When Lena and Victor Linetsky arrived in Canada in the 1980s from the former Soviet Union, they had no passports, no established support network, and an 11-month-old baby in their arms.

Like thousands of Soviet Jews who sought the freedom to live openly, they left behind the only life they had known and arrived determined to start over.

“We wanted to be Jews. We weren't really allowed to do so before,” Lena says. 

“We came here as stateless refugees,” Victor adds. “We did not have passports, we were stripped from every right that people normally have in the former Soviet Union, for one reason only, because we're Jewish. We bounced around Europe until Canada was kind enough to offer us refuge. So, we had to start building our life from the ground up. One of our first contacts was with Jewish Family Services. They took us under their wing and made arrangements for the basic necessities, and they arranged membership for us into the Jewish Community Centre (JCC).”

That membership became one of the first connections the Linetskys made in Edmonton's Jewish community.
The JCC offered a place to meet people, participate in programs, and build relationships with other families. Those connections created a sense of belonging at a time when everything else felt unfamiliar.

Over the years, Lena and Victor built a life in Edmonton. 

They raised their family, built their business PosterTech, and became deeply involved in community life. The JCC remained an important part of that journey long after it closed.

“I always felt sad that an entire generation of kids did not have a JCC and missed that experience, so we're hopeful that we can turn the page and start introducing the kids of this generation back to the JCC and the programming it will offer,” Lena says.

Alongside other volunteers, donors, and community leaders, the Linetskys became committed advocates for what has now become the Oshry | Kipnes Jewish Community Centre.

As discussions around the building progressed, Lena and Victor spent considerable time thinking about how the facility should feel when people walk through its doors.

“We spent a lot of time discussing with architects and amongst ourselves, how this building is going to be different from just a regular office,” Victor says. “With the skylight, we want to create the feeling of Jewish values to brighten the world—and brighten the building—from the moment visitors enter the facility."

The skylight eventually became the building feature that the Linetskys decided to name.

Lena and Victor chose it because of the symbolism it carries. Natural light will flow through the facility, creating a welcoming atmosphere while reflecting deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition of being a light unto the nations. 

The new Oshry | Kipnes JCC will also serve a practical need within Edmonton's Jewish community. Often, a JCC serves as a catalyst, connecting unaffiliated community members with a variety of other Jewish organizations, institutions, and programs. The hope is that the Oshry | Kipnes JCC will do just that and build multi-layered community connections for those who visit.   

That inclusiveness is one of the reasons the project has resonated so strongly with the Linetskys. A JCC creates a place where people can connect regardless of their level of religious observance or current affiliations. 

“I think the (Oshry | Kipnes JCC) is a central address,” Lena says. “We hope it's going to be the heart of the community, as the old one was. Like any other JCC around the country or around the continent, is.”

Lena and Victor also see the building as a gathering place where the community can come together around important causes, celebrations, and shared experiences.

“It's a magnet that you want to rally in support of. This is where (any cause) should be held,” Victor added. 

Looking toward the future, Lena and Victor are particularly excited about plans for the Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Centre.

“The future plans call for development of the Holocaust Centre. It's very important to not only remember what happened, but also to educate future generations, because children grow up today without understanding or knowing history. Lena's family perished in the Holocaust, and it's close to us because we grew up with that,” Victor says.

Community, belonging, and opportunity were among the first foundations the Linetskys found after arriving in Edmonton as refugees. They arrived with little more than hope for a better future and found a welcoming Jewish community that helped them build a new life.

Through their support of the Oshry | Kipnes JCC, they hope future generations of Jewish families will find that same welcome. The building will provide a place to gather, learn, celebrate, and connect—just as the old JCC did for Lena and Victor when they first arrived in Canada.

More than four decades later, the community that helped them get started is receiving a gift that will help ensure others have the same opportunity to belong.