Local News
Jeff Lieberman discusses how, after years of serving as chair of major organizations, he’s actually going to be CEO of one: The Jewish Federation
By BERNIE BELLAN Longtime volunteer – and successful businessman Jeff Lieberman was the surprise choice to be the next CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.
I say surprise because, after years of serving on numerous quasi-public boards – often as chair of those boards, one would not have thought that Jeff Lieberman was actually interested in becoming the full-time CEO of one of those organizations. But, that he’ll soon be.
Recently I chatted with Jeff about how he came to throw his hat into the ring for the position of Federation CEO.
I’ve known Jeff for many years now – and, along with Avrom Charach, I can’t think of anyone in our Jewish community who has committed themselves longer to serving our community in so many different capacities.
Among various volunteer positions Jeff has held, he’s been the President of Folklorama, Chair of the University of Manitoba Board of Governors, President of the Rady JCC, President of the University of Manitoba Alumni Association. He currently serves as a Board Member of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.
Jeff, now 63, is married to Robyn (née Buchwald), who is the Membership Manager of the Rady JCC. Jeff and Robyn have three children: Amy, 31, who is a teacher at Gray Academy (and who just had a baby December 31, making Jeff and Robyn grandparents for the first time); Josh, 28, who is a lawyer; and Noah, 24, who has now written two books – among other things (and who was profiled in our last edition – before we ever knew about Jeff’s becoming CEO).
I was curious to find out from where Jeff derives an abiding sense of service to the community, but we began our conversation by my asking Jeff about his long-time ownership of his company, “Great Canadian Promotional Products.”
Jeff said he started the company in 1989. “We sold clothing for local companies and organizations,” he said. Eventually, “people started asking for different promotional products…and I’ve been selling promotional products since then.”
“Around 18 years ago I associated my company with a really large promotional products company – Talbot Marketing… and it’s been really great – lots of staff and support, and it’s really made my business life simple.”
Jeff explained that he thought he would stay in business, eventually work less, then retire, “but the last couple of months (in which he began to think about applying for the CEO position) really changed that.”
His goal before was to sell the company in about a year’s time, he said, but not retire from marketing. With everything that’s now happened, however, he’s had to move much quicker to sell his company.
He said that he’s “spoken to a couple of people in the past couple of weeks” and he’s “hoping to sell it” before he steps into his new role on August 14.
At that point I turned the conversation to the process that led Jeff “to throw his hat into the ring.” I said to him: “I’m guessing you were approached to put your name forward. Is that correct?”
Jeff said that he had been the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s representative on the Jewish Federation Board the past couple of years and had been aware for quite some time that Elaine Goldstine was planning on retiring as Federation CEO.
“But, to be honest,” Jeff noted, “I had no interest in putting my name forward. I was happy with what I was doing – and had never even considered it (applying for the CEO position.”
He went on to say that he’s not sure exactly what led to his being approached, but “a few people in the community had approached me and asked whether I’d be interested. They thought I’d be a really good person for the position,” he said, “and I was really complimented. When the first person asked I was kind of surprised because I had never really thought of myself that way, but a few months ago two or three other people came up to me and said the same thing, so it gets you thinking a little bit. I knew that the search was still on and eventually I decided to put my name forward.
“I guess there were a number of people that they were interviewing and I was put in the interview process at the same time – and, amazingly, I was told that the search committee had decided that they’d like me to be the CEO. I certainly didn’t expect it and, as a matter of fact, when I did the interview I said: ‘I hope I’m not wasting your time.’
While Jeff has served – and headed, various boards of organizations in the quasi-public sector – as I noted at the beginning of this article, I suggested to him that he would be the first CEO of the Jewish Federation coming from the private sector, and I wondered how different it would be becoming “the CEO of a quasi-public sector organization as opposed to being the owner of a business?”
“It will certainly be different,” Jeff answered. “What I said in my job interview is that if you’re looking for someone who’s there to build relationships and be a good people person, honest, hardworking – that’s what I am – a person of integrity…and a humble person – that’s what I really am. That’s what I think I bring. I know a lot of people in our community and they know me. I think I’ve got a good reputation.
“I may not bring the most amount of management skills, but I think what the Federation – and other organizations, need, are people to build relationships and build upon a future, because it’s all about the next generation. I think I can relate to younger people. I’m 63, but I feel like I’m 43…I’ve got lots of energy.
“They asked me in the interview how long I thought do I think I could work in this position? and I said, ‘Yah, I think I could work five – ten years.’’’
I asked whether there is a term attached to the CEO position?
Jeff said, “not really,” so I said “sort of like Vladimir Putin – you could just continue on as long as you want.”
I said though that, while I would want to discuss where Jeff thought changes were needed most at the Federation, I would give him a chance to “get his feet wet” before I’d ask him to start answering those types of questions.
What I wondered about though, is from where Jeff derived his strong sense of volunteerism? Was it something he grew up with? I asked.
“Not really,” Jeff responded. “My parents were hard working and they didn’t do a whole lot of volunteering. My mum (Dora, who died in 2011) did a little bit of that. My father (Aron, who died in 2022) was born in Poland. His family was all killed (in the Holocaust). When he had a chance to come to Canada, he came – on a boat. He was sick the whole way. When he got to Montreal he was told to come to Winnipeg. He was put on a train – didn’t speak a word of English. He worked in a factory all his life, worked hard. It was all about providing for my brother (Garry) and me – providing an education.” There was nothing specific in Jeff’s upbringing that led him to want to give back so much to the community, he added.
But, when he was much younger, he “was invited to go on a Federation mission – I think it was in 1988, and really after that I got the bug to volunteer. I started off at the Rady JCC – which then was the Y – and was on the board.
“Certainly I put in lots of hours volunteering, but I get so much out of it. I’ve met so many great people and experienced so many fantastic things.”
I said to Jeff that he’s such a nice guy, I wondered how it was going to be for him when he had to start saying “no” to a lot of people and organizations when they would be coming to the Federation with requests – especially for money. I noted that Bob Freedman, who had been CEO for 28 years, had a reputation for toughness – and wasn’t afraid to be confrontational at times. (I don’t recall hearing that Elaine Goldstine could be tough in the same way that Bob was tough but, on the other hand, the Goldstine reign is not quite over – and just like retired presidents, maybe the dirt will surface once Elaine has fully retired. Anyone who’s familiar with this newspaper knows that I like nothing more than to trade in gossip and innuendo, so watch out Elaine: We’re coming for you!)
I also mentioned to Jeff that I go back long enough to remember when the late Izzy Peltz basically ran what was then the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council as a one-man show.
Jeff recalled that “in those days, Robyn’s grandfather, Ralph Hamovich (whose daughter is Mira Buchwald, Robyn’s mother), was the other member of the team with Izzy (Peltz). I think Izzy ran the office, while Ralph ran the Combined Jewish Appeal part of it.”
“Yah,” I suggested, “it was really a small organization back then. You could have a two-man show.” (Boy, from a small seedling, mighty organizations with large staffs grow.)
And, speaking of staff, I noted that there have been many changes at the Federation recently, including two recent changes that were announced in our last issue: Sharon Graham as Community Planning and Allocations Lead (a position that had been vacant since the retirement of Faye Rosenberg-Cohen in December); and Graciela Najenson, as Interim Chief Development Officer (taking over from the recently departed Rebecca Brask).
Those are two hugely important positions in our community and, although both previous occupants of those positions may not have commanded a lot of attention outside of the Jewish organizational level, both Faye Rosenberg-Cohen and Rebecca Brask played key roles in determining how much money was available for the 12 beneficiary organizations of the Federation and how that money was distributed.
I said to Jeff though that I thought Elaine Goldstine’s last day as Federation CEO was going to be August 31. He said it was, “but that we’re going to have a few days together. Elaine and I have known each other forever. She has been so helpful. We’ve spoken every day and she said to me, ‘Jeff, I’m a phone call away and if you have any questions after that, just ask.’ I really appreciate that.”
On an end note, I said to Jeff that I thought his being hired was a refreshing change for the Federation and, while the piece I was going to write was going to be all “flowery,” (which this has been), “the muckraking was yet to come.”
Local News
Hershfield sisters star in annual 55+ Manitoba Seniors Games
By MYRON LOVE Mindy (Hershfield) Zabenskie has once again proven the old adage that it’s never too late to try something new.
Last August, the retired office worker, along with her younger sister, Esther Hershfield, entered the 55+ Manitoba Seniors Games, which were held in Steinbach. In a field of about 1,200 senior athletes, Zabenskie, competing in the 100m and 200m races, came away with one gold and two silver medals for her performances in the 65+ category. Hershfield did even better with gold medals in the 200m and 100m runs and silver in the 400m and 800m competitions.
In the swimming portion, Esther Hershfield came in first place in her age category in all her swimming events – including the 50m breaststroke, the 100m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke.
As far as the track races went, Hershfield conceded that she “did find the 800m run a little more challenging. I’m more used to the shorter distances, ” she noted. “I will have to do more training for the 800m run. I found that distance a little tiring.”
“It was a lot of fun,” Zabenskie said of this past summer’s competitions – the second go round for the two sisters. Up to that point, they had only run half marathons.
Hershfield noted that last year’s games were held in Brandon –where the sisters were joined by oldest sister Lois, who participated in the cribbage tournament – which is also part of the activities.
Hershfield pointed out that she has always been involved in athletics. She was a phys-ed teacher in Seven Oaks School Division prior to retirement in 2013. She reported that she swims twice a week and runs twice a week with a friend.
Zabenskie, by contrast, is a late bloomer. She only ran her first marathon in 2013 – in Ottawa, while visiting her daughter, Susan. That was three years before she retired.
Looking back, Zabenskie said, she can’t tell you what motivated her to take up running. “I was never athletic,” she noted. “I was never interested in exercise or physical activity. My daughters (Susan and Pamela – who lives in Winnipeg) have always been athletic. They probably encouraged me.”
It was a real challenge for me to start running,” she added. “I am shocked at how well I have done. I really am proud of myself and my accomplishments.”
While Zabenskie did participate in one marathon in Palm Springs several years ago, she generally restricts her running efforts to just two annual runs – the Winnipeg Police Service run in May, and the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service run in October. Those runs are both 5 kilometres.
The Fire and Paramedic Service run, she reported, started and finished at Canadian Mennonite College, while the police event began and ended at Assiniboine Park. Timers clocked in the runners.
“While everyone gets participation medals for doing the marathon,” Zabenskie pointed out, “I have finished in the top ten several times in my age category and have improved my time to less than 40 minutes. I am happy with my results.
Three years ago, to help motivate her and improve her performance, Zabenskie hired a personal trainer. “She has come to know my strengths and weaknesses,” she noted. “She runs with me and is able to point out where I can improve my technique.
“She also got me started on weight training.”
Zabenskie added that she tries to run three times a week in her neighbourhood – weather permitting. In the winter months, she works out on her treadmill. She does weight training twice a week.
She said that she is looking forward to entering the Police marathon again in the spring and both sisters are eager to take on the 55+ competitions, which will be held in Winkler-Morden next summer.
Local News
Kristallnacht Documentary focuses on courageous Hungarian Jew who saved the lives of the last group of twins in Auschwitz
By MYRON LOVE On November 9 and 10, our Jewish community commemorated the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht – the Night of Broken Glass – the infamous series of pogroms against the Jewish communities of Germany and Austria – with the showing of a new documentary, titled “The Last Twins.” The documentary, written by Patrick McMahon and narrated by actor Liev Schreiber, tells the story of Erno (Tzi) Speigel, who risked his life to save the last surviving twins in Auschwitz.
In her opening remarks, Belle Jarniewski, the executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (which co-sponsored the evening, along with the Rady JCC and the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg), reported that over a two-day period in 1938, the Nazi-inspired hordes burned more than 1,400 synagogues in the two countries, desecrated Jewish religious objects, vandalized and ransacked thousands of Jewish-owned businesses, homes and apartments, and stole valuable belongings. Nor were Jewish orphanages, seniors homes and hospitals spared the mayhem. Nearly 100 Jews were murdered and about 30,000 Jewish men were subsequently interned in concentration camps.
To add insult to injury, the Nazis then demanded 1-billion reichsmarks from German and Austrian Jewish communities – “atonement payment” – to clean up the mess.
“It was a turning point,” Jarniewski noted. “It was the moment when words of hatred turned into co-ordinated destruction and when indifference from the rest of the world gave way to the Shoah – the murder of over 6 million European Jews at the hands of the Nazis and their willing collaborators.
The great 16th century kabbalist, Rabbi Isaac Luria, taught that when God created the world, he had to hide his overpowering light in a series of shells. At some point, the shells broke and the divine light fell into the darkest levels of hell. It is the responsibility of Jewish souls to descend into that world to redeem the divine sparks in order to repair the world – the original meaning of tikkun olam.
The Shoah certainly represents the lowest level of darkness. The catastrophe also produced many examples of individuals – both Jewish and non-Jewish – who were willing to risk their lives – in the midst of the darkness and danger around them – to save lives. The names of many of them have been enshrined over the years at Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust museum. Erno Spiegel was one of them.
It was in May 1944, when Spiegel and his twin sister were deported to Auschwitz. They were among the thousands of Hungarian Jews who were shipped to the death camp, where the notorious Dr. Joseph Mengele greeted each trainload of Jews and determined which were to be sent immediately to the gas chambers and which were to be allowed to live on a little longer as slave labour in the death camp’s factories.
Spiegel and his sister were spared immediate death because the demonic doctor had a special interest in twins, on whom he did numerous gruesome experiments. Many – perhaps most – died.
When a new group of Jewish twins – all of whom were children – were separated from subsequent trainloads of Hungarian Jews they were housed in separate barracks for boys and girls. Mengele serendipitously put the 29-year-old Spiegel in charge of the boys’ care, and Spiegel determined to do his best to look after them.
According to the documentary, not all of the “twins” were really twins. Some were siblings who were born close together and bore a strong resemblance to each other. Spiegel made sure to enter in the forms the same birthday for both brothers in these cases.
He also quickly let them know what had happened to their families and, between experiments, tried to teach them some math and geography.
The documentary includes interviews with several of these twins – survivors – who had immigrated to Israel or North America (or, in one case, stayed in Hungary) who recalled their experiences in Auschwitz and beyond. They reported that, to them, Spiegel became a father figure who saved their lives.
The closest they came to death came in October,1944, when a junior officer discovered them in their barracks and ordered them immediately to the gas chambers. The survivors recalled how Spiegel saved their lives by risking his own to seek out Mengele. The doctor was outraged that a junior officer would try to countermand him and the boys were returned to the barracks.
Spiegel’s efforts to save as many twins as possible were put to the maximum test in January 1945 – when the Russians liberated Auschwitz and the German guards fled. Just prior to the Russians entering the camp, the Nazis had removed most of the prisoners from Auschwitz – including the older sets of twins – and force-marched them in the worst winter weather in years into Germany – leaving the younger twins to fare for themselves. Very few survived these death marches.
The Russians didn’t stay long. So, Spiegel took charge. He promised the kids that he would get them home again. They all set off on foot. They walked for two days – sleeping one night in an abandoned school and the second night in a farmer’s barn. He got them rides with Russian soldiers to Krakow in Poland, where they were housed in a building that had been German headquarters in Krakow. There he found them enough to eat and got identity papers for the kids. He also acquired a pass from the Russians that guaranteed Russian help along the way.
After dropping all the kids in their home communities, they all went their separate ways. Spiegel married and moved to Israel. He and his wife had two kids (who were also interviewed for the documentary). He became involved in theatre in Tel Aviv.
He never talked about Auschwitz.
The first his daughter, Judith Richter, and son, Israel, knew about his heroism, came in 1981 when Richter’s husband, Kobi, came across a story in Life Magazine at a store in Boston where the couple were living. Flipping through the pages, he stumbled on a story about Mengele. In the story was a picture of Spiegel next to a photo of two of the twins.
One of the twin survivors, also living in the States, also saw the story. He contacted Kobi and Judith (who co-hosted the documentary) which led to a dramatic reunion between Spiegel and the twin.
In 1985, Israel put Mengele on trial in absentia. Speigel was called to testify. To his surprise, all those in the courtroom whose lives he saved were asked to stand and about a dozen did.
Several reunions between Spiegel and one or more of the twins followed and the twins continued to reach out to each other after he died in 1993. Toward the end of the documentary, four of the twins are seen holding a reunion in Israel, reminiscing, and celebrating their bar mitzvahs at the Western Wall.
“The last Twins,” Belle Jarniewski observed, “is not only a Holocaust film, but also an urgent reminder of the human capacity to choose compassion over cruelty, to protect the vulnerable, and to recognize the power one person can have in the face of systemic evil.
“But tonight’s commemoration is not only about the past. It is also about the present and the future. At a time when antisemitism has risen exponentially around the world, we are ever more aware of the danger of leaving hate unchallenged. As our youngest Holocaust survivors reach their tenth decade of life, we must continue to connect to education, remembrance and moral courage.”
Local News
Dave Hill’s participation shows that you don’t have to be Jewish to participate in the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s Endowment Book of Life
By MYRON LOVE Despite the impression given by certain biased media, Canadian Jewry has many friends from outside our community. On the one hand, there are the Christian Zionist friends of Israel and the Jewish people – groups such as Bridges for Peace and Christian Friends of Israel (see accompanying article), and individuals such as John and Irene Plantz and Rudy and Gina Fidel, who contribute their moral and financial support to Israel and our local Jewish community. There is also Kevin Klein, publisher and editor of the Winnipeg Sun, whose newspaper is a whole-hearted supporter of Israel and the Jewish People and strong fighter against antisemitism.
Then there is Dave Hill, a prominent local lawyer – a partner in the law firm Hill Sokalski – who has been in practice for more than 50 years. On Sunday, November 2, Hill was one of eight new signatories to enter their names and life stories into the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s Endowment Book of Life.
Hill reports that he has been making donations to the Foundation for the past ten years. “I believe in giving back to the community,” he says, noting that he is also a supporter of the Winnipeg Foundation and several medical institutions. “I have always had a great deal of compassion for the Jewish People who have suffered over 2000 years of persecution.”
The 2025 signers – in addition to Hill – were Jack and Belva London, Jeff and Sarah Morry, Moe Levy, Becky Kaufmann (a former JFM board member who flew in from Toronto), and Stewart Fay – in memory of his late wife, Patricia.
As explained on the Foundation website, the Endowment Book of Life program – which was started in 1998 – “is a planned program that offers participants an opportunity to leave both a financial and historical legacy to the community.”
Donors promise to leave a bequest to the Foundation, in return for which their family story is inscribed in the Book of Life.
The annual official unveiling of new stories this year was held on Sunday, November 2, at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue and included brunch, some musical entertainment featuring a talented quartet of singers: Julia Kroft, Alyssa Crockett, Tyler Leighton and Nathanial Muir.
Speaking on behalf of his fellow signers, Jack London noted that, “In Jewish thought, giving tzedakah is not just charity – it’s a moral obligation. An endowment gift is a powerful expression of this duty. It reflects the Jewish principle of tikkun olam. It can be a spiritual act, fulfilling commandments, and enhancing the donor’s connections to their faith.”
The former dean of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law had words of praise for “the wonderful purpose and mechanisms of the Jewish Foundation and its truly extraordinary staff.”
He noted that the Foundation was established in 1964 by “a group of visionary leaders and has been a beacon of hope and opportunity for decades.” He further pointed out that “its endowment funds have empowered countless initiatives, from supporting education and cultural programs to ensuring the wellbeing of our most vulnerable. Through the Foundation, we see the power of collective generosity, and we remember that when we come together, we can achieve extraordinary things.”
“Giving isn’t just about money,” London observed. It’s also about its impact. Every contribution, no matter how small, has the potential to change and better lives. Every gift by way of endowment results in an endless rate of return from investment which can be employed year after year to support our institutions and assist individuals in need to survive more comfortably and our community to flourish.
“Think of it like planting seeds. You may not see the tree grow overnight, but one day someone will sit in its shade benefitting from the kindness you showed today. In fact, l’dor v’dor, (from generation to generation) is another core Jewish concept. Endowments embody it by supporting those future generations. It is a way for donors to leave not only the currency, but the legacy of Tzedakah (charitable giving), a mitzvah deeply rooted in Jewish ethics.
“So, let’s put some leaves on the ‘tree” of giving’.
“Today’s signers,” London concluded,”have added our familial names, our memories and our promises in support of the Foundation’s good deeds. May good triumph and may peace prevail.”
In his own remarks, John Diamond, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba’s CEO, described the Endowment Book of Life program as one of the Foundation’s “most meaningful and most successful initiatives”.
“By entering their and their families’ life stories in our book,” he said, “our donors both honour those who came before and inspire those who will come after us.”
In his closing remarks, the JFM’s chair Dan Blankstein reported that the Endowment Book of Life book currently contains over 800 stories. Echoing John Diamond, Blankstein observed that “Our Endowment Book of Life is both a living history of Jewish life in Manitoba and a guide to the future”.