COVID-19: Community News and Resources
Jewish Seniors Alliance
Jewish Senior Alliance is committed to providing supportive services to empower and inform seniors, and enhance their quality of life. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are making some temporary changes in how we operate in order to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our staff, clients, volunteers and community.
Please check back for updates as the situation evolves.
Please note, many events listed on our Events Calendar have been temporarily suspended. Please contact the hosting organizations to check their status.
Jewish Seniors Alliance Office
The JSA office has been closed as of March 17th, 2020 in order to promote social distancing. Staff will be working remotely and can be contacted by email. Emails will be responded to promptly.
Email: office@jsalliance.org
JSA Outreach Programs
Following Government of Canada guidelines to limit social gatherings, and in special consideration of the vulnerable senior community, we have cancelled our Outreach events until further notice.
Peer Support Services
JSA is committed to the health, safety and comfort of our clients and volunteers. Our trained Peer Support Volunteers will continue to provide support services to vulnerable seniors to combat loneliness and social isolation, with some modifications:
Volunteer Training sessions are currently suspended.
Senior Peer Support Volunteers will contact clients by phone.
Friendly Home Visitors will contact clients by phone instead of face-to-face visits.
Friendly Phone Calls will continue as normal.
Referrals – we are still taking referrals however there is a wait list.
For more information on JSA Peer Support Services, please contact:
Phone: 604.267.1555
Grace Hann: grace@jsalliance.org
Charles Leibovitch: charles@jsalliance.org
A letter to our volunteers: Read More
Community Organization Closures and Program Changes
Jewish Community Organizations
Jewish Community Centre
The JCC will be temporarily closed until the public health authorities say they are able to re-open. Stay connected with our community during this closure thru the Virtual JCC experience.
Synagogue Closures and Transitions to Online Programs and Services
Below is a summary of the main changes synagogues have made and that we are aware of. Contact your synagogue directly for full and up-to-date details.
Beth Hamidrash
- All services are suspended. For assistance, please call the office and leave a voice mail message or email info@bethhamidrash.com.
Beth Israel
- Building closed to the public and congregants until after Passover (April 17th). They will reassess at that time.
- Services and classes will be live streamed via Zoom. Click here for details.
- Synagogue staff will continue operating from the building and will keep their regular hours. Meetings with clergy and staff will be held via Skype, Facetime or phone.
Beth Tikvah
- The synagogue is no longer receiving people in person. Both Rabbi Rubin and administrative manager, Kate Rabinovich, will be monitoring email and phone messages.
- Until further notice, there will be no Shabbat services, classes, programs or morning minyan.
Har El
- Contact Har El directly for updates.
Or Shalom
- All services are suspended until the end of Pesach (April 17th), virtual opportunities for davening, meditation, and song practice to be announced.
- Meetings and adult learning usually scheduled in the synagogue will be held on Zoom. Ask Matthew learning@orshalom.ca
- Pastoral care will be held in Zoom rooms or by phone; please contact Rabbi Hannah rabbihannah@orshalom.ca for appointments.
Schara Tzedeck
- Regular operations suspended until further notice. No daily or Shabbat services.
- In lieu of daily Minyan and Kaddish, Rabbi Rosenblatt and Rabbi Federgrun will lead daily ZOOM video conferencing Torah and Tehillim sessions, at 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Click here for the ZOOM link and full schedule. All members of the community are invited to participate.
Temple Sholom
- Click here for updates.
Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver
Most Jewish Federation staff will be working remotely this week. A few key staff will remain in the office to ensure we can continue to support our partners and complete critical, time-sensitive work on behalf of the community. All staff will be available by email. Click here for staff emails. All Jewish Federation events are cancelled through the end of March. Visit www.jewishvancouver.com for more information.
Jewish Family Services
- Click here for updates.
- The JFS Community Care Hotline has been set up as an emergency response resource in light of COVID-19. It is now available 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., 7 days a week to provide emergency essential services to anyone throughout Metro Vancouver. Call 604-558-5719 or email communitycare@jfsvancouver.ca.
- To learn more about JFS Vancouver’s Community Response During COVID-19, click here.
Louis Brier Home and Hospital and Weinberg Residence
LBRH and WR has restricted all visitors and outside individuals who are not regular employees. For additional information, please click here.
Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre
- VHEC is closed until further notice. Updates are here.
- Yom HaShoah commemoration scheduled for April 20, 2020 is cancelled.
Greater Vancouver Community Organizations
ASK Friendship Society
- Staff are working remotely with Vancouver Coastal Health to support seniors and reduce social isolation. Email: caring@askcentre.ca. Phone: 604-263-7333.
Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole Community Police Office
- Temporarily closed but staff can be reached by phone at 604-717-3434 and email info.komcpc@shaw.ca. The Vancouver Police Headquarters at 2120 Cambie Street is open.
Little Mountain Neighbourhood House
- Most programs closed until further notice. For services available online or via phone, visit the LMNHS Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lmnhvancouver/ and LMNHS COVID-19 Update Page online.
Marpole Neighbourhood House (West 70th and Hudson Street)
- Temporarily closed but staff are working remotely and can be reached via 604-628-5663.
Marpole Oakridge Family Place
- Ttemporarily closed but staff are working remotely. You can contact Andrea Krombein at 778-668-3634 or by email at andreak@mofp.org and she will connect you to Family Place staff if you wish.
MLA Michael Lee’s Vancouver-Langara Community Office
- Temporarily closed, with Michael and his constituency staff working remotely. They kindly request that you either call them at 604-660-8380 and leave a message or email them at michael.lee.MLA@leg.bc.ca and they will respond as soon as possible.
- Please also visit Michael’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/MichaelLeeBC for additional information.
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
- Service centres are temporarily closed for in-person services but available for phone-in services. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. invites you to check social media and their website www.successbc.ca or email them at isipvancouver@success.bc.ca.
Seniors First BC
- The Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) will continue to operate as normal.
- To contact the Seniors Abuse and Information line, please call 604-437-1940 or 1-866-437-1940 from 8:00am to 8:00pm daily (except statutory holidays), TTY: 604-428-3359 or Toll Free 1-855-306-1443, Language interpretation: Available 9:00am-4:00pm, Mon to Fri, Email: info@seniorsfirstbc.ca or visit http://seniorsfirstbc.ca/.
South Mental Health and Substance Use Team (at Airport Square on West 73rd)
- South MHSU clinician is available for support. Staff are talking to clients and families over the phone and through secure video-based technology. Although our group sessions are not occurring in person, some community groups are being offered virtually. Please connect with your clinician to ask about what virtual options might be available to you. Phone 604-266-6124.
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
- Temporarily closed, but staff are working remotely and can be reached at 604-324-6212.
St. Augustine’s Church
- In-person church activities cancelled until May 3rd. Please call Andrea Krombein at 778-668-3634 if you need assistance. The Food Bank at St. Augustine’s Church has also been temporarily cancelled. Please call 2-1-1 if you are in need of food bank assistance.
Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society
- Temporarily closed until the end of April. For updates and more information, please call: 604-267-0901 or email: info@tccs.ca
Tapestry Church
- Tapestry Church has reached out and offered volunteer assistance. Please contact Andrea Krombein at 778-668-3634.
Vancouver Public Library
- All branches, including Marpole and Oakridge, are temporarily closed until further notice. Book drops are all closed.
- Late fees are suspended, and due dates extended for 6 weeks.
- Library users can still download eBooks, audiobooks and shows here.
