An ancestor you never knew you had’: Phoebe Maltz Bovy on the complicated legacy of a real-life Canadian answer to Yentl the Yeshiva Boy
“In 1738, a young transgender man named Jacques LaFargue set off from France to what is now Quebec City, determined to make for himself a new life.”
“At the beginning of Jewish history in Canada, there was a woman. In 1738, Jacques LaFarge, a recently arrived sailor in Quebec City, was arrested for suspicious behavior.”
So explain, respectively, the official description of First Jew in Canada: A Trans Tale, a live theatrical performance slated for March 31 at the Miles Nadal JCC in Toronto—and the wording from a Jewish Women’s Archive entry about Canadians.
These two write-ups are referring to the same individual. An individual whose last name has no consistent spelling—but that’s the least of it. If you want to learn more about this person, you might want to do a search for “Esther Brandeau.”…
Beyond banned books: Dissecting the controversies at the Jewish Public Library
The Jewish Public Library in Montreal came under fire when it pulled the books of Élise Gravel from its shelves, following a series of social media posts that the Montreal-born author and pro-Palestinian activist made that were critical of the Israeli government. The initial decision came after backlash from Jewish organizations—but, as has become de rigeur, the decision caused an even greater backlash in response to the initial backlash, resulting in the Jewish Public Library rescinding their ban.
The co-hosts of Bonjour Chai were especially keen to discuss this subject. Phoebe Maltz Bovy has written extensively on cancel culture and literature, while Avi Finegold sat on the board of the Jewish Public Library for many years. To dissect the politics and undercurrents of this debacle, they’re joined by Emil Sher, an author of children’s and young adult books, screenplays and stage plays, who is also currently the writer in residence at the Jewish Public Library in Montreal.
Last month, Phoebe reflected on how Only Murders in the Building depicts a Jewish neighbourhood without Jews, even if Martin Short was once mistaken for one by a reporter from The Canadian Jewish News. Now comes word that Short’s lifelong comedy colleague Eugene Levy is joining the cast for its fourth season—and the Jewish Canadian will soon be acquiring a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just 18 years after similarly honoured in a less studded fashion on the sidewalk in Toronto.