A Victoria historian from the Jewish community says there are significant similarities between his community and local First Nations.
Richard Kool is a professor of environment and sustainability at Royal Roads University and the director of the Victoria Jewish Cemetery. In an upcoming presentation at the Congregation Emanu-El synagogue, Kool will discuss his research into the history of his ancestors, Southern European B次元官网网址搊r Shepardim JewsB次元官网网址� who migrated from Spain and Portugal to Amsterdam and eventually the rest of the world. He will also explore how their history matches those of the Lekwungen peoples.
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B次元官网网址淩eally, the Amsterdam Jewish community all begins with Catholics,B次元官网网址� Kool said.
At the end of the 15th century Judaism was banned across Europe, and people could convert to Catholicism, leave or be killed.
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Many Jewish people from Southern Europe B次元官网网址渃onvertedB次元官网网址� to Catholicism, but kept small parts of their culture within their families.
By the early part of the 17th century, many of these people moved to the Netherlands where they were allowed to practice any religion, and established a large Portuguese-Jewish community that built what was then the largest Synagogue in the world.
B次元官网网址淭hey had to change their names from Christian ones to rediscover a Jewish name, and to reintegrate into their cultures,B次元官网网址� Kool explained. B次元官网网址淟uckily, there were Rabbis in Southern Europe that had not been forced to convert, and they were able to explain traditions and help maintain the language.B次元官网网址�
Even after all of this migration many of his own ancestors did not survive the horrendous waves of the Holocaust. Kool pointed out a photo from his motherB次元官网网址檚 family which showed 22 people; only one survived.
This, Kool argues, mirrors the cultural genocide seen by local First Nations.
B次元官网网址淭hey suffered three or four generations without their culture, their language was lost, and while people maintained tradition in some ways there was no written culture to preserve things,B次元官网网址� Kool said.
B次元官网网址淲hile Jews could call on others to tell them what theyB次元官网网址檝e lost, the Coast Salish donB次元官网网址檛 have a refuge in a safe place to tell them how to do itB次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 think many really appreciate how difficult it is to reconstruct an identity.B次元官网网址�
Kool said that the Congregation Emanu-El has tried to pay homage to the local peoples in several ways, including a prayer thatB次元官网网址檚 been used for over 20 years at the beginning of each Shabbat that recognizes local First Nations and their presence.
B次元官网网址淲e just got new prayer books, too, that specifically recognize the Lekwugen people and not just a generic term,B次元官网网址� Kool said.
Throughout the past several decades, Rabbis and First Nations leaders have met for various reasons, and Kool said it was neat to see both cultures introduce themselves with their B次元官网网址渋nside names and outside names,B次元官网网址� or Anglicized names and heritage names.
At Congregation Emanu-El, the Torah script is enclosed by a curtain with an eagle on it, something local leaders also noted as an important spiritual entity.
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B次元官网网址淗eck, you could even make a joke about how we both like smoked salmon,B次元官网网址� Kool laughed.
KoolB次元官网网址檚 presentation will run at the Congregation Emanu-El at 1461 Blanshard St. on Nov. 25 at 2:00 p.m. All are welcome and admission is by donation.
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