I’m barefoot, carefully feeling with my toes as I move along a sharply sloping rock face, because if I slip, it’s quick slide and a short drop into ccccold Lake Superior.
My cautious progress is taking me out to Agawa Rock in Lake Superior Provincial Park, a sacred site. Here, past generations of Ojibwe have come to record visions and events.
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World religious leaders could learn a thing or two from the tiny Jewish community in Myanmar (Burma). This little Myanmar synagogue welcomes everyone and has become a beacon of ecumenism in this primarily Buddhist country. As a result, curiously enough, it has also become one of Trip Advisor’s Top Ten places to see in Yangon, the country’s capital.
“I credit my father, Moses Samuels,” says Sammy Samuels of the Trip Advisor recommendation. Sammy and his sisters, Shana and Dinah, have taken over from his late father, as caretakers of Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue in Yangon (Rangoon). ” Under my father’s care, the synagogue welcomed everyone. He never asked if they were Jewish. If they were interested, he would explain about our history.”
The building dates to 1896 and is virtually unchanged. Outside, the Star of David makes an incongruous addition to the streetscape in this busy, distinctly Muslim quarter.
The street outside the quiet courtyard is bustling with a multicultural melange of shopkeepers and pedestrians. Inside it is peaceful.
The interior has been lovingly maintained by the tiny congregation. In the centre of the main sanctuary, surrounded by cane-panelled seats, is the bimah (the raised platform where the Torah is opened and read).
Above, a simple wooden ceiling features a blue and white Star of David motif. The women would have been seated in the balcony, overlooking the proceedings.
Once a vibrant, lively community numbering more than 3.000 members, only 20 Jews still remain in the whole country, just 11 of them in Yangon. “In 1930, the mayor of Rangoon was Jewish,” says Samuels. “The Jewish school had 200 students. There was everything the community needed, even a kosher wine store up the road, near the Jewish cemetery.”
But when the Japanese invaded Burma in 1942, most Jews fled to India. “For the Japanese, the problem actually wasn’t religion,” Sammy explains. “But the Jewish community had close ties to the British.”
While many returned after Burmese independence in 1948, the series of military coups and political upsets which followed resulted in an exodus to Australia, America, and Israel. By 1962, when the military took firm control, nearly everyone had left.
Through it all, the Samuels family remained. Sammy’s grandfather, Isaac Samuels, made Moses promise to care for the synagogue, and since 2015, this solemn responsibility has been passed on to Sammy. His two sisters, Shana and Dinah take turns greeting the 40-50 visitors that, thanks to Trip Advisor, come each day to see the little temple. “It saddens me that my dad can’t see this,” says Sammy. “He was delighted if just two or three visited.”
Most synagogues boast only two or three Torahs, the large scrolls which contain the Books of Moses – the first five books of the Bible. “We used to have 126 silver-covered torahs,” says Samuels sadly. “They were lined up behind the three large doors at the back. But when our people left Burma, they took with them the scrolls their families had donated, in order to keep them safe.” Today, only two intricately wrought silver torahs remain.
As a place of worship, this little synagogue remains a focus for the few remaining faithful and for visiting diplomats who might be Jewish. For High Holidays, the community invites a rabbi from North America. With expats and visitors, they might have as many as 60 people. “Often, guests come from other countries specifically for a High Holiday service,” explains Samuels. “Their families might have come from Burma, or they just want to be a part of it.”
But this little community takes welcome to extraordinary lengths. In 2011, as the military junta opened the country to the outside world, Moses Samuels decided they needed a celebration. That Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, 350 people of every religion gathered for the celebration. “We invited local Christians, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists. The American and Israeli Ambassadors came.”
And, he adds with pride, “Aung San Suu Kyi also came.” The elected leader of Myanmar had been under house arrest for more than 20 years.
He added, “Each one lit a Hanukkah candle. It was so wonderful to see all these religions getting together. In other parts of the world this might be impossible, but here, it was such a happy event.”
Samuels adds with a huge grin,”We may be only 20 but we make a big impact!”
As Myanmar opens its doors wider and more visitors start to come to this beautiful country, the little synagogue will continue to host them. Indeed, Sammy’s company – Myanmar Shalom Travels – has organized many tour groups. They come to Myanmar to see the magnificent golden stupas of Buddhist temples. But many make a detour to the corner of Mahabandoola and 26th Streets to see this unassuming little temple to a very different faith.
The reaction is always the same. Young people in cut-off shorts, backpackers, smartly dressed Europeans and Americans – they wander in, look around, then stand still at the sight of the interior. “Most of these people have never seen the inside of a synagogue,” smiles Sammy. “And probably never will again.”
Does he worry about the future? “I love this country. Myanmar is mainly Buddhist and people generally respect one another. We are all affected by that mutual respect,” he says. “Besides, we’re such a small community; we’re no threat to anyone.”
The Myanmar Jewish community is undoubtedly small in numbers, but they offer a wonderful example to their own community and to the world. As Sammy says, in a country of many millions, this small community makes “a big impact”.
Want to know more about Myanmar? Check my story at East West News Service
Canada is undoubtedly singularly blessed with magnificent vistas. But in some parts of the country, sky and rocks, trees and water come together in spectacular and soul-stirring synchrony. Algoma is just such a place. Small wonder, then, that painting Algoma is an imperative for so many artists.
Artists like Lawren Harris, J.E.H. MacDonald, Frank Johnston, A.Y. Jackson and Arthur Lismer – all members of Canada’s iconic Group of Seven – came here to paint these landscapes.
They found the harmony in those vistas and it guided their imaginations and their paintbrushes. The results have brought this unique group of Canadian artistic pioneers to the world’s attention.
“Thanks to these five men and the Algoma Region, Canadian art would be recognized by many as a patriotic emblem of our land,” Eileen Halfpenny, a local water colour artist is an enthusiastic promoter of Algoma, “With the essence of Canada as a natural backdrop, and its rugged beauty defined by each artist, they showed the world the treasures that were and remain prominent in the Northern landscape.”
I’m fortunate enough to take a trip on the Agawa Canyon Railway with Halfpenny. This train ride has been on my bucket list for some time and I relish each curve of the tracks that gives me a view of the engine as it steams past breathtaking scenes of trees and water.
Halfpenny offers some basic instruction and gives us an opportunity to try our hand at painting some of the scenes we see.
As we pass iconic views, Halfpenny points out stony outcrops and waterfalls. This landscape hasn’t changed much in the 100 or more years since these artists immortalized them.
We pass Bridal Veil Falls on the train. As soon as we stop, I head along the trail to see this cascade up close and I understand why Bridal Veil Falls has inspired so many artists. Pounding down the granite rock face, the water splits into two cascades, before it pours into the Algoma River. Remarkably, trees are growing straight out of the rock face, mute testimony to the tenacity and determination of nature to flourish against the odds.
Two of J.E.H. Macdonald’s colourful views of these waterfalls are set on an easel nearby. The Autumn scene is striking with bright orange foliage make a sharp contrast to the rock. The summer looks almost dull in comparison.
It’s Spring when I visit and there’s a mist rising from the rushing water today, giving the scene an ethereal beauty. It makes me want to rush out, grab some paints and create my own view of these falls.
Most people have gathered near Bridal Veil Falls but nearby, two more pretty waterfalls are labelled Black Beaver Falls, North and South.
The puffing of our train has receded and it’s peaceful here, with only the sound of rushing water and an occasional bird call breaking the silence.
I find myself imagining a time before trains, before carefully signposted trails, when the only feet to crunch the leaves on this forest floor were those of the First Nations who inhabited the area. Agawa means ‘shelter” in Ojibwa. And these rocky canyon walls and sheltering trees would indeed have been a refuge.
Indeed, the story of Algoma is inextricably linked to the indigenous people who once inhabited this land, a land they cherished and protected. Sadly much of that knowledge and history has been lost but fortunately, much remains to be explored.
Don’t miss an opportunity to see this extraordinary landscape up close and one of the best ways to do this is to take the Agawa Canyon Railway……but don’t forget your paintbox and easel!
The North American version of Valentine’s Day has become very commercial – chocolates, flowers, expensive cards. Many other countries have followed suit and are doing the same things. But there are love traditions around the world that have withstood the onslaught of Hallmark and Hershey’s.
Volunteering is a great way to really get to know a new country. Costa Rica encompasses only 0.03 per cent of the earth’s surface, but it boasts 6 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. Volunteers come here to help protect and preserve this precious heritage.
A clan of howler monkeys walks calmly along the electrical lines at the side of the road. Excited, we stop the car to stare, but they ignore us. These are just one of four species of monkey that live in Costa Rica. Two days later we manage to see a second as we zip line through the forest canopy. Impish, white-faced capuchin monkeys provide a background chorus of screeches but scamper away before I can get my camera out.
Stories abound about the thieving activities of these pint-sized pickpockets of the Central American jungle. Capuchins will apparently even open backpacks.
Monkeys are just a small part of the wildlife in Costa Rica. This tiny country which encompasses only 0.03 per cent of the earth’s surface, boasts 6 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. Protecting that heritage has become a critical job for both the government and many non-governmental agencies who recognize the importance of this task. And it has also become the mission for hundreds of travellers who visit Costa Rica every year. These visitors are a whole new breed of tourist. They’re coming to volunteer.
At Ostional, on the Pacific coast, I meet Shami Sindayigaya, a Toronto student taking a gap year. “I wanted a change, and to see if I really wanted to do eco-management.” She has come to help with the turtle rescue program here.
Just two days earlier, Shami tells me, she watched as thousands of turtles came ashore to lay their eggs on this 13 kilometre stretch of beach. It’s an event that is repeated several times throughout the laying season and the volunteers are here to protect them as well as track the numbers.
The last arribada, as these arrivals are called, brought an estimated 278,000 turtles over six days! “It’s an awesome sight!” is the oft repeated comment from the volunteers.
“It was very exciting but we were very busy. We count turtles actually laying because many come, but not all lay eggs. And we monitor nest density,” Shami explains. “In the morning, we check activities from the previous night.”
There are currently 15 volunteers helping here, the youngest is 18 and the oldest is 65. Some stay for two weeks, others for six months, and most live with local families.They gather for meals and for relaxation, like the card game in progress when we visit.
The most common comment we hear is, “It’s a life-changing experience.”
It certainly has been for Connor Koblansky. The Tuscon, Arizona student is taking a year off after high school and his experience here has guided his future career. “Now I want to major in biology and get involved,” he says. “It’s been an incredible experience working here – cleaning beaches, collecting data, making sure everything is okay for the arribada.”
At nearby Barra Honda National Park, Heloise, a volunteer from France, is working with local naturalists to track bat populations in one of the 42 caves. Nature has carved these out of the soft limestone remains of ancient coral reefs, pushed upward by tectonic faults 60 million years ago and delicate and beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formations decorate the caves. Thus far, only 19 have been explored so there’s still much work to be done.
The protection provided by Barra Honda has permitted many animal species in the surrounding forest to recover from the brink of extinction. Apart from spelunking enthusiasts, volunteers are needed here to help with everything from maintaining the forest and facilities, to working with the naturalists on data collection.
Accommodation includes bunk rooms within the park as well as opportunities to stay with locals. Meals are communal and Costa Rican style with occasional North American favourites (like hamburgers). On their two days off, volunteers can visit local towns and beaches or enjoy attractions like zip-lining or boat tours.
A favourite activity is visiting the local school to work with the children, says Andrea Prendas, volunteer program coordinator. “The volunteers fall in love with this place. It’s so different than being in the city,” she explains. “You might be woken by a howler monkey. You can hear the birds, the animals, the rain on the trees. ”
As if to illustrate her point, a sudden tropical shower thunders against the roof of the dining area. From the veranda, we can hear it splashing on the forest leaves. It’s a heavy downpour but it lasts only a short time, leaving the air refreshed, scented with earth and vegetation.
“We’ve had volunteers who have never touched a shovel, but it’s an experience and they love it,” she adds. “Many contact us and come back several times. And they send us letters asking about the kids at the school.”
FYI Want a sustainable holiday in a unique hotel in Costa Rica? Visit Macaw Lodge.
Volunteering Tips
Volunteering has become big business. There are many agencies offering volunteer opportunities but it’s important to vet these carefully. According to Prendas, many agencies charge $3000 or more for a single week’s volunteer experience (airfare not included), but when I visited Barra Honda was paid just $16 per night to house and feed these volunteers.
A few volunteers at Ostional are here with Volunteer Base Camp (VBC). David Morrison began VBC because of his own bad experience volunteering in Nepal. They charge $250 to register and $620 for all in-country costs and programs, including some basic language training where required.
The cost of transportation to the country and visas are not included with most volunteer agencies, though some include medical and travel insurance (VBC does not). Transportation to and from the airport is often included. In-country support and some training for longer term volunteers is usually part of the package.
Another option in Costa Rica is Fundecodes, the local non-profit agency that promotes the culture of sustainable rural development in the Nicoya Peninsula. Prendas suggests those interested in volunteering at Ostional or Barra Honda contact Fundecodes directly.
More Information:
Costa Rica information: A good starting place is www.visitcostarica.com
Fundecodes: For project and volunteer information: www.fundecodes.org
Volunteer Base Camp: www.volunteerbasecamp.com
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