Niv

06/06/2024

Hot off the heels of Q***r Yiddish Camp and Rad Yiddish’s cabaret fundraiser in December, organizers freygl gertsovski, Sorke Schneider, and Willow Rosenberg came together to discuss the passions that feed their work in building q***r and Yiddish spaces

Read the interview in our Spring issue and join in on their love of Yiddish at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/q***r-yiddish-camp-and-rad-yiddish-talk-shop.

31/05/2024

Call it a Shabbat miracle, or a plain old giveaway, but we have two tickets ready to be claimed for Just Now Jeffrey!⭐️ Be the first to DM us to snag them!

We are elated to co-present Just Now Jeffrey with Toronto Jewish Film Festival this year. In this irreverent comedy set in 1989 during the final days of South African apartheid, teenage best friends Jeffrey and Brad find themselves in the middle of history unfolding—not that either of them notice. On a sworn mission to lose their virginity before graduation, their harebrained scheme quickly sets them on a series of misadventures, entangling them with everything from antisemitic rugby players to neo-N**i video pirates. Just Now Jeffrey creates a unique and comedic image of Jewish family life at the centre of a world on the cusp of change.

And if those free tickets have been snagged, fret not, you can use the coupon code NIV@TJFF to receive a discount!

Find tickets and showtimes at https://tjff.com/films/just-now-jeffrey/.

27/05/2024

We are thrilled to co-present The Goldman Case (Le Procès Goldman) with the Toronto Jewish Film Festival this year. And perhaps even more thrilled that we are able to offer you a coupon. Be it in-person or online use the coupon code NIV@TJFF to secure a discount!

The Goldman Case was selected to open Critics’ Week at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. It is a gripping courtroom drama recreating the 1976 trial of Pierre Goldman, which is considered the most divisive case since the Dreyfus Affair. The son of a Jewish Resistance fighter who migrated from Poland to France, Goldman was politically far left and steadfast in his Jewish identity. Refusing to call any witnesses to his character, Goldman defends himself against multiple charges including a triple murder, insisting that a culture of institutional racism and antisemitism were behind a police conspiracy to convict him. Though the trial was in the 1970s, the political, ideological and racial tensions still resonate within contemporary France.

Find showtimes and tickets at the link in bio.⭐️🎟

16/05/2024

We want to hear from you!

Send us a piece and/or pitch by June 23 to be considered for our Summer/Fall Issue. We welcome interviews, articles, essays, stories, comics and more. From topics on birdwatching to the high holidays, anything that inspires your curiosity goes!

Please send submissions to [email protected] and for more information on our guidelines visit https://www.nivmag.com/submission-guidelines.

10/05/2024

On May 15, in honour of both Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month, The Braid will offer the world premiere of What Do I Do with All This Heritage? a show about the lives of Asian American Jews.

Producers David Chiu and Vanessa Bloom, who are also community leaders for the The LUNAR Collective, take us into what inspired the creation of the play and what audiences can expect. Find out more about the production and how they "democratize storytelling" at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/asian-american-jews-invite-audiences-into-their-lives.

01/05/2024

"When you pick up Liana Finck’s new graphic memoir How to Baby Finck assumes you’ve done so because you’re ready to have a baby. If you have indeed been cajoled into motherhood by 'honest Abe or foul Sycorax,' as Finck states, congratulations, you are the book’s target demographic and you’re in for a 'wild ride.' . . . If, however, you have no present or future interest in becoming a parent, I urge you to read on. For though you will not become a stuffed animal exterminator, as Finck warns, or be split into an old and new self (both of which you’ll want to maintain), or gain the 'perfect excuse' to skip a party, you’re still in for a wild ride."

Find out why Orly Zebak believes Finck's most personal work since Passing for Human is a wild ride worth going on again and again and again at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/liana-fincks-guide-to-motherhood-is-a-guide-for-humanity-you-will-be.

P.S. Orly, the person who reviewed this book, would like for us to warn you that she is not a parent and is not an expert on parenthood. So if you are thinking about becoming a parent, are pregnant, or are a new parent, she cannot tell you if this book will actually give you what you need. But she can tell you that "you’ll find a book that does what all great works of art do: portray the confusing contradictory nature of the human species."
Illustration by Orly Zebak.👶

26/04/2024

When Passover and Shabbat have a crossover there's one thing that comes to mind: gefilte fish. And if you love this controversial food item, then we have the perfect recipe for you from Faith Kramer!

Pop into the weekend with "Gefilte Fish Poppers" at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/gefilte-fish-poppers.

22/04/2024

We wish you all a happy Passover filled with light and love. 💖

19/04/2024

"There is a prevalent theme in Judaism that even on your happiest occasions you remember loss—and even in those moments of loss, you look for joy and renewal. There is this constant notion that in life we can hold sadness and happiness at the same time, that one begets the other."

Embrace duality with Rabbi Charley Baginsky, and read her take on Passover, at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/duality-in-every-season-meditating-on-passover-and-beyond.

17/04/2024

See our list of Jewish artists and cultural leaders to know about! Thanks for the opportunity Canvas!

CANVAS is excited to support Jewish arts and culture networks and distribution channels in Canada, and we hope to strengthen the connections between Jewish artmakers throughout North America. With …

16/04/2024

The first night of Passover is less than a week away!

View this beautiful artwork by Lynne Cassouto of Miriam playing her tambourine in joyous celebration!

View the work here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/miriam-at-the-sea

11/04/2024

"When most people hear the phrase 'Jewish fiction' they think mainly of American Jewish fiction, and have little awareness of the rest of what exists around the world, either in English or in other languages. This is not only sad but ironic because (related to Jews having lived for two thousand years among other nations and having written in virtually all the languages of the countries where they dwelled) one of the key features of Jewish fiction is its multilingualism."

Dr. Nora Gold discusses translation, belonging in Jewish literature, and more with Hollay Ghadery in Issue 21.

Read on to find out what else inspired Dr. Gold to edit 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages, the first anthology of translated multilingual Jewish fiction in 25 years, at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/belonging-in-jewish-literature-in-conversation-with-dr-nora-gold.

22/03/2024

Purim begins tomorrow, and we send you off this holiday weekend with a meditative story. Queen Esther's heroism colours the perspective Sandhi Schimmel Gold's has of her great-grandmother and grandmother, who were both named Esther. Gold takes us through their heartbreaking years in Russia and Germany during World War I and World War II, and shows us how, like Esther, they resisted and persevered.

Read "The Three Faces of Esther" and view Gold's collage of Queen Esther in detail at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/three-faces-esther.

19/03/2024

For the last 20 years, the ARC Ensemble (Artists of the Royal Conservatory) has devoted most of its energy and resources to the exploration of music that was sidelined by war and exile.

Simon Wynberg, artistic director for the ARC Ensemble, explores how the ensemble has chosen to highlight and elevate these artists from obscurity to become a fixture of the classic music canon.

Read more about their vital work here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/arc-ensemble-lifts-veil-lost-jewish-composers

14/03/2024

Are you ready for this season's Arts & Kvetch? Prepare yourself because this next month or so is chock-full of Jewish arts and culture events. But don't worry, Lara Bulger, as per usual, has got you covered!

From LGBTQ+ at the J's free drag makeup workshop, to an exhibit on typeface, to S. Bear Bergman's upcoming play (co-presented by LGBTQ+ at the J & Ontario Jewish Archives, Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre), to learning with Lishma Jewish Learning Project, to resources from Kultura Collective, and more, these upcoming few months are sure to be busy!

Reads Bulger's musings at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/spring-musings-memories-and-mishloach-manot.

11/03/2024

Last night the Oscars celebrated Jewface. It's an issue that Niv co-founder Clarrie Feinstein couldn't shrug off. So she wrote about it.

"When I first saw the side-by-side images of Cooper playing Bernstein and Bernstein, it was clear that Cooper’s profile was exaggerated. I felt a sense of unease. Why did he need to change his face at all? He looked enough like the young Bernstein, face intact. When he plays the older Bernstein, the makeup department can age his face, but why make Cooper’s nose bigger than it is?

If non-Jewish actors want to play Jews they must take time to understand the religion and culture, and immerse themselves in the rich, resilient, and beautiful community they’re trying to depict. The answer isn’t putting on a prosthetic nose."

Read the full critique here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/are-the-oscars-celebrating-jewface

10/03/2024

Welcome to our Spring 2024 issue! We can’t believe how Niv continues to grow and flourish. As with every edition of Niv we are humbled by the talent of our contributors and their efforts to enrich the Jewish community in Canada and abroad.

With this spring issue we can feel winter’s chill fading, the days are getting longer, and we’re just starting to feel the sun’s warmth in Toronto.

Even so, in times like these it’s hard to stop watching the news, or doom scrolling Instagram. This issue of Niv hopes to offer, for a short time, to help take your mind off things.

Join in on the Maestro Jewface debate, find out about LUNAR Collective and the Braid’s play about the Asian American Jewish experience, journey into motherhood with Liana Finck in her new memoir/guide, and travel around the world with Dr. Nora Gold by learning about her new anthology of translated Jewish fiction, and more.

As Purim and Passover approach we hope you find time to be with loved ones, to come together and commemorate the ancient Jewish stories we honour every year. Whether it's reading about Queen Esther or Moses, these stories show us the strength of the Jewish spirit and how we’re stronger together in community. It can provide tremendous solace to know we’re not alone, and take inspiration from our ancestors who fought for a more just world.

08/03/2024

Pencil Niv into your Oscar-Sunday plans! Issue 21 comes out in two days! We can't wait to share with you the vibrant and contemplative work from our contributors.

Until then, we wish you all a beautiful Shabbat!💖

25/02/2024

Magic Mountain by Irina Sheynfeld

"In many cultures, including Judaism, a mountain is a place where fates are decided, important decisions are made, and truth is discovered."

View the beautiful work here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/magic-mountain

16/02/2024

Celebrate Shabbat with Adeena Sussman and Bonnie Stern!

Back in October, the Prosserman JCC hosted two J Chef panels which found Stern, a noted cookbook author in her own right, in conversation with Sussman. They were gatherings “to embrace what is beautiful about our culture and to celebrate and talk about it" noted Sussman.

We're delighted to feature an excerpt from their J Chef conversation to find how, for them, Shabbat is a shifting and ever-evolving practice and more at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/celebrate-shabbat-with-adeena-sussman.

13/02/2024

This Galentine's day we are celebrating the beautiful and enduring friendship of Paula Goldhar and Rose Lipszyc.

On October 22, 2023, Paula and Rose convened at the Toronto Holocaust Museum to share their testimonies and to celebrate their friendship.

Some years after they arrived in Toronto, Rose and Paula met when they joined the same bowling league. From strikes and spares, a friendship blossomed and evolved. Trips to Florida or Muskoka were planned; card games were won and lost.

In between bragging, and rightfully so, about their grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s smarts and accomplishments, Paula and Rose sat down with THM’s Michelle Fishman, to expand on the friendships that afforded them the strength to survive the Holocaust, why education is our strongest resource against antisemitism, and how there is nothing quite like a good friend.

Read their conversation at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/an-enduring-friendship-paula-goldhar-and-rose-lipszyc-explore-life-after-the-war-and-in-canada.

11/02/2024

The Brighton Beach Bible is a graphic novel about Jewish culture and identity that also explores modern religious belief as depicted in art. Joel Silverstein painted at the beach and included old master art references, movie stills, comic book panels, and other visual material to depict the most important story in the Jewish canon with seriousness, irony, and humour.

See more of the work here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/brighton-beach

09/02/2024

"Sipping his mint tea, nibbling on a sweet date, complimenting his host on the elegance of it all, Isaac wished he could leap up and embrace him as a brother. But prudence suggested otherwise. And so the tea in the desert continued in peace and harmony, neither marred by blind hostility nor blessed by an embrace delayed for almost four millennia."

Read more of Alexis Levitin's wonderfully rich short story here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/tea-in-the-desert

06/02/2024

You ever just miss the holidays? We do. Which is why we're looking back to Nona Gold's paintings celebrating Hanukkah. A holiday that surrounds us with light, hope, joy, and deliciously sweet donuts.

Get a closer look at Gold's painting Redemption and more of her work at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/nona-gold-finds-redemption-in-hanukkah.

29/01/2024

This past September, the world was in shock when the House of Commons gave a standing ovation to 98 year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a former member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a volunteer unit known as the Galicia Division.

The rapturous applause from politicians came during a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—to show solidarity with Ukrainian nationalism during its war with Russia. But many Canadians failed to understand that a significant number of Ukrainian nationalists during the Second World War fought alongside N***s.

Unfortunately, there’s an uncomfortable truth that must be acknowledged: Canada’s history of complicity in allowing N**i-linked Ukrainian groups to go unpunished. There are known monuments in Canada commemorating these military divisions and the government has allowed in hundreds of N**i war criminals, who haven’t been extradited and tried in criminal court.

Read Niv's Q&A with Bernie Farber, the founding chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and past CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, on this dark history in Canada: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/canadas-troubling-history-with-nazism

25/01/2024

"I want the voices of my mothers.

I want forgiveness, beauty,

I want a quest"

Continue on this quest with Toby King () by reading and listening to the rest of their poem at https://www.nivmag.com/articles/a-quest.

23/01/2024

The McMichael Canadian Art Gallery’s exhibit on William Kurelek’s artwork depicting Jewish life in Canada provides viewers an evocative glimpse of the Jewish community in various parts of the country. The gallery has graciously provided Niv with select works from the exhibit for those who might have missed it in-person this last year.

"William Kurelek (1927–1977) is a beloved figure in Canadian art, a revered Ukrainian Canadian painter whose works express his deeply felt immigrant experience and his compassionate vision of humanity. Many of his richly detailed, jewel-toned works reflect memories of his hardscrabble childhood in Manitoba, others his sometimes apocalyptic ruminations on a darkening world.

His suite of paintings titled Jewish Life in Canada was made to honour his friendship with the Toronto art dealer Avrom Isaacs, who offered the artist a framing job at his gallery before discovering his employee’s remarkable creative gifts. A devout Roman Catholic, Kurelek intended Jewish Life in Canada as a gesture across the cultural divide, implicitly demonstrating his open-mindedness toward Canadians of cultural and religious backgrounds different from his own." —McMichael Canadian Art Collection

See the art here: https://www.nivmag.com/articles/william-kureleks-jewish-life-in-canada

16/01/2024

We're less than a week away before the submission window for Issue 21 closes.

Spring into our inbox with a piece or pitch on Passover, Purim, or anything that tickles your fancy by January 21 to be considered for our Spring edition.

Please send everything to [email protected].

We can't wait to hear from you!🌼

05/01/2024

Happy first Shabbat of the new year! On this holy eve, spend time thinking about what changes the new year could bring . . . with a little help from your star sign. The signs have spoken and their 2024 resolutions seek to give you exactly what you need.😇✨