In Memory of Dr. Maurice Shnider (1923-2013)

By MARTIN ZEILIG I first visited Dr. Maurice Shnider at his home in Winnipeg’s River Heights neighbourhood to talk about war.

His house reflected the life of a successful physician. It was spacious and comfortable without being ostentatious. Family photographs occupied shelves and tables. Sunlight spilled into the kitchen where we sat drinking coffee.

By then he was an elderly man, friendly, thoughtful, and possessed of that rare quality found in some people who have lived through extraordinary times. He never seemed impressed by his own experiences.

He had been born in Sheho, Saskatchewan, in 1923 and grew up in Inglis, Manitoba.

Then came the war.

As a young man he served with the Royal Canadian Air Force before being seconded to the Royal Air Force. Flying aboard Catalina flying boats in the Bay of Bengal, he participated in missions searching for downed Allied aircrew and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Those were the stories I had come to hear and later wrote about for the Jewish Post & News.

Stories of long flights over open water.

Stories of rescue.

Stories of courage.

Yet as the interview continued, another chapter of his life emerged.

After the war he returned to Canada, attended medical school at the University of Manitoba, and eventually built a successful family practice in Winnipeg. His patients often became his friends. He took pride in caring for generations of families and became known as a gifted and dedicated physician.

For a period of years, he also served as the physician responsible for checking vaccination records and health documentation for international travellers passing through Winnipeg International Airport.

It was then that his eyes brightened.

The war stories were important.

The airport stories were fun.

“You’d be surprised who came through Winnipeg,” he said.

The coffee was fresh. Outside, a warm prairie breeze shifted the trees beyond the kitchen window.

Then he smiled.

“Even the Beatles.”

The name immediately caught my attention.

“The Beatles?”

He laughed.

“The whole city went crazy.”

It was August 18, 1964.

The Beatles were on their way to begin their first major North American tour and Winnipeg was merely a refuelling stop. They weren’t playing a concert. They weren’t staying overnight.

They were simply passing through.

Yet somehow word spread.

Radio stations reported it. Teenagers rushed to the airport. Parents drove excited daughters across the city. Traffic clogged nearby roads. The terminal filled with screaming fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the four young Englishmen who seemed to have conquered the world overnight.

Maurice happened to be the airport doctor assigned to examine the passengers’ health records.

What should have been a routine day suddenly became anything but.

Almost fifty years later, what remained vivid in his memory was not the famous faces but the sound.

The noise.

The shrieking.

The excitement.

For a brief moment Winnipeg became the centre of the universe for thousands of young Canadians.

Then the aircraft door opened.

John, Paul, George, and Ringo appeared.

They waved.

The crowd erupted.

A few photographs were taken.

A few words were exchanged.

And then, scarcely more than twenty minutes after they had arrived, they were gone.

Winnipeg returned to being Winnipeg.

Maurice chuckled at the memory.

“John Lennon was cheeky.”

I asked what he meant.

He considered the question.

“Always had a smart answer.”

He smiled again.

“Not rude. Just cheeky.”

The passage of decades had done nothing to diminish his amusement.

For a few moments we sat quietly.

Then another memory surfaced.

“Steve McQueen was one of the nicest.”

That surprised me.

Maurice encountered the actor in the airport restaurant.

McQueen was seated alone.

No entourage.

No photographers.

No one making a fuss.

Just a man eating lunch between flights.

Maurice rarely approached famous people.

But there was a reason that day.

One of his children was facing serious medical challenges and was a devoted Steve McQueen fan. Movies offered an escape from hospitals, treatments, and uncertainty.

So Maurice walked over to the actor’s table.

He introduced himself and explained the situation.

McQueen listened carefully.

Then he asked for the family’s address.

That was all.

No promises. No performance. No grand gesture.

Simply an address.

Several weeks later a package arrived at the Shnider home.

Inside was an autographed Steve McQueen poster.

Maurice’s expression softened as he recalled it.

The poster itself wasn’t what mattered.

What mattered was seeing the joy it brought.

Even years later, that was the part of the story he remembered most clearly.

“He was a very humble man,” Maurice said.

“Very soft-spoken.”

The kitchen fell silent.

For a moment the famous actor disappeared entirely from the story.

What remained was a father’s gratitude.

Then Maurice laughed again.

“Vanessa Redgrave.”

Another unexpected visitor.

She was travelling through Winnipeg on her way to Los Angeles when it was discovered that she lacked the proper vaccination documentation required for international travel.

In those days such requirements were taken seriously.

The problem needed solving.

So Maurice solved it.

He drove her downtown to his office.

One of the world’s most celebrated actresses riding through Winnipeg in a doctor’s car.

No limousine.

No security detail.

No red carpet.

Just traffic lights, city streets, and ordinary conversation.

There he administered the required vaccination and drove her back to the airport in time for her flight.

He told the story as though it were perfectly routine.

Perhaps for him it was.

I remember thinking that this was what made his stories so wonderful.

To everyone else they sounded extraordinary.

To Maurice they were simply things that had happened during a long and interesting life.

As our conversation drew to a close, he looked down into his coffee cup and reflected on the famous people who had crossed his path.

The Beatles.

Steve McQueen.

Vanessa Redgrave.

Different personalities.

Different kinds of fame.

Yet in the end they all became the same thing.

Travellers.

People worried about schedules.

People missing paperwork.

People trying to catch flights.

People trying to get somewhere.

The old airport had been a great equalizer. For a few moments, between arrival and departure, fame gave way to ordinary life.

And Maurice Shnider occupied a unique place in that world.

He wasn’t a celebrity.

He wasn’t an observer standing outside the story.

He was part of it.

A prairie boy who became a decorated wartime airman, flew rescue missions over distant seas, returned home to study medicine, built a respected family practice in Winnipeg, and devoted his life to helping others.

Some of the people he met happened to be famous.

Most were not.

To Maurice, it made little difference.

He especially enjoyed the company of pilots, storytellers, musicians, and adventurers. He remained fascinated by the Second World War, by history, and above all by people. Fame interested him far less than character.

He remembered the famous ones not because they were celebrities, but because, for a few brief moments, they revealed themselves to be something far more interesting.

Simply human.

When Dr. Maurice Shnider died in 2013 at the age of ninety, Winnipeg lost not only a distinguished physician and decorated veteran, but also a man who never lost his curiosity about the world or his affection for the people who passed through it.

Some departures are quickly forgotten.

Others leave a lasting mark.

That was how I remember him.

And that is how he deserves to be remembered.

By MYRON LOVE JFest Winnipeg is back with a good variety of musical performances, a book launch, popular Jewish-themed films, children’s activities, and a family-oriented Shabbat dinner.
“JFest,” observes Laura Marjovsky, the Rady JCC Director of Programming, “is an opportunity for our community to experience Jewish art and culture. With our range of JFest events, we are trying to reach out beyond what has been our base audience and appeal to all ages.   We have a commitment to bring top notch Israeli performers to share the highest caliber of Israeli entertainment with our audiences.”
The week-long festival (November 14-21) kicks off with a performance by top-ranked Israeli singer-songwriter Harel Skaat.  The popular Israeli star began singing as a child.  He shot to fame when he finished second in the second season of “Kochav  Nolad” – Israel’s version of “American Idol.” His first album was released in 2006 and achieved Platinum status – with one of the songs being ranked as “song of the year.” He followed that up in 2009 with a second album that reached Gold status.  In 2010, he represented Israel at the Eurovision competition.
Skaat’s performance is scheduled for the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre (which is attached to Garden City Collegiate) beginning at 8:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 14. Patrons will have the opportunity to purchase an enhanced ticket to attend a meet and greet with Harel.
All other JFest programs and activities will be at the Rady JCC.
Music Producer Karla Berbrayer says Ben Caplan’s performance on Saturday, November 21 will also be another highlight. “Ben Caplan redefines what it means to be a modern folk artist,” Berbrayer says. “His music and stories are matched by his larger-than-life stage presence. This concert focuses on how his Jewish upbringing has influenced his entire performance career.”  
“Flatland Famous” is returning by popular demand.  This quintet, known for its performances at Winnipeg Jets games, will be presenting its concert, “Jewish Soul of Rock and Roll,” on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:30 pm.  This year’s show will feature songs by Amy Winehouse, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Simon and Garfinkel, and other famous Jewish icons.
 
On Tuesday, November 17, local author Deborah Schnitzer will be taking centre stage with the launch of her new book, “The Woman Who Swallowed West Hawk Lake.” The University of Winnipeg English Professor Emeritus’s new novel explores intergenerational trauma related to Nazi breeding programs.  Joining Schnitzer on stage will be a panel of professionals who have experience working with children who have experienced trauma.
And of course, “Best of the Fest” is back. Films to be presented will include“The Floaters” and “We Met at Grossingers,” two wildly popular movies at last spring’s Winnipeg International Jewish Film Festival. 
“The Floaters,” to be screened on Monday , November 16 at 7:00 pm is a funny and bang-on depiction of Jewish summer camp culture.  
“We Met at Grossingers” is a loving look back at the Borscht Belt in New York’s Catskills, where generations of young Jewish performers earned their dues and developed their acts. The film will be screened on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 P.M.
On Friday November 20,  JFest will host a Family Shabbat dinner featuring Anat Kriger, an Israeli-born, Toronto-based musician, actor, and children’s performer, who has made several appearances in Winnipeg at major communal events.
Kidfest on Sunday, November 15, will be a day-long potpourri of programming that will include live performances, workshops, bouncy castles, games and crafts, and much more.  
Readers seeking more information about JFest can contact Laura Marjovsky at 204 477-7539 or lmarjovsky@radyjcc/com 

By MYRON LOVE On Tuesday, October 6, a large number of members of our community packed the chapel at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, eager to welcome Hen Mazzig in his first appearance in our community. 
Over the past few years, the Israeli-born Mazzig – who was appearing at the invitation of our Jewish Federation and Combined Jewish Appeal team – has become one of Israel’s and the Jewish people’s leading advocates on the international stage. His online platforms reach as many 100 million viewers a month with a regular following of almost 1 million. He has been interviewed by numerous leading media outlets and has given addresses at close to 500 universities in recent years.
Mazzig’s presentation in Winnipeg (which was funded by the Asper Family and the Asper Foundation) took the form of a question and answer format with Sarah Mali, the Director General of JFC-UIA (Jewish Federations-United Jewish Appeal) Canada in Israel, asking the questions.
Mali , who was visiting Winnipeg for the third time in the past three years, began by expressing how honoured she felt about having the opportunity to converse with Mazzig – referring to Jewish Federation of Winnipeg President Carrie Shenkarow’s  comments regarding Mazzig’s “devotion to Israel and the Jewish people”, his “deep sense of purpose, moral clarity” and “willingness to enter some of the most difficult spaces and conversations.”
 
The first question that Mali posed to Mazzig was related to his visit to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights and its controversial and one-sided take on the longstanding and ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  She referred to a comment that Mazzig had made on X the day after visiting the museum, in which he wrote  that while he “has no problem with people learning about Palestinian history,” he wished that “Palestine Uprooted” didn’t “distort the regional  events, including the displacement of 800,000 people just like my grandmother, Hela, who became a refugee when Iraq turned on its Jewish community” post-1948.
“History can only lead to reconciliation when it is told honestly,” he observed.  “Otherwise, it is just fuelilng an agenda.”
What most disturbed him about the exhibit, Mazzig told his audience, is that it erased his own family’s history. Expanding upon his family’s roots, he noted that his father’s family came to Israel from Tunisia and his mother’s side from Iraq.  He spoke in particular about his maternal grandmother, Hela, who left behind “a beautiful civilization” – Jews had been living and thriving in Iraq since before the Roman destruction of Jerusalem 2000 years ago – to a new land (Israel), where she had to learn a new language (Hebrew) and rebuild her life.
Mazzig added that his grandmother is his anchor in life and the inspiration for all that he has accomplished.
Mali asked Mazzig about his ability to empathize with Palestinians.  It was difficult to do, he answered. He got to know Palestinians, he recalled, during the Covid epidemic when he was serving as a medic with the Israel Defense Force and found himself responsible for helping Palestinians through that difficult time and transporting sick Palestinians to Israeli hospitals.
 
“Even though I fight so hard for Israel,” he observed, it doesn’t mean that I can’t feel empathy for anyone else.”
Mali asked Mazzig how October 7, 2023, changed him.
“I chose not to become a victim,” he said, “but rather to engage more with the world, bear witness, share our stories and talk about genocide.  While I was actively advocating for Israel before October 7, I have been much more in demand since. I have become a lot more visible.
”I have found that a lot of people support us,” he continued. “They see what is happening and are on our side.”
On the other hand, he added,  a lot of people don’t know anything about Israel. “It is a matter of education,” he said. “I encourage people to go to Israel and talk to Israelis.”    

Mali’s last question was what Mazzig means when he writes that “I promise to love being Jewish ten times more than anyone hates me for it.” What does it mean to him to love and find joy and happiness in being Jewish”, she added?
It means cherishing our rich history, Mazzig responded, enjoying Shabbat dinners with family and friends, celebrating all of our holidays and traditions.
 
“The Jewish People have been through so much over the past 2000 years,” he said.  “Many people have tried to destroy us, but we have survived. We are arisen from the ashes numerous time and continued to move forward.  Not only are we still here but we have returned as an independent people living again in our ancestral homeland.”
Also addressing the audience at the Shaarey Zedek was Steven Shulman, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of Canada.  Shulman heaped much praise on our Jewish community in Winnipeg.
“Winnipeg is special,” he noted, “not just in Canada but worldwide.  Your CJA campaign continues to be the most successful in North America. You have an outstanding CEO (of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg) in Jeff Lieberman, who is universally respected.”
He further praised Gray Academy and our community’s highly successful GrowWinnipeg campaign – which has attracted thousands of new families to our community over the past 25 years.
He noted that he was particularly impressed with how our community has come together to protest the biased Nakba exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
He also spoke of the many supporters that we have among non-Jewish Canadians – singling out, as an example, the police officer in Belleville  who put his own life on the line protecting the city’s only Jewish congregation from a  terrorist attack during  yom tov services.
The last word went to Jeff Lieberman, who thanked all the members of our community who have contributed to the CJA campaign this year, as well as our many non-Jewish friends who continue to stand with Israel and the Jewish community.