When Rabbi Sidney Shoham retired in 2006 from Beth Zion Congregation in Côte Saint-Luc, after more than 50 years at the pulpit, the very difficult search began for his successor. A year later Rabbi Ira Ebbin was hired. Young, charismatic and full of energy, he made a very favourable impression.
I am saddened to learn that less than three years after his arrival, Rabbi Ebbin (seen below with me soon after his arrival) is about to leave his post for what must have been an offer he just could not refuse in Long Island, New York (Ohav Shalom in Merrick, NY). Beth Zion, under the stewardship of executive director Sheldon Weinstein, was just getting back its footing. Despite a large drop in membership, the combination of Rabbi Ebbin and Weinstein was paying off. New members were coming aboard. The facility itself underwent somewhat of a facelift, with the main auditorium and the entranceway spruced up very nicely. Blossom By The Plaza became the official in-house caterer.
Prior to arriving here, Rabbi Ebbin served as the spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Stamford, in Connecticut. Previously, he had served as the Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Anshe Sholom in New Rochelle, NY. He was the Immediate Past President of the Board of Rabbis for the UJF of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien. He and his wife Chevi (Shurin) grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and they are blessed with three daughters, Shlomit, Shira Nacha, and Anat Shoshana. It is understandable that this new offers allows them to return home.
So Beth Zion once again begins the difficult search for a rabbi. Will Rabbi Shoham, still the rabbi emeritus, return on an interim basis? Stay tuned.
When the province of Quebec introduced a daycare system offering subsidized spaces at only $5 a day, spots filled and families celebrated. Even though the price rose to $7 a few years, there were no complaints.
Many Montreal Jewish day schools, such as the Jewish People’s and Peretz Schools (JPPS) and Beth Rivkah Academy, introduced these daycares and made no secret of the fact that pre-kindergarten students would be getting an early start on their parochial education. That really was never an issue until last week when the Quebec government announced it is banning religious instruction in provincially funded daycare centres.
The opposition Parti Quebecois reasoned that while Quebec has made its public- school system non-denominational, religion appeared to be slipping back through the public daycare system. Quebec Family Minister Tony Tomassi was under fire from the PQ last week. He said that his department has launched an investigation and found that there might be problems in about 20 daycare centres. Ultra-orthodox Jewish and Islamic operators of subsidized daycares have been offering instruction in their respective religions for years.
"From now on, religious instruction will no longer be accepted in the daycare network subsidized by the Family Department," Tomassi said in Quebec City.
Last Thursday the PQ forced a vote on the issue in the National Assembly and the ban on religion passed unanimously, which meant that the Jewish MNA for D’Arcy McGee, Lawrence Bergman, voted along party lines for a motion which is not popular among his constituents.
B’nai Brith Canada-Quebec Region expressed concern with the government’s decision and has been consulting with other faith groups and daycare centres to ascertain what the next step should be following this announcement.
Allan Adel, national chair of the League for Human Rights, says that cutting funding to religious daycares would discriminate against people who practice a faith, violating the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees freedom of religion.
Adel said that banning religion in daycares would create significant confusion between religion and cultural traditions. An example being used is the lighting of the Chanukah menorah and whether that would be allowed. Similarly, for a Christian daycare, the singing of Christmas carols.
Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko of Congregation Beth Israel Beth Aaron in Côte Saint-Luc was not holding back his comments. “There remains a bizarre obsession on the part of the Quebec media with Jewish schools,” he remarked. “That being said, when we accept government financial support for institutions which we perceive as being clearly religious in nature then we are treading on dangerous ground. However, for anyone to think that little children in daycare are involved in deep and profound theological discussions in class makes no sense.”
On the JPPS website, a section devoted to their $7 a day daycare, called the Children’s Centre of JPPS (pictured above), states that the school is committed to the highest standard of education, training students to be leaders in embracing the world and its opportunities from the distinctive perspective of informed and inspired Jewish identity.
“Two of my children went there and it provided them with a solid basis of a Jewish education prior to them entering the mainstream JPPS system,” one parent told the Jewish Tribune. “That is why we chose it.”
The Beth Rivkah website stated that all the "daily activities are driven by the spirit of Torah and the Jewish tradition." That message was no longer visible hours after the Tomassi announcement, replaced by a note that said under construction.
Annie Turcot, a spokesperson for a coalition of publicly funded daycares on the island of Montreal actually welcomed the decision. "The mission of (early-childhood education centres) is really to help families integrate into Quebec culture," she said.
As Adel notes, if the government needs to define exactly what the banning of religion in daycares means. “They’ll have to prescribe some regulations,” he said. “It should not be up to a clerk to decide that on a whim.”
Added Rabbi Poupko: “If the government thinks it can draw a clear line between culture and religion, I believe they are mistaken.”
Father John Walsh of St. John Brébeuf Parish in Montreal feels the time has come for the Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Catholic communities to get together. “The topic would be religion in the public domain,” said Father Walsh.
According to Father Walsh, “there is no such thing as a subsidized Christian daycare centre in Montreal.” There are some private daycares operated by the Catholic community, he says, but even they do not teach religion.
Whether indoors or out, geranium care is pretty basic. In addition to watering, which should be done deeply and once the soil begins to feel dry indoors or at least weekly outdoors (though potted plants may need daily watering in hot weather), fertilizing is usually necessary. Use a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer or a 5-10-5 fertilizer with additional organic matter every four to six weeks throughout their active growing season.
Wave petunias are annual plants that are often used in hanging baskets and window boxes because they are fuller than regular petunias and have branches that overflow out of their containers. Wave petunias also make great ground covers. Wave petunias are available in many different varieties, each with colorful flowers that bloom from spring until summer.
Wave petunias have a unique trailing growth habit and are highly prolific in their blooming. They drape over the sides of containers and raised beds and are great summer performers. A regular petunia has an upright or bush growth habit. It may spread slightly, but will not drape down as dramatically as a Wave petunia. Cascade petunias, an earlier hybrid than Waves, are named for the Cascade mountain range and not for their growth habit. Cascade petunias are a bush type petunia. Planting
You can grow petunias from seeds, but it is easier to grow them from transplants. If you are going to grow from seeds, start them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before you want to set them outside. Petunia seeds are very small and needs lots of light in order to germinate. Remember to water them. When the plants have three leaves, you can plant them outside. It’s best to buy transplants and plant them in light, well-drained soil in full sun after the last spring frost. Petunias can grow in partial shade, but they will have fewer flowers. It’s better if the plants have shelter from the wind. Space the plants about 1 foot apart. If you’re planting petunias in containers, use a soil-less mix.
Petunias are tolerant of heat so you don’t have to water them regularly. A thorough watering once a week should be sufficient (unless there are prolonged periods of drought in your area). The spreading types and those in containers require more frequent watering though. Fertilize your plants monthly to ensure good growth. Double-flowered cultivars like a biweekly dose of fertilizer. Remove faded/dead flowers to prolong blooming Regular Petunias that we will be stocking. Colors this year will be White, Purple, Blue, Pink, Lavender, Pink/White, Lite dbl Pink and Red/White
Nasturtiums are a flower and a vegetable that begs to be ignored. Grow them in poor soils and if anything, keep the soil dry. Don't bother with mulch, compost and fertilizers. They do like full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. They make great plants for those areas in your garden that other plants refuse to grow in. Just remember, keep the soil dry and they will grow well. This companion plant helps to ward off insect pests.
The flowers make for good color in the garden, but are not great for harvesting and vases. The edible leaves can be harvested as soon as several leaves are on the plant. Like any leaf type of plant, they taste better when young and older leaves can be bitter. Related to the cress family, Nasturtiums have a slightly pepper taste. The flowers are also edible, but have less taste. Try using the seeds in pickling for a somewhat different taste.
Million bells are prolific bloomers that attract hummingbirds, very easy to take care of and will look perfect at your house or business. Colors this year will be white, Magenta, Watermelon, Lavender and Purple.
Black-eyed Susan vine(Thunbergia) is a top pick for adding easy-growing bright color to the summer garden. The trumpet-shape blooms appear in cheery shades of yellow, orange, and white; many selections have dark purple throats. It's a polite vine you can count on to stay in bounds and not become overgrown.
The blooms are spectacular, with 4 flared sepals (that's the top part of the bloom) often in a contrasting color to the bell-shaped petals. The petals may be single, semi-double or double, with stamens and pistils extending from the blooms. Deadhead the seed pod. Deadhead the seed pod of each bloom when they begin to shrivel. If the seed pod is left after a flower falls, it will drain the nutrients, preventing more blooms. Also, Do not over water the flowers.
Coleus is grown mainly for its colorful foliage, which may be orange, red, yellow, green, purple, pink, cream, or many combinations of colors. Coleus need moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Coleus need a sheltered location in full sun or part shade and ample water in dry weather.