WLG’s 15th Anniversary | Sunday, 31 March 2024

We’re actually called the Women’s Learning Group & Albert! Thank you, dear Clergy, WLG members and honoured guests for gracing our gathering today as we celebrate 15 years of learning and togetherness at the heart of Canada’s oldest synagogue, no small achievement. Recently in the month of March 2024, “over 3,000 Jewish teens gathered in Times Square in Manhattan to sing, pray, and proudly celebrate their Jewishness, an event that struck a chord by tens of thousands around the world.” L’Chaim Newsletter’s ‘Slice of Life’ article of its March 29 edition No. 1817 goes on to say that, “Thousands of teens joined along in prayter, and then burst into impassioned song and dance, led by Jewish pop start Gad Elbaz. As the iconic Times Square billboards flashed with images of CTeen chapters from around the world and Jewish imagery, the teens roared in unison with undisguised pride in their heritage, their community and their Judaism.” Let us take a minute of silence for the hostages and our soldiers fighting valiantly to protect Am Israel, and for our fallen for whom we pray in remembrance.
My name is Sandra Koukou and, as Communications & Design Director of the Women’s Learning Group of the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal, am honoured and delighted to accept Gladys Mooallem’s invitation to host this auspicious occasion.
Our thanks go to the office staff for their valued help with logistics and publicity. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our beautiful Ksenia, our ZOOM host and operator of today’s audiovisual component. Introduced to Gladys by Rabbi Orenstein, she has been nothing but enthusiasm and excellence. So many wonderful people to thank. No less Gladys herself [resounding applause], who, with our former Rabbi Schachar Orenstein formed our leadership team, taking us through many learning journeys that deepened our appreciation and understanding of Judaism and the Jewish people, God’s first born who faced and continue to face the vicissitudes of a fast-changing world that is, despite its turbulent history, full of wonder. We have committed ourselves to explore those wonders. Your brainchild, Rabbi, ever since its inception after the Women’s Bat Mitzvah you created in 2009, has attracted diplomats, MPs, mayors, university professors and even the Portuguese Consul General. The Rev’d Hazzan Daniel Benlolo, we thank you for gracing our Fall and Spring Seasons with the joy of music.
Past President, Edmond Elbaz, we cannot thank you enough for your support over the years. Your interesting session on your native of Morocco laced with photos and personal memories, gave us a lens onto your beautiful native land, which you fled after the birth of the modern State of Israel.
Dr. David Bensoussan, historian extraordinaire, professor of electrical engineering at the École Supérieure de technologie, author of superb books on Judaica, showed us PowerPoints on the Jews of Spain, our 10 lost tribes, among others. He will keep us awake after cutting of the cake with insight into the actual political situation affecting the Jewish community and the response of individuals and the organized community.
We are not called Women’s Learning Group and Albert for nothing. Mr. Herscovitch, the S&P Treasurer extraordinaire, has been a constant, proposing speakers such as Jacques Saada and indeed himself. Albert’s fascinating PowerPoint on the Jews of Egypt revealed much that only one who returned to Egypt in a not-too-distant past can share as he did for us. Today’s catered brunch is also thanks in no small measure to Albert.
To Gigi Bitton, our historian, an English teacher (retired) by profession, thank you for your keen insight and brilliant use of the English language to reflect the flavour and essence of our sessions. It’s all on the synagogue’s website. Your son, the amazing Cantor Eyal Bitton will sing for us in a short while, through a KZbin recording done with his nightingale singer spouse, Michele Tredger. He is cantor of the Neve Shalom Synagogue of Portland, Oregon. Michele will sing “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables. [...]