Local News
Accolades for internationally-renowned medical researchers
By MYRON LOVE Internationally known heart researcher Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum has a new accolade to add to his resume in recognition of his ground-breaking research over the past 30 years and more.
Most recently, Kirshenbaum – the long time Director of the St. Boniface Hospital’s Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Professor in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology and Pharmacology and Therapeutics – was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science degree from the University of Kragujevac in Serbia. Previously, he had bestowed upon him the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba R.E. Beamish Memorial Award (in 2014), the University of Manitoba’s Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement Award (2018,) and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, Research Achievement Award in 2020. Last year, he was inducted into the Order of Manitoba.
He has also been recognized by several international heart research organizations in recent years.
On the late afternoon of Friday, May 3, colleagues, family and friends gathered in the atrium of the Albrechtsen Research Centre at the St. Boniface Hospital complex to celebrate Kirshenbaum’s newest honour.
Several colleagues stepped up to the podium to praise the honoree, among them Dr. Arnold Naimark, Past President of the University of Manitoba. Naimark began his remarks by quoting Winston Churchill’s adage that “no burden is heavier than great potential.”
“I remember Lorrie as a young scientist at the University of Manitoba,’ Naimark commented. “He was always asking questions.
“Not only is he a dedicated researcher, but also he contributes to the scientific community. Many of his students have become leaders in their own right.”
Among others praising Kirshenbaum were: Dr. Ian Dixon, head of the department of physiology and pathophysiology; the Honourable Dr. Rene Cable, Minister of Advanced Education – representing the provincial government; Dr. Jude Uzonna, Vice Dean of Research, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba; and Dr. Bram Ramjiawan, Director of Research, Asper Clinical Research Institute, speaking on behalf of Dr. Michael Czubryt, Executive Director of Research. Albrechtsen Research Centre.
“You do what you do, not in the hope of recognition, but because you want to make a difference,” Kirshenbaum noted when it was his turn at the podium. I love doing research and I love teaching.”
He expressed his gratitude to his wife, Dr. Diane Popeski, and his family, as well as the members of his research team. “I have a group of superb researchers who have been with me for a long time. They have done all the heavy lifting.”
He also spoke of the many students that he has taught over the past 30 years. “I am inspired by younger people,” Kirhenbaum said.
He completed his remarks by referring to those who came before him – mentors in cardiology such as Dr. Naranjan Dhalla, founding director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the St. Boniface Hospital, and the late Dr. Robert Beamish, the founding director of the Manitoba Heart Foundation.
“I stand on the shoulders of giants,” Kirshenbaum said.
A graduate of the University of Manitoba – with a Ph.D. in Physiology – the son of Mildred and the late Alec Kirshenbaum says that he knew from a very young age that he wanted to devote his life to science and research.
Over the past few years, he and his team of four researchers and 20 workers have been focusing on three specific areas of research into heart health and heart disease. One of those focuses has been a study of the relationship between certain chemotherapy drugs and heart failure. A second area of interest for Kirshenbaum and his researchers has been the effect of night work on the heart and general health of shift workers.
His most recent efforts have been focused on developing a women’s heart research program at the St. Boniface Hospital. Kirshenbaum pointed out in an earlier interview that women suffering from heart disease exhibit different symptoms than men. As a result, heart disease is often undiagnosed in women and undertreated.
“As part of this program, we are trying to recruit a specialist in this area for the St. Boniface Hospital and encourage students at our medical school to consider specializing in this field of medicine,” he noted. “We are striving to develop this dedicated women’s heart health research program with a goal of reducing heart disease and improving quality of life.”
Top liver specialist Dr. Gerald Minuk awarded gold medal by Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver
Dr. Gerald (Yossl) Minuk, Canada’s first liver specialist, and founder of the section of hepatology in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Health Sciences Centre was awarded the Gold Medal by the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL) – which he co-founded 22 years ago – at its annual meeting, which was held in Toronto on March 1.
Minuk says that he was overwhelmed by the honour. “I am in very impressive company,” he notes. “Four of the previous Gold Medal recipients were also Nobel Prize winners.”
The son of the late Max and Edith Minuk has had a long and colourful career – a career that has taken him all over the world. Early on, he did locums in Churchill and in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He studied hepatology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In July, 1982, Canada’s first liver specialist was recruited by Foothills Hospital in Calgary. He returned to Winnipeg in 1987 to found the hepatology section here.
I have written previous stories about Yossl describing a two-week stay teaching in China about 35 years ago – and a later invitation to share his expertise in the oil-rich Arab Kingdom of Qatar where the authorities want ed to hire him despite his being an openly Orthodox Jew.
His 42-year career has encompassed clinical research, ministering to patients, publishing more than 300 research papers, and teaching. He notes that, over the years, he has taught up to 200 students – many of whom have gone forward to start their own liver programs across Canada.
Although Minuk retired two years ago, he continues to work on what was his final research project – a $2.1 million, five-year study to try to determine why Indigenous Canadians suffer from liver disease at a much higher rate than the overall Canadian population.
Anyone who knows Yossl also knows that his principal passion beyond his career has been the House of Ashkenazie, the last of the old North End shuls. He has been a mainstay of the old shul for decades – often recruiting medical colleagues and students to join him at shul for morning minyans. In recent times, morning minyans at the Ashkenazie have declined to Thursday mornings only – but Yossl Minuk hopes to keep the old building going by turning it into a museum – for which he is still seeking funding.
In the meantime, he continues to attend twice daily minyans at the Lubavitch Centre.
Local News
Further to the Simkin Centre’s financial situation
By BERNIE BELLAN A while back I published an article about the deficit situation at the Simkin Centre. (You can read it at “Simkin Centre deficit situation.“) I was prompted to write that particular article after reading a piece written by Free Press Faith writer John Longhurst in the August 5 issue of the Free Press about the dire situation personal care homes in Winnipeg are in when it comes to trying to provide their residents with decent food.
Yet, Longhurst made one very serious mistake in his article when he wrote that the “provincial government, through the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, has not increased the amount of funding it provides for care-home residents in Manitoba since 2009.”
In fact, the WRHA has given annual increases to personal care homes, but its allocations are not broken down by categories, such as food or salaries. As a spokesperson for the WRHA explained to me in an email: “PCHs receive per diem global operating funding based on the number of licensed beds they operate. This funding model is designed to support the full range of operating costs associated with resident care, including staffing, food services, utilities, building operations, and other day-to-day expenses.”
Now, one can make a perfectly valid argument that the level of funding from the WRHA has not kept up with inflation, especially inflation in food costs, but the Simkin Centre is in an even more precarious position because of the skyrocketing cost of kosher food.
“In recent years,” according to an article on the internet, “the cost of kosher food has increased significantly, often outpacing general food inflation due to unique supply chain pressures and specialized production requirements.”
Yet, when I asked Laurie Cerqueti how much maintaining a kosher facility has cost the Simkin Centre, as I noted in my previous article about the deficit situation at Simkin, she responded: “approximately $300,000 of our deficit was due to food services. I do not have a specific number as far as how much of the deficit is a result of kosher food…So really this is not a kosher food issue as much is it is an inflation and funding issue.”
One reader, however, after having read my article about the deficit situation at Simkin, had this to say: “In John Longhurst’s article on Aug 5, 2025 in the Free Press, Laurie (Cerqueti) was quoted as saying that the annual kosher meal costs at Simkin were $6070 per resident. At Bethania nursing home in 2023, the non-kosher meal costs in 2023 were quoted as $4056 per resident per year. Even allowing for a 15% increase for inflation over 2 years, the non-kosher food costs there would be $4664.40 or 24% lower than Simkin’s annual current kosher food costs. If Simkin served non-kosher food to 150 of its 200 residents and kosher food to half of its Jewish residents who wish to keep kosher, by my calculation it would save approximately $200,000/year. If all of Simkin’s Jewish residents wished to keep kosher, the annual savings would be slightly less at $141,000.”
But – let’s be honest: Even though many Jewish nursing homes in the US have adopted exactly that model of food service – where kosher food is available to those residents who would want it, otherwise the food served would be nonkosher, it appears that keeping Simkin kosher – even though 45% of its residents aren’t even Jewish – is a “sacred cow” (pun intended.)
So, if Simkin must remain kosher – even though maintaining it as a kosher facility is only adding to its accumulated deficit situation – which currently stands at $779,426 as of March 31, 2025,I wondered whether there were some other ways Simkin could address its deficit while still remaining kosher.
In response to my asking her how Simkin proposes to deal with its deficit situation, Laurie Cerqueti wrote: “There are other homes in worse financial position than us. There are 2 homes I am aware of that are in the process of handing over the keys to the WRHA as they are no longer financially sustainable.”
I wondered though, whether the Simkin Centre Foundation, which is managed by the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba might not be able to help the Simkin Centre reduce its deficit. According to the Jewish Foundation’s 2024 annual report, The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation, which is managed by the Jewish Foundation, had a total value of $11,017,635.
The Jewish Foundation did distribute $565,078 to the Simkin Centre in 2024, but even so, I wondered whether it might be able to distribute more.
According to John Diamond, CEO of the Jewish Foundation, however, the bylaws of the Foundation dictate that no more than 5% of the value of a particular fund be distributed in any one year. There is one distinguishing characteristic about the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation, in that a portion of their fund is “encroachable.” The encroachable capital is not owned by JFM. It is held in trust by JFM but is beneficially owned by Simkin, similar to a “bank deposit”. While held by the JFM, these funds are included in the calculation of Simkin’s annual distribution.
I asked John Diamond whether any consideration had been given to increasing the distribution that the Jewish Foundation could make to the Simkin Centre above the 5% limit that would normally apply to a particular fund under the Foundation’s management.
Here is what John wrote in response: “The Simkin does have an encroachable fund. That means that at their request, they can encroach on the capital of that fund only (with restrictions). This encroachment is not an increased distribution; rather, it represents a return of capital that also negatively affects the endowment’s future distributions.
”It is strongly recommended that encroachable funds not be used for operating expenses. If you encroach and spend the capital, the organization will receive fewer distribution dollars in the next year and every year as the capital base erodes. Therefore, the intent of encroachable funds is for capital projects, not recurring expenses.”
I asked Laurie Cerqueti whether there might be some consideration given to asking for an “encroachment” into the capital within the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation?
She responded: “We are not in a position where we are needing to dip into the encroachable part of our endowment fund. Both of our Boards (the Simkin Centre board and the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation board) are aware of our financial situation and we are all working together to move forward in a sustainable way.”
At the same time though, I wondered where donations to the Simkin Centre end up? Do they all end up in the Simkin Centre Foundation, for instance, I asked Laurie Cerqueti on December 15.
Her response back then was: “All donations go through our Foundation.”
I was somewhat surprised to read that answer, so I asked a follow-up question for clarification: “Do all donations made to the Simkin Centre end up in the Simkin Centre Foundation at the Jewish Foundation?”
The response this time was: “No they do not.”
So, I asked: “So, how do you decide which donations end up at the Foundation? Is there a formula?”
Laurie’s response was: “We have a mechanism in place for this and it is an internal matter.”
Finally, I asked how then, the Simkin Centre was financing its accumulated deficit? Was it through a “line of credit with a bank?” I wondered.
To date, I have yet to receive a response to that question. I admit that I am puzzled that a personal care home which has a sizeable foundation supporting it would not want to dip into the capital of that foundation when it is facing a financial predicament. Yes, I can see wanting the value of the foundation to grow – but that’s for the future. I don’t know whether I’d call a $779,425 deficit a crisis; that’s for others to determine, but it seems pretty serious to me.
One area that I didn’t even touch upon in this article, though – and it’s something I’ve written about time and time again, is the quality of the food at the Simkin Centre.
To end this, I’ll refer to a quote Laurie Cerqueti gave to John Longhurst when he wrote his article about the problems personal care homes in Winnipeg are facing: “When it comes to her food budget, ‘we can’t keep making the same number of bricks with less straw.’ “
Local News
Exclusive: Security Enhancement Fund to be announced by Province in coming days
By NOAH STRAUSS The province is set to announce a new program called the Security Enhancement Fund, which
will provide funding to religious and faith groups to improve security at institutions such as
synagogues and mosques. In an exclusive interview, Minister of Justice Matt Wiebe outlined the
plan and detailed what the province has already done to help protect Jewish Manitobans.
“What we want to do is to be able to provide the community with the kind of tools that they need
to stay safe and to ensure that everyone in the community feels safe,” said Wiebe.
The fund will provide a missing link between government and religious communities, and
communities will now be able to make their own choices without money being a big restraint.
Essentially, the power will be in the hands of community leaders and not government officials.
The minister noted that the new partnerships will provide the province a better understanding of
the needs of every community. Rather than the province making the choices, they are
essentially giving a voice to each community. The grants, totalling $1 million, will provide funds to enhance security at facilities like synagogues.
The Jewish Post reached out to Dr. Rena Secter Elbaze, executive director of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. “It’s important that the government show us that they’re taking security seriously and stepping up to the plate to make this offer. We will absolutely be applying for grant money,” she said. Elbaze also wants to know whether or not the government will cover the costs of things the synagogue has already spent money on. She noted that the province has, in the past, made grants available to have security guards present.
When speaking about what the Justice Ministry has already done to protect Jewish Manitobans,
Wiebe brought up the new special prosecutor that is focusing on hate crimes. Wiebe said the
special prosecutor works closely with the Winnipeg Police Service “to support investigations and
prosecute hate crimes. Wiebe also went on to say how the Department of Education has been helping to fight antisemitism. “The creation of the Holocaust education curriculum is an important step in the right direction,” he said. When asked about Oliver Didtger Ederhof, the individual charged with 14 counts of mischief including vandalism of Shaarey Zedek, Wiebe said decisions like bail and police undertakings are decisions that are in part made by the federal government through the criminal code and policies. “We’re going to continue to advocate for stricter bail reform at the federal level…. I’ve been very clear, we issued clarified directives around bail to our Crown prosecutors.”
The full announcement from the province is expected in the coming days.
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