It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Geraldine Biely, z'l, on January 10th.  Geraldine, originally from Winnipeg, married her late husband George in Vancouver in 1944.  George established his own construction company, developing many residential and commercial buildings, earning a reputation for excellence, quality, and integrity.

As George's construction company matured, the Bielys became known for their generosity of heart and compassion. The Bielys' charitable contributions touched every corner of the Community and one would be hard pressed to find an organization not impacted by their kindness. And while their generosity touched countless lives, the Bielys remained extremely modest.

After George's passing in 1994, Geraldine continued their commitment to philanthropy. Last June, at the age of 92, Geraldine attended the VTT groundbreaking ceremony. Her presence was an indication of her commitment to Jewish education and lent a generational significance to the occasion. At Vancouver Talmud Torah we are very thankful that Mrs. Biely recognized the school through a significant gift to the Campus Campaign. Gerry's leadership gift established a legacy that will remain in perpetuity, enriching the lives of all future students at VTT.  The George and Geraldine Biely Learning Commons will be a state-of-the-art facility and a focal point of 21st century learning.

Geraldine will be remembered as an inspiration championing the enduring values of tzedakah, community, and continuity.

May her memory be for a blessing.

Communicating with our children. Conversing. Connecting. When did it become so difficult? And how do we begin to change it for the better?

This seminar is based on two fundamental ideas: The first is that there are no bad children, and no deliberately bad parents, and the second is that, as parents, we must do everything we can to save those relationships, to reach out and really communicate with our children.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a passionate social commentator and outspoken relationship expert, will walk us through the critical conversations with a grounding in Jewish values.

10 Conversations will help you stay connected to your children so that they develop the kind of strong moral character that leads to rich, meaningful lives.

The North Shore Jewish Community Centre/ Congregation Har El and Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver are pleased to present a lively and entertaining talk by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (http://shmuley.com/) on Saturday January 17, 2015 at the Rothstein Theatre at the JCC. Meet and greet and book-signing over dessert and coffee after the event in the JCC Atrium. Event open to the community. For more information, please contact Amy Lewis at 604-809-6530, ajlewis1231@gmail.com.

Books are now available to borrow from the learning commons. Encourage your children to enter the many contests and incentives to get them reading all the titles! Winning books announced at a school-wide assembly on Friday, March 27th.

In Haiti and the Dominican Republic, children cannot attend school if they don't have shoes. Grade 6 students plan to right this wrong!


Donations should be in separate bags to avoid the shoes getting mixed up.

Read the students' presentation here

Submit your order by 10 a.m. every Thursday for a fresh, delicious and kosher challah delivered to VTT every Friday from Sabra Bakery.

Grade 2 students will be collecting donations of NEW socks, toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste as their Tzedakah project. The donated items will be delivered to Jewish Women International and distributed to people in need throughout Vancouver. Collection box is in the main hallway.

Bring your donations by Monday, January 26th.

Todah Rabah!

Yesterday the grade ones and their grade 7 buddies became scientists together. They used their nature watchers to observe weather conditions and seasonal changes and recorded their findings in their field journal. Each collected a natural artifact to attach to their field journal. All had fun performing 'field work.'

 

Grade 7 students unwrap "Salgirah" gifts sent by the Ismaili community during the December holiday season. The students also received a DVD about the Aga Khan and their new museum in Toronto. This is all part of our "building bridges" with other faith communities outreach initiative. We anticipate organizing a joint tzedakah program between our Grade 7s and the Ismaili community in March.