By Michael Regenstreif
When Barry Fishman – my predecessor as editor of the Ottawa Jewish Bulletin – passed away on October 22, 2009 following his brave and dignified three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), his family suggested that donations in his memory be made to the Barry Fishman Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Scholarship Fund at the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation.
As editor of the Bulletin, Barry particularly enjoyed working with young journalists and several, including Ariel Vered, Alexander Baker and Jason Sheriff, interned at our newspaper during his tenure. Not long before he died, Barry suggested a fund be created to ensure that the Bulletin will maintain an internship position each summer for a student journalist.
I worked closely with Barry when I arrived in Ottawa three years ago to join the Bulletin and I know how much pride he felt in the newspaper and how much satisfaction he felt seeing our young journalists gain valuable experience and develop their craft. Barry’s influence continues to be felt in each issue of the paper we produce and it’s so very fitting that his legacy will endure and be honoured each year with our summer internship.
The first intern hired under the auspices of Barry’s fund is Jacqueline Shabsove, a combined honours double major in the communication and religion departments at Carleton University.
Jacqueline began her eight-week term with us during the final production week for this issue and will be here with us through the end of August writing news reports and features and proofreading pages before they go to print.
While her work will be particularly evident in our August 16 and September 6 (Rosh Hashanah) issues, Jacqueline’s first two articles – completed efficiently on very quick deadlines – are in this issue on pages 9 and 11.
To make a donation to the Barry Fishman Ottawa Jewish Bulletin Scholarship Fund, call the Foundation at 613- 798-4696, ext. 232.
Campus Life column
Speaking of young journalists, I’m pleased to announce that Ilana Belfer, a communications student at Carleton, is our Campus Life columnist for the 2010-2011 academic year. Her first column is in this issue on page 24.
While the Campus Life column usually just runs monthly during the school year, I asked Ilana to write a column for this issue when she told me that she’d be going on a Birthright trip to Israel in June.
With Birthright being such an important experience for so many Jewish students throughout the Diaspora, I thought it would be interesting to hear directly from an Ottawa student about the effect the trip had on her.
Ilana will return to the Bulletin in September with the first of her regular Campus Life columns.
Hate crimes charged
Like most journalists, I believe in freedom of speech and open debate. But, outright hatemongering, fabricating lies, inciting violence and calls to genocide have absolutely nothing to do with freedom of speech.
Just before going to press, we received word that the Ontario Provincial Police has laid hate crime charges against Salman Hossain, 25, a suspended York University student, for “willfully promoting and advocating genocide of the Jewish community.”
Apparently, the charges against Hossain are the first ever laid in Canada for promoting genocide. I’ve looked at Hossain’s website and read some of his rants. They are probably the most extremely hateful things I’ve ever seen. If ever there was a worthy candidate for such a prosecution, he would seem to be it.
Rabbi Simes
We report in a front-page story about the terrible highway accident involving Rabbi Yehuda Simes and his family and the severe injuries he sustained.
Ottawa’s Jewish community has rallied, financially and spiritually, in support of the very popular teacher and his family at this extremely difficult time. There have been several impromptu fundraisers and prayer sessions and – following the Simes family’s suggestion – many have found ways to increase their level of Shabbat observance.
On behalf of everyone at the Bulletin, I join in wishing R’fuah Shlema to Rabbi Simes.