Who We Are & What We Do

We provide an alternative, secular humanist approach to Jewish life through the appreciation of Jewish history and culture within the context of world history, and through the celebration of Jewish traditions. Our doors are open to people of diverse cultures, beliefs, genders and sexual orientation.

Mission

Pluralistic and secular education.
Celebration of Jewish heritage.
Holiday celebrations in a secular humanist spirit .

Vision

Diverse, connected and engaged Judaism that meaningfully contributes to a just and compassionate world.

Our Values

Open mindedness and acceptance

Responsive to community

Accessibility regardless of affiliation, geography or finances

Innovative content based on modern thought and practice

Meaningful and inrpiring

Meet Our Team

We are dedicated professionals working at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, it's a pleasure to e-meet you.

Maggie Karpilovski

Executive Director

📧 mkarpilovski@peretz-centre.org

Corinne Shaked

Operations Director

📧 cshaked@peretz-centre.org

Donna Becker

Yiddish Programs Coordinator

📧 dbecker@peretz-centre.org

Iosef Gershtein

Facilities Manager

📧 facilitiesmgr@peretz-centre.org

Jenny Orlov

Admin

📧 jorlov@peretz-centre.org

Yarder Mintz

Program Coordinator

📧 ymintz@peretz-centre.org

Board of Directors

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

We are dedicated to connecting the members of our community and keeping everyone in the loop regarding our business wheelings and dealings. We see the power of transparency, and believe that the best ideas and relationships are spawned from spending quality time together. Get to know our amazing members of the Board who keep our organization upright.

Stephen:
Been part of the Peretz Movement since the age of 5. Served 35 years in non-profit leadership and currently the Executive Director of Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association.

Stan:
A retired family physician, Stan is originally from Montreal. Re-engagement with Jewish programs through Peretz was the main reason that he became a board member.

Eugene:
Part of the Peretz since early 2010s, he is currently a research data librarian and an adjunct professor of data science at UBC. Currently he is volunteering at Peretz to keep the organization viable and dynamic.

Paul:
Passionate about cultural renewal, he grew up in a Yiddish speaking household in Montreal. His parents were into Bund and Israel. He and his family has been involved with Peretz for around 40 years.

Irina:
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Irina Zilbershtein has a PHD in Philosophy and bachelor of Computer Science. She is currently a part of 3W club and has been part of Peretz for more than 10 years.

Judi:
She joined Peretz a couple of years ago and describes Peretz as "a home for 'explorers' like her". She is enthusiastic about attracting new participants with exciting new programs and activities.

Alina:
A retired psychologist, originally from Poland, Alina has been intensively involved in many aspects of Vancouver's Jewish community. She has been a part of Peretz for 3 years.

Yom:
Living in Jewish culture, Yom enjoys promoting Jewish culture. He is also politically involved in Jewish affairs in the community and believes in social and environmental justice.

Gyda:

A “ Peretznik” forever, my parents Ben and Gallia Chud moved to Vancouver in 1945 to help establish Peretz, and my Dad became the first teacher and principal at the centre. I began kindergarten at Peretz Centre over 70 years ago, continued on with Yiddish, History, Culture and later on with my background in Early Childhood Education. I taught for a number of years at Peretz Centre. As a long time Board member I continue with my passion and commitment to our secular humanist values and new exciting programs!

Hami:
Hamutal Ben Basssat (Hami) is a growth-focused executive with over 15 years of experience enabling global expansion. Israeli born, she moved to Vancouver in 2015 and joined Perez in early 2022. She joined the Perez board with the goal of supporting its ongoing quest to be the home of secular jews.