Shabbat in Edmonton – Super Mall- Super Rabbi-Super Cold
As Sydney readies itself for a 45 degree Shabbat, think of the Friedman family in Edmonton, Canada dealing with temperatures of 6 degrees below zero.
Rabbi Daniel Friedman and his family
Rabbi Daniel Friedman hails from Sydney and has been living in Edmonton for eight years where he is the spiritual leader of the Beth Israel Synagogue…and a pizza producer.
Edmonton hosts the largest shopping mall in North America….the West Edmonton Mall. It covers 570,000 square meters and has parking for 20,000 vehicles. Its major attractions include Galaxyland, a world Waterpark, the Ice Palace, Golf and a recreation centre.
The mall employs around 23,000 people and more than 28 million people visit it every year. Among its 800 stores is a Kosher Pizzeria run by the Edmonton Jewish Community and under the supervision of Rabbi Friedman.
He told J-Wire: “I have lived here for eight years but the wonderful weather we have to endure it makes it feel more like fifty! Miss Sydney? No way…I love minus forty Fahrenheit.”
As Rabbi Friedman only gets to visit Sydney once every couple of years, he welcomes visitors from Australia at any time. He said: “Anyone planning a visit to the Canadian Rockies is welcome to spend Shabbos with us…and we will do anything we can to enhance their visit to our part of the world.”
He added: “There are 5000 Jews in Edmonton and our Kehillah is the spiritual home to about 300 families.”
Rabbi Friedman and his New York born wife Batya have three girls, Millie, Joey and Jamie-Anna. The 34-yr-old rabbi went to Moriah pre-school, Yeshiva Primary and Sydney High,
His parents Ben and Eva Friedman are well-known educators in Sydney.
I couldn’t imagine myself dealing with temperatures of 6 degrees below zero. I’ll be dead freezing by now. (LOL) But it’s so amazing seeing this family sharing their ways on how to live in a below zero degrees. I have a friend who happen to live in the same town. I will share your story to her and I’m pretty sure she will be mesmerize like me.