Local News
150 attend special event marking re-opening of Holocaust Education Centre
ByBERNIE BELLAN On January 25 approximately 150 individuals were in attendance at the Asper Campus for the reopening of the Holocaust Education Centre.
As Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada Executive Director Belle Jarniewski noted in her opening remarks to the audience gathered in the Berney Theatre for the event, “the museum’s very existence is thanks to the efforts of Holocaust survivors themselves who contributed to the original Holocaust Education Centre 25 years ago” when the Campus first opened.
Today, Belle noted, “the memory of the Holocaust is under siege…Survivors of the Holocaust,” of whom some 1500 – the vast majority of whom are at least in their nineties now – settled in Winnipeg after the war. (The names of all those Holocaust survivors are displayed on one of the walls of the newly renovated museum, as John Longhurst explains in the adjoining article.)
Another component of the museum, Belle added, are displays focusing on the history of anti-Semitism in Canada, beginning from the 1920s to the present day.
Jewish Federation of Winnipeg President Gutstavo Zentner, while looking out at the audience, remarked that he was “thrilled to see so many young people here tonight. I hope they put to good use the touch screens in the Holocaust Education Centre.”
Special guest speaker Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, who was in Israel on January 25, had recorded a 20-minute message for audience members, which was played on a large screen.
In noting the significance of the reopening of the HEC this particular week, Cotler observed that January 25, 1945 was a very important date in history for two reasons: It was on that date 78 years ago that Auschwitz was liberated, but it was also on January 25, 1945 that Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg was arrested and disappeared in Budapest – but not before he had helped to save over 100,000 Hungarian Jews from death camps.
Cotler went on to enumerate a number of lessons to be learned from the Holocaust, including that, “the abiding universal lesson to be acted upon, wherever we are, is that we are each the guarantors of each other’s humanity.”
The second lesson, Cotler stated, is that “the Holocaust was a paradigm for radical people and anti-Semitism is a paradigm for radical hate.”
“As we meet on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz,” Cotler said, “let us remember that 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz, but 1.1 million of those were
ews. Jews were murdered at Auschwitz because of anti-Semitism but anti-Semitism did not die at Auschwitz. It remains the bloody canary in the mineshaft of global evil.”
The third lesson is the danger of “state sanctioned incitement to hate and genocide.”
The fourth lesson is “the proliferation of Holocaust denial.” Cotler referred specifically to the trope in recent years of accusing Jews of “manufacturing the Covid virus and profiting from it” as a manifestation of an outgrowth of Holocaust denial.
“Fifth is the danger of silence in the face of evil,” Cotler said. “Silence means coming down on the sound of the oppressor, not on the side of the victim.”
“Number six is the danger of indifference and inaction – as in the example of the Tutsis” (in Rwanda). “What makes the Holocaust and other genocides so unspeakable are not just the atrocities themselves, it is that this could have been prevented. Nobody could say ‘we did not know.’ We knew but we didn’t act.”
What one person, Raoul Wallenberg, did, in saving 100,000 lives, “the whole international community did not,” Cotler observed.
In closing, Cotler suggested that it is not true that “if there had not been a Holocaust there would not have been a State of Israel, but rather it is the other way around: If there had been a State of Israel, there would not have been a Holocaust.”
Other speakers in the Berney Theatre on January 25 included: Mark Kantor, President of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada; Peter Flegel, Executive Director, Government of Canada’s Anti-Racism Secretariat; Andrew Smith, Manitoba Minister of Sport and Cultural Heritage; Janice Lukes, Deputy Mayor, City of Winnipeg; and Candace Hogue, who was the guest curator for the Holocaust Education Centre.
The final remarks were delivered by Holocaust survivor – and longtime educator, Edith Kimelman, who began with a wry nod to the lengthy list of speakers who had preceded her when she said: “You are quite fortunate that I am the last one to speak. I can well remember from my years as an educator the short attention spans of students the last class of the day.”
Edith noted that when she has spoken to many student groups over the years, “I was always trying to convey the perspective of a six-year-old girl and her experiences in the Holocaust.” It was her goal, she said, to explain the Holocaust to groups that are three and four generations removed from the Holocaust – and especially newcomers to Canada,” who would likely have very little knowledge of the Holocaust.
She would tell those students – also to new Canadians who had either very little knowledge of the Holocaust or none at all, that “when I arrived here (in Winnipeg) at age 14, I had nothing. All I had was the baggage of the Holocaust. Indelible trauma, however, did not prevent me from seeking a better future.”
And with that astute observation which can well sum up the experience of almost all Holocaust survivors, the portion of the evening in the Berney Theatre came to a close. At that point, while many who had been in attendance partook of refreshments, various individuals made their way to the HEC itself, where they were able to see firsthand the tremendous amount of work that had gone into its renovation.
The HEC is open during all hours that the Asper Campus is open,
Local News
March of the Living 2023 participants form Taste of Hope project to help honour the memory of Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman
By BERNIE BELLAN The March of the Living is an annual two-week international educational program that brings thousands of students and adults to Poland and Israel to study the Holocaust, Jewish history, and the rise of the State of Israel. Founded in 1988, it features a 3-kilometer silent walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).
Attendees on the march are accompanied by adults, some of whom themselves have been Holocaust survivors.
Following the week in Poland, participants travel to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), marking a journey from darkness to life.
For many years the coordinator of the march in Winnipeg was Roberta Malam, working on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. More recently Abby Flackman filled that role, and now the person in charge is Lindsey Kerr.
Since its inception 37 years ago the March of the Living has become a rite of passage for many young Winnipeg Jews who have been able to participate as an organized group from Winnipeg and combine visits to the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland with the subsequent trip to Israel.
Then – the Covid pandemic hit – in 2020, and the March of the Living was put on hold for two years – in 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, the March of the Living resumed, but there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg participating. (There may have been some Winnipeggers who did go on the march that year, but if there were any they would have been part of a general Canadian group since there was no Winnipeg coordinator that year.)
In 2023, however, once again a very large contingent of young Canadian Jews – 51 altogether, of whom approximately two-thirds were from Winnipeg, went on that year’s March of the Living. That particular march was memorable for many reasons, including the fact it was the last full march since 2019 and was to remain the last march to have an organized Winnipeg contingent in the past six years as the years 2024 and 2025 were interrupted by the war in Gaza. (There were smaller marches held in 2024 and 2025, but again there was no organized contingent from Winnipeg.)
Recently, we were contacted by one of the participants of that 2023 march, Ethan Levene, who asked us whether we’d be interested in running what turned out be a very poignant story about one particular aspect of that 2023 March of the Living.
Here is what Ethan wrote:
“In April 2023, the Coast to Coast Canadian delegation of March of the Living was privileged to travel with Holocaust survivor Alex Buckman (z”l). March of the Living is a Holocaust education trip that allows participants to visit and bear witness to the sites of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, while sharing his story in Poland, Alex passed away. However, the impact he left on us students was immeasurable.
“While speaking to us in Warsaw, Alex told us the story of his Aunt Becky’s gâteau à l’orange (orange cake). While in Ravensbruck concentration camp, his aunt managed to write down this recipe. After his parents’ murder, his Aunt Becky went on to raise Alex after surviving. In addition to sharing his story, Alex tasked us with baking the cake with family and friends.
“Out of this, a group of alumni from our trip have created this project: ‘A Taste of Hope.’ On February 1st, university students from over 5 universities across Canada will come together to bake the gâteau à l’orange and hear Alex’s story. Proceeds from the event and this fundraising page will support the World Federation of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants. Alex was heavily involved with this organization, whose mission is to both create community for Holocaust survivors and their descendants and educate about the Holocaust to help fight against antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and hate.
“Here is information from our fundraising page for the event – ‘A Taste of Hope’: Fundraising for A Taste of Hope.
Ethan added that “it’s completely student led, all by alumni from our 2023 trip attending university at these various locations across Canada; Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Montreal.”
He also added: “Follow us on instagram@tastehope.“
Here is a link to a CBC story about Alex Buckman: Alex Buckman story
In a subsequent email Ethan gave the names of Winnipeggers who are involved in A Taste of Hope: Ethan Levene (studies at McGill), Zahra Slutchuk, Alex Stoller (studies at Queens), Coby Samphir, Izzy Silver (studies at Waterloo).
He also added names of others who are involved in the project: Jessie Ages, Anneke Goodwin, Lilah Silver, Ella Pertman, Ellie Vogel, and Talia Cherun.
To find out more about March of the Living in Winnipeg go to: March of the Living
Local News
Young Researcher Eryn Kirshenbaum 2025 recipient of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences prestigious Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Award
By MYRON LOVE Fifth year University of Manitoba Faculty of Sciences Microbiology student Eryn Kirshenbaum is this year’s recipient of the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Student Award in recognition of her excellence in research under the supervision of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Manitoba and Principle Investigator in Women’s Heart Health Research at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre.
When asked for her reaction to learning she was the 2025 recipient of the student award, Kirshenbaum says “I was so honoured, humbled and excited to have been nominated and then chosen as the recipient out of many well deserving students.”
Rabinovich-Nikitin, Kirshenbaum’s mentor, says “This is Eryn’s third year working in my lab and I am incredibly proud of her for winning the Dr. T. Edward Cuddy Research Award.” She adds: “It is a truly deserved honour. Since joining my laboratory in 2023, Eryn has shown an exceptional combination of technical skill, intellectual curiosity, and professional maturity, becoming an integral contributor to our research on women’s heart health, an area of growing scientific importance that demands both rigorous methodology and a strong understanding of sex-based differences in heart disease.
“Not only has Eryn provided invaluable experimental support, but she has also taken on a leadership role in training new students and has demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration and mentorship.”
In return, Kirshenbaum notes that she has “learned a lot from Dr. Rabinovich-Nikitin. She is a great mentor and I look forward to learning and growing even more under her leadership”.
The T. Edward Cuddy Award is one of 12 awards presented annually by the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in partnership with the University of Manitoba.
The 27th Annual Institute of Cardiovascular Naranjan Dhalla Awards were held on December 2nd and 3rd as part of a two-day conference comprised of a scientific forum and awards ceremony. The awards celebrate the leadership of individuals who have profoundly influenced the advancement of cardiovascular research, medicine and health education, including, in previous years, Nobel Prize winners and Gairdner Award Scholars. The Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences Gold Medal was awarded to Dr. Stanley Nattel, Director of the Montreal Heart Institute for his outstanding contributions to advancements in cardiac arrythmias and patient care.
Eryn Kirshenbaum, the daughter of Barry and Kim Kirshenbaum, says she was always interested in understanding the functioning’s of the human body, in particular the heart, which has fit with her desire to pursue a career in medicine and possibly continued heart health research.
A graduate of the Hebrew Bilingual program at Brock Corydon Elementary School, Ecole River Heights, and Kelvin High School French Immersion, Eryn says that she has always been interested in science, particularly cardiology. She reports that she has assisted as co-author on 5 research papers, including one where she was the primary author, focusing on women’s heart health and how heart disease affects women differently than men. That paper also investigated the connection between disrupted circadian rhythms and heart disease, specifically related to individuals with irregular sleep patterns, such as shift workers.
Eryn notes that, in addition to her university studies and research activities, she works part time as a Medical First Responder with St. John Ambulance – an activity which complements her medical research. “With St. John Ambulance, I have had calls dealing with the early stages of heart attacks and strokes as well as basic first aid,” she notes.
Readers might also run into Eryn at many Jewish celebrations such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, where she helps her dad with the family entertainment business.
While her ultimate goal, she says, is to practice medicine, she adds that she is really enjoying doing research.
Local News
Young entrepreneur Noah Palansky and partner Jordan Davis are the first Winnipeggers to crack Forbes Magazine’s “top 30 Under 30” list
By MYRON LOVE From a very young age, Noah Palansky has demonstrated initiative and leadership. I first met and interviewed Palansky in 2011 at a low point in his life. His mother, Naomi Palansky, had sadly passed away at a young age. The then 12-year-old channeled his mourning into action. With his younger sister, Lexi, by his side – and the support of his father, Bruce – the preteen entered a team in the annual CancerCare Manitoba Foundation Challenge for Life. For the next few years, Palansky’s teams – under the banner, “Kids Count” – raised thousands of dollars for cancer researched.
Fast forward to 2019. Palansky was by then a young adult with a new initiative. The year before, he and a couple of friends had entered a potential business proposal in a competition sponsored by Winnipeg-based North Forge, Canada’s only start up incubator and fabrication lab, and won the top prize.
In that 2019 story, the young entrepreneur recalled how he came up with idea for his new business – TAIV (the AI stands for artificial intelligence). In the spring of 2018, he recounted, at the height of the Winnipeg Jets playoff run, he and his girlfriend were watching the game on a big screen while having drinks in a restaurant when an ad appeared onscreen promoting a rival restaurant and advertising the same drink he was imbibing – at a lower price.
“That ad gave me the germ of an idea,” he said in that earlier interview. “I immediately spoke to the restaurant manager and asked how he felt about the ad,” he recalls. “He was not pleased.”
That germ of an idea has developed into a highly successful new business venture. The idea that was put into practice has landed Palansky and his partner, Jordan Davis, on Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list in the Marketing and Advertising category. The duo are the first Winnipeg-based entrepreneurs to have received this honour.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Palansky responds. “We had no advance notice that we were even being considered for this recognition.”
Since TAIV officially launched in 2021, the company – still based in Winnipeg – has grown to a workforce of about 80 – most of whom are based here. Palansky notes that TAIV also has sales offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In the past four years, TAIV has built a presence in nearly 5,000 venues across the United States. The company works with brands like Coke, Pepsi, Netflix, T-Mobile, FanDuel, Fox, and United Airlines.
“The way this works,” Palansky explained to this writer in 2019, “ is that if you are in Boston Pizza, for example, watching a Jets game and a commercial comes on, our software will switch the commercial to an ad for Boston Pizza.
“We make a little box that sits between your cable box and the TV. Our box can detect when a commercial is coming on and switch the ad out for one promoting the restaurant or store the box is in.”
For larger enterprises, Palansky notes, TAIV produces a web app that allows the company to switch its own in-house ads for the ads that would be appearing on screen.
In a statement by North Force celebrating Palansky and Davis’ achievement, Palansky is quoted as saying that “the Forbes achievement offered a rare moment to pause and reflect.
“There are very few moments where a third party reaches out and says, ‘We’ve noticed what you did, and we think it’s awesome.’ This felt like one of those rare moments.”
The North Forge report also sees the recognition as a win for the community.
“I wish we had more Winnipeg entrepreneurs on the global stage because it’s really good for the local ecosystem,” Palansky is quoted as saying. “I’m trying to do what I can to help others get off the ground.”
Palansky and Davis are looking forward to going to Phoenix in April for the official presentation.
He adds that TAIV continues expanding across North America, strengthening partnerships, and onboarding advertisers as the network grows. For local venues or businesses interested in installing TAIV or exploring advertising opportunities, the company welcomes inquiries at hello@taiv.tv.