Features
Not without honour…..except here
By SIMONE COHEN SCOTT Several Wednesday nights ago, June 22nd to be exact, I attended a launching here in Winnipeg, at the Whodunit Bookstore to be exact, of Celia Rabinovitch’s book, “Duchamp’s Pipe; a Chess Romance.” Actually, the book has been launched in a few places, mostly via zoom. Readers of this paper may even remember that I reviewed her book a while back.
(Ed. note: It was actually December 2020, Simone – and your review is on our website at http://jewishpostandnews.ca/8-features/640-new-book-by-noted-art-expert-celia-rabinovitch-explores-many-themes.)
Anyway, the event back in June was delightful. The evening was basically a conversation between Dr. Michael Bumsted, proprietor of the store, and Celia Rabinovitch, internationally celebrated, locally barely known, artist, writer, and cultural historian. They were well-matched, the extremely erudite Dr. Bumsted, educated in Scotland, and Celia, Director of University of Manitoba’s Fine Arts Department, 2002-2008; scholar-in-residence at universities in North America, Europe, and Israel; her paintings appearing in art centres throughout Canada and the United States albeit seldom here. His questions about the book were incisive and penetrating, her answers thoughtful, informative, interesting, and amusing. She is a wonderful raconteur and his method encouraged her to tell of the many adventures that went into the researching and writing the book. It was apparent he had read the book carefully and had had fun doing so.
Of course they talked about pipes, but also about bohemian life in various cities throughout two continents during the war-dominated decades of the early 20th century, travelling via tramp steamer, partying with the privileged, barely eking out a living. Histories at several levels are revealed through the medium of chess tournaments, against the backdrop of a not so unlikely friendship, that of George Koltanowski, a passionate chess playing phenomenon who practically breathed the game, (Good heavens, he could play several opponents at once, blindfolded, and win!), and Marcel Duchamps, the sophisticated chess aficionado, who had already made his name initiating a startling genre into the world of art with his ‘Nude Descending a Staircase’. The central character is the pipe; it provides the theme connecting the two men who, in fact, spend just scraps of time with each other over the decades-long era their stories cover. Both Bumsted and Rabinovitch are well versed in many aspects of early 20th century histories in several locales. The audience, seated on metal folding chairs in the centre of the store, half-emptied platters of goodies behind them, had their horizons broadened. There was a flurry to buy the book after this presentation.
My own friendship with Celia began through a mutual friend, actress Terri Cherniak. Celia was to spend a couple of weeks as scholar-in-residence at the Israel Museum, lecturing on Dada art, and Terri knew I had an apartment nearby. She put us in touch. We were roommates for two weeks, we hit it off, and a friendship grew. Celia is, to me, a citizen of the world. She has an aura about her that makes one feel something special is going on. She is aware, always, of the spiritual connection between people, their settings, the objects they love, and she perpetuates the idea that the love passes along with the object. This informs her paintings, and this is the story of the pipe. The thread of love connection permeated every aspect of its journey as the gift from Marcel to George and beyond, (George re-gifted it), until finally, because it was Duchamp’s pipe, it was auctioned off for tens of thousands of dollars. Perhaps the pipe is laughing now.
A second perspective of the thread of love, binding the souls of the two men, is the game of chess, which accounts for the rest of the book’s title, ‘a Chess Romance’. One feels as one reads the book that little wisps of je ne sais quoi are whirling about in the atmosphere, twirling themselves around your mind, giving it ideas. Of course, anyone familiar with Celia’s previous book, entitled “Surrealism and the Sacred: Power, Eros, and the Occult in Modern Art”.wouldn’t be surprised by this mystic quality. One senses it in her art as well. An unidentified quote sums it up thus: “Her luminous paintings evoke mood, atmosphere, and ambiguity, leading to a sense of the uncanny.”
The Whodunit Bookstore has a story too. It was founded as an activity for Michael. Bumsted’s father when he retired. As a mystery buff’s oasis, it thrived. My own introduction to “Whodunit” happened when I began to winter in Israel; I asked the elder Mr. Bumsted to find me mysteries set there. The several he found for me added greatly to my grasp of the neighbourhoodsof the country. Mr. Bumsted was an historian and customers flocked to his evenings of readings and discussions, to hear his stories and to buy his recommendations. Soon Mrs. Bumsted, also an historian, was needed to help in the business.
That is when the merchandise begins to reach beyond thrillers. As Mrs. Bumsted would include books for her grandchildren in some of her orders, one day when a few were inadvertently left out on the counter, they were noticed and ultimately sold. It made sense; since people who like books have children and grandchildren – make it convenient for them. So children’s books were stocked, and then one thing led to another. When the space next door became vacant, Whodunit expanded to twice the size.
By this time, son (and recent PhD) Dr. Michael Bumsted had returned from Scotland. A career in a book store was not, I suppose, his intention, but hey! It turned out to be a good fit. As the range of books filled the shelves, his eclectic interests were being met. As I’ve already mentioned, I was impressed with erudite remarks and penetrating questions with which he drew out Celia’s fascinating anecdotes, and the ensuing discussion. If the evening sessions discussing books that he facilitates at Whodunit are as engrossing as the one I attended, you’ll see me at more.
A week and a half prior to this event, Celia spoke at the Manitoba Museum about the exhibit she curated there, of photographs taken by Nick Yudell, a first cousin of Celia’s once removed. Left in the possession of a family member, they were really a gift to Canada prepared for us by this young photographer – fated to die in WWII as an RAF pilot. Whereas a less sensitive person might have left them in their carefully labelled boxes, seeing how much love went into the taking of these photos, as one artist to another, Celia undertook to prepare them for display, to be shared with the world. At a point when we were together in one of the rooms of the display, Celia confided to me that she had wanted to convey the fact that although Nick’s photos feature his own community, which was Jewish, the story he is telling is about the every-man in Canada during the wartime period, that is, a story of patriotic men of courage and of strength. We who were children then, remember them. She surely succeeded; staff and patrons got it. The exhibit, originally meant to end August 1st, has been held over to December 18th.
Features
Turkey’s Rising Power Worries Israel
By HENRY SREBRNIK It has long shared intelligence with Iran, and it remains the only NATO country to have refrained from sanctioning Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It is, along with Qatar, the main international sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, including its Palestinian branch, Hamas. Its poor human rights record consistently stir unease among NATO allies.
This is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey. He wants his country to become the preeminent power in the Middle East. If Iran emerges from the current war with Israel and the United States weakened, whether politically, economically, or militarily, Turkey’s relative influence in the broader region will increase. Ankara has already consolidated significant influence in Syria and Azerbaijan, and it continues to pursue strategic connectivity projects across the South Caucasus.
Since Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2003, relations have steadily deteriorated. The Hamas victory in a legislative election in Gaza in 2005 felt in Ankara like a personal win for Erdogan, who had advised Hamas on its electoral strategy.
Three years later came the Mavi Marmara incident. A Turkish ship chartered by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) attempted to break Egypt and Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The vessel was boarded by Israeli commandos, resulting in nine deaths. Erdogan accused Israel of “state terrorism” and appealed to the “international community” in a speech to the Turkish parliament. Things kept going downhill and are now worse than ever.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently remarked that “the Israeli authorities are a burden that humanity can no longer bear.” Fidan’s words came in a TV interview July 2 following Israel’s recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide: “Israel is not just Turkey’s problem, nor is it just the issue of our president, he said. “But everyone knows it, feels it, whispers it in hidden corners, and occasionally speaks openly. This is what we must call it.” True, he stepped back from those remarks in a later interview, contending that Turkey and Israel aren’t destined for conflict. Was this second comment perhaps made at Donald Trump’s urging?
After Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Erdogan emerged as one of Israel’s most outspoken international critics, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing grave violations during the Gaza conflict and intensifying Ankara’s diplomatic support for the Palestinian cause. Israeli officials have interpreted this rhetoric as evidence that Turkey increasingly views itself as a political counterweight to Israel across the region.
Already in December 2023, Erdogan had compared Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, and Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip to those of the Nazis. In March 2024, he referred to Netanyahu and his government as “modern-day Nazis” and called for bringing these “murderers” to justice under international law.
He subsequently accused Netanyahu of committing “genocide” in Gaza, claimed that his actions “would make Hitler jealous,” and even described the situation in Gaza as “worse than Nazi camps,” while portraying the West as standing aside and enabling the continuation of the “brutality.” In a speech posted on X on March 30 this year, Erdogan called on “Allah” to “damn Zionist Israel.”
The narrative accusing Israel has become a structural component of Turkey’s domestic political discourse. What is new is not the use of extreme imagery and Holocaust terminology, but the role they play. Unlike in the past, the rhetoric is no longer merely an expression of political anger or protest; it has become a component of Turkish policy, intended to lay a normative foundation through which Ankara seeks to deny Israel the moral legitimacy of its actions.
Turkey portrays Israel not as a state confronting a grave security threat from a murderous terrorist organization but as an entity that has crossed the bounds of humanity, committing crimes it equates with those perpetrated by the Nazis. This framing intentionally downplays the severity of Hamas’s actions and prepares the ground for collective action against Israel, including exceptional punitive measures against it. At the same time, it depicts any Western hesitation or lack of restraint regarding Israel as a moral abandonment of Gaza’s residents, expanding responsibility and blame to the international community beyond Israel itself.
On November 7, 2025, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the issuance of arrest warrants against 37 Israeli figures, including Netanyahu and other senior officials, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Although these domestic warrants lack practical enforcement, their significance lies in the ongoing legal threat they create. They limit the movement of senior Israeli officials, discourage other countries and institutions from engaging with Israel, and enhance the criminal framing of Israel in the international arena.
Its identity as a Muslim state and a NATO member, but critical of the liberal-Western order, has allowed Turkey to position itself as a leading moral voice, strengthening its regional and international standing. In addition to the importance the Turkish government attributes to the Palestinian issue and the broad support for the Palestinian position among the Turkish public in general, and Erdogan’s electoral base in particular, this issue serves as a platform for positioning Turkey as a voice challenging the West and speaking on behalf of “the oppressed in the world.”
Erdogan’s tenure has seen a systematic shift toward Islamization within Turkey. His government has expanded religious education, restricted alcohol sales, and promoted conservative social policies. These measures, coupled with the suppression of secular institutions, align with his stated goal of raising a “pious generation.”
Erdogan, from his comments, seems to consider himself the rightful leader of the entire Muslim world. In the interim, he evidently sees himself as the Middle East’s next great power broker, claiming leadership while chaos reigns.
Already entrenched in Syria, steadily expanding an indigenous defence industry capable of producing sophisticated drones, naval vessels, and eventually advanced fighter aircraft, while seeking a foothold in Gaza, Ankara increasingly appears intent on filling the regional vacuum Iran leaves behind. Tehran sought to surround Israel with a Shi’ite ring of fire. Ankara appears willing to create a Sunni one.
Henry Srebrnik is a professor emeritus at the University of Prince Edward Island
Features
Can Deni Avdija lead Portland to the title next year?
It is too early to say if Deni Avdija is ready to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in 2027, but it’s not too much to hope for. But the trade to Washington in 2024 is arguably a signature move for Portland. All those who followed him on basketball results on SportyTrader have seen him grow from an all-purpose prospect into an All-Star creator and a testament to the Blazers’ rebuild.
It is not Avdija’s question as to whether he can be a one-man savior. Whether his scoring and playmaking, defense and competitive edge can support a roster that’s become ambitious.
The catalyst: Avdija’s arrival and Portland’s new hope
Deni Avdija was traded to Portland on July 6, 2024, with Washington receiving veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon, the draft rights to No. 14 pick Bub Carrington, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2030 second-round pick in return. The cost seemed to be very high, but the deal with Deni Avdija is becoming more and more justified.
In the 2025-26 campaign, Avdija averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 66 games played, and had a shooting percentage of 46.2 percent on the field and 80.2 percent at the free throw line. He has made his first All-Star call-up, his first call-up as an Israeli player. That was a turning point in his career and catapulted him into one of the most prominent Israeli athletes.
One thing that is still being questioned is his perimeter efficiency. He was 36.5 percent on 3-pointers in 2024-25, falling to 31.8 percent with an average of six attempted three-pointers per game. However, his versatility to attack closeouts, get to the ball, rebound, play several positions defensively, and start transition offense means that he is valuable.
What does ‘leading a team’ truly mean for Avdija?
Avdija is not quite in the Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo class; he doesn’t dominate each possession defensively, nor is he a Giannis Antetokounmpo who sets a championship system in motion. He’s becoming a more realistic high-level foundational leader, a part scorer, a part connector and a part tone-setter.
Standards are as necessary as statistics are in Portland. Avdija is aggressive with the ball, physically in it and plays with his heart. Those habits can become the culture on a young team that will ultimately foster contention.
He could still keep on climbing his ladder. The leap from 16.9 and 3.9 assists in 2024-25 to 24.2 and 6.7 indicates that the new found creation is more than just additional minutes. Whether he will grow into an All-Star every year comes down to avoiding turnovers, being able to break from defenders with pull-up shots and providing reliability in the playoffs.
Analyzing his fit with the current Blazers roster
Earlier discussions about what Portland is to look for at Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons are now outdated. Then, the 2026-27 bunch now contains Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan should be added as well.
That’s opportunity and tension. The combination of Morant’s rim pressure will be a gamebreaker, and if Lillard is able to come back from the Achilles, he can pose defenses a threat with his shooting. Avdija can be used as a backup secondary initiator, attack mismatches and cover a tough defensive task. Camara and Clingan provide volume and bulk following him.
But, ball placement will be key. Morant, Lillard, Henderson and Avdija are all in need of touches. New coach Micah Nori will have to find a way to build an offense that takes advantage of Avdija’s abilities without it becoming a ‘spot-up’ forward.
The reality check: Portland’s long road to contention
There are no signs of a championship next season. Portland reached the playoffs for the first time since 2021, but were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, with Victor Wembanyama’s return from a concussion in Game 4 proving decisive in San Antonio’s series win. That’s good, but not good enough to prove that they are champions.
Blazers still have work to do in the scoring, line-up balance, and postseason experience departments, plus clarity on who they’re going to rely on to be their starting closer. Morant is packed with star quality, and some risk. Lillard is 36 and coming back from a major injury. In the younger core, the prospects are good but not certain.
The rebuilds that generally work the way they’re supposed to go, go through a number of phases: asset building, playoff success, series success, then placing a claim on the title. Although Portland is past the beginning stages, one successful season isn’t going to close the gap between the team and the NBA elite.
The verdict: Can Avdija be a champion in Portland?
Avdija likely will not be the man for Portland to win the title next year. But he can also be the invaluable asset to a future contender. With his shot accuracy back at three-point, the turnovers will come down, his decision-making in the playoffs improves, another All-Star season is possible.
He’s a Portland Trail Blazers development litmus test now. Maybe not the only superstar that brings a trophy, but he can be the multi-faceted cornerstone that makes a real title structure possible.
Features
The Spiritual Guide to Natural Mind-Body Relaxation
Modern life runs at a rapid pace, leaving many people feeling disconnected from their inner peace. Finding a way to quiet the mind and relax the body is no longer a luxury. It is a necessary practice for staying grounded.
True relaxation goes beyond taking a quick nap or sitting on the couch. It involves a deeper alignment of your physical form and your spirit. By exploring natural methods, you can build a sustainable routine that supports your entire well-being.
Setting the Space for Inner Peace
Finding true peace requires looking at how we live day to day. If you want to explore new methods of centering yourself, check it out when you have a quiet evening at home. This simple shift in environment can make a massive difference.
Your physical surroundings play a major role in how easily your mind settles. A cluttered room often leads to a cluttered mind, making it hard to unwind.
Clearing a small corner of your home for quiet reflection can serve as a physical cue – a simple signal to let go of tension. You do not need expensive $100 items to create this area. A simple cushion, a soft blanket, and dim lighting can transform any spot into a personal sanctuary.
Tuning Into Physical and Mental Harmony
Relaxing the body often starts with gentle, deliberate movement. When we hold stress in our muscles, our minds remain in a state of high alert. A government self-care guide suggests that individuals experiment with mind-body relaxation techniques like meditation, tai chi, or yoga. These practices teach us to focus on the present moment.
These activities do not require intense physical fitness. You can start with just 5 minutes of quiet breathing every morning. As you pay attention to your breath, you will notice your heart rate slow down. This physical change sends a signal to your brain that it is safe to let go of worry.
Restoring Hope and Inner Strength
Restoring peace is a holistic process that involves both your thoughts and feelings. When anxiety takes over, finding hope can feel incredibly difficult. An educational publication on anxiety notes that activities like yoga, meditation, visualization, tai chi, chi gong, prayer, and singing can help restore our bodies, minds, and hope.
You can choose whichever method speaks to your personal beliefs. Some people find comfort in silent prayer, and others prefer the vibration of singing. The key is to find an activity that allows you to feel connected to something larger than yourself. This connection can ground you when life feels unpredictable.
Simple Habits to Release Daily Stress
Small changes in your daily schedule can lead to significant improvements in your stress levels. You do not need to dedicate hours of your day to find relief. Instead, focus on quick, natural actions that you can perform anywhere. These habits help reset your nervous system when you start to feel overwhelmed.
Try some of these easy techniques during your busy day:
- Take 3 deep breaths before answering any phone call.
- Walk outside for 5 minutes without looking at your phone.
- Stretch your neck and shoulders at your desk every 2 hours.
- Drink a warm cup of herbal tea without any digital distractions.
Incorporating these practices can help you build resilience against daily pressures. They require very little effort but offer immediate benefits for your mental clarity. By practicing them regularly, you can maintain a calm demeanor even during hectic moments.
The Power of Mindful Breathing
Breathing is an automatic function, and it is one of our most powerful tools for relaxation. When we feel stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and fast. This shallow breathing reinforces our feelings of panic and unease.
By consciously slowing down your inhalation and exhalation, you can change your physical state. Try inhaling slowly for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and exhaling for 4 seconds. This pattern, known as box breathing, helps quiet the nervous system quickly. It is a simple way to regain control when your thoughts begin to race.
Connecting with the Natural World
Spending time in nature is another wonderful way to encourage relaxation. The natural world has a unique rhythm that operates far away from the screens and schedules of modern life. When you step outside, you allow your senses to expand beyond their normal limits.
Listen to the rustle of leaves, feel the wind on your skin, and watch the movement of clouds. These simple sensory experiences help pull your attention away from internal worries. Even a brief visit to a local park can lower your stress hormones. Making nature a regular part of your routine helps you stay balanced and connected.
By dedicating a few minutes each day to your well-being, you can build a strong foundation of peace. This inner calm will support you through whatever challenges life may bring, helping you live with greater ease.
