Earl Barish “Pays it Forward” with Salisbury House

By BERNIE BELLAN
Earl Barish is a man who seems to thrive on taking on challenges – whether it’s resurrecting a troubled business or finding a way to fill the void in charitable donations to four of Winnipeg’s hospitals that is one of the byproducts of the current pandemic
With his “Pay it Forward” campaign involving Barish’s Salisbury House chain, he has come up with a thoroughly imaginative way that provides a real incentive for Sals customers to help out hospitals here (as well as individuals living in DASCH community homes) at the same time as they can still enjoy a meal from Sals.

New wall mural encapsulates history of Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre

By MYRON LOVE
It has been said that a picture paints a thousand words and that is certainly true of the new wall mural on the south side of the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre at Syd Glow Place.

Danielle Tabacznik is the Senior Concierge for the Winnipeg Jewish Community

By BERNIE BELLAN
When we last checked in with Danielle Tabacznik, she had just recently moved to Winnipeg in late 2016 to begin working as the program director at the Gwen Secter Centre.
At the time we reported that Danielle told us that the she had “a background in social work – in health…specifically working with older adults.” (Danielle noted at that time that she had a Bachelors in Social Work.)

Sidura Ludwig’s lifelong love of writing has taken many different forms

By GERRY POSNER
Winnipeg has been an enormous contributor to the world of arts - provincially, nationally and even beyond. You name the field and you will find Winnipeggers, many of them Jewish, living or dead, residents or not, who have made their mark in the arts, be it in dance, music, art, theatre or literature.

Winnipegger Raffie Rosenberg realizing her dream in New York City

By MYRON LOVE
As far back as she can re-member, Raffaela (Raffie) Rosenberg has had her sights squarely set on a career in the theatre. Now, following a year studying theatre at the University of Miami and graduating from the Ivey School of Business, the daughter of Lewis Rosenberg and the late Dr. Fran Steinberg has landed in the Big Apple, the centre of all things theatrical – New York City.

Unique Holocaust autograph book resurfaces in Victoria, BC...artifact to become permanent part of CMHR

Special to The Jewish Post & News
An autograph book that reflects an artist’s life in the Theresienstadt ghetto and transit camp, once belonging to Holocaust survivor and Danish violinist Mænni Ruben, has reemerged in Victoria, BC.
Ruben’s unique perspective on the Holocaust is chronicled in his autograph book as the war is ending and survivors are being liberated.

Many Orthodox Jews support President Trump. I’m one of them — here’s why:

By BINYAMIN ROSE
August 28, 2020 JERUSALEM (JTA)
Only 6% of voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama in 2008 voted for Donald Trump in 2016. I’m one of them.
Political affiliation played no role in my decision. I’m a registered Democrat who often votes Republican. I was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family in North Jersey. We cried when Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and exulted when Ronald Reagan routed Jimmy Carter in 1980.
This year poses a fresh dilemma.

Cancercare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life adapts to changed circumstances

By MYRON LOVE

The 13th annual Cancercare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life 20KM walk (or 200-minute workout) has a new look this year – as a result of COVID 19 – with a smaller number of participants and lower expectations.

How former Gray Academy instructor Avi Posen came to take a central role in offering online education for Jewish schools

By BERNIE BELLAN
Elsewhere on this website we have  a story about an interesting new partner-school program developed by an organization called OpenDor Media. The name of the program is “Unpacked for Educators”. To review what was in that story – in case you didn’t see it, the aim of the program “is to strengthen Israel education in Jewish schools around the world.

Cancercare Manitoba Foundation Chair Steven Kroft - a leader in the boardroom - and in the field

By MYRON LOVE
Steven Kroft is an individual who believes in leading by example.  Thus, the newly-anointed Chair of the Board of the Cancercare Manitoba Foundation (as of June) has for the past couple of weeks been furiously working the pedals on his Peloton exercise bike raising money for the Foundation as a participant in its 13th annual Challenge for Life event.

Kamala Harris and her fluid identity

By BERNIE BELLAN

The announcement that Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate immediately set off a torrent of applause from many Jews who, if they weren’t aware before that Harris is married to a Jewish man, Doug Emhoff, are certainly aware now.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ Manitoba 150 project inspired by Sarasota exhibit

By MYRON LOVE
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ current outdoor exhibit – “ARTiculate Our Rights” – celebrating Manitoba’s150th anniversary as a province, was inspired by a similar longstanding project called “Embracing Our Differences” in Sarasota, Florida.

Judaic Studies at the U of M to go online this fall - and anyone can audit any of the courses from the comfort of their own home

We received a note from the University of Manitoba’s Judaic Studies coordinator, Haskel Greenfield, asking whether we would help publicize the Judaic Studies program which, like all university programs, has had to completely revamp how its courses will be offered this fall.

Sharon Graham winner of the 2020 Switzer-Cooperstock Prize in Western Canadian Jewish History

By MARTIN ZEILIG
The Winnipeg Jewish Orphanage housed children from 1917 until 1948, and for a long portion of its existence it was served by an untrained social worker, Pearl Finkelstein (later Silver), Sharon Graham, PhD, writes in her paper, “Pearl Finkelstein, Unknown Hero: the Winnipeg Jewish Orphanage and Social Work in the Winnipeg Jewish community in the 1930s”.

Former Winnipeger Blair Kaplan Venables publishes book on entrepreneurship

We received this email from Blair Kaplan Venables, about whom we wrote in our June 26, 2019 issue when Blair was the guest speaker at the Jewish Child & Family Service AGM:
“My name is Blair Kaplan Venables, born and raised in the Winnipeg Jewish community, and I recently published & launched a book during the pandemic. 
“The book is about entrepreneurship and it's called Pulsing Through My Veins: Raw And Real Stories From An Entrepreneur. When I launched I became a #1 best seller in a few categories on Amazon such as Entrepreneurship and Hot New Releases in Women In Business.”

Yazidi produce to be for sale Thursdays at Asper Campus

Last year, Yazidi newcomers to Manitoba operated a very successful pop-up vegetable stand outside the Asper Campus. Every Thursday, for the time being, vegetables in pre-packaged bags will be available for purchase once again. Read more to find out how you can get your fresh vegetables at great prices:

24 artists from around the world join together to exhibit works in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

By SUSAN TURNER
ARTA coordinator, participant, designer

ROUNDNESS, an ARTA project, is an on-line exhibition of work by 24 artists in response to issues around the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition is located on YUMPU.com, a Swiss-based site at which on-line magazines can be created.

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/63697012/roundness-arta-project-artists-respond-to-covid-19-pandemic

Former Winnipegger Philip Berger: from a dynasty of docs

By GERRY POSNER
Recently the book “Healing Lives, a Century of Manitoba Jewish Physicians” was published and in it are the names of all Jewish physicians who practiced medicine in Manitoba for at least five years over the past 100 years. What is not included, however, are those doctors who graduated from the University of Manitoba medical school who went elsewhere to practice their profession. One of those doctors is none other than a descendant of a longtime Winnipeg family who has made his mark in the medical world: Philip Berger.

Avi Posen helps design new program for Jewish schools aiming to enhance students’ knowledge about Israel

Gray Academy to participate, along with five other schools in Canada
By BERNIE BELLAN

Two weeks ago we received some interesting information from an organization known as “Unpacked for Educators” about a new program designed to help educators in Jewish schools teach about Israel. At the time we received the email we didn't realize that the individual coordinating the program is none other than Avi Posen, formerly of Gray Academy, now residing in Israel. (You can read about Avi and his wife Ilana's moving to Israel last year at https://old.jewishpostandnews.ca/features/3044-gifted-teacher-and-chazan-avi-posen-and-wife-illana-make-aliyah)

Shaarey Zedek Cemetery update

By BERNIE BELLAN
In previous issues we reported on changes the Shaarey Zedek had made to the maintenance of its cemetery as a result of the pandemic.
In our June 10 issue we noted that the synagogue board had decided to forego the planting of flowers on graves that would ordinarily have had flowers planted in keeping with perpetual care agreements.

Detailed figures on amounts Jewish Foundation has given to Jewish organizations

By BERNIE BELLAN
Imagine my surprise when, despite being told that the Jewish Foundation would not disclose how much funding specific organizations have received from the Foundation in its three stage emergency funding process, which began in April, I happened to be perusing the Jewish Foundation website and, lo and behold, there are complete tables giving all that information.

Update to how various organizations are coping with the pandemic

Shalom Residences' Micah Kraut & Rabbi Yitzchok Charytan

Ed. note: As part of our continuing effort to report on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on all Jewish organizations and agencies in this city, we present information about Shalom Residences and Gwen Secter Centre based on email exchanges we had with Shalom Residences Executive Director Nancy Hughes and Gwen Secter Executive Director Becky Chisick. We also present information from Rady JCC Executive Director Rob Berkowits about enhanced amenities at that facility.

Dr. Lorne Brandes on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how he now delivers medicine and some of the latest findings about the coronavirus

By JON VAN DER VEEN

To further understand the challenges and changes resulting from the pandemic, The Jewish Post & News has reached out to different members of the community to see how their lives have been impacted.
We contacted Dr. Lorne Brandes, who has had a long career as an oncologist, but who, upon retiring from that specialty, has been working as a practicing internist at Eaton Place Medical Centre. We wanted to know how Dr. Brandes has adapted to the restrictions imposed upon doctors such as him.

New Jewish Child and Family Service president has lengthy history with the organization

By MYRON LOVE
Seventeen years ago, a Gray Academy high school student by the name of Ari Hanson began doing volunteer work for the Jewish Child and Family Service (JCFS). Today, the 32-year-old tax and civil litigation associate with Fillmore Riley LLP is the youngest president in the history of the JCFS.

Joseph and Rebecca Bau - the couple whose wedding was turned into a scene in "Schindler's List", are honoured by B’nai Brith

By MARTIN ZEILIG

When Hadasa Bau and Clila Bau Cohen received notice earlier this year that their parents, Josef and Rebecca Bau, were to going to be honoured, along with some other Holocaust survivors, at a ceremony in Jerusalem in April, they burst out in tears.
It was an emotional moment.

We will continue to offer a wide range of opinions - no matter how much that annoys some readers

By BERNIE BELLAN

If you’ve been reading our paper for a long enough time - or looking at this website, you should know by now that I don’t shy away from dealing with controversial topics. So, when I receive requests from readers to suppress the opinions of someone like Myron Love – well, it ain’t gonna happen under my watch.

Pillar of the community Abe Simkin passes

With the death of Abe Simkin last month in California, the last surviving member of his generation of the Simkin clan is now gone. You can read Mr. Simkin’s obituary elsewhere on this website at http://jewishpostandnews.ca/obituaries/520-abraham-abe-simkin, but we present here an excerpt from Abe Simkin’s life story as it appears in the Jewish Foundation’s Book of Life. This excerpt was written in 2012 when Mr. Simkin had just turned 90:

Synagogues working on Yom Tov plans with minimal in person attendance

By MYRON LOVE
It is most definitely an understatement to say that this will be a yom tov like no other. In my last year’s reporting about high holiday attendance at Winnipeg synagogues (including services held at Camp Massad) in The Jewish Post & News yearly survey of high holiday synagogue attendance I noted that about 4,500 Jewish Winnipeggers at least could be found in shul - at least at peak times – for shofar-blowing, Kol Nidre and yizkor.

Some fascinating facts about the Beirut explosion

The following information was submitted by Shurat Hadin (Israel Law Center) on Thursday, August 6:
As the Lebanese people struggle to recover from the catastrophic deaths and destruction wrought by the Beirut explosion, more questions than answers continue to arise. The official story, that in 2013, Lebanese port officials impounded a Moldovan flagged ship bound for Mozambique, laden with explosive chemicals, does not address other facts which have emerged and must be investigated:

Simkin Centre – and all other personal care homes in Manitoba facing unprecedented pressures due to COVID-19

 

 

By BERNIE BELLAN
Even though the Province of Manitoba has eased the rules governing personal care homes and how visitors will now be able to see loved ones, the financial pressures facing all personal care homes in Manitoba had been huge even before the pandemic set in.