By MYRON LOVE On Wednesday, October 7, we will be commemorating the third anniversary of the horrific events of October 7, 2023 –  when an estimated 1,200 of our Israeli brothers and sisters were slaughtered in a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel – with the third annual Walk for Israel.
The estimated 50-minute walk is scheduled to start at 5:30.
“Last year, we had about 2,000 members of the community and supporters turn out,” reports Judi Shuster, one of the walk organizers. “We would like to see as many or more people this year.  It is such as empowering  feeling, participating in this walk.”
She notes that the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is contributing a large number of Israeli flags.
Shuster is also one of a group of 17 women who are adding something new to the commemoration. Over the past few months, the group members – including -Vanesa Harari,  Tanya Chanas, Florencia Katz, Francyn Martini, Gail and Clara Garland, Claudia Griner, Faye Rosenberg Cohen, Judi Shuster, Patricia Lempert, Adriana Josebachvili, Valeria Senderowich, Tali Hassan, Orit Reuter, Kristin Gislason, Karyn Glass, and Michaela Kaplan – have crocheted 1,400 anemones (the original goal was 1,200) –  to attach to a creative display that will be displayed throughout the month of October at the entrance to the Asper Campus.
Why anemones (kalaniot in Hebrew)? Florencia Katz, a member of the commemoration organizing committee, explains that kalaniot grow extensively throughout southern Israel and are the country’s national flower. During her visit to the site of the ill-fated Nova Festival in May, 2024, Katz notes that pictures of the victims with kalaniot in the background had been put up in the field.
Katz points out that it was Judi Shuster’s idea for the banner.  Shuster had also seen the pictures at the Nova festival location. 
“I contacted Florencia about this idea for crocheting the Kalaniot for the display and she was enthusiastic about it,” she says.  “Originally, eight of us got together to plan this.  We recruited a cross section of crocheters – Jewish and non-Jewish.”
 “We had our first creative meeting on February 5,” Katz reports..
“We had the help of some other creative people with the background and design.”
 
She further points out that the October 7 date was ironed onto the piece of art.
The commemoration will conclude with a short gathering with anthems and prayers.
Readers who may want to participate in the Walk for Israel can register at www.jewishwinnipeg.org/october7.

By MYRON LOVE Last November, our provincial government announced a mandatory Holocaust education curriculum for all Grade 6, Grade 9 and Grade 11 Social Studies students in Manitoba.  But, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details – as in where do teachers find additional resources to help them teach the curriculum?
The answer was to be found at the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (JHCWC) which, in addition to its mandate to preserve and highlight the history of Jewish life in Western Canada, has long been a leader in Holocaust education in our province. For nearly 30 years, students have come to the Holocaust Education Centre at the Asper JCC for presentations on the Holocaust and antisemitism.  As well, for the past 25 years, the JHCWC has organized an annual Holocaust and Human Rights symposium, which was previously held at the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre and is now held online,  drawing up to 3000 to 5000 students annually from grades 6-12 from throughout the province.  Thus, the JHCWC was a natural fit in partnering with the government in introducing the new Holocaust Education curriculum.
Last March, reports Belle Jarniewski, the JHCWC’s executive director, 200 Winnipeg teachers attended a Holocaust education training program – led by Jarniewski and Dr. Sharon Graham (who is Community Planning and Allocations Lead for the Jewish Federation), as well as Toronto experts from the Azrieli Holocaust Survivor Memoirs program, also from a program called “Facing History and Ourselves” – at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. Another 85 teachers participated in a similar program the following day in Brandon.
“One of the teachers from the Turtle Mountain School Division who had attended the session in Brandon reached out to us,” Jarniewski recounts.  “He hoped we could come to Killarney so that more teachers in his school division could receive professional development on the new curriculum.”
Thus, on Tuesday, September 8, Belle Jarniewski and Sharon Graham travelled to Killarney in the southwest corner of Manitoba to lead a morning workshop for some 125 teachers working in the Turtle Mountain School Division.  (The division offices are located in Killarney.)
“It was the first day back for teachers and we were given a half day of their day-long in-service,” Jarniewski notes.
“In this way, we could reach more teachers in the area than if they had to travel to Winnipeg and find substitutes for their classes. It is a lovely school,” she adds, “and we received a really warm and positive response.”
Dr. Sharon Graham’s role, she notes, was to present on Jews and Judaism, Jewish history in general as well as Jewish life in Manitoba, from the earliest days of immigration until now.  She also gave examples of the rich diversity of Jewish life. “The response to Sharon was very positive.”
“Teaching about Jews and Judaism as well as about the millennia old history of antisemitism is an important and integral part of the new curriculum. Many of the people in rural areas may have likely not met a Jew before,” Jarniewski suggests.
“My role,” she continues, “was to provide an overview of the curriculum itself and to offer many pedagogical resources that are available to help teachers feel comfortable in teaching this complex subject.  We also recommended a number of books and films that teachers can access as well as the Azrieli Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Series, which offers books in both English and French to teachers at no cost whatsoever. On our Jewish Heritage Centre website, we have a comprehensive list of books and films which are useful for teaching the Holocaust, as well as many resources from Canada and around the world.”
Jarniewski also mentioned the importance of digital literacy so that students are able to identify appropriate resources.
One book that she specifically advised the teachers to avoid is a popular work of fiction – in both book and film form, titled “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.”  The plot purports to show a friendship that develops between a young concentration camp prisoner and the young son of the camp commandant.
“It’s really problematic,” Jarniewski points out.  “Both historians and educators have pointed out the many historical inaccuracies throughout the narrative which promote dangerous misconceptions and misplaced sympathy regarding the Holocaust.”
While Israel-Palestine history is not part of the curriculum, many educators in Canada have noted that children bring up the current conflict in the classroom. It is difficult to find materials that are accessible for children, and which are historically accurate, Jarniewski says.
“We are aware that this topic can engender difficult conversations in the classroom,” she notes.  “We encourage educators to create a safe and respectful space in their classrooms and to prioritizes dialogue over debate.”
One film that she did recommend on this subject  is a 9-minute animated video called “Once Upon A Time In Palestine: Israel-Palestine Explained For Kids” through the lives of childhood friends – one Jewish and the other Arab – from their childhood in the last days of the Ottoman Empire to the present time.
Jarniewski notes that the JHCWC welcomes invitations from school divisions across the province in the near future. 

By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted Sept. 23, 8:49 pm) I was coming out of the Asper Campus today around 5:30 pm when I saw a familiar figure – my second cousin Marty Green (son of the late Sid Green) standing on the sidewalk. Marty was walking around quietly. He seemed to be holding some kind of papers in his hand.

I called out to him, he came over and handed me a purple leaflet that had a drawing and some printing on it. I read what was on the leaflet and thought: “Okay, this is reasonable enough. Surely he’s entitled to express his opinion.”
Boy, was I wrong! In short order three police cars arrived on the scene. There must have been at least eight police there at one point, along with two cadets. Wow! All this for distributing leaflets?
I continued watching what ensued – but I’m not exactly sure what happened. All that I know is that at one point Marty was handcuffed with his hands behind his back and put into a police car. What the hell was going on? I wondered.
Had Marty said something to the police? I should note that, in all fairness, Marty has a track record of getting himself into trouble with the law.
But still, is it now a crime to hand out leaflets in a public space? I again wondered. I stayed around for about 1/2 hour, but I had to go somewhere else for a while. I did return though about 1/2 hour later and there was still one police car there. I saw two policemen engaged in conversation with Ruth Ashrafi, who’s Regional Director for B’nai Brith in Manitoba. I asked one of the policemen whether Marty had broken any laws.
His response was: “Read Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Subsection 2.”
I waited unit I got home to look up Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Subsection 2. Here’s the Google description of what that section of the criminal code is about: “Section 319(2) of the Canadian Criminal Code governs the wilful promotion of hatred. It is a criminal offence to intentionally promote hatred against an identifiable group through statements made outside of private conversation. [1, 2, 3]”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I thought. A Jew handing out a leaflet that’s critical of what fanatic settlers are doing on the West Bank is guilty of a hate crime?
Surely there must be more to this than that.
So I called WPS and asked whether there was a report of an incident outside the Asper Campus between 5:30 and 6:30 this evening? The person answering the phone said there was an incident, but said they couldn’t provide any further information.
I did call the media line and left a message, asking someone to call me because I was interested in learning more about what had happened – and why so many police were at the scene for what, for all intents and purposes, seemed nothing more than one person handing out leaflets.

I was so perplexed by what I had seen that I also posed this question to Google: “Is it against the law to hand out leaflets outside the Asper Campus?” (I thought that maybe there was some new kind of bylaw that had been passed of which I was unaware.) Here’s the answer I got:
No, it is not against the law to hand out leaflets on a public sidewalk outside the Asper Campus. Under Canadian law, peaceful distribution of leaflets on public property is a constitutionally protected right under Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees freedom of expression. [1]
However, the legal landscape shifts significantly based on exactly where you are standing, what your leaflets say, and how you behave.

Where You Stand Matters

I •	Public Sidewalks: If you are on the public city sidewalk outside the perimeter of the campus, you have the legal right to distribute pamphlets peacefully. A City of Winnipeg proposal in early 2026 (the Safe Access to Vulnerable Infrastructure Bylaw) attempted to ban "nuisance demonstrations" within 100 metres of community and cultural hubs, but after a major public outcry regarding Charter rights, the city councillor withdrew the proposed law. No such buffer zone exists today.

[1, 2, 3]
•	Inside the Campus Property: The Asper Jewish Community Campus in Winnipeg's Old Tuxedo neighbourhood is private property. Private property owners have the legal right to control or ban the distribution of materials on their premises. If you step onto campus property (such as their courtyard, parking lot, or inside buildings) to pass out leaflets, campus security can legally ask you to stop or leave. Refusing to do so can result in a fine under provincial trespassing laws. [1, 2]

Legal Limitations on Leafleting
While you can hand out leaflets on the public sidewalk, you must follow general laws regarding your conduct and the content of your message:
• No Obstruction: You cannot physically block or trap people, prevent them from entering the building, or obstruct pedestrian or vehicle traffic. [1]
• No Harassment or Intimidation: Leafleting must be peaceful. Loudly shouting, using unauthorized megaphones, or intimidating visitors can lead to police intervention or local noise violations. [1]
• Hate Speech Laws: The content of your leaflets cannot cross into criminal territory. Under Canada’s Criminal Code, distributing materials that promote hatred or contain antisemitic or defamatory statements against individuals can trigger police investigations and criminal charges. [1, 2]
Okay, with all that in mind, you be the judge. Do you think the leaflet Marty was handing out would constitute “hate speech?”
I’ve placed a call to Marty, asking him to call me to let me know what actually happened once the police came over to talk to him. At this point I know nothing more about the matter, but gee, is this what it’s come to: A citizen quietly handing out leaflets that I dare suggest have nothing at all to do with hate speech is apprehended by WPS?
And sure, I got an earful from one of the police who said to me that after what happened in Belleville you can’t be too careful these days, but come on, show a little common sense fellas – (and they were all men except for one female cadet).

(Updated Sept. 23 10:54 pm and amended Sept. 24 5:02 pm) I just got off the phone with Marty Green. He gave me a further clarification of what happened. Apparently he had been at the Campus on several other occasions – handing out the same leaflet. Marty said that he had received a lot of angry comments, but it wasn’t going to dissuade him from handing out the same leaflet as you’ve already seen. Until today though, the police hadn’t shown up.

This time they told him he was going to be charged with a hate crime and disturbing the peace. It was at that point he was handcuffed and put into a police car, he told me.

It seems though that, after some discussion among various officers who were there – and from what I could see it was two older, grey-haired police who seemed to be the ones in charge (Correction Sept. 24: Marty says it was two younger officers who arrested him, not the older guys) – the decision was taken to release Marty (Correction Sept. 24: Marty says: “They released me on an “‘undertaking’ that I wouldn’t go within 200m of 123 Doncaster, but I refused to sign the undertaking. So I didn’t agree to it. But I would be arrested immediately if I violated it. I’ll have to talk to my lawyer to see if I can challenge the undertaking (that’s why I refused to sign it). I was unable to contact a lawyer while I was in custody and was told that the hate crime charge would be dropped.”

The disturbing the peace charge, however, Marty was told, will still stand, and he can expect to have to make a court appearance at some point in the future. (He guessed it would be some time in December.)

Marty said that he thought there had been strong pressure put on the police to do something about his handing out leaflets, although when I asked him if he could give any specific names as to who might have exerted that pressure, he said he didn’t know.

I’ve deliberately avoided editorializing as I’ve been writing this, but my last word on what happened today is that if we can’t allow peaceful criticism of some aspects of Israeli policy – and I’m not talking about the kind of sloganeering we’re all so used to hearing and seeing from true haters of Israel, such as condemnation of Israeli “genocide,” “settler colonialism,” “apartheid”, and similar epithets, then we’re not the democratic Jewish community Winnipeg used to be.

I hope to have more on this story – which to me represents the kind of fissure that has developed within Jewish communities in so many parts of the world. So, keep checking back (and it’s not so that I can make any money by having you read this story. If you haven’t noticed yet, there are only two ads on this website. I maintain this website to provide an alternative point of view from the kind you’re going to get from all our established community organizations in Winnipeg.)

(Added Sept. 24): I have phoned the WPS media line twice now trying to get some understanding how an individual walking on a public sidewalk in front of the Asper Campus, handing out leaflets to anyone who was willing to take them – and not confronting or yelling at anyone, can be charged with “disturbing the peace,” let alone a “hate crime.” (At least the WPS officers who were going to charge Marty with a hate crime came to their senses on that one and dropped that charge.)

Look, I can understand people being on edge – especially with what happened in Belleville. I’m not naive or deliberately trying to downplay people’s nervousness. But heck, are we now at a point where anyone handing out leaflets in front of the Campus can be arrested? I realize members of the WPS are under tremendous pressure to “do something,” and I could tell by that comment from the young officer who told me to go read Section 319 Subsection 2 of the Criminal Code that members of the WPS have been given lessons about “hate crimes” and particular instruction to be on the watch for anything that might look like a potentially dangerous situation for members of the Jewish community, but come on fellas – use some common sense. Is that all it takes to get someone arrested: An individual or individuals say that they don’t feel “safe” – simply because someone is exercising his lawful right to hand out leaflets in front of the Campus?

(Note: I don’t allow comments on this website because when I activate the “Add comment” module I get inundated with spam, but if you want me to publish a comment, send me an email at jewishp@mymts.net, and I’ll add it to the end of this story. So long as the comment isn’t defamatory I’ll print it.)