Local News
2025 Yom Tov Winnipeg synagogue attendance largely the same as last year’s
By MYRON LOVE The past year has been a time of renewal with the unveiling of new – or substantially renovated – buildings for our two major congregations and new rabbinical leadership this year at the Shaarey Zedek and Temple Shalom.
Much like last year, Jewish Winnipeggers greeted yom tov with enthusiasm – with this year’s attendance matching or – in the case of Etz Chayim – exceeding last year’s numbers.
Last year, in its first Yom Tov service in its new building at 1155 Wilkes Avenue in south Winnipeg, Etz Chayim recorded 335 in attendance for the first services on Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur service and 120 for the second – with 450 for Kol Nidre at the Viscount Gort hotel.
The problem for Etz Chayim at its new location is that capacity is considerably less than what is was in its previous building on Matheson Avenue in north Winnipeg. To remedy that situation this year, the congregation rented a larger space at a nearby facility called the Soul Sanctuary.
Morissa Granove, Congregation Etz Chayim’s executive director, notes that the location is basically a large gym. “We transformed the space into a synagogue for Yom Tov,” she says. “That allowed us to have all of our members and friends together under one roof. We sold over 480 tickets, even more than we expected. It was nice to have all of us together. We had a lovely service and received great feedback.”
Granove reports that the congregation’s plan in moving south was always to eventually expand the sanctuary to ensure that everyone can fit into their new spiritual home 365 days a year (including Yom Tov.) “We don’t as yet have a specific time line,” Granove reports. “That will be dependent on accessing grants and raising funds for this next step when the time is right. We are in an evolution, so to speak, and as hard as it is to wait for all of the pieces to fall perfectly into place, it was important to evolve within our means. Slow and steady with a clear vision and lots of excitement for everything still to come.”
The Shaarey Zedek, our community’s largest and oldest congregation, once again sold out early – although, says Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze, the synagogue’s executive director,” we always leave a few seats available. We never turn anyone away.”
She notes that the main sanctuary has a capacity of 1032 – with an additional 297 for the separate Family Service downstairs. “We had about 1300 congregants altogether counting those attending our family service downstairs for the families whose children are registered in our new daycare,” she reports. “We had almost 300 for the first family service and 70 for the second.”
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in the main sanctuary were led by Rabbi Carnie Rose and Cantor Leslie Emery – with contributions from the Quartet and the Ruach Volunteer Choir. Rabbi Anibal Mass, as usual, led the family service with support from the youth band and the Dor Chadash Youth Choir.
“Carnie (Rabbi Rose) is having a huge impact on our membership,” Secter Elbaze points out. “Since he joined Shaarey Zedek in the summer, a lot of new members have joined. We are seeing new people becoming members virtually every day. Carnie has the ability to reach out to people and give them the feeling that they are loved.”
At Temple Shalom, our community’s 60-plus-year-old Reform Congregation, newly-installed Rabbi Myriam Saitman reports great attendance for Yom Tov. The synagogue’s capacity is about 200. “Everyone was very happy with the service,” she says. “We have a wonderful cantorial soloist in David Vamos and a wonderful choir led by Janet Pelletier Goetze. After the High Holidays, several new young people took out membership in our congregation.”
South end Winnipeg further offers a fourth Liberal Jewish option in the form of Rabbi Matthew Leibl’s “Services on the River: A Modern High Holidays”. This is the third year that the former Shaarey Zedek – and now independent – rabbi has led his own service at the Gates on Roblin.
He reports that the service was much the same as last year with 250 people buying tickets – the same number as last year.
The venue has room for up to 300 people.
“Services on the River: A modern High Holidays” held services on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur in the morning. The three 90-minute services, Leibl noted last year, “are designed to offer moments of reflection and introspection, beautiful live music, and a celebration of the Jewish New Year, all against the pastoral backdrop of the Assiniboine River, which was also be our site for Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah.”
“We had a truly wonderful service,” he reported. “The atmosphere was warm and engaging. I loved it.”
Rabbi Leibl is also the “spiritual care aide” at the Simkin Centre – although Yom Tov services are led by Steven Hyman – with Bonnie Antel directing the choir. “A tremendous Yasher Koach to Steven and Bonnie,” he said.
Peak attendance at the Simkin Centre, Rabbi Leibl reported, came on the first day of Rosh Hashonah with about 200 residents and family members present. There were about 180 on the second day and on Yom Kippur – fewer for Kol Nidre.
“The highlight this year,” Rabbi Leibl noted, “was that we moved our services into the Atrium – the open space with high ceilings and beautiful wood beams, huge windows and tons of natural light made for an incredible atmosphere and space. We hold our weekly Friday and Saturday services in the Atrium so it made sense to try it out. While in the past, we’d used our Multi Purpose Room, the Atrium has so much more character and a feeling of something special in it. It’s also a more public space where people entering the building see what’s happening, whether they intend to or not. It worked so well that we intend to continue having our Yom Tov services in the Atrium.”
South Winnipeg is also home two Orthodox congregations and both the Lubavitch Centre and the Adas Yeshurun Herzlia did well. The latter’s Yom Tov service was made more meaningful by the continued presence of Rabbi Yossi Benarroch. While Benarroch officially retired – after ten years – as the congregation’s spiritual leader at the end of July to return full time to his family in Israel – he agreed to return for Yom Tov and continue as rabbi on a part time basis until the congregation can find a replacement.
Adas Yeshurun has a membership of about 100 and can accommodate up to 250. Speaking on behalf of the shul, Dr. Allen Kraut reports that attendance was about on par with last year.
The Lubavitch Centre’s senior Rabbi Avroham Altein reports that several hundred daveners crammed into the shul for Yom Tov. “We get a lot of support from the Israeli, Argentinian and Russian Jewish communities in addition to long-established community members,” he points out.
He added that a number of younger community members were in attendance.
There is no charge to davening at Chabad nor do you have to register in advance.
In the North End, High Holiday service options are more limited. The Chevra Mishnayes in Garden City offers an egalitarian service. Synagogue president Rob Waldman reports that about 100 attended services this year – about the same number as last year.
“Our services (led by Jewish Child and Family Service President and CEO Al Benarroch) went very well,” Waldman notes. “Every year, we lose one or two families and gain a couple of new families.”
Both the House of Ashkenazi, the last of our community’s older-style Orthodox congregations, and the Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah offer Orthodox services. This year for the High Holidays, the congregation brought in Rabbi Gary Zweig and Cantor Manny Aptowitzer from Toronto. The number of people attending was between 40 and 50 – the best turnout in many years – which attests to the wisdom of the two struggling congregations agreeing to merge 18 months ago.
The House of Ashkenazi recorded Yom Tov attendance of between 20 and 30. During the rest of the year, the Ashkenazi remains open for services only on Thursday mornings. Synagogue members go to the Chavurat Tefila Talmud Torah for Shabbat and other holiday services.
Local News
March of the Living 2023 participants form Gofund page 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.