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In this episode, I talk to Clarence Paller and Alexander Braverman. Clarence is a first-generation Canadian; his parents immigrated from Russia before he was born. Alex left Russia after the U.S.S.R. collapsed and, after moving to many other countries, he established himself in the United States. Together, they run the Russian Heritage Network, an organization that aims to promote hockey and Russian culture. Subscribe to the Podcast If you enjoyed listening to this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. And make sure to follow the show on Instagram and LinkedIn. Lastly, if you’re an immigrant and you want to share your story on the show, go to immigrantsoftoronto.com/join and fill out the form. I’ll be in touch shortly after receiving your submission. Thanks for listening, I’m Oscar Cecena and this is Immigrants of Toronto. Learn more about Alex and Clarence Alexander Braverman Alexander Braverman As a little boy growing up in Moldavia, which at that point was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, Alexander Braverman developed a love for hockey. Of course, there were no indoor Arenas, and the only time he could play was during winter when the lakes would freeze over, and he and his neighbours would meet for games of street hockey. After immigrating to the United States as one of 10 families adopted by the JCC and settling in Boca Raton more than 31 years ago, Alex eventually started a family. When his son, Michael, started playing hockey at the age of ten for the Jr. Panthers, Alex’s love of hockey came back in a different way. To enrich his son’s experience and help him make new friends, Alex started to assist youth hockey teams in coming to Florida for tournaments. At this time, the Soviet Union no longer existed, and most of the teams came from Russia. During the tournaments, Alex would host a few boys in his house to encourage his son to interact with them, hoping that it would help him learn Russian. Over ten years, Alex helped more than 20 international teams come to Florida, and some of the boys who came grew up to become professional players, now playing in the NHL & KHL. After Alex’s son went to college and stopped playing hockey, Alex continued with his passion and, in 2018, he organized Russian Heritage Night (RHN) at a Florida Panthers Game. In 2019, Alex grew the event into five separate Russian Heritage Nights, both in Canada and the United States. Last season, he helped organize twelve RHN’s, although two games were cancelled due to the pandemic. As part of these events, Alex also organizes masterclasses for kids to skate with retired NHL players like Darius Kasparaitis & Alexi Ponikarovsky in Florida, Val Bure & Vitaly Vishnevsky in LA, and Michael Grabovsky in Toronto. Clarence Paller Clarence Paller Clarence is a first-generation Canadian. He possesses a dynamic skill set with a relentless drive for excellence and a natural ability to network and foster relationships. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelors's degree in Communications and obtained a post-graduate certificate in Strategic Human Resources Management from York University. He has worked as a journalist covering some of the National Hockey League (NHL) most highly renowned names including Alexander Barkov (Florida Panthers and NHL All-Star), Darius Kasparaitis (NHL Legend) and Ryan van Asten (2 times Stanley Cup Champion). Since 2015, I have fostered relationships and have done work directly with the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) and Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment (TBSE). Get in touch with Alex & Clarence Alex Braverman LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexander-braverman-339a3410/ Clarence Paller LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clarence-paller-b9a9892b/ Russian Heritage Network Website: russianheritagenetwork.comFacebook: facebook.