Local News
Local entrepreneurs Dr. Norman Silver and Dave Berkowits’ QDoc connecting patients and doctors on line
By MYRON LOVE Three and a half years ago Bernie Bellan wrote a story for The Jewish Post & News about a new service that had just started up earlier in 2022. That story told how two entrepreneurs, Dr. Norman Silver and Dave Berkowits, came up with the idea of providing online care with physicians to patients who weren’t in a position where they could visit a physician in person.
At that time, the story noted, QDoc began with only 144 patients in May 2022, but was growing at a rate of 1,000 new patients a month. Since then QDoc has been a roaring success and has been expanding its reach well outside Manitoba.
You can read the original story about QDoc on this website at QDoc.
Here now is an update to that original story:
Roughly four years ago, long time pediatrician Dr. Norman Silver and his brother-in-law, Dave Berkowits, a leading Canadian healthcare software developer, joined forces to create a virtual medical program that connects physicians and patients online.
“In our first couple of months, QDoc was able to connect 55 patients with our team of physicians, Silver reports. “Last year, we had more than 124,000 patients sign in – or about 11,500 a month who signed in.
“We have working relationships with close to 200 doctors and 35 nurse practitioners who are in partnership with us.
“We also have almost 3,000 positive reviews online.”
Silver notes that while 70% of Qdoc’s patients are from rural and northern Manitoba, the system is also in operation in Nunavut and Northwestern Ontario.
For Berkowitz and Silver, Qdoc is akin to a match made in heaven. The son of Rita and the late Ron Silver has been a pediatrician for 20 years. His resumé includes many years as an ER doc at Children’s Hospital, as well as working out of the Pan Am Clinic for years.
According to a write-up abut Silver on the Doctors Manitoba web page, the innovative pediatrician has many accomplishment during his career aimed at improving healthcare in our province. These include a nurse-initiated X-ray program in the Children’s ER, which decreased the length of stay for children with fractures by 1.5 hours; an oral rehydration program in the waiting room for children with gastroenteritis, which expedited their stay; a pediatric sedation service at the Children’s Hospital; a pediatric locum program to provide uninterrupted service to children in Western Manitoba; and penicillin de-labelling clinics in both Brandon and Winnipeg.
As well, seven years ago, he and Berkowits and five other partners opened the Minor Injury and Injury Clinic – the first non-publicly owned urgent care center in Manitoba .
“We treat up to 50,000 patients a year at the clinic,” he reports.
Silver describes his QDoc founding partner and brother-in-law as “the best medical software developer in Canada.” The son of Sandra and the late Alex Berkowits earned his stripes working for Philips Canada (which, for most readers is probably best known for its electronic consumer products) in its medical products divisions, working with MRIs and CT Scan equipment.
He then went on to work in Alberta for 17 years as part of the leadership team that implemented digital image sharing in Calgary. The team also created software that allowed radiologists based in Calgary to read CT and X-ray studies taken in Whitehorse and Yellowknife. That improved the time it takes for ER departments located up north to have radiology exams read so that patients could be taken care of quickly
It was the Covid lockdowns that led to Berkowits and Silver’s first collaboration – a drive-up, appointment based COVID testing site at Red River College.
Silver notes that certain regulatory changes in Manitoba made it possible for a business such as QDoc to deliver its medical services to the general public. During the lockdown, the then new virtual QDoc program allowed patients and doctors to stay connected and patients who were seen to be covered by Manitoba Health.
Berkowits points out that all you need to sign on to QDoc and connect with a physician is access to a camera, a microphone, an internet connection and a provincial health card.
A patient going onto the system would click ‘see doctor now,’ and be connected to one of several doctors who would receive the text message notifying them that a patient wants to be seen.
“Our goal is to have a doctor respond to the patient within 20 to 30 minutes,” Silver says.
Berkowitz notes that QDoc has separate programs for virtual medicine, medical billing and medical booking.
For Silver, QDoc is Tikkun Olam in action on several fronts. “One advantage of our program is that by connecting a patient who lives maybe 20 km outside of Neepawa with his doctor in Neepawa, you save driving time and reduce potentially harmful emissions.”
He further reports that QDoc partners with the DCSP (downtown community safety partnership) to help deliver care to the homeless.
He adds that last summer, during the large scale evacuation of northern communities due to forest fires, QDoc was approached to help connect evacuees with their regular doctors.
Both Berkowits and Silver demonstrate Tikkun Olam in other ways as well. For the past 27 years, Berkowits has been responsible for security for Shalom Square. (Incidentally, he is the brother of Rob Berkowits, the Rady JCC’s executive director.)
Several years agoSilver (whose brother, Michael, has been president of the JNF for Winnipeg and Saskatchewan) along with his wife, Heather, started a family foundation. “Initially, we distributed about 60% of our giving to non-Jewish charities,” Silver reports. “Over the past two years, we have redirected our funding so that 90% now goes to Jewish causes.
“We have to look after our own,” he observes. “We can’t expect anyone else to.”
As for the future of QDoc, Berkowits and Silver have a vision for expansion – first throughout Western Canada and then, maybe the world.
“We think there may be opportunities in countries such as India and the Philippines,” he notes.
Readers who may be interested in hearing Silver talk about QDoc can attend a presentation he will be giving on Thursday, February 5, at the Kingshead Pub under the auspices of the High Growth Ventures Initiative, a strategic scholarship and community engagement initiative housed within Mount Royal University’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. For more information about QDoc go to qdoc.ca
Local News
The Jewish Post Ltd. launches new website for food lovers
By BERNIE BELLAN Three months ago I wrote a story about something my daughter, Shira, had started doing on social media that had proved to be wildly successful – much to her own surprise. That story was titled: Local foodie finds fame by trying foods on Facebook Marketplace
What Shira was doing was going on to Facebook Marketplace and trying different foods that she was able to buy from local vendors. She often didn’t know what the heck it was she was ordering, but each time she would get a new food she would film herself reacting to that food.
The results have been consistently entertaining – often hilarious, to the point where Shira now has over 10,300 followers on Instagram, as well as on Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube. (You can find her Instagram page at Winnipeg Marketplace Food Finds.)
I suggested to Shira that she ought to parlay the success she’s found by posting on social media into a further venture: creating a website that would give wider exposure to the food vendors whose food Shira liked the most.
As a result, Shira and I teamed up with the marvellous web designer whose name is Mario Lacunza who is responsible for the design of jewishpostandnews.ca -to create a brand new website called Winnipeg Marketplace Food Finds.
On that website you will find pictures of some of the most popular foods Shira has tried from Marketplace, along with links to the original Instagram posts where she reviewed those foods – and links that will take you directly to the vendors’ Facebook pages.
There are so many brilliantly creative people selling food on Marketplace and Shira’s social media posts have brought many of them a lot of new business. Our hope is that our new website will bring them even more business.
The website will also offer stories about food from a variety of sources. So, take a look at the new site and be amazed at the originality of the foods being produced on Facebook Marketplace.
Local News
UNVEILING for the headstone of Dr. Velimir Kon (Sept. 18, 1950-June 27, 2025)
A true mensch and person of many talents and profoundness, Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon is deeply missed and loved by his family and friends.
Known for his warmth, kindness, integrity and love of learning and teaching, Velimir continues to inspire all who knew him and his memory warms our hearts and souls. Velimir is deeply missed.
You are invited to helps us remember and honour our beloved husband and father who passed away almost a year ago.
We, Branka, Deborah and Lea Kon, wish to inform our relatives and friends of the unveiling of a headstone dedicated to his loving memory on FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026 at 11:00am at the HEBREW SICK CEMETERY (2605 McPhillips Street) followed by lunch at the Chabad Lubavitch of Winnipeg – Jewish Learning Centre (1845 Mathers Avenue). Please come say a l’chaim in his honour.
In Memoriam
1st Yahrzeit
In loving memory of Dr. Velimir (Shlomo) Kon who passed away June 27, 2025, 12 Days in Tammuz.
⁃ Forever and deeply loved and missed by his wife of over 50 years, Branka, and daughters Deborah and Lea Kon. Velimir brought joy to our lives with his boundless kindness and gentleness, irrepressible humour, great intellect and love of people, tikun olam and Judaism.
Not a day goes by that we do not mention Velimir and feel his presence with us. Our lives are not the same without him and we deeply miss and cherish him. We can never forget his presence that was larger than life, yet also his humility and thoughtfulness.
A gentleman to the very core, Velimir was respected as a scientist, academic, professor, researcher, and later as a teacher and mentor. He always endeavoured to make every place he worked and lived at better and was able to bridge many cultures. He was Abraham of his generation and made many personal sacrifices; giving up status, position and privilege in order for his family to have a better and peaceful future.
May his memory always be a blessing. He left us at only 74 years young and we wish we had had more time together. Indeed, to know him was to love him.
Local News
Younger Jewish talents continue to shine in their respective categories at annual Winnipeg Music Festival
By MYRON LOVE A number of younger members of our community were repeat stars at the most recent (108th annual) Winnipeg Music Festival – which takes place annually in March. Among the repeat Jewish singers and musicians in the ranks of high achievers this year were” Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, Gregory Hyman, Alex Schaeffer, Juliet Eskin, Noah Kravetsky, and Lyla Chisick.
Vocalist Yale Rayburn-Vander Hout, the oldest of this year’s group of Jewish repeat winners, was competing in his fifth straight festival, where he continued to build on his accomplishments in previous festivals. This year, the 20-year-old son of Samantha and Peter finished first in two musical theatre categories – songs from musical theatre productions between 1965 and 1999, and shows from the past 26 years. Yale sang “I’m Allergic to Cats,” from the 2016 musical “The Theory of Relativity,” and “Suppertime,” from the 1967 musical, “You’re a Good man, Charlie Brown.”
The former Gray Academy student is currently enrolled at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music in the Choral program. Yale says that he is hoping to get into the performance track in the fall with the goal of earning a degree in Classical Voice Performance en route to pursuing a career in musical theatre.
As reported previously, Gregory Hyman is a multi-faceted artist who can do it all. The 18-year-old son of Hartley and Rishona Hyman is a singer/songwriter/musician (guitar) who records and performs under the stage name, GMH. His versatility shone through once again in his eighth Music Festival, in which he registered first-place finishes for vocal performances in both “Popular and Contemporary Music” and “TV and Movie Music “categories.
Gregory notes that he was also recommended to compete in the provincial finals in June. The St. John’s-Ravenscourt student (and soon-to be) graduate continues to be busy on stage. In January, he headlined a sold out solo show at Sidestage on Osborne featuring some of his new material. In March, he released an album of his newest songs. Readers can check out his latest compositions on any of the music streaming platforms as well as his own social media (thegmh) on Instagram.
Gregory also continues to host his own podcast: “Talk and Rock with GMH – now in its fifth season – in which he interviews various people in the music business across Canada.
While Gregory says that a musical career is his “dream,” he reports that he is hedging his bets and considering different potential career opportunities. Come September, he will be enrolled at the University of Manitoba in a University One program, which will allow him to select from a variety of courses that can count toward a degree.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Schaeffer won first place this year in the “Musicals Prior to 1965, 16 Years and Under” category with “Try Me” from “She Loves Me,” and was runner-up in the “Musicals 1965 to 1999, 16 Years and Under” category with “On My Own,” from “Les Misérables.” For the son of Marc Schaeffer and Kae Sasaki, this was his fifth year competing in the festival.
The Grant Park High School student made his big stage debut three years ago as Kurt von Trapp in “The Sound of Music,” followed by playing Michael Hobbs in “Elf the Musical” this past winter at the Royal MTC.
Alex recently performed in Grant Park High School’s production of “Something Rotten!” This summer Schaeffer can be seen again at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, where he will be appearing in a production staged by Rem Lezar Theatre.
Rounding out the voice winners is Lyla Chisick. The daughter of Daniel and Baillee was competing in her second music festival. This year, she scored Gold performances in the “Vocal Solo,” “Manitoba Composers,” and “TV/Movie Musical, 12 and under” categories.
Lyla reports that she began taking voice lessons from Jessica Kos-Whicher three years ago. She says she regularly takes part in the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Family Service and has sung at several community events. Lyla adds that she is already looking forward to next year’s music festival.
Nate Kravetsky and Juliet Eskin competed in the festival as musicians rather than singers. Juliet, 16, plays the viola, and is also is the violist in the Assiniboine String Quartet. In this, her fifth go-round at the festival, Juliet, the daughter of the musically talented Kelly Robinon and Josh Eskin, had first place finishes in the “Viola Solo, level 8,” “Baroque or Classical Concerto,” and “Romantic Composers” categories.
Juliet originally took up the violin – adding the viola a couple of years after. She also just finished performing in the Grant Park High School production of “Something Rotten!”
Nate Kravetsky is currently in Grade 5 level piano. He studies with Erica Schultz and has been taking lessons from her since age 5.
Nate competed in three categories at the Winnipeg music festival: “Baroque,” “Sonata,” and “Contemporary/own choice.”
His own choice selection was the theme from his favourite video game, “Hollow Knight.”
Nate, who is in Grade 7 at Gray Academy, is also preoccupied preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah.
We look forward to the continued musical success off Yale, Gregory, Alex, Nate, Juliet and Lyla, and what new talent may be unveiled at next year’s Winnipeg Music festival.
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