cassius, named after Adam's hero Cassius Clay (aka Muhammad Ali) - "I don't think the rabbi would have appreciated Muhammad Cohen –– is getting the same eclectic upbringing as his dad. "I want him to be raised like I was, so that all things are celebrated," says Adam, who is now settled in Los Angeles with his long-term partner, Jessica.

"We light the Sabbath candles every Friday night, say prayers and celebrate Chanucah, Purim and all the other festivals, but we also look at other faiths. I am prone to thinking that Judaism hasn't impacted very much on me, but it is something I am proud of and probably unconsciously it informs part of the fabric of my thoughts."

Buddhism also interests Adam as it does his father, who was ordained as a monk in 1996 while still insisting he was religiously Jewish and a descendant of Aaron. "I'm not looking for a new religion. I'm quite happy with the old one," he said, and the fact that his son is at last proud to come from a long line of Cohens will no doubt make him happy.

At 75, Leonard is certainly relishing the role of grandfather according to Adam. Not only to Cassius, but to new arrival Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen, who was born last month to daughter Lorca and gay singer Rufus Wainwright. It is an unusual relationship, with Rufus publicly confirming his romantic partner, Jorn Weisbrodt, as deputy dad, but the family is all very close.

"We see a lot of each other," says Adam, who goes on to describe his father as the archetypal grandfather. "My dad is a fabulous, funny, generous granddad. The sort who produces a coin from behind an ear."

Adam's future in the music business will be determined by the success of Like A Man.

"After the tours, the US release and the summer festivals in Canada and Europe, nine months will have passed since the release and it will be very clear what kind of traction this record has been able to make for itself," he says philosophically.

Hopefully the fans he is reluctant to talk about will make it a
success.