The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC was pleased to welcome many society members to our Annual General Meeting last night, November 23, 2016. This evening capped off an impressive year, recounted by Board President Perry Seidelman in his opening remarks.

Seidelman began the evening by paying tribute to JMABC Founding President, Cyril Leonoff, who sadly died earlier this year at the age of 91.

He went on to recount the organization’s numerous accomplishments in the past year, including the completion of 35 new oral history interviews, the digitization of archival material from the Mountain View Cemetery Restoration Committee fonds and the Temple Sholom fonds, and the start of archival processing for the immense Canadian Jewish Congress – Pacific Region fonds.

Entering a new year, the JMABC Board of Directors bids farewell to some members and welcomes new ones. Seidelman gave thanks to long-time Board members Shirley Barnett, Chris Friedrichs and Barbara Pelman, who have stepped down from the Board. Barnett and Friedrichs were awarded  Lifetime Memberships to the JMABC in recognition of their many years of service to the organization.

In their place we welcome four new highly accomplished Board members:

David Bogoch is Vancouver born and for the past 40 years has worked with much success in the fitness industry. He is a past board member of Vancouver Talmud Torah and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Talmud Torah Foundation.

Alan Farber recently retired from a 45 year career practicing law in Ontario and British Columbia. He has served as a Board Member for many local non-profit organizations, including the Greater Vancouver Jewish Community Centre, Jewish Federation, Beth Israel Synagogue, and Family Place Vancouver.

Alex Farber makes up the second half of the first father-son team in JMABC history. He too is a lawyer, practicing in Vancouver at LeBlanc Law Corporation.

Carol Herbert (née Chertkow) is an esteemed pioneer in public health with many years experience holding leadership roles at the University of British Columbia and Western University in London, Ontario. She has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Pioneers of Family Medicine Research in Canada, is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, and has been a YWCA Woman of Distinction in Health and Social Science in both London and Vancouver.

We are very pleased and honoured to welcome all four new Board Members.

The AGM concluded with remarks from JMABC Treasurer Michael Levy, and the nomination of the new slate of directors by Past President Gary Averbach.

After a brief intermission for nosh and kibbitzing, those assembled regrouped for a presentation by JMABC Coordinator of Programs and Development Michael Schwartz, launching the new online exhibit, Oakridge. In development for the past two years, this exhibit reflects on the tremendous growth and advancement accomplished by the Vancouver Jewish community in the post-war period, a time when the neighbourhood of Oakridge became the new heart of the community.