This haggadah is a script for sharing the Passover Seder together in a contemporary manner. All the rituals and symbols of Passover are explained in a way that brings the past into the present in a manner which is enjoyable, meaningful and informative. This unique haggadah is lesbian centered and woman affirming. It is truly a celebration for all.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the eldest of four siblings, Ruth Simkin was a troubled college student in her fourth year at the University of Manitoba when she was committed as a result of epilepsy to Chestnut Lodge, one of America's most historic psychiatric hospitals. Upon her release from the mental facility, Simkin, who was once told she would remain committed for life, graduated from Trinity College in Washington, DC, with a science degree and went on to obtain her MD from University of Calgary Medical School in 1973. She chronicles her amazing journey from institutionalized teen, to successful medical doctor. in her new memoir The Jagged Years of Ruthie J.
Simkin specialized in family and community medicine and incorporated her studies in acupuncture from the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, into her practice. She also opened the first PMS Clinic in Western Canada.
While in Calgary, Simkin was very active in the arts community and also started the first lesbian and gay political action group, CLAGPAG. She produced many concerts there over the years, especially for the lesbian/feminist population. She left Calgary with several honors, specifically a Woman of the Year Award and a Speak Sebastian Award of Distinction. Before leaving Calgary, she opened Western Canada's first Holographic Art Gallery.
Simkin moved to Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, in the early '90s where she was a vegetable farmer for almost ten years. She later became the first person to complete a fellowship in palliative care within the medical program at University of British Columbia, becoming board certified by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She worked as a specialist in pain and symptom management at the Victoria Hospice.
Simkin is a passionate world traveler and in the '70s and '80s, studied in countries all over the globe. In 2005, she took a three-month hiatus to travel the world.
Illness forced an early retirement, but Simkin remains active. She is devoted to many charitable causes, including pet therapy and has volunteered on many boards of directors, notably in the arts. She is a great fan of theatre and opera.
Simkin and her animal companion, Reenie, reside in Victoria, British Columbia.
