Local News
B’nai Brith awards prizes in “Diverse Minds Writing Competition”
By BERNIE BELLAN In 2019 B’nai Brith Canada inaugurated a writing competition for high school students known as the “Diverse Minds Writing Competition.”
On June 19 of that year an audience gathered in the Multipurpose Room of the Asper Campus heard from Cheryl Barish who, along with her husband, Earl, came up with the idea for creating and sponsoring a competition of this sort in Manitoba, after having heard about a similar contest in Washington DC.
The goal, Cheryl explained back then, ‘was to “have high school students express their thoughts and feelings about human rights” by writing a book no longer than 24 pages, but that would also include illustrations.
‘The challenge was put out to all high schools in Manitoba. Participating students were invited to submit entries either individually or as part of a two-person team (with one person doing the writing and the other, the illustrations).
‘As part of the guidelines, students were asked to aim their books at young kids (K-Grade 5). The books were to have themes of “diversity, tolerance and inclusion”.
‘Suggestions for topics that might form the basis of entries included: “bullying, equal rights, accepting those who are different from you, social and gender issues, religious and cultural tolerance.”
‘According to Cheryl Barish, she and Earl decided to put up a various amount of award money, including $3,000 for the winning entry. As well, the winning entry was “to be published and put into school libraries” across the province.’
The first year “Diverse Minds” was publicized in Manitoba high schools, 50 entries were received. Ten finalists were eventually chosen by a panel of judges, with all ten invited to appear at the June 2019 event.
The following year – 2020, the Diverse Minds competition was expanded to include students from Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta, as well as Manitoba, although each province held its own competition separate from the other provinces. The same applied in 2021.
But this past year the competition, although still open to students in only the same four provinces, became a national competition, with five finalists chosen by a panel of 10 judges. In a press release issued by B’nai Brith Canada, it was noted that “Diverse Minds is a revolutionary contest designed to promote the vital values of diversity and inclusion through the media of storytelling and illustration. High school students are invited to create books geared towards elementary school students. The winning book is published and the top three entrants are awarded monetary prizes.”
The judges this year included a very impressive roster: Cheryl Barish; Wayne Ewasko, Minister of Education, Province of Manitoba; Isha Khan, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights; Franklin Switzer, Chair of the Board of B’nai Brith Canada; Lucinda Chodan, former Vice-President of Postmedia and currently Executive Editor of the Montreal Gazette; Jay Harris, Past Chair, B’nai Brith Canada; Lorrie Goldstein, Editor Emeritus, the Toronto Sun; Elly Barlin Daniels, theatre producer; Michael Mostyn, CEO, B’nai Brith Canada; and Judy Foldes, COO, B’nai Brith Canada.
On October 2nd, the five finalists from across Canada, along with family members and other guests, gathered in the Adult Lounge of the Asper Campus, to learn who this year’s winner of the competition would be.
The event was emceed by Marvin Rotrand, National Director for Human Rights, B’nai Brith Canada (also a former Montreal city councillor who served an astounding 39 consecutive years on Montreal City Council).
In introducing the five finalists, Rotrand quoted Britain’s former Chief Rabbi, the late Rabbi Jonathan Sachs, who said: “To defend a country you need an army, but to defend a civilization you need education.”
Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith CEO, said: “We are proud of the young participants’ incredible work and dedication. The Diverse Minds Writing Competition is a valuable exercise in fostering diversity and inclusion for youth.”
The winner of this year’s Diverse Minds competition was a student from Montreal by the name of Emma Boucher, whose book (which she also illustrated) was titled “La Coleur des dons” (The colour of the gifts). Emma received a cheque for $5,000 for finishing first.
In second place was a student from Edmonton, Olivia Cai, while the third-place finisher, Sarah Elman, is also from Montreal.
Other finalists included Boluwatife Adetunmbi (writer), a grade 10 student at Fort Richmond Collegiate and Samuel Nunes (illustrator) who was born in Brazil in 2004 and moved to Canada in 2019; and Paris Kehler, also a Winnipeg student.
In the press release issued by B’nai Brith, students who might be interested in entering the 2023 Diverse Minds competition are invited to submit entries until April 16, 2023. Information can be obtained at www.bnaibrith.ca/diverseminds.
Local News
Fringe Festival star Melanie Gall to appear at Gwen Secter Centre July 16
By BERNIE BELLAN A veteran performer at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Melanie Gall, will be making a special guest appearance at the Gwen Secter Centre on Thursday, July 16.
Melanie will be the featured speaker (and entertainer) for the Remis Speakers’ Series that day. The Remis Speakers’ Series is held every Thursday starting at noon and ending at 1:30. This year’s series began May 7 and will continue through the end of October. This year it has been attracting increasingly large audiences – ranging from 40-60 people, as it offers attendees the opportunity to enjoy a delicious – and kosher lunch, while listening to a very diverse variety of speakers – all the way from Gail Asper talking about returning the Ten Commandments to Assiniboine Park to Rabbi Matthew Leibl performing Christmas songs that were written by Jewish songwriters. At the same time it provides those attending a chance to make new acquaintances – or perhaps bump into old friends they haven’t seen in a long time.
Melanie Gall’s own story is sure to be riveting. I’ve written about Melanie in the past, but the past two summers had been especially nerve wracking for Melanie, as she was subjected to a torrent of antisemitic abuse over her support for the State of Israel.
You can read my story about what Melanie went through during the Winnipeg Fringe Festival – both in 2024 and again last year, at Melanie Gall subjected to antisemitic abuse.
Melanie, who will be entering her 13th year of performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, will be peforming in only one show this year – a departure from her past practice of performing in multiple shows (as many as three different shows) during the Fringe Festival.
Elsewhere on this website we’ll be offering a preview of Melanie’s show (which is called “The Ballad of Isobel Gunn” and which is based on an incredible, but true story), along with previews of several other shows.
In the meantime, if you’re not already a member of the Remis Speakers’ Series group, but would ike to attend this coming Thursday, simply email us at jewishp@mymts.net and we’ll reserve a spot for you. The cost for the lunch is only $20.
The Gwen Secter Centre is located at 1588 Main Street (corner of Smithfield). There is parking available on a lot behind the centre or on the street.
Local News
Folk Festival Report
(Posted July 10) During this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival we’re going to be running an ongoing blog report – with photos and blurbs from the festival, sent to us by Heather Silbert and Samara Ebanks.
Here’s Heather’s first entry (sent Friday at 3:33 pm): “It’s a hot hot day at the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival! Lots of people; lots of good vibes; and an abundance of awesome music!!”
“We just moved to spruce hollow. Nice and shady. listening to Jacob Brodovsky.”
4:21 pm: “Jacob just announced that he lost his job and received a lot of vitriol from the Jewish Community because he’s a Jewish person who believes that Palestinian and Jewish lives are intertwined, and he is against the genocide. He is very deeply feeling, and expresses all these big feelings through his songs. I want to give him a hug, but it’s so hot outside!”
5:33 pm: The inscription in the plaque below begins with some lines from a Bruce Cockburn song called “Joy Will Find a Way (A Song About Dying)”: and continues with: “Memory Lane honours those who are no longer with us but whose presence lives on in the music, memories and moments we share here…”
7:06 pm “Gorgeous hand made polymer clay jewelry! Amanda Greisman makes gorgeous pieces that can be worn across many occasions! And she’s so so nice!” (See her booth called “Blue Sky Jewelry.”
(Keep checking for updates)
Local News
New GrowWinnipeg “Grow Together” highlights diverse origins of our growing Jewish community
By MYRON LOVE On Monday, June 11, about 120 younger Jewish Winnipeggers from diverse backgrounds came together at the Asper Campus for an evening of food and music, games and prizes and, most important, the opportunity to socialize with their peers from a growing community that reflects the long term success of our community’s 26-year-old GrowWinnipeg initiative.
“We are gathered here to celebrate your and your parents’ decisions to come to Winnipeg, build families and raise families here,” noted Dalia Szpiro, GrowWinnipeg’s director, in addressing the young adults in attendance.
To summarize, the GrowWinnipeg Initiative arose when our past community’s leadership recognized that our Jewish population was an aging and shrinking community with aging infrastructure.
The first stage was the planning and construction of the Asper Campus, which brought our major institutions and organizations under one roof in an attractive new building.
The next challenge was to attract more people to our community. GrowWinnipeg was created to take on the challenge. The initiative, which was officially launched in 2000, is unique in its efforts to reach out to young Jewish families throughout the Western world.
The first outreach efforts were directed at Argentina’s sizeable Jewish community at a time when the South American country’s economy was going through a very difficult period. Several of our community leaders visited the Jewish community in Buenos Aires and a website was established. Arrangements were made for local families to host Jewish Argentinians here on exploratory visits and the community helped the prospective immigrants navigate the then new Provincial Nominee Program, find jobs and establish themselves here.
Since then, many young families – from Argentina, as well as a great number of other countries – have chosen to make Winnipeg their new home. The young people at the recent GrowWinnipeg evening were reflective of the diversity of our growing community. During the course of the evening, I had the opportunity to speak with not only Israeli-born participants, also young people from Russia and Ukraine, Turkey and Uruguay – and a young lady who grew up in Ottawa.
Naomi Kirshenblatt Palansky originally came here from Ottawa to go to university. She met and married local entrepreneur Noah Palansky in 2023. (We wrote about Noah in the December 19, 2025 issue). That same year, the former competitive swimmer who competed in the Maccabiah Games in 2009 and 2013 served as manager of the Canadian Junior swimming team participating in the games. She is currently the director of operations and strategy for a company called CoinFlip.
Although born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Yael Borovich grew up in Winnipeg. She is the daughter of Dalia Szpiro and Eduardo Borovich (and younger sister of Vanessa) all of whom moved here in 2002. She is a graduate of the Asper School of Business and works as a senior client relationship manager for Scotia Bank’s commercial branch.
Siblings Igal and Edem Avimelek arrived here from Turkey six years ago with their parents, Etel and Moris. Edem is in her second year at the University of Manitoba while Igal is studying engineering at UBC.
They report that their father, Moris, has established the Upperwear Textile Agency – marketing textile products online – while their mother Etel, is senior IT Director, software development and data analytics and enterprise architecture at Standard Aero.
“Our parents were looking to move to a new country and came across the GrowWinnipeg webpage,” Edem says. “GrowWinnipeg has been really supportive of us in helping us move here and become established.”
More recent arrivals Alex Tsmokaliuk and Jane Hin are from Ukraine and Russia respectively and have been together since 2022. “We were looking for a peaceful place to start a family,”: Alex says. “We heard about GrowWinnpeg and here we are.”
Alex is a fitness trainer while Jane is working for WRE Development as a property manager.
Dora Bronstein, who is originally from Beersheva, is also a recent arrival to our community. “I came to Winnipeg because I wanted to get away from war – and I heard about GrowWinnipeg,” she says.
She is currently working for L.C. Taylor Licensed Insolvency Trustee as an estate manager.
Erele Tzidon and Daniel Mejnov
Last October, GrowWinnipeg introduced its new Youth Ambassadors program.
“Since October, we have been working to create an organized system and opportunities to help young newcomers find their people within our community,” wrote Youth Ambassador Erele Tzidon on Facebook.
“Our mission is to help young immigrants find a sense of home in Winnipeg and support a smooth and welcoming transition.
We are excited to help bring our young Jewish community together.
As reported in the Jewish Post about 18 months ago, Tzidon is originally from Moshav Ginaton in central Israel. She came to Winnipeg in 2018 with her parents Ofer – formerly regional manager for a car rental agency in Israel and now an RBC branch manager – and Sharon – an emotional therapist in Israel who is currently working as an educational assistant at Gray Academy – and three younger brothers.
The 20-year Gray Academy graduate has recently completed her third year in Science at the University of Manitoba. For the past three years, she has also been a member of Dr. Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin’s research team at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences (ICS), researching the link between pregnancy complications and the risk for heart disease.
In November, 2024, Tzidon was presented with the Dr. James S. McGoey Student Award – based on the quality of her cardiovascular research at the ICS, which operates out of the St. Boniface Hospital campus’s Albrechchtsen Research Centre.
Tzidon’s fellow Youth Ambassador is Daniel Mejnov. He was born in Beersheva but moved to Winnipeg with his parents, Dennis and Victoria (and younger brother Alon) 14 years ago. He is currently enrolled in an IT program at the University of Winnipeg.
Mejnov welcomed all those in attendance at the celebration and thanked the volunteers who helped him and Tzidon organize the event.
“It has been great being able to bring so many people together,” he said. “This is a good way to unite our community.
Two other individuals of particular note that I spoke with at the event were Orit Agabayev and Alina Plis, partners in three year old A and O Event Décor, who provided the balloon arches and walls, table settings and centre pieces for the evening.
Agabayev is originally from Netanya and Plis is from Yeruham (in southern Israel). The latter has been here for 18 years and operates a daycare. The former came 16 years. Her principal career is working in the field of animal nutrition.
In an Instagram PosI from four years ago, Plis noted that “I have always been passionate about planning parties and events. I started out with planning big surprise birthday parties for my kids. Eventually I began planning and decorating events for family and friends. Now I am taking the next step with my friend, Orit, who shares the same level enthusiasm as me. What drives me to go above and beyond is simply the excitement my creations bring to those who see my work.
On Facebook, Agabayev added that “Alina and I are so excited to start A&O event decor. We both love decorating and planning different events. We hope that you can put your trust in us to create or decorate an event for you. We do Birthday parties, anniversaries, bachelor/bachelorette parties, proposals, weddings and more..
“Message us with your ideas to get a free quote and you’re one step closer to having an unforgettable event.”
