REMEMBRANCE DAY SHABBAT SERVICE AT

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM WEST ON

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2002

by Esther Kulik, co-chair Congregation Beth Shalom West

A ceremony marking Remembrance Day was held at Beth Shalom West on Shabbat, November 9th with the attendance of about 50 veterans from the Ottawa Post Jewish War Veterans of Canada. It was very impressive to see them participate in our service wearing their traditional blue blazers and berets. Joining the Post as a special guest to mark this solemn occasion, was a representative of the Chief of Defense Staff, Canadian Armed Forces, Major General Pierre Daigle, Special Advisor to the Chief of the Defense Staff on Homeland Security.

Rabbi Howard Finkelstein introduced Veteran Donald R. Snipper Q.C., who had practiced law in our community for over 40 years. What followed was a very inspirational story of his life in the forces. With a wonderful sense of humor, he captured our attention as he told his personal story which began in 1915. In vivid detail we heard some War stories, in particular the way he began his five and a half years of service in the RCAF as a flight instructor, then as an overseas Spitfire pilot with the #400 Squadron. The congregation was fascinated by all the many tales that he recalled for us on this memorable occasion. We could have listened to him for hours, as the stories were from another time, from another way of life, when life's priorities were completely different.

The congregation was asked to rise and Veteran Gordon Spergel recited the Act of Remebrance. A respectful silence permeated the air as we listened to the reading of the names of those Canadian Jewish servicemen killed in both World Wars as well as in the defense of Israel. Cantor Danny Benlolo broke the silence by continuing with the chanting of Kel Mole.

Veteran Morrie Konick asked the congregation to recite Psalm 23. At that point, all the veterans congregated in the Bimah area and recited a Kaddish to commemorate their fallen comrades. As we all watched and listened to this special recitation of Kaddish, we felt their pain, their memories, our memories and then our own pain for the loved ones that we had lost in the Holocaust.

As this ceremony culminated Ottawa's 1^st Annual Holocaust Week, there is no doubt that many of us linked the two events as one and the effect was overwhelming.

The Shabbat service of November 9^th will always be remembered as very poignant and we are grateful to Post Commander Paul Bender, Veteran Sam Ages and Veteran Lou Fine for bringing their contingency of War Veterans to our congregation on this very important and somber occasion.

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