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portal for engaging Jewishly. Not necessarily religiously, but as a Jewish person, as some- body who can experience what it’s like to be Jewish, who can take pleasure in all things Jewish. And that notion of Jewish experi- ence is something that the Koffler Centre recognized early on. We really needed to add a dimension to our mandate that had not been there before, which was being a Jewish presenter. How do you describe the transformation of the Koffler over the past few years? Te Koffler had been a great teacher for many years of the visual arts, music and dance. It had also become very respected for its associ- ation with a once a year ballet gala called Te Stars of the 21st Century, and well known as a public gallery, which focused primarily on cutting edge contemporary Canadian instal- lation based art. We thought it very important for the
Koffler to be seen also as an experimental ground for people working in all dimensions of the arts — writers, poets, playwrights, ac- tors, filmmakers, storytellers — as a place where new Jewish art gets created. Finally, all this Jewish creativity can find a
new home in a beautiful facility. And the idea is to invite all kinds of artists and performers to make art with us, and to be seen around the country as a great generator of new cul- ture. And that’s where an Israeli artist or Is- raeli luminary will always have some kind of ongoing presence. Tere will be ongoing talks in the theatre, book clubs meetings, the Helen and Stan Vine Jewish Book Awards, the Jewish Book Fair. Tose are our literary events. Tey’ll all have a home. In other major North American cities, Jew- ish and Holocaust museums are located in high visibility centres where they’re acces- sible and make a statement to the general
public. What do you say to those who think Toronto too should place these institutions in the heart of the city? I suppose it comes down to what you define as the heart of the city. Te Koffler Centre and the Sherman Campus, one could argue, are in the heart of the city. We are located midway between the downtown core and the suburban areas to the north, where Toronto’s diversity is most apparent, where many new families, Jewish or otherwise, and most new immigrants live. Te Sherman Campus is just one of the building projects of the Tomorrow Campaign, which also includes the Lebovic Campus in [Vaughan] and the Miles Nadal JCC and Wolfond Centre (in the downtown core). In effect, we have Jewish community, arts and cultural institutions throughout the GTA, accessible to a much greater audience than simply downtown. Te Sherman Campus alone is costing an estimated $150 million. In tough eco- nomic times like these, is this a justifiable expense for the community? It’s time for this generation to invest in the future of Jewish life in this city. We are the builders of the Jewish city before and we’ve got to build the one of the future. Te long-term investment in Jewish education and social ser- vice benefits everyone, not just Jews, in con- necting people to their artistic heritage and culture and becoming a tourist destination for people from all over the world. To be on that map of Jewish cultural tourism, which is so important, I think that all of these investments are going to handsomely pay back the com- munity. It’s actually a very small investment for a sense of permanent impact. For the UJA to fulfill it’s mission of improving Jewish life here and in Israel, meaningful Jewish space has to be created that engages Jews and non- Jews in a constructive and inspiring way.
fn Half Funny, Half Very Funny
“Gas prices got so high last fall that even Reform Jews were walking to shul for the high holidays.” Tat’s a line from Elon Gold’s comedy routine “Half
Jewish, Half Very Jewish.” Of Helen Tomas, who last spring quit her career in the
Washington, D.C. press corp aſter making anti-Semitic re- marks, Gold wonders, “If we control the media, how did we allow her to have the front seat in the White House media room for 95 years?” Gold discovered Friday Nightmagazine, “My favourite
magazine,” quips Gold. “but I only read it on Friday night. I tried reading it one time on a Tuesday, but it just burned in my hands.”
fn 12 friday night Winter 2011 Familiar Faces Going Places
If Sascha Cole looks familiar, you’ve probably seen her perform on stage, possibly in her recent title role in Shakespeare In Action’s production ofTe Diary of Anne Frank. “I saw this play for the first time when I was 10 years old,”
recalls Cole, “and I will never forget the effect it had on me, even at that young age.” She studied the nuances of Anne Frank’s personality as re-
vealed through her famous diary, the harrowing account of hid- ing in an attic from the Nazis. Te role gives centre stage to the emerging 26-year-old actress, who last year played to rave reviews in the Canstage production of Tom Stoppard’s playRock ’n’ Roll. Cole grew up on a farm in Caledon, Ont., graduated from
the National Teatre School in Montreal, Que., and arrived in Toronto five years ago. She has since landed a variety of stage and TV roles. And if that’s not where you recognize her from, perhaps it
was behind the information desk at the Miles Nadal JCC, where Cole worked part time between acting gigs.
Liane Balaban has come a long way from the day camp at Earl Bales Park and Lawrence Park Collegiate, the stomp- ing grounds of her youth. Te Genie and Gemini awards nominated film actress – best known for Definitely Maybe, New Waterford Girl, and Last Chance Harvey – spends most of her time in Hollywood, but came home to Toronto re- cently for her stage debut in Necessary Angel’s production of Divisadero, a Performance, the adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s novel. Her home- coming had fringe benefits, “Visiting my grandmother at Bathurst and Finch,” says Balaban. “She still goes to the Bernard Betel Centre.”
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