Banner image for 'Journeying with Jacob' featuring a smiling young man outdoors and the text 'Journeying with Jacob' over a soft, colorful abstract background
A medium shot of two men standing together behind a silver Chanukiah (menorah) with nine white candles lit. On the right, the Honorable Irwin Cotler, an older man with grey hair, wears a dark suit and a light blue shirt. On the left, Jacob, a younger man with a beard and dark hair, wears a dark blazer and leans his head toward Mr. Cotler. The setting is an indoor room with wood-paneled walls and a table decorated with a blue and white Star of David runner.

Light in the Darkness

People all over the world awoke to shock and horror at the news of the terrorist attack at a Hanukkah event last weekend in Australia. Hanukkah is a time of light amidst the darkness, and a remembrance of that strong resilience of the Jewish people. May Jewish people everywhere feel us supporting them in this horrible time.

Celebrating the Jewish community and faith is something very personal for me and last night, I lit the third candle of Hanukkah with my son with pride.That may come as a surprise, as I am the daughter of a United Church minister.Since August, I have been studying Judaism, not because I’m on the path to conversion, but because my son Jacob is.
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Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield with a young fan holding a space-themed book, taken inside an aircraft hangar during a public event

Jacob's Journey

Welcome to my first blog post! Let’s get this part out of the way first: why I am here.

I had a major stroke I had when I was a baby and my brain’s wiring is different. The medical community will say I have permanent damage because of that stroke --- I have two big holes in my brain --- which is true. I have a cluster of letters after my name, like OCD, autism, epilepsy and ADHD. I walk a little differently too because of the stroke, but I call it my swagger.
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Indoor hockey goalie wearing orange Orange Series Project jersey number 87, black and red Bauer goalie pads, black LGR helmet, and white glove, holding a Gatorade Zero bottle on a gym floor

Drop the Puck! Hockey Season is Here!

The 2025-26 NHL (National Hockey League) season began on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 and hockey fans around the world (including me!) are excited to pull their hockey jerseys out of summer storage. This is even the case if you are a Toronto Maple Leafs fan lol! Let’s be honest, the Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967. This hockey season will be special as it will include a break for the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy which will add more hockey excitement to the season.

Truth be told, I have mixed loyalties. I live in British Columbia, Canada so I am a natural Vancouver Canucks fan for the Western Conference but having lived most of my life in Ottawa, the Ottawa Senators are my Eastern Conference favourites. They are not really rivals so I feel I am ok to support both teams.
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